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Report: U.N. Pulls Peacekeepers from Syrian Side of Golan Heights; U.S. Says Arab Nations to Help Fight ISIS; Clinton Claims to be Thinking About Running for President
Aired September 15, 2014 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Six-thirty-two in the East. Welcome back.
Let's take a look at your headlines this morning.
There are reports the United Nations is pulling peacekeepers from the Syria side of Golan Heights. CNN -- a report seeing at least 50 U.N. vehicles leaving the Syrian side of a demarcation line and heading towards headquarters on the Israeli-controlled side.
North Korea's Supreme Court denied Matthew Miller any appeals after sentencing him to six years of hard labor for committing acts hostile to the country. The 24-year-old was found guilty of entering North Korea illegally and trying to commit espionage, according to state media.
In an interview with CNN, Miller said he deliberately committed a crime, but did not say what his crime was. It's unclear if those statements were made under coercion. Two other citizens are currently being held in North Korea.
A $50,000 reward is being offered for information concerning an ambush that killed a Pennsylvania state trooper, wounded another outside police barracks. Authorities say the injured trooper Alex Douglass is conscious now and talking for the first time since that attack last Friday. Bryon Dickson, a seven-year veteran of the force, was killed. Police say the gunman at large is armed and very dangerous.
Attorney Kenneth Feinberg will announce how many deaths have been linked to General Motors faulty ignition switches. The company has linked 54 accidents and 13 fatalities to the defects. But government regulators say they believe the figures are higher. GM estimates it will pay between $400 million and $600 million to compensate the families of those killed as a result of those defective switches. Feinberg was hired by GM to oversee that compensation fund.
It is a three-peat for New York for the Miss America pageant. Kira Kazantsev became the third straight contestant from New York to when the crown. Controversy, though, people taking to social media to criticize her talent performance. She tapped a red plastic cup while singing I think an incredible of Pharrell's "Happy." She says it was inspired by the movie "Pitch Perfect." She's got a great voice. I think the cup tapping is what bugged some people.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, social media is so -- it's just so stupid. What do they want the flaming baton? How did they feel they were under served?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: A three-ring circus by one person.
PEREIRA: I like the simplicity of it, her voice.
BOLDUAN: A greater evening wear.
CUOMO: What's the movie, "Pitch Perfect"? My daughter the 11-year- old is into it. It is so hard. I tried to do it. It's so hard.
BOLDUAN: No, these are glass cups (ph).
CUOMO: Especially when they're filled with high octane.
But I thought it was really impressive. But, boy, that's social media.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: Congratulations otherwise.
CUOMO: Congratulations to her. Yes, New York.
PEREIRA: Well, she lived for a time in Walnut, California.
BOLDUAN: And in Indiana?
CUOMO: New York.
BOLDUAN: Anyone?
CUOMO: New York.
BOLDUAN: I'm hearing crickets.
CUOMO: No surprise to me.
BOLDUAN: OK, OK, OK.
Congratulations, New York.
CUOMO: So, we have been talking, remember last week like Mick was fascinated by the map with the falling numbers and all that, we were talking about autumn?
BOLDUAN: Correct.
CUOMO: No little things to worry about in the weather now, let's get to meteorologist Indra Peterson.
What is the deal with Odile?
INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Smooth.
Yes, we were talking about a very strong hurricane, making landfall yesterday. It's very close to a category four. So, early this morning, just a few hours ago, still right now, a category 3 hurricane. Now, look at the definition of this system, still packing winds at 115 miles per hour even as we go to the afternoon today, still expected to stay a category two as it continues to climb off the Baja Peninsula. This means the concern there is for rainfall as high as 18 inches. We've already seen rainfall as high as 11 inches per hour.
Very easy to see on the map. That is the biggest system out there. However, in the Atlantic, we do have Edouard.
Keep in mind, this is expected to continue to make its way offshore, even away from Bermuda. That is the good thing, meanwhile, kind of calm across the country. Yu can actually see a couple of scattered showers here, expected along the Gulf, also a couple source in the Midwest, this will start to bring showers into the northeast by tomorrow.
What you really want to know is there are two systems out there. Both of them pretty mild, but what it means is this cool air that you've been feeling in the East Coast is going to be staying here from the West Coast. That heat is also going to be the same. That temperature change, about 20 degrees above normal out to Oregon. Meanwhile, almost 20 degrees below normal into the Midwest.
You are seeing this huge dichotomy kind of across the country. But scary even still at this hour in through Cabo where Odile making its way through the area.
BOLDUAN: We're watching that.
All right. Indra, thank you so much. Look at those temperatures changes all over the place. All righty.
CUOMO: And a huge storm.
BOLDUAN: Yes, to watch as well.
Secretary of State Kerry holding an international strategy session in Paris right now. The goal: to build a coalition that will destroy ISIS. But which countries will be giving end? Which countries are going to do more than that? And which are going to flex their muscle with some military might?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CUOMO: Secretary of State John Kerry is in Paris this morning, meeting with both Western and Arab leaders about joining up to fight ISIS. Whatever that means, Kerry says he's already received pledges of support from more than 40 nations. What kind of support? The coalition is also going to have to figure out how to support the Syrian rebels.
Here's what Kerry had to say on Sunday. Take a close listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: The Syrian opposition is on the ground. And one of the regrettable things is it has been fighting ISIL by itself over the course of the last couple of years, and it's one of the reasons that they've had a difficult battle and now with the air support and other effort from other countries, they will be augmented in their capacity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: All right. Let's bring in retired U.S. naval admiral, James Stavridis. He's also the formal allied commander of NATO.
First of all, did I say your name right, Admiral?
ADMIRAL JAMES STAVRIDIS (RET), U.S. NAVY: You did, Stavridis. Thanks, Chris.
CUOMO: Thank you. Well, you got to take care of the Greeks.
Let me ask you this -- you understand what it's like to be on the ground. You understand the theory of it. The media can often seem jaundiced and cynical.
Do we have to question this plan more than is being done right now?
STAVRIDIS: I think we have to look at all the parts of the plan, Chris. So, clearly, airstrikes are going to happen. The question is where does the ground force come from?
CUOMO: That's easy to bomb, right?
STAVRIDIS: It is easy to bomb. It's hard to put troops on the ground. We saw this in a variety of situations, including Libya. I think the hope is we will use the Iraqi force, stiffen with U.S. advisors, we will use the Peshmerga from the north. I think what Secretary Kerry is trying to get ground force mustered from some of the Arab countries. But it's going to take some U.S. troops at some point.
CUOMO: You teach at Tufts University?
STAVRIDIS: I'm the dean of the Fletcher School of Tufts, yes.
CUOMO: Brilliant school.
STAVRIDIS: Thank you.
CUOMO: You know, your history. Can you tell me the last time that the U.S. led an attack on a bad guy, but didn't fight on the ground, itself, and was successful?
STAVRIDIS: I cannot. I think it will require some number of U.S. troops as we go forward, Chris. CUOMO: The U.S. has to fight because they are the best fighters in the world, and it's not us saying that, it's the Arabs who are saying that, isn't it?
STAVRIDIS: It is. And again, look at the history. Look at the First Persian Gulf War, look at the Afghan war, look at the Iraq war. I'm not saying we feed 100,000, 150,000. I think we're going to need thousands of troops. Today, we already have 1,500 special forces, we need more.
CUOMO: The urgency is people want to protect people like you and the fighting men and women. We do not want to see blood spilled unnecessarily.
STAVRIDIS: Sure.
CUOMO: However, aren't we setting you up for that? When you hear Lindsey Graham, not a single amount, but he was loud and proud this weekend -- no U.S. boots, that's never going to happen, that's a fantasy.
Congress has a responsibility under the Constitution to have robust debate and have a vote as to whether or not to declare war. Anybody who says we are not declaring war doesn't understand the words. Do we owe our military that debate and a vote?
STAVRIDIS: I think that we have got to regard this as a war. It clearly is. I think we got to bring significant numbers of special forces to begin with, Chris. And then we're going to need some number, if you will, of regular troops, probably in the thousands in order to stiffen the ground force.
CUOMO: Is it irresponsible and dangerous for Congress to side step the responsibility because the midterms, won't they be exposing men and women like you to danger on the ground?
STAVRIDIS: I'll let others make those political judgments, Chris, but I think everyone needs to recognize we are stepping into another war.
CUOMO: There is a reason for the cliche, old men talking, young men dying. That's what war is. That's what I'm afraid we're seeing now.
If we don't figure out the strategy for what happens after the bombs, about what happens in the region and maintaining stability and getting political stability on the ground -- do we have a chance of just repeating of what happened in 2003?
STAVRIDIS: Of course we do. Let's hope that what we see is what's happened in Afghanistan. Which sounds odd, but if you look at it, we've done the bombing, we put a lot of troops on the ground. We created Afghan security forces, we hand off the challenge to them. I think we can do that again in this scenario, but it will take serious U.S. engagement and leadership to build this 40 nation coalition.
CUOMO: And as a nod to how hard it is, let's look at Afghanistan.
STAVRIDIS: Indeed.
CUOMO: I mean, probably the next big problem no one is talking about, right? It could be overt civil war there very soon because they can't figure out how to share power between the tribes.
STAVRIDIS: Let's wait and see what happens between the two presidential candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani. I think they will create a power sharing agreement. I think we will have a residual force of about 15,000. 10,000 U.S. 5,000 allied. If we do that, we can succeed there. It's a reasonable model for what could happen in Iraq.
CUOMO: One yes, no answer to a question, people have to be thinking about this. You know, they're getting their day started but this is the focus. This is going forward, this strategy.
STAVRIDIS: Indeed.
CUOMO: If we don't figure out how to make this plan salable to the Arabs, do you believe that any Arabs put meaningful boots on the ground without U.S. men and women fighting along side them?
STAVRIDIS: It will require U.S. boots alongside them.
CUOMO: So anybody who says differently is just playing politics.
STAVRIDIS: I think I'll let others judge motives, but its going to take U.S. boots to get Arab boots on the ground.
CUOMO: You have too much integrity to play the politics.
(LAUGHTER)
CUOMO: But you know the realities. Admiral, thank you so much.
STAVRIDIS: Chris, thanks a lot.
CUOMO: I appreciate it, we need straight talk on this.
STAVRIDIS: I appreciate it. Thank you.
CUOMO: So now, for the first time since 2008, speaking of politics.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
CUOMO (voice-over): Hillary Clinton is on the stump again in Iowa.
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Hello, Iowa. I'm back!
CUOMO: She wound up saying she's not there to announce. She's there for the steak. I think a lot of people in the crowd heard her say state, and that means she's going to try and run in the primary again. What does this mean for her plans in 2016? We'll tell you straight ahead. Oh, and by the way, Bill was there.
(END VIDEOCLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
CLINTON: I'm back!
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BOLDUAN: That was Hillary Clinton on Sunday. Back in Iowa for the first time since the state derailed her 2008 presidential campaign. Clinton was there with former president Bill Clinton, attending Senator Tom Harkin's annual steak fry, yum-yum, fundraiser. While Clinton didn't directly address a potential presidential campaign, she said she is thinking about it. Joining us to discuss is CNN political analyst John Avlon and CNN political commentator Margaret Hoover. I think my cold medicine is kicking in.
(LAUGHTER)
BOLDUAN: Woops.
JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: That was awesome.
BOLDUAN: Sorry about that. Should stick to the coffee. (inaudible)
AVLON: No, no, no, no, no..
BOLDUAN: I'm a little embarrassed right now. Anyway, so let's talk about Hillary Clinton in Iowa. This is the first since '08. Was it important for her to kind of rip off the band aid? Like, oh, after that finish I should probably just get this over with before I announce?
MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely. I think definitely. She hasn't been back. I mean, everybody knows it's like the biggest open secret. She's not a happy loser. I mean, coming in third place was very, very tough. And it hurt. It hurt bad.
BOLDUAN: It left it a mark.
HOOVER: She hasn't been back to Iowa since.
BOLDUAN: And it's a beautiful state.
HOOVER: Iowa is a great state. I mean, I go to Iowa all the time. So it is and she knows it, too. She is going to come back and its not going to happen this time. I think that's what she thinks. She's laying the ground work.
BOLDUAN: So her performance the first time?
AVLON: You know, a break in the ice with a "Poltergeist" reference. A questionable decision.
BOLDUAN: Except for all the references, though. "Independence Day."
HOOVER: "Independence Day" as well.
BOLDUAN: "Terminator."
AVLON: I'm just saying. You know, look, I mean, there is, what's difficult with Hillary Clinton, especially when she is sharing the stage with her husband, is its the natural versus the professional. I mean, here's Bill Clinton, closes it out, so charming, off the cuff, and she is reading scripted remarks. Right? And that's just inherently more stiff. You saw her laying out real themes, her rifts about the middle class. Urgent, important, well scripted. But there is that connection question where she is still getting back in the groove.
BOLDUAN: This is going to be a problem throughout. This is Bill Clinton. This is what Bill Clinton can do.
AVLON: This is what bubba does.
BOLDUAN: This is what bubba does so well. Is that going to be a problem, or should we flip it and say, that's a real asset for her.
HOOVER: Well, remember the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. He came out as the explainer and chief. Right? Now, the Obama campaign at the time was quite worried that he would steal the show at the Democratic National Convention. But, they were able strike exactly the right balance. President Obama even came out at the end and sort of pulled him off the stage. That is the kind of alchemy they're going to have to strike.
BOLDUAN: He did go a little long.
AVLON: In a funny way it's a flipside of the 1992 argument, you know, two for the price of one. A lot of people used to hate on Hillary at the time. Well, now you sort of, you get the charisma of Bill Clinton, you get the political smarts. But you get that sort of policy savvy, the commitment and the depth of resume.
The question is whether she's going to be able to turn what seems to be a coronation into a movement, which is the way her Ready for Hillary is trying to frame this. Its a movement. Now, there is a real sense that being the first female president potentially, polling three times ahead of a sitting incumbent vice president. Unprecedented.
BOLDUAN: Let's look at these polls, because these are polls we're just releasing. Let's look first at the Iowa polls. This is registered Democrats, their choice in the 2016 caucus. As you see, Clinton there 53 percent over Biden, and then the field below that. That is a huge number, but also allows for a huge drop.
AVLON: Yes, yes, yes, yes. I think this reality check, that first of all that, is unprecedented. Right?
(CROSSTALK)
AVLON: And, that is unsustainable, and therefore, there will be the inevitable horse race narrative about the gap closing. Well, that's just reality folks, but that gap itself is extraordinary.
BOLDUAN: This is an important gap when you're talking about the policies, some of the things that she was touching on. Let's skip ahead to between men and women. This is Clinton and Biden in this poll. She has a 63 percent support from women, which I think that is hugely important. Obviously and she knows it, too. Look at the theme she was hitting on in her speech. A lot of women focus.
HOOVER: There's a lot of women focus and frankly, Republicans aren't doing so well with women. Even still, we have a lot of Republican Senate candidates this term. Hillary Clinton has a very strong chance of winning Republican voters, Republican female voters that simply won't go to the Republican ticket. She knows that that's her biggest asset. Her biggest downside is in an age where elder,white incumbents are getting kicked out, she's been an insider for 25 years. And that is still her biggest vulnerability.
BOLDUAN: Let's talk Republicans, though. Just get it out there even though, obviously, Clinton made the news.
Here is Republican's choice for 2016 caucuses. This is where things stand right now. Mike Huckabee, 21 percent, followed by Paul Ryan. I mean, you have, you basically have the entire field up here and they're all split by a couple percentage points when you really look at it.
That shows me that Republican voters are still saying jury is out, folks.
AVLON: Yes, I mean, that's a shotgun. That's pure, pure name ID The fact that Mike Huckabee, though, is polling almost twice, Paul Ryan is not insignificant in terms of what kind of Republican can resonate (inaudible).
BOLDUAN: What do you think, Margaret?
HOOVER: Well, its Iowa as well. I mean, the just had this very Christian coalition, the leader of the coalition just a month ago so I think the conservative Christian activists in the Iowa caucus-goers have been drummed out. And so they're the ones who are registering in this poll.
BOLDUAN: But one thing we can see here definitively, even though polls will change, is that Hillary Clinton will not take Iowa for granted this time around.
AVLON: Definitely not and it is a total roll reversal for the two parties. Traditionally Republicans rally around the conventional wisdom front runner. Democrats are all, you know, who has the hot hand? Totally reversed right now. Fascinating.
BOLDUAN: Fascinating. So are you. John Avlon, Margaret Hoover, it's so great to see you guys. Thanks so much.
I mean, I should take cold medicine all the time. We are following a lot of news this morning, so let's get to it, folks. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The violent rise of ISIS is terrifying governments across the Middle East.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have countries in this region, all of whom are prepared to engage in military assistance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Adrian Peterson off the roster on Sunday after he was indicted on a child abuse charge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chase them off the dang on field, because you know what? As a man, that's the only thing we really respect.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An unusual strain of enterovirus has been hitting children hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At first I thought I was going to pass out or die or something.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Utah mother Susan Hunt insisting race played a role in the death of her 22-year-old son, Darrien.
SUSAN HUNT, MOTHER OF DARRIEN HUNT: I said, "What does he look like?" You know what they said to me? he's brown.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CUOMO: Good morning, welcome back to NEW DAY. We begin with a major international news story. Right now, there is a strategy session going on to figure out how to fight ISIS. That's going on in Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
CUOMO (voice-over): Global leaders, including Secretary of State John Kerry, agreeing to support Iraq in its battle against the terror group, including military aid. What will that mean? Well, they are hashing out what roles will be played in the wake of this horrible image in front of you, the beheading of a third Westerner at the hands of ISIS. This time a British aid worker named David Haines.
So far, Secretary Kerry says some 40 nations want to help. Help is in quotes. Several Arab nations are among them. Senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta joins us with the latest.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
CUOMO (on camera): It's time to question what people are really going to do, Jim. Especially if U.S. boots aren't in the offing.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It's an important question, Chris. And as you mentioned, Secretary of State John Kerry is in Paris for this key international meeting on the ISIS threat as the Obama administration is making a pretty bold claim this morning that it has lined up Arab countries that are willing to participate in air strikes on the terror group. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice-over): The violent rise of ISIS is terrifying governments across the Middle East to the point that Secretary of State John Kerry says countries in the region are willing to step up with air strikes.
JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have countries in this region, countries outside of this region, in addition to the United States. All of whom are prepared to engage in military assistance in actual strikes if that is what it requires.
ACOSTA: The Obama administration is so far unwilling to name those Arab partners. But as one senior state department official put it, I don't want to leave you with the impression that these Arab members haven't offered to do air strikes, because several of them have. That show of support comes as ISIS is threatening to kill more hostages after a third Westerner, British aid worker David Hhaines was beheaded over the weekend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hoped, we prayed in our own way. Unfortunately, it was not in our hands, it was not in the hands of the government, it was in the hands of terrorists.
ACOSTA: British officials saying Prime Minister David Cameron now knows the identity of the beheader.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is part of a group sometimes referred to as "the Beatles." That was the name that the captives gave them, and he's one of , you know, 500 Brits who have gone to Syria to fight.
ACOSTA: : Cameron says it's now up to a global coalition to destroy ISIS.
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Islam is a religion of peace. They are not Muslims, that are monsters.
ACOSTA: A growing number of critics in Congress are questioning whether President Obama can defeat ISIS without putting U.S. combat troops on the ground. The White House says that job will go to Iraqi security forces and soon to be trained Syrian rebels.
DENIS MCDONOUGH, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: What is most important here is that the Syrian opposition on the ground fighting ISIL can count on American and coalition air power to supercharge their effort.
ACOSTA: That's not enough for South Carolina GOP Senator Lindsey Graham.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: There is a turning point in the war on terror. Our strategy will fail yet again. This president needs to rise to the occasion before we all get killed back here at home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (on camera): And this will be a critical week for the president on ISIS.
