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Senate Dems Target 8 Trump Nominees; ISIS Claims Responsibility for Istanbul Attack, Manhunt Under Way; North Korean Regime Claims Close to Testing Missile that Could Reach U.S; Ill Queen Elizabeth Misses 2nd Holiday Service. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired January 02, 2017 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00] DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: -- for example, in the idea of Rex Tillerson, who is a CEO of exon, DeVos, who is of the Amway fortune. But also, Democrats are saying someone like Tom Price who has been in public office. You would think would be publicly vetted, but there are allegations that he might have been investing money in health care stocks, which would be actually a violation of the law, if that is true. So, that's why they're saying we need more information.

What can they do while they wait for that information? They can use the power of delay. That's basically it. They can make speeches. They can use Senate rules to string it out, which might mess up Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader's other eights Senate majority leader's other legislative plans, which would be just fine with Democrats. So, that's basically what they're saying.

(CROSSTALK)

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Instead of narrowing a focus on identifying one or two nominees that they really were just going to put all -- is it really -- what I read into this is that the Democrats have identified the target to just be, like, messing up the -- gumming up the calendar and just slowing the roll of the Trump administration trying to get out of the gate, instead of any single one nominee.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah.

BASH: Which is -- the reason is because they can't kill anything. They can't. That's how we started. It's not possible. They do not have the votes to do it.

And, by the way, we should also say that the big reason they don't have the votes to do it is because the Democratic leader then, Harry Reid, changed the rules --

CHALIAN: Exactly.

BASH: -- so they only need 51 votes, not 60.

BLITZER: They eliminate the filibuster --

(CROSSTALK)

BASH: Yeah.

BLITZER: -- which would have required 60 votes.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: He was warned, I remember.

People said, someday, you'll be in the minority -

BASH: Yes.

BLITZER: -- you won't like this. And they did it anyway.

All right, guys, thanks very much.

Just ahead, a manhunt for the suspect in a nightclub terror attack intensifies. We're going to hear from an American survivor who was shot by the gunman during the rampage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:35:14] BLITZER: ISIS is claiming responsibility for a New Year's attack that killed at least 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub. A manhunt is on for the gunman. A new photo of the suspected attacker captured from surveillance video was obtained by Turkish police. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity. Turkey's state media says police are interrogating eight people in their investigation. Dozens of people were injured the attack, including one American

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SIREN)

WILLIAM JACOB RAAK, ISTANBUL SHOOTING ATTACK SURVIVOR: I was shot in the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) leg, man. These crazy people came and shooting up -

(CROSSTALK)

(SIRE)

RACK: I don't know. I saw one person shooting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Want to bring in CNN's Ian Lee, who is on the scene in Istanbul right now.

Ian, are we hearing more from that American survivor?

IAN LEE, CNN CORERSPONDENT: We are. We're hearing a lot of tales of people, of what the survivors are going to get away from the gunman. Some people ducking under couches, others jumping into the Bosporus Strait, in the sub-zero weather. It was cold. It was snowing. People doing anything they could do to get out of the way.

Now, today, we are hearing more from those people, including that American.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAAK: I don't want to talk about what happened inside the club. But, you know, I want to say, you know, this is a very good country, and it's so unfortunate that this is happening to you guys, and I really feel for everybody here.

For me I wake up in the United States I wake up in the United States and I eat breakfast. You guys wake up and have to think of this. It's so sad and I really wish everybody here the best. I have only met very good people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: Wolf, he said you have to wake up and think of this. And that's something that has been happening here in Turkey time after time. There have been a number of terrorist attacks over the past year and a half, something that this country is struggling with, something that the security forces are trying to cope with.

BLITZER: What about the investigation, Ian, the manhunt that's underway right now? I assume it's enormous.

LEE: It is. It's a large nationwide manhunt, Wolf. We're hearing from the deputy prime minister that there are hundreds of people involved in this. They're saying that they have eight people who are -- they've detained, they're interrogating them, trying to figure out what they may know. Also, they have a picture of the suspect. They have his fingerprints. They're not only looking for him, but anyone who could have helped him in this attack.

One thing they also pointed out, to defend the security services, is they said they have thwarted 248 attacks, potential attacks, against Turkey. They say this is just one man who slipped through. But this happened on New Year's Eve. There was a tight security presence across Turkey, especially here in Istanbul. This gunman, though, even though this nightclub was 250 meters away from the club -- police station was 250 meters away from the club, this gunman was able to slip in, kill 39 people, and slip away -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Injured dozens of others as well.

All right. Ian, thank you very much.

I want to bring in our panel to discuss and assess the situation, Fred Pleitgen, CNN senior international correspondent, in Moscow; and retired Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, CNN military analyst, a former U.S. military intelligence officer.

Fred, you've covered a lot of these terror attacks across Europe many times over the years. What are you assessing the police are doing to try to hunt down the suspect? And I assume, when ISIS claims responsibility, the Turkish take that seriously. They suspect it was ISIS.

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORERSPONDENT: I think that they certainly suspect that. And I think certainly are taking it seriously. You know, we've seen over the past couple of months with attacks that happened in Turkey, also with attacks that happened elsewhere in Europe as well, is that when ISIS said it was behind something that, at the very least, they were the ones who at least inspired the people who were behind some of these attacks. When you look, for instance, at the Berlin attack that happened recently where ISIS came out with a statement and said, look, this was what they called a soldier of the caliphate, it turned out, this person did, indeed, pledge allegiance to ISIS. That doesn't necessarily mean that the person needed to have a lot in the way of logistical support, but it does mean that the ideology was there.

As far as the Turkish authorities are concerned, I'm assuming what they're doing right now is checking out all the networks. I'm sure that they must have some sort of list of people that they're working through right now who they believe might be either affiliated with ISIS or have a positive attitude towards ISIS or perhaps be fans of ISIS in some way, shape, or form, that they're working through right now. They're most probably also using electronic intelligence, trying to listening to phones, trying to listen to any sort of other electronic messaging apps to see whether or not they can get on the trails of this person because, of course, he is still out there, they believe, and he is most definitely still armed and very dangerous -- Wolf?

[13:40:23] BLITZER: Colonel Francona, is it rare for them to claim an attack like this in Turkey. What's the strategy behind that?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: As Fred says, when ISIS claims this, it usually turns out to be true. And this is only the second time we've seen them claim an attack in Turkey. They were fairly quick to come out with this. And they described very in detail what happened. And they are using two different terms. They're using soldiers of the caliphate and supporters of the Islamic State, and I guess that's people they inspired.

But why is ISIS doing this? Why is ISIS going after the Turks now. And we're also seeing increased activity in the Baghdad area. ISIS is trying to make it very painful for the Iraqis, who are launching this large-scale operation to retail Mosul. They're also trying to make it very difficult for the Turks. The claim by ISIS said that the -- they were going after the Turks because of their involvement in the conflict in Syria. I understand what they're trying to do. They're trying to make it so painful for the Turks that they'll reconsider their operation in Syria. I don't think it's going to work. But they've got a better chance there. In Iraq, I think it's futile. They're going to make it as painful as they can for the Iraqis, but I think the Iraqis have the political will to continue to do that. In any case, as ISIS loses their capital city, Raqqa, in Syria, and Mosul, in Iraq, we're going to see more and more of this activity because ISIS has to morph into a different organization. They may call themselves a state, but they're going to be a state without territory. BLITZER: So far, they haven't yet lost Mosul, although that

potentially could happen in the coming weeks or months, and they haven't yet lost Raqqa in Syria.

Fred, it does -- I think everybody agrees that the potential is there for ISIS to morph into this new international terror organization, if you will. The more they're suffering in Syria and Iraq, as Colonel Francona points out, the more they're going to unleash terror attacks at nightclubs and other places.

PLEITGEN: I think that Colonel Francona is absolutely right. And I think I would add to that that they're extremely dangerous, and they're going to remain extremely dangerous. Because we have to keep in mind that if you look at Turkey, specifically, and especially the south of Turkey, I mean, that's the route that ISIS used to smuggle most of its fighters, the one that came from Europe, the ones that came from other countries like, for instance, North Africa or North African countries as well, they use that territory to smuggle them in and out of places like Syria, places like Iraq. Also, smuggled a lot of their weapons through that very porous border as well. They have people who spent time in Syria, who spent time in Iraq, who maybe are leaving that area right now as ISIS continues to leave territory. And a lot of them will try to come through Turkey to then go to other places. But a lot of these people are extremely battle-hardened. A lot of these people are people who have killed in battle before, who have been under fire before, and that, of course, makes them all the more dangerous when they commit terrorist acts.

Now, of course, we're not sure whether or not this person, who opened fire in this nightclub, whether he is someone who used to be in Syria or Iraq. But judging by the fact that he killed 39 people with some sort of rifle, leads us to believe that he is very, very dangerous. That certainly is something that Syria -- that ISIS still has. Even as it loses its territory, it becomes this terror organization without a state, but one that is still very, very dangerous, and conduct -- can conduct attacks in many different places.

BLITZER: And may, in fact, become even more dangerous internationally as they're suffering on the battle field in Syria and Iraq.

All right, guys. Thanks very much, Fred Pleitgen and Colonel Rick Francona.

Coming up, North Korea's leader says his country is close to testing a long-range missile. That missile, if successful, would have the capability to reach the United States. We have details.

Plus, the challenges this poses to President-elect Donald Trump.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:47:36] BLITZER: North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, is announcing his country is close to testing an intercontinental ballistic missile showing no signs of slowing the country's nuclear ambitions as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. North Korea conducted several nuclear tests, two of those in 2016. Both were believed to have been successful.

Joining us now, our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

Barbara, is there a reason to take this new threat even more seriously?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This appears to be every reason to take it seriously because North Korea is on this march towards a nuclear weapons capability. And there are no signs they are giving it up.

As you said, Wolf, they have conducted up ground tests. They have been successful. They have conducted several missile tests, some long-range missiles, some of them working better than others. But they are working on that program.

And what U.S. officials are telling us is that every sign they see is that North Korea is now putting everything it's got into this weapons development program. They are not pulling back. They are moving ahead on all fronts. And the key question now is when can they marry it all up, the long-range missile, the miniaturized warhead, the launcher. The only thing they appear right now to really have some real short falls in, very crucial, is the technology to make that missile re-enter the earth's atmosphere and have the capability to strike a target. Very high-tech business, but they know they need to work on that. And the U.S. is watching around the clock to see what they may be doing next -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Barbara, a high-profile North Korean defector says Kim Jong- Un is determined to develop nuclear weapon by the end of this year. Will dealing with North Korea and Kim Jong-Un be one of the first international tests for the new U.S. president?

STARR: By all accounts, it will be a very serious test. Even the current CIA director has said that this could come very early, that the new administration is being briefed, will be briefed on the North Korean program. Because U.S. war plans -- and this is public knowledge -- have long dictated that if North Korea poses an imminent nuclear threat that can be determined, that the U.S. policy would be to bomb it, to take that threat out, that the U.S. would never tolerate North Korea posing that imminent threat to the U.S., and would never tolerate the regime in North Korea posing that threat.

So, look at it this way, Kim Jong-Un on that march towards a nuclear weapon, the U.S. watching carefully, it's going to be a matter of time perhaps when President Trump has to make a decision about what to do next -- Wolf?

[13:50:18] BLITZER: He keeps saying it's up to China, which has influence in North Korea, to squeeze the North Koreans. He says he is going to be pushing for that. We will a see how that unfolds.

Barbara Starr, at the Pentagon, thank you. Coming up, growing concerns over Queen Elizabeth's health after she

missed another scheduled holiday event. We are going live to Buckingham Palace right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There are more questions about Queen Elizabeth's health after she missed the annual New Year's Day church service at her country estate. The palace says the 90-year-old monarch is still recovering from a bad cold that kept her from attending on Christmas, but a royal source insists, "She is up and working," direct quote.

Our international correspondent, Phil Black, joins us from outside of Buckingham Palace.

Phil, are we learning anything new about her condition?

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what we hear from the palace, as you said, is that she is up and about and well, or recovering, I should say. But there is no doubt that for her not to attend both Christmas and New Year's Day church services is a radical departure from her usual behavior. So, it is an obvious point of concern and potential speculation.

The palace is trying get out ahead of that speculation by telling people it is a cold, albeit a serious one, that she is up and about and moving, and that she is in fact working. They say she is still receiving the big red boxes she gets from government full of documents and briefing and so forth. This is the information she stays across in her official capacity as Britain's head of state.

So, the palace is really quite concerned about heading off any potential exaggeration about her condition. They insist she is staying indoors as a precaution. She is due to appear at another church service this weekend -- Wolf?

[13:55:22] BLITZER: Phil, if her condition were to worsen -- we certainly hope it does not -- how transparent would the palace be about that?

BLACK: We can only assume they would be transparent. And, indeed, you would have to think it would be difficult to be otherwise. They are stressing she is still in residence in Sandringham, which means she hasn't been moved anywhere else to receive medical attention or removed for any reason.

But there is no doubt that inevitably the queen's health and her ability to perform her duties will become at issue. That will, at some point, be a shock for this nation, a shock for her family. She is a wife, grandmother, great grandmother, and this is a tight family unit as well.

But the palace, the advisors, the government, they have had a great deal of time to consider all the potential scenarios involving succession. They are not talking about that yet. They do not believe there's any necessity to do so. They are saying the queen has a cold and she is expected to make a full recovery -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Is her family with her now at Buckingham Palace?

BLACK: Yes, she has had family with her. Her husband, Prince Philip, attended church yesterday. He seems fine. Again, not giving any indication there that the concern, the illness is any greater than what's being told -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Phil Black, reporting for us from outside Buckingham Palace that Queen Elizabeth is fine.

That's it for me. Thanks very much for watching. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room."

For our international viewers, "Amanpour" is coming up next.

For our viewers in North America, NEWSROOM with Ana Cabrera starts right after a break.

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