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New Warning on Zika Virus; Sanders Faces Tough Questions as Chair of Veterans Affairs; Clinton Responds to Question on Expanding Military Force; Republicans Fight for Votes in New Hampshire; A Look at Liberated Oil Field, ISIS Prison. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired February 04, 2016 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00] DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGIES AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: And the best way to do that is by being cautious in the sense of using the correct and consistent use of a condom.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Aside from the risks of pregnant women -- and the risks are enormous -- and the babies, obviously, is there any new evidence that this virus can cause serious conditions in other people?

FAUCI: Well, there is a report of what we call geombare (ph), which is a neurological sense where you get peripheral neuropathy that can lead to paralysis. We've seen that following outbreaks of influenza and you see it following certain bacterial and viral infections. There appears to be a connection of an uptick in geombare (ph). How much that is, is unclear right now. But that is something that could be a complication in an otherwise healthy person.

But in general, we still feel, and the evidence really proves this, that in general, apart from pregnant women, and the possibility of a complication with the fetus, that Zika is a generally mild disease, lasting a few days -- fever, joint aches, red eye and a rash. It tends to go away without any real serious swelling, except for maybe an unusual case of geombare (ph).

BLITZER: Dr. Fauci, quickly, Rio de Janeiro, the Summer Olympic games are scheduled at the center of the virus right now, the outbreak. Is it time to reconsider, maybe postpone or change the venue?

FAUCI: Well, certainly, we want to leave that up to the Brazilian officials. But what the Brazilian officials are doing in anticipation of the Olympics is they're mounting a very aggressive mosquito control campaign, killing mosquitoes by larvacide and insecticide and also cleaning up still water and polls in pots and pan and tires which are perfect breeding grounds for the mosquitoes. So the Brazilian authorities will address that. Hopefully, they will be successful.

BLITZER: Hopefully. That's the key word.

Thanks very much, Dr. Anthony Fauci, of NIH, helping us better appreciate this virus.

Coming up, Senator Bernie Sanders responds to questions about the Veterans Administration scandal. We're going to hear what the former Senate Veterans Affairs Committee chairman had to say in the CNN town hall last night. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:36:42] BLITZER: Senator Bernie Sanders coming close to an apology when addressing his role in the highly publicized scandal over the Veterans Administration. The scandal broke in 2014 when whistleblowers told CNN about the terrible treatment, the long wait times at veteran hospitals across the United States. Senator Sanders was then the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

Here's what he said about the scandal at last night's town hall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR & DEMOCRATIC TOWN HALL HOST: You were on the Veterans Affairs Committee for eight years. You headed it for two years. There were 18 inspectors general reports talking about problems plaguing the V.A. Judge why did it take so long for you to act?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Fair question. And I think the answer is that we have worked on many, many issues. And your point is fair that we should have acted sooner. We should have known what was going on in Phoenix, those long, waiting lines and the lies that some administrators were telling us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us now, CNN senior investigative correspondent, Drew Griffin.

Drew, you were the lead on this story. You won all sorts of awards. This is a significant statement, I take it, from Senator Sanders.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: It is a significant statement from Senator Sanders, who has been criticized for not only waiting too long, but actually ignoring the entire problem for much of the time he was head of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the Senate, Wolf.

Keep in mind that the reporting on this from us, from CNN, but also a bipartisan investigation at the House Veterans Affairs Committee had been going on extensively for a matter of almost a year-and-a-half before Senator Sanders finally acknowledged it. And even when we and others broke the story about the Phoenix waiting lists and veterans dying, his first reaction was to challenge the actual reporting and accuracy of it. So while this is a step towards him admitting that there was a delay, it certainly kind of dismisses the fact that for a long time, he was simply ignoring it.

BLITZER: I know Senator Sanders takes credit for helping to pass the huge V.A. reform bill, some $16 billion to try to fix the V.A., the wait lists, the issues, other problems. Have those problems been solved at the V.A. right now? GRIFFIN: No, I mean, Senator Sanders does get credit, he did come

along with the House Democrats and Republicans in passing that bill, signed by the president. But basically, what Congress has done has thrown a bunch more money at an organization, the V.A., that demonstrably has wasted huge, huge amounts of taxpayer dollars, and not fixing the problem.

The problem with this crisis is it's still going on, and because Congress gave the V.A. so much money, they can literally wash their hands of it and walk away saying, well, we did our part. The leadership issues at the V.A., from the top all the way down through the system, remain. The hearings continue to go on. And Sanders, you know, is now off that Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

BLITZER: Drew Griffin and CNN's Investigative Unit did an amazing job reporting all of this. Helping us better appreciate it.

Drew, on behalf of all of us, especially our viewers, the veterans out there, thanks very much. Hopefully, more progress will be made as a result of your reporting.

Joining us now is Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, of Illinois. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran as well.

You've been looking into this as well. It's outrageous. They've got billions of dollars and still not up to the job.

[13:40:09] REP. ADAM KINZINGER, (R), ILLINOIS: You guys and Drew have done a great job.

One of the interesting things we did in the reform bill, we gave the administration the authority to fire people. I mean, imagine that incompetencies, you can be fired. The private sector would laugh because they fire people all of the time. Only three people fired so far. Some people shuffled around and whatever. This has to be fixed. And Congress will have to take another bite at the apple, but from the top, the president.

I'm a Jeb Bush supporter, and he's laid out real V.A. reform plans, including let's start firing some people. And let's get rid of the deep bureaucracy that exists above these fantastic care-givers. The doctors and nurses, they're fantastic care-givers. The problem is the huge bureaucracy on top.

BLITZER: The veterans certainly deserve a whole better than that.

I want to play, from the town hall, the CNN town hall, Hillary Clinton talking about some foreign policy issues. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED VOTER: As a voter who is opposed to the United States being the world's policeman, can you assure me, as president, you would not expand our military involvement abroad?

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: No, I can't, Michael. I mean, I would like to be able to say I could. But here's what I can say. I have learned and have been, you know, really in the crucible of making a lot of hard decisions over the last years. And military force must always be a last resort, not a first choice. That is one of the biggest differences between me and the Republicans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: What do you think of her answer?

KINZINGER: This idea -- again, it's a false choice that our first reaction is to go to war. That's ludicrous. I do agree with the first part, where she says, yeah, I can't promise you that we're not going to expand our involvement. Either the United States is writing the rules for the world or the Russians or the Chinese or chaos is. I would much rather it be us. You look at what's going on in the Middle East. Obviously, there is a role for the United States to play. But to turn and pitch that back to Republicans and say we're all warmongers is offensive and, frankly, not true. None of us like to go to war. None of us like to send people there, but sometimes when it comes to is, you can't negotiate ISIS away. You have to deprive them of territory and destroy them.

BLITZER: You mentioned you're a Jeb Bush supporter. He's not doing that great in the polls. In New Hampshire, he's got a long way to go. What are you hearing?

KINZINGER: Look, we're actually excited about New Hampshire. He's got a great ground game, I would say among the best out there. Obviously, we would have liked Iowa to go better. But we never expected to win there. But people are reacting very well to the optimistic message. And what I like about him, he doesn't just reflect people's anger back. He says, look, I understand your anger. And here's a way out. And too many of our candidates on our side just stir that anger and make people more upset. He's got great ideas. And New Hampshire is the kind of state that listens to great ideas and rewards people with their votes.

BLITZER: CNN is releasing a new poll in New Hampshire. The Republican numbers we'll release 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room," and the Democratic numbers for the presidential race we'll release 6:00 p.m. eastern.

KINZINGER: I'll be watching.

BLITZER: You'll be anxious to see what the numbers are.

KINZINGER: Yeah.

BLITZER: All right, thanks, Adam Kinzinger, for joining us.

BLITZER: Coming up, New Hampshire and the campaign blitz. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, in a political fistfight right now over votes. The different strategies they're using. Plus, what about the rest of the field? Could any of them break through? Our political panel is standing by. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:47:22] BLITZER: After admitting that his ground game in Iowa could have been better, Donald Trump is now taking New Hampshire by storm in the run-up to Tuesday's primary. Trump was scheduled to hold just two events in the Granite State today but he decided to hold additional stops, including this meeting with local business leaders just moments ago.

Joining us now, Democratic strategist, Jamal Simmons, CNN political commentator, former communications director for Ted Cruz, Amanda Carpenter.

Guys, thanks very much for joining us.

You think Trump is a little nervous right now going into New Hampshire? Because polls show -- and we have a new poll coming up at 5:00 p.m. eastern -- but do you think he's worried as a result of coming in second in Iowa?

AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Definitely. He found out in Iowa the air war doesn't translate to winning the ground war and getting them to vote. So that's why you see him launching these ridiculous attacks on Ted Cruz, which I like the response, he's throwing a Trumper-tantrum. That's very actuate. But as the same time, Cruz has to get focusing on the positive. They just announced they raised $10 million since the Iowa caucus. That's a big deal. Focus on consolidating support from Rand Paul. I hope there's endorsements coming from that camp. Got to play up the positives and put Trump away, move on to performing well in New Hampshire, and stomping on to South Carolina.

BLITZER: We have some polls from before Iowa that we just showed but we're going to show some new ones, all taken after Iowa, later today, 5:00 p.m. eastern.

Marco Rubio, he's really getting smashed now by Chris Christie. He's not letting up at all. I want you to listen what Chris Christie said this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R), NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Marco Rubio hasn't accomplished one thing in his entire career. The fact is this is a guy who's only done one thing in the United States Senate. That was write an amnesty bill for illegal immigrants and then to run away from it when the heat goal turned up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Those are pretty strong words coming from Chris Christie blasting Marco Rubio.

JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR & DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Those are pretty strong words but if I'm Marco Rubio's camp, they should actually welcome this because this is the test they need. If they live through New Hampshire and Marco Rubio's able to prove to people that he can take these punches, he will be a much stronger candidate going forward. Otherwise, all these Republican donors and insiders and establishment people who are looking for a horse to ride against Trump or Cruz, they're going to be looking for somebody else, if Rubio can't take the punches.

BLITZER: A lot of the pundits out there suggesting, Amanda, that, yes, Ted Cruz won Iowa. The Republican caucus goers in Iowa are very different from New Hampshire and he is not going to do very well in New Hampshire. Those who hate Ted Cruz say he's going to wind up like Santorum who won Iowa, and Mike Huckabee who won Iowa, and that Ted Cruz is going to fit right into that Huckabee/Santorum mix.

[13:50:05] CARPENTER: They hope so. In truth, I really think all eyes are on Rubio in New Hampshire to see how he performs there. Winning Iowa the way he did was nothing like the way Santorum and Huckabee did. He got the largest amount of votes for a Republican ever. He won through using a very data-driven campaign that has the infrastructure to go the distance, which is why I think he needs to go back to focusing on that, reminding people he's a conservative who can win. This wasn't a fluke. It was intentional. They had a great turnout machine. They can replicate that in future states.

That said, it's very interesting to me because I do think Rubio does have to prove that he can consolidate the more moderate lane but he's not doing that. I don't understand his path to where he went. He's dead focused on Ted Cruz. I'm just not sure those voters are gettable for Marco Rubio.

BLITZER: Jamal?

SIMMONS: The big issue for us, I watch this as a Democrat, the things I wonder is, what are Republicans for this election cycle? The only two things they seem to talk about are they're against Obamacare and they're against immigration at the border. They don't talk about low taxes as much as they used to. They don't talk about entrepreneurship for businesses as much as they used. None of that. So if I'm a voter who is sitting there -- in New Hampshire, where we know a lot of moderate voters are, what is in it for me and my family, and why should I be for one of these candidates?

BLITZER: You want to respond?

CARPENTER: Yeah. I think they have a strong focus on national security and I do include immigration in that box of national security and I do include immigration in that box of national security. But also renewed focus on law and order, respect for the Constitution. This is something that does play well to ted Cruz's portfolio in New Hampshire particularly. You know, Chris Christie plays up a lot of the law and order stuff. So I think you're seeing the Republican Party come around to being the safe party of security that will make America safe again.

BLITZER: Very quickly, who won that Democratic town hall last night?

SIMMONS: I think they both did really well. Senator, Secretary, First Lady Clinton, she's the one who I think established herself as kind of one who has ideas for a variety of things. And I think Democrats are looking for somebody who can win and govern the country. They like Bernie Sanders a lot. I feel like it's a little bit of a gentleman's intermission. People know they're going to be with Hillary at the end but they're taking a time-out.

(CROSSTALK)

CARPENTER: I think that may be true. But I have to say I do find Bernie Sanders' critique of Hillary Clinton on foreign policy very compelling. I am stunned in the debate last night, she still can't answer for her vote for the Iraq War in a smooth way. She doesn't answer the question for why she took all this money from Goldman Sachs in a smooth way. She had to see these coming and she hasn't put it down yet.

SIMMONS: She has real vulnerabilities. She does.

BLITZER: All right, guys, we'll continue this conversation. Thanks very, very much.

By the way, an important note to viewers. Donald Trump is sitting down with Anderson Cooper in New Hampshire for an interview about his campaign in New Hampshire, his fight with Ted Cruz. You can watch that later tonight, "A.C. 360," 8:00 p.m. eastern, only here on CNN.

Coming up, cutting the ISIS money supply. CNN takes you inside Syria to the oil fields ISIS used to make millions. The disturbing discovery we made there just below the surface.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:57:17] BLITZER: American-led coalition air strikes hitting the ISIS war machine where it hurts, in the pocketbook. The terrorist group made $40 million a month selling oil, but sustained bombings have taken a big bite out of them.

CNN senior international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, traveled to a recently liberated oil field in northern Syria to get a firsthand look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bubbling beneath this desolate landscape is the black gold that has funded the ISIS war machine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WARD: This is Shiro (ph), a fighter with the Syrian Democratic forces who are battling ISIS in this part of the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WARD: He showed us around an oil field in rural Hasakah that was seized from the militants two months ago. (on camera): (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(voice-over): "ISIS earned a lot of money from these fields," he tells us. "People from all over this area came here to buy their fuel."

You can still hear the hiss of gas. But the pump is no longer operational.

The U.S.-led coalition has been hammering ISIS' oil, which at one time generated $40 million a month. Air strikes have targeted refineries, pumping stations, and lines of tankers waiting for gas.

Shiro (ph) says the militants learn to adapt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WARD: "In each field, they have one person as a cashier to sell the fuel. And one tanker can come at a time," he says. "They use this tactic because planes are looking for big groups not individuals."

But Kurdish fighters and U.S. air strikes eventually forced ISIS into retreat. All that remains now of their presence is some graffiti.

(on camera): The Kurds and their Arab allies are desperate to get the oil pumping again. They have two major problems. Firstly, the front lines are still just a few miles away from here. And, secondly, they don't have the money or the expertise they would need to start repairing the damage that's been done.

(voice-over): The trickle of oil will not become a flow for months or even longer. As ISIS fighters fled, they destroyed what they could. Electric cables were cut. Booby-traps were laid.

Only one facility was left untouched. Just behind the refinery, a row of tanks turned into an underground prison.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WARD: "Each cell held up to 15 people," he tells us, "among them, women and children."

Written on the walls of one, a harrowing message, "I'm not afraid of dying. But I fear the tears of my loved ones."

Shiro (ph) and his men are now starting to clear the wreckage left behind by ISIS, but they can't erase the terror inflicted here.

Clarissa Ward, CNN, Hasakah Province, Syria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:00:07] BLITZER: Shocking.

The news continues next on CNN.