Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

General McChrystal Ordered to White House; Moratorium on Deepwater Drilling; Drawdown in Iraq; Reaction from Capitol Hill to McChrystal's Remarks; Training Bodyguards to Protect Against Mexican Cartels

Aired June 22, 2010 - 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: We have a hot one for you.

Good morning, everyone. Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the big stories for Tuesday, June 22nd.

The president's Afghanistan war commander -- have you heard this one? -- painted as a runaway general in a new "Rolling Stone" profile. The article may have put General Stanley McChrystal's job in jeopardy.

A small American town says it is doing what Washington politicians won't. A new law in Fremont, Nebraska, bars illegal immigrants from homes and jobs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They should be legal just like we have to be.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it's right for us to just take it on. I think it should be a government-wide thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are we allowing illegals to be here?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

Those stories and your comments right here, right now, in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Let's get to it. This is hot.

First, the president orders his top war commander in Afghanistan to the White House to explain. General Stanley McChrystal and top staffers are quoted in an unflattering and sometimes profane interview in "Rolling Stone" magazine. One unnamed McChrystal aide says the general took charge of the war "by keeping his eye on the real enemy: the wimps in the White House."

McChrystal's direct quotes appear less critical and inflammatory. He says he was disappointed by his first Oval Office meeting with the president. Another sit-down with him got him a dressing down for publicly demanding more troops. Quoting here, "I found that time painful. I was selling an unsellable position."

"Rolling Stone" editor Eric Bates in the CNN NEWSROOM this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC BATES, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "ROLLING STONE": I think the important thing about these comments isn't just that he made them, and the issues that that raises about judgment, but that these comments show a deep division, really a war within the administration over the war itself and over the strategy. That war has been going on since the beginning over the troop escalation, and it continues very clearly between the military side and the diplomatic side. And it's very hard to see how we can win a war when we're divided ourselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK. Let's talk to CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr, who as the Pentagon, of course for us, and our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.

Barbara, let's start with you.

How did this article even come about? And what is General McChrystal saying here?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, by all accounts, General McChrystal and his staff allowed Michael Hastings, this writer for "Rolling Stone," to travel with them for some period of days and weeks earlier this year. And Mr. Hastings got extraordinary access and reported it, by all accounts, accurately.

General McChrystal is not challenging the accuracy of this article, not challenging statements from some of his own senior aides that were disparaging of the president of the United States. General McChrystal issuing an apology, saying, "I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened. Throughout my career I have lived by the principles of professional honor and integrity."

What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard. The question on the table now, Tony, of course, what happens next at the White House meeting?

There are two schools of thought emerging. No one is calling for General McChrystal's resignation, ,but it could happen. The question is whether President Obama will still have full confidence in him.

Other people are making the case that, you know, General McChrystal is so vital to the war effort, no one else can do the job. You'll recall Defense Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, fired the previous guy, General McKiernan, and put McChrystal in place because they said they had to have him. Now this very embarrassing incident -- Tony. HARRIS: All right. Just to be clear here, at this point General McChrystal is accepting responsibility for these comments and he, at least at this point, is not distancing himself from the one statement here from an aide that the general took charge of the war "by keeping his eye on the real enemy: the wimps in the White House"?

STARR: Well, let's be clear. All we have heard from General McChrystal is the formal apology statement that he put out over night from Afghanistan, the one we just read. Very telling in that.

He does not dispute the accuracy of anything in the article, and I don't think one would expect him to. He's just basically taking it square on, saying that he takes responsibility for what has happened here.

But, look, there is deafening silence across Washington right now from the president, from the secretary of defense, from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and from General David Petraeus. All of these people watching it very carefully, no one speaking publicly one way or the other.

There has been a statement of support on Capitol Hill from Senator John Kerry for General McChrystal to remain on the job -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. We're going to get to that in just a second.

Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us.

Barbara, appreciate it.

Let's bring in our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.

And Suzanne, my question to you is, we talked a moment ago about deafening silence. I'm wondering, is the White House reacting to this in any way publicly at this point?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly one of the things that we know from the White House, from senior administration officials, is that this apology from General McChrystal certainly isn't good enough, at least is not good enough yet. We know that the White House has this apology in its hands, but the president himself wants General McChrystal here in person.

He's been summoned to the White House for the meeting that was previously scheduled, as you know, dealing with Afghanistan and Pakistan. He's going to be in a room with the commander in chief, with his peers, with the secretaries of State, Defense, as well as national security, some of those very people that were criticized in that article.

A senior administration official putting it kind of in very strong terms, saying to me that, "McChrystal has been directed to attend tomorrow's monthly meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan in person rather than appear over secure video teleconference to explain to the Pentagon and the commander in chief his quotes in the piece about his colleagues."

And it should be noted, Tony, "commander in chief." That it is a reminder to General McChrystal and anybody who might have forgotten that President Obama is his boss. And so, it could be very well his job on the line.

But I should also tell you as well that we know that General McChrystal has reached out to a number of people, Barbara Starr reporting that, whether it's the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whether it's the secretary of Defense, a number of his colleagues. What we have not been able to get here at the White House is whether or not he has reached out directly to the president, whether or not they have had a conversation, and whether or not the president has accepted his apology.

This White House is completely mum on that particular issue, on that question. I think what we're seeing here, Tony, is this thing still has to play out. It's got to play out in the next 24 hours here, and, you know, it will be very interesting to see that face-to- face meeting, if General McChrystal is sitting across from President Obama one-on-one before that meeting in the Situation Room, and whether or not the president accepts the explanation, the apology, whatever's going to come from General McChrystal. How that goes will impact whether or not he keeps his job.

HARRIS: Wouldn't we all like to be a fly on the wall in that room tomorrow?

MALVEAUX: Well, we will be keeping a close eye on what's going to happen.

HARRIS: Yes, I know you will.

All right. Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us.

Good to see you, Suzanne. Thank you.

As you might expect, the "Rolling Stone" interview is stirring up a lot of chatter. In official Washington, one veteran senator says everybody should just chill out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: He's a terrific soldier, and this is a critical moment in Afghanistan. And as far as I am concerned personally, the top priority is our mission in Afghanistan and our ability to proceed forward competently.

It will be up to the president of the United States as commander in chief to make the decision as to whether or not he and his national security staff feel that they can do that, but my impression is that all of us would be best served by just backing off and staying cool and calm and, you know, not sort of succumbing to the normal Washington twitter about this for the next 24 hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: OK, good luck with that.

"Rolling Stone" magazine writer Michael Hastings will join Rick Sanchez in the CNN NEWSROOM today. The interview, live from Kandahar, Afghanistan, set for 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

And, of course, we are going to go blogging on this one.

What do you think about the remarks from General Stanley McChrystal and his top aides? And how should the president handle this situation?

If you would, just go to CNN.com/Tony, leave us your thoughts on this, and we will share some of your responses a little later in the hour.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Day 64 in the oil disaster. A judge in New Orleans may rule as early as today on whether to lift the federal government's moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

So, what exactly does the moratorium mean?

Ines Ferre to break it down for us -- Ines.

INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony.

So, it's a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling that began last month. And what's considered deepwater drilling? Well, more than 500 feet deep, and it's affecting some 33 exploratory rigs.

So, companies that have permits for exploratory drilling but haven't started yet will not be allowed to start drilling. And in cases where drilling has already started, they are forced to delay or stop the drilling. And also, there won't be any processing of new applications for permits for six months.

Now, what it won't affect are approximately 590 producing wells in deep water. So deepwater production continues, but new deepwater drilling stops -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK, Ines. Appreciate it.

The moratorium has the country, as you know, split right now, some saying the plan will only hurt the Gulf's economy even more. Others say that the country can't afford to risk another spill.

Joining me now is someone fiercely against the moratorium. Shane Guidry owns Harvey Gulf International Marine, a marine transportation company in the Gulf.

Shane, good to see you.

If you would, tell me what it is your company does. Where are you in this oil/gas ecosystem?

SHANE GUIDRY, PRESIDENT, HARVEY GULF INTERNATIONAL MARINE: Well, Tony, we service all deep water in the Gulf of Mexico with our supply boats. We bring all the cargo it takes to drill that well, as well as back-load the cargo that has to come back to the land. And we also have the large vessels that tow the rigs from one location to another.

HARRIS: OK. I've got a couple of pretty tough questions for you. And I'm not trying to be hard on you. I just want to understand this better so you can explain it to me better, which will help, I think, all of our understanding of this issue.

The industry says there is no evidence that the drilling poses a threat to the Gulf. I guess a lot of people would be willing to accept that proposition if we weren't looking at all of the oil and the tar balls on the beaches, and if we had a better idea of why the blowout preventer on the Deepwater Horizon rig failed.

Do you know why it failed?

GUIDRY: You know, I don't know exactly why it failed, as no one else does. But all indications lead to human error.

HARRIS: Is that what you believe right now?

GUIDRY: From what I've talked to in the industry, and people that have actually worked with Transocean on the rig, yes, I believe that human error has occurred. I believe there was a confrontation that day on the rig between BP and Transocean about what to continue doing with the well, and that's why we're talking about this today.

HARRIS: So, what is the real problem with the moratorium here? Is the concern here for oil companies, people who do what you do, that the government, in this time period for examination and review, is going to come back and ask for fixes to the industry, say, to old wells that companies ultimately will claim are unnecessary and too expensive?

GUIDRY: Well, there's two concerns. The first concern is the commission the president chose has nobody from our industry on it. So, there is nobody with real experience off shore in drilling wells, or has any knowledge what a drill floor looks like, let alone what a derrick can lift. So, that's one concern we have, and the president needs to really consider putting people that understand how drilling works off shore to work with that commission to make it a better place to work and save the environment.

And the second part of the moratorium is that we have no inkling as to what this commission is going to come up with. You hear relief well, you hear a second (INAUDIBLE), you hear two BOPs.

Well, before you make those kind of statements, you have to understand what these rigs can actually handle by way of additional equipment before you even consider converting something. So, you've got 33 rigs drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. If only 50 percent of them can handle the new regulations without drilling a relief well, then 16 of them are leaving the Gulf forever, they can't come back. And those other rigs around the world that want to possibly come here in the future and drill can't because they won't be able to meet the regulations.

HARRIS: To your first point, do you believe that the commission that the president has set up is stacked against the industry? Is that what you're saying?

GUIDRY: I'm convinced it's stacked against the industry, yes. I mean, he should have somebody that's retired from Shell or Exxon, or Total, somebody from a big oil company who understands how drilling works, as well as drilling contracts, as well as somebody from the service side, a boat company, Schlumberger, Halliburton. It should be 50 percent made up of his team, 50 percent made up of the industry, so that we can all get together collectively and make a good recommendation for the president.

HARRIS: OK. And Shane, to your second point, I've heard several points suggesting the industry overall has invested far more money in drilling and extracting technologies than in safety technologies.

First of all, is that true? And wouldn't the industry and some of these rigs that you're talking about be better served by upgrading its operations and perhaps providing more safety measures to the operation?

GUIDRY: You know, once again, it depends what that thought process is. And I'm sure if we all got together with the group I was just telling you about, and we put our heads together, we'd come up with a better and a safer way to drill.

But I can tell you, just from my own company's standpoint, that working for Shell and Total and BP and Exxon, I mean, they really pound on us daily, weekly, monthly, yearly about safety. We spend a lot of money as a small company, about $4 million a year, just on safety.

HARRIS: Is the industry -- well, some parts of the industry -- saying to us all, in effect, we can't wait out a six-month safety moratorium and have the industry overall pay its people before drilling is allowed to resume in the sites where the money has already been invested? Can't the industry take care of this on its own and its people?

GUIDRY: You know, here's the concern. You have a six-month moratorium in place. Then, at the end of the six months, you have the conversion time it's going to take to convert these rigs.

You have to find shipyards to bring rigs. You have to find workers to do the work. You have to fabricate equipment, then install it.

So, this moratorium turns from six months to 12, to 18 or 24, depending on availability of equipment, fabrication yards, shipyards. So, the moratorium is not just six months, and that's the concern we all have. We don't know what that end in sight for us is. And the president, still, today, has not come on TV and said at the end of six months, we will have a plan in place. It's always at least since six months or when the commissions get it done.

HARRIS: Yes. But, Shane -- last question -- how much time does it take to take down a rig operation, move it, pack it up, so to speak, and move it to a new location, and build it out again?

GUIDRY: You know, it depends what part of the drilling program that you're at. But usually it takes about 10 days to shut a rig down, and five days to move it and five days to set it back up. So, it could take anywhere from 15 to 20 days. It depends on the location, how much wire chain they've got to put out, water depth.

HARRIS: OK. Shane, good to talk to you. Thanks for your time.

GUIDRY: Thanks for having me.

HARRIS: Yes. No, that's a good conversation. Thank you.

Seventy-one days and counting now. The drawdown in Iraq is under way. We are taking you to the epicenter of this massive logistical operation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: U.S. combat operations in Iraq are scheduled to end in about 10 weeks. Between now and then, 42,000 troops will ship out, along with a country full of military hardware. It is a massive operation, most of it moving through one place.

Our Frederik Pleitgen is at the center of it all.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Contingency Operating Base Adder in southern Iraq, it's plain to see America's drawdown from Iraq is in full swing as the military ships a lot of its gear out of the country.

(on camera): This is the main staging area, Contingency Operation Base Adder. And in the coming months, as America's drawdown from Iraq accelerates, hundreds more convoys like this one will be leaving this place.

(voice-over): Without soldiers like Captain Smiley Garcia, all of this would come to a screeching halt. He oversees the largest fuel farm in Iraq capable of holding more than six million gallons of gas at any time.

CAPT. SMILEY GARCIA, U.S. ARMY: It's vital. Fuel is the lifeblood of all operations out here. So, without fuel, your transportation and trans-assets and everything just will end up shutting down without fuel. It's the lifeblood. PLEITGEN: Adder is the focal point of America's drawdown. According to the U.S. military, about 75 percent of the equipment leaving the country will go through here. And so, as other bases are shut down, the U.S. is expanding this one, building additional housing units and infrastructure to accommodate the move.

Meanwhile, logistics experts are moving everything that's not absolutely essential to America's mission out of the country. According to the military, more than 94,000 pieces of equipment have already been sent back to the U.S.

MAJ. JON LUST, U.S. ARMY: For us, it's anywhere between two and four weeks from the moment that we identify it to the time when it can be turned in and available to move out.

PLEITGEN: The U.S.' combat mission is due to end on August 31st, but some base us will remain operational beyond that point, like this outpost called Joint Security Station War (ph), where American soldiers will continue living and working with Iraqi security forces. But in the coming months, the main focus will be on this massive logistical operation that signals a new chapter in America's engagement in Iraq.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Nebraska voters make their own statement about illegal immigration.

We're back in a moment.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: You know, it is just one small town, but Fremont, Nebraska, is the latest community to show its frustration with federal immigration law. Fremont voters have approved a measure that essentially bars illegal immigrants from the town.

Wow.

CNN's Ines Ferre is here.

How would this work?

FERRE: Yes. Well, this is basically a ban on hiring or renting property to illegal immigrants, Tony. And the ordinance that was voted on last night requires employers to check their workers' immigration status through the national e-verify database. And for landlords, it means occupants will need an occupancy permit provided by the police department.

And Fremont has about 25,000 residents. Less than 10 percent are Hispanic, but many of those Latinos moved there in recent years, attracted by meat-packing jobs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They should be legal just like we have to be.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it's right for us to just take it on. I think it should be a government-wide thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are we allowing illegals to be here? If there are laws against illegals, then the laws need to be upheld.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's sad that it's divisive in our community, and I think it's sad that -- when something that is a national issue comes down to being divisive in a community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FERRE: And opponents say that the measure will cause discrimination and cost the city in litigation.

And Kristen Ostrom ran a campaign against the measure, and this is what she told Brooke Baldwin this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTEN OSTROM, OPPOSES IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE: It's a cost to Fremont economically, as well as increased conflict in the community. And giving permission for a hostile environment for Hispanics who are citizens and legal immigrants.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FERRE: Also, supporters say they don't want to become a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. And Kris Kobach is an attorney running for Kansas secretary of state, and this is what he said earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) .

KRIS KOBACH, HELPED DRAFT IMMIGRATION MEASURE: The ordinance expressly says that there can be no distinctions based on a person's race. It is completely race-neutral.

And furthermore, she is making a rather interesting claim about her fellow citizens, that somehow they are making racial judgments. That is not true at all. And as far as the cost of defending this, we just learned that the city has already been assured by its insurance carrier that the taxpayers won't have to pay for the cost of defending this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FERRE: Minutes aft election, results were announced. The Nebraska ACLU vowed to sue as quickly as possible. And similar ordinances in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, also in Farmers Branch, Texas, Tony, those are still being challenged.

HARRIS: You know, I'm curious, did you say 25,000 people?

FERRE: Twenty-five thousand people.

HARRIS: What's the unemployment rate there? Do we know?

FERRE: Yes. In May, it was 4.9 percent unemployment, well below other cities.

HARRIS: OK. Ines, appreciate it. Thank you.

I've got to tell you, it's been a pretty tough, rough week for weather in the U.S. Reynolds Wolf will join us next with a look at what we can expect today.

There's the man.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Reynolds Wolf is in the severe weather center. We'll get to him in just a second. But these pictures, how about this? A pretty violent start to summer. This is southern Wisconsin.

Reynolds, we're talking about a tornado here. Look at the damage, ripping through the town of Eagle. We understand power is out to thousands of people. As many as six homes flattened. The fire chief here really composed, particularly with what he's about to say.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JUSTIN HEIM, EAGLE, WISCONSIN FIRE DEPARTMENT: Probably five or six homes that have been completely demolished, including my own.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your own house was leveled?

HEIM: Yes, absolutely. Yes

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you home at the time?

HEIM: My family was. I was actually here at the fire station.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How is your family doing?

HEIM: They're doing fine. They're doing very well. They're obviously traumatized by the incident. But, given the circumstances, they're reacting very normal to an abnormal situation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That must be very difficult for you. You want to be with them but you've got a whole village to worry about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Yes, how about that? And kudos to the reporter for listening as the chief was talking through his own personal story there in the midst of all of the suffering that's going on in that community.

How are things shaping up today, in terms of storms, the potential for storms and maybe even tornadoes?

WOLF: It's back again. Wait until you see it again. You'll find it interesting, too, Tony, that we've seen this happening over the last five days or so. Same region, too, much of the Midwest into the Great Lakes. We've seen the storms flare up. This morning has really been no exception.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Still to come, protecting Mexico's top brass from the cartels. You need guts to be a bodyguard in Mexico. But that's not enough. We are learning more from inside a training facility across the border.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Kill or be Killed. Words to live by for bodyguards in Mexico. Our Karl Penhal went to a training facility for bodyguards brave enough to take on the cartels.

We'll take a look at Karl's piece, and as you can see he's here in studio with me, and we'll talk to him in just a moment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The enemy operates in the shadows. There are no front lines and no holds barred. So lesson one from security specialist Mario Falcone is simple. Kill or be killed.

MARIO FALCONE, MEXICAN SECURITY SPECIALIST (through translator): Cold blood, speed, and accuracy WILL determine whether you stay alive.

Penhaul: His students are training bodyguards, some civilians, others are military. Their task, protect business leaders, politicians, and military top brass. Drills begin with replica Beretta pistols firing BBs.

FALCONE: You never know what moment you are going to die but the assassin knows exactly the time and the place.

PENHAUL: This is (INAUDIBLE) and since early this year has become one of Mexico's most brutal battlegrounds. The Gulf cartel and its former hit squad known as the Zetas, have split. Now they're fighting each other along the border and down the Gulf Coast. Security forces have been infiltrated, too. It's a war where no one can be trusted. On foot or in vehicles, Falcone is teaching his bodyguards to protect their clients from the ever present danger of kidnapping or assassination.

FALCONE: React like an animal, act like an animal, and defend yourself like an animal.

PENHAUL: Most of all, he advises them, be ruthless.

FALCONE: You have to be ready to kill somebody to protect your client. To die in the line of duty is sad. To kill somebody in the line of duty is harsh, but it's much better.

PENHAUL: Karate expert Falcone may have some first hand insight into the narco hit man's mind. In the past he's trained members of police special operations and SWAT units. Later many of them went rogue and joined the cartels, especially the Zetas.

FALCONE: Since 1997, I've trained maybe 2,500 or 3,000 police. And some are still in the police. Some have left and others may have changed sides.

PENHAUL: For his own security, he declines to be more explicit. These are wanted posters for suspected Zetas. They're reputed to be a squad of well armed, highly trained mercenaries.

FALCONE: The key to being a hit man doesn't depend on how well he is trained but on his moral values. Many times a hit man is young, has no moral values and maybe they're high on drugs.

PENHAUL: Fellow instructor and former police officer Arturo Rubio has a more humorous philosophy for the faint hearted.

ARTURO RUBIO, MEXICAN BODYGUARD INSTRUCTOR: If there's a lot of them, run. If there's a few, hide. If there's nobody, then charge, my brave comrades.

PENHAUL: It's the last day of training. Live fire. Both eyes wide open, on the move. Impressive maneuvers. But will this really be enough?

(on camera): This is just a shooting gallery, but the reality is when these bodyguards hit the streets, they'll likely be outnumbered and outgunned by drug traffickers who are better funded and better armed. If the bullets start to fly, lesson one could be the only one that counts. Kill or be killed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Amazing. Karl Penaul joining us in studio now.

Carl, my friend, you have one of the best jobs, one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. You clearly relish it. It is good to see you, my friend, in one piece. Welcome to the program.

When you look at Mexico, it appears to be more and more militarized every day. We know you can't win Mexico back simply with guns and bullets. So what is being done by government officials, on the national level, in communities to try to win back the hearts and minds of Mexicans who are simply trying to stay in their lane, live their lives, and raise their children as law-abiding citizens?

PENHAUL: That's a great question. I hadn't thought about it until you put it to me. The national government on the one hand, and state governments really aren't going to full-blown admission that this is an out and out war, which in certain parts of the country it absolutely is. And that's left a vacuum that nobody is doing the hearts and minds of you're expecting the traditional kind of counterinsurgency. But that leaves the role open then for the cartels to do that on their side. They are trying to win hearts and minds.

It comes around to Christmas, and you hear the top drug leaders going around, giving toys out to the kids. If there are poor families, the drug (INAUDIBLE) are going out and giving food to poor families. If they have a cartel member that gets killed, they're paying up to $20,000 to that young man's family if he gets shot in a shoot-out. And they're also providing jobs. So if you've got a kid who's doing a dead end job in a factory for $50 a week, the cartel will come along and say, hey, here's $20 a day and sneakers. You stand on the street corner and you keep a lookout for us. So it's the cartels that are doing that hearts and minds job.

HARRIS: Talk to us about how palpable the sense of danger of imminent violence is in the parts of Mexico you've been visiting recently.

PENHAUL: A city called (INAUDIBLE), just to put that in perspective, it's 10 minutes into Texas, and it's 20 minutes to the downtown cemetery. That's how close that drug war is to Texas, for example. And in terms of palpable it is, in a city of 500,000 people, you'd expect you'd get lost in the mass there. You cannot.

When we were there, we were there for about six days. Every move we took was under the scrutiny of the cartel. The dominant cartel there right now is the Gulf cartel. And how does that manifest itself? Young man on foot, two or three at a time, typical attire, baseball caps, typically with shiny sequins on. They make no mistake, they don't try to blend in, they're not trying to hide.

They're trying to show you that they are there and they're on your shoulder. If you then go in a vehicle, then they're following you in pick-up trucks, usually with no license plates, almost always with tinted window screens. From time to time they'll roll down the window screen and they'll show you they're communicating with walkie- talkies. They want you to see that they're there.

HARRIS: OK. And one more quick one here. We're getting word that some of the cartel members are actually making threats against government officials in Arizona.

Are you hearing, this as well?

PENHAUL: Absolutely. And this is the danger. This is the natural progression. And this is what the U.S. is obviously concerned about. Obviously they're concerned about the Mexican citizens, but they don't want spillover.

But, as the Mexicans taking more and more control of the drug trade, and they certainly are because they've more of the control of shipping and transport from the Colombian cartels. And in the U.S., they're taking more control over local gangs and street gangs. They're taking back distribution because that's where they can make more money, as well.

So the Mexican cartels are getting stronger on U.S. soil and they're going to use the tactics that have worked so well for them in Mexico. That's threats, intimidation, and killing. And there's the danger for the U.S.

HARRIS: Awesome reporting. Stay safe. Good to see you, Karl.

PENHAUL: Thanks.

HARRIS: Back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Just a quick reminder here before we get to another quick break. The president holding a health care event. The event surrounding health insurance. It's from the Roosevelt Room and it's scheduled to begin any moment now. When we see the president, we'll take you to the Roosevelt Room for those remarks, here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So we are putting America's classrooms under the microscope for three days this week in our series "Education: The Next Generation." Next hour, a group of men who were inspired to teach after a summer of mentoring.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON CORLEY, FREEDOM SCHOOLS TEACHER: he thing that really draws me in is that as black males, we have a huge impact on the kids we teach. And we -- they really gravitate to us. And they really just are engaged by the conversations we hold. And so I think that if there are more of us, then we will create more black teachers and more dynamic black males in the classroom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: You will hear more of their conversation with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Let's get to our senior Congressional correspondent Dana Bash now. And Dana, I know that you were following reaction on Capitol Hill to the explosive article and the interview with General McChrystal in "Rolling Stone" magazine.

What are you hearing?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A lot of concern, as you can imagine. A lot of concern among the senators, especially, whose job it is to oversee the Military.

We've just talked to several members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, including the chairman, Carl Levin, who called General McChrystal's comments troubling. He said he read the entire lengthy "Rolling Stone" article. And what he said to Senator Levin is that what he noticed is that there are not policy differences at least that are apparent between General McChrystal and the Obama administration, but instead personality differences.

However, what Senator Levin said is that, that still matters and it is still obviously -- from his perspective -- a big deal. He stopped short of saying that he believed that General McChrystal should resign. In fact, he simply said, and this is what many, many senators said, that is up to the Commander in Chief, the president, to decide whether or not General McChrystal should step down.

But a lot of concern -- that is coming from a Democrat and also from some Republicans and Independents. In fact, the ranking Republican, John McCain, of that committee, put out a statement, along with Joe Lieberman,. Independent of Connecticut, and Lindsay Graham, of South Carolina, who said virtually the same thing as the Democratic chairman. He said that General McChrystal's comments were inappropriate and inconsistent with the traditional relationship between Commander in Chief and the Military.

So you are seeing I think a lot of these senators biting their tongue, waiting for the president to make a decision, waiting for him to actually meet face-to-face with General McChrystal. But to put it bluntly, they are not happy.

HARRIS: Boy, this really feels like a -- and your reporting for me confirms it -- this really feels like a difficult moment, Dana.

BASHARRIS: It is. And what Senator Levin said, and I asked him this weekend at the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, I asked him if he thinks that regardless of this would undermine the policy in Afghanistan, which many people -- obviously, it's very tenuous. And many people are really rooting for Democrats and Republicans to succeed. He said he fears that this incident would potentially undermine the policy, and that is one of the problems that is borne out of the quotes and the information in this "Rolling Stone" article.

HARRIS: It's powerful stuff. All right. Our senior Congressional correspondent Dana Bash for us.

Dana, thank you. Black men inspired to teach after mentoring African-American kids in the classroom. Their revealing discussion with Education Secretary Arne Duncan. That is coming up next hour in part two of my series, "Education: Next Generation."

Also ahead, your cup of coffee possibly protecting you against head and neck cancers. Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen will join me with the findings of a new study.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)