Return to Transcripts main page

Wolf

Iraqi War on ISIS Creating a Humanitarian Crisis; Presidential Candidates Prepare for Tomorrow Night's Debate; Clinton Looking to Turn Red State Arizona Blue; Pence Tours N.C. Firebombed Republican Field Office; Big Name Democrats Out on Campaign Trail for Clinton; Pence Speech in Hillsborough, N.C. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired October 18, 2016 - 13:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[13:30:00] NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He blows him up.

(EXPLOSION)

PATON WALSH: A tenacity and desire to die that will surely slow and bloody the fight ahead.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Nick joining us now live from near Mosul right now.

What do they anticipate, Nick, weeks, months? This is going to be brutal. Remember, there are more than one million people there now.

PATON WALSH: This is just the very beginning and the advance through what should be the easiest areas, places where civilians have been kicked out by ISIS, probably years ago, where it's really just the fighters digging down, willing to blow themselves up, laying mines in the way of the Iraqi and Peshmerga forces as they advance, making them very vulnerable to air power. This was supposed to be the easy part. You saw there it really wasn't. Meant to push forward today, five or six kilometers behind me taken by the Peshmerga. Iraqi army saying they're going through other villages in the flat, open plains.

Yes, heard from a senior Peshmerga official, his belief, could take as long as two months. Possibly see us somewhere into next year. Maybe even a new U.S. president before we see this wrapping up and they haven't gotten to Mosul where those 1.2 million are, possibly human shields, possibly caught in the crossfire, thought to be pushed by is, mostly to the west of the city across the Tigris River. That the more dense area. It will be a difficult fight if all trapped in there, caught up in the violence -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Presumably they say they'll fight to the death as opposed to simply giving up.

Barbara, what are you learning about the U.S. military role in this operation? BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what you have a 100-

plus, maybe as much as 200, as many as 200 U.S. Special Operations forces working with the Iraqis, working with the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, moving through that area with them.

The Pentagon insisted they are not on the front line to combat, but U.S. forces are working as military advisers, helping local forces move through the areas and picking out targets aircraft can strike from overhead if needed to defend themselves and Iraqi forces. It's the culmination sort of the Obama administration strategy, train, advise, assist the local forces, but don't go into combat yourselves.

As they move towards Mosul in the coming days, it gets more dangerous and fraught, and we'll see how much danger U.S. forces may be facing.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr, at the Pentagon, thank you.

Nick Paton Walsh, thanks to you. Be careful where you are.

Nick Paton Walsh, one of our courageous reporters on the front line of this battle.

As Nick just mentioned, there are also warnings the battle in Mosul could trigger a massive humanitarian crisis. More than one million civilians remain in the city, many with no where to go as the fighting rages.

President Obama, speaking at the White House moments ago, addressed this humanitarian crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have put together plans and infrastructure for dealing with a potential humanitarian crisis. No doubt there will be instances where we see some heartbreaking situations, if, in fact, large numbers of people flee. It's hard when you leave your home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining me, Lise Grande, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, joins us live from Baghdad.

Lise, what's being done right now to help these civilians trapped in Mosul right now?

LISE GRANDE, UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR IRAQ: We're very worried in the worst case scenario as many as a million civilians may be forced to flee the city in search of safety. So what we're doing is trying to prepare emergency camps and emergency sites to receive those people and make sure that they receive the assistance that they need and deserve. We have six camps established at present. That could take up to 60,000 people and we are rushing against the clock in order to establish more than 20 new sites. If there's a worst case scenario, we're going to need all the space available. BLITZER: Are you working under the assumption that these ISIS

terrorists in Mosul will fight to the death and simply start blowing up buildings, oil fields, killing civilians, car bombs? Or will they -- you can only hope -- when they see the overwhelming force they're dealing with, give up, raise they're hands with a white flag? What's the assumption you're working under?

GRANDE: You know, as humanitarians we always hope for the best but we're obliged to plan for the worst. In a worst case scenario, we have to think civilians inside Mosul will face the most extreme conditions, probably most extreme in the world. We're worried civilians could be caught in crossfire, could be victims of artillery barrages, victims of snipers. We understand that ISIL has booby trapped large parts of the city and we know, for months, medicines haven't made it into Mosul. People who are ill are in trouble. And we heard the price of food increased dramatically in the past few weeks, and that means many of the poor families inside the city are going to be in very serious condition when they make it out.

[13:35:32] BLITZER: Yes. Humanitarian nightmare we're watching unfold.

Lise Grande, From the United Nations, thanks very much for the important work doing. We'll stay in touch.

Up next, a very different story we're following. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the site of the third presidential debate. Pictures coming in right now. Each candidate preparing their closing remarks to the nation. What they need to say, how they are preparing? Much more when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:24] BLITZER: We're just one day away from the third and final presidential tomorrow night in Las Vegas right here on CNN, the last showdown for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton before election day on November 8th. Both candidates taking a different approach as we get closer and closer to the big night. Hillary Clinton will head to Las Vegas later today, taking another day off the campaign trail to prepare. Donald Trump keeps up his busy schedule, campaign schedule, two rallies today in Colorado. While his running mate, Mike Pence, is holding two events in North Carolina. The Democrats tackling three states. Bill Clinton in Pennsylvania, Tim Kaine in Detroit, Michigan, and Bernie Sanders will make two stops in Arizona.

CNN Politics executive editor, Mark Preston, is joining us from the debate site in Las Vegas.

Mark, what needs to be done, these closing arguments for both candidates, and this, the final debate? Let's start first with Donald Trump.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Certainly, wolf. This is the last time we'll see the two candidates together face-to-face, to millions, tens of millions of viewers tomorrow night watching and to see what they have to say. First, Donald Trump. He needs to get back to the basics. Pivot away from the allegations sexual misconduct and stop talking about Vladimir Putin and he needs to stop talking about the election getting rigged. To that point, two, he needs to explain how he's going to govern. Talk about what his policies will be, how he's going to get them done, some of his top priorities. How he would work with Capitol Hill and he needs to emphasize his ethics reform package, which could be a popular item, certainly with so much frustration towards Washington, D.C. and thirdly, he needs to highlight the e-mail controversy.

BLITZER: I want you to stand by. Mark, stand by a moment.

The Republican vice presidential nominee, Mike Pence, is now in Hillsborough, North Carolina, site of that bombing, that firebombing, of the Republican Party headquarters there in Hillsborough. He's getting a tour right now. I just want to listen in and see if we can hear what's going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bomb came through and -- the sofa, you saw from the photographs -- completely gone.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was able to -- for whatever reason. That sofa saved the day.

MIKE PENCE, (R), INDIANA GOVERNOR & VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What time of day --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really? Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you know, from -- a telephone message left at about 7:00 p.m., somebody came by to get signs at that time, and was unable to -- they left a message asking when we would be open again but don't know, called in by a next door neighbor around 9:00. We don't know.

PENCE: Somewhere in between?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somewhere in between. And the fire department didn't put it out. Put itself out.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wants to tell you about the couch he sleeps on that got burned up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And so glad you're here. And -- it's -- (INAUDIBLE).

PENCE: So you could have been here. You could have been here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Mark Preston, I'm having trouble hearing what they're saying. We'll get a better readout obviously, but clearly a moment this firebombed building, the office of the Republican Party in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Donald Trump, a couple days ago, when he first learned about this, immediately blamed, he said, animals representing Hillary Clinton and Democrats. Local authorities say they're working on it and don't know who was responsible. There was a Nazi swastika painted right next door at that building. This is a sensitive issue right now, Mark. Your analysis?

PRESTON: It certainly is, wolf, especially given the high tensions and frustrations we've seen in this campaign. Now, where this office is, it's located about 10 miles northwest of Durham. Now, in addition to that, there was in addition to the swastika, written on the wall said "Nazi Republicans, leave town or else." It goes to show you really the high tension we're feeling right now in this campaign.

And in addition to that, wolf, just south of there we saw a Democratic campaign office was spray painted in Carrboro County that said "Death to capitalism."

Officials don't think it's connected. We see the damage and thankfully nobody hurt over the weekend and Mike Pence working and certainly touring that right now as volunteers try to clean up that office -- wolf?

[13:45:19] BLITZER: Yeah.

And Juana Summers is still with us, Ryan Lizza still with us.

Juana, authorities insisting they still don't know who it responsible poor that firebombing of that Republican office. And the swastika, Nazi slogan, that was painted right alongside.

JUANA SUMMERS, CNN POLITICS EDITOR: Absolutely right, wolf. You noted Donald Trump was quick to suggest, animals possibly connected to the Clinton campaign. Ratcheting up tensions in what is already a volatile election year, days ahead of the -- three weeks away from Election Day. This example and the other example Mark Preston mentioned, show how tense things are in the country, the visceral mood heading into Election Day. We'll see after the results on November 8th.

BLITZER: And criticism of Trump as he rushed to make this accusation, even before authorities and ATF have made a conclusion on who is responsible. They're trying to figure that out. They're looking at closed video surveillance.

RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: We don't know what happened. Big contrast of styles, Donald Trump blaming this on Hillary Clinton calling them animals and Mike Pence calm, listening to local officials describe what happened.

I think you know, out of this terrible situation, the most heartwarming situation, Democrats in the area did a GoFundMe and raised over 10,000 so Republicans could get that office up and running.

BLITZER: Fortunately, no one injured. It could have been a real, real human disaster as well.

Ryan, Juana, Mark Preston, thanks so much.

Mark Preston's in Vegas already.

I'll see you there tomorrow.

Coming up, Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, Chelsea Clinton, are all in Arizona this week campaigning for Hillary Clinton in what's typically been a Republican stronghold. Why there's new signs the Democratic nominee may turn that red state blue for only the second time in six decades. We'll update you. We'll go there when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:51:24] Republican vice presidential candidate, Mike Pence, is in Hillsborough, North Carolina, right now. As you saw he's been touring a local Republican Party office that was firebombed over the weekend. No one was injured. The office was completely damaged. This is what he just said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PENCE: Well, thank you all for coming out. My wife and I were in North Carolina today and I wanted to come by to call attention to this cowardly attack on our supporters in North Carolina, to a lesser extent an attack on the American political system. This was an act of political terrorism.

I have to tell you how inspired I am to see the way this community has come together and supreme come together to continue to move forward undeterred, un-intimidated by this senseless act of violence. And we are truly inspired. I would say to our neighbors and friends and supporters here in North Carolina, you are truly inspiring people across this state and across this nation with your resilience and your courage in the face of this unprovoked attack. We are so thankful to God there was no loss of life.

I spoke to the chairman inside as we surveyed the damage and he shared with me that he often would sleep on that couch that was engulfed in flames sometime this last Saturday night. And we're just so grateful that there were no injuries as a result of this attack but it could have been otherwise.

We're also especially thankful to Governor McCrory, to Mayor Stevens, to our first responders, to law enforcement at every level that are working diligently to hold to strict account those who engaged in this attack on the American political system. An attack on our political system is an attack on us all. And we would urge anyone that might have information about who perpetrated this attack to come forward, share that information with the proper authorities so that we can bring to justice those individuals that were responsible for what occurred here this weekend. To those perpetrators, we simply say we will not be intimidated. You

see here today the resilience and courage of people that are determined to continue to carry forward in this political process, strong, resolute and determined to make America great again.

And I would say from my heart to all of our supporters here in North Carolina, here in Orange County, we are with you. Our prayers are with you. We are thankful that, despite this trouble, that everybody's OK.

And just be assured that in the next three weeks we're going to work our hearts out here in orange county and all across North Carolina to make America great again,

So thank you very much for the opportunity to be here.

And I'll be happy to take a question or two.

Yes, please?

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Could you tell me what, if anything, you think this says about this year's campaign season?

[13:55:04] PENCE: Well, I'm not in the habit of blaming victims of crime. And what happened here on Saturday night was utterly inexcusable. It was an act of political terrorism against the good people of Orange County and really against the American political system. I think it -- we, all of us, across the political spectrum condemn the acts that took place this week end in the strongest possible terms and we'd do well to do that.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Yesterday, you talked about the rigged election. Do you agree with your running mate, Donald Trump, that polling places in this country are going to be rigged? He specifically said polling places on November 8th will be rigged. Do you believe that?

PENCE: I think the point Donald Trump has made is a combination, frankly, of the overwhelming bias of the national media in this election, which is evident across the spectrum. To be honest with you, since I joined this campaign, I've been astonished at the level of negative coverage of my running mate and the scant coverage of the scandals and corruption coming out of the campaign of Hillary Clinton.

But today is also -- today --

(CROSSTALK)

PENCE: Today is also evidence of that, ladies and gentlemen. I mean, I'm here to call of political terrorism on the orange county Republican headquarters in North Carolina. This has gotten very little national media attention. And I can't help but feel that had this been the other way around, had it been an attack in this county on the other political party's county headquarters that the level of national media coverage and discussion would be significantly different and I think most of the American people know that.

But with regard to the elections themselves, I will tell you, I'm someone that believes -- I believe in local participation. There's no question, whether it be in the state of Indiana or in states around the country that in recent years we've had instance, proven instances, of voter fraud. That's why Trump and I are encouraging our supporters around the country and frankly every American, whatever their politics, to take the opportunity to be involved in a respectful way in providing accountability at our polling places. The "one person, one vote" principle is the very bedrock of our democracy. And ensuring through participation in the process of assembling the vote between now and November 8th is a certain way the American people can ensure the integrity of this election and I'm confident we'll do that.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Governor, are you suggesting that the existing long-standing bipartisan tradition of poll watching that both parties have worked out for years, is that not enough? Are you talking about something in addition to that?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. Trump seems to be suggesting that that hasn't been enough.

PENCE: No, I think poll watching and the accountability that's built into state laws that govern elections have served us well. But we're encouraging all of our supporters, given the enormous importance of this election, given the dramatic choice the American people face in this election, to be involved, to take the opportunity, to respectfully participate in the electoral process on a precinct-by- precinct level.

But let me say again, I'm here to call attention to an act of political terrorism. And I'm grateful to those members of the media who are here with us today. I mean, everyone across the spectrum in this country, men and women of goodwill, be they Republican, Democrats or independents universally condemned this attack on our system and I'm near stand solidly with the rages you people of orange county to say that we are with you and that we will be undeterred.

(APPLAUSE)

PENCE: And I thank you very much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: There's Mike Pence, the Republican vice presidential nominee, in Hillsborough, North Carolina. He had toured that Republican Party office there, which was firebombed in recent days. Fortunately, no one was hurt, no injuries. But there was a Nazi swastika painted right there.

And we earlier heard in a tweet from Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, he blamed what he called animals representing Hillary Clinton and her campaign and Democrats for this attack. You did not hear that right now from Mike Pence. He's hoping that this investigation will go forward. He thanked all the people there for their good work. He called it an act of political terrorism.

We'll continue our special coverage. Much more coming up right here on CNN. The news continues right now.

[14:00:11] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: wolf, thank you.

Hi, there. I'm Brooke Baldwin. You're watching CNN.