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Iranian Government Bans Foreign Media From Covering Election Rallies; Cost Analysis of Healthcare Bill Puts $1 Trillion Price Tag on Reform; Doctors and Experts Say There Are Large Disparities in Health Care Between Whites and Minorities; Tips on How to Save Money When You're Without Health Care; American Car Companies Try to Rebuild; Seven Protesters in Iran Killed; Presidents Obama and Lee Myung-Bak Address Concerns About North Korea and Economy
Aired June 16, 2009 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It is Tuesday, June 16th, and here are the top stories in the CNN NEWSROOM this morning.
Rival rallies in Iran. Supporters of the winning and losing presidential candidates swarm the streets today.
A White House huddle on North Korea. President Obama talks with South Korea's leader about the nuclear threat. They meet reporters this hour.
Does the quality of medical treatment depend on your race? That issue this hour, part of our weeklong focus on America's health care crisis.
Good morning, everyone, I'm Tony Harris, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Clamp down in Iran. The government now banning all foreign journalists from covering post-election rallies. This comes as Iranians on both sides of the political divide return to the streets by the tens of thousands today.
This demonstration held in support of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He was declared winner by a landslide. A few blocks away, this rally showing support for challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi. He is demanding a re-vote and now, and that, as you can imagine, is fueling more violence.
Clashes between Mousavi's supporters and police have escalated over the past three days. Iran's state radio says seven people died in election violence last night.
Let's get right to Tehran right now. Our Reza Sayah is joining us live.
Reza, if you would, what have you witnessed today? Talk to us about the size of the rallies and describe, if you would, the police posture. First of all, where are you?
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, I'm in uptown Tehran. And the answer to your question is, we haven't witnessed the rallies because earlier today the Iranian government made it very clear to us and other members of the foreign media, no more coverage of rallies and protests.
This is a major development that, obviously, poses a great challenge to CNN and other members of the foreign media. It makes our job very difficult. It was the foreign media, of course, over the past few days after election day that showed a lot of pictures of the brutal crackdown by riot police and Iran against the Mousavi supporters.
They were very critical, the government was, of these pictures describing the broadcast and the coverage as biased and one-sided. Of course, last night you had the pro-Mousavi protest where several people were killed. Again, there were pictures of some of those bodies and, essentially, the Iranian government had it today telling us and other members of the foreign media that no more coverage of live events.
We've been monitoring state-run television. Two rallies today that really created a potentially explosive situation. Rallies for pro-Ahmadinejad camp and the rally on the part of the pro-Mousavi camp. Within kilometers, miles of one another.
We are hearing that the pro-Ahmadinejad camps protests, the demonstrations condemning the pro-Mousavi supporters is winding down, but witness accounts on the ground telling CNN that Mousavi supporters that's going strong and moving towards uptown, Tony.
HARRIS: OK. Reza Sayah for us in Tehran. Reza, I appreciate it, thank you.
You know hoping to calm the country, Iran's election authority now offering to recount votes in the disputed presidential election.
CNN producer Samson Desta talked to us earlier from Tehran about the offer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: You know, we talked about this idea of a recount, Samson, and some questions are being raised as to exactly what went on on Friday, particularly how did they count 39 million hand-written ballots so quickly? And why wasn't there the level of detail in election data that typically comes out? Why didn't that come out over the weekend?
SAMSON DESTA, CNN PRODUCER (via phone): Well, that is very difficult to answer. I mean that's the question. That's the mystery and that has been the complaint from the Mousavi side is that there hasn't been any transparency, and that's why they filed this complaint to the Guardian Council, to say why is it that these votes have not been counted?
If he had 53 million ballots, where are the remaining14 million? And it's just that that they're saying needs to be looked at and a recount cannot account for 14 million ballots that are missing. Only a new election and a fair and clear transparency will uncover exactly what is taking place and how this is being done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: President Obama says the world is watching Iran and is inspired by the people's engagement in the political process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Obviously, all of us have been watching the news from Iran, and I want to start off by being very clear that it is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran's leaders will be. That we respect Iranian sovereignty and want to avoid the United States being the issue inside of Iran, which sometimes the United States can be a handy political football or discussions with the United States.
Having said all that, I am deeply troubled by the violence that I've been seeing on television. I think that the democratic process, free speech and the ability to people to peacefully dissent, all those are universal values and need to be respected.
And whenever I see violence perpetrated on people who are peacefully dissenting and whenever the American people see that, I think they're rightfully troubled.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: President Obama appearing clearly there to chooses his words very carefully when commenting on Iran. CNN senior political analyst David Gergen explains why it's a careful balancing act for the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: He does not want to inflame tensions, but as a world leader, I think it's not just what he says, it's now what he does and it's very important, if he really wants to turn the page, for him now to reach out to other leaders and other nations and to form a consensus.
So it's not just America telling Iran, but rather it's a consensus of nations that he leads and that is where he will get his strength and power and the respect that he needs because he does, he has many interests here. This is a very delicate moment for him. He can't be too weak, but he can't interfere too much and that requires a lot of balancing, a lot of finesse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Reporters are sure to raise questions about Iran when President Obama steps into the Rose Garden in about 20 minutes. He's in the Oval Office right now talking with South Korean's president, Lee Myung-Bak. Both leaders plan to take a few questions.
And still to come, a price tag on the overhaul for healthcare reform. Just how big is the bill?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Outrage in Tennessee as some want a state lawmaker to fire her legislative aide over a racist e-mail. Have you seen this? The aide sent out this collage. A photograph depicting the U.S. president. And President Obama is shown as a set of ghostly eyes on a black background.
There you go. The aide apologized, not for sending the e-mail, but for sending it to the wrong people. She received a state reprimand but will keep her job.
OK, let's hear it from you. Tell us what you think about all of this in our blog. Log on right now if you've got a moment. The address, CNN.com/newsroom.
Healthcare disparities. Do minorities get worse health care than white people? Do women get worse health care than men? We take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Well, debate is expected to begin tomorrow on one of the main healthcare reform bills under consideration in Congress. A cost analysis of the bill puts the price tag at, boy, $1 trillion, and it wouldn't cover all the uninsured.
Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar live on Capitol Hill, and boy, I would imagine that the sides are already sharpening their arguments for this debate, and it will be a hot one, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure. As soon as these numbers came out last night, Tony, it was just minutes before Republicans hit back. And the reason we're keeping such an eye on this, is this is an estimate coming from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Like you said, it puts the price tag of healthcare overhaul at more than $1 trillion and it says at just 16 million more, Americans would be insured by the end of that decade, by the end of 10 years.
And the reason you look at that 16 million number, Tony, is because the CBO also estimates that 54 million people without healthcare overhaul would be uninsured...
HARRIS: Yes.
KEILAR: ... at the end of a decade. So 16 million compared to 54 million, not really a lot, and Republicans are saying it's evidence that this plan, which is a plan actually coming from Senator Kennedy's health committee, covers too few and it cost too much.
But, Tony, I've got to tell you. The Democratic aides through that committee are pushing back on that, saying, we haven't put out our whole plan yet. We don't have anything about a public option in our plan.
We don't have anything about employers being required to pay for or contribute to the cost of health care, and they say once they get all the numbers in and their plan is complete, then the math will give us a better picture of how many people will be insured and they say they expect 97 percent of Americans would be insured by the end of the decade, not just the 16 million more, Tony.
HARRIS: OK, well, we'll see. We'll certainly be watching and following the debate. Brianna Keilar for us. Brianna, good to see you, thank you.
The color of the medical care in America is part of our week-long focus on healthcare reform. We are taking a look at racial disparities and treatments and outcomes.
Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now to talk about that.
If you would, where do you want to start, Elizabeth?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Let's start -- let's take a look at sort of comparing what doctors call outcomes and...
HARRIS: Great.
COHEN: What all of us would call just plain old what happens when a black man and a white man have heart disease. And this is really a stunning figure.
Actually, let's take a look at stroke first.
HARRIS: OK.
COHEN: Let's say a black man and a white man have a stroke, Tony. The chances that the white man is going to survive that stroke are 52 percent. The chances of that black man surviving the stroke are 25 percent. That is, obviously, a huge difference.
Also, let's look at death rates from cancer. A black person and a white person both have cancer. The death rate from cancer, in other words, the chances that those two -- chances of dying, the death rate from cancer is 40 percent higher for black men than for white men.
These are incredible statistics. We need to talk a lot about them, so hold on one second.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
COHEN: I've got to come in...
HARRIS: Well, because, as you walk over here, the question is why do we see these disparities, and I know that access to health insurance is part of the issue here. COHEN: Absolutely, because minorities are overrepresented in the group of people who don't have insurance. So you look at all the folks who don't have insurance. They -- black people, minorities, Hispanics are more likely not to have insurance.
When you don't have insurance, you don't get as good medical care. That's just the way that it goes. And your outcomes are worse, you're not as healthy. So that is a big part of it, and hopefully healthcare reform will take care of some of that.
HARRIS: Yes, I've been -- I have been living on this planet for a while now, a few decades now, and I will admit to maybe it's a bias, maybe it's an assumption, when I see a report like this, when I see these numbers, when I see these comparisons, a stroke for a black man, a stroke for a white man, and the outcomes that you're talking about, the first thing that I think, and often think about, I'll be honest about it, is there must be some racism in the system. Where am I on that? Is it even a part of the discussion?
COHEN: It is indeed a part of the discussion. And many of the people who study this issue for a living would agree with you. They would say, for example, look at white veterans and black veterans, they have the exact same insurance. You've leveled the playing field. Still, African-Americans do not do as well in many respects as white Americans.
So you're looking at people with the same health insurance. And so some people have said, gosh, maybe there is some racism going on in here. For example, I'll give you another example of a study.
HARRIS: Sure.
COHEN: Well, let me tell you what cardiologists think.
HARRIS: OK. Yes.
COHEN: When some researchers ask cardiologists, do you think that black people get medical care that is not as good as white people, 44 percent of them said yes.
HARRIS: The cardiologists said that.
COHEN: The cardiologist said that. They said that they think that black people are less likely to get the same diagnostic tests and the same treatments as white people. And there have been studies where here's what they do. This is really interesting.
They'll write up a medical dossier for someone, a medical history, and they'll say, you know, Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones, both have heart problems. They go to the emergency room with chest pain. Exact same history, except one of the histories is topped with a photo of a white guy and on the other history is topped with a photo of a black guy.
And then they say, OK, what would you do? The doctors were more likely to be aggressive with the white guy than with the black guy. HARRIS: Even if they come with the...
COHEN: Exact same problem.
HARRIS: With insurance. And...
COHEN: Exact same -- exact same everything. The only difference is the color of their skin. So there definitely are researchers who would agree with you. They don't like to use the R word.
HARRIS: Right.
COHEN: The racism word makes doctors' head spin.
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE)
COHEN: It makes everybody's head spins.
HARRIS: Yes.
COHEN: So they would more likely say things like preconceived notions.
HARRIS: Yes. But if you could get more folks insured, you would close the gap on some of these disparities, you would think.
COHEN: Yes. You would definitely think that because, again, minorities are less likely to have insurance.
HARRIS: Right.
COHEN: When you're less likely -- when you don't have insurance, your medical care isn't as good. It's just plain and simple.
HARRIS: Yes. That is pretty clear.
COHEN: Yes.
HARRIS: All right, Elizabeth, I know you're back with us next hour and we'll need some help next hour. Thank you.
Because coming up in our next hour, American Medical Association president Nancy Nielsen will join us live here in the NEWSROOM. We will find out what she feels is the best prescription for healthcare reform.
And why we heard some boos during President Obama's address yesterday. Yes. Boos. That's coming up at 12:15 Eastern Time.
And tomorrow, as we continue our week-long focus on healthcare reform, we look at how much the U.S. spends on healthcare compared to other countries.
Reading the fine print on your bills. Just doing that can save you some big money when it comes to your doctors visits. CNN's Gerri Willis joins us with the details. That's next right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know we are spending extra time on healthcare costs all week here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Today, how you can save money on a doctor or hospital visit.
Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis has tips.
Gerri, I can barely believe this one. Negotiate with your doctor? This is our doctor, for goodness sakes here. Are you kidding me? Negotiate?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Yes. Listen, OK. You have to make sure that you tell your doctor if you don't have insurance. OK? This really applies to people who don't have coverage, who don't have a lot of money to pay.
Look, your doctor may prescribe generic versions of your medicines, he may not give you as many tests to take. He or she, that is. Now if it's a hospital bill that's too expensive, you may be able to get your bill reduced by more than 50 percent, that's half, if you pay at the time of service.
That's according to "Consumer Reports." Of course, that's assuming you can't -- you have that kind of money to pay that bill.
HARRIS: Right.
WILLIS: Make sure that the person you talk to, though, is the manager of patient accounts. Look, since billing is time consuming and expensive for these outfits, there may be incentive for them to get your bill reduced so it's off the books quickly. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true.
And it can't hurt to try to negotiate a reasonable payment plan. That's always possible. Hospitals that get public money and I have to tell you, most of them do.
HARRIS: That's right.
WILLIS: They generally have funds of their own to cover uncompensated care. Did you hear that? There's money out there to help you if you don't have money to pay your hospital bill.
HARRIS: That's right. What about that hospital bill, Gerri? You know they're pretty notorious for their mistakes.
WILLIS: Right. Well, amen. You have to make sure you review that bill. Hospitals make mistakes, as you say, all the time. In fact, it's reported that as many as nine in 10 medical bills from hospitals contain some sort of error.
Here are the most common ones that you should be looking for. Incorrect dates of service, make sure you're not being charged for a room on the day you were discharged from the hospital. Most plans don't allow that.
Inflated room charges. Hey, if you're getting charged for sheets and towels, that's not right. They should be included in the basic room charge. Duplicate fees. You don't want to get charged twice for tests and procedures. You've got to make sure on your own that that's not happening.
Inflated operating room times. Whoo, this is expensive. Your hospital should have an exact record of when your surgery began and when it ended. If you do find an error, pick up the telephone, call the hospital and the physician billing office, you've to get this corrected.
You know, hey, this is not their responsibility to make sure that their bills are error free.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
WILLIS: Apparently, that's the way they feel about it. You've got to get in there and be your own advocate.
HARRIS: Oh my goodness. Boy, it's a lot of work to be engaged in the medical system at this point. I guess it's necessary.
WILLIS: Yes.
HARRIS: But let me ask you this. Is it true you -- that probably the easiest way to save on medical cost, it makes sense and it seems obvious is simply don't go to the doctor for minor things.
WILLIS: Well, I don't agree with that. OK?
HARRIS: Really?
WILLIS: I mean, what I'm saying here is, look, if you do not have insurance and you have some minor ailment, a sore throat, an ear ache, you've got to see a doctor, just go to a retail health clinic instead.
HARRIS: Yes.
WILLIS: The health clinics are everywhere. They're in big box stores and supermarkets, drug stores...
HARRIS: These are urgent cares and things like that. Yes, yes.
WILLIS: That's right. You know, and it's going to cost you less. Now there's a trade off here, OK? I mean, ultimately what you really want is an ongoing relationship with a really great primary care physician, right?
HARRIS: Right.
WILLIS: And that's going to be the kind of thing that prevents long-term chronic illnesses. But in the short-term, if you have no coverage and you really are short on dough, maybe you're unemployed, go to one of these, they call them doc-in-a-box. I know the industry isn't going to like that. But, you know, there are tradeoffs. They're typically staffed by nurses and nurse practitioners.
HARRIS: Right. Right.
WILLIS: So, you just want to make sure that you're getting some kind of care and, ultimately, you'll develop a relationship with the doctor that you see all the time.
HARRIS: Nice, Gerri, appreciate it.
WILLIS: My pleasure
HARRIS: Boy, how about -- give us the e-mail address again.
WILLIS: Sure.
HARRIS: I know folks are going to have questions on this topic and others for you.
WILLIS: Gerri@CNN.com. Easy-peasy (ph).
HARRIS: Yes.
WILLIS: Gerri@CNN.com. Send me an e-mail. We're answering your questions about these medical issues.
HARRIS: Yes.
WILLIS: The costs of them and any other wallet, pocketbook issues you have.
HARRIS: Gerri, appreciate it. Thank you.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
HARRIS: And once again, our week-long focus on healthcare continues next hour with senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. We will look at some of the reform proposals Congress is kicking around right now. And we will turn a sharp eye to a few critical points from President Obama's address to the AMA.
The nuclear standoff with North Korea is front and center at the White House as South Korea's president meets with President Obama today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, it was about several weeks ago that Chrysler went bankrupt and shut its doors. Now the automaker is getting ready to make cars again. Meanwhile, rival GM takes one step closer to emerging from Chapter 11.
Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details.
Good to see you, Susan. Work us through both of these stories. SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony. And it's good news for some folks in Detroit. No question about it. New -- the new Chrysler is reopening its first factory this week. It's the Conner Avenue assembly plant in Detroit. It employs about 115 people and it makes the Dodge Viper sports car.
I know, Mr. Harris, you know about this vehicle.
HANNITY: Oh, smooth.
LISOVICZ: It has a 600 horsepower v-10 engine and a price tag of about ninety grand. OK. Details. No other plants have been reopened yet, but this is a start. Chrysler executives have previously said most plants could restart by the end of this month.
HARRIS: Wow. That's a good-looking vehicle there.
LISOVICZ: Yes.
HARRIS: I don't know what is getting on gas mileage.
LISOVICZ: It gets about -- well, about 12 miles per hour.
HARRIS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: Yes, 12 miles...
HARRIS: Per gallon?
LISOVICZ: Yes, thank you. For urban folks who don't drive as much.
HARRIS: I can't -- I can't even look at that.
LISOVICZ: Twelve miles per gallon. Yes. In the city.
HARRIS: Twelve miles per gallon, OK. What about GM?
LISOVICZ: Miles per hour, much faster.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Yes. It's still in bankruptcy, but, you know, I'm hearing Saab, Saab was sold. Correct?
LISOVICZ: That's right. And perhaps the -- well, it's a consortium of buyers but it's led by Koenigsegg. You're familiar with this name, Tony.
HARRIS: No, no. Am I? Should I be?
LISOVICZ: It's a small, Swedish carmaker that our colleague Heidi Collins certainly is familiar with. You know, it's back to her roots.
HARRIS: OK. LISOVICZ: It makes exotic sports cars. It employs full-time staff of about 45 people and they make about 12 custom cars each year. Price tag, because it's not advertised because there are so few made said to be about between $1 million and $2.3 million. Compare that to Saab, which employs 4,000 people, makes 100,000 cars a year. Jerry Seinfeld, who is known for liking cars...
HARRIS: He's an enthusiast, yes.
LISOVICZ: ...he has a Saab convertible, and they sell for a lot less. So, anyway, we'll see how that marriage works. At least they're keeping the Swedish companies together. One thing that everybody's watching today, whether it's on Wall Street or Main Street is oil prices. Right now, up $1.50, above $72 a barrel. We're also seeing stock prices tick higher, but not by much. The Dow, after retreating by double digits yesterday is up by three points today.
HARRIS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: The NASDAQ composite is doing better. It's up half a percent.
HARRIS: So, gas prices at $3 a gallon in California. All the analysts say, all the smart people you talk to on a daily basis say, "Oh, it's not going to happen. Oh, don't worry. Oh, Tony, you fussing, fussing, fussing..."
LISOVICZ: And it's happening.
HARRIS: It's happening.
LISOVICZ: As if the folks in California don't have enough problems...
HARRIS: Enough on their plates!
LISOVICZ: ... to deal with the housing market and the budget crisis.
HARRIS: And now $3 gas. Thanks, Susan, see you next hour.
We expect to see President Obama and South Korean President Lee in the White House Rose Garden shortly. The men focusing today on the nuclear threat from North Korea. White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joining us now. Look, the constant stream of this language from North Korea -- it seems to give today's talks a bit of an urgent feel.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: There certainly is, Tony, a sense of urgency. You've heard these threats from North Korea before and also seen in the last weeks or so these nuclear tests that have happened. So it has given some pause and even alarm from this administration what is next when it comes to Kim Jong-Il. We know that they are also looking forward to a succession and who is the leader that emerges and how will the United States deal with that. These are just some of the critical issues we'll see President Obama speaking of with the president of South Korea, addressing that potential nuclear threat, how to contain that country, how to change its behavior.
One thing we actually saw last week was tough sanctions by the U.N. Security Council, that group there, the resolutions that called for intercepting ships that are suspected of having nuclear weapon materials, that kind of thing. One of the questions is, really, how much teeth do these sanctions have? How is the United States going to participate in keeping those ships from moving forward, delivering those nuclear materials to other countries? How will they inspect those ships and actually enforce that?
So far, we've heard from this administration talking about U.S. Navy ships being able to approach these ships, but not necessarily boarding the ships. So, that is one of the questions. How do you actually enforce those inspections on a broader level, as well. It's all about preventing this country from becoming a nuclear power.
There's another important issue on the table, and that is trade with South Korea. How do you actually bolster that government and that country's ability to trade with the United States so that it is a stronger ally in that region in dealing with North Korea? Tony.
HARRIS: And, Suzanne, correct me here, the expectation is that the two leaders will make statements and then there will be an opportunity to ask a few questions of the leaders.
MALVEAUX: They'll take a few questions. Usually it's two on each side. Two on the South Korean side, two on the American side. But, you know, you never know.
Beautiful day on the Rose Garden, the full set up here for a full press conference, and they may take more questions, which we are certainly hoping, because Iran, as we know, hot-button issue. We expect the president will at least want to address that. He will get questions on Iran. He'll get questions on health care. One of many different issues that this president has to deal with all at once. So, we'll see if we can get a question in.
HARRIS: I know you will. All right, at the White House, Suzanne Malveaux. Thank you.
MALVEAUX: We'll try, thanks.
HARRIS: How would Republicans handle the North Korean nuclear threat? I put that question to Senator John McCain yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Our real options are to enforce the U.N. Security Council resolutions which has got significant holes in it. We don't know if Russia and China will enforce those sanctions. Very importantly, make China understand that a key element in our relations is their influence over North Korea.
Finally, if we have to inspect North Korean ships, we should inspect North Korean ships. We know they're trying to export their technology because they need the money. But let's not get into negotiations where the object is further negotiations, and that's been the history of the Bush and now the Obama administrations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, new sanctions approved by the U.N. do not authorize nations to use force to stop and inspect North Korean ships. The North has said such action would amount to a declaration of war.
Clamp down in Iran. The government now batting all foreign journalists from covering post-election rallies. Officials also blocking access to some online communication tools. This comes as thousands of Iranians on both sides of the political divide return to the street.
This demonstration held in support of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He was declared winner by a landslide. A few blocks away, this rally showing support for challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi. He is demanding a revote, but the country's Guardian Council is offering only a partial recount of the ballots.
Meanwhile, the violence is turning deadly. Clashes between Mousavi supporters and police have escalated over the past three days. Iran's state radio says seven people were killed last night in post- election violence.
Iran election iReports keep pouring in to CNN. This one from Reza in Tehran who said, "He watched protesters set a motor bike on fire." He says the bike belonged to a member of Ahmadinejad's forces. Reza also sent us this video that shows the sheer magnitude of some of the demonstrations. And iReporter Iroz (ph) -- didn't want his last name given out -- says he took part in this silent rally yesterday afternoon in Tehran.
The massive show of unity on the streets of Iran raising new questions about what's galvanizing the opposition. CNN's Senior Editor for Middle East affairs Octavia Nasr joining us now. Octavia, let's -- we were talking about this earlier -- let's see if we can make some sense of it. I want to better understand, what is driving the opposition to rally and demonstrate in the large numbers that we are seeing. What is being said to the opposition that is bringing them about? "This election has been stolen from you," and "your votes are not been counted properly and here's why." Explain to me the here's why case.
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR EDITOR FOR MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS: Basically voters, voters who voted for Mousavi are saying "We know who we voted for, and we saw the numbers and the energy and they believe that -- take areas where he was guaranteed a win. They say even in those areas and in his own neighborhood, he didn't get the votes.
HARRIS: That's not just Mousavi. There were two other candidates who didn't even win their block. If you look at the results, they didn't win their neighborhoods. NASR: That's true. People are saying, look, it could have gone half/half. Half Ahmadinejad and half all the opposition and for it to be a landslide, that is a big question mark. So, they're questioning. They are saying they feel they were robbed out of their vote.
HARRIS: The other issue here is, I remember some of this reporting on Friday that Mousavi was declaring victory based on information he was getting from the interior ministry. Is that what the demonstrators are hearing, as well?
NASR: They're hearing that, of course, he basically declared victory.
HARRIS: Yes.
NASR: He just announced that he came out victorious in the elections, and people celebrated. A few hours later, Mr. Ahmadinejad said, no, no, I am the one who is ahead, and then the count continued until it was announced officially that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won. So supporters of Mousavi are saying, wait a minute, we won and then that was taken away from us.
Very interesting what is happening in Iran today. Because after all those massive demonstrations and some violence yesterday, pretty serious violence that we're witnessing through people just sending this material out. This is not material that is available on mainstream television in Iran. But, basically, after those demonstrations, things change. And now Iran is saying we will recount, but only the contested areas, and Mr. Mousavi and his supporters saying, no, no, that's not enough. They want...
HARRIS: You mention this information being sent out. How is this information being sent out? Your Blackberry here on the set is going crazy right now.
NASR: It is. See, it's flashing.
HARRIS: But we know that that service has been cut off through much of Iran. I want to ask the question, but I can't right now, maybe we can get back to it in the next half hour. Let's get you the Rose Garden at the White House, President Obama and South Korean President Lee.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning, everybody. President Lee on behalf of the American people, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Washington. (SPEAKING IN KOREAN).
(LAUGHTER)
LEE MYUNG-BAK, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA: Thank you.
OBAMA: I'm looking forward to continuing our conversation over lunch, and I know that First Lady Michelle Obama is very much delighted to host your wife today, as well.
The republic of Korea is one of America's closest allies. Our friendship has been forged through a history of shared sacrifice, and it is anchored in our shared Democratic values. Mr. President, I'm pleased that the friendship between our countries have only grown stronger under your leadership. We meet at a time of great challenges on the Korean peninsula.
North Korea has abandoned its own commitments and violated international law. Its nuclear and ballistic missile programs pose a grave threat to peace and security of Asia and to the world. In the face of these threats and provocations, the people of the Republic of Korea have shown a steadiness and a resolve that earned the respect of the United States and of the world.
Today President Lee and I reiterated our shared commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. We have reaffirmed the endurance of our alliance and America's commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea. We discussed the measures that we are taking with our partners in the region, including Russia, China and Japan to make it clear to North Korea that it will not find security or respect through threats and illegal weapons.
That united international front has been on full display since North Korea's ballistic missile tests in April and was further galvanized by its recent nuclear tests. On Friday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution that calls for strong steps to block North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Now, we must pursue a sustained and robust effort to implement this resolution together with our international partners. In addition to the Korean peninsula, we are committed to a global effort to pursue the goal of a world without nuclear weapons, an effort that I will be discussing later this summer in Moscow and at the G-8.
So I want to be clear that there is another path available to North Korea. A path that leads to peace and economic opportunity for the people of North Korea, including full integration into the community of nations. That destination can only be reached through peaceful negotiations that achieve the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. That is the opportunity that exists for North Korea, and President Lee and I joined with the international community in urging the North Koreans to take it.
President Lee and I also discussed our efforts to confront the global economic crisis. Earlier this year in London, we agreed on bold and sustained action to jumpstart growth and prevent a crisis like this from never happening again. Today we reaffirmed this effort, as well as our effort to resist protectionism, and to continue our close collaboration in the run up to the G-20 in Pittsburgh.
In addition to taking immediate action to put our economies on the path of recovery, both President Lee and I want to build a foundation for new prosperity. We believe the United States and the Republic of Korea could partner together on behalf of clean energy and sustainable growth, so that we're working together to build the jobs and the industries of the future.
Finally, I think it's important to note that we are releasing a joint statement laying out a shared vision for our alliance in the twenty-first century. Our friendship is often understandably focused on security issues, particularly in northeast Asia. But we're also committed to a sustained strategic partnership with the Republic of Korea on the full range of global challenges that we're facing, from economic development to our support for democracy and human rights, from nonproliferation to counterterrorism and peacekeeping. The challenges of our young century can only be met through partnership, and the United States is honored to be partner with the Korean people.
We will be resolute in the defense of our security, we will collaborate on behalf of innovation and opportunity, and we will strengthen and deepen the friendship among our people. That's our commitment as friends and allies, and I look forward to working with president Lee on behalf of a more peaceful and prosperous future in Asia and around the world. Thank you so much.
LEE: Thank you.
(through translator): Today, President Obama and I and the people of the United States have extended to us their warmest welcome and I would like to thank them sincerely. President Obama and I spent last time in April in London during the sidelines (ph) of the G-20, and today is our second meeting.
During my talks with President Obama, we had a very substantive talks. We, of course, talked about the security situation surrounding the Korean peninsula, but also about the future of our Korea/U.S. alliance and our joint vision for this future. And, of course, we have agreed on the joint vision for the future, and I think this is a testament of our common commitment. Because for the last 60 years since the Korean War, our relationship has been one of a strong security alliance and a partnership. Now the future in this new era is about not only strengthening our mutual partnership, but also working together side by side but to tackle issues of global concern. On that regard, I am extremely pleased to note that today is a meaningful and very significant day for Korea/U.S. alliance of really upgrading to a new plateau our relationship and partnership.
I take this opportunity to sincerely thank the great people of America for their selfless sacrifice in defending my people, and on behalf of the Korean people, thank you. As reiterated by President Obama, we agreed that under no circumstance are we going to allow North Korea to possess nuclear weapons. We also agreed to robustly implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874 and, of course, all parties will faithfully take part in implementing this resolution. Also, we agree that based on the firm cooperation between the U.S. and Korea, the five countries taking part in the six-party talks will discuss new measures and policies that will effectively persuade North Korea to irrevocably dismantle all their nuclear weapons programs.
President Obama reaffirmed this firm commitment toward ensuring the security of South Korea through extended deterrence, which includes the nuclear umbrella this has given the South Korean people a greater sense of security.
President Obama and I also talked about the question of T.A. (ph) and welcomed the initiation of working-level consultations to make progress on the issues surrounding the course of T.A. and agreed to make joint efforts to chart our way forward on the agreement.
I also took time to invite President Obama to visit South Korea, and I also conveyed to him with warmest gratitude on behalf of the Korean people to the people of America. Once again, I am very pleased to note that he and I engaged in very constructive discussions, and I am very pleased with the results. Once again, I thank President Obama and the people of the United States. Thank you.
OBAMA: Okay, we have time for a couple questions. Scott Wilson, The Post.
SCOTT WILSON, "THE WASHINGTON POST":Thank you, Mr. President. North Korea has said it should be recognized as a nuclear power, and it has set that as a precondition for normal relations with the United States and with other nations. Given its belligerent response to the recent sanctions and the vicious nature of its nuclear program, does your administration -- is it coming to the realization that recognizing North Korea as a country that's going to have nuclear weapons for a long time is one way to go? If so, what influences does that have on your policy options? And to President Lee, do you believe your country is currently under threat of attack from the North, given its recent rhetoric? Thank you.
OBAMA: We have continually insisted that North Korea denuclearize. The Republic of Korea agrees with this position. Other allies like Japan agree with this position. China and Russia agree with this position. The United Nations Security Council reflects this view.
We will pursue denuclearization on the Korean peninsula vigorously, so we have not come to a conclusion that North Korea will or should be a nuclear power. Given their past behavior, given the belligerent manner in which they are constantly threatening their neighbors, I don't think there's any question that that would be a destabilizing situation that would be a profound threat to not only the United States' security but world security.
North Korea also has a track record of proliferation that makes it unacceptable for them to be accepted as a nuclear power. They have not shown in the past any restraint in terms of exporting weapons to not only state actors, but also nonstate actors. So, what we've said is, is that there is a path for North Korea to take in which they are joining the world community, becoming integrated into the world economy, able to feed their own people, able to provide prosperity for their people.
I know that the Republic of Korea welcomes that kind of neighbor. And obviously, there's a strong historic bond between the Korean peoples that should be affirmed. But in order to take that path, North Korea has to make a decision and understand that prestige and security and prosperity are not going to come through the path of threatening neighbors and engaging in violations of international law.
LEE (through translator): Right now, North Korea, there was a question about whether we fear an imminent attack by North Korea. Sixty years ago, North Korea invaded South Korea, and they began a war. After that, there were numerous amount of threats leveled against South Korea ever since.
However, south Korea, we have always been very firm in our response and always prepared. And, of course, this is based firmly on the firm cooperation and partnership and alliance between Korea and the United States. And North Koreans, when they look at the firm partnership and alliance that we have between our two countries, they will think twice about taking any measures that they will regret.
And, again, this very firm alliance that we have between the United States and Korea is going to prevent anything from happening and, of course, North Korea may have -- may wish to do so, but, of course, they will not be able to do so.
ASTRUE SAMO (ph) KOREA'S YON (INAUDIBLE) AGENCY (through translator): A question going out to President Lee. North Korea said recently they will not return to the six-party talks. They have denounced the U.N Security Council resolution and said they will not give up their nuclear weapons program. Can you, sir, talk about, whether you talked about how you plan to proceed forward, and did you talk about this with President Obama?
And, of course, their continue threat emanating from North Korea, a South Korean worker has been and is still detained by the North Koreans. What are your thoughts about the maintenance of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, and did you talk about President Obama, or were there any concerns from the Americans about the industrial complex?
LEE (through translator): North Korea has been resisting, and they've reacted aggressively to the new U.N. Security Council resolution, which is quite expected. And, of course, the North Koreans may react by firing another round of missiles or taking actions. We can also expect that from them as well.
However, North Koreans must understand that they will not be able to gain compensation by provoking a crisis. This has been a pattern in the past, but this will no longer be. A firm U.S./Korea cooperation and alliance will not allow that. And the recent security council resolution is not simply about words. It is about taking follow-up action, and vigorously implementing the U.N. Security Council resolution. We will make sure that we fully implement the U.N. Security Council resolution.
Like I said, the North Koreans must understand that their past behavior will not stand. And, of course, not only the U.S./Korea close partnership, but Japan, China, and the rest of the international community will take part in this effort. And now the North Koreans will come to understand that this is different, that they will not be able to repeat the past or their past tactics as strategies. I urge the North Koreans to fully give up their nuclear weapons programs and ambitious to and become a responsible member of the international community.
With regards to the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the North Koreans authorities are demanding unacceptable demands, and we will not accept such demands being laid out by the North Koreans. Of course, the South Korean government is very much for maintaining the Kaesong Industrial Complex, because the Kaesong Industrial Complex is a channel of dialogue between the two Koreas, and also, another fact that we must not overlook is the fact that there are 40,000 North Korean workers working in the Kaesong industrial complex.
If the Kaesong Industrial Complex were to close, the 40,000 workers would lose their jobs. Therefore, I urge the North Koreans not to make any unacceptable demands, because we cannot really know what will happen if they continue on this path. And also, the North Koreans have been detaining a South Korean worker. They haven't been giving us any explanation, and also we know that there are two American journalists being currently held by the North Koreans.
I urge the North Koreans to release not only the two American journalists but also the South Korean worker, without any conditions, to release them as soon as possible. The international community is asking the North Koreans to take that path. And once again, I urge, in the strongest terms, that they release these two American journalists as well as the Korean worker being held.
OBAMA: Chip?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. President. Such a pleasant day, I was hoping you'd consent to let me have two questions. The first one, on reports that there's a new policy on intercepting North Korean ships at sea. If you could say anything about that. And are you concerned that that could provoke North Korea to new levels, higher levels of hostility?
OBAMA: Well, this is not simply a U.S. policy. This is an international policy. This was part of what the Security Council resolution calls for, is the interdiction of arm shipments. How that's going to be implemented, how we approach cooperation between various countries to enforce this is something that the United States, South Korea, China, Russia, all relevant actors, Japan, all relevant actors will be discussing in the months to come.
But I want to emphasize something that President Lee said. There's been a pattern in the past where North Korea behaves in a belligerent fashion. And if it waits long enough is then rewarded with foodstuffs and fuel and concessionary loans and a whole range of benefits.
And I think that's the pattern that they've come to expect. The message we're sending -- and when I say we, not simply the United States and the Republic of Korea, but I think the international community is -- we are going to break that pattern. We are more than willing to engage in negotiations to get North Korea on a path of peaceful coexistence with its neighbors, and we want to encourage their prosperity.
But belligerent, provocative behavior that threatens neighbors will be met with significant, serious enforcement of sanctions that are in place. And I think it may not have been fully acknowledged the degree to which we have seen much tougher sanctions voted out unanimously in fairly rapid order over the last several weeks. And I expect that that signals the degree to which we are serious about enforcement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And secondly, Mr. President, tomorrow you're going to be rolling out your financial regulation plan. I know you're not going to want to step all over what you're going to say tomorrow. However, we do know from your advisors that you plan to recommend the creation of a new agency, the consumer financial protection agency, so you'll have the CFPA, you've got the Fed, the SEC, the FDIC and on and on. It's like alphabet soup. Why did you decide not to consolidate agencies, but instead to add to the agencies? Isn't too many agencies part of the problem?
OBAMA: You're right, I don't want to step on my announcement tomorrow. So, let me just speak in broad principles, and then tomorrow you'll have a chance to ask questions of the administration about exactly what we've proposed. The broad principle is that a lack of oversight, a series of regulatory gaps allowed financial institutions -- not just banks, but nonbank institutions, to engage in wild risk taking that didn't simply imperil those institutions, but imperiled the United States economy and had a profound recessionary effect on the world economy.
We have to make sure that we've got an updated regulatory system that hasn't been significantly changed since the 1930s to deal with enormous global capital flows and a range of new instruments and risk- taking that has been very dangerous for the American people. We are going to put forward a very strong set of regulatory measures that we think can prevent this kind of crisis from happening again. We expect that Congress will work swiftly to get these laws in place. I want to sign them, and we want to get them up and running.
And I think when you see the overall approach that we're taking, you'll see that we have not added a whole host of regulatory agencies. In fact, there's going to be streamlining and consolidation and additional overlap so you don't find people falling through the gaps, whether it's on the consumer protection side, the investor protection side, the systemic risk that we need to make sure is avoided. On all those issues, it's going to be a much more effectively integrated system than previously.
But it's going to be, as usual, a heavy lift, because there are going to be people who want to keep on taking these risks, counting on U.S. taxpayers to bail them out if their bets go bad. And you'll hear a lot of chatter about "We don't need more regulation, government needs to get off our backs." There's a short memory, unfortunately, and I think that that's what some of the special interests and lobbyists are counting on that somehow we've forgotten the disaster that arose out of their reckless behavior. And I'm going to keep on reminding them so we make sure we get something in place that prevents this kind of situation from happening again.
(INAUDIBLE ID) (through translator): Question going out to President Obama. You spoke about how the two leaders -- you agreed to move forward the course of T.A. However, in certain segments here in the United States, there are calls that are resistant to the course of T.A. because of (INAUDIBLE) issues and others. And of course, there are calls for proponents of the course of T.A. When do you expect to submit the course of T.A. Are you willing to submit it sometime this year?
OBAMA: Well, the -- one of the things President Lee and I discussed in London, not just bilaterally, but with other world leaders, is the importance, at a time when the global economy has been devastated by recession, that we do not resort to protectionist measures. That we continue to affirm the importance of free trade between countries in order to increase everyone's prosperity.
Now, as you know, trade negotiations are always difficult. Between any country. Because although over time, trade can increase prosperity for all, in the short term, various industries want to know how this is going to affect them. In Korea, there are issues of beef imports. In the United States, there are questions as to whether there are sufficient reciprocity with respect to cars. These are all understandable, legitimate issues for negotiation. What I've done is to affirm to President Lee that we want to work constructively with the Republic of Korea in a systematic way to clear some of these barriers that are preventing free trade from occurring between our two countries.
Once we have resolved some of the substantive issues, then there is going to be the issue of political timing and when that should be presented to Congress. But I don't want to put the cart before the horse. I don't know if that's an expression in Korean, but we want to make sure the -- a agreement that I feel confident is good for the American people, that President Lee feels confident is good for the Korean people, before we start trying to time when we would present it. But I am committed to moving forward on a path that will increase commercial ties that are already very strong between our two countries.
OK? Thank you very much, everybody.
(INAUDIBLE)
Well, they - I was only - let's see. I think seven hours ago, or eight hours ago when I had said before that I have deep concerns about the election. And I think that the world has deep concerns about the election. You've seen in Iran some initial reaction from the supreme leader that indicates he understands the Iranian people have deep concerns about the election.
It's not productive, given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations to be seen as meddling -- the U.S. president meddling in Iranian elections. What I will repeat, and what I said yesterday is that when I see violence directed at peaceful protesters, when I see peaceful dissent being suppressed, wherever that takes place, it is of concern to me and it's of concern to the American people. That is not how government should interact with their people. And my hope is that the Iranian people will make the right steps in order for them to be able to express their voices, to express their aspirations. I do believe that something has happened in Iran where there is a questioning of the kinds of antagonistic postures toward the international community that have taken place in the past. And there are people who want to see greater openness, and greater debate and want to see greater democracy. How that plays out over the next several days and several weeks is something ultimately for the Iranian people to decide, but I stand strongly with the universal principle that people's voices should be heard and not suppressed.
OK. Thank you, guys.
