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Worldwide Concerns over New Year's Terror Attacks; Bill Cosby Facing Felony Charges; Historic Flood Hitting Missouri; El Nino Causing Havoc in Global Weather; Authorities Warn of Security Threat; Questions Surround Death of North Korean's Top South Liaison; U.S. Commander Wants More Troops in Afghanistan; Putin Popularity Sparks Calendar Sells. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired December 31, 2015 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[03:00:32] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Thank for being with us. Our second hour of CNN NEWSROOM begins right now.
And we start with worldwide concerns over possible terror attacks amid New Year celebrations. Authorities say they have thwarted a few plots, made arrests, and boosted security. In Belgium, New Year's events, including fireworks, are now cancelled in Brussels. This comes after police arrested two people they say were plotting an attack in the capital. Turkish police also arrested two people suspected of plotting to bomb the capital, Ankara. Police say the pair had explosive vests and bomb making materials. And in the U.S., people in New York's Times Square will see a very heavy police presence during New Year's celebrations.
CNN's Nic Robertson is live from Brussels.
Nic, the authorities there in Belgium, they took this -- and they wouldn't have taken this decision lightly, this decision to cancel some of the main events, the fireworks. And this would be presumably -- I don't know if it's the first time or not that they have responded like this. But what has been the reaction there across Belgium to this fairly extreme measure?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You know, I think there is a sense of disappointment. There are a lot of tourists that come here. And of course, it is a traditional thing for Belgium, particularly those living in Brussels, to come out New Year's Eve and enjoy the fireworks. They won't be able to do that. The prime minister and the mayor took to national television to say terrorists are more prudent and more professional than they have been in the past and the security situation is more unknown that it changes hour by hour.
He went on to sort of use -- put it in even starker terms. He says Europe faces a new stage in its history. More needs to be done by European nations to tackle the threat of ISIS. The mayor here, who has the responsibility for making this decision about the fireworks, on advice of counterterrorism professionals here, said his main priority is to make sure people are safe and secure. And with so many people coming out on the street at this time with the security situation as unknown as it is, didn't feel he could make that decision.
This square here in the center of Brussels, the beautiful Grand Place, the Christmas tree, the beautiful gilded buildings here, this will be a place of celebration here tonight. There still will be a lot of people coming here. The police and security presence here is high.
But what we are witnessing here in Belgium here at the moment is typical what have is being experienced across European capitals in other cities.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): In Belgium, security is tight. Traditional New Year's Eve celebration of fireworks in the capital canceled. In recent days, police arrested two men plotting an attack, if not directed by ISIS, then at the very least inspired by them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We cannot exclude it. We will be obliged to wait the evolution of the investigation. But we cannot exclude it.
ROBERTSON: In Rome, the heart of Christendom, security is tighter than ever.
Police in London issued their own warnings of caution around New Year's Eve parties.
UNIDENTIFIED LONDON POLICE OFFICER: We've put together a strong proportionate policing plan to ensure safety and security of people and to reassure those coming to watch the spectacle of the fireworks on Thursday night.
ROBERTSON: Germany, the same. New Year's Eve celebrations amidst unprecedented security.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): After recent events, we have again adopted more surveillance, security guards, security guards, more fences.
ROBERTSON: Europe is on heightened alert, and no surprise. The ISIS- instigated Paris attack less than two months ago has ISIS threats of a follow-on taken seriously.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the first time since long that we are confronted with movement who has impact all around the world. You saw terrorist attacks everywhere in the world, in Australia, in the U.S., Canada, Europe, of course, Africa, Northern Africa, Arabic countries, Asian countries, Russia. So I think it's a phenomenon.
[03:05:09] ROBERTSON (on camera): This is the place where the two men recently arrested in Belgium were planning to attack, the Grand Place, where thousands of revelers gather to see the New Year in, just like Times Square in New York and Trafalgar Square in London.
(voice-over): Restaurants here quieter than past New Years. Bookings are down. The same in Paris, too. People now familiar with the threat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What should I do? There's nothing to do. There is police and military everywhere. I think we are safe here. But everything can happen anywhere, in London, in Paris, everywhere. Somebody can get a bomb and then explode somewhere, so.
ROBERTSON: Here and across Europe, 2016 dawns in the chill of a shadow cast by the Paris terror attacks.
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ROBERTSON: That shadow is something that the prime minister really is talking about here when he says that Europe is in a new stage of its history. And I think it will be witnessed in Europe tonight, particularly in capitals, you will find there will be people who will be staying at home that would have otherwise been planning to go out. Not just because fireworks here, for example, are canceled but because they feel a little bit more uneasy about exposing themselves to a threat that they now see because of what they've seen in 2015, they now see as more real than they might have imagined it before -- Rosemary?
CHURCH: Given it was right on their doorstep, it's totally understandable.
Nic Robertson joining us live from Brussels. Many thanks to you.
Let's turn to another story we are following. At least 50 women have told similar stories dating back decades that Bill Cosby, one of the most admired entertainers in the world, sexually assaulted them. The comedian has always denied the allegations. But now, for the first time, Cosby is facing felony charges.
CNN's Jean Casarez has the details.
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JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bill Cosby, surrounded by media, looking frail in a gray sweater, carrying a cane, arm in arm with his attorneys. He stumbled on his way into a Pennsylvania courthouse.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. Cosby, anything to say?
CASAREZ: Inside, standing room only. Cosby was guided to the defense table. After his arraignment, the 78-year-old had his mug shot taken. Bail set at $1 million.
KEVIN STEELE, FIRST ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY: These charges stem from a sexual assault that took place on an evening in early 2004 at Mr. Cosby's home. CASAREZ: Cosby is charged with assaulting Andrea Constand, at the
time, a Temple University employee. She considered Cosby, 37 years her senior, to be a mentor. They attended several public events and private dinners.
STEELE: Mr. Cosby made two advances at her that were rejected. On the evening in question, Mr. Cosby urged her to take pills that he provided to her, and to drink wine.
CASAREZ: According to the criminal complaint, the pills and wine left Constand dizzy, nauseous, frozen, and paralyzed. Despite her impaired physical and mental condition, the victim was aware that Cosby was fondling her breast, put his hands into her pants and penetrated her. Waking up hours later with her clothes disheveled and bra undone, Constand says Cosby, dressed in a robe, handed her a muffin, walked her to the door and said, "All right."
Constand went to the police about a year later and again, according to the criminal complaint, Cosby admitted to investigators much of what Constand had described except saying the victim never told him to stop, never pushed him away, never told him her vision was blurred and never said she felt paralyzed. When directly asked if he ever had sexual intercourse with the victim, Cosby gave the unusual answer, "never asleep or awake."
No charges were filed back then, the district attorney citing the lack of evidence due to the year-long delay. But Constand quickly filed a civil suit which resulted in a confidential settlement agreement with Cosby.
Constand, the first of some 50 women to come forward. Cosby and his attorneys have repeatedly denied the allegations against him, today issuing a strong statement in his defense, "Make no mistake, we intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge and we expect Mr. Cosby will be exonerated by a court of law."
Jean Casarez, CNN, Pennsylvania.
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CHURCH: Heidi Thomas claims Cosby drugged and assaulted her back in 1989. She told CNN she is thrilled Cosby is finally facing criminal charges and hopes he goes to prison.
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[03:10:11] HEIDI THOMAS, CROSBY ACCUSER (voice-over): He has managed to pull off a crime that would unable to be proven because he understood what a date rape -- I mean, that wasn't a term back when all of us were dealing with this. He has created a crime where the victim can't even tell you what happened, because we can't remember. So that's going to be very hard. I think -- I'm hoping that there will be somebody out there among the hundreds and hundreds of people that it took to keep this covered up over 50 years worth of his doing these crimes. It's going to take somebody who was either cleaning up the messes or driving women who were completely incompetent -- we can't walk. We can't -- I mean, people knew. There have been people all along who helped him with these crimes and covered them up for him.
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CHURCH: Heidi Thomas there.
And Attorney Gloria Allred represents 29 women who alleged they are victims of sexual assault by Cosby. She says seeing him face criminal charges is the best Christmas present they have received.
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GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: Many of them are very, very happy that Andrea Constand is going to be able to get her day in court in the criminal justice system. For most of them they are going to be denied that opportunity to have their day in court because it's too late because of the statute of limitations, and they cannot have their matter prosecuted even if a D.A. felt there was evidence sufficient to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. It's too late for most of them to also file a civil lawsuit because of this arbitrary time period set by law called the statute of limitations. My clients have clearly indicated, many of them, to me, they are willing to testify, if, as, and when their testimony is sought, if their testimony is considered to be relevant or admissible in the criminal case.
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CHURCH: Joining me now is criminal defense attorney, Paige Pate, to talk more about this.
Thank you so much for coming in and speaking with us.
We know, at this point, Bill Cosby is on $1 million bail. He is free at this point. And his defense attorneys have said that they will mount a vigorous defense on his behalf. Given what we know, some 50 or so women all sharing pretty much the same story of being drugged and then being raped. How difficult will it be for the defense if those women's stories are allowed in? That's the critical question, isn't it?
PAIGE PATE, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think it is the critical question. And I think it will be incredibly difficult for him to defend himself against these charges if the judge allows the jury to hear about all these other women who are making a very similar type accusation against him. So the main challenge for the defense is let's keep out those other accusations. It's possible. Under Pennsylvania law, they don't automatically come in. The prosecutor will have to show that those accusations are so similar to this accusation that they help prove intent or some other element of the crime.
CHURCH: Right. So that is going to be the key point here.
PATE: Right.
CHURCH: And we don't know what's going to happen.
PATE: We do not know.
CHURCH: Can we assume if they have gone this far they do intend to admit the other stories?
PATE: I'm sure the prosecutor will want to admit them. What is going to happen is the defense will file a motion and challenge the admission of those other accusations. The judge will hold a hearing prior to trial and make the determination whether or not they come in.
CHURCH: What about the issue of consent? Because it's very different when you are looking at the possibility or the alleged drugging of Andrea Constand. If she has been drugged then she can't put up the same sort of resistance. What happens when you are talking about consent in that situation?
PATE: In sexual assault cases, consent is usually the ultimate issue. Especially in a case like this, where Mr. Cosby, back at the time he was initially investigated for this accusation and in those depositions he already admitted to the sexual contact. He admitted to giving her pills. The only issue is whether she went along with it. In proving a lack of consent the state will have to show she was intoxicated. She was out of her mine. She was drugged, she was put in a position where she could not verbally or physically resist his advances. If they can prove that they have proven there was no consent.
CHURCH: Quickly, if you had to choose whether to be the defense or the prosecutor which do you think would be the easier path.
PATE: It would be the defense unless those other accusations come in. If the other accusations come in, it's going to be very difficult to defend this case.
[03:15:08] CHURCH: Paige Pate, thank you so much for joining us.
PATE: Thank you. Absolutely.
CHURCH: Another big story we are watching, the mother of the so- called affluenza teen is on her way to Los Angeles after allegedly helping her son flee to Mexico. Tonya Couch will be charged with hindering the apprehension of a juvenile. If she is convicted, she could serve up to 10 years in prison. Her son, Ethan Couch, was sentenced only to probation for killing four people while driving under the influence. The defense blames affluenza, saying the teen was too spoiled to know better. Ethan Couch is fighting deportation from Mexico. The process could take months.
Historic flooding in the United States causes deaths and catastrophic damage. The details of what is happening and when it might stop. That is coming up next.
And Chicago's police department is getting a major overhaul amid criticism that officers "shoot first and ask questions later." The details coming up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:20:04] CHURCH: It's a frantic fight against historic flooding. At least 14 people in Missouri have been killed, and a number of homes have been destroyed, like this one, which floated away and crashed into a bridge. In some parts of the state, levees are threatening to fail. While some neighborhoods in and around St. Louis are submerged. And rescuers are staying busy. Crews were able to save a man and his dog from their flooded home.
CNN's Martin Savidge is in the flood zone with more.
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MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is just one community out of so many that are either inundated with water or facing the threat with water. Then if you take a look in the background here you can see where the water is. But you can also see how pitch black it is. There is no electricity, no lighting back there. That is the flood zone.
And, again, this is a disaster that has -- well, they are running out of adjectives to describe it. History is the word they use, historic. They compare it to the Great Flood of 1983. Some say 1982. Some go back to 1919. Many residents in this town say they have never seen water levels like this, not in their lifetime, growing up.
And it has triggered catastrophic events. The water rescues are ongoing in many parts of this state. You've got three rivers, major rivers, that are all facing the potential for records. And breaking these records not by maybe an inch or two, in some cases, by feet.
And then, of course, there is going to be the cost and the clean up. The governor surveying from the air. It is staggering to see all of this water.
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CHURCH: Martin Savidge there.
At the same time, in the United Kingdom, thousands are still without power in the midst of flooding from the storm being called Frank. In Scotland, 12 people were rescued from a bus Wednesday after it became stranded in the water. Meanwhile, labor leader, Jeremy Korbin, expressed frustration that the nation's newest water pumps have not been deployed. The environment agency says it sent one out last month.
Well, Pope Francis prayed for flooding victims around the world Wednesday. He asked for solidarity in supporting those in Paraguay, the U.K., and the U.S. at his weekly address from the Vatican.
Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is looking at how all of these events are connected.
El Nino is at the center of it, isn't it, Allison? ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is. It is a pattern we are
keeping a close eye on. This year is expected to be a very strong El Nino year. The most recent we have a lot of comparisons to would be 1997. Here's a look at sea surface temperatures from 1997. The temperatures were warmer back in 1997. But this year's event is certainly much more widespread. And one thing that we also kind of keep an eye on is how it complicates with climate change, the comparison between the two. Typically when we have -- now that we are noticing that global temperatures are warming we normally get much more in terms of heavy precipitation events in the eastern half of the United States. And that's exactly where we've seen the most recent flooding event take place.
In terms of a global scale, let's take a different look at it. We've got a couple of different patterns we typically look at when we are talking about El Nino and when we are talking about climate change. Here's a look. Notice we did have the big event in the southeastern United States. We had the flooding. We also had the big tornado events that we've seen recently. In South America, the pattern typically shifts from west to east. And it often brings a lot of storms that can bring potentially huge flooding events like we have seen in the last couple of weeks. Also that similar pattern off of North America comes over across the Atlantic and can cause flooding events for part of the United Kingdom.
As we look at the globe here, we'll take a better look at it. You can see the event behind me. What we have noticed is the pattern comes off of North America, up towards Iceland and up towards the United Kingdom. That's what recently happened. The difference is the storm was able to really intensify. What we noticed recently is it's taking the warmer temperatures with it.
See this influx of the greens and blues? It's going all the way up towards the North Pole an area this time of year we don't normally see that warmth be able to go up to through. It's all from that same system that brought such heavy rain to parts of the United Kingdom. One thing it also did, it brought they warm temperatures to the North Pole. 33 degrees was the high temperature in Fahrenheit in the North Pole. That means cities like Chicago, Denver and Warsaw, Poland, were warmer than the North Pole all because of that severe system that brought severe flood flag the United States and the United Kingdom. The question is how many more of these types of events will continue. We'll keep a close eye on that.
[03:25:04] CHURCH: It's certainly the big question.
Allison, thanks to you. Appreciate it.
The Chicago Police Department is getting an overhaul in the wake of several deadly and controversial shootings. The mayor, Rahm Emanuel, made the announcement on Wednesday. Critics have slammed the department saying it has a "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality. Starting in June, the number of tasers, non-lethal weapons, available to officers will double to 1400. Officers will also be trained in mitigation techniques and change how they approach an incident. The department will emphasize de-escalation techniques as well, leaving force as a last resort.
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RAHM EMANUEL, (D), CHICAGO MAYOR: There is a difference between whether someone can use a gun and when they should use a gun. And we as a city must train for that difference. Obviously, we as a city have a lot of work to do. And changes the policing culture will not and cannot be done just overnight. These policies are not the end of the challenge. They are the beginning of the solution that Chicago has faced for decades.
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CHURCH: Right now, only about 20 percent of Chicago's police officers have access to tasers.
Let's take a short break.
Still to come, a top North Korean official is remembered at a state funeral but experts are questioning the state media's version of his death.
Plus, what major U.S. cities are doing to keep people safe and quell jitters over terror attack fears.
Love him or hate him, he sure can move merchandise. Ahead, why Russians are shelling out their rubles for a piece of Putin.
Back in a moment.
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[03:30:11] CHURCH: And a warm welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.
Want to get you caught up on the main stories we have been following this hour.
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CHURCH: Authorities in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington are sending out extra officers ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations. U.S. senior security officials say they got word of a possible terror threat. They say it's uncorroborated but authorities want to be prepared.
Our U.S. justice correspondent, Evan Perez, spoke earlier with Jim Sciutto from New York.
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EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Officials aren't taking chances. Here at Times Square, we have already just 24 hours away from when over a million people are going to be gathering, the focus is going to be the ball drop right behind us. And we're going to make sure -- people want to be sure everybody comes here and celebrates safely. They will have 6,000 New York City police officers on hand. The FBI has boosted the number of officers in its command centers both here, in Washington and in Los Angeles. There is a lot of concern in Los Angeles about the Rose Bowl Parade and the football game there that draws a lot of people from around the country.
The threat that the president got briefed on, Jim, before he left for his vacation was not very specific. It just generally described a threat to these three cities. It was uncorroborated. But you know, it is because of the year that we've had with a number of ISIS arrests around the country that they really cannot take any chances.
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CHURCH: Joining me now via Skype is CNN national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem.
Thanks so much for being with us.
U.S. officials warn of a possible terror threat targeting, New York, L.A., and Washington, D.C., although no specific threat that's credible at least. And security is being ramped up ahead of major New Year's Eve celebrations in these cities and elsewhere. Given that, how safe will it likely be celebrating and seeing in the New Year in the United States?
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: These are going to be very safe events given they are massive celebrations. Look, none of these events is going to be perfectly safe. You have too many people congregating in too many different areas. We should have anticipated after Paris and after San Bernardino here in the United States first that the 31st celebrations would have been targeted or at least there might have been noise or chatter about them. So this increased police presence and surveillance and initiatives are nothing --
CHURCH: Certainly good for those big cities. But what about those cities and towns outside the high-risk areas? How vulnerable are they given there will be less security at those events? And certainly thousands of police being sent to New York for instance?
KAYYEM: Exactly right. This is the challenge. When you try to fortify certain soft targets, then other targets become soft e right? Because you are taking away from the police or other aspects of keeping places secure and moving them towards a big event like the 31st. So for someone who has been in security for some time, it's those satellite events that make me a little bit more nervous, the cities we haven't necessarily heard of, the San Bernardinos and other cities that are big places but may not have the global feel of a New York or a Los Angeles.
CHURCH: And what can people do then to try to make sure that they are smart and stay safe while they are out celebrating? Because you don't want people to be paralyzed by fear and missing out on this. But we do have to be smart about it, don't we?
[03:35:00] KAYYEM: We do. Absolutely. And this is the most important aspect of this new phase of terrorism or this phase of terrorism that's making people so nervous. And it's simply there are a lot of things that we can do to help public safety officials n. Particular, we often hear the see something, say something. It's really not a motto. It's a way for people to think about being aware of their surroundings and to notify public officials if they do have concerns. A lot of these terrorists attacks are often stopped as we've seen in the past by individuals who have sort of taken notice. But I do agree with you that we have to accept that we're never going to be able to get the risks down to zero. And it never really has been down to zero. And so people ought to sort of, you know, educate themselves, prepare themselves, but also enjoy themselves. Otherwise, you know, it's not only December 31st -- otherwise we'll be paralyzed for life unless he begin to sort of take hold of some of the fear that has surrounded so many of these events in the last couple of weeks.
CHURCH: Good points there. Quickly and finally, authorities in Brussels, Belgium, they have canceled all New Year's festivities due to the heightened terror alert there. Of course, there have been arrests linked to terror. Is that smart?
KAYYEM: It's very difficult to second-guess an -- a country or a city that decides to cancel all the events. But in the absence of anything particular that would drive Brussels to make she is decisions, Brussels has to understand that these, you know, sort of closures do have an impact on how people feel about their own sense of security and also tends to elevate what the threats. Right now, Brussels' tolerance level for risks seems to be very low. They shut down the city for some time. They are closing various institutions at various times. But Brussels is going to have to figure out a way in which it can get back to normal. Otherwise, it in some ways amplifies the threat they are under.
CHURCH: And the terrorists win in those instances, don't they?
KAYYEM: Yes.
CHURCH: Juliette Kayyem, always a pleasure. Thank you so much.
KAYYEM: Thank you, and happy New Year.
CHURCH: Well, North Koreans are honoring a top official as he is laid to rest in a state funeral. State media reported Kim Yang-Gon died in a car accident Tuesday. But experts are raising questions about the circumstances surrounding Kim's death. His predecessor died the same way.
Our Alexandra Field joins us live from Seoul in South Korea with more on this.
Alexandra, let's talk about this state funeral and how much we can learn from the pictures, the official description, and of course, the list of those in attendance, and whether any of this helps dispel all the speculation about how this top official died. ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, I've got to say it
probably won't dispel any speculation for those who are skeptical. But these pictures do help us learn more about life in North Korea. These are somewhat rare pictures of a state funeral. These aren't incredibly common occurrences but certainly these coincide with the message the state news has put out about the death of Kim Yang-Gon. He was a close comrade of Kim Jong-Un. You see the pictures. In one he is bowing referentially toward the casket. In another, he is leaning over his comrade, his face grief stricken as state news agency points out in the release that accompanied the photos. You do see they have got all the pomp and circumstance attending this funeral as would befit a state funeral.
However, this doesn't quiet the skeptics. There are a lot of people asking how exactly Kim Yang-Gon died. The state news agency saying it is a car accident. But people are quick to point out he is certainly not the first highly appointed North Korean official to die that way. In fact, his predecessor died the same way. There is a history of officials dying in these car accidents. People are pointing to the fact that earlier this year we heard South Korean officials say they have evidence that at least 70 high government officials in North Korea have died by execution since Kim Jong-Un took power. These are claims that CNN cannot independently confirm.
But interesting to see the pictures coming out from this funeral. Interesting to see the message that from state news that this was somebody respected by the regime, somebody who has been loyal to Kim Jong-Un, and you see Kim Jong-Un appearing grief stricken over the loss of his close comrade -- Rosemary?
CHURCH: Yes, indeed.
Alexandra Field, reporting live from Seoul in South Korea. Thanks to you.
The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan reportedly says he wants to keep as many American troops there as possible. And we will tell you why he is not ruling out asking for more troops.
[03:40:00] And later, football super star, Lionel Messi, marks a milestone with Barcelona.
Back in a moment.
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CHURCH: Just a few days after declaring victory over ISIS in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, Iraqi air force planes struck ISIS targets in Samarra, north of the capital, Baghdad. It comes as officials reportedly warned civilians it's too soon for them to return to Ramadi. Months of fighting left the city devastated. ISIS still controls some districts. The U.N.'s Refugee Agency says there is extensive damage to public buildings and homes.
Let's turn to Afghanistan now where the top U.S. commander says he wants to keep as many American troops there as he can. Now, this comes as U.S. and Afghan forces are facing a surge of violence and attacks from the Taliban. Army General John Campbell tells the "USA Today" newspaper that he may even seek to deploy more troops to Afghanistan if needed. Right now, the U.S. has 9800 troops in Afghanistan. By 2017, President Barack Obama plans to get that number down to 5500.
Joining me now is CNN military analyst, retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling.
Thank you, sir, for being with us.
I do want to ask you, how bad must the situation be in Afghanistan when the top U.S. commander publicly calls for as many troops as possible to stay, and even says he may ask for additional troops in effect going against President Obama's goal of drawing down significantly by the time he leaves office?
LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: General Campbell, who I know very well, is a very good commander. And he is constantly doing analysis of the situation. I think what he has actually said, and I think it is a great way to put it, is he has a physics problem because the number of attacks have gone up by the Taliban, the training of the Afghan security forces has been decremented because they truthfully have not had a chance to take a break and they have been fighting throughout the country trying to tamp down these increasing attacks. Yet, he still has this requirement to draw down from about 9800 soldiers where he is now to about 5500 at the end of 2016-2017. He can't do all the missions and still draw down. So he's basically said, hey, I've got a physics problem. I'm going to take it back to the president and say, I need to keep troops longer. And he also put it on the table that he may even ask for more troops.
[03:45:38] CHURCH: Yeah, and does that then in essence mean that the Obama administration's strategy in Afghanistan has been wrong?
HERTLING: Well, no. I don't think you can say that, Rosemary. And I think for soldiers on the battlefield, you have to continually analyze the situation, as I said, and adjust the mission requirements based on the facts on the ground. I mean, many of us have said in the past, you don't do strategy by numbers. You do strategy by what the enemy is doing, and what you are capable of doing. And I think, you know, just putting a figure on the size of the force is a planning factor. But when plans and assumptions go awry, you have to re-adjust your planning and take another look at what you are doing.
CHURCH: I understand. Now, we have repeatedly seen U.S. trained forces in Afghanistan overwhelmed by small numbers of insurgents. What does that say about the Afghan government forces?
HERTLING: Yeah, well, a couple of things. First of all, you know, the Afghan security forces have been fighting hard, especially during the second half of this year, 2015. They have seen a significant increase in attack from the Taliban. The Taliban seem to be a little bit more disciplined. They have been honing their skills. And more of them have been coming out of Pakistan because Pakistan is increasing their counterterrorism efforts. So you are seeing an increase in attacks, the number of Afghan security forces killed this year is about 7,000, wounded in action, about 12,000. That's a 25 percent increase from last year. So they are taking it hard based on these increased number of attack. Because of that, they are not getting rotation or the ability to train further in their mission. So all of that contributes to the fact that you would immediately think, hey, the Afghan security forces are not that good. But truthfully, it's a combination of more attacks, more casualties, some challenges with leadership, to be sure, and the inability of the Afghan government, which is new, helping the forces throughout the country. There are certainly some areas and provinces in Afghanistan that are not seeing an increase in security forces because of all these other problems.
CHURCH: General Mark Hertling, always a pleasure to speak with you. Many thanks.
HERTLING: Thank you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: We have this report just in to CNN. The B.P. Oil Company says it is trying to determine if a drifting barge poses a threat to one of its oil installations in the North Sea. A company spokesman says production at the Valhall Field will be shut down in the coming hours, and a partial evacuation has been ordered. The barge broke its anchor during a storm. And if it continues moving toward the oil field, the company could very well evacuate all its personnel. About 235 people work in that oil field. We'll keep a very close eye on that story and bring you the details as they come in to us.
Let's turn to New York. And the crystal ball in Times Square is ready to welcome the New Year. We will tell you about the origins of this tradition now more than a century old.
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[03:52:45] CHURCH: Football super star, Lionel Messi, is celebrating a prestigious milestone. The four-time world player of the year has notched up his 500th appearance for Barcelona. He joined the team in 2004. Messi scored his 425th goal for the club Wednesday. That is an astonishing average of nearly a goal per game. Barcelona also set a new Spanish record for the most goals in a calendar year at 180.
Well, New York's ball drop is a widely recognized symbol for bringing in the New Year. The traditional originated from the maritime practice of lowering a ball at noon. That was done so that navigators could adjust to local time. On Wednesday, organizers tested the crystal ball in Times Square. It's now ready to say good-bye to 2015.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JEFFREY STRAUSS, PRESIDENT, COUNTDOWN ENTERTAINMENT: Midnight here in Times Square is incredible. We have a million people here that are going to count down those final seconds of the year as this ball drops behind me. They are going to be joined by 180 million Americans and over one billion people around the world as we count down those final ten seconds. There is no other moment like it where the world true three comes together as won.
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CHURCH: The ball drop has been a tradition in New York since 1907.
With the New Year just hours away, many Russians have decided they want to spend the entire year with their president. January, February, June, July, November, December, get the picture? All the calendar.
CNN's Matthew Chance has that.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For fans of Vladimir Putin, there is no shortage of stuff with the Russian president's image all over it.
These Putin T-shirts have been around for a while. But they are still popular New Year's gifts.
(on camera): All right. So this is the most popular one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): That's nice, that one.
CHANCE: How well do these T-shirts sell?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): They sell really well. Many tourists buy them. But our come patriots buy them as well. They love Putin.
[03:55:02] CHANCE (voice-over): Despite a deep economic crisis and international isolation over the wars in Ukraine and Syria, Putin's ratings are doing well, too.
(on camera): What about spending the entire year with President Putin? That's what this 2016 Putin calendar is promising, with every month revealing a carefully chosen image of the Russian leader. This one has him in Siberia with a horse in the forest. Here, he is smelling a flower. And this third one over here, he is working out in the gym.
But photographs aren't all you get with this calendar. You get Putin's words of wisdom, too.
(voice-over): Some are characteristically hard line, like this one, for the month of October, "No one will succeed in gaining military superiority over Russia," Putin says. Others hint at a softer side, "Dogs and I have very warm feelings for one another," says the Russian leader for November.
One group of Putin supporters has put together an entire book of Putin's best known remarks and one-liners publishing a limited edition which is set to go on sale next year. The book's called "Words Changing the World" and its publisher says it makes the perfect holiday gift for patriotic Russians.
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CHURCH: Matthew Chance with that report.
Thanks for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Remember, you can get me on Twitter, @Rosemary.CNN.
For all of us here at CNN NEWSROOM, we hope you have a safe and happy New Year. I'll see you next year, in 2016. Take care.
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