Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Fight to Retake Ramadi Slowed by Booby Traps; Trump Tweets Warning to Clinton: "Be Careful"; NBA Stars Join Campaign to End Gun Violence. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired December 24, 2015 - 14:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:31:57] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting word of an unusual security threat against Westerners in China's capital. Several embassies including the U.S., France and U.K. warning citizens to stay vigilant while at a popular Beijing shopping district this Christmas. This is the very same mall where a woman was stabbed to death back in August by a man with a sword. Extra police are patrolling the area today.

Staying overseas, very different matter, though, ISIS may be about to suffer one of its greatest losses to date. The Iraqi army is going door to door clearing traps and dislodging militants from the key city of Ramadi.

We're going to show you right here, we're going to be looking at new video of the battle to retake the city from ISIS control, a battle that Iraq says could be won by next week. Video here showing patrols working through what is clearly the devastated streets, trying to reclaim checkpoints, choking off food and supplies to the terrorists.

This is how the American Colonel Steve Warren describes what's happening there right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. STEVE WARREN, SPOKESMAN, OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE: The Iraqi security forces over the last month or so have slowly encircled the city of Ramadi to isolate it from any possibility of being supported by ISIL fighters that are outside of the city. They cut off the supply routes in and out of the city. So that this enemy is not able to reinforce himself with equipment, weapons or manpower. And now, they are beginning to squeeze that noose around the city slowly but surely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Joining me now is Michael Weiss, CNN contributor and co-author of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror" and a senior editor at "The Daily Beast".

Michael, it's great to see you. Thanks so much for coming in. MICHAEL WEISS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Sure.

BOLDUAN: A lot of questions about this today. First, what do you make of the prediction we heard from Iraqi officials that they predict that Ramadi was going to be cleared by the end of the week?

WEISS: Yes. Well, the Iraqi government made predictions that never pan out for pretty much the bulk of this.

BOLDUAN: They're planning to retake Ramadi a few times.

WEISS: Ramadi was going to fall within days or hours for the last three months. It is true they have made a concerted push. My concern is -- well, there's two-fold. What ISIS has done to the city. The entire thing is a geographical coffin.

BOLDUAN: And let's show that video, this fresh video. I mean, this is -- you can't even tell it's a city any longer.

WEISS: A blasted out, you know, sort of moonscape essentially. It looks like the worst carnage we have seen in Syria. Similar also, I must say, to when the U.S. was at war in Iraq. Cities like Fallujah were completely leveled. The second concern I have, and we have been talking a lot on air about who is doing the fighting on behalf of Baghdad, it's mostly Iraqi security forces. There are some incredible units. The golden division, which is Iraq's special forces.

BOLDUAN: They say it's U.S. support from the air.

WEISS: Right. But here's the problem, Iraq's federal police force is controlled by the interior ministry, which is controlled by the Iranian backed group.

[14:35:01] These guys used to take power drills into the heads of Sunnis that they would capture not even accusing them of being collaborators with what was then al Qaeda in Iraq, just a form of sectarian warfare.

The U.S. government is really going on this concerted campaign to say, no, no, we know everybody who is doing the fighting and. The problem is Shia militias don't just march in under their own insignias and flags, although they do do that, too. They take off their insignias and they dawn the uniform of the Iraqi security forces.

So, here's my biggest concern: the clearing of Ramadi, when and if it does take place, is only the beginning. What happens to the city once it's cleared and what happens to the Sunni, Arab inhabitants of that city? Steve Warren, the other day, put out this tweet claiming that a capture the ISIS document suggests that terrorists have told everybody to start waging attacks against the civilians but doing so in the uniform and camouflage of Iraqi security forces.

That document looks like it was forged. So, in other words, somebody is putting propaganda out there saying that ISIS is trying to do false flag attacks on the civilian population and blame it on pro- Iraqi government forces. Who is doing that? Take a guess. BOLDUAN: I think it's a perfect -- really, it's a perfect

description of just how confusing and complex any alliance is in trying to retake all of this land. To the point of civilians, an official in Anbar province spoke and said that civilians were pinned down in Ramadi still. They should raise a white flag and there will be a safe passage out. That kind of maybe -- kind of interested me.

Are they going to get a safe passage out, would ISIS allow them to?

WEISS: No, and let's take common sense here. If I'm an ISIS militant and want to flee, all I have to do is wave a white flag and I'm a civilian all of a sudden. These guys are very adept at this stuff.

When the U.S. 101st Airborne Division, when they would go into the cities, AQI fighters, jihadists used to smuggle themselves out as part of the humanitarian corridors in the wave of refugees, all the while setting up shop elsewhere in Iraq. So, we're in for the long haul here. I don't want to underestimate the difficulty of retaking a city like Ramadi. This is one of the strategic hubs. It's just the beginning. It's really about when you're holding the city and then what kind of retaliatory revengeful attacks will take place against the population.

BOLDUAN: Then to switch the focus over to Mosul, which is really the key prize they would like to retake and that's a long way out.

WEISS: And, look, there's evidence. "Reuters" had a great report a couple of weeks ago by Ned Parker. U.S. government has covered up some of the crimes conducted by these militias and these ISF units because it's embarrassing to Washington's efforts.

So, you know, I hope our side is telling the truth.

BOLDUAN: Well, we're going to keep asking, we're going to keep watching, we're going to be there together.

Michael, thank you so much. Great to see you.

WEISS: You too.

BOLDUAN: Coming up next for us, GOP Donald Trump issuing a warning to Hillary Clinton saying, quote, "Be careful". What does he mean and how is Clinton responding?

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:41:32] BOLDUAN: I feel like I could be reading a book. It's the day before Christmas, but it does not mean that there's much holiday spirit between candidates on the campaign trail right now.

Donald Trump tweeted his holiday wish to his followers. But just an hour earlier, he was using Twitter feed to do what Donald Trump does, to send a warning to Hillary Clinton saying this in one tweet, "When you complain about a penchant for sexism, who are you referring to. I have great respect for women. Be careful."

Let's get back into the back and forth. Let's bring in chief political correspondent Dana Bash and national correspondent Sunlen Serfaty.

Dana, you were laying it out. You lay it out very well for me last night when we're talking about the back and forth and where it began and where it goes. But then this happened. It went from hints to outright statements coming from the Trump campaign. When I asked a campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson what that warning was about. Here's what she told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATRINA PIERSON, TRUMP SPOKESPERSON: Hillary Clinton has some nerve to talk about the war on women and the bigotry towards women when she has a serious problem in her husband. I can think of quite a few women that have been bullied by Hillary Clinton to hide her husband's misogynist, sexist secrets. So, we can actually go there, but the thing about Hillary is, she does need to be very careful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Bill Clinton's past has now entered the race, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Isn't that the future?

Let's go back to the part you were reading about the night before Christmas.

BOLDUAN: It was -- I thought it was -- OK. And it was just -- it's not even, you know?

BASH: I know, I know, I know, I'm just kidding. But you did it very well.

Yes, it was only a matter of time before we got there. It's going to be front and center in the New Year because Hillary Clinton regardless because Hillary Clinton has said that her husband is going to go back out on the campaign trail and be a public surrogate for her in a way he's done so far mostly in private this campaign season.

The thing about it is that as we have learned over the past several months of Trump political show, he goes there in a way that nobody else does. So, while most of the people in the political world tiptoe around things that Bill Clinton has or hasn't done in the past, Donald Trump isn't going to do that. So, if these gloves come off, it's going to be very different than we have seen before.

BOLDUAN: Yes, there's no tiptoeing. He jumps right into that pool of whatever he jumps into it. And it seems clear they are setting that up right after the New Year. You can see this is where this fight is going to go. Sunlen, I have to get your take on a different Republican

candidate. What is going on with Ben Carson right now? In one report he suggests that there's a potential staff shakeup in the works for him. And then he dials it back almost immediately when talking to Don Lemon last night.

For our viewers, here's what he told him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are constantly looking at everything. We're going to continue to look at everything. No one is ever 100 percent guaranteed that they are always going to be there.

And that as the organization grows and as our responsibilities grow, some things may have to change. We may have to add some people. We may have to change some people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: What is really happening behind the scenes? What are you picking up?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the sort of mixed messaging coming from the candidate here and the campaign is pretty indicative of the state of the Ben Carson campaign right now. It's very clear that they are searching for something in need of a revival.

Carson was once a leading Republican contender and poll after poll, he's really seeing himself lose ground. The latest just out yesterday showing that he's now dropped to 10 percent support, tied for third place, but well behind the front runner is Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

[14:45:10] There have been numerous accounts of chaos within his campaign. A lot of bickering between his confidence playing out in public. So, I think this is just one more sign that the campaign understands that they need to hit a reset button, really try to make alterations of the campaign before it's too late.

BOLDUAN: Now, Dana, there's no confusion over where Rand Paul stands right now. He declared yesterday that he will not, in his words, participate in any kind of second tier debate. He's at 4 percent right now nationally in our poll. Could he be really declaring something like that right now?

BASH: OK. I'm going to give you my conspiracy theory on that statement. I have been thinking about it. And that is -- let's just say that he doesn't make the main stage and there -- there is a second tier. You know, he can kind of get out of it by declaring that it's the media's fault, maybe even the Republican Party's fault because he doesn't belong there.

So, instead of kind of doing a woe is me, he's setting himself up to go on the offense as opposed to being on the defense, if and when that happens. You know, it very well might happen because FOX News has made it clear that in its next Republican debate, the main stage is going to be quite limited and people like Rand Paul very well, unless his numbers really change in the next few weeks, might not be there.

BOLDUAN: And, Lindsey Graham, when he announced he was getting out, he told me that's one of his biggest frustration. He couldn't breakthrough beyond the undercard debate. There you have it.

Dana, Sunlen, great to see you guys. Thank you.

BASH: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Still to come for us --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPH CURRY, NBA PLAYER: I heard about a shooting involving a 3- year-old girl over the summer. My daughter Riley is that age.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a point when I felt I was going to die.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My parents were always there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: A powerful public service a announcement against gun violence that will soon air on one of the NBA's biggest days. That story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:50:41] SONYA ROMERO, TEACHER, LEW WALLACE ELEMENTARY: It's important for me to give back. It doesn't just mean walking into the can remember and leaving at the end of the day. It means really caring about these kids.

I'm a kindergarten teacher at Lew Wallace Elementary in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have 75 percent free and reduced lunch rate.

In the mornings, when the kids come, I ask if they have eaten or I do a quick assessment of needs and see if there's something I can do. I keep these clothes, the shoes, the toothbrushes because I have more and more students that were coming in with less and less.

I have children with speech and language needs, behavioral needs, I have kids that are homeless, I have some kids from working families, just a wide variety of needs. But it actually makes the classroom a great environment for us.

BLAINE SMITH, SON: She helps everybody. If somebody is in need, she's the first one to be there.

ROMERO: I got a phone call that said we have no placement in the state for these girls. Can you take them? I had the girls in my class. Having a teacher relationship is one thing. Having them live with me was different. So I really eased into their comfort level.

It was really supposed to be for 48 hours. But almost a year later, we're still all together. How did I get so lucky? How did I get picked to be a part of their lives? It's the best experience. I wouldn't change it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: That's very sweet. So some NBA superstars, they decided to play on the same team to fight gun violence. Film director Spike Lee, he collaborated with NBA legends to make a special public service ad. And it's to air on Christmas Day. It includes Chris Paul, who describes losing a family member to gun violence.

Sports anchor Rachel Nichols, she's joining me now.

This is pretty amazing, Rachel. Getting all these guys coming together, players like Carmelo Anthony. Why did they want to get involved in the project?

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, the NBA has been very outspoken that this is not politically motivated. That these PSAs do not advocate any specific kind of gun control. It's more about the awareness of what gun violence does, getting people affected by it and wanting to do something about it. Whatever you choose to do about it, that's what they want.

And a lot of these players, frankly, had been politically involved in the gun control issue themselves, Joakim Noah, who plays in Chicago, you'll see him in these ads. He's been very active in the Chicago streets and all the unrest there.

You have Chris Paul, who just saw his grandfather was killed. You have guys like Carmelo Anthony who came out after Sandy Hook and advocate d for tougher laws. Just getting people familiar is a personal request. You can look at some of these interviews to hear their stories and why it's so important to them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CURRY: As a parent of two little girls, any time you hear of somebody not even involved in an altercation or somebody not involved in dispute getting caught in the middle, a spray bullet or what have you, that hurts.

JOAKIM NOAH, CHICAGO BULLS: I remember this kid who used to wait outside of the united center before every game. Three summers ago, he got shot.

CHRIS PAUL, LOS ANGELES: For me, it hits home in the way that my grandfather was murdered by five teens who were 14 and 15 years old. CARMELLO ANTHONY, NEW YORK KNICKS: I have seen so many of my

peers, so many of my friends lose their life to gun violence. Now I'm in a situation where my voice can be heard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLS: It's so interesting to no matter where you fall on the side of the politics of this issue, to hear these men who are icons of our culture say, hey, it's not cool to wave a gun around. Behaving like this isn't OK. Going around and shooting people isn't OK.

You think about rap songs, you know, however many years ago, that part of the music industry has changed too in some corners. And, obviously, in athletics seeing these guys say, hey, I don't subscribe to this. That makes an impact right there.

BOLDUAN: And also, hearing how many of them have personal stories with gun violence, that takes a different look at these people who are icons. This also kind of as you're seeing these player interviews, we have seen it but it drives home the point that this is maybe part of a larger trend of sports superstars, athletes putting their voice to bigger causes and speaking out.

[14:55:04] NICHOLS: Absolutely. It really is amazing. I mean, we all, of course, know what happened in the '60s and '70s. But then we saw this wave in the '80s and 90s of athletes who clearly did not want to get involved in politics. Michael Jordan is reported to have said Republicans buy sneakers too and the idea of not taking a stand on something made you more successful.

We have seen with this newer wave, and I credit LeBron James for taking a stand in 2012. He got his heat teammates to all wear hoodies in a photo talking about Trayvon Martin. You also have so many since then. Gay rights, gay marriage, athletes who have come out and said they believe. We, of course, saw the Missouri football team take a stand when the race relations were going on there on campus.

Athletes are learning their power. You heard Carmelo Anthony said I have had people listening to my voice, I want to do something with it.

BOLDUAN: And making their voice heard.

NICHOLS: They are understanding what they can do.

BOLDUAN: Rolling out on Christmas Day.

Rachel, great to see you. Thank you.

NICHOLS: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Coming up next for us, Black Lives Matter protests as they are marching in Chicago today. This as we're getting new police dispatch audio regarding the deadly shooting of Laquan McDonald, which sparked these protests.

Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emmanuel Hawkins doesn't give up.

His mom Tara was 12 weeks pregnant when she was attacked by a teenager she was trying to help. She was in a coma and brain dead. Doctors kept her on life support for 16 weeks until Emmanuel was born two months early.

NONNIE HAWMKINS, EMMANUEL'S GRANDMOTHER: They told me to be prepared to bury him in 24 hours.

GUPTA: He weighed less than three pounds. His lungs were underdeveloped. His kidneys shut down. Emmanuel had surgeries on his heart and eyes before he was three weeks old.