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Detained Americans in North Korea Speak out; Two-Month ISIS Siege Ends in Iraqi Town; Obama's Foreign Policy Under Fire; Kenneth Bae's Sister Speaks Out

Aired September 01, 2014 - 08:00   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning everyone. Welcome to NEW DAY. It is Labor Day, Monday, September 1st, 8:00 in the East. I'm John Berman.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Alisyn Camerota. Chris Cuomo and Kate Bolduan are off. We're celebrating Labor Day by working.

BERMAN: That's right. We do begin with a CNN exclusive. It is fascinating, three Americans being held captive in North Korea. They are speaking out. Our Will Ripley was in North Korea and had the rare opportunity to speak with all three of men, including Kenneth Bae, a missionary detained in 2012, accused of planning to bring down the government through religious activities.

Now, here is some of what Bae had to say to CNN's Will Ripley.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Did you know about the charges that you now -- do you believe you're guilty of the charges that you've been convicted out here?

KENNETH BAE, AMERICAN HELD CAPTIVE IN NORTH KOREA: Yes.

RIPLEY: And you're currently serving time. Can you tell me about your conditions?

BAE: Yes, I'm serving a 15-year sentence right now. And I've been -- I've been going back and forth from hospital to the labor camp for the last year and a half. And right now, I'm serving at the labor camp right now.

RIPLEY: Can you tell me about the conditions at the labor camp?

BAE: Condition in labor camp is I'm working eight hours a day, six days a week, and working agricultural work to other hard labor that is required to do every day.

RIPLEY: Are you being treated humanely?

BAE: Yes.

RIPLEY: And your message to your family? BAE: Well, I'm sure they're very worried about my health at this time. Even though, right now -- last month and a half, my heart has been -- or so, not -- it's been failing. So, right now what I can say to my family and friends is continue to pray for me and also ask them to continue an effort in getting me released here.

RIPLEY: Can you tell what you did? Did you know at that time you were breaking the law here in North Korea?

BAE: Well, I did have some assumptions, but I not quite agree what the charges until I got here. So -- and after being trial for, you know, during that period of time, I realized that what I did was offended and has violated their law. But at the time that I wasn't quite sure that it was as quite serious as they're charging me now.

RIPLEY: Can you give me more insight about your daily life. Do you have any contact with any of the other Americans --

BAE: No.

RIPLEY: -- or Korean or other people, Koreans, that are imprisoned?

BAE: No. I'm the only prisoner in the camp. I've been the only prisoner in the camp for the last year and a half. I didn't have anybody else in the camp other than the guard. And there's one doctor stationed in there as well.

RIPLEY: So, how many staff members are overseeing you?

BAE: At least 15 or 20 people on a daily basis. But there are I think 30 or more -- 30 or more people in the camp.

RIPLEY: Do you get to talk to people on a daily basis? Do you have -- what kind of communication do you have?

BAE: Just talking with the -- just with guard and, you know, just small talk, and that's all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Will, what incredible access you were granted. Did the North Korean officials put any restrictions on you or what you could ask?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, we were told that we had five minutes with each American and we were only allowed to discuss very specific topics -- the charges that they're facing here in North Korea, the conditions under which they're being held, and any message they have to pass along to their families and to the American government. And we were told very strongly not to go beyond the five- minute limit or beyond those topics.

We also spoke with Matthew Miller and we spoke with Jeffrey Fowle.

Matthew Miller was detained here in April. And he admitted to essentially coming here to the airport in Pyongyang, tearing up his tourist visa and seeking asylum in North Korea.

Here is what he had to say when I asked him about his detainment here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Can you tell me about the charges that you're facing in North Korea?

MATTHEW MILLER, AMERICAN HELD CAPTIVE IN NORTH KOREA: 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 government of the DPRK, and I have been asking for forgiveness.

RIPLEY: Tell me about your conditions here, how you're being treated?

MILLER: I'm with good health. 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 government. I've been requesting help for a long time and there has been no movement from my government. 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 president 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 government. However, I want to believe that my government or someone is trying their best to help me, and I would be very glad to meet the person that saves me.

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 will directly be sent to prison. I think this is -- this interview is my final chance to push the American government into helping me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: I also asked Miller why he sought asylum in North Korea in the first place. And he told me that's a question he did not want to answer. He, by the way, is awaiting trial in about a month.

Another American -- a detained American awaiting trial very soon. He was arrested on his daughter's birthday. He admitted what he did was left a bible in a seamen's club while he was on a train tour of the DPRK.

He says he now realizes that that was considered a covert act. He signed a confession admitting his guilt and he desperately wants to return to his family. Here's what he told us.

How are you being treated here?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: How are you being treated here?

JEFFREY FOWLE, AMERICAN HELD CAPTIVE IN NORTH KOREA: Reasonably well. I have no complaints. The food has been good. I've got a daily walk with the guides. Even medical care has been furnished a couple of times. And quarter's good, I got a hotel suite type of room.

So, I have no complaint about it. The treatment has been very good so far. I hope and pray that it continues whether I'm here two more days or two more decades, whatever the case is.

RIPLEY: And your message to your family?

FOWLE: The message is, I'll come home as soon as I can.

My family is the biggest thing on my mind right now. I've got a wife and three elementary age school kids that depend on me for support.

RIPLEY: So, the bottom line: your message about your conditions here and your situation?

FOWLE: I'm good for the time being, but I need to let people know that I'm getting desperate -- I'm getting desperate for help. This is -- I understand that there are three Americans in detention now here in DPRK, which I think is the most since the Pueblo incident.

RIPLEY: You have no communication with the others?

FOWLE: No. I didn't know the name of this third guy. I know Kenneth Bae has been here for the longest. Kenneth Bae, I'm sure he's desperate to get back.

And this is an opportunity for maybe Bill Clinton to come back. He had secured the release of a couple of journalists a few years back. Maybe George Bush, it's his turn as an elder statesman to try his hand at that. I appreciate any help that they could lend, helping resolve our cases and bring us home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Jeffrey Fowle from Dayton, Ohio, we just heard from there. No contact with the other detained Americans, Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae.

All men appeared to be in good health, although Kenneth Bae has been in and out of the hospital with a number of different health conditions. He says the work at the labor camp has only made his health deteriorate. All of these men are desperate for some sort of intervention from United States government so that they can leave North Korea and come home. CAMEROTA: Will, Jeffrey Fowle and Matthew Miller has been there for

several months. You heard him say that it was the 7th of May for Fowle. Kenneth Bae has been for a couple of years.

Why do you think the North Korean authorities pulled you aside today to grant these interviews?

RIPLEY: Yes, we were in the middle of a government-approved tour and we were whisked to an area where we were told -- we weren't told what -- where we're going, who we were talking to, we were told it might be a government official. And then just before we entered the building where the Americans were being held, we were told that, in fact, we would be speaking with the detained Americans. We put in a request when we arrived here in Pyongyang five days ago.

This is an indication, the fact that the North Korean government has granted these interviews to CNN and is making these men available to pass along a message, not only to their families but to the U.S. government, it may be a sign that North Korea is hoping -- in fact, it's not a sign. We know from talking to officials, that North Korea is hoping to open up a line of communication with the United States.

They have a very important relationship with China, that has seen some tension as of late. Obviously, United States' sanctions hurt the economy here very much.

So, this country is very keen to have a dialogue with the United States. These three men may be an opportunity to bring a diplomat over here for the North Korean government and open up a channel of discussion.

We'll have to see what unfolds from here.

CAMEROTA: And, Will, all three of them, we heard they are making a personal appeal to the U.S. government for more help, because they say there's been no movement -- this is a quote from Matthew Miller -- no movement from the U.S. and you heard Jeffrey Fowle say this might be an opportunity for Bill Clinton or someone of that sort of high echelon to come to North Korea to help out.

Do you think that there's any movement on the U.S. side in terms of getting these guys out?

RIPLEY: That's going to be a question that we will have to pose to the U.S. government officials after they watch this interview. And you saw most of the raw interview just now right here. We played it for you relatively unedited so that you could hear how the conversation went down.

Again, we were -- we were under very strict guidelines. None of these men had communication with each other. They were all kept in separate rooms, in a darkly lit hotel in central Pyongyang. And then, as soon as the interview was over, we were put in a van and taken back to our hotel here, which is where I'm standing.

But what will happen now presumably is that the United States government will hear this message, the message that these men so desperately wanted to convey and then we'll have to see what their response is.

CAMEROTA: All right, Will Ripley, thanks so much for that exclusive.

And stay with us throughout this hour because Kenneth Bae's sister will share her reaction to seeing her brother and her thoughts on what he had to say. So, that's coming up in 20 minutes.

BERMAN: Got to be mixed feelings there, relief on the one happened to see her brother, but to hear that he says his health is failing. That's got to be heart wrenching also.

CAMEROTA: Yes, absolutely. We'll ask her about all that.

BERMAN: All right. So much other news, to Iraq now, where Iraqi troops ended a two-month ISIS siege with help from U.S. airstrikes. The terror group had been threatening to massacre thousands of Turkmen Shiites.

So, what is the next step now in the fight to slow ISIS?

I want to get straight to CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.

Well, breaking the siege on this town appears to be the next step for now -- U.S. and Iranian forces on the same side, but not necessarily working together.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): This morning, 120 total U.S. airstrikes across Iraq now proving effective, following the strikes around the town of Amerli over the weekend, joint Iraqi forces, some backed by Iran, broke ISIS' more than two-month siege.

Amerli is home to thousands of Shiite Turkmen, an ethnic minority who were facing an imminent massacre by ISIS according to a U.N. official.

It was the Iraqi military with the help of some Shiite militia, some who once fought American soldiers that led to the ground offensive.

This would be the first time U.S. forces and Iran-backed militias have worked together against the brutal extremists.

The Obama administration says there's no direct coordination with the militias.

REP. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER (D), MARYLAND: We got into Iraq because we had humanitarian issues that we had to deal with and because we have to -- in our ways, we have to stop ISIS. It's a very dangerous group of people. STARR: The U.S. also made a humanitarian air drop in Amerli.

According to the U.N., residents have been without power and face severe food and water shortages -- this as U.S. military forces continue conducting strikes throughout northern Iraq, mostly supporting efforts around Iraq's largest dam, critical infrastructure once under ISIS control.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: And several hundred marines will now remain on station in the Persian Gulf for another three weeks beyond their scheduled departure date, waiting for their replacements to arrive. Right now, it's just another signal that all of this is going to go on for some time -- John.

BERMAN: Extending their deployment there. Very, very interesting.

Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

Let's look at some of the other headlines, Michaela Pereira.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, here I am. Imagine that.

All right. Let's take a look at those headlines. Thirteen minutes past the hour.

And we start with a diverted flight of Michigan to Orlando flight forced to make an emergency landing in South Carolina Sunday night. It was Allegiant Air Flight 683. It had experienced an issue with cabin pressure about two hours after takeoff. The flight has been rescheduled to continue on to Orlando later this morning.

Thankfully, no injuries reported among the 152 passengers and six crew members on board.

Investigators say they believe a suspected serial bank robber has emerged again after a two-year hiatus. They say the man known as the AK-47 bandit held up the First Nebraska Bank in Nebraska City on August 22nd. This man is also wanted in connection with a string of other robberies in Idaho, Washington, and California in 2012, including one where he shot a police officer.

San Francisco 49ers defenseman Ray McDonald is out on bail after being arrested early Sunday morning on a felony domestic violence charges. This incident takes on heightened significance because if the charges are substantiated, it would be first test for the league's new penalties for domestic violence. Those guidelines announced last week call for a six-game suspension for a first offense. So, a lot of people watching this.

BERMAN: NFL stepping up.

Fourteen minutes after the hour.

Next, critics are blasting the president for another comment -- he told a crowd this weekend that the world has always been a messy place. So, is everything going on in the world now just a little bit more of a messy place or is this worse? We'll get analysis from a national security expert just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everyone.

President Obama raising some eyebrows this weekend at a fund-raiser. He told the crowd that the world has always been messy, but we're just noticing now because of social media. This comes as the president decides not to increase the terror threat level despite the fact that that's what Great Britain is doing, that despite the fact there are new emerging concerns about ISIS.

So, is the president downplaying or minimizing what is really a very dangerous situation?

Let's bring in Clark Kent Ervin. He's former inspector general of the Office of Homeland Security. He's now the director of the Aspen Institute's Homeland Security Program.

Thanks so much for being with us. I really appreciate it.

Let me just read you the quote that raised eyebrows again. It said, "The truth of the matter is that the world has always been messy, we're just noticing now because of social media."

Always been messy -- look, we have a war in Iraq. We have this crisis in Syria, decisions about whether to bomb in Syria. We have a pool party among militants at the embassy in Libya. We have what is going on in Ukraine right now. You got North Korea potentially bargaining for hostages right there -- or prisoners, I should say -- and you have democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Is this just normal messy or is this worse than usual messy?

CLARK KENT ERVIN, FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL, OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Well, I say it is worse than usual, John.

Furthermore, it really depends what the president meant by that comment. If all he meant is that there had been other periods in our history when we've also had security challenges, some graver even than the security challenge we face from ISIS, then that's not just true. It's a truism.

Think back to the Cuban missile crisis, when we faced the prospect of instantaneous nuclear annihilation.

But if a few weeks pass or a couple of months or six months or a year and we don't see any action in Syria to complement the limited action we're beginning to see in Iraq, which accidentally seems more motivated by humanitarian concerns than security ones, then in retrospect, that comment will be seen as mere hand wringing and shoulder stroking.

What we really need is a rallying cry. The president, I think, needs to rally Democrats and Republicans here on Capitol Hill and Washington. And then, ultimately the international community to confront and defeat this very serious and unprecedented terrorist group is.

BERMAN: Now, there are critics of the president who say he's too cautious, including Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein just said it over the weekend. But his supporters say no, the president is cool. He is calculated. He is calm. He is unflappable, they say, in the face of all of these crises.

So, how do you differentiate between cool and overly cautious?

ERVIN: Well, on this one, John, I must say I come down on the side of Senator Feinstein. She's a very tempered legislator and she's not one of his reflexive critics on Capitol Hill. I agree with her. In this instance, I think the president is too cautious.

You know, one of the great things about the United States, is when we make a mistake, we correct for it. You know, I think it's fair to say that the Bush administration tended to act first and then think through the consequences later. We have the opposite situation here with the Obama administration it seems to me.

We know what needs to be done to confront ISIS in Syria. We need airstrikes. We need special operations forces. We need an expanded intelligence presence both human intelligence and signals intelligence. We need to arm and train what's left of the rebels in a much more robust way than before.

And, yes, we need international partners, because the last thing we need to be seen doing is intervening in the sectarian war on one side -- in this instance on the side of the Shia against the Sunnis.

But America has to lead and if America leads, others will follow. Absent American leadership, there won't be international support for what we need to do in order to protect ourselves and the rest of the world.

BERMAN: Peter Beinart, foreign policy analyst we have here on CNN, wrote an article in the Atlantic, which he suggested the president does have a strategy. He suggests the president is a fierce minimalist.

And what the president is essentially saying is that the United States will protect U.S. interests with military means when the United States is at direct risk, when there is a clear threat against the United States. But short of that, the U.S. will not engage militarily.

What's happening in Syria may be awful, but it's not a threat to the United States. What do you make of that?

ERVIN: Well, I'd say two things about that. First of all, if that in fact is the criterion, then the president hasn't always followed that criterion. You can argue there is not a direct threat to the United States when we engaged the military action to topple Gadhafi, point one. Two, I think in this instance, there is a clear and direct and immediate threat posed to the United States. The secretary of defense said as much about a week ago or so.

The fact is that we have got about 2,500 westerners of whom there are 100 Americans who are training and fighting for ISIS right now, who are just a plane ticket ride away from the United States. ISIS has the capability and the desire to attack us here in the United States. There is competition now among jihadi groups to be the biggest and the baddest on the scene and the biggest, baddest thing to do is to best al Qaeda by carrying out another attack here on homeland.

I fear that's what we're going to see in the not too distant future if we don't take immediate action to confront it.

BERMAN: Well, let's hope not. Let's hope we don't see that.

Clark Kent Ervin, always appreciate you being with us. Great pleasure, sir.

ERVIN: Thank you.

BERMAN: All right. Three Americans being held in North Korea, they speak exclusively to CNN. You need to hear this. Among them, Kenneth Bae, spent almost two years being held by Pyongyang, we'll speak with his sister about his new interview and if this new interview gives her any hope.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAE: Since the last time I transferred back from the hospital to the camp, I lost already 15 pounds or more. And then it has been very difficult to stay in camp right now. So, I do ask the U.S. government and people out there to really put effort to send somebody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Well, that was Kenneth Bae speaking exclusively with CNN this morning. Bae is a missionary who has been held by Pyongyang since November of 2012. North Korea says Bae was trying to bring down their government through religious activities.

His family has been anxiously awaiting any signs of life from him and we're joined now by his sister, Terri Chung, to react to what Bae had to say.

Terri, good morning.

TERRI CHUNG, SISTER OF KENNETH BAE (via telephone): Good morning.

CAMEROTA: Tell me your reaction to watching your brother's tapes this morning.

CHUNG: It is really difficult to watch because Kenneth is, you know, kind of full of life and very cheerful kind of a person. And it is clear from the video that he is under a lot of stress. And he talks about his health failing and being in complete isolation for almost two years. And it is devastating for our family to see that on TV.

CAMEROTA: I can imagine. He says that he's working in a labor camp. He says he works eight hours a day, six days a week. He says he does hard labor.

You heard him there. He said he lost 15 pounds.

What do you want us all to know about his physical condition?

CHUNG: You know, he has been since back and forth between the labor camp and the hospital for -- this is the third time in the labor camp now. And we remain incredibly concerned about his health. And we're just afraid his body is not going to be able to withstand the strains of the physical labor.

We're just pleading with leaders of both nations to give this case a priority and please let him come home.

CAMEROTA: Tell us about his emotional condition. You say he's an optimist by nature. What -- how do you think he's enduring all of this?

CHUNG: You know, I think he's doing the best he can. But, you know, we know that two years of being isolated and working in a labor camp, I know it's not easy. So I think you can see it is taking a toll both physically and mentally. And, you know, we are concerned about him for sure.

CAMEROTA: In this tape that CNN has the interview exclusively this morning, he's begging the United States government for help. Do you know if what at all the U.S. government has been able to do on his behalf?

CHUNG: We know they have been working behind the scenes to try to procure his release.