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Russian Airstrikes Reportedly Hit ISIS Targets in Syria; Gen. John Campbell Testifies on Afghanistan Before House Committee. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired October 06, 2015 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:33:52] ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: Any minute now we're expecting the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan to testify on Capitol Hill. You're looking at some live pictures there on the right. This hearing is just getting underway. Of course, Senator John McCain making opening remarks. This is the Senate Armed Services Committee where General John Campbell is expected to face some tough questions after a deadly U.S. airstrike at the Doctors Without Borders hospital in the northern city of Kunduz on Saturday. Now that strike has sparked international outrage. More than 20 people, innocent civilians, died, including three children. As soon as the general gets to the microphone and makes his opening remarks, we will dip in and bring that to you live.

New this morning, Russian airstrikes in Syria has reportedly his ISIS targets this time in Palmyra, right near the city's ancient ruins. Syrian state media says the strikes hit ISIS hideouts destroying armored vehicle, ammunition and more. There has been concern that Moscow's involvement there in Syria has been about beating back U.S.- supported rebels rather than defeating ISIS. Meanwhile, Russia is digging in. They are now adding combat troops and heavy artillery said to be on the move in Syria.

[09:35:04] CNN's Matthew Chance is following these latest developments from Moscow.

Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, actually that's something that U.S. officials have been talking about, the idea that Russia is building up its ground forces in Syria, saying that they're deploying these artillery pieces and rocket launchers backed by considerable numbers of troops to operate them in preparation for a ground offensive, but that's not something that the Kremlin admit to. In fact, they categorically deny it. They're saying that they've got no intention of putting ground forces in Syria, that the campaign they're engaged in is strictly an air campaign. And so you've got on one side of the Atlantic the United States saying that this is what they believe is happening, and on the other side here in Russia been categorically denying that.

And so this idea that there are ground forces being put on the ground beyond the ones that were already there. And, remember, there were hundreds of Russian forces already on the ground in Syria in sort of force protection roles around the air bases and the other military facilities that Russia has in Syria. It's something that is very much in dispute. As I say, is categorically rejected by the Kremlin, Ana.

CABRERA: We're also hearing that there's a fighter jet that was interfered with. Turkish jets on the Turkish/Syria border today. Of course it comes after other criticism that Russia has entered Turkish air space over the weekend. What more can you tell us about this new development?

CHANCE: Well, actually, I think that what the Turkish authorities say is that that interference took place on Monday, which was, you know, which was yesterday, and they're saying that it was interfered with, that their planes, by this unidentified aircraft. In the past, there have been a number of these incident, largely carried out by the Syrian Air Force, not the Russian military. There have been a number of incursions into Turkish air space by the Russians. Over the weekend, in fact, there were at least two, which provoked strong diplomatic protests from the Turkish to Moscow. It's also provoked this strong reaction from NATO as well. But basically says, look, you know, Turkey, if these kinds of incidents carry on, is within its rights to shoot these Russian planes down. Take a listen to what Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of NATO, had to say.

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JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Russia's actions are not contributing to the security and the stability of the region. I call on Russia to fully respect NATO air space and to avoid escalating tensions with the alliance. I urge Russia to take the necessary steps to align its efforts with those of the international community in the fight against ISIL.

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CHANCE: Well, in terms of the Russian incursions that have been confirmed as taking place, Russia say that these were purely navigational errors. The border of Turkey is very close to the Latakia Air Base what they're operating out of. And because of poor weather conditions, the Russians say, they made these detour for just a few seconds through Turkish air space and that seems to be their position.

CABRERA: All right, Matthew Chance in Moscow, thank you for helping us just sort through the facts in all this. It is a developing situation and a lot of scrutiny under what's happening there. Thanks again.

Still to come, the scandal rocking the $1.5 billion world of fantasy sports.

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[09:42:41] CABRERA: Welcome back.

We're following breaking news on Capitol Hill where General John Campbell has just started testifying before the Senate Armed Serviced Committee about the airstrike that happened in Afghanistan. Let's listen in.

GEN. JOHN CAMPBELL, COMMANDER, U.S. FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN: Has not occurred. Eight months have passed since I appeared before this - since I last appeared before this committee. And much has changed since then. Afghanistan, its government and its security forces, the enemy and our own coalition have undergone tremendous transitions. These changes have ensured that this fighting season has been fundamentally different. It can't be compared to previous years.

I would like to emphasize how political, military, economics and social transitions are affecting the operational environment in order to place our campaign in context. Afghanistan is at a critical juncture and so is our campaign. But before I further explain the formidable challenges and the opportunities before us, I'd like to address a few topics that have been in the headlines here lately.

First, I would like to discuss the tragic loss of lives in the strike on the hospital in Kunduz. By way of background, U.S. special operations forces have been providing training, advice and assistance to Afghan national defense forces who have been engaged in a tenacious fight with the Taliban. On Saturday morning, our forces provided close air support to Afghan forces at their request. To be clear, the decision to provide aerial fires was a U.S. decision made within the U.S. chain of command.

A hospital was mistakenly struck. We would never intentionally target a protected medical facility. I must allow the investigation to take its course and therefore I'm not at liberty to discuss further specifics at this time. However, I assure you that the investigation will be thorough, objective and transparent.

I'd also like to remind the committee and the American people that we continue to make extraordinary efforts to protect civilians. No military in history has done more to avoid harming innocents. We readily assume greater risk to our own forces in order to protect non- combatants. To prevent any future incidents of this nature, I've directed the entire force to undergo in-depth training in order to review all of our operational authorities and rules of engagement.

[09:45:06] Our record stands in stark contrast to the actions of the Taliban. They've repeatedly violating the laws of war by intentionally targeting civilians. The United Nations attributes more than 70 percent of the noncombatants killed and wounded in this war to the Taliban.

Second, I'd like to discuss the sexual exploitation of children by few members of the Afghan Security Forces. All of us consider this reprehensible. This criminal practice is entirely unacceptable - unacceptable to the Afghans as well. President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah have reiterated their policies and laws to enforce this with their Afghan Security Forces. We'll do everything within our power to defend and protect human rights. That is our moral obligation to you, the American people and ourselves.

And I have ordered 100 percent training of the force to ensure that they understand our human rights policy which has been in place since at least 2011. This policy requires that our personnel report any suspected human rights violations committed by the Afghan Security Forces. And this is to include any sexual abuse of children. Whenever and wherever our personnel observe human rights abuses they will be conveyed through our chain of command and in turn to the Afghan government. The perpetrators must be held accountable.

With still many weeks left in the traditional fighting season, intense combat continues in many parts of the country. The Afghan Security Forces have been severely tested this year but they continue to fight hard. In the wake of the coalition's redeployment, the Afghan Security Forces and insurgents both accepted that this fighting season would be decisive. There was no winter lull. And since February, the fighting has been nearly continuous. Casualties on both sides have risen and the violence has moved beyond the traditional insurgent strongholds.

Pakistan military operations this year have also displaced foreign fighters in the eastern and northern Afghanistan. The emergence of Daesh, or the Islamic State Khorasan Province, ISKP, has further complicated the theater landscape and potentially expanded the conflict. Most recently, the Taliban increased the tempo of their operations following the announced death of their spiritual leader, Mullah Omar.

We're also now seeing how a redeployment and transition from combat operations to an advisory role have changed battlefield dynamics. Only a few years ago our coalition numbered over 140,000 military personnel. Now our force is comprised with fewer than 14,000, of which approximately 10,000 are U.S. service men and women. In years past, our aircraft provide a responsive and often decisive close air support to coalition and Afghan troops and contact. This is no longer the norm but the exception.

Collectively, the Afghan Security Forces are adapting to these changes and in some places they are struggling. Within this context, the fluidity of the current security situation is not surprising. This fighting season started well for the Afghan Security Forces as they execute a successful multi-core cross pillar operations in Helmand, Zabul, and Ghazni provinces and in the southern reproaches (ph) into Kabul.

In April they fought back significant Taliban pressure in the North. And in August and September they reversed almost all of the Taliban gains in the Northern Helmand after a considerable effort. Yet there have been setbacks and most recently the Taliban overran Kunduz - Kunduz City. Still the Afghan security forces rallied and they've regained control of most of the cities, just as they have successfully retaken other ground temporarily lost throughout this fighting season.

The Afghan Security Forces' inconstant performance and conduce underscores several of their shortcomings. They must improve their intelligence fusion, command and control, utilization of their forces. They don't possess the necessary combat power and numbers to protect every part of the country. This makes it very difficult for the Afghan Security Forces to counter the Taliban's ability to temporarily mast, seize an objective and then blend back into the population. Ultimately, the Afghan Security leaders need to discern better when to fight, when to hold, and where to assume risk.

Despite these shortcomings...

CABRERA: We are listening right now to General John Campbell; he is the Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan testifying before the senators on Capitol Hill and the Armed Services Committee, really giving a broad brushstroke view of what's happening on the ground in Afghanistan.

And I want to bring our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, following things there closely. Barbara, let's first start about talking with -- with what he had to say regarding that investigation into the airstrike that hit the Doctors Without Borders hospital

[09:50:07] BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, you know, because the investigation is going on, as you would expect, the Commander, General Campbell, had very little to say publicly, but he did make a couple of crucial points. He said that the decision to send in that AC-130 gunship to fight what turned out to be suspected Taliban fighters at this hospital complex, that was supposed to be the mission. That that was a decision made by the United States and made entirely within the U.S. chain of command. He has already said that the Afghans requested the U.S. aircraft, but the decision to go ahead and do it was a U.S. decision.

What General Campbell is not saying right now, and the investigation's not final, is really if, in fact, the U.S. mission was to go fire on Taliban at that complex, how did they not know it was a hospital? This is the big question. The U.S. does not fire on hospitals, schools and mosques. How could the U.S. not have known the hospital was there? The group, Doctors Without Borders, said they notified the U.S. for months about their location.

So one, how did they not know it was a hospital? If they were going after Taliban, that does not fall into the generally understood rules of engagement. There's always a possibility of firing on the Taliban, but that is not a really standard mission at this point. General Campbell talking about the Afghan forces inconsistent performance in Kunduz in that area and the lack of intelligence.

Ana.

CABRERA: And he talked about the problems they are having with the troops that they have trained as America tries to step back from its role in the combat into an advisory role and how that has been extremely challenging so could impact the plans moving forward to remove more of the U.S. in Afghanistan.

Barbara Starr, we know you'll stay on top of it for us. Thanks so much for joining us.

We'll be right back.

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[09:56:35] CABRERA: Checking top stories. Six people injured, one seriously as an Amtrak commuter train bound for Washington, D.C. derailed in central Vermont. At least two cars ran off the track yesterday morning near Northfield. A preliminary report now suggests this train ran into an apparent rock slide, causing the accident.

The American Airlines pilot who died mid-flight has now been identified. Captain Michael Johnson died suddenly yesterday while flying from Phoenix to Boston. Officials believe Johnson likely had a heart attack. His co-pilot was able to safely land the plan. Now passengers say they knew something was wrong, but they didn't realize the pilot had died until hours later. 147 passengers and 5 crew members were on board.

It's official. All-day breakfast starts today at McDonald's. This move is all part of an effort to boost slumping sales and profits but the rollout has been a bit complicated. All restaurants needed to install separate griddles and they had to train the staff on extra options.

The next hour of CNN's NEWSROOM begins right after a quick break. Stay with us.

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