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Obama Orders Guantanamo Detention Center Closed; Another Jump in Jobless Claims; Clinton Arrives at State Department; Obama Military Maneuvers; The Obama Speed Bumps
Aired January 22, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Doing it his way. President Obama handing down orders today on terror war conduct. Topping the list, the closing of the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay.
Plus another jump in jobless claims. We're watching for Wall Street's reaction also.
It is Thursday, January 22nd. Hi, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Barack Obama takes the presidential oath again. You may remember that during Tuesday's official swearing in, Chief Justice John Roberts bungled some of the wording. The White House says just to be safe, the two men repeated the process last night without any problems.
On the president's agenda today. Ordering the closure of the terror prison at Guantanamo Bay within one year. That, according to a senior administration official and a congressional aide. They say he'll sign two other executive orders today. Those will ban the use of torture and review the treatment of terror suspects.
We have a lot of ground to cover once again today. And we've got our reporters ready to break it all down for you.
Our CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is looking at what may be a direction in the war on terror, and Suzanne Malveaux has the very latest from the White House.
Want to go ahead and begin with Suzanne.
The very latest, Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Obviously, a very busy day for President Barack Obama. As you'd mentioned before, he's going to be signing those three executive orders essentially banning torture and trying to close Guantanamo Bay as quickly as possible.
But he's also going to be meeting privately with his economic team to try to push forward that huge $825 billion economic stimulus package. He'll be taking a visit, making a trip to the State Department to congratulate Senator Hillary Clinton, now the secretary of state, and he'll also -- what we are going to be seeing the press secretary for the first time, Robert Gibbs, giving his first briefing. All of this really sending the message that this is no longer business as usual.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice over): He's now President Barack Obama. When he enters, everyone stands.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Please be seated. Still getting used to that whole thing.
MALVEAUX: On his first full day on the job, his message was simple.
OBAMA: Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.
MALVEAUX: The party is definitely over. Mr. Obama delivered the tough love to his senior staff, a mandatory pay freeze for those making more than $100,000, a ban on accepting gifts from lobbyists, and a rule forbidding administration officials from working on government issues they once lobbied for.
OBAMA: These steps are aimed at establishing firm rules on the road for my administration and all those who serve in it.
MALVEAUX: Obama also pledged he'd be more transparent.
OBAMA: Any time the American people want to know something that I or a former president wants to withhold, we will have to consult with the attorney general and the White House counsel.
MALVEAUX: Obama also made it clear his priorities overseas will be engaging in the Middle East conflict. He pledged his commitment in a round of calls to the leaders of the Palestinian authority, Israel, Egypt and Jordan.
Mr. Obama also gathered his top military brass to the White House to issue a new mission, to withdraw U.S. troops out of Iraq in 16 months.
The president also met with his key economic advisers to promote his $825 billion economic stimulus package that he believes will create millions of jobs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: So, Heidi, obviously, the big question is how is he really to get all of this done? Obviously, he's putting a lot out there on the table, trying to do these executive orders, issuing them right away, at least do things that he can do.
But -- a lot of this is going to take some time. When you look for it at that economic stimulus package, obviously, that has to be pushed through Congress. The whole situation with closing Guantanamo Bay, obviously, going take some time.
COLLINS: Right. MALVEAUX: Robert Gibbs, the press secretary, is going to hold his first briefing, 12:45, and those will be some of the questions that he'll be getting -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes. Yes. He'll be peppered right away, I imagine, by some of those questions. In fact, Suzanne, you know, this is, of course, an administration that you have heard many times, I have heard many times, is really hoping to be transparent. That's the word that they used, but there have been a whole lot of meetings already where cameras haven't been allowed in.
Is this coming to fruition or some work to do in that department?
MALVEAUX: You know, it's still early. Obviously, in covering the campaign, this is a group that kept the message very tight. They were very focused on just delivering one message so, obviously, there's a lot of discipline within this group.
We'll see if it actually improves. Yesterday, the television cameras pool is not allowed to actually go inside and see the oath that was re-administered. And so -- something, in talking with Obama aides, they say this is a work in progress here. We're -- we're learning, we're seeing how this thing goes, so we're just going to kind of wait and see on how this develops.
COLLINS: All right, very good. Suzanne Malveaux, sure do appreciate that, outside the White House for us this morning. Thank you.
Well, today, President Obama is trying a new course on the war on terror.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joining us now with a closer look on that.
So any details yet on -- the announcement and what is going to take place today specifically?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, every expectation is that there will be at least one, if not a series of executive orders, signed out by the president all aimed at shutting down the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
He will call for it to be shut down within one year. They will review all of the cases. They are trying to get as many detainees back to their home countries. There's about 250 detainees there. But then the hard work begins. The ones that cannot be sent back to their home countries have to go somewhere.
They are now going study a number of options where to possibly put them in the United States for further detention, what kind of legal proceedings they will now institute to try and hold these people accountable.
All of this will be part of an administration review that will be done by several departments in the government. All of this comes, as you know, there was a new CNN Opinion Research poll that now shows today, 51 percent of Americans are in favor of closing down the detention facility at Guantanamo, compared to 36 percent back in 2005.
So, clearly, there is growing sentiment in the country for closing it and this is widely considered to be a blight on America by the Islamic world, so it's getting a very good reception overseas that the administration is moving so quickly -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes. You have to see how logistically easy and smooth the whole process will be. We'll continue to follow that, of course, alongside you, CNN Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.
Barbara, thank you for that.
And a quick reminder today. We will be speaking with the former Joints Chiefs chairman, General Richard Myers. That'll be coming up in just a couple of minutes from now. So make sure you stick around for that.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arriving this hour. Live pictures for you here on CNN. Her first full day at the State Department. She was, as you know, approved by the Senate in a nearly unanimous vote yesterday. It was 94-2.
She then took the oath of office with former President Bill Clinton by her side. Later today, she will welcome President Barack Obama. They'll both address their staffers.
There's still no replacement still for Hillary Clinton, though, in the Senate but one thing we do know, it won't be Caroline Kennedy. She says she doesn't want to be considered for the spot now for personal reasons.
We'll take a closer look at Kennedy's decision and options for the Senate seat representing New York. That will be coming up at the bottom of the hour.
Moving now from politics to purse strings. Can Wall Street continue yesterday's pretty nice rally? Dow Jones Industrials surged nearly 280 points and all the major indices rose more than 3.5 percent.
New unemployment figures could weigh on the market, though. Minutes ago we learned new jobless claims have jumped higher than expected and mashed a 26-year high. This week's total 589,000. Last year, 2.6 million jobs disappeared, the most since World War II.
Also worse than expected, housing starts. New home instruction plunged to an all-time low in December capping the worst years for builders on record dating back to 1959.
All of these challenges of the troubled economy will, of course, land on the desk of the next Treasury secretary but that post remains empty as President Obama's nominee faces tough questions and a key vote coming up next hour.
Christine Romans is part of the CNN money team and has more this morning. Yes, I mean, it's pretty amazing to me all of the emphasis, of course, that had been on from the transition team getting a Treasury secretary in place and, now, to watch President Obama be inaugurated with nobody in that position.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's interesting, too, because there's no -- the economy isn't waiting for the next Treasury secretary.
COLLINS: Oh no. They don't care.
ROMANS: Not waiting...
COLLINS: It doesn't care, I should say.
ROMANS: No. And in fact, right now, breaking news that Microsoft will be cutting up to 5,000 jobs and more than a thousand of those, it looks like, are going to be happening today. So there are people working at Microsoft today who are going to lose their jobs and more in coming weeks there.
We've also heard from United Airlines, just in the past 24 hours, United Airlines, Intel, Williams Sonoma. Job cuts are -- continuing here. So this is something that's not waiting for process in Washington by any stretch of the imagination.
You mentioned all of the economic news. I mean, in terms of the housing starts number, I want to be real clear on this. You know, since 1959 this has been a growing economy, we've been growing the housing market, we've been growing the -- share of home ownership. You know more and more people owning their own homes.
And this is now, since that time, we've been keeping records a record low for the number of shovels in the ground for building new homes in this country. So it just tells you that things got really ugly in the fourth quarter. You know, and it's spilling here into this quarter.
Another thing, GM still needs cash. GM is now -- has been overtaken for the first time in 80 years as the word's largest automaker. Circuit City is liquidating. It's going to lay off 30,000 people as it goes through that process.
Across the economy you're seeing the pain here. In fact, food banks are reporting that they are seeing a spike of 30 percent in the number of people who are coming to line up to get food from the food banks.
In literally a year, Heidi, we've gone from flat screen TVs for Christmas to food banks. That's what's happening.
COLLINS: Right.
ROMANS: So it's rapidly happening. Timothy Geithner and the -- president's new team clearly have a lot of work ahead of them. Just looking at the drum beat of negative economic data, again, today, just a lot of economic data, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, and as you said off the top, the economy doesn't care who's in place. It will roll on.
We sure do appreciate it, CNN's Christine Romans. Thank you, Christine.
Meanwhile, want to get back to some of those live pictures that we were showing you a little while ago. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton making her way any moment now to the State Department, her first full day of work there.
Of course, as you know, she was approved by the Senate just yesterday in a vote of 94-2. When she arrived at the State Department, we, of course, will bring it to you live.
Also military maneuvers. President Obama preparing major changes for Guantanamo Bay and Iraq. We'll talk with a former Joint Chiefs chairman about options for the new commander in chief.
ANNOUNCER: CNN NEWSROOM brought to you by...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Quickly now, just a reminder, that we are waiting for the arrival of the new Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This is her first day at the State Department working there -- going to work, I should say. All of those people have gathered to try and get a shot of that.
We, of course, will bring it to you live just as soon as it happens.
Commander in chief, President Barack Obama quickly getting into discussions over strategy and options for Iraq and the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. He met with military leaders and advisers just yesterday.
And joining us to talk a little bit more about some of those discussions is Retired General Richard Myers, as you know, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a top voice in the planning of the war in Iraq.
General, thanks for being with us today. You have been in these positions before of meeting with a new president and I just wonder what some of these discussions are like. What -- really stands out? What's going to be something that they have to absolutely focus in on right away?
GEN. RICHARD MYERS (RET.), FORMER JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: Well, I think the most important thing over all of this, Heidi, is that this will be a meeting where the president will, for the first time, begin to get to know his national security team in a real business-like setting.
Campaign rhetoric is behind us now. We have to deal with the reality at hand. So the first part about that meeting would be building trust and respect between the participants.
COLLINS: Sure. MYERS: And then looking at the options in a very realistic way. One thing that the president can count on, I'm sure, is that the military and the civilians, the -- career civil servants, are going to give his their best advice as they go forward.
At 12:00 noon on Tuesday, all the military saluted the new commander in chief, as it should be, and unique in this country, I think. We -- we're not political so we're...
COLLINS: Right.
MYERS: They're going to give him the best advice they can possibly give him.
COLLINS: And General, if I can talk you into standing by just for two -- moments because, obviously, a lot of discussion when we are at war, talking about the military side of things and also the diplomatic side of things.
We are now watching the new secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, arrive at the State Department. You hear quite a bit of cheering there for her arrival there. A lot of people gathered welcoming her on her first day of work.
She, of course, will have a lot on her plate as well and, as I mentioned, not just military, but diplomacy, her job in talking all kinds of different strategies regarding Iraq and Afghanistan and many other situations and conflicts across the world. Obviously, the Middle East on the forefront of her planned activity, I am sure of that.
So, once again, we are watching Hillary Rodham Clinton arrive at the State Department for her very first day of work. And as you well know, I'm sure everyone watching this right now, she was confirmed just yesterday.
Quite a bit of questioning for her. Some of the controversy there regarding her husband and former President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. Some of the funding coming from that. Probably more discussion to be had there but, nonetheless, she, of course, was confirmed yesterday. Nearly a unanimous vote, 94-2 there.
I'll tell you, we are not quite sure if she is going to make her way to any sort of microphone for a statement. It doesn't appear that way so we'll just kind of watch some of these pictures here.
Once again, we are just letting this freeze a little bit, as we say in TV, in case she decides to make some sort of statement here.
General Myers, I know you're standing by. We appreciate that.
I don't see a microphone on her or one they are handing her. So, once again, we continue to watch. The first full day of work. Hillary Clinton has just now arrived at the State Department. A very, very warm welcome there. Waiting for her to possibly -- oh there's a microphone. Let's listen. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're welcome, Madame Secretary.
HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Thank you.
STEVE KESHKET, AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSN.: Secretary Clinton, on behalf...
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
KESHKET: On behalf of the 20,000 foreign service and civil service employees of the Department of State assigned here in Washington, I think most of them are right in this room, and at our 267 U.S. consulates and embassies worldwide, it is an honor and a privilege for me to extend the warmest possible welcome to you.
Today, you take command of a proud, patriotic, highly skilled core of professionals who have devoted their careers to managing our nation's foreign relations and practicing the art of diplomacy, both abroad and at home.
The loyal public servants you see before you today, along with our colleagues overseas, who are watching this ceremony, are in the forefront of efforts to combat terrorism, poverty, climate change and HIV/AIDS.
They are promoting democracy, trade and respect for human rights. They are assisting U.S. citizens abroad and ensuring that foreigners seeking entry into our country have legitimate reason to do so.
They are working to diffuse foreign conflicts, defending U.S. interests in our management of bilateral and multilateral relations and telling America's story, promoting America's values to foreign audiences.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
KESHKET: The men and women of the foreign service, many whom you see here today, spend the majority of their careers living and working in some of the most difficult and dangerous places on earth, speaking foreign languages and acquiring a wealth of experience and expertise in dealing with foreign governments and societies.
Not to be forgotten, the men and women of the Civil Service here at State...
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
KESHKET: The men and women of the Civil Service toil here at home to insure the needs of the department are well-served and often volunteer to supplement the ranks of the Foreign Service at overseas posts when the need arises.
You have before you today some of our country's greatest experts on every region of the world and every complex issue confronting the United States abroad. We are your foreign policy brain trust and we stand ready to work with you to help you succeed. Madam Secretary, both you and the president have decried the neglect that the Foreign Service and the State Department as a whole have suffered in recent years. No one knows better than the people in this room and our colleagues posted all over the world how true that is.
We welcome your commitment to securing resources and creating a State Department adapted to the demands and challenges of the 21st century.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
KESHKET: Both you and the president have spoken forcefully of the need to restore American diplomacy and American leadership abroad. No one is better equipped than the professionals of this department to help you achieve that daunting task.
So, as you can tell from the enthusiastic welcome you have received, so far, we are thrilled to have you here.
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
KESHKET: We look forward to serving you and we will do everything possible to help you accomplish great things as secretary of state.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
KESHKET: And, now, I would ask the undersecretary of state for political affairs, Ambassador Bill Burns, to introduce the secretary.
(APPLAUSE)
AMBASSADOR BILL BURNS, UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS: Thank you very much, Steve, and good morning. On behalf of the men and women who serve the Department of State at home and abroad, on behalf of the members of the Foreign and Civil services, and on behalf of the thousands of Foreign Service nationals who serve with such distinction...
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who serve with such distinction at our missions overseas, it is truly a great honor to introduce the 67th Secretary of State of the United States of America, Hillary Clinton.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you all so much.
Well, I am absolutely honored and thrilled beyond words to be here with you as our nation's 67th secretary of state, and I believe, with all of my heart, that this is a new era for America.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) CLINTON: President Obama set the tone with his inaugural address, and the work of the Obama/Biden administration is committed to advancing America's national security, furthering America's interests, and respecting and exemplifying America's values around the world.
(APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: There are, there are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy -- defense, diplomacy, and development. And we are responsible for two of the three legs, and we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States, and I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: In my testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee, I spoke a lot about smart power. Well, at the heart of smart power are smart people and you are those people and you are the ones that we will count on and turn to for the advice and counsel, the expertise and experience, to make good on the promises of this new administration.
I want to thank Steve for his comments that really summarized the full range of experience and expertise of both the Foreign Service and the Civil Service, and, also, to send my appreciation to all of the nationals around the world who work in our embassies and work with government officials.
This is going to be a challenging time. And it will require 21st century tools and solutions to meet our problems and seize our opportunities. I'm going to be asking a lot of you. I want you to think outside the proverbial box. I want you to give me the best advice you can.
I want you to understand there is nothing that I welcome more than a good debate and the kind of dialogue that will make us better.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: We cannot be our best if we don't demand that from ourselves and each other. I will give you my very best effort. I will do all that I can, working with our president, to make sure that we deliver on the promises that are at the very core of what this new administration and this new era represents.
So we need to collaborate. And we need to have a sense of openness and candor in this building. And I invite that. Now, not everybody's ideas will make it into policy, but we will be better because we have heard from you.
I also want to address a word to the USAID family. I will be there tomorrow to greet them and thank them for the work they've done on behalf of development through some very difficult years, because they will be our partners.
(APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: Now as Steve candidly said, so far we're thrilled.
(LAUGHTER)
This is not going to be easy.
(LAUGHTER)
I don't want anybody to leave this extraordinarily warm reception thinking, oh, good.
(LAUGHTER)
You know, this is going to be great. It's going to be hard. But if it weren't hard, somebody else could do it, besides the professionals of the Foreign Service and the Civil Service and our Diplomatic and Development Corps.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, as you may have heard percolating through the building, you know, when I was first nominated, I realized that there was this living, organic creature known as the building.
(LAUGHTER)
And as you probably already know, we are expecting the President and the Vice President to be here in the State Department this afternoon.
(APPLAUSE)
Among the many conversations that I've had with the President and with the Vice President, over years, but certainly much more astutely and in a concentrated way in the last weeks, we want to send a clear and unequivocal message: This is a team, and you are the members of that team. There isn't anything that I can get done from the seventh floor or the President can get done from the Oval Office, unless we make clear we are all on the American team. We are not any longer going to tolerate the kind of divisiveness that has paralyzed and undermined our ability to get things done for America.
So the President will be here...
(APPLAUSE)
...on his second day in office to let all of you know, and all who are serving on our behalf around the world, how seriously committed he is to working with us. So this is going to be a great adventure. We'll have some ups and some downs. We'll face some obstacles along the way. But be of good cheer...
(LAUGHTER)
...and be of strong heart, and do not grow weary, as we attempt to do good on behalf of our country and the world.
I think this is a time of such potential and possibility. I don't get up in the morning just thinking about the threats and the dangers, as real as they are. I also think about what we can do and who we are and what we represent. So I take this office with a real sense of joy and responsibility, commitment and collaboration. And now, ladies and gentlemen, let's get to work.
(APPLAUSE)
Thank you and God bless you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEIDI COLLIS, CNN ANCHOR: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressing the State Department for the very first time in her new position. Her first day of work, as you see there. A whole lot on her plate, obviously, to get to work on right away. In fact, standing by, back to former Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers.
General Myers, you were kind of mentioning that, obviously, there is a lot of work to be done. One of the things that Hillary Clinton is likely going to have to address is resources for the State Department.
What exactly is needed?
GEN. RICHARD MYERS (RET.), FORMER JOINS CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: Well, I think she's exactly right when she says that diplomacy and USAID need to play an even larger role going forward to address the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, the larger threat from violent extremists.
And in my association with the State Department, which has been pretty continuous for over ten years, working very closely with four different secretaries of state. When they come to the national security table they come not as well resourced for instance as the Department of Defense. And if we expect the State Department to fulfill their role in terms of diplomatic efforts and economic efforts, they need to be properly resourced. And for some reason this has not always been as popular with Congress.
COLLINS: And so you're talking about money?
MYERS: Well, money and manpower, absolutely.
COLLINS: OK.
MYERS: Yes, so they can do what they should be doing here in the 21st century.
COLLINS: Yes. Clearly, a lot more to discuss on that matter.
MYERS: Yes.
COLLINS: And certainly more, militarily, which we would like to do with you. We are going to take a quick break and invite you to stay with us. General Myers is going to do that and stick around for just a moment, because we wanted to bring you that live coverage, of course, of Hillary Clinton at the State Department today.
Also a reminder that she will be with President Obama a little bit later on today, around 2:40 or so. We do expect as she mentioned to be with the president and both of them will be addressing their staffers later on today. We'll bring that to you as well right here on CNN. A quick break now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Quickly now, we want to get back to our discussion with retired General Richard Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A rare opportunity to talk with you, certainly on a day, General, where we know that there will be meetings going on with President Obama and some of the retired military officers, particularly regarding Guantanamo Bay and an interrogation tactics. We'll get to that in a moment.
I first want to sort of talk for a moment about the situation in Afghanistan. We know there was a lot of talk yesterday as well about some tactics in Iraq and certainly Guantanamo Bay, the situation there, what will happen.
We haven't heard a whole lot about what the plan will be regarding Afghanistan. We found this editorial in "The Washington Post," and we want to put it on the screen for our viewers. A little chunk of it, anyway. George McGovern writes this. "As you settle into the Oval Office Mr. President, may I offer a suggestion? Please do not try to put Afghanistan aright with the U.S. military. To send our troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan would be a near perfect example of going from the frying pan into the fire. There is reason to believe some of our top military commanders privately share this view. And so does a broad and growing swath of your party and your supporters."
Your thoughts?
MYERS: Well, my thoughts would be that, obviously, President Obama hasn't gotten to this point yet. He talked about Iraq yesterday with his national security team. My guess is he'll be talking about Afghanistan here in the near future.
Clearly, the military commanders in country, General McLaren, has asked for more forces. It's interesting to note that really NATO has accepted the responsibility for security and stability in Afghanistan.
COLLINS: Exactly.
MYERS: And so while the U.S. may have to contribute more forces, I think a lot of people expect NATO countries to contribute their fair share as well.
COLLINS: Is that likely to happen?
MYERS: Well, it has been -- we've not been totally successful in that regard. And that is really unfortunate. The burden should not rest just on the U.S. alone or on Britain alone or on Canada alone, which have supported efforts there. But more broadly, and it's a nice segway from Secretary Clinton's speech. More broadly this is not just about troops. I mean, the political development of Afghanistan, the economic development which is really wanting in Afghanistan.
COLLINS: Of course.
MYERS: They all have to come together as well to have some sort of lasting peace and stability in that country. So the ambassador there and all of the other efforts that we have there, the international efforts that we have there are just as important as how many troops we have there, frankly.
COLLINS: Absolutely. And it's got to be done hand-in-hand.
MYERS: It does.
COLLINS: As we've been hearing from all of the military commanders, in fact. Also today, we do know that there will be three executive orders that are going to be signed regarding Guantanamo Bay, the closing of the detention facility itself, the banning on torture of terrorist suspects and a review of all detention policies. This is going to take some time.
MYERS: Oh, absolutely, it is going to take some time, and there is going to be huge logistics issues. I mean, the fact remains -- I think it's the right thing to do to close Guantanamo. It's become a blight on U.S. reputation. Rightly or wrongly the perception is that it's a bad place, so it needs to go away. But then what do you do with the 200 plus detainees that are very dangerous and some who can probably be brought to trial and prosecuted for crimes that they've committed?
COLLINS: Is there a public perception, though, that those 200 detainees are not guilty or have already been tried in the court of, you know, public opinion?
MYERS: Well, I think there's some that were coming to trial and those tribunals have been put off by the president for 120 days. I think that's appropriate, too. He needs to review the whole policy and how does this new administration want to -- want to handle that.
But make no mistake there are some people there that have committed crimes that need to come to trial. The other just hardcore extremists that need to be detain. You know, the United States has tried to send a lot of these back through their countries of origin. But in the case, I'll just give you one example. In the case of the Wiggers, returning them to China, China wouldn't sign up to treating them humanely. In fact, we heard they'd be tortured or even possibly killed, and so you can't release them back to their home countries, if you will. So there's a lot of issues here that have to be worked through. And I think a fresh review by President Obama's team is exactly right.
COLLINS: Exactly. Before we let you go, I just want to ask you sort of a personal question regarding the relationship with the president. When you are chairman of the Joint Chiefs, how important is it for a president, not only to have a relationship with you, a person in that position as the top level of the military, but all the way on down to the soldiers on the frontlines? I'm just wondering would you advise him to pack his bags and get over to Iraq and Afghanistan as fast as possible?
MYERS: I don't think he needs my advice. From what I saw at the commanders and chiefs ball when he had the video teleconference with the Illinois Guardsmen -- Illinois Guardsmen in Afghanistan, I think he understands that part.
I think building trust and relationship with his senior military advisers, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the other military commanders out there is extremely important. I've worked for several presidents, starting with President Clinton. They've all done a very good job of that. I have no doubt that President Obama is going to do exactly the same thing. But that trust and respect between the senior military and the commander-in-chief is vital. I'm sure that process has started before he took the Oath of Office, but was probably accelerated yesterday in their first National Security Council meeting.
COLLINS: Yes, likely so. We will continue to watch the meetings that are happening today. Once again, 10:30 he is expected to be meeting with former military officers. So we sure do appreciate your time here.
MYERS: Thanks, Heidi.
COLLINS: Thanks so much for sticking around during the Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State step. Appreciate it.
MYERS: Thank you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Former Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers, thank you so much.
President Barack Obama, he vowed to hit the ground running. Have two of his cabinet choices, though, stepped into some quicksand? A look at the speed bumps on the road to confirmation.
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COLLINS: President Obama getting closer to filling all of the seats around his cabinet table. The Senate Finance Committee expected to confirm his pick for Treasury secretary next hour. Timothy Geithner appeared before the committee yesterday and apologized for failing to pay $34,000 in self-employment taxes earlier this decade.
And President Obama's choice for National Intelligence director will be questioned by Congress next hour. Retired Admiral Dennis Blair will testify at this confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. He is expected to be confirmed pretty quickly. We'll bring you live coverage of that. Just stay with CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: Stress, we grow up with it, we grow old with it. But are you doing what you can to protect yourself from it? We'll have some answers, coming up.
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COLLINS: There is a whole lot of stuff to be stressed out about these days. The sources of stress change as we grow older, and so do the effects. But there are some things you can do. We'll get details now from CNN medical correspondent Judy Fortin.
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JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The stock market, foreclosures, unemployment, these are stressful times. 52- year-old Steven Vogel (ph) had a great job with a great company, but eight months ago, they downsized and suddenly he was without a job.
STEVEN VOGEL, PATIENT: That brings on a lot of uncertainty and anxiety.
FORTIN: For Vogel, the stress of the unknown kept him up at night.
VOGEL: Being very, very concerned as to when or if for that matter, this situation was going to end.
FORTIN: His anxiety got so bad, he sought professional help. Stressors big and small can have a major impact on our health over time. When we are stressed, our bodies secret the hormone Cortisol into the bloodstream. It's usually triggered by a moment of panic. Too much Cortisol can lead to changes in weight, headaches, muscle problems, even high blood pressure. These symptoms can build up over the years, causing such conditions as diabetes and heart disease as we get older.
In our 30s, new jobs, marriage, and family can create anxiety.
DR. ROBERT SCHWARTZ, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: From the children being sick to having behavioral problems, or just managing their life, taking kids from one place to another, along with their own life, is complicated.
FORTIN: In our 40s, job stability may become a bigger factor, and keeping up with housing cost and family issues can stress out even the most stable of people.
SCHWARTZ: Small children become teenagers, there are issues of problems with their family.
FORTIN: And in our 50s, retirement, elderly parents, college expenses, even family health history can cause many to loose sleep.
SCHWARTZ: Very often, they have a parent who has had heart disease or diabetes or something like that. And they will unconsciously stress about whether that's going to occur to them. FORTIN: If the stress gets to be too much, seek help. Don't keep stress bottled up. And be aware of stress signs, such as loss of sleep. Constant muscle pains, chest tightness, and heart palpitations. These are signs you need to see a physician.
For Steven Vogel, life has gotten better. He has a new job. He credits his doctor for helping him get through one of the most stressful times in his life.
Judy Fortin, CNN, Atlanta.
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COLLINS: The missing left side engine from U.S. Airways flight 1549 has been found in the Hudson Rivers. Crews, though, still haven't pulled it up. Investigators looking at the wreckage say they found what they call soft body impact damage in the right side engine. They also found a single feather in a flap of the wing. That seems to back up the pilot, who said the plane was brought down by a flock of birds. CNN NEWSROOM continues in just a moment.
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COLLINS: Long before he was even elected, Barack Obama vowed that as president, he and his administration would hit the ground running. Then the reality of politics intervened, and some of his cabinet nominees now face hurdles in Congress. Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley explains.
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CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Former First Lady, former senator, one-time presidential candidate. Now just call her madam secretary.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The nomination is confirmed.
CROWLEY: Hillary Clinton was the president's most surprising pick, certainly the one with the most controversial spouse. And former President Bill Clinton did figure into last-minute qualms that more openness is needed about foreign contributions to his foundation in order to help Secretary of State Hillary Clinton do her job.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: The perception and reality must be that the office of secretary of the state is viewed around the world as beyond reproach.
CROWLEY: And in the new ways of Washington, an old Obama rival is looking for a new place. Senator John McCain, in his first floor speech since losing the election, urged Republican colleagues to move the Clinton nomination along.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I, like all good politicians, pay attention to the president's approval ratings. They're very high. But, more importantly, I think the message that the American people are sending us now is they want us to work together. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Schumer, aye.
CROWLEY: Clinton was confirmed as secretary of state just after 4:30 Wednesday. No such luck at the Senate Finance Committee, where the Treasury secretary-designate was sorry, so sorry, he didn't pay his taxes over a four-year period.
TIMOTHY GEITHNER, TREASURY SECRETARY NOMINEE: They were avoidable mistakes, but they were unintentional. I should have been more careful. I take full responsibility for them.
CROWLEY: After an audit of two of those years, Timothy Geithner paid up. But he did not pay for two years that were outside the IRS statute of limitations until days before his nomination. Seriously, he's very sorry.
GEITHNER: I regret not having done that sooner. I believe I should have done it sooner. And I -- and, if I thought about it more, maybe I would have come to that judgment sooner.
CROWLEY: Not everyone buys it.
SEN. JON KYL (R), ARIZONA: Would you answer my question, rather than dancing around it, please?
CROWLEY: And so it was that, when President Barack Obama held his first White House meeting with economic advisers, his wingman was missing -- also MIA, an attorney general.
Using their prerogative, Republicans asked for a week's delay in committee hearings, complaining there hasn't been enough time to question Eric Holder, who would become the first black attorney general. It made the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee cranky.
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: I am extremely disappointed. But they have that right. And this historic, historic nomination is held over.
CROWLEY: Hitting the ground running is not so easy as it seems.
Candy Crowley, CNN Washington.
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COLLINS: First, there are questions, now their answers. Live this hour, a Senate panel decides the fate of the president's top money man.
Plus, closing the detention camp. President Obama announcing when one part of Gitmo will be gone. It's Thursday, January 22nd, I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
