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Free Speech Rally in Phoenix Includes "Draw Mohammed Contest"; Lasers Hit Four Passenger Planes After Takeoff; U.S. Considers Sending Arms to Sunni Tribes; Man Dies Helping Stranded Woman; ISIS Claims Responsibility for Baghdad Attacks. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired May 29, 2015 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:00:01] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.

And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

Just weeks after a Texas cartoon contest featuring the Prophet Mohammed ended in a deadly shootout, a similar event is scheduled in Phoenix tonight. And it's taking place outside of this mosque.

Now the contest is part of an event labeled as a "Free Speech Rally." A rally the organizer says is in response to the Garland, Texas, attack. In an interview with CNN affiliate KNXV that organizer addressed any concerns about potential violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON RITZHEIMER, ORGANIZER, "FREEDOM OF SPEECH RALLY": I would feel horrible but no, I'm not responsible for that violence.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: For inciting?

RITZHEIMER: Nope. We're just out -- we're just out utilizing our First Amendment. I meet like-minded individuals every day that say they wish something was going on. Something was happening. I wish someone would do something. Well, I'm someone.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And do what exactly?

RITZHEIMER: Something. This. Do a rally.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And a cartoon contest. Joining me now, the Phoenix mayor, Greg Stanton.

Welcome, Mr. Mayor.

MAYOR GREG STANTON (D), PHOENIX: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Now the organizer said that he didn't feel he would be responsible for any violence that might occur but in a Facebook post he said attendees are, quote, "encouraged to utilize their Second Amendment rights in case our First Amendment rights come under attack."

Are you concerned?

STANTON: Well, in Phoenix, Arizona, we are blessed to have the very finest police department in the country. And I spent a lot of time with them yesterday, got fully briefed as to preparations and so we're going to do everything to make sure that these protests happen peacefully, that these protesters are able to assert their First Amendment rights and are protected in doing but more importantly, equally as importantly as that, the members of the Islamic Community Center have a right to express their First Amendment, freedom of religion, and have a right to have their evening prayers, have that occur peacefully as well. So we are prepared for this. I'm confident in our Phoenix Police Department. So we're going to be ready.

COSTELLO: So, Mayor, do you wish that the organizer hadn't posted that Second Amendment thing on his Facebook page?

STANTON: Look, we are going to work hard to ensure that these people's First Amendment rights to protest, to peacefully protest, are protected. But just because someone has a First Amendment right to do something, doesn't make it a good idea, and of course I wish that any reference to the Second Amendment rights had not been posted, but I want to make sure it's clear that we're going to do -- we're going to make sure that this protest happens outside this neighborhood in Phoenix, be done as peacefully as possible and we're going to protect everyone's First Amendment rights.

We're going to make sure we balance those interests but again just because they have a First Amendment right to do it doesn't mean it's a good idea.

COSTELLO: How many police officers will be present when that Mohammed cartoon contest takes place?

STANTON: Well, I got to be honest with you, I'm not going to talk about the specifics of our briefing other than to say that our Phoenix Police Department working with federal officials, working with the FBI, are going to be fully prepared for anything that might occur.

Look, we are -- we are assuming that this is going to be a peaceful protest but as any good city should, as any good leadership should, we'll be prepared for anything.

COSTELLO: Do you think that this protest and the contest is really about free speech?

STANTON: Well, look, people have a First Amendment right to protest. I believe that this is being done in a purposefully provocative way. So I don't believe that it's a good idea. But people do have a First Amendment right to protest and we will make sure that their First Amendment rights are protected. But as I said earlier, it is equally as important that the members of this Islamic community center in the heart of Phoenix that they have an opportunity to go to evening prayers as peacefully in a setting that doesn't have intimidation. So we're going to protect their First Amendment rights of freedom of

religion equally and so tonight is going to be about a balancing of those interests and in Phoenix, Arizona, we're going to get this right.

COSTELLO: I think the organizers would say they're holding this protest in front of this particular mosque because one of the shooters in Garland, Texas, attended that mosque.

STANTON: Well, I -- he could -- look, again, he can express First Amendment rights in any way he wants to, to do so in a way in which you're wearing T-shirt that say, you know, F Islam and to do in a purposefully provocative way I don't think is a good idea. That being said, it is my responsibility as --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Does it put you in a difficult spot? Doesn't it put you in a difficult spot?

STANTON: Well, look, I'm trying to explain right now the balancing of the interests. I just said it's not a good idea but it's also my responsibility to protect people's First Amendment rights. So we are going to make sure that these people's First Amendment rights are protected just as we're going to protect the First Amendment freedom of religion rights of the individuals who are going to be going to evening prayers at the exact same time.

But as I've said, I don't think it's a good idea. I wish it wasn't happening at this location in my city. But as mayor, I can balance my responsibilities as the leader of this city.

[10:05:12] COSTELLO: All right. Mayor Greg Stanton, thank you so much for being with me this morning. I appreciate it.

STANTON: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

COSTELLO: We turn now to a developing story out of New York. Four passenger planes hit by lasers. Hundreds of airline passengers put at risk. Here is the view from the cockpit when this kind of laser hits. For pilots it can be blinding.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the time it gets up to us at 1,000 feet, it is a lot bigger than it looks like at night. And not just a pinpoint. So as it hits that plexiglas, the light disperses more throughout the cockpit and it's equivalent to like a flash of a camera if you were in pitch black car, you know, at night. So it's temporarily blinding to the pilot. Also to the flight officer whoever we're with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN aviation and government correspondent Rene Marsh has more from Washington.

Good morning.

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION AND GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. I mean, he just really hit it on the head as to why this is so dangerous. Not only is it blinding, you have to put into context, you know, exactly where the plane is at the point. Very close to the ground. So that just makes it very dangerous because this is a point in which pilots really have to be focused.

So as you mentioned, we're talking about four commercial passenger planes struck with lasers last night. All of the laser strikes happened in the area of Farmingdale, New York. These aircraft were about 8,000 feet at that level. They were either coming in for landing perhaps or maybe they had recently taken off and of course that is the most dangerous point of flight where the pilot has to be very focused.

Of course the pilot is very close to the ground and this is happening at night. So all of those -- all of those variables really complicate the situation there. We do know the FBI is now investigating but I have to say it is pretty difficult to -- it's really like finding a needle in the haystack to find this one individual who may have been shining this laser. That being said, they have had success in the past in finding the individuals responsible and they take this very seriously.

We know that, you know, you are a -- you can be, I should say, you can be put into jail or behind bars for at the very most five years. So this is something in which there are charges. They are pressed. They take this very, very, very seriously and so now the hunt is on for who's responsible, both the FAA and the FBI investigating -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Rene Marsh reporting live. Thanks so much.

The Pentagon says the U.S. is fine tuning the strategy against ISIS. As Iraqi forces go head to head with terrorists to try to reclaim two key provinces. The administration is now considering arming Sunni tribes. A plan that would potentially send weapons directly to those fighters and bypass Baghdad's Shia government.

Earlier today Senator Ben Cardin, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said working with government officials is critical, though, when it comes to the stability of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BEN CARDIN (D), RANKING MEMBER, SEN. FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: The success of Iraq depends on a central government that has the confidence of all of the different ethnic communities. So if you start to work around the central government in the long run that's going to cause a real problem on stability in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Let's bring in CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr to tell us more.

Good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Let's regroup on this a little bit. For now no decisions have been made. For now the Pentagon says it is sticking to the policy any armed shipments into Iraq will be coordinated through the central government in Baghdad. The question here is, could the U.S. directly provide some arms to the Sunni tribal fighters in coordination with the government of Baghdad but distribute them somewhat directly?

Let's look at the map. Here's the reason this may be so vital. Anbar Province. We've seen Ramadi fall. We've seen that this is the Sunni heartland, the western approach to Baghdad. This is the area that the U.S. wants to get the Sunni tribal fighters more involved in.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter has been looking at this whole notion, how could you speed up? How could you get the Sunnis more involved? What can you do to speed up the process? He said the other day, and I want to quote this. He said, "We can enhance, hasten, train and equip. I think one particular way that's extremely important is to involve the Sunni tribes in the fight. That means training and equipping them."

So what the Pentagon is looking at is the possibility -- no decisions made -- of getting some arms more directly to the Sunnis but they do insist they will still do it with the support of the Baghdad government. That's a central part of U.S. policy and strategy right now.

[10:10:03] Still, if this were to happen, it could be very difficult. How do you guarantee those Sunni fighters use those weapons supplied by the U.S. to fight ISIS and not to fight their Shia sectarian rivals -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Barbara Starr reporting live from the Pentagon.

Coming in the NEWSROOM, as Houston copes with catastrophic floods, a family mourns the father they lost in this disaster. I'll talk with them next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Dramatic rescues in Texas this morning. Take a look at this -- police officer. He was lifted to safety after being surrounded by floodwaters. It's amazing. Helicopter was above and they hoisted him to safety.

In Dallas, a driver stranded after a new flash flood emergency is issued overnight. The heavy rain hammering Houston within the last hour as the city desperately tries to dry out. And that's where we find Dan Simon.

Good morning, Dan.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. It is dry at least for the moment. But I'll tell you what, it's been a pretty difficult morning here in the Houston area. The rain was coming down pretty hard. It was also raining very hard north of here in Dallas.

We are in highlands, Texas, just outside of Houston. This is a subdivision that really got hit hard. The water level has risen about a foot here in the past 24 hours. About the only way you can get around some of these areas is by boat. We should tell you, though, that these houses are elevated. They're on stilts. So they're not going to see any flooding but all these streets just a complete mess.

[10:15:08] Authorities also keeping a close eye on the town of Wharton, Texas, about 300 homes under a voluntary evacuation order as the Colorado River there continues to rise. And as we get more rain in the forecast, there's also great concern in the town of Wimberley where we saw so much misery in the past few days with all of those people who died tragically in the flood. About 12 people still unaccounted for there in Wimberley and of course if you get more rain it's only going to make the search even more difficult for those people -- Carol?

COSTELLO: All right. Dan Simon reporting live from Houston this morning.

I want you to take a look at the man in the middle of this picture. 65-year-old Dennis Lee Callahan. He is a hero. He died earlier this week of a heart attack after helping push a stranger's car to safety through high water in Houston.

I'm joined now by his children, Michael Callahan and Heather Sullivan.

Welcome to both of you.

HEATHER SULLIVAN, FATHER DIED HELPING WOMAN: Thank you.

MICHAEL CALLAHAN, FATHER DIED HELPING WOMAN: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Michael, you got to tell us about your dad.

CALLAHAN: Well, my father wasn't just a father to me. He was my best friend. He was always there for me. He would give his shirt off his back for someone and his last moments, that's what he did. He helped a lady to get to safety and, you know, as he was walking to get to shelter, he had a heart attack and passed away.

COSTELLO: Heather, how did you hear?

SULLIVAN: I actually -- I heard it, I heard the medical examiner called my brother and they were going to call me but my brother knew that it would be better for him to let me know through him instead of them and that he knew me so well that this would be the kind of news that I would need to hear from him and not the M.E.

COSTELLO: He's a great brother, Michael.

SULLIVAN: Yes.

COSTELLO: You know, so many times we hear of good Samaritans helping others and you need to in this sort of disaster. And, you know, I'll say your father is a hero but his actions mean so much.

CALLAHAN: Yes. Correct. You know, if I could just get the message to people that, you know, pick up the phone and call your loved one and tell them how much they mean to you. Because you never know when you're going to get that phone call. And you know, it breaks my heart that I wasn't there for my father on his last words, you know, he -- he'd always been there for me. And you know, don't take things lightly when your phone is giving you a message that flash floods are coming or, you know, the news telling you, you know, to stay in shelter and don't go out when the news is telling you things like this and it's very important.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: And --

SULLIVAN: And if you are out and you are -- you see high water, turn around, don't drown.

COSTELLO: And, you know, because I always wonder why people take the chance because the emergency calls go out. And, you know, police say in your home or leave your home and go to a shelter but people insist on staying. Why do you think that is, Michael?

CALLAHAN: I mean, that same night I was actually at the Rockets game and they put all over the big screen, you know, don't leave the Rockets game and you know what did I do? My wife and my friends, we ran to our car and we jumped in the car and we went home. We were very fortunate that, you know, we were able to make it home safely.

And I think people, you know, think they're invincible and, you know, they don't think that something is going to happen to them. And, you know, I never thought in a million years that something like this would happen to me and my family. But it has. And, you know, one thing that my family and I are coming together right now.

You know, social media has been helpful. You know, people have been reaching out to us and telling, you know, how my father -- what it meant to -- what his life meant to them and that has helped us and just hearing stories of my friends saying, you know, I met your dad this one time and, you know, he took us to dinner and just hearing those stories does help us a lot. And I do appreciate all of my friends and family that have come for both my sister and I.

And it's very important to us. You know, and all of the other flood victims out there, you know, I pray for you all just as much and this is a very hard time for everybody here in Houston and, you know, I don't find, you know, some of the -- I've seen some media that have made kind of jokes about this and it's not a joke at all what's going on in Texas.

[10:20:05] COSTELLO: I totally agree.

Michael and Heather, thank you for sharing your story. And I'm sure that Dennis is looking down on you and he's very proud today.

CALLAHAN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Thank you so much.

SULLIVAN: Thank you.

CALLAHAN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, ISIS claims responsibility for a strike at the heart of Iraq. Is Baghdad in jeopardy?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: ISIS claiming responsibility for a deadly attack on the Iraqi capital that left at least nine people dead and 14 others injured. This is what the streets of Baghdad looked like after explosions at two hotels, both of them popular with foreigners including journalists.

Arwa Damon live in Baghdad to tell us more.

Hi, Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Those explosions happened at around midnight. Fairly powerful shaking buildings for a fair distance around. ISIS just claiming responsibility for these simultaneous attacks on one of their main social media accounts. And in a statement, they detail how it was that one of their fighters was able to carry out this operation saying that this individual drove a vehicle into the parking lot of what is better known as the Sheraton Hotel, now known as the Grand Ishtar.

Parked the vehicle there. Departed. Picked up another vehicle and then it drove that into the parking lot of the Babylon Hotel where he detonated the vehicle with himself in it at that stage. ISIS praising this operation that happened simultaneously, saying that it was in revenge for operations being carried out targeting the country's Sunni areas and also saying that this is a message, a warning to the Shia- led government.

[10:25:16] And this most certainly is going to cause quite some concern especially for the residents of Baghdad because even though they don't necessarily believe that the capital will fall to ISIS the way that Mosul did, many of them have been fearing revenge attacks that would be carried out by ISIS against potentially vulnerable targets.

This also, though, illustrating a massive security breach because both of these hotels have security checkpoints where there are searches that take place before you enter them raising a lot of questions as to how it was that in both these cases these vehicles packed with explosives were able to get through, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Arwa Damon reporting live from Baghdad. Thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, it didn't take long for the race for the Republican presidential -- didn't take long for the GOP race to be president -- what am I trying to say here?

Anyway, it's nasty. It's ugly. We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)