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At Least 19 Killed in University Attack in Pakistan; Sarah Palin Endorses Donald Trump; Rezaian Appears for 1st Time Since Release; GOP Weighs in on Palin's Trump Endorsement. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired January 20, 2016 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:09] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, I'm Carol Costello. Thank you for joining me. We're awaiting breaking news this hour. At any moment now freed "Washington Post" journalist Jason Rezaian is expected to walk out of the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. When he does that he's expected to wave to the crowd, go back inside. He may make a few remarks about his captivity by the Iranians. And of course when this all goes down we'll take you back live to Germany.

In other news this morning a deadly attack on a university in Pakistan. The key U.S. allies says all four terrorists have been killed after they opened fire on a college campus near the border with Afghanistan. At least 19 civilians have been killed and officials expect that death toll to climb.

And there's a mixed message from the Pakistani Taliban over whether they're responsible for the attack or not.

Nick Paton Walsh live in Beirut to tell us more. Also with me, CNN terror analyst Paul Cruickshank. He's in London. He's also the editor in chief of CTC Sentinel. But let's start with you, Nick. What happened?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They used it seems, the militants, the cover of intense fog to launch this attack, which seems to have slowed down the response of security officials, such limited visibility. Grenades helped their entry and then it appears much of the violence concentrated in two blocks inside that university. Eventually all four attackers killed.

We know that the death toll is currently 19 of innocent civilians killed. It could have been obviously a lot worse given the campus has the potential to have 3,000 students and 600 staff. It is merely 25 miles away, Carol, from the army public school in Peshawar that was the scene of a devastating attack in December 2012 which killed over 130 people, many of them children studying at that school.

This attack we are hearing mixed message, as you say, from the Taliban but one clear statement from a man called Umar Mansoor. He is one -- the leader of the Taliban in that particular area and speaking to a colleague of ours in Pakistan. Absolutely, 100 percent clear that his men were behind this. He named the four of them. He said it was retribution for Pakistani military activity after Peshawar and beforehand.

There's been substantial operations in that area to crack down on militants. In fact he said the 332 of what his friends had been hung by the Pakistani government. One of the motivational factors here behind this attack. But an official statement quite clear from the TTP, Tehrik-Taliban Pakistan, Pakistani Taliban, that they are not behind this. That may be, says Mr. Mansoor, in talking to my colleague, a way to try and distance themselves from an act that will have substantial condemnation amongst the Pakistani public. They're attacking in Peshawar and was assisting, many say, in getting Pakistani public to finally turn their back on any support for militancy in those tribal areas -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Nick Paton Walsh reporting live from Beirut this morning.

Let's head to London now and check in with Paul Cruickshank. He's our terror expert. And the brutality of this attack, it was jus t-- it was just unbelievable. These terrorists penetrated the university and shot some of the dead, who were students, execution-style. What do you make of this?

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, it recalls those horrific scenes, Carol, in December 2014 when there was a very similar attack on a school in Peshawar not too far away by the very same group, by the very same commander and his men, Umar Mansoor. They are clearly extraordinarily angry at the Pakistani military's campaign against them. That's the campaign which has intensified in recent years, especially after that school attack in December 2014.

And the militants in the tribal areas of Pakistan in northwestern Pakistan have been hit hard. They have been weakened significantly by the Pakistani military who have waged a full pledged campaign against them. And so this is their way of lashing out, of sending a message. But at the same time the spokesman of the central group saying it wasn't us. This wasn't legitimate. When their very own commanders actually carried the attack out, and as Nick was saying, that's a way to protect themselves from what may be a black lash against them for launching these kind of attacks.

Back in December 2014 when they launched that attack against the school, even al Qaeda, al Qaeda criticized the Pakistani Taliban. So a way to send the message to Pakistani military without losing even more support in Pakistan -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Paul Cruickshank, thanks for your insights.

In the world of U.S. politics, Donald Trump and Sarah Palin had a high-profile political fling in 2011, just ahead of President Obama's reelection bid but now they've made it official.

[09:05:10] Palin joining Trump on the stump and throwing her full support behind the GOP frontrunner in the race for the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Mr. Trump, you're right. Look back there in the press box. Heads are spinning. Media heads are spinning. This is going to be so much fun.

He is perfectly positioned to let you make America great again. Are you ready for that Iowa? No more pussy footing around. Our troops deserve the best. You deserve the best.

He is from the private sector. Not a politician. Can I get a hallelujah? Are you ready for a commander-in-chief? You ready for a commander-in-chief who will let our warriors do their job and go kick ISIS ass?

He's going rogue left and right, man. That's why he's doing so well. This election is more than just your basic ABCs. Anybody but Clinton. It's more than that this go-around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN's Sara Murray was in the room when Trump made his big announcement.

Sara, tell us more. Good morning.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. That is right. And when Sarah Palin took the stage she said she saw something of a kindred spirit in Donald Trump. A political outsider who jumped in to the arena and immediately started facing the kind of media scrutiny that comes with running for the nation's highest office.

Now it's unclear if she will move big blocks of voters to Donald Trump. But one thing is certain that Trump will do anything to try to get that edge over Ted Cruz with the race so tight in Iowa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PALIN: Are you ready to stump for Trump?

MURRAY (voice-over): Sarah Palin is back. Center stage and throwing her support behind Donald Trump.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to give them hell.

MURRAY: Nearly a decade after the conservative fire brand rallied raucous crowds as John McCain's 2008 running mate, Palin is taking on a new mission -- shoring up Trump against some of his rivals' most potent attack. And Sarah-barracuda came out swinging.

PALIN: You ready for a commander-in-chief who will let our warriors do their job and go kick ISIS ass? No more pussy-footing around.

MURRAY: Slamming GOP leaders.

PALIN: They've been wearing this political correctness kind of a like a suicide vest.

MURRAY: And reassuring Iowa voters that Trump, a former Democrat, is a true conservative.

PALIN: Oh my goodness gracious. What the heck would the establishment know about conservatism?

MURRAY: Palin even casting the businessman as a populist who just happens to be a billionaire.

PALIN: Yes, our leader is a little bit different. He's a multi- billionaire. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But it is amazing. He is not elitist at all.

MURRAY: Yesterday Trump pressing pause on his primary battles.

TRUMP: I'm going to be non-confrontational today for a change.

MURRAY: To relish his celebrity endorsement.

TRUMP: This is a woman that from day one, I said if I ever do this I have to get her support.

MURRAY: As Cruz ended a tough day on the trail with a double whammy, losing Palin.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Regardless of what Sarah decides to do in 2016, I will always remain a big, big fan of Sarah Palin.

MURRAY: And facing new attacks in Iowa, as Governor Terry Branstad, a Republican heavyweight, said Cruz needs to be defeated.

GOV. TERRY BRANSTAD (R), IOWA: He hasn't supported renewable fuels and I believe that would be a big mistake for Iowa to support him.

MURRAY: It's a jab Cruz said was to be expected.

CRUZ: Look. It is no surprise that the establishment is in full panic mode.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MURRAY: Now Palin's real political talent is really knowing how to rev up the grassroots base of the Republican Party. She'll be here with Donald Trump in Norwalk, Iowa, today. We're also expecting her to join him later today in Tulsa, Oklahoma. So we will see how the crowds respond to her -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Sara Murray, reporting live for us this morning. Thank you.

More than one political analyst will tell you Palin is not a big deal in American politics anymore. But as the nation points out, she is a very big deal for the billionaire's presidential campaign. Evangelicals love Palin, although fellow conservatives do not. I'm keeping an eye on Germany, that's why I'm turning away. I'm

waiting for Jason Rezaian to come out of Landstuhl. It is not him so I'll go back to this.

As I was saying, Sarah Palin's endorsement of Donald Trump is important to evangelicals, although fellow conservative talk show host and Ted Cruz supporter Mark Levin is not impressed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LEVIN, CONSERVATIVE TALK SHOW HOST: Sarah Palin is endorsing Trump.

[09:10:03] I don't happen to think these endorsements are going to do a hell of a lot one way or another other than tick off people, who thought they thought they knew one person or another. I mean, I don't vote based on endorsements, do you? Well, Mark, you make endorsements. Yes, I tell you who I support or who I don't support. If I choose to tell you who I support or don't support. But whether it's effective or not, I never know. Sometimes maybe it is. Sometimes maybe it's not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right. We're going to break away from Mark Levin's statement for just a second to go to Germany and Landstuhl Medical Center. There you can see, there he is, Jason Rezaian, walking out. He was expected to make a few remarks perhaps about his captivity in Iran. He's holding hands with his wife. I assume that's his mother standing there beside him and his brother. You see there waving to the press.

Of course he's been through such a difficult time. He was detained in Iran in July of 2014 -- OK, let's listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Glad to have you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome back.

JASON REZAIAN, FORMERLY DETAINED IN IRAN: Can't wait to get home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the first thing you're going to do when you're home?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, everybody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you all, too.

COSTELLO: All right. You know, he's been through such a tough time during his captivity in Iran. He was detained in July of 2014. He was put on trial in Iran. He was accused of being a spy. He was released from Iranian detainment just a couple of days ago and he said at the time, actually he told his editors at the "Washington Post," I'm a hell of a lot better than I was 48 hours ago."

Nic Robertson joins me now with more on this. Nic, are you there? NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I'm here. I

think perhaps if it's spoken longer he might have said there that he's a hell of a lot better now than he was 48 hours later after making that initial statement to his editor. He looks great. He's standing there, you know, with his wife and his mother and family around him. But obviously he doesn't want to talk a lot at the moment.

You know, one of the questions shouted out, what's the first thing you'll do when you get back home? And he just shrugged. You know, clearly there's a lot going on for him at this time. But his release and Amir Hekmati's and -- the Christian pastor's release as well, hugely important diplomatically. But obviously individually for these men to come to terms with what they've gone through and prepare themselves for continuing with their lives. It is a very big moment. And that seems to be weighing on them there, Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, we know he was suffering some health problems due to his detainment in Iran. At times he was kept in a very small room in solitary confinement, once for a 49-day stretch. So you just -- most of us cannot even imagine that.

ROBERTSON: We can't. And there was a potential there that, you know, the sentence that was passed on him. Not just a matter of years. It could have been become a death sentence. And to be left in solitary confinement for that period of time in a jail. He's a journalist. He knows what the jail that he is in. Evin Jail in Tehran. What its reputation is. He's certainly got the sights, sound, smell and feel of the place and already tasted the treatment by the prison guards there.

So this is someone, particularly in solitary confinement where you don't have opportunity to share your concerns, share your thoughts with others around you, with your own health concerns, all of that weighing on top of you. Not everyone snaps out of these things instantly. No one snaps out of it instantly. Everyone takes a different amount of time to come to terms with it. But the psychological stress that he will have been under in that jail for over 440 days, over 500 days in fact, is something none of us can really imagine putting ourselves in his shoes. And clearly he needs time and his family to help him here.

COSTELLO: Right. Yes. I just got a statement that Brian Stelter acquired from Jason Rezaian. He said, "I hope everyone will respect my need for privacy as I take some time for myself and for my family. For now I want to catch up with what's been going on in the world, watch a Warriors game or two, and see the 'Star Wars' movie."

Maybe that's available at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. I don't know. Let's go back there and check in with Phil Black.

Hi, Phil. What can you tell us?

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

It was I think a pretty pensive looking Jason who walked out of there just a few minutes ago. Pensive -- you could even say perhaps he looked a little uncomfortable there.

[09:15:02] We've been warned in advance he didn't want to talk publicly just yet. But he wasn't prepared to answer questions or tell his story in detail.

So I think what Nick was talking about there is absolutely true. This is a man who's gone through a terrible long ordeal, who suddenly found himself free of that situation but in his own words and we know he said this to the management of "The Washington Post," he wants to take time to process all of this.

So, that is the situation he's here. This is a facility that specializes in helping people get through traumas like this, to begin the process of decompressing and then begin the longer slower task of reintegrating back into society and hopefully making up for the time that has been taken from him.

So, he was there, wasn't prepared to answer any questions. We threw a few at him. At one point, he sort of said at one point he can't wait to get home. That's certainly an understandable sentiment. But surrounded by his family.

And they were smiling I think a lot more broadly. His brother, Ali, his wife, Yega, his mom, Mary, they were all clearly happy that Jason is now back. And they are the people that have fought so long, so hard to achieve this.

So, that is the moment I guess there must be a moment of great satisfaction. A very moving time for the family generally. But for Jason I think a complicated time and really just the beginning of a longer, harder struggle to come -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I think you're right, Phil Black.

I want to go now to Brian Stelter. You have a new statement for Jason Rezaian. What more did he say?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: So, it's notable he didn't speak there in front of the cameras. But he has issued a statement. He said it is going to be his last time commenting for a while because -- he's asking everyone to respect his and his family's privacy.

But I read part of it to you, Carol. He says he's feeling fine and he feels lucky to be at a place where he's getting terrific care. He appreciates everything has been done on his behalf and he wants to thank the Swiss foreign minister. This was the air force and the fine doctors at Landstuhl.

He says, "I'm staying with my family at the comfortable guest house on the base, which has been a great place to begin my recovery."

He says, "I've spent a whole lot of my life writing about the United States and Iran, I never imagine and never wanted to become a part of the history, particularly at such extraordinary moment. I want to get back to writing the U.S.-Iran story at some point but I won't be saying anything further for a while."

He finishes the statement by saying this, "I want to catch up with what's going on in the world. Watch a Warriors game or two and see the new 'Star Wars' movie."

COSTELLO: I hope he gets to do that soon because it's quite enjoyable.

STELTER: I'm sure Disney is making arrangements right about now for him to see that movie.

COSTELLO: I hope so. Brian Stelter, many thanks to you.

STELTER: Thanks.

COSTELLO: Phil Black, Nick Paton Walsh, Nic Robertson, thanks to all of you.

I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:21:06] COSTELLO: As you might imagine, a lot is happening in the world of politics this morning. As you can see, Ted Cruz is giving a very passionate address to a crowd in Exeter, New Hampshire, where Mr. Trump is currently leading in most polls there.

And to the right of your screen, you see a podium set up. It is ready and waiting for Donald Trump. That podium in Norwalk Iowa. And Sarah Palin is expected to be with Trump. That will happen at 9:30 Eastern Time, in just about nine minutes. We'll see if both speak at that event in just a little bit.

As you well know, Sarah Palin endorsed Donald Trump last night. Many conservatives are happy about that. It's a bid for the evangelical vote.

But there were conservatives who were not so happy with the Palin endorsement, including radio talk show host, Mark Levin. He's very influential in conservative circles. He's backing Ted Cruz.

This is what he had to say about Palin's endorsement.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MARK LEVIN, HOST, "THE MARK LEVIN SHOW": Sarah Palin is endorsing Trump. I don't happen to think these endorsements are going to do a whole lot one way or another other than tick off people, who thought they knew one person or another. I mean, I don't vote based on endorsements, do you? Well, Mark, you make endorsements. Yes, I tell you who I support or don't support, if I choose to tell you who I support or don't support.

But whether it's effective or not, I never know. Sometimes maybe it is. Sometimes maybe it's not.

I just don't think this is going to make much of a difference one way or another because people are kind of dug in.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK. So maybe it won't make much of a difference. But a Palin endorsement of Ted Cruz for the Senate was certainly a win. Remember these? I'm going to show a couple of pictures.

The candidate grew very close to Sarah Palin during a tough run for the Senate and Cruz himself tweeted this. Quote, "I love Sarah Palin. Without her support I wouldn't be in the Senate, regardless of what she does in 2016, I will always be a big fan."

So, let's talk about this endorsement and whether it matters. Ron Nehring joins me now. He's the California state chairman for the Ted Cruz for President and former chairman of the California Republican Party, and CNN political commentator and New York Times" columnist, Ross Douthat is also with me.

Welcome, gentlemen.

RON NEHRING, CALIFORNIA STATE CHAIRMAN, TED CRUZ CAMPAIGN: Good morning.

ROSS DOUTHAT, NEW YORK TIMES: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Good morning.

So, Ron, I'll start with you. You are a supporter of Ted Cruz. You heard what Mark Levin said. He say, people are dug in. This won't matter. Will it?

NEHRING: Well, it's -- I think Mark Levin makes a great point and in that there are only a certain number of voters who are moved by this. I think Donald Trump got a one day reprieve from having to talk about his record of supporting TARP, his record of supporting the Obama stimulus plan, his record of giving huge sums of money to supporting Bill and Hillary Clinton's foundation and the like. All these positions that he's had that has literally driven conservatives crazy, but he's tried to gloss over.

Now with 12 days before the Iowa caucuses, I think this rolls out at a time when he doesn't want to talk about those things. He wants to try to shift the discussion away. And I think it is a good sign for Ted Cruz, because I don't think Ted Cruz wants to trade places with anybody right now.

This is a type of thing that happens when you are the front runner. I expect more things to happen going forward. But I think Ted Cruz is in a very strong position and the voters of Iowa will make that ultimate choice.

COSTELLO: So, Ron, Senator Cruz is not disappointed that Sarah Palin did not throw her support behind him?

NEHRING: Well, I think, that certainly -- look, this is a win for Donald Trump in that regard. But remember, we have 12 new cycles before the Iowa caucuses take place. And I think that Donald Trump wants to talk about anything other than this the positions he's held that were very, very liberal positions prior to his running for president, such as on the stimulus bill on supporting TARP and giving money to Bill and Hillary's foundation.

COSTELLO: Right.

NEHRING: So, I think that is part of the strategy here, in order to try to take up that time in the news cycle between now and Iowa.

[09:25:05] COSTELLO: OK. Well, Ross, I'll ask you this question because Glenn Beck will start campaigning for Ted Cruz and interestingly enough, Glenn Beck wrote on his Facebook page, maybe the press was right about Palin but for all the wrong reasons.

What do you suppose Beck means by that, Ross?

ROSS DOUTHAT, OP-ED COLUMNIST, THE NEW YORK TIMES: I think there is a tendency among conservative, you know, conservative pundits and so on to defend Palin against the way the media treated her, beginning when she was the vice presidential nominee. And what Beck is saying basically is that maybe the media was right Palin was ill-informed about politics, under-informed and so on, but they were right and they reacted against her because she was a pro-life woman let's say and they felt threatened by that, which is what how a lot of conservatives feel.

I think the underlying issue, though, here -- you know, we're talking about whether or not Donald Trump is or is not a conservative and so on. Donald Trump is not a conservative. The problem for Republicans is that their voters may not be as conservative as they thought they were. And this is why Palin is actually a good fit for Trump, because if you go back to Palin's original record in Alaska, it was not a particularly ideological doctrinaire record.

She ran as the reformer who attacked corrupt insiders in the Alaskan establishment. Does that sound familiar? She promised to tax the oil companies and give basically a one time windfall to every Alaskan which is not necessarily ideological conservative position, but which was very popular.

So she has a lot of Trump's populism and nationalism going way back. And the big question and I don't know the answer to it is, does it matter that Trump has this liberal record? Does it matter that he did all the things we just heard that he did which are true or is it the situation where there are a lot of voters in Republican primaries who don't have an ideological checklist they are going down who are just reacting to Trump's populism basically and like it and don't care whether others don't think he's a true conservative.

COSTELLO: Well I guess we'll see in a dozen days or so.

Ron Nehring, Ross Douthat, thanks to both of you.

DOUTHAT: Thank you.

I got to leave it there. Thanks, guys.

Coming up in NEWSROOM: Investors bracing for a very bad day on Wall Street. What this means for you. We are moments away from the opening bell, and it ain't looking good.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

Investors are bracing for one brutal day on Wall Street. Markets expected to begin selling in the red as the global selloff started in Asia and heads west to threaten Wall Street. The culprit, oil prices that just keep plummeting.

OK, ten seconds until the opening bell ring.

Christine Romans is here. Alison Kosik is also following the story.

As we listen to the bell ring, Alison, take it away.