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U.N. Votes on Lifting Iran's Sanctions; Cosby Admits to Targeting, Luring Women; Surfer Survives Shark Attack. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired July 20, 2015 - 09:30   ET

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

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: This big five powers think that Iran will now have to live up to the agreement.

[09:30:03] The U.S. feel it could already -- always put back sanctions if necessary under this agreement. Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: OK. So the U.S. Congress hasn't even started to debate this deal yet. So I imagine, Jim Acosta, they must be really, really happy with the United Nations.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is some criticism on both sides of the aisle, Carol, no question about it. A lot of Republican presidential candidates, nearly all of them, have said they're going to tear up this nuclear agreement with Iran if they make it to the White House. And this is one of the key criticisms here that the United Nations Security Council was able to go first before the United States Congress has had a chance to weigh in on this. And part of that is just because of the timing and logistics of this deal.

Over the weekend, as you know, the State Department delivered the text of the agreement to Capitol Hill. That activated the deal's 60 day congressional review period. Secretary of State John Kerry and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, they have been out in front, really pushing this agreement. They did the Sunday talk show circuit yesterday defending it. And Kerry insisted the administration is doing everything that it can to address all of these criticisms that are a part of this deal. For example, securing the release of those four Americans detained or missing in Iran. They were not part of this agreement. And the secretary of state warned in all of these talk show appearances, including on CNN's "State of the Union," that the world will be much more dangerous without this deal. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: If Congress doesn't pass this, if Congress were to kill this, then we have no inspections, we have no sanctions, we have no ability to negotiate because I assure you the ayatollah, if the United States arbitrarily and unilaterally kills this, you're not going to have another negotiation. And they will feel free to go do the very things that this prevents.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ACOSTA: And so to walk our viewers through what happens next. Yes, the United Nations Security Council has gone about relieving the sanctions on Iran that they are responsible for, but there is a whole other set of sanctions on the U.S. side. That's what's going to be a part of the 60-day review period. And so, Carol, this week, the Obama administration will be providing classified briefings to lawmakers, including one that we know about for all House members on Wednesday.

And, don't forget, the most important lobbying trip of this deal is underway right now. Perhaps the most important one. Ash Carter, the defense secretary, he's in Israel right now meeting with leaders there. And, of course, those leaders, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are deeply skeptical of this deal. But no question about it, with respect to this U.N. Security Council vote, even the number two Democrat in the House, Steny Hoyer, has said, no, the Congress should go first, the U.N. Security Council should go second. But the Obama administration said there was just no way logistically to make that part of this deal.

Carol.

COSTELLO: OK, we'll see what happens next. Jim Acosta, Richard Roth, thanks to both of you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, sex, drugs, hush money, and more. Bill Cosby talking about his sexual conquest. One of his accusers joins me live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:37:10] COSTELLO: New, graphic details of Bill Cosby's past, this time coming from the comedian himself. The sex, how he lured women, and the lies he told revealed in a deposition he gave 10 years ago. In it, Cosby admits to sexual relationships with at least five women. He talks about giving them sedatives, how he hid the affairs from his wife, and how his fame helped him to seduce these women. Cosby describing one encounter saying, quote, "she meets me backstage. I give her Quaaludes. We then have sex. I think she may very well have been very happy to be around the show business surroundings."

CNN Alexandra Field joins me now with more.

You've read through this deposition.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Cosby, in his own words, for the first time, really, on a number of these questions. There are a thousand pages worth of details about not only the sexual encounters, but also the Quaaludes, what Mrs. Cosby did and didn't know and also the payments that he made to some of these women and why he made those payments. But at no point, Carol, in any of these pages, does he admit to any wrongdoing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD (voice-over): The deposition is nearly a thousand pages long and what emerges is a clearer picture of Bill Cosby in his own words. Cosby answered questions as part of a 2005 lawsuit that Andrea Constand brought against him for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting her. Cosby said the sexual encounters with Constand were consensual. "I don't hear her say anything," he said, "and I don't feel her say anything. And so I continue and I go into the area that is somewhere between permission and rejection. I am not stopped."

Over the past 40 years, more than 25 women have publicly accused Cosby of raping or assaulting them. In the deposition, Cosby says both the sex and the pills were consensual. The stars saying he looked for women's nonverbal cues in response to his sexual advances.

BARBARA BOWMAN, COSBY ACCUSER: I don't believe in nonverbal cues. Consent is not the absence of a no. And when you're -- when you're stuffing drugs or alcohol into a woman and then calling it sex, it's diabolical, it's disgusting, it's unacceptable, and it's rape. And that's a crime.

FIELD: The 78-year-old has never faced criminal charges. In the deposition, he admits to offering Constand money for education and trying to keep his wife, Camille Cosby, in the dark. "My wife would not know it was because Andrea and I had had sex and that Andrea was now very, very upset." These revelations sickening to the women who have publicly accused Cosby.

JANICE DICKENSON, COSBY ACCUSER: I keep reliving the same sick -- the same sick feeling, you know, in my soul. But I have to be strong.

[09:40:04] FIELD: The transcript reveals more about the use of Quaaludes. Cosby admits giving the drug to a young woman in Las Vegas before they had sex in the 1970s. The lawyer says, "she said that she believes she was not in the position to consent to intercourse after you gave her the drug. Do you believe that is correct?" "I don't know," Cosby replied.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD: Over the course of this deposition, Cosby answered questions from an attorney based on statements from 13 different Jane Doe's. One of those Jane Doe's has now been identified by her attorney, Gloria Allred, as Beth Ferrier. And today Gloria Allred is responding to the release of this deposition with this comment. She said, "Cosby's testimony demonstrates how deceptive, manipulative and disgusting he was. It is no wonder that he fought to keep this deposition, which reveals his revolting predatory conduct, hidden from public view. But the truth is out now and it will never be hidden again. Allred's client, Beth Ferrier, alleges that Bill Cosby put drugs in her coffee and then sexually assaulted her.

Carol, we have, of course, reached out to Bill Cosby's spokesman who says that he has no comment at this time.

COSTELLO: Can't wait to hear what it is if --

FIELD: If we get one.

COSTELLO: If one's coming forth, right? Thanks so much, Alexandra Field, reporting.

My next guest says Bill Cosby drugged and raped her back in 1984. Heidi Thomas is on the phone.

Heidi, thanks so much for being with me this morning.

HEIDI THOMAS, BILL COSBY ACCUSER (via telephone): Absolutely. Thanks for having me on.

COSTELLO: Oh, what strikes you most in this deposition?

THOMAS: Nothing. I think all of us who have been victims, nothing surprises us. It's everything we've been saying for 10, 20, 30, 40, and in one case 50 years.

COSTELLO: He just --

THOMAS: So --

COSTELLO: In reading through this, he seems so delusional. The fact that he said he was able to recognize nonverbal romantic feelings is -- is just creepy.

THOMAS: Right. It's -- I've spoken with several medical -- or, sorry, mental health people and they have all said that if -- if -- and I'm not a mental health expert, but if he has a sexual addiction, which I think probably is the case, that narcissism goes hand in hand with that kind of thing. Obviously, he really believes that this is what women want from him, and that he is some master mind reader that knows what women want and this is it. Why he thinks then, if that's the case, why we needed to be drugged, there's -- there's another switch. I don't think he's thinking straight.

COSTELLO: But -- but in some sense, it seems to me as if he sort of maybe kind of thought it was wrong because at one point he said that one of the women that he had sex with, or other people would say assaulted, he said she was in a state somewhere between permission and objection, but she never told him to stop. What does that even mean?

THOMAS: Right. Well, again, he doesn't make any sense. And I think if -- if -- I don't know. I'd like to think I'm not a narcissist and I'm certainly not a sex addict, so I don't know how he things. What I do know is, he's absolutely clueless because he's -- he's -- how can you possibly respond when you're drugged? You can't! We can't even remember what happened, let alone whether we're giving consent or not. We couldn't give consent. There's -- you can't. You're not even capable of answering a question, or at least I don't remember answering questions, let's put it that way. So I'm sure, again, it's going to take some medical experts to tell us what we can and can't do when we're under the influence of some drug like a Quaalude. I -- I don't know.

COSTELLO: The reason Cosby can't be prosecuted today in nearly all cases is that there's a statute of limitations when it comes to the crime of rape. Thirty-four states require alleged victims to file charges within three to 30 months. Do you think that this controversy might change that?

THOMAS: I -- oh, that's what we all pray for. This is -- this is what the battle is about now. there are -- there's no reconciliation for the rest of us who have already been through it. The statute of limitations is -- it's a done deal. As I said, victim number one came through for us or tried to say something 50 years ago. So this isn't -- this isn't going to happen for us.

What we're hoping, though, is, if we can get these statutes changed, the possibility of catching predators like Cosby, sexual, serial rapists, the chances are so much greater. And it's all going to be a case of now DNA. You get yourself in. You get a doctor to get you a rape kit. You get some DNA and let's nail these serial rapists, which we can do now if we can get the statute of limitations lifted. We have the capability to do that.

[09:45:06] But, obviously, we've got stigmas attached. Women don't want to go in. They feel like they are to blame somehow. I know, that's a classic victim mentality. And for quite a while you feel like, what -- what did I do? What did I do wrong? How -- and the idea that you have been victimized doesn't occur to you. So I think for me the message is going to be, it happens. It's awful. Get ahold of yourself and get into a doctor before you even worry about what did I do wrong. Then you can always decide later, you know, that was a mistake. I -- I -- yes.

COSTELLO: All right, Heidi Thomas, thank you so much for being with me this morning. I appreciate it.

Coming up in the next hour on CNN, one-on-one with Janice Dickinson. Reaction from the former super model in light of Bill Cosby's bombshell admissions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANICE DICKENSON, BILL COSBY ACCUSER: I keep reliving the same sick -- the same sick feeling, you know, in my soul, and in my body. It' -- it's -- the memories are still there. And it -- and every time I think about it and I hear -- I hear new information, I still -- it takes -- it still takes me back to that actual night, like it happened yesterday, and it was back in 1982. And it sick -- it sickens me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We'll have more from Dickinson and her candid interview with CNN's Fredricka Whitfield. That comes up in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

Still to come, face to face with a shark. It happened to a pro surfer. Now he's talking to CNN. David McKenzie live in South Africa.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, here in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa, it was an extraordinary scene as an attack unfolded live during a pro surf event. We talk to the champion surfer who escaped with his life. That's after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:51:16] COSTELLO: A world champion surfer is lucky to be alive and well this morning after a terrifying shark attack. Now he's talking to CNN about what he went through. It's incredible video. Mick Fanning was competing in the J. Bay Open final in South Africa when a shark went right after him. Oh, it's crazy. You see the shark's fins there. Well, he punched the shark on its back to escape and it actually worked. CNN international correspondent David McKenzie joins us now from Jeffrey's Bay in South Africa. He talked to the surfer, Mr. Fanning.

What did he say, David?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, Carol, he was clearly shaken. This is a man who's surfed for many years, 30 years as he said, and nothing quite like this has ever happened to him before. Has ever happened before, frankly. This shark attack, a great white shark.

Now, to put it in perspective, it's roughly the size of a sedan attacking this surfer, Mick Fanning, who's a world champion surfer, coming from behind up at him. And you just see the horror on his face and you hear the crowd and the announcer as it happens on live TV. Extraordinary images.

I spoke to Mick here at the scene of what happened, and he said really nothing like this has ever happened before.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICK FANNING, PROFESSIONAL SURFER: I think I tried to punch it. And I like -- and then it started like dragging me under and dragging me by my leash, and -- and, yes, I was like -- I didn't know what to do. Do I keep my board or whatever? And, yes, just sort of just made its own course. And then my -- my leash broke and it was going for my board and then I just started swimming for shore screaming at Julian to head in. But as a -- as a warrior, as a legend, he just came for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: And he's describing how his fellow competitor and close friend swam towards him, towards this mayhem going on to try and save him. Eventually -- well, not eventually, actually pretty quickly the jet skis came in, pulled him out of the water, and he said he didn't realize just how incredible this all was until he saw the horrified reaction of the fans and his friends on the beach where I'm standing after this extremely lucky escape.

Carol.

COSTELLO: I know his mother was watching television when all this went down. How is she feeling this morning?

MCKENZIE: Well, she said it was just incredible and scary because she thought she had lost him, in her words. Mick said he talked to his mom in Australia. Said she told him she tried to reach into the TV and haul him out to safety.

Of course, this all ends well. It could have been so much worse. A great white attack ending in this way is very rare, indeed. And Mick said it really wasn't due to him punching the shark, although it might have had an effect. He said really it was up to the shark whether it wanted to eat him or not in the surfer's words. So certainly he's on his way home to give his mom a hug today and he's really rattled, but he says he'll go out and surf again very soon.

COSTELLO: That's amazing. An amazing story. David McKenzie, thanks for sharing. We appreciate it.

I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:58:50] COSTELLO: Checking some other top stories for you at 58 minutes past.

Torrential rain in southern California caused a bridge on a busy Interstate 10 to collapse. At least one driver was injured. Hundreds of others were stranded. Authorities say the I-10 freeway, which connects Phoenix and Los Angeles, is closed indefinitely.

The suspect in the D.C. mansion slayings is due in court just a few hours -- in just a few hours, rather, for a preliminary hearing. Daron Wint is accused of brutally killing a couple, their 10-year-old son, and the family's housekeeper. Police say he held the victims captive for 18 hours, then beat and stabbed them to death and set their house on fire after he received $40,000 in ransom.

And former President George H.W. Bush is out of the hospital. He was admitted last week after falling and breaking a bone in his neck. While doctors call the injury significant, they expect Mr. Bush to make a full recovery. The 91-year-old is the oldest living former president.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO (voice-over): happening now in the NEWSROOM, Donald Trump's new target, John McCain.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's not a war hero.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a war hero.

TRUMP: He is a war hero --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five and a half years in a POW camp.

TRUMP: He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured.

[10:00:02] COSTELLO: No apologies, no backing down, but has Trump gone too far?