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American Held in North Korea Speaks Out; Interview with Terri Chung; British Prime Minister to Speak on ISIS Threat; Statehood for Eastern Ukraine?

Aired September 01, 2014 - 10:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

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

We start this hour with breaking news out of North Korea. Three Americans being detained, Kenneth Bae, Matthew Miller, and Jeffrey Fowle also spoke exclusively to CNN earlier from a secret hotel in Pyongyang. As you might expect, the government tried to control every aspect of these interviews, limiting our time with each man for five minutes, and keeping them all separated in different rooms. We were even told to only ask about -- to only ask the prisoners about three things, charges, treatment, and messages to loved ones.

CNN's Will Ripley has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi. Will Ripley, CNN.

MATTHEW MILLER, AMERICAN HELD CAPTIVE IN NORTH KOREA: OK.

RIPLEY: Hi. We were going to chat here. You can have a seat if you want. We have five minutes.

First of all, can you tell me about the charges that you're facing here in North Korea?

MILLER: I will not find out until I go to trial, but I will say that I prepared to violate the law of the DPRK before coming here and I deliberately committed my crime. I have already admitted my guilt and apologized to the governments of the DPRK and I have been asking for forgiveness.

RIPLEY: Did you tear up your visa and seek asylum? Is that report accurate?

MILLER: The previous interview that is what I said so I'm not here to discuss --

RIPLEY: Matt, tell me about your conditions here. How you are being treated?

MILLER: I'm in -- with good health and I've received medical checks, and provided with humanitarian treatment.

RIPLEY: And what is your message to your family?

MILLER: First, I'll just say my message to my governments. I've been requesting help for a long time and there's been no movement from my governments. The American government is known for having a strong policy of protecting its citizens, yet for my case there is still no movement. I've also written a letter to my presidents with no reply.

RIPLEY: While you're in North Korea?

MILLER: Yes, about one month ago. So for this reason, I am disappointed in my governments. However, I want to believe that my governments or someone is trying their best to help me and I will be very glad to meet the person that saves me.

RIPLEY: Why did you come here seeking asylum?

MILLER: During my investigation, I have discussed my motive and for the interview, it is not necessary.

RIPLEY: What's your message to your family?

MILLER: I've had the opportunity to phone call them so I've already spoken to them.

RIPLEY: What's the bottom line about your situation here and your message that you want to put out?

MILLER: That my situation is very urgent. That very soon I'm going to trial and I would directly be sent to prison. I think this is -- this interview is my final chance to push the American government into helping me.

RIPLEY: So it's your final chance. What do you want to tell them that you haven't already said?

MILLER: That I need help and they need to quickly make movement because there's not much time.

RIPLEY: Were you aware of the -- of the possible consequences when you acted the way that you did, when you entered this country?

MILLER: Yes. I was expecting to be detained.

RIPLEY: Were you expecting to be detained as long as you have been?

MILLER: Yes.

RIPLEY: But you are now seeking the help of the American government to go home. Why? Why do you not want to stay here any longer?

MILLER: No comments.

RIPLEY: Anything else that you like to say about this?

MILLER: No. That is all. Thank you for meeting me.

RIPLEY: OK. We have a few more minutes. So you have an opportunity to say something about your conditions here, any other message. This may be your last chance to get the word out.

MILLER: No. I've given my message.

RIPLEY: OK. Thank you. Good luck. OK.

MILLER: OK. Thank you.

RIPLEY: Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: All right. I believe we have Will Ripley on the phone, is that correct? We do not. OK. We lost the connection.

But, Will Ripley, great job. Thanks so much.

The other American that Will talked with, Kenneth Bae, he also pleaded for help from the United States during this morning's exclusive interview. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNETH BAE, DETAINED IN NORTH KOREA: I do ask the U.S. government to send an envoy as soon as possible. I think that's the only hope that I have right now in order for me to go home and be reunited with my family.

I do believe that the sooner that this gets resolved, it'd be better for not only for myself, for the rest of the other Americans who may come here in the future as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Kenneth Bae's sister Terri Chung joins me now on the phone.

Good morning, Terri.

TERRI CHUNG, KENNETH BAE'S SISTER: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Thanks for talking with me. I appreciate it. First your reaction to seeing and hearing your brother today.

CHUNG: It's not easy. It's -- you know, he doesn't look well and he doesn't look like himself, and, you know, it's hard to watch, seeing him pleading for help, you know, for -- it's almost two years, so I think it's not easy.

COSTELLO: Does he look in good health to you?

CHUNG: He's lost quite a bit of weight and yes, he definitely doesn't look like himself and he looks like he's under a considerable amount of stress. COSTELLO: One of the other Americans being held captive by the North

Koreans said that the United States government should send an -- an envoy to North Korea to help secure the Americans release, like Bill Clinton. What do you think?

CHUNG: I think that's -- you know, I think the message has been consistent all the way throughout that Kenneth cannot be released on his own but he needs help and intervention of the United States government. I'm not sure exactly who or what it will take. And I think that's been the message all along. And, you know, we implore the U.S. government to give the case the urgency that it deserves right now, to engage in a conversation that will bring him home.

COSTELLO: You've been working so hard to secure your brother's release. Were you surprised that CNN was granted access to your brother?

CHUNG: Yes, very much. I did not expect to see that.

COSTELLO: Why do you think the North Korean government allowed us to talk with Kenneth?

CHUNG: I'm not sure. It seems like, you know, the other Americans are going to trial soon. You know, I'm not sure if that's related. I think there is renewed urgency and hopefully an opening that I hope will bring about opportunities for negotiation and conversation between the two governments.

COSTELLO: Have you heard --

(CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: That's what we've been waiting for. Yes.

COSTELLO: Have you heard anything at all from the president of the United States or other high ranking government officials?

CHUNG: I have -- no, I have not heard from the president. We do communicate with the State Department regularly. I'm told that -- you know, they are working hard behind the scenes, but I'm not privy to the details.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you so much, Terri, for talking with me this morning. I appreciate it.

CHUNG: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about this further. Charles Armstrong is a professor of Korean Studies at Columbia University.

Welcome, Professor.

He's not there? Professor -- Professor Armstrong, can you hear me? Oh, he's not there. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: All right. So I told you earlier that North Korea is holding three Americans captive. Two are going to go on trial, one is serving time in a labor camp, and suddenly CNN's Will Ripley who was in North Korea for another story was granted access to all three men. Five-minute interview each. All of them pleaded for their release and said they were being treated very well by the North Koreans.

It's extraordinary. So here now to discuss, Charles Armstrong, professor of Korean Studies at Columbia University.

Welcome. I'm glad you're here.

CHARLES ARMSTRONG, PROFESSOR OF KOREAN STUDIES, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Nice to be with you.

COSTELLO: So did you find this as extraordinary as I did?

ARMSTRONG: Yes. This is pretty amazing that North Korea would suddenly allow a major American news agency to interview these people without any advance warning. Just bring them in and talk to these three people who have been largely incommunicado for whence the time they've been detained.

COSTELLO: What do the North Koreans want?

ARMSTRONG: Well, it seems that they're trying to send a message to the U.S. It's not clear what the purpose of this is. First of all, they want to show that these people are being treated well but that they are following their own laws by detaining these people who violated them. But I think beyond that, there's an interest in improving relations with the U.S. and communicating and contacting with the U.S. government in moving forward the relationship. So I think this is very important.

COSTELLO: So this is a great way to improve relations with the United States?

(LAUGHTER)

ARMSTRONG: Well, yes. I mean, to say that here your people are and we can talk about this.

COSTELLO: So the United States is not -- well, I shouldn't say this because I don't know but as of right now it's unlikely that the United States will send an envoy in the form of Bill Clinton or Bill Richardson to secure these Americans' release because, you know, North Korea has to agree to certain things before the United States agrees to send someone to actually talk to them face-to-face. So do you think that might change in light of what just happened?

ARMSTRONG: Well, I think this moves the conversation forward. It's not clear now what the U.S. will do in response but at least the North Koreans are indicating that they are willing to talk about this and they are willing to have their people, the Americans detained there, reach out to their families. COSTELLO: OK. So let's say the United States government says sure,

we'll send an envoy to talk with you face to face to secure these Americans' release. So what would the North Koreans give up?

ARMSTRONG: That's something that we would have to discuss. The U.S. will certainly not send an envoy without preconditions. They'll say that you have to do something about your nuclear program, about your military provocations, begin at least talking about the issue of human rights, which is very much on the American agenda. And we'll see what goes on both publicly and behind the scenes as this goes forward. But this is, you know, one of most positive signals in their own way that the North Koreans has sent for a long time.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

Charles Armstrong, thanks so much for coming in.

ARMSTRONG: Thank you.

COSTELLO: I appreciate it.

All right, now we have to go to London because there is -- because the British Prime Minister David Cameron is going to address his parliament at any time now. At issue, ISIS. Cameron will announce a major crackdown on homegrown extremists.

On the table right now British citizens who fight for the Islamic State will be banned from coming home and those citizens who are suspected of terrorism will be stripped of their passport.

As I said Max Foster is in London.

So, Max, tell us what's about to happen in the British parliament.

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're waiting to see. I have to say, David Cameron has been locked in discussions over the weekend and today, so we still don't know what he's going to announce later on today.

If you take as an example the point that you just made, there is an idea to stop British jihadis coming back to the U.K. if they have been to Syria and Iraq. So for example, if they find out that they have been to Syria and Iraq, they have been radicalized, they are on the way back, David Cameron wants to find some sort of way of stopping them to come back.

The problem you've got is you have to strip them of their passports effectively making them stateless, which is against international law. It's illegal. So he's also locked in discussions with lawyers to see how he can get around this. He's also in discussions with his coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, who are very strong on civil liberties. They are very concerned about undermining British civil liberties.

So what you've got here is quite a complex big debate which is a compromise between security and liberty. David Cameron has been stung on this before. It's the first day that members of parliament are back here in parliament so he's going to come here in about half an hour and discuss it in parliament, but he's going to have to come up with some sort of proposal to present.

And some are concerned that these proposals will be watered down because of all these negotiations. But I have to say the British public according to polls do want action against ISIS.

COSTELLO: They do want -- I'm just curious because here in the United States, there are calls for harsher military action against ISIS and Iraq and Syria. Are there not -- are there any calls in Britain for that, too?

FOSTER: Well, you may remember that there was a vote here not long ago about backing U.S. military action in Syria. David Cameron was very much behind Barack Obama on that but he was voted down here and that's very much in everyone's memories. So going down that path again is something that David Cameron is very apprehensive about. But as I say, polls in the U.K. do suggest that public opinion is for action against ISIS. So he's going to take some steps toward that, I suspect. But he's going to have to measure along the way.

And the first step is really dealing with jihadists coming from Syria and Iraq here in the U.K. And that's about stopping them come in, banning orders, all sorts of proposals he may have come up with this afternoon. If he gets them through, then I think he may consider backing any potential American action in Syria.

COSTELLO: All right. Max Foster, thank you. Stand down for just a few minutes because we're going to be checking back with you at the bottom of the hour when the prime minister is expected to address parliament.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, in Ukraine, pro-Russian rebels making significant gains in Ukraine and now talk of statehood for the eastern part of that country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Russian President Vladimir Putin invoking nukes in his not- so-secret quest to invade Ukraine. Yes, he is suggesting statehood for eastern Ukraine but he's certainly doesn't want that to happen organically.

Not only does the United Nations estimates 1,000 Russian troops are in Ukraine but Putin has issued this dire warning, quote, "I want to remind you that Russia is one of most powerful nuclear nations. This is a reality. Not just words." End quote.

And just moments ago, the Ukrainian Defense minister responding to the threat, quote, "A great war Europe has not seen since World War II has come to our home. Unfortunately, the losses in such war will not be in the hundreds, but in the thousands or maybe even tens of thousands. Through unofficial channels, Russia has threatened to use its tactical nuclear weapons against us in case we continue resistance." End quote. All of this as pro-Russian rebels backed by Russian troops and heavy

artillery has Ukrainian forces on their heels.

Reza Sayah is in Kiev this morning with more.

Hi, Reza.

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. There's mounting evidence in southeastern Ukraine that the momentum in this conflict is rapidly shifting in favor of the pro-Russian rebels. Today, they took over a critical airfield in southeastern Ukraine, right after Ukrainian forces just stopped fighting and retreated. On Sunday, a Ukrainian patrol boat came under fire and was sunk. All of these significant blows to Ukrainian forces who appear to be in deep trouble.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAYAH (voice-over): In southeastern Ukraine, fresh remnants of a battle where pro-Russian rebels routed Ukrainian forces to take back full control of the town of Ilovaisk. For Ukrainian troops, the retreat was swift, leaving behind a wreckage of war and another town in shambles. The rebel takeover is the latest triumph in a counter offensive that seen pro-Russian separatists seemingly regained the upper hand. And Ukrainian soldiers in circles or on the run.

Just two weeks ago it was Ukrainian forces dominating the fight. Pushing east, taking rebel strongholds. Kiev and western capital say the rebel onslaught is backed by Russian troops, tanks and heavy weaponry, an accusation Moscow denies.

For the rebels, the next target could be Mariupol, a strategic port city that would give the rebels a critical land link from the Russian border to Russian-annexed Crimea.

SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: Russian has come, invaded with thousands of troops, with missiles, with tanks. This is no longer the question of some rebel separatists. This is a direct invasion by Russia. And we must recognize it.

SAYAH: On Sunday, just outside Mariupol, Ukrainian forces raced to bolster defense lines. East of Mariupol, the rebels lay in wait, seemingly poised for an attack. With the rebels gaining momentum, the European Union on Sunday issued Moscow an ultimatum, call off the separatists or suffer tougher sanctions. Washington, too, threatening more sanctions.

Russian president Vladimir Putin responded by calling for talks on the statehood of Eastern Ukraine. His spokesman later denied Moscow supports independence for rebel-held territories. Even so, Putin's comments raises the stakes in a conflict that's rapidly intensifying.

(END VIDEOTAPE) SAYAH: In the coming hours, we'll be watching closely the port city of Mariupol to see if pro-Russian rebels attack and move in. If that happens, many expect a fierce fight. In the meantime, in Belarus, Russian and Ukrainian officials are meeting with representatives of the organization for security and cooperation in Europe. Seemingly this is another opportunity to reach a negotiated solution, Carol. But at this point, no indication that that's going to happen any time soon.

COSTELLO: All right. Reza Sayah reporting live from Kiev this morning. Thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the British prime minister expected to address parliament any moment now. On the agenda, tough new penalties for any British citizen suspected of fighting for the Islamic State.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me. At any moment now we'll hear from British Prime Minister David Cameron. He's about to pitch new tough measures confronting the threat of ISIS and the real possibility that radicalized citizens could bring that fight home.