Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

NATO Launches Investigation Into Hospital Strike; Dams Breaching, Failing as Rivers Rise in South Carolina; Residents Warned of Disease, Snakes and Gators; NTSB to Investigate EL Faro Disappearance; Clinton Ad Slams GOP on Benghazi; Trump on Poll Dip: "I Am Not Going Anywhere"; Dam Breaks Near Columbia, Evacs Ordered. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired October 06, 2015 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:01] CUOMO: True. The men say if you'd like to help they don't just -- they don't need money. They just need more water.

PEREIRA: OK.

CUOMO: So we'll put it to a yes.

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: Good. Good.

CAMEROTA: Excellent. All right. Time now for "NEWSROOM" with Ana Cabrera in for Carol Costello.

Good morning, Ana.

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I could use more coffee this morning.

PEREIRA: We'll get you that.

CABRERA: I thought so. All right. Have a great day. Thank you.

NEWSROOM starts now.

Hello, I'm Ana Cabrera in for Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me.

Let's begin with the international outrage in the demand for answers this morning after that deadly U.S. airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan. Now the blast killed more than 20 people, including three children.

Minutes from now lawmakers are expected to grill the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Generally John Campbell. And he is already saying the strike was carried out after a request by Afghan forces who were being threatened by the Taliban. And NATO has launched a full investigation. Earlier today NATO secretary-general expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: I'm deeply saddened by the tragic incident involving the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz. My thoughts are with all those affected. A full investigation has been launched. The security situation in Afghanistan remains challenging. But the Afghan forces are rising to the challenge. And we continue to support them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Doctors Without Borders is accusing the U.S. of a war crime and calling for an independent probe.

Let's bring in CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr with more -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Ana. General Campbell set to testify on Capitol Hill just about 30 minutes from now. The hearing was scheduled in advance of this latest event to talk to Campbell about the security situation in Afghanistan and potential plans for drawing down for reducing the number of U.S. forces from its current level of about 10,000. Reducing them next year.

But safe to say, senators are going to have a lot of questions about this attack. An investigation is under way. But the international aid community, Doctors Without Borders, and so many organizations that work in conflict zones around the world expressing their concern about the safety of their personnel.

The U.S. is facing so many questions about this and how this could have happened. One of the straight up military questions is, even if the Afghans said they were under attack from the Taliban, the U.S. doesn't routinely come to the defense of Afghan forces because of the Taliban. Otherwise U.S. troops would be in combat virtually every day still.

U.S. troops are there to protect U.S. forces and to go after al Qaeda and to help preemptively if it looks like U.S. forces are threatened. Now we know General Campbell saying there were no U.S. troops under attack at that time in this hospital complex. So a lot of questions. General Campbell yesterday saying that a full investigation under way.

We'll have to see how willing he is, how able he is at this point to give any additional answers whether they have been able to come back to him with more details. One of the big problems, fighting is still raging in Kunduz and military investigators so far have not been able to make it to the hospital -- Ana.

CABRERA: Barbara Starr, thank you.

And something else we are watching close this morning, Russian airstrikes have reportedly hit ISIS targets in Palmyra. That's right next to ancient ruin. The Syrian state media says these strikes hit ISIS hideouts destroying armored vehicles, ammunition and more. But here in the U.S. there are still concerns that Russia's involvement in Syria is about beating back U.S.-supported rebels and not necessarily about destroying ISIS.

Because we're also learning, according to U.S. officials, Russian ground troops and heavy weapons are on the move in Syria right now adding even more questions about Russia's intentions.

To a new threat this morning for the flooded southeast. Nine dams bursting and there are fears more dams will fail as the rivers continue to rise. The death toll now stands at 13, 11 of those killed in South Carolina. Entire roads washed away, others are impassable. More than 350 closed right now.

The damage estimates are already climbing into the billions. Governor Nikki Haley telling her state, "We will get through it and get through it together."

Our Nick Valencia is in Columbia, South Carolina. And Nick, we're hearing some of these rivers may not peak for weeks.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That is certainly the threat. But something here that hasn't happened for days here, Ana. The sun is out. Water levels are in some parts starting to recede. Cleanup also in some parts underway but the threat to the public still very much real thing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[09:05:12] VALENCIA (voice-over): Officials in South Carolina waking up to lingering fears that more catastrophic flooding and new dam breaches could be on the way.

MAJ. GEN. BOB LIVINGSTON, NATIONAL GUARD: From the river standpoint, we haven`t hit the worst of it yet.

VALENCIA: Nine dams failing, buckling under the pressure of historic rains. Some areas seeing more than 20 inches. The deluge to blame for more than a dozen deaths in the Carolinas.

GOV. NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Just because the rain stops does not mean that we are out of the woods.

VALENCIA: This road collapse in Lugoff claiming the life of a man driving with a female passenger. The vehicle careening through barricades. She survived, pulled from the overturn wreckage amid rushing water. In Ridgeville, a chilling rescue of a different kind. Floodwaters unearthing caskets from a nearby cemetery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody`s family out there. So, I mean, to show respect, this is respect. We`ve got to respect the death.

VALENCIA: This man risking his own life venturing into waist deep water, pushing a casket to shore.

In the hard-hit area of downtown Columbia, the Congaree River peaking to the highest it's been in decades, covering interstate roads, living homes under water and washing out bridges. Now at least six nearby states sending emergency workers into South Carolina for added flood relief.

So far 1300 National Guard members are on duty. Crews and Black Hawk helicopters leading statewide rescue efforts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sad because people lost their businesses. They`ve lost homes and it affected everybody across the board. It did not discriminate.

VALENCIA: The devastation fronting President Obama to declare South Carolina a major disaster area, ordering federal aid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: At least six people have died here in the city of Columbia as a result of this flash flooding. The mayor was telling me a very sad story this morning of a couple who was working two jobs just to make ends meet and they lost everything.

The cost of this cleanup now that this water is starting to recede the government officials can get a better sense of it. Early estimates, Ana, hundreds of millions of dollars to get this back to normal -- Ana.

CABRERA: If not billions, as they are just skimming really the surface of the damage and destruction so far.

Nick Valencia, our thanks to you. Great reporting.

As the recovery begins, a warning for people to stay out of the water. Especially any standing water. The flood waters are notorious for harboring bacteria that can cause infectious diseases. And if that's enough, well, the National Weather Service has warned of lurking alligators and snakes.

Joining us to discuss, CNN medical analyst Dr. Seema Yasmin.

So what is the biggest concern right now, Doctor?

DR. SEEMA YASMIN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: The biggest concern is that there can be a sense of complacency, Ana. So Nick just mentioned that in some areas the water levels are starting to go down and understandably people are so keen to get back to their homes, their businesses, to assess any damage and try and clean up.

And the first thing that I worry about as a physician is injuries and death from electrocution. People walking into their homes, trying to turn up the main power supply and doing that from a place that's wet can cause very serious injury. But of course flood water is often contaminated with sewage. And that means if you eat or drink anything that's been exposed to that flood water you could be coming into contact with bacteria like e. Coli or leptospirosis which can cause really serious diarrheal illnesses.

CABRERA: Now we have shown the video of caskets even being unearthed in all of this. Is that a health risk? YASMIN: It absolutely is. We've seen this before with flooding in

the U.S. that when there are corpses and caskets around, there is a serious risk of infection. Of course the guy that Nick mentioned is so brave and compassionate and trying to be respectful. But we need to make sure that people do wear the right equipment when they're standing in flood water wherever that might be. And that means wearing rubber boot, rubber gloves and goggles to stay away from that contamination.

And it's not just diarrheal illnesses we worry about. Flood water can displace chemicals that had been stored in different places. So after a -- we'll even see in the emergency room people that have chemical poisoning because they've been in contact with the flood waters.

CABRERA: And we hear about the snakes and possible alligators because of where this is in the country. We know that those wildlife do exist. When do you think it's safe for those people to return to their homes, those who have evacuated?

YASMIN: It can be a really difficult decision to make. And as I said people are understandably keen to get back to their belongs, right? But it's really important to wait until you are given the all clear by officials and even then to be very, very safe on how you do with the clean up. Diarrheal illnesses were a real concern, and injuries and wounds can become very, very infected from standing in that flood water.

And I especially worry about people with diabetes. They're already so susceptible to infections as it is. But imagine you have a wound from trying to clean up in this flooded area and then you are in standing water, you can actually get a very serious wound infection set in and the same actually when it comes to mold as well. That loves humidity. So even when it looks like the standing water is gone the mold can stay around and cause very serious lung infections.

[09:10:12] CABRERA: Just very quickly. I mean, is it the obvious in terms of what we should do or what those folks in that area can do to protect themselves, just basic hygiene or is it something beyond?

YASMIN: It's actually quite basic but you do have to make the effort and get it right. So when you're in that flood water, wear rubber boots, wear rubber gloves, wear goggles. And then depending on what kind of the surface you're cleaning, whether it's a floor, where it's a kitchen surface or whether it's linen and upholstery, you need to measure different amounts of bleach to different amounts of water.

And the exact instructions for that are on the EPA Web site. They are on the CDC Web site and they tell you exactly how much bleach and water you should be using depending on what you are cleaning and the same goes for toys. Keep kids and pets away from standing water. But of course kids and pets will gravitate towards their old toys. You need to make sure those haven't been exposed to flood water. And if they have, check out the EPA Web site and the CDC Web sites. They'll tell you exactly how to clean everything.

CABRERA: OK, good information. Dr. Seema Yasmin, our thanks to you. YASMIN: Thank you.

CABRERA: The NTSB is on its way o Jacksonville, Florida, right now to investigate the disappearance of the cargo ship El Faro. The team expected to arrive later today. A 225-square mile debris field was discovered over the week and still no sign, however, of the ship itself. It was carrying 33 people including 28 Americans when it went missing near the Bahamas last Thursday just as Hurricane Joaquin was passing through.

Now as search crews continue to look for any sign of survivors, the NTSB says they hope their interviews, the marine logs, any equipment recovered might provide some clues into what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BELLA DINH-ZARR, VICE CHAIRMAN, NTSB: This is a huge challenge that there is a large debris field. So the investigators will be, we hope, you know, finding as much materials as possible. But it is a big challenge when there is such a large area of water and at such depths. There are a lot of other aspects of the investigation. The marine logs, any data, all of the interviews with people who are involved that will help us determine what exactly happened. And obviously we hope for the best and we hope that the ship will be recovered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: CNN's Alexander Field is here now with the latest on the search effort.

I mean, they are finding quite a few things. Just not what they are hoping to find which is people.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And they're deploying a lot of resources. You have the first search planes that were sent back out at daylight this morning. But also you have these vessels in the water working around the clock. You've got Coast Guard vessels in the water and also some commercial vessels. They're all trying to find the survivors.

What they have found so far, an empty lifeboat, a deflated life rafts, several life rings, life preserver, and two survival suits. We know that they found the body of one person who was on board but they are still looking for those 32 other people trying to find any sign that someone could be out there and alive.

At the same time you've got all of these families who have waited for days for word and some of them are starting to ask some very tough questions about why this ship was ever in the path of this storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DESTINY SPARROW, FATHER ON MISSING SHIP: I don't think that they should have shipped them out when they knew that that was going on. That makes no sense to me at all. Like, if they knew that the hurricane was coming they should have kept them there and waited and to ship them back out. Like that makes no sense at all. I don't agree with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: A lot of emotions here and obviously the primary focus right now is on finding survivors, as you know,, time ticks on there are more concerns about finding people alive. But we do know that the NTSB has deployed their go team to Jacksonville. They'll start to investigate this and ask really the fundamental questions about why this ship sank.

Now the Coast Guard has already said that the ship reported to its owner that it had lost propulsion. That made it very vulnerable in the path of this storm basically this ship gets dumped into the troughs between the waves and it's really getting, you know, pummeled from both sides by 40 or 50-foot waves. So they've got to figure out why it lost propulsion and why it was sent out given the forecast as it should.

CABRERA: A lot of question. Lots to answers. Alexandra Field, thank you very much.

And still to come a dip in the polls might cause some candidates to abandon their dreams of being president but not Donald Trump. Why he's pushing back on reports that he might quit the race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:18:37] CABRERA: Hillary Clinton showing a laser focus now in those early primary states as she works off to fend off a furious challenge from Sanders. Today, Clinton heads to Iowa. She has a two- day swing through that state. Now, it included a grassroots event with supporters and Clinton's trip comes as she released a new ad that aims at Republicans over the Benghazi controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, FROM HILLARY FOR AMERICA)

AD NARRATOR: The Republicans finally admit it.

REPORTER: Republican Kevin McCarthy saying the committee investigating Benghazi and Clinton's e-mails was created to destroy her candidacy.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R), CALIFORNIA: Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee. What are her numbers today?

AD NARRATOR: Republicans have spent millions attacking Hillary because she's fighting for everything they oppose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: All right. CNN senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny is joining me now with more on this.

Jeff, talk about Clinton's strategy moving forward here. JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, we've

seen that new ad there. That is her first national campaign ad. She's really seizing on this moment. She's trying to frame the discussion and debate going into that October 22nd hearing when she will appear before the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

Now, let's take step back. The whole reason that her private e-mail account she used as secretary of state was discovered because of this congressional committee. Now, she is saying it is entirely politicized from the beginning and she has some ammunition to back up those words.

[09:20:02] We saw just a second ago, in that ad, Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader who may become the next House speaker, he said that it was simply done to bring her poll numbers down.

So, what she is trying to do here, Ana, is to rally Democrats behind this message and to show that this was all simply a political witch hunt.

Of course, all those e-mails that have come out are now being investigated by the Justice Department to see if there was any classified information used on that private email server. But she has some good ammunition to support her claim, this was all a political witch hunt here, and she's politicizing it by running those television ads here in Iowa where she's campaigning today, as well as across the country.

CABRERA: Republicans really giving her fuel for the fire.

Meanwhile, let's talk about Joe Biden. Speculation continues to swirl around the vice president. Will he jump into the race? Won't he?

I know you've been talking to top Democrats. What are you hearing?

ZELENY: Well, Ana, it really is the big question inside this Democratic Party. If Joe Biden in the next week or so is going jump into this race.

Now, we are told by top Democrats who have spoken with him over the last several days, they are left with the impression he is leaning towards a run. But now, this is not a done deal because some of his long time friends, some people who served in the Senate with him, and some other allies are still saying, hey, this would be such a good idea.

So, he's hearing from both sides. But we are told he's leading people with the impression he speaks to privately that he is going to run. But he still has not done anything to formally flip on that campaign switch. But we are going to find out we believe in the next week, maybe two weeks or so about the time Hillary Clinton is appearing before that Benghazi committee.

So, the month of October, Ana, is going to be central one in this Democratic presidential race.

CABRERA: All right. Jeff Zeleny, thanks so much.

Don't forget, the first Democratic debate is now just one week away. The CNN Facebook Democratic debate next Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern. Catch it right here on CNN.

Now, on the Republican side, even as the polls show a slight decline for support for Donald Trump, the Republican front runner tells CNN that reports of his perhaps political demise have been greatly exaggerated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: I read somewhere you said if I fell behind badly I'd get out. Are you thinking about when you would get out of this race?

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): Not even a thought. Not even 1 percent of a thought. Look, it is a phony deal that was perpetrated on the public.

I was asked a simple question by Chuck Todd at "Meet the Press". And people, I gave an honorable answer and honest. I said sure if I was doing terribly like some of these people I wouldn't stay in. I gave a very honest answer. I said, look, if for some reason I had no chance and I collapse, and they take and say, oh maybe there's a little weakness in Trump in terms of the answer.

There is no weakness. I'm not going anywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Let's discuss. Matt Lewis, a conservative commentator and senior contributor to "The Daily Caller". Also with us, Mercedes Schlapp, the former spokesperson for Spanish language media for President George W. Bush.

Matt, I want to start with you. Trump says he is in this race to win. He's not going anywhere. And this is after a former Romney strategist, by the way, said on our air yesterday he believes that the real estate mogul will be out by Iowa just because he can't stand to risk losing. What's your take?

MATT LEWIS, THE DAILY CALLER: Yes. Well, look, I think this is premise on a couple of things, right? The first is the suspicion that everyone has had that Donald Trump doesn't really want to be president. That he got into this on a lark in order to get publicity as the stunt, that he caught fire surprisingly to himself and now he's riding it out and may someday be looking for an exit strategy to get out.

I think the other part too is frankly the question of whether or not Trump would want to get out before he collapses. There is a sense that people might be flirting with or dating Donald Trump. But when push comes to shove, when they actually have to vote, Trump will begin to sink in the polls and he may want to get out before that happens.

CABRERA: Mercedes, what do you think?

MERCEDES SCHLAPP, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I think Donald Trump is want to be sound like a winner, right? So, he's saying I'm not getting out. The polls show I'm still up and I'm going forward.

Look, he's got the money to make it through Iowa, to make through those early states. He's self-financing this campaign. So, money is not an issue.

Secondly, he's building a structure. He actually has staffers on the ground in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina. He just hired one of Scott's -- Governor Scott's folks from Florida.

So, again, he is really in it to win it. Now, again, for him, it is going to be how he does in these next debates, and if his numbers continue to plummet, as well as will the other candidate, the second and third tier candidates drop out? And how will that shake up the GOP primary?

[09:25:00] CABRERA: One thing we know, we've been witnessing the longer Trump is on top the more his policy positions have been scrutinized. In fact today, in his interview with Chris Cuomo, he reiterated his belief that Russia should be country that that take on ISIS, citing billions of dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan and we may not even know who are even supporting. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP (via telephone): We spent $2 trillion in Iraq and lost thousands of lives and wounded warriors and everything else. We've spent $2 trillion there. We've spent a trillion dollars and now, it's going up rapidly in Afghanistan.

We have -- we just knocked out a hospital. We're the gang that couldn't shoot straight. We don't know what we're doing.

And frankly, watching -- you are not hurting yourself by watching and waiting and not necessarily backing people, Chris, that we have no idea. You don't know who they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Matt, how do you think trump's comments will be received by the party?

LEWIS: I think it's mixed. I think he does speak to a populist sentiment out there. And he's really, you know, taps into what a lot of I would say angry and disaffected Republican primary voters. They're going to like that.

But I have to say. I think there's a warning. Trump makes a valid point when he says that toppling Assad could have repercussions. We don't know if these rebels are actually good or bad. That is one argument.

But I think he's missing the other side of the equation, which is the fact that Vladimir Putin and Russia, our geopolitical foes as Romney pointed out, and by allowing Russia to essentially bomb America's presumptive, ally, the so called moderate rebels it is a real slap in the face of America. I would think Trump and all Americans should be a little concerned about Russia humiliating America in the international community.

CABRERA: I'd love to talk to you as well, Mercedes. But we have to go. We have some breaking news we need to get to.

Matt Lewis, Mercedes Schlapp, our thanks to both of you. We'll have you back on.

And in just a moment, more breaking news.

We're learning now that a dam has broken in South Carolina. And this is at the Acadia Lake. Flooding is reported right now in the immediate area. The community of Forest Acres is being evacuated and a police official describing Acadia Lake as the fairly large lengthy lake.

Kathy Thompson is on the phone. She lives in this area.

Kathy, thank you for joining us. What are you witnessing?

KATHY THOMPSON, LIVES NEAR BREACHED DAM (via telephone): Well, I'm just -- I'm just been told this that the dam has burst but it's not flowing as fast as they anticipated it to. So people have having a little more time to get away. But they have been told to leave because it is going to be bad, and under a warning until 3:15.

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: Are you evacuating?

THOMPSON: No. I don't -- my boss lives down there. I've been down there yesterday helping them, but I don't live down there, no.

CABRERA: Help set the scene for the folks in this area. What is this area like? Highly populated? Homes close to the water? What can you tell us?

THOMPSON: Highly populated. Homes are close to the water but not -- they have like a backyard and then the water. Not a lot of space, but some -- and they are nice homes that are being evacuated. It's a nice residential area.

CABRERA: How concerned are residents about this breech?

THOMPSON: Very. They are very concerned. Because this has been going on all weekend.

(CROSSTALK)

THOMPSON: -- in different areas.

CABRERA: Kathy, have you been affected personally by all this flooding and all the rain that's coming down.

THOMPSON: Just the rain that's been coming down, but not with the flooding. I live -- thank God -- on a hill. It is not a huge hill but enough of a hill to keep me safe.

CABRERA: Well, we're glad to hear that. Do stay safe. Thank you for letting us know firsthand what's happening right there.

Again, the latest information. Another dam breach that we're following. This is near Forest Acres Community in South Carolina and the Arcadia Lake area. We'll continue to follow this developing story in South Carolina.

Right now, still to come, right here on CNN, a top general preparing to testify in front of Congress as an aide group accuses the U.S. military of a war crime. Up next, the demand for answers after that deadly air strike which killed more than 20 people in Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)