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State of GOP Presidential Race; Iraqi Forces Liberate Ramadi From ISIS. Aired 13:30-14:00

Aired December 28, 2015 - 13:30   ET

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


[13:30:00]

TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Key early states, all of this money, he's still going down in the polls. It just came out today that Chris Christie has actually surpassed or pulled even with Jeb Bush in three national polls and he's polling better than him in New Hampshire. New Hampshire's a key state, key early state.

Bush is not polling well in any of the in any of the early states at all, he's in the lower tier of all of those places. He's not going to be come back. People have made up their minds when it comes to him. Donald Trump has just completely railroaded any chance that Jeb Bush ever had. And even his attempts bear to seem like he's loose and trying to be cool seems awkward. And people just are not -- it's not resonating with the GOP with voter base, he's the establishment, he's old news, and that is not what GOP voters want. So, I feel bad for Jeb, but it's over for him, it really is.

BRIANNA KEILAR: I have to wrap this up, guys, but does anybody disagree with Tara on that?

HILLARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, one thing about the "selfie" comment is that you know --

KEILAR: Hillary go on.

ROSEN: The one thing he did is he does create a lot of distance of between himself and the voters. He always sort of acts like he's a little too smart, a little too intellectual, and a little too mature. So, you know, and that's dismissing people who actually want a "selfie" with him as he's campaigning, in such a manner, I think almost says it all.

KEILAR: Or maybe he was saying, he was a little nerdy about the "selfie", had to learn about it, what do you think Ron?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Look, I think it's really hard for him but he's in the same position as the other center right candidates, they have the one or done situation in New Hampshire. For John Kasich, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, maybe even Marco Rubio, more than he realizes. All of them are in this kind of cage match to see if who, if anyone, can consolidate the center right, more white-collar side of party that has been relatively more resistant to both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. It's possible one of them emerges from New Hampshire as a champion of

that wing and goes all the way to June. It is possible that wing never consolidates and you end up with Trump and Cruz as the finalist in a kind of an outcome, I think, that would horrify many of the Republican strategists in Washington.

KEILAR: Yeah, we will see. All right, guys, thank you so much for being with us, really appreciate it. For the latest in politics and all of the presidential contenders, head over to CNNpolitics.com.

Coming up, the image of a 2-year-old toddler's body being carried off of the Turkish shore shocked the world. This is what brought attention to the refugee crisis. Now his family is hoping for a new start after an agonizing journey. We'll have their story when we return.

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[13:35:00]

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KEILAR: Let's go back now to our top story. Iraq is claiming a major victory in the fight against ISIS. The Iraqi military said that it has retaken control of Ramadi which is about 70 miles from the city of Baghdad, recapturing a key government compound there in the center of the city. You may recall that Ramadi fell to ISIS earlier this year in what was seen as a major setback and embarrassment as well in this fight to contain the terror group. I want to talk it over now with CNN Military Analyst and Retired Major General, James Spider Marks and also joining us we have CNN Intelligence and Security Analyst, Bob Baer. So, Ramadi is really important, this is a route when you're talking about moving supplies from Jordan to Syria. How important is this in terms of a strategic value towards, I guess a victory or really pushing ISIS back even farther, Bob?

BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: I think it's important. I mean, Ramadi was a base that ISIS could launch attacks on Baghdad. Remember last year, there was a concern that they might actually move on Baghdad and that offensive is stopped. So, taking Ramadi is very important. It's an important road that goes to Jordan and if you continue up toward Mosul, it is a key target. I think what we're seeing is the Islamic State is starting to fail, you know, at least losing ground which is very important for this war.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: General, I wonder what you think about this and also, it seems in some ways listening to the Pentagon, they're being very careful in the how they acknowledge this in terms of the success. We know there are certain pockets of resistance still there in the city, but I just spoke with the spokesman to the coalition, and he seemed confident that this is going to hold, that the Iraqi military was going to be able to hold this, what do you think? * MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, Brianna, I heard your interview with Colonel Steve Warren, he obviously did a very good job, he's very topical on what's taking place. The key thing is right now is the heavy lifting begins. Retaking Ramadi is the first step, what has to happen now is governance. Water has to be turned back on. There has to be confidence that the Iraqi government can provide security, and then from that, everything else is a derivative.

And it's very, very important that it's residents return to Ramadi, and they feel that they can with the degree of security, get about their lives. This is the toughest step that has to take place, next. And I agree with, Bob, that the next focus has to be on Mosul, that's an entirely different picture however much tougher.

KEILAR: How, yeah, why is that so much tougher? What are the challenges there that are so unique, general?

MARKS: Well, they've been in Mosul now over two years. Ramadi was a -- it fell about six months ago, Mosul now has its own identity that ISIS has been able to the create in terms of trying to provide for the citizens of Mosul good or bad, but they have created a form of governance up there that now has to be completely uprooted. It's also approximate to Syria, lines of support are easier to maintain up in Mosul from Syria.

So, this becomes a much tougher task although the Kurdish fighters are capable and have demonstrated an ability to make success and achieve success in that part of the country. So, I would hope we could reinforce that.

KEILAR: I want to get your opinion, Bob of this CNN/ORC Poll that we've been saying released today. This is really interesting, it shows that Americans are split on the use of troops on the ground the fight terror groups. Now keeping in mind, this was a poll that was done before this headline coming out of Ramadi. But when you are looking at that, and you see this sort of inclination towards even in limited numbers, seeing more troops certainly Special Forces, what do you think ground troops? I mean, what do you think those numbers tell you about the appetite for greater involvement?

BAER: Well, Brianna, I think it's fairly simple in the sense that Americans don't trust the governments in Damascus or Baghdad or anywhere else there. Yes, our soldiers have never lost a battle in that part of the world, and we would win if we put ground troops but what do we get at the end? I mean, we did win in Iraq, a couple of times but what do you do about Baghdad?

[13:40:01]And as General Marks was saying, you know, governance is the key important issue here because if Baghdad does retake and hold Ramadi and they put in the government, they have to find the way to treat the Sunnis. That's a Sunni City, treat them well. They simply cannot revert back to their old sectarian ways of oppressing these people, otherwise this conflict this is going to go on for the next 30 years, and we have very limited influence on Baghdad. And I think Americans feel this. They just simply dot no trust the political solutions we've come up with trust the military but not the political solutions.

KEILAR: All right. We will see Bob Baer and General Mark, thank you so much to both of you. And on this next story that we are going to talk about, I certainly want to warn you that the picture we're about to show is rather graphic. And you remember, it was gut-wrenching, a gut-wrenching image of a 2-year-old Syrian refugee's lifeless body that was being carried away on the Turkish coast.

This is a photo that sparked international sorrow and it became one of the most powerful symbols of the growing migrant crisis where over a million refugees had fled to Europe this year. Family members of this toddler Alan Kurdi, are expected to arrive in their new home in Canada today after what's been a very long and a very painful journey from Syria, the country that has been completely taken over by civil war. CNN's, Paula Newton comes to us live from now from Ottawa. So, who, Paula, of this family, who's expected to arrive there in Vancouver today?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there Alan Kurdi, that little toddler, it is his uncle and his five cousins. And of course the arrival the arrival here in Canada is better sweet. They have been sponsored by Tima Kurdi who was the aunt of Alan. She have been trying to get her two brothers, their kids, any other family members that she could here to Canada. And Brianna she just said, "Look, the red tape was exhausting." And because of that, because they just weren't getting anywhere, that is why Alan Kurdi found himself on that, you know, dinghy where he died, his brother died, and his mother died.

The survival is Abdullah Kurdi, his father. He decided not to come to Canada but Tima Kurdi, their aunt has managed to get her brother here with the five kids. And of course, it's bittersweet, Brianna, but at the same time it really does show what has changed in the last few months, a few short month since Alan Kurdi died and the fact that governments and quite frankly, public opinion changed in terms of trying to sponsor these refugees and get them here even with perhaps all of the Ts aren't crossed and the Is aren't dotted.

KEILAR: And this is an interesting case where you have a relative who's there in Canada and still facing as she put it, fierce red tape to try to bring her family members over. In general though Paula is Canada approaching this approaching this crisis differently than the US? Are we seeing some of the same public opinion that's really pressuring lawmakers there?

NEWTON: There's not any pressure on lawmakers, although there is a diversity of opinion. I mean, you struggle to say that even a majority of Canadians thinks that we should take in tens of thousands. Right now Canada's committed to taking in about 25,000 by the end February. Brianna, you have to lay it on the table, that's nowhere near as many Germany is taking in terms of proportion to population.

Having said that, there are a lots of charities here Brianna that have opened, you know, their facilities, opened them to legal help, financial help, shelter, everything. And the refugees that have come in, a few thousands so far are getting a very warm welcome knowing what's coming ahead and that this will be, you know, a difficulty you try and integrate. Key thing here Brianna is in terms of security, the Canadian government has guaranteed that they've done their security screenings in other countries and that when they arrive here they will be permanent citizens of Canada, and they believe that this people have been screened and that it is secure for them to come to Canada and that they will settle well.

KEILAR: Yeah, giving some reassurances there. All right, Paula Newton for us in Ottawa. We do appreciate it. Coming up, two more shooting deaths intensifying the spotlight on an already troubled police department, we'll go live to Chicago next.

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[13:45:00]

KEILAR: In Chicago, and that city's embattled mayor have two controversial shooting deaths to answer for. Authorities already have deemed the death of 55 year old Bettie Jones a tragic accident. Jones was hit when an officer opened fire on 19 year old Quintonio Legrier who allegedly had threatened his father with a baseball bat and was quote, "combative" toward police. Legrier's father claims that he has mental issues, that his son has mental issues. CNN's Rosa Flores is on the story for us. Rosa, tell us exactly what happened and also how Jones was involved in this.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bettie Jones, we've learned, is actually a neighbor, and her family has said that all she did was opened her door before she was shot by police. She's a grandmother, a mother of five, and of course, her family grieving at this hour.

Now, as what transpired, we probably won't know more than just preliminary information from police because right now, all of this is under the investigation of the independent police review authority which investigates all officer involved shootings in Chicago. Now, she's we know from police. All this starts very early Saturday morning with a domestic disturbance call. Police arrive at the scene, and like you mentioned, they say that they were confronted by a combative individual.

Police later confirming that this individual, 19-year-old Quintonio Legrier had an aluminum bat and that he was coming at police with that aluminum bat, according to the police. Now, that's when they opened fire and hit not only the 19-year-old but also the 55-year-old Ms. Bettie Jones. Now, all of this, still under investigation like I mentioned IPRA is leading that investigation. The officer involved we should say, is in administrative duty for 30 days.

Brianna, that's a new policy that was just announced after this shooting. So now, every officer involved in an officer-involved shooting in Chicago will be evaluated before being put out in the field. Brianna?

KEILAR: Well, this is really one of two shooting incidents, one that where a rather old incident involving a young man but the video just came out a month or so ago. And, now you have the mayor there, Rahm Emanuel who's facing a lot of criticism, some people are calling for him to step down. He is in Cuba on vacation, Rosa. There's a lot of pressure on him to come back. Do you have any news as to whether he may?

FLORES: You know, I've asked his Press Secretary, one of his deputies multiple times. I started asking yesterday and again today and I haven't heard anything. I don't know if he has returned or not but a text messaged and e-mailed, asking if the mayor is back.

[13:50:00]I can tell you though that we receive an e-mail every single day with a list of the mayor's schedule for the following day, and for today, there are no public events scheduled for mayor here in Chicago. So, should we take that as a clue? Maybe, but we don't know at this hour where he is, Brianna?

KEILAR: All right we'll keep an eye on that, we know you will. Rosa Flores in Chicago, thank you so much. Up next, 2016 might be the year of the e presidential election but 2015 wasn't without some big political stories. Jake Tapper will take a look at some of the most talked about political headlines of the year.

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KEILAR: There was no shortage of political headlines in 2015 from the farewell of one of Washington's most high profile lawmakers to the debate over refugees. CNN's Jake Tapper takes a look back at this year's dominating political stories.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: This was the year our next president officially entered the race barring any surprises in 2016 that is. Washington outsiders dominated the polls as America's political land escape saw historic change. Our laws on marriage, our views on terror and even our tolerance for Trump are much different now than they were in January. These are our top ten political stories of 2015.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number ten, after a quarter century in congress, Speaker of the House, John Boehner declared he was done, pushed out many say, by the tea partiers in his deeply divided Republican carcass.

JOHN BOEHER, SPEAKER OF THE UNITED STATES, HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE: I leave with no regrets, no burdens.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After initially balking, Wisconsin's congressman Paul Ryan finally accepted the gavel.

PAUL RYAN, U S REPRESENTATIVE: We need to make some changes, starting with how the house does business.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number nine, same-sex marriage was deemed legal nationwide. Though in some states county clerks such as Kim Davis refused to give their stamp of approval citing their religious convictions.

[13:55:05]UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whose authority?

KIM DAVIS: Under god's authority.

Davis spent five days in jail over the divisive issue.

Number eight, an anti-abortion group released videos they say, showed Planned Parenthood staffers proposing selling fetal tissue for profit. The heavily edited videos were hotly contested and the funding debate was on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Planned Parenthood must be defended.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I will defend why Planned Parenthood.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In November 3, people were killed at a Colorado clinic after this man opened fire. Planned Parenthood blamed heated political rhetoric for the attack.

Number seven, the Obama administration negotiated with Iran ending sanctions in exchange for promises of an Iran free of nuclear weapons. Israel's prime minister was vehemently opposed.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISLAEL'S PRIME MINISTER: It doesn't block Iran's path to the bomb, it paves Iran's path to the bomb.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Obama vowed to veto congressional attempt to block the deal.

UBNIDENTIFIED MALE: The majority of members of this congress do not support this deal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But secretary of State John Kerry was also adamant.

JOHN KERRY: There was no alternative.

TAPPER: Number six, Hillary Clinton repeatedly defended her use of a private e-mail server as secretary of state.

HILLARY CLINTON: Everything I did was permitted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An FBI investigation into the matter notwithstanding, even her chief Democratic opponent said, he had heard enough about the controversy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clinton was confronted for hours during a hearing about the 2012 Benghazi attacks and about those e-mails.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was you and your attorneys who decided what to return and what to delete.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number five, nine African-Americans including a State senator were gunned down at this South Carolina church by a 21- year-old white supremacist.

BARACK OBAMA, U.S. PRESIDENT: The alleged killer could not see the grace surrounding the reverend Pinckney and that bible study group. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The killer had posed for photographs with the

confederate flag prompting the question, was it time for the flag to be removed from the State capital? Debate was passionate, and in the end, the flag was history.

Number four, millions fled war torn parts of the Middle East into Europe. President Obama vowed to take in up to 10,000 Syrian refugees.

OBAMA: Those countries that can, must do more to accommodate refugees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But when at least one of the Paris terrorists was linked to the masses entering Europe, 31 U.S. governors vowed to shut their doors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Embedded in that group are people who are out to destroy us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then after terrorists struck California, Donald Trump said all Muslims should be banned from entering the U.S. prompting backlash.

Number three, the Black Lives Matter movement became ever present in politics. Thousands rallied in Baltimore and Chicago after a young black man in each city died during police confrontations. After shocking video emerged to Freddie Gray's arrest in Baltimore and Laquan McDonald shooting in Chicago, police officers were charged with murder in both cities. And Chicago's mayor came under pressure to step down.

Number two, according to President Obama ISIS rose from a so-called JV Squad last year to become a, quote, contained threat. But after o two massacres in Paris drew world leaders into the fight and an attack in California killed 14 Americans, president Obama was forced to revise his message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it.

TAPPER: And the number one political story of 2015, the Donald.

DONALD TRUMP: And I'm at number one by a lot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump disrupting politics and redefining what it means to be a Republican Presidential candidate.

DONALD TRUMP: When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His blunt, some say, bigoted behavior was met with outrage in a seemingly unstoppable rise in Republican Primary poll numbers.

TRUMP: And frankly I'm the most solid person up here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will he win the white house next year or will America say, "You're fired"?

TAPPER: Those were our top ten political stories of this year. The question is what and who will top the list next year? Jake Tapper, CNN, Washington.

KEILAR: And be sure to watch CNN tomorrow night for our special, "All the Best and all the Worst of 2015." That will be at 9:00 p.m., Eastern and Pacific. That is it for me. I'll be back at 5:00 Eastern on the situation room as Iraqi forces claims victory against ISIS in Ramadi.

We'll be talking on Congressman Peter King, he's the chairman of a subcommittee on Counterintelligence and Terrorism and he's on the Intel committee. We'll get some good insight from him live. For our international viewers, Amanpour is next. And for our viewers in North America, Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin starts right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

[13:55:00]BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN NEWSROOM ACNHOR: All right we will take it on this Monday. Great to be with you all, I'm Brooke Baldwin. Let's begin with this breaking news here any moment now and well pop the live shot up. Here you go, live from Cleveland and you will see as we're watching, waiting to hear from this Ohio County prosecutor here in the case of Tamir Rice