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Explosion, Gunshots Near Embassies in Kabul; Police Union Endorses Trump; Freddie Gray Death: Defense Puts Other Cops on the Stand; "CNN Quiz Show: Famous Americans Edition" Airs Sunday 7PM ET. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired December 11, 2015 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00] SUNE RASMUSSEN, JOURNALIST, "THE GUARDIAN": Rumors say at least - or reports say has been taken by some gunmen who are holed up. There's a lot of chatter going on but we don't have anything confirmed. But judging from police radios of the chatter and police radios here, this is a foreign guest house, (INAUDIBLE) foreign guest house probably belonging to an embassy. We don't know what country that embassy would belong to and we don't know anything about casualties or potential hostages yet. There is sporadic gunfire going on from time to time, but right now everything is pretty quiet at the moment.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: And I imagine it's too early for claims of responsibility, right?

RASMUSSEN: As far as I know, no one has claimed responsibility. Normally with instances like this or attacks like this, we have to wait a few hours before someone claims responsibility. Often they will not - no one will claim responsibility if there's a case of a lot of civilian casualties, but we don't know anything about casualties as of - just yet.

BROWN: And let me just ask you, I mean, as you reported, this is near embassies in Kabul and where a lot of ex-pats live. Do we know what the security situation is like there?

RASMUSSEN: Well, this is - this particular area is called (INAUDIBLE) and it's close to another area called (INAUDIBLE), which is where most foreign embassies and a lot of sort of bigger organizations are based. Security here is normally pretty tight, but it's also a high profile area. So it is where a lot of these complex attacks or attacks on guest houses, attacks on hotels and restaurants, they occur because there are foreigners around and because there are also Afghan officials, for that matter, who live in this area. So security here is probably the tightest in the city, but it's also the highest profile area. So it is often target of attacks.

BROWN: Sune Rasmussen, thank you. We'll check back in with you as you get more information.

Meantime, the Pentagon is considering a plan to set up a global network of military hubs that would be able to respond quickly to terror hot spots. This proposal would deploy both conventional troops and special forces in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says it would give the U.S. greater flexibility as ISIS spreads.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASH CARTER, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We also have to recognize that as Libya is one example, that this tumor is metastasizing or has metastasized. That's the reality - recognition of that behind the concept of linking together American counterterrorism and military nodes in the region and around the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And let's bring in CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

So, Barbara, how soon might a decision on this plan be made?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it's - Carter's indicating it's evolving. It's not going to be like suddenly day one where you have a bunch of new military operations. In fact, we're already seeing it in northern Syria, for example. U.S. special operations forces were recently inside northern Syria very quietly scouting out locations they might work from.

And what Carter was really talking about there is that what he calls metastasizing tumor of ISIS, no longer just in Iraq, just in Syria, have to fight them there. But these ISIS affiliates, the ISIS-inspired operations, operatives, are springing up all over the world. And that's really the problem now. How do you get to all of that? The sense of the Pentagon and the intelligence community is they have to pick some spots, base some people there, and have an ability to respond very rapidly. One of their biggest challenges, being on the ground where ISIS is and gathering intelligence about what they might be up to next.

Pamela.

BROWN: Yes, and we've seen these ISIS attacks in the Sinai Peninsula recently, Beirut, as well as Tunisia. How would this work? How much of this network would rely on existing military infrastructure and how much would be created from scratch?

STARR: I think in a lot of places you're going to basically see it rely on existing infrastructure, existing bases. We're really not talking here, from our understanding, what the Pentagon has in mind, building massive new military bases. You're talking about access to places where the U.S. wants to be. So, for example, Libya, on the coast of north Africa, that is a huge, growing danger of ISIS moving in there. There may be hundreds if not thousands of ISIS operatives already in Libya.

So, what do you do about it? If you can put some more capability in southern Europe, just across the Mediterranean, you can respond more quickly when you find a target in Libya, when you find intelligence you want to act upon. That's kind of the model that they're really talking about.

BROWN: Barbara Starr, thank you for that report. Appreciate it. [09:34:53] And still to come right here on NEWSROOM, Donald Trump has

some strong words and plans for anyone convicted of killing a police officer. What the GOP frontrunner vows to do if he makes it to the White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Rough start on Wall Street this Friday. Take a look here. The Dow down it looks like more than 200 points. This as oil prices continue to spiral down. Of course, we're going to keep an eye on this as the day and these early trading numbers.

All right, and taking a now at Donald Trump. He is gaining new support from the New England Police Union. The GOP frontrunner is accepting the group's endorsement, while also making a special vow if he's elected president. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One of the first things I do in terms of executive order if I win will be to sign a strong, strong statement that will go out to the country, out to the world, that anybody killing a policeman, policewoman, police officer, anybody killing a police officer, death penalty. It's gonna happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:40:17] BROWN: So Trump would go on to praise the role of police officers in the face of terrorist threats and he's also calling for police to have military-style equipment. CNN's Randi Kaye has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Members of the New England Police Benevolent Association showing support for Donald Trump in New Hampshire despite the growing list of his inflammatory remarks.

KAYE (on camera): Does any of that concern you?

JERRY FLYNN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEPBA: I think what concerns me is what my members - we have a president of the United States who has no respect for law enforcement officers. That's the problem right now.

KAYE (voice-over): Retired Police Officer Jerry Flynn once met with Trump in his office in New York City.

FLYNN: Found him to be very charming, to be honest with you. And -

KAYE (on camera): Charming is not a word that you hear a lot when you're talking about Donald Trump. What do you make of his style?

FLYNN: I think that he is what he is. He's a very successful businessman. He's somebody who obviously can poke the bear and he's done that pretty well.

KAYE (voice-over): So well, in fact, that there's a growing panic among some in his party he could win the nomination. But because of his inflammatory remarks about Latinos, women and now Muslim, many say he wouldn't stand a chance in a general election.

KAYE (on camera): You're not at all concerned about him being the nominee?

JOHNNY ARNOLD (ph): No, I want him to be the nominee. I want him to be president of the United States.

KAYE (voice-over): Johnny Arnold also thinks Trump could take Democrat Hillary Clinton in a match up.

ARNOLD: When it comes to immigration, when it comes to the debt, when it comes to defending our country, I feel like he has the - he's stronger than she is.

KAYE: Despite what some Republicans are saying, no one here told us they thought Trump was hurting his party.

TOM DALY, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, NEPBA: He's trying to make America great again and I think he's doing it his way on his own the way he would work in business.

KAYE (on camera): And you think that's playing well in the party, not driving people away from the party?

DALY: I think it's playing well with the public. And the party will - I guess that will be determined at the convention.

KAYE (voice-over): And about that "New York Times"/CBS poll showing that among all registered voters, 40 percent say a Trump presidency scares them.

KAYE (on camera): Does a Donald Trump presidency scare you?

ARNOLD: Not at all. And I'll tell you why. It's because I've noticed that when it comes to a lot of presidents, they don't know how to say no. And that might just be a real basic answer to tell you, but I feel like he has so much fire in him. Like if we were to be attacked, for example, he knows how to say no.

KAYE (voice-over): Meanwhile, with so many critics inside the GOP, Trump is floating the idea of running as a third party candidate, an independent. And according to a "USA Today" poll, 68 percent of his supporters say they'd go with him.

KAYE (on camera): Would you consider crossing party lines to vote for Donald Trump?

FLYNN: I'll leave you with this. Ronald Reagan said it best. I didn't leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me.

KAYE: All right.

FLYNN: Thank you.

KAYE: I'll take that as a yes.

KAYE (voice-over): Randi Kaye, CNN, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And while Trump's event was closed to the general public, around 200 protesters gathered right outside denouncing Trump's recent comments toward Muslims.

Meanwhile, just a reminder now that the final Republican debate of 2015 is just four days away. Live from Los Vegas and moderated by Wolf Blitzer, Tuesday night starting at 6:00 Eastern only on CNN.

Still ahead right here in the NEWSROOM, Officer William Porter on trial in the death of Freddie Gray. We will hear today from a witness who was inside that police van the day Gray died.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:48:03] BROWN: A former Baltimore police commander is defending the first of six cops to stand trial in the death of Freddie Gray. Timothy Longo, who is now a police chief in Virginia, testified that Officer William Porter acted reasonably in not seat-belting Gray in a police wagon and in waiting to call for medical assistance during that 45-minute ride to the police station; A ride where Gray allegedly severed his spine.

CNN's Casarez is live in Baltimore with the very latest. Jean?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Pam. We believe the defense is close to concluding their case because they put on seven witnesses, including the defendant. The most recent witnesses are fellow police officers that walked the street of west Baltimore that knew William Porter, but more than that, they were there on that day, April 12th, when Freddie Gray was arrested and put into the police van that then made six stops. They were given immunity by the prosecution but the defense is putting them on the stand. One of them actually did a demonstration in court to show how Freddie Gray at the fifth stop was on his knees sort of leaning, but yet using his own weight to hold himself up. That is important to the defense to show that he hadn't had that neck injury at that point of time, that it happened between the fifth and sixth stop because the sixth stop he was unresponsive on the floor. Another witness says that fellow officer at the first stop, that he heard banging and swaying of the van and like hitting metal inside the van, the metal of the van.

Now the prosecution has been able to use these witnesses a bit to their advantage by having them testify on cross-examination, would you call a medic if someone asked you for a medic, a prisoner asked for a medic? The response is normally yes, I would. And the defense has to come back and say, but wouldn't you want to look for some signs? And they would say yes, always want to look for signs of injury because we have know when we call the medic what we're calling the medic for.

So once the defense rests its case, the question is will the prosecution have a rebuttal case. Then it will be closing arguments. Anything is possible. This judge is very streamlined. But closing arguments, just commonsense, this is Friday, they may not be until Monday.

[09:50:16] BROWN: All right. And I know that you'll bring us the very latest. Jean Casarez, thank you so much.

(HEADLINES)

BROWN: Still to come right here in NEWSROOM, she's a star on HLN. Now see how Robin Meade is taking on the competition on "CNN's Quiz Show." Robin is with me up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:56:20] BROWN: The CNN anchor John Berman returns Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern to defend his title in the hugely popular "CNN Quiz Show." This time it's the famous Americans edition. John always brings his A game because the competition is coming after him. Let's take a look at this.

(PREVIEW OF "CNN QUIZ SHOW")

BROWN: That looks like way too much fun. And John Berman's lucky partner this year, Robin Meade, of course, anchor of HLN's "Morning Express." I love --

ROBIN MEADE, HLN ANCHOR, "MORNING EXPRESS WITH ROBIN MEADE": Hey, Pamela, do you think that they were trying to trip John up by pairing me with him? Is that what was going on here?

BROWN: No. I think they were like - we're even going to be -- It's going to be even better now that we're going to put Robin with John. You're lucky to have him, though.

I have to tell you, Robin, I would be so nervous to do -- to do that quiz show. And especially right now on live television with the questions I'm about to ask you, you are a brave soul, Robin, let me tell you something.

But it seems like you've been really studying, you've been cramming, and you even have like strategies. Is that what I saw in there?

MEADE: Well you know what, I think that John just walks around with this breadth of knowledge. I bet if you asked him what the gestation period of a raccoon is, I bet he could spit it out. I think he just knows this stuff.

On the other hand, I'm into studying. So - I mean, I studied so much that my husband got upset because I spent the weekend studying what I thought could be on this quiz show. So I was like famous Americans, from what? 1700 something? Let's go, let's go.

Whereas the other candidates - I think Morgan and Kamau they, also because of their jobs and what they do, I think they come in contact with so many different types of people, I don't think they had to study. So that was my crutch. I studied. BROWN: Well good for you. And we're going to put that new knowledge

to the test right here, Robin, OK? So I got a couple questions for you. By the way, they asked if I feel comfortable with you asking me questions. I said uh-uh. We're putting this all on Robin. So here we go. First question --

MEADE: You know what's funny? Because as a reporter, I can ask you all kinds of questions and you would have an answer. But when I say quiz, I think it's natural for people to freeze up.

BROWN: It's psychological. I just freeze up. OK. But clearly, you're much better at test taking than I am. So here we go. Aviator Charles Lindbergh is famous for making the first nonstop solo flight from New York to what city? A, London, B, Paris --

MEADE: Can I hit a bell?

BROWN: Yes.

MEADE: Ding! I think it's B, Paris.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Now did you hear me say that during the break?

MEADE: No. Nobody gave me the answers during the break, if that's what you're asking --

BROWN: That's impressive. OK. Really quickly, one more question. Actually, we got to wrap. Robin, we'll have to take this offline. Too much fun. Thank you so much. I cannot wait to watch this.

MEADE: You know what, it's good -- it's wonderful to watch just to see how much of a news junkie you are if you're watching at home and then to see Morgan Spurlock dancing. It's worth the price.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: And you and Berman together, can't wait to watch it. "CNN Quiz Show" airs Sunday night 7:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN. Thanks, Robin. The next hour of CNN begins right now.