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Interview with California Congresswoman Jackie Speier; Plan of Attack Against ISIS; Pennsylvania Manhunt; NFL Scandals

Aired September 18, 2014 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: You are watching CNN. Hour two here. Top of the hour. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Following breaking news now. This new video uploaded by ISIS militants. In it, a hostage, a British citizen captured in Syria two years ago, but unlike previous gruesome beheading videos we've seen, John Cantlie, seen alive in that orange jumpsuit, stays alive through the video. But we here at CNN have made a decision not to show the video.

You see just the still image. We're not showing this ISIS propaganda, instead, just a single frame as he's seen seated alone at a desk with a black backdrop, wooden table delivering what he says is the first of a series of messages about ISIS to the U.S. and to Britain.

So, joining me now, CNN's Atika Shubert, who has been following the story of John Cantlie for a little while now.

And up until today, Atika, his hostage status had been kept under this media blackout in the U.K. What are you hearing now? And tell us about the video.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This was kept under wraps for nearly two years now by the request of his family, but also the Foreign Office here.

Basically, he was captured at the same time that James Foley was in November of 2012. It wasn't the first time this had happened to him. It actually happened earlier in July 2012. He had crossed into Syria and he had been abducted then with another journalist. But he managed to escape that time with the help of Free Syrian Army rebels and, incredibly, just a few months later, he decided to go back in.

He was a journalist. He was known as both a photojournalist and he did several articles for big papers here. And after he was kidnapped, there's been no sign of him at all. So this is the first time in nearly two years we have suddenly seen him resurface in this very strange video. In it, he seems to say that he will be reporting on a series of stories about what he says in the video the true ISIS.

This is clearly a propaganda video. Even in it, he says that to the audience straight to the camera, he says you probably think that I'm making this with a gun to my head. So he makes it very clear that he is a prisoner, but then goes on to say he's going to be portraying and doing a story on the other side of ISIS. BALDWIN: I watched the video myself earlier today. I have never seen

anything like it. Stay with CNN for all of this reporting on this latest video. Atika Shubert, thank you so much out of London for us.

Meantime, today, on Capitol Hill, a full-court press by the Obama administration, Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel both trying to sway members of Congress to support the White House's man to combat ISIS.

Big news today from Secretary Hagel. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK HAGEL, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: CENTCOM's plan includes targeted action against ISIL safe havens in Syria, including its command-and- control, logistics capabilities, and infrastructure.

General Dempsey and I have both approved and spent considerable time reviewing and adapting the CENTCOM plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So the Pentagon has its list of targets inside Syria. It's ready to go. And the military leadership has signed off on it and now presented it to the president. That's where it sits right as we speak.

Let's go to the Pentagon to our correspondent there, Barbara Starr.

Barbara, now that we know the plan is there,what happens next?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The plan has basically been approved by the Pentagon. It's been briefed to President Obama.

What will happen next is it will come back one more time to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. He will take it to the president for final sign-off and then basically the plan to target ISIS in Syria is approved.

This is a very broad plan. There are lots of targets on it. They will going after ISIS command-and-control, leadership, weapons depots, training sites if they can find them. They have a whole list of targets, we are told. So this could all begin very, very quickly. They have actually been working on it for some time. They have been flying drones over Syria, gathering intelligence, gathering the information about where they think the ISIS targets are located.

I think a really important point to make here is the Pentagon is not looking to just strike a truck or a Humvee or some ISIS troops here or there. They are looking for substantial targets that will make a dent in ISIS' capability to do what it's been doing, Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK. As far as the president goes, you mentioned he has been presented this. There are reports that President Obama will have personal control over the airstrikes. What does that even mean? STARR: Yes, I think it's worth parsing a bit of that out. Look, as

commander in chief, the president has complete authority over all of this.

But do not look for him to pore over targeting plans, to pore over the maps with his pencil and pick out targets. That's not the way it works these days. There will be very broad guidance given to the U.S. military that the White House is laying out that strategy of the kinds of targets it want to go after, the ones that will really make a difference. They will give U.S. Central Command that authority.

Hagel will sign-off with his final approval, and then it will be the military that carries out the strikes. Don't look for the president to pore over each and every target. One exception may be if they can find the top leadership of ISIS, the chances are, they will take that back to the president and let him know what they are planning to do. They will go after that top leadership, we are told, if they can find them -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: I'm sure they would. Barbara Starr, thank you very much at the Pentagon.

As we talk about ISIS and Syria in Iraq and what could be happening, let me just take a moment, as the U.S. begins to wage another war in the Middle East, to note the sacrifices still being made by our American service men and women and their families as we near the end of the country's longest war in Afghanistan. U.S. combat troops are scheduled to leave in December.

But make no mistake, Afghanistan is still a very dangerous place. Tuesday in Kabul, a Taliban car packed with explosives blew up as a military convoy sped by. We have shown you video after video ever since Operation Enduring Freedom began nearly 13 years ago.

But, today, I wanted to just take a minute to tell you about Americans killed in that attack. There were two. And I'm here to tell you this country lost two really good men. Army Major Michael Donahue, 41 years of age, he leaves behind two children and the woman he called his best friend, his wife. He also leaves a jacket full of medals and decorations, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, and some equally impressive dreams.

You see, Major Donahue wrote about those on his blog called Every Day Is a Good Day. He wanted to attend Ranger school. He wanted to command a battalion. He wanted to finish his doctorate as an educational specialist. He was almost there, two classes to go. He also thought about retiring from the Army when he reached 20 years of service. He was two years shy of that.

Stephen Byus also died Tuesday, the day after his 12th wedding anniversary. Byus was 39. He leaves behind his wife, Valerie, and their two children, Alexandria, who is 9, and Jacob, just 6. This was Stephen Byus third tour in a war zone. He was a Naval Reservist, but was working in Afghanistan as a civilian. He volunteered to go to help the Afghan army upgrade its logistics. Byus grew up a Boy Scout and an athlete. He played football and baseball and basketball. His brother was quoted as saying he always had a smile on his face. Our thoughts today are with the families, the loved ones of Michael Donahue and Stephen Byus and with all of the Americans who put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe. Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Grief and fear gripped thousands of law enforcement officers from across the country as they gathered for the funeral of a Pennsylvania state trooper, Corporal Bryon Dickson. His suspected killer, a survivalist with a grudge against police, is still on the loose. Dickson was a Marine Corps veteran, 38 years of age, father of two little boys.

Dickson celebrated his 10th wedding anniversary last month with his beloved wife, Tiffany. And you can imagine security very high for today's services. Area schools were closed. Mourners were asked to focus on Dickson's zest for life and not his tragic death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. THOMAS M. MULDOWNEY, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE CHAPLAIN: We have been privileged in this community to see great people come forward with wonderful acts of kindness and compassion and generosity.

My friends, now we have the undaunting task of saying farewell to our precious gift, Corporal Bryon Dickson. The gift that was given by God on that cold Christmas Eve, we return Bryon to God not with negative emotions, but with a profound sense of gratitude.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Dickson was shot and killed in an ambush Friday outside of his police barracks in rural Pennsylvania. Another wounded trooper remains in the hospital.

Authorities are searching for the suspected killer, 31-year-old Eric Matthew Frein.

I want to bring in correspondent Rosa Flores, who is live in Blooming Grove, Pennsylvania, to tell us just about, Rosa, the bizarre new details emerging about this suspect.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, initially investigators released a very clean-cut mug shot of the suspect.

Well, take a look at what they felt compelled to release now. You see Frein in military fatigues, because hear this. Here is what they us, that he's part of a military simulation group that believes that they are part of an Eastern European military.

Now, they felt compelled to release this new photo to make sure that people knew that he could look different. But now they believe that he doesn't even look like this anymore. Hear this. They believe that he prepared for this shooting by shaving the sides of his head and allowing a taller portion in the middle almost like a mohawk.

These are disturbing details really, Brooke, when you think about this, because investigators say and they make it very clear he's crossed the line between fantasy and reality -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK. So that's the suspect, which is totally odd. But then as far as the search for him goes, are they making progress?

FLORES: We have seen a lot of activity today by the ATF. Now, you probably saw in that funeral there was a lot of police presence, like you mentioned, high security, a lot of state troopers there.

That didn't interrupt the search around us. We have been here. We have been driving through all of these streets. It's very rural, but on the side of the road, we would see armored vehicles. We actually saw a search going on, ATF with their dogs, very slowly going through the woods.

And it almost looks like they are going back to the place where the shooting happened and where they found that jeep, where they found Eric Frein's I.D. and his Social Security number and all that other evidence, Brooke. So, it almost looks like they are retracing where he has been and the two points in time where they know for sure he has been before -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Rosa Flores, thank you very much from Pennsylvania. We will stay on that.

Coming up next, another NFL player, accused of domestic violence against a woman and an 18-month-old child. The NFL, you know this, they are under intense pressure after this -- multiple arrests here. Congress is sending a message certainly to the NFL commissioner. We will talk to a congresswoman and get her tough take on what the league should do.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Right now, we're learning about this horrifying plot by ISIS to recruit people to target just any random citizen and behead him or her in public, a plan authorities are calling a -- quote, unquote -- "demonstration killing" designed to shock and horrify.

The grisly details coming out of Australia, one of America's closest allies here in this fight against ISIS, where raids across the country are netting alleged ISIS recruits.

CNN's Amy La Porte has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMY LA PORTE, CNN WRITER/PRODUCER (voice-over): The alleged plan was bone-chilling, to grab someone, anyone, behead them and drape their body with the black flag of ISIS.

ANDREW SCIPIONE, NSW POLICE COMMISSIONER: The violence was to be perpetrated on a member of the public on the streets and that certainly at this stage was at a very high level.

LA PORTE: Appearing briefly in court today, one of the men accused in the plot charged with a terrorism-related offense, 22-year-old Omarjan Azari, did not enter a plea. He was caught up in Australia's biggest counterterrorism raids after an intercepted call.

TONY ABBOTT, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Direct exhortations were coming from an Australian who is apparently quite senior in ISIL to networks of support back in Australia to conduct demonstration killings here in this country.

LA PORTE: Police storming homes across two of Australia's biggest cities, Sydney and Brisbane after Australia raised its terror threat to high for the first time ever. The heightened alert means authorities don't just think a terror attack on their soil is possible, but that it's likely.

The Australian government pointing to this homegrown terror threat as part of the reason for its plan to not just send planes to help the U.S. in Iraq and Syria, but military advisers as well, 600 of them, one of the first U.S. allies to put skin in the game. It's believed at least 60 Australians are fighting alongside ISIS and other militant groups in the Middle East.

The fear now is that ISIS is not just trying to recruit from other countries, but urging them to carry out attacks on their own soil.

Amy La Porte, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: More on that plot coming up next on "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER."

In the meantime, we do have new details on the domestic abuse allegations made against Arizona Cardinals player Jonathan Dwyer. Court documents reveal the second-string running back allegedly head- butted his wife and broke her nose when she refused his sexual advances.

Dwyer has since been arrested and released on bond. And the NFL has responded by deactivating him from his team activities. But he's now NFL player number four implicated in a string of abuse claims and now members of Congress are calling for a tougher response. Here's one of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JACKIE SPEIER (D), CALIFORNIA: Of the 56 football players arrested for domestic violence, they only saw a combined 13 games suspended. The NFL would rather see these players on the field than take a stance against violence. After all, anything for football. I say bench them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That was Congresswoman Jackie Speier. She joins me now live from Capitol Hill.

Congresswoman, welcome.

SPEIER: Thank you, Brooke.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: All right, so you're a 49ers fan. Ray McDonald is playing this weekend. Did you know even after Ray Rice, that whole story broke last week, the NFL had the three highest ranked TV programs last week? Americans love their football.

So, first to you, how do you convince one of your constituents, a 49er fan, not to tune in, not to buy a ticket?

SPEIER: Well, I'm not asking them not to tune in.

I'm asking the 49ers to do what many of the other teams have done, and that is to bench their players that have been accused of domestic violence and allow the due process to work. They continue to be paid, but much like law enforcement officers who are alleged to have committed domestic violence or use of force that was excessive, they are typically put on administrative leave and continue to be paid.

BALDWIN: In this case, though, he wasn't charged. McDonald hasn't been charged yet.

SPEIER: He's -- it's being investigated. That's correct.

But I will say this. If it goes to the point of where the investigation is complete and it's being sent to the DA, there's now an expectation of probable cause. I think that what we really need to do is look at what other corporations would do. And the NFL is like a corporation.

When there's a charge of domestic violence, what typically happens is, the employee gets fired. All we're saying is, let's have them sit it out until the due process works its way.

BALDWIN: Understood. Understood.

Here's the thing, Congresswoman. Domestic violence, this issue is -- this is not breaking news. So, really, the question is, why haven't you had a poster board made about violence in the NFL and quoted Vince Lombardi and taken this issue to the floor of Congress before it sort of became this almost a cause celebre popular to come down on the NFL?

SPEIER: Well, it's not just the NFL.

I think what we really want to do is draw attention to the fact that domestic violence is a serious problem in this country. For all of the things we have done, Violence Against Women Act and the like, the truth is that about one-third of the women in this country at some point in their life will become victims of domestic violence or...

(CROSSTALK) BALDWIN: I know all the stats, Congresswoman, but where were you and other members of Congress in the last however many years?

SPEIER: Well, wait a minute.

(CROSSTALK)

SPEIER: Well, no, I actually carried a lot of legislation in this area, much of it in the state legislature in California around domestic violence and the battered woman syndrome. So, I have been on this issue for probably close to 30 years.

BALDWIN: Violence Against Women Act, I know. I have read about you and I know this has been something near and dear to your heart.

I guess the next question would be, despite all of this, we know that Roger Goodell -- and you have certainly called -- you agree with many saying he should go away, he should resign. He sort of had this -- he was known as being the sheriff, cracking down on some of these players.

But if you and others are calling on him to resign, what about -- let me ask you about the owners who actually -- who also have the power to punish the players, but didn't. Should they lose their teams?

SPEIER: Well, I think what we really need to do is find a way within the NFL and truly within other institutions as well where you have a third party that makes assessments about the state of whether or not an individual should be disciplined or not and what the discipline should be.

Right now, Roger Goodell is judge and jury. He's the ultimate decision maker in these cases. And there's a lot of conflicts. You have got great players. You need them to play the game, so that they can win the Super Bowl. And so there's this reluctance to really hold them accountable.

BALDWIN: just quickly, who would be that third party? Who would be the judge? Who would you recommend?

SPEIER: I think what you would need to do is create a third party within the NFL. I mean, they could have former judges participate, but have some third party make that kind of an evaluation.

BALDWIN: Congresswoman Speier, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it.

SPEIER: Thank you for the invitation.

BALDWIN: Coming up next: A 300-year relationship could come to an end today. People all around Scotland are voting as to whether they want to leave, to divorce, if you will, to stick with the metaphor, the U.K. What led up to vote? How many people will it impact, not just there, but around the world? We will explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)