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Entire Yemeni Government Resigns; Kerry in London Discussing War on ISIS; Naval Commander Relieved of Duty in Scandal; Boko Haram Remains Powerful, Threatening; Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney Meet Privately.

Aired January 22, 2015 - 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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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer, reporting from Washington.

We're following two breaking news stories right now. In Yemen, ally has been embroiled in a violent political standoff. Get this, the entire Yemeni government today resigned. That includes the president, the prime minister and the entire cabinet.

We also have other breaking news in the fight against ISIS.

Let's bring in our correspondents, Nick Paton Walsh. He's on the ground for us in Yemen. Atika Shubert is joining us from London.

Nick, first to you.

Update viewers around the world right now on the very latest in this dire situation unfolding in Yemen.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been the last hour, a remarkable change in the political scene here in Yemen. As you said, firstly, the prime minister and the cabinet resigned. They released the former now-information minister and in English explained how they wanted no part of what seemed to be the political crisis unfolding here, where a political deal would no longer be able to keep the country away from a political crisis. Minutes later, President Hadi, too, offered his resignation. That appears to be something no one can really reverse at this stage. There are reports about what may or may not come next. It appears Yemen's president, prime minister and cabinets are no longer in those roles.

This comes after substantial pressure from the Houthi militants on the street. They took key buildings, the presidential palace, and surrounded the presidential residence, saying they were offering security to the president. A road map of a political deal seemed to be agreed last night which would cause the Houthis to withdraw from some key areas in exchange for wide-ranging political changes. That did not appear to be of the liking of President Hadi. There was always questions as to how much power he would really have. This was originally referred to as a coupe by the original government, that was first put out by the information minister. She suggested he should resign to no longer be the figure head of what she felt would be a Houthi-led administration here. We have not heard from the Houthis themselves.

But this is a vital ally for the United States in the fight against terrorism, the fight against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Now it appears it's going to be tough for Washington to know exactly who to telephone if they need assistance here in Yemen -- Wolf?

BLITZER: As we reported yesterday, there were ISIS terrorists now emerging in Yemen as well.

Let's go to Atika Shubert in London.

The secretary of state of the United States, John Kerry, has been there. He's been meeting with diplomats to discuss what's going on against ISIS. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq now say the U.S. and it's coalition partners, largely with air strikes, they've killed an estimated 6,000 fighters, including key leaders. Update us on what is going on in this overall war against ISIS.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT; Well, Secretary of State John Kerry backed that up by saying that ground troops there fighting ISIS, supported by more than 2,000 air strikes, have reclaimed 700 square kilometers from ISIS forces. And to further push those gains, there is this meeting in London today at Lancaster House. About 20 members of the coalition met to discuss how to better equip and train those ground forces that will be so critical to make further gains against ISIS. That specifically means Iraqi forces but also training of Syrian opposition forces. Secretary of State John Kerry mentioned that they will begin training in the spring of those opposition forces in neighboring countries such as Jordan. This was a meeting to push further and reiterate the commitment in fighting against ISIS. He specifically said that this type of meeting will be followed up on a monthly basis. And it really goes to show how much more deeply entrenched this fight against ISIS is becoming.

BLITZER: Atika Shubert in London.

We'll stay on top of this story as well.

Just ahead, there's been a shakeup at the U.S. naval station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The commanding officer is relieved of his duties. We have the details and a lot more news when we come back.

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BLITZER: There's allegations now an affair, an investigation into a mysterious death. Now the commanding officer of the U.S. naval station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been relieved of his duties.

Jason Carroll is joining us now from Miami to tell us what is going on.

What is going on, Jason? JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Wolf, an embarrassing blow to

the captain there. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has taken over this investigation. Basically, it involves Captain John Nettleton. He was the commanding officer at the U.S. Navy base there in Guantanamo Bay. He did not oversee the detainees there. He has been temporarily reassigned to a post in Jacksonville, Florida. That is what we are hearing. Navy say, no, he was relieved of duty due to a loss of confidence in Nettleton's ability to command.

According to a military official, this all came about during an investigation into the death of a civilian who may have committed suicide. Nettleton allegedly had an affair with the wife of the deceased man. Adultery violates the Code of Military Justice. That is why Nettleton was relieved of duty.

One military insider described it to me this way. He said officers in command are held to a very, very high moral standard and a special trust. If their superior loses confidence in that officer, especially if it has to do with moral judgment, that officer can then be relieved of duty.

Again, NCIS is investigating the death of the civilian as well as the allegation of adultery. Nettleton, for his part, he remains on desk duty pending the outcome of that investigation -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Jason, thanks very much. Jason Carroll, reporting for us.

Coming up, they're considered one of the deadliest terror groups in the entire world. Boko Haram's reign of terror. We have new information. Stay with us.

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BLITZER: Certainly one of the deadliest terror groups in the world, Boko Haram. Look at the numbers and you'll see why. Nigeria's president, Goodluck Jonathan, has said more than 13,000 people have been killed in the Boko Haram terror campaign against the state. According to most estimates, that is broadly correct. They report that more than six million Nigerians are affected by the conflict and more than $300,000 Nigerians displaced. Since the president made that statement, Boko Haram later have claimed responsibility for the massacre of 2,000 people just earlier this month. The Nigerian government disputes that number. Still, Boko Haram gained widespread attention when they kidnapped 200 school girls last April. That abduction sparked the "Bring back our girls" movement. They still have not been found. Earlier this week, Cameroon troops did manage to rescue a German man being held hostage by the rebels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT NITSCH EBERHARD, FREED HOSTAGE (through translation): I'll tell you something. Before I saw the Colonel, I have to tell you, I honestly had a feeling that I would be killed in the end because the whole time they were like, sit down, sit down here, sit down, and always when I sit down, everything was dark, everything was dark. And then you don't know what is going to happen to you. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Let's bring in retired U.S. General Carter Ham. He retired in 2013 as the commander of the U.S. Africa Command. He's currently a senior fellow of the Association of the United States Army.

You know a lot about this subject. You were obsessed with it as a commander of the Africa Command. What's going on right now? It looks like Boko Haram still remains powerful and threatening.

GEN. CARTER HAM, SENIOR FELLOW, ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY & FORMER COMMANDER, AFRICA COMMAND: Wolf, they're more powerful now than they were a month ago or a year ago or certainly two years ago. That's the real dilemma. Their reach is expanding not only over northern Nigeria and northeastern Nigeria, but across the boundaries of neighboring countries.

BLITZER: And they're affiliated or at least sympathetic with al Qaeda, right?

HAM: Absolutely, yes.

BLITZER: Part of this, al Shabaab, Boko Haram, all these various groups, they're sort of loosely aligned?

HAM: There is an element of Boko Haram which is indigenously focused, an insurgency, if you will, mostly focused in Nigeria. But clearly, the leader shares the same ideology as al Qaeda. We've seen indications of linkages with other al Qaeda-affiliated groups, notably al Qaeda in the lands of the Islamic --

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BLITZER: The criticisms of Nigeria -- it's got a lot of money. It's a rich country, relatively speaking -- is they don't do enough. Where is the Nigerian military, the law enforcement, the security services? Why aren't they doing more to kill and capture these Boko Haram terrorists?

HAM: I think what's required in Nigeria is a comprehensive approach. Certainly, a security aspect of it. And the Nigerian army and others have been trying, but largely unsuccessfully --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: They could be doing a lot more, though.

HAM: I believe they could. And they should be doing, in my view, a lot more on the non-security front and development and education and provision of government services to start to get at the underlying causes that result in mostly young Nigerian men being attracted to the Boko Haram cause.

BLITZER: We saw Cameroon getting involved. Where's the rest of Africa in this fight against Boko Haram? HAM: I think there's a growing regional interest. President Mahama,

of Ghana, who is the current chairman of the economic community of West African states, seems to be coalescing a regional effort. A foreign minister in Niger, an accomplished leader, hosted his counterparts. So Chad, Cameroon, Niger and other countries seem to be coming to agreement that a regional effort will be required.

BLITZER: I know the United States has its hands full in the Middle East and North Africa. What is the United States doing right now to try to destroy Boko Haram?

HAM: We have lots of great relationships through the United States Africa Command and the Special Operations Forces with the special operation forces of the neighboring countries. As you will recall, last month, Nigeria curtailed a U.S. training effort. That's unhelpful.

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BLITZER: Why did they do that?

HAM: I don't really understand the dynamics of why they curtailed this mission. I think it's certainly puzzling.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: You think they would want some help from the United States?

HAM: One would hope. I think obviously this has to be Nigerian led, but the U.S. and others, Europeans and other nations, have capabilities that would help Nigeria in this effort. I hope perhaps after the upcoming presidential elections in February maybe they'll rethink that and allow more nations to help.

BLITZER: These Boko Haram terrorists, we've heard the stories that they capture and effectively these young girls and make them into sex slaves in effect. Is that true?

HAM: We don't know. The 200-plus girls captured last April, we don't know what happened to them. Certainly, every day --

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BLITZER: Are they forced into marriage to older men?

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: That's what you read. That's the allegations.

HAM: That's the expectation is that they're forced into marriages or other kinds of relationships in the human trafficking criminal network. It's very unsettling, obviously, that this criminal activity has occurred. Your heart breaks for those families and for those girls.

BLITZER: The only things those girls were doing, and their parents wanted them to, was get an education.

HAM: That's correct.

BLITZER: To Boko Haram, a female getting an education is a death sentence.

HAM: That's correct. They stand against modernization effort, education, economic reform, religious tolerance. They are against all of those aspects.

BLITZER: General Ham, thank you for joining us.

HAM: thank you.

BLITZER: Thanks to your service to the United States over the years.

HAM: Thank you Wolf.

BLITZER: Let's hope it gets better over there.

Up next, two potential front runners in 2016 are getting ready to sit down for an informal chat in Utah. We're talking about Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney. We'll talk about why they are meeting, what to expect. Gloria Borger is standing by.

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BLITZER: In other political news, a meeting today between two possible Republican contenders for 2016 presidential election. We're talking about Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney.

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

The story was broke by "The New York Times."

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes.

BLITZER: What's going on?

BORGER: I was told this was a meeting that had been long scheduled, that Governor Bush reached out to Romney and wanted to meet with him. It was scheduled before Mitt Romney gave a strong indication he was thinking about getting back into the race.

BLITZER: Was it scheduled before Jeb Bush was giving similar indications?

BORGER: No, after.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: That's my understanding.

BLITZER: Yeah.

BORGER: Neither one of them has cancelled the meeting. They're both very polite people, well raised.

BLITZER: Yeah.

BORGER: But advisors on both sides tell me they don't expect any great news out of this meeting, like one of them deciding not to run or whatever. This meeting has no agenda and no schedule. It will be very informal.

BLITZER: It's on Romney's home turf of Utah.

BORGER: Of Utah, right.

BLITZER: He's going to be the host, in effect, of this meeting. Are they going to do photo ops or joint statements?

BORGER: I don't know.

BLITZER: Any joint interviews or anything like that?

BORGER: I don't know. Until "The New York Times" found out about it, we couldn't have found out. Jonathan Martin did great reporting there.

Look, I think these are two men with a mixed history. They say they're good friends, but Jeb Bush did not go out of his way for Mitt Romney in either of Romney's presidential campaigns. He was clearly lukewarm on him. He criticized the way he ran the last campaign, saying you need to be more inclusive. I think there's a bit of tension there. I think they're going to have to get it out there. Don't forget, they're dialing for dollars and dialing to the same donors. That's really a problem for them.

BLITZER: They're looking for that same GOP base out there.

BORGER: Yeah, the establishment money, which tends to be big.

BLITZER: That's right.

Let's talk about the hypothetical race between these two guys and Hillary Clinton. The news ABC/"Washington Post" poll says Romney running against Hillary Clinton, Romney with 45 percent, Hillary Clinton, 55 percent. Jeb Bush 41 percent, Hillary Clinton, 54 percent. Obviously, there is a long time between now and November 2016.

BORGER: Yeah.

BLITZER: But it's interesting that she still has an impressive lead.

BORGER: If you're on the Clinton campaign, you're happy to have Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush and Chris Christie running against each other in some kind of primary where she effectively now remains all but unopposed, except for potentially Bernie Sanders. So you know, I think they're going to be happy with those polls. I think she sort of held off on doing at this point until the president had his State of the Union. She said she loved the president's State of the Union. While the Republicans are fighting, there's one school of thought, which is, why should she get into it out now? Give publicity to Republicans as they air disagreements that there might be plenty of time for her to get in.

BLITZER: Popular vote is important, but it's the Electoral College is significant.

BORGER: Yes.

BLITZER: I've been speaking to some supporters, let's call them, of Hillary Clinton. Here's what worries them about Jeb Bush. They think Hillary can carry New York, carry California. The Republicans will carry Texas. Then it will be down to Florida. Jeb Bush is popular in Florida. He could potentially beat Hillary in Florida. Their fear, if he named somebody as a running mate in Ohio and carry Ohio, he would get the electoral votes and Hillary wouldn't get it.

BORGER: Like Senator Rob Portman or Governor John Kasich, for instance.

BLITZER: Right.

BORGER: Senator Portman. Yeah, I think that is a large worry. Jeb Bush remains popular in the state of Florida. He's bilingual. That helps him in Florida and the rest of the country. They see him as a formidable contender. The Romney side of the argument is that they believe that Jeb has never run for presidency before, they have done it twice, nominee once, they figure that experience will help them much more. They believe Jeb is rusty, out of touch with the Republican Party, that he's not as conservative as the rest of the Republican Party. The Jeb Bush people will tell you, yes, he is, just wait until you see him on the campaign trail.

BLITZER: The Jeb Bush supporters have pointed out Romney did not do that well in Florida and Ohio. Maybe Jeb Bush may do better.

BORGER: That's their whole point. I think -- the Romney people are, I wouldn't say dismissive, but they're critical of Bush on the experience front. The Bush people believe Romney didn't run a good campaign.

BLITZER: Let's see what happens at this meeting of the two. We'll be anxious to report details whatever we learn.

Thanks very much, Gloria.

BORGER: Sure.

BLITZER: See you later in "The Situation Room."

That's it for me. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room."

For our international viewers, "Amanpour" is next.

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.