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Wolf

Media Attention Belongs on West Africa Ebola; Tensions Rise Between U.S., Israel; Press Briefing with Chuck Hagel at Pentagon; Coast Guard Encountering Increase in Cuban Migrants; Close Elections in Midterms.

Aired October 30, 2014 - 13:30   ET

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

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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're standing by for a news conference over at the Department of Defense, at the Pentagon. You're looking at live pictures over there. The secretary of defense, Chuck Hagel; chairman of the U.S. Joint chiefs of staff, General Martin Dempsey, they will be sitting in the seats over there and answer reporters' questions. This comes amid reports out there, including a report from Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, that Hagel wrote a tough memo to the White House over the past few weeks criticizing the lack of clarity as far as the U.S. policy towards Syria is concerned. No doubt there will be questions on that, questions on what's going on in the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and presumably about the deployment of thousands of U.S. troops to West Africa. As many as 4,000 will be deployed to deal with the Ebola crisis there. That all U.S. troops, once they leave West Africa, they will be forced into a 21-day quarantine, no matter what their responsibilities, what their jobs were there. We'll have live coverage coming up momentarily. Standby for that.

While leaders in the United States debate the best way to prevent a major outbreak of Ebola on U.S. soil, in West Africa, officials are struggling to contain outbreaks that have turned into major epidemics. More than 13,000 are believed to be infected, and many people say that's where the media's attention belongs.

Our own international anchor, Isha Sesay, is joining us now, joining us from Abuja in Nigeria.

Isha, you were recently a panelist at a media forum in Tanzania and passionate about where the world's focus need to be right now. Tell our viewers in the United States and around the world what's on your mind?

ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Wolf. Well, many of your viewers may not know that I'm actually Sierra Leonean. I grew up in Sierra Leone and went to school in Sierra Leone. My mother is there, brother, grandmother and countless others, living through the Ebola nightmare at present. For me, this is not just a big news story. The lives of my loved ones are at risk. I'm troubled. Quite frankly, I'm troubled by the coverage that is coming out of the United States. Let's be clear, as you rightly pointed out, there have been almost

5,000 deaths from Ebola in the three worst affected countries, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Families have been torn apart, communities are in tatters. You have more than 2,000 orphans in Liberia alone. You are just as likely to die from complications of child birth and a broken leg in these countries now because the primary health care systems have collapsed. There are orphans, hunger, so much suffering and devastation. And yet, when I look at the coverage coming out of the United States, it is disproportionately focused on the handful of Ebola cases that have sprung up in the United States, cases that we need to cover, Wolf, don't get me wrong, they need to be covered, but let's face it, and let's focus on where the crisis is playing out right now. In my view, these people, the people of Sierra Leone and Guinea need the world to stand with them to show them support and that has been in short supply -- Wolf?

BLITZER: We know that the U.S. is sending as many as 4,000 military personnel to deal with this crisis. It's a huge crisis. These numbers are official numbers. You and I know and a lot of our viewers know the numbers probably are a lot higher, the unofficial death, unofficial people who have contracted Ebola. The U.S. is sending 4,000 troops. I don't see, but, you know, you're closer to the situation than I am. Are other nations in Europe, in Asia, in South America, is the rest of the world getting involved in this huge crisis there?

SESAY: And that's the question. My question, quite simply, is where is the international community? There are a couple of countries that are doing incredible work, the United States among them, the U.K., led by David Cameron, is also stepping up to the plate. But we've heard from President Obama himself say, the international community needs to do more. Ban Ki-moon, the head of the United Nations, says the international response needs to be scaled up 20-fold. Wolf, people are making pledges. They are saying they will help. And that help is not materializing. The result is that more people are dying, which increases the risk to other countries beyond Africa.

So my focus and what I say to the international community is, you need to step up. What I say to our international and American viewers is we need to be putting pressure on international leaders and asking them to step up because if they don't step up and respond to this crisis at the source, in West Africa, then it will become a bigger problem for people living in the United States and around the world and also Wolf, on a simple case of humanity, sheer humanity, love for your fellow man, the international community needs to be doing more -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Well said, indeed.

Isha, thanks so much. Send our best wishes to your family in Sierra Leone, your loved ones there, everyone there. We're obviously praying for all of them. And, Isha, thanks for all of the important reporting that you're doing for our viewers here in the United States and around the world. Thanks very much.

Isha Sesay, joining us from Nigeria right now. Here's a question. Is the United States relationship with one of its

closest allies, namely Israel, in trouble right now? There's some tension developing between the U.S. and Israel over the past couple days. Today, a senior Israeli delegation is heading over to the White House. We'll have a report.

Also this --

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BLITZER: Not quite what you would expect from a Coast Guard rescue at sea. Just ahead, exclusive footage to show you of the immigration battle on the shores of the United States.

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BLITZER: -- crisis right now. Concerns have escalated following an article in "The Atlantic" quoting an unnamed Obama administration using the salting term to describe the Israeli prime minister.

Let's bring in our senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, monitoring what's going on.

What are you hearing today about the administration's response to this "Atlantic" article, the overall relationship between the U.S. and Israel?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, they are definitely still trying to clean up. They're in damage-control mode after this very explosive comment that appeared in "The Atlantic" magazine a couple days ago. The reporter, Jeffrey Goldberg, tweeting and reporting that a senior administration official here at the White House had described Bibi Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, as, quote, "chicken expletive" -- can't use the word on television. And all day yesterday at the White House briefing, as you know, press secretary, Josh Earnest, tried to explain that is not the view of the president, not the view of the administration. But then Secretary of State John Kerry, earlier this morning, he was appearing at the Washington Ideas Forum which has been going on over the last couple days, and he actually used some very tough language to say that this does not represent the views of the administration. And he frankly called this comment from this unnamed official damaging.

Here's what Secretary Kerry had to say.

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JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We condemn anybody who uses language such as was used in this article. That does not reflect the president. It does not reflect me. It is disgraceful, unacceptable, damaging. And -- and I think neither President Obama nor I -- I've never heard that word around me in the White House. I don't know who these anonymous people are that keep getting quoted, but they make life much more difficult. And we are proud of what we have done to help Israel through a very difficult time.

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ACOSTA: Now, it is no secret on the world stage that President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu don't have the best of relationships, but White House officials continue to say that the president has met with Netanyahu more than any other world leader. And as you mentioned, Wolf, Susan Rice, national security adviser, she is going to be meeting with her Israeli counterparts over here at the White House. This is described as a biannual meeting they have on a regular basis to talk about these issues.

But, Wolf, these issues that really are at the heart of the some pretty tense relations between the United States and Israel right now are pretty well known, those settlements that are being built in the West Bank. You know, even yesterday, the press secretary, Josh Earnest, described those settlements as illegitimate. You don't really need to talk to unnamed sources, Wolf, but you can get it on the record that there are some pretty strong disagreements on the issues.

As for the Iran nuclear program, which is the other big sticking point between the U.S. and Israel, John Kerry said earlier this morning at the Washington Ideas Forum that Iran will not get a bomb and he once again said that no deal is better than a bad deal. And, of course, we know that November 24th is the deadline for those nuclear discussions and negotiations between the U.S. and the P-5 and Iran -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Let's see what happens between now and November 25.

All right. Jim Acosta, good report. Thanks very much.

The personal relationship between the prime minister of Israel and the president of the United States may not be great right now, in part, because of Israel's settlement policies in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, but there are other issues as well.

Let's go to the Pentagon right now. The secretary of defense, Chuck Hagel, is answering reporters' questions.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: -- both militarily in backing the moderate opposition.

And, Mr. Chairman, for you, can you give us an update on where the train and equip mission stands for the moderate Syrian opposition? Whether or not the vetting, whether that's begun or not?

GEN. CHUCK HAGEL, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Leann, in answering your question, first, the inner agency, all of the agencies relevant to national security in this government, are working on the Syria/ISIL/Middle East/Iraq issue. Certainly, the Department of Defense is a key part of that, but the Syria equation of this bigger issue of stability in the Middle East, as the president has said, is going to require diplomatic/political solution. That said, the realities of what ISIL is doing, control of vast areas

of Syria and Iraq, are forcing all of us in a coalition of over 60 countries, to come together to deal with this immediate threat.

The future of Syria, which the nations of the Middle East have a significant investment in that stability, is going to require all elements, not only of our government. But all of the countries in the Middle East and others working together to find a solution to bring peace in Syria, stabilize that region of the world, and we're constantly assessing and we are constantly adapting and we are constantly working through different options. This is complicated. As we've said, it's long term. There's no short-term easy answer to it.

So your question about should we be more aggressive, we look at every option. That's why we meet so often on this issue. This is why we are building and continue to build an effective coalition in the Middle East to deal with these issues.

GEN. MARTIN DEMPSEY, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: On the training and equipping of a moderate opposition, the command-and-control apparatus is in place, the sites have been selected, and the reconnaissance conducted to determine what infrastructure we'll need to accomplish the mission. Coalition partners are beginning to contribute trainers to the effort. The recruiting vetting has not yet begun.

HAGEL: Dan?

BLITZER: All right, so they're just getting started over there at the Pentagon. Let's take a quick break, resume our coverage right after this.

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BLITZER: The U.S. Coast Guard is seeing a record number of migrants trying to make it to the United States by crossing one of the most deadly waterways in the Western hemisphere, the Florida Straits.

In a CNN exclusive, our own Alina Machado went along with the U.S. Coast Guard to get a firsthand look at what's happening.

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UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: We got eyes on him.

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A dramatic scene plays out in the Florida Straits.

UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: Have you got him?

UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: Yeah, I've got him.

MACHADO: A United States Coast Guard plane spots this small boating packed with 29 Cubans, including several women and at least one young boy. The boat is taking on water. UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: So it's coming on scene.

MACHADO: Yet, when the Coast Guard cutter, "Margaret Norvell" arrives to help, the group's leader refuses to cooperate.

UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: They are claiming they are (INAUDIBLE). --

MACHADO: Eventually, the group gives up and gives in.

UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: They got them now.

MACHADO: Joining the growing number of migrants rescued making this deadly journey to the U.S.

UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: We've been seeing the highest migration levels that we've seen from Cuba and Haiti in the past five years.

MACHADO: Roughly 10,000 migrants have been found in this area just this year. That's more than 3,000 than the year before. The biggest spike, Cubans whose numbers have doubled since the Castro government lifted travel restrictions in 2012.

(on camera): You have to be pretty desperate to go into open water and just try to make it, no?

UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: Yeah, it is.

MACHADO: It's dangerous. It's very dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: Most of it is economic, you know. They are looking for a better way of life.

MACHADO (voice-over): Lieutenant Kirk Fistic (Ph) is the commanding officer of the "Norvell," one of the agency's newest hi-tech ships in the Coast Guard.

LT. KIRK FISTIC (ph), "MARGARET NORVELL" COMMANDING OFFICER: This is the front line of Coast Guard operations. This is where the action happens.

MACHADO: We wanted to get a firsthand look at the action. So we spent a few days on board the "Norvell." And what we saw was sobering. A few hours into our journey -- the "Norvell" takes on 10 migrants. The lights of the U.S. shine in the distance. This is the closest this group will get.

UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: One more!

MACHADO: A doctor is concerned the last one may be suicidal, refusing to eat after telling the Coast Guard this was his ninth attempt to reach America.

(on camera): So you see they put man on the stretcher, on the cutter, safely. But it doesn't appear he's responding. At this point, it's unclear what they will do with him. We know that the remaining nine migrants are all in the same area on this boat and they probably will be here until the process runs its course.

(voice-over): In the early morning hours another group of Cuban migrants is found barely moving, idling in what appears to be the middle of nowhere.

UNIDENTIFIED COAST GUARD OFFICER: Take them by the rope.

MACHADO: Each one is given a life vest before being transferred to the cutter. Their small boat is then filled with gasoline.

(GUNFIRE)

MACHADO: And shot up with a 50-caliber machine gun.

(GUNFIRE)

MACHADO: A fire sinks the tiny boat.

On the cutter, migrants wear Tyvek suits to stay dry. They're given red beans and rice to eat twice a day and a rubber mat to sleep on.

Some interact with Coast Guard members, like Ronald Garcia, Cuban- American himself.

RONALD GARCIA, U.S. COAST GUARD: It's terrible to see the situation that they are in.

MACHADO: In all, we saw about 80 Cuban migrants in just four days with the Coast Guard, all of them with desperation in their eyes. For most, their search for a new life is over at least for now.

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MACHADO: Of the 80 migrants we saw, 29 Cubans who were found on a U.S. territory were allowed to stay in the U.S. because of a long- standing policy that only applies to Cubans. Most migrants who are found at sea are usually sent back, regardless of their country of origin -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Alina Machado, thanks for that report.

Alina Machado, I want to add this note. This is just coming in to CNN. New numbers from the U.S. Coast Guard in Florida. This week, they found dozens of migrants off the Miami coast. In all, about 640 migrants have been found this month alone. At least four have died in the journey.

We're down to the final days until the midterm elections here in the United States and the races are very close in several states. Here's the question. Why? What will make the difference in these final days?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Five days until the midterm elections here in the U.S. and there are seven battleground states with exceedingly close Senate race right now.

Let's bring in our chief political analyst, Gloria Borger.

Gloria, these races are so close, and the question is, why?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Because voters are out there expressing their anger, their disappointment and their fear. Two out of three of them, Wolf, don't trust government to take out the garbage. A majority of them, a majority of the Senate Democrats are up in those red states and so that's causing a lot of problems for them. You have an unpopular president, you have an unpopular government, you have people holding their noses and saying, OK, I got to choose between the lesser of two evils. It's no surprise that you go through these races that are close, but it's hard to remember a time when you had that many within the margin of error at the same time.

BLITZER: Key will be turnout. Who will inspire the base to get out there? Midterm elections, they never voted in the percentage they do in presidential elections.

BORGER: Right. This is the question every Democrat will debate after the election: Should President Obama have been used in these red states with incumbent Democrats to at least try and get out his base voters or should he be staying in the Rose Garden as he's largely doing. Democrats have a large get-out-the-vote effort. Will it work this time? Have Republicans caught up? Will they be able to get their voters to the poll? You can make up a few points if you can get vote to the poll.

Also, remember, Wolf, in a lot of states now, you can mail in your ballots, you can vote early, so that also impacts the outcome of an election like this.

BLITZER: We'll have a better ground game and we'll know in a few days.

BORGER: Yeah.

BLITZER: You'll have a lot more on this story coming up, not only later today in "The Situation Room, but in the days ahead.

BORGER: Very tight race.

BLITZER: That's it for me. Thanks for watching.

For our international viewers, a check of your headlines, coming up right after this. Right now, in fact.

For our North American viewers, "Newsroom" with Brooke Baldwin starts right now.