Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Targeting Terrorists in Pakistan; Southern Freeze; 'The Big Play'; Panama City Press Conference; President Obama Announces Afghanistan Review Conclusions

Aired December 16, 2010 - 11:01   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the news and information you need for Thursday, December 16th.

The security guard who ended the Florida school board shooting rampage, live this hour.

Snow, freezing rain, sleet, ice, a little bit of everything making a slippery mess across several states today.

And a live nativity scene comes alive with a real life birth. One of the stars of the Christmas show, a goat, welcomes a baby to the manger.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

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

The U.S. is making strides in defeating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but the gains are fragile and challenges remain. Still, a new report being released today says some U.S. troops could begin coming home next year.

We will hear from President Obama this hour about the assessment. The report cites significant progress in disrupting and dismantling the Pakistan-based leadership of al Qaeda. And that has diminished its ability to carry out terror attacks. It says progress in the U.S. relationship with Pakistan has been "substantial, but also uneven."

Despite the challenges, the report says the U.S. is setting conditions to begin a responsible, conditions-based U.S. troop reduction in July of 2011.

Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence is live from Islamabad.

And Chris, when it comes to rooting out terrorists, the report says the relationship with Pakistan has been uneven. What does that mean?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, it's a nice word, it's a clean word, basically saying -- of the U.S. saying that Pakistan hasn't done everything it wants them to do in order to root out some of these safe havens. Because what this report really makes clear is that no matter what American troops do on the Afghanistan side of the border, in that fight, the situation will never be completely resolved until action is taken with some of these militant save havens on this side, the Pakistani side of the border.

The U.S., in this report, says that Pakistan -- credits Pakistan with going after about six of the areas where extremists are in the tribal region, but they point out in this report as well, the one that's left out is north Waziristan. The U.S. has been pushing for some time, because they feel that's where the extremists are massing up, getting re-supplied, planning attacks, and then coming over the border to fight in Afghanistan.

HARRIS: So, Chris, what can the U.S. do practically to persuade the Pakistanis to do more to stop the extremists from flowing over the border to fight in Afghanistan?

LAWRENCE: Well, it's interesting, Tony. You know, being here in Islamabad, and seeing it sort of from this side, you see sort of somewhat divergent interests. What may be good for the U.S. may not be what's good for Pakistan.

The U.S. would like them to take action as quickly as possible to stop the militants from coming over, but Pakistan, what they're seeing here are militants all over the country, in different areas, and they feel that -- some of the authorities here feel that those militants in other parts of the country are more directly targeting the Pakistani government, targeting the internal security of the country, whereas some officials feel the extremists in north Waziristan are mostly focused on fighting over the border in Afghanistan. So, interests sort of diverging.

So what would the U.S. do? Probably just have to wait it out.

At this point, Pakistan has already committed over about 140,000 troops to the border area. Some officials here feel they're just stretched too thin, do not have the manpower to mount a successful attack on the al Qaeda network and in some of those extremists in north Waziristan. And as one U.S. defense official said, that the worst possible scenario would be for Pakistan to go in when they're not really prepared to do so, attack the Haqqani network, and lose -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. All right.

Our Pentagon correspondent, Chris Lawrence, in Islamabad, Pakistan, for us.

Chris, thank you.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Pick up a shovel and dig if you live in the following cities.

Lawrence, Kansas, charges residents $20 every time they fail to clear the sidewalk of snow. Des Moines fines residents $50. Great Falls, Montana, up to $500. That's real money there. And snow shoveling is a source of a hot debate in Newton, Massachusetts, on whether to impose a $50 penalty. Cities say they are strapped for cash right now and they need residents to chip in and help clean up the sidewalks and keep them safe.

Snow and ice stretching from the upper plains to the Deep South right now.

Our meteorologist, Rob Marciano, is in Louisville, Kentucky.

And Rob, we were worried about Louisville yesterday. You seem to be right there in the bull's-eye for a pretty significant ice storm. How did it turn out?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, they got it bad last night. And the good news is, right now, the rains, or the freezing rain, has stopped. I don't know for sure if that's good long term, if it's going to start up again before this all moves out, but we're still below freezing. So that's the issue here.

So what fell last night in the form of sleet and freezing rain is still here on this railing, it's still here on this sidewalk, making for a slick go to work. And more importantly, it's still on these trees, which have become very, very brittle from the ice that's accumulated.

Luckily, though, it hasn't been much more than a quarter, at the very most in spots, about a half an inch. So it hasn't been quite enough to break some of these tree limbs, which would then take down power lines.

So, all in all, it could have been a lot worse. Certainly, if you think back two years ago, when this city was paralyzed by a devastating ice storm, that's what they were worried about. And so far, we haven't gotten reports of that happening.

Roads have been pretreated. Even though it's below freezing right now, the roads aren't all that bad. They had some snow over the weekend, so they've been salted. They salted it again last night. And that brings the freezing temperature well down into the 20s.

So, the main roads, at least, aren't bad. You go outside the city, and the secondary roads, obviously it's a little bit more of a slick go.

All right. Here's what it looked like earlier this morning. Definitely a horrifying start to the day before the sun came up.

And not only the sidewalks, but the roadways covered up in ice. So the salt trucks and the plows certainly out, getting at least the main roadways in order.

One roadway open at the airport, but is not closed. A lot of salt being dropped, and brine as well.

Atlanta -- I do want to touch briefly on what happened in Atlanta late yesterday and last night, because they were not prepared. There was no pre-treating of the roadways. There was no salt at the ready.

So, a lot of strobe lights happening because of multiple accidents, hundreds of accidents, as you know, Tony, happening overnight through Atlanta. But temperatures there, I'm told, have warmed and the big thaw is on.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Let's get to you the best of last night's sports.

Brian Jordan is here, former NFL player, Major Leaguer as well. He joins me now.

Brian, good to see you.

BRIAN JORDAN, FMR. NFL PLAYER: Good to see you.

HARRIS: Also my homeboy from Baltimore.

So, last night, a big game, the Garden in New York, live again for the first time in forever. It's been, what, 10, 15 years since basketball really meant something in New York and in the Garden? And this was a terrific game.

What did you think of this game, the Celtics and the Knicks last night? Big shots all over the place.

JORDAN: Well, it kind of brought you back to old days of Larry Bird, McHale, and Patrick Ewing and Bernard King. It was just great to see Spike Lee all of a sudden stick his chest out again in Madison Square Garden. We haven't seen that in a long time, but it just goes to show that Knicks basketball is back at Madison Square Garden.

HARRIS: Now, you mentioned players who were part of what was a real rivalry between the Celtics and the Knicks. It feels like a bit of a media instigation here, to call this a rivalry, but for the players -- I can understand why the league wants it -- but for the players, does this feel like a rivalry game? I mean, the Knicks haven't been relevant in a long time.

JORDAN: Well, you heard Paul Pierce say last night it's not really a rivalry, it doesn't take you back in a day. But, all of a sudden, the Knicks are an improved team, and the media would love to see that rivalry be fired up again.

HARRIS: As a player, is it a rivalry until I take something that you really want? When I take something that you want in an important game we both wanted to win, we don't have a rivalry. When I do that now, it's game on, isn't it?

JORDAN: You're right.

HARRIS: OK.

JORDAN: And I think later in the season that will be determined.

HARRIS: Yes. That's great.

Cliff Lee, were you surprised that he decided to go back to Philadelphia and not take the huge offer? He left millions on the table from the Yankees.

JORDAN: Well, I was surprised, and the reason I was surprised was Ruben Amaro, Jr. did a great job of keeping it out of the media. No one in Philadelphia could sneak in there and grab Cliff Lee.

Cliff Lee was happy in Philadelphia. He thought he was going to stay there the first time around, but obviously that didn't happen.

And it just goes to show that happiness --

HARRIS: Happiness.

JORDAN: -- is so important. It's not always the money. And I was happy to see him do it.

HARRIS: All right. Did you face him? Did you ever face him in your playing career?

JORDAN: You know, I did. I did.

HARRIS: What makes him so tough?

JORDAN: Well, he's like Greg Maddux. He locates well.

HARRIS: Yes. OK.

JORDAN: He changes speed. He's not going to overpower you, but that's what made him the best.

HARRIS: And when you look at -- put your baseball analyst hat on for a second. You look at that starting rotation for --

JORDAN: Wow. Wow.

HARRIS: It's pretty impressive, right?

JORDAN: It is. It is. I'll tell you what --

HARRIS: You've got --

(CROSSTALK)

JORDAN: -- no one expected it. You've got four great starters.

HARRIS: Yes. Halladay, Oswalt, and now you put in there Cliff Lee. And it's because that it's not that he overpowers you, but he hits the spots.

JORDAN: He hits the spots. And, you know, to go to Philadelphia and be the number two starter, it takes a lot of pressure off. I think it was a smart choice for Cliff Lee.

HARRIS: Final note here, it reminds me of a dynamic four from our years in Baltimore -- Mike Cueller, Dave McNally, Pat Dobson and Jim Palmer.

JORDAN: Palmer.

HARRIS: It's good to see you.

JORDAN: You're taking me back, Tony.

HARRIS: I'm taking you back. That's what we do.

Brian Jordan in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Good to see you, Brian. We'll have you back.

JORDAN: Good to see you. All right.

HARRIS: The government making a legal move against BP for last summer's Gulf oil disaster.

We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The Justice Department taking BP to court over the Gulf oil disaster. The government claims BP and eight other companies violated federal regulations. The lawsuit says those actions began a chain of events leading to the explosion and fire on the Deepwater Horizon rig. The complaint did not specify damages, but experts say BP could be on the hook for potentially billions of dollars in fines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA JACKSON, EPA ADMINISTRATOR: We are taking formal action to hold BP and responsible parties accountable for the impact this spill has had on our environment and the livelihoods of those who depend on the Gulf's ecosystem. This is about getting a fair deal for the region that suffered enormous consequences from this disaster, and it's also about securing the future of the Gulf Coast.

Ensuring accountability strengthens our ongoing efforts to help Gulf Coast communities get their lives and livelihoods back on track. The government's complaints seeks civil penalties against those responsible for the spill and will lay the foundation for securing what is needed to restore the Gulf.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Here's a portion of BP's response: "The lawsuit does not in any manner constitute any finding of liability."

Maritime law limits compensation to the families of the 11 men killed on the oil rig. A bill before Congress would allow them to sue as though the explosion took place on land. One senator, a Republican, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, has the legislation on hold.

The father of one victim talked about it with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "AC 360": Keith, you say this maritime law is Draconian, it's outdated, and frankly unfair.

KEITH JONES, SON KILLED ON OIL RIG: Well, of course it is.

I think we looked at wrongful death in 1920 differently than we do now. Back then, the -- it seems like -- well, for one thing, in industrial accidents, there were a lot more wrongful deaths than there are now.

But we have come to realize in this country that a life is a whole lot more than just a paycheck. And I know that my daughter-in- law and my grandsons have lost far, far more than just monthly income.

COOPER: You know, what's so frustrating about this is, back when there was a lot of attention this summer, the House version of this legislation passed. It had a lot of support, passed in July. You expected it, you know, to pass with unanimous consent in the Senate.

Now, you know, people aren't paying attention. The media's not paying attention as much as they were. Were you surprised when Senator DeMint blocked it?

JONES: I was surprised.

First of all, although the Bill that we got through the House was very wide ranging and broad and -- and made the Death on the High Seas Act fair for everybody, the Bill, because of the interests of special interest influence, has been reduced now to providing more adequate damages only for the victims of the Deepwater Horizon.

It won't affect anything in our American judicial system that Senator DeMint's so worried about, other than just these claims by these 11 families. So, I was surprised when he objected. No one in his -- on his staff had every indicated -- my son visited his office, and no one indicated that he would object.

But what astonishes me is that he still is the only man in the Senate, only senator, who objects. And despite the fact that it is 99-1 or whatever, he won't relent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: You know, I am sold Sandy Endo has some video that has now gone viral -- there she is -- that is all-down funny. Sandy is next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: OK. Some pretty spectacular videos trending right now on the Internet. Our Sandra Endo is checking out what you're checking out, and she's joining us now from Washington.

Good morning, Sandy.

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning, Tony.

Trending today, some viral videos to show you. And look, Tony, I know you're a huge sports fan, right?

HARRIS: Oh, yes.

ENDO: Well, have you ever seen this at a football game? Take a look at this halftime show in Hawaii. Check out the marching band showing off a play of their own.

HARRIS: That's pretty cool. Yes, that's great.

ENDO: There you go.

HARRIS: Nice.

ENDO: I know it takes a while there, but it's worth the wait, right?

HARRIS: Yes, that's good. That's good. It absolutely is worth the wait.

ENDO: I loved it because, actually, the song timed out with the kick just until the very end. The song ended. So --

HARRIS: And we're getting that a lot this year with the lights and the music around Christmas displays all over the country.

Good stuff. That was good stuff, Sandy.

ENDO: Yes.

And Tony, I know you are in the holiday spirit, you were just mentioning, and I know you love to dance. And actually, you were off a week, just the other week, right, on vacation?

HARRIS: Yes.

ENDO: Well, you never told me that you went to Detroit. Look what we found on YouTube.

HARRIS: Oh, that's the money maker at work there.

ENDO: A dancing Santa, yes, trying to keep warm.

HARRIS: That's right. That's right. Tony Harris making it work.

ENDO: Oh, yes. This is you on your off time.

HARRIS: Good stuff. Good stuff. ENDO: It looks nothing like you, Tony, but the dancing reminded me of you your moves.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: All I need is a little kettle out there.

All right, Sandy. Good stuff. Very good stuff. I will see you next hour. Thanks.

ENDO: All right.

HARRIS: And hot online right now, Larry King. After 25 years and some 6,000 programs, tonight is Larry's final live show on CNN featuring -- wow -- a quarter century of memories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN WILLIAMS, COMEDIAN: I love you. Your nipples are hard.

KING: A struggling Jew.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?

KING: Dance. Dance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See, I told you it was low to the floor.

KING: I'm low to the floor.

Want more children?

BRAD PITT, ACTOR: Oh, yes. Yes.

RICHARD NIXON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I've never been in the Watergate, so it's kind of hard to --

KING: Never been there? Never been in the restaurant?

NIXON: No. Other people were in there, unfortunately.

KING: That's still a Texas driver's license.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes. Do you want to see it?

(APPLAUSE)

KING: Yes.

VIRGINIA CASSIDY KELLEY, BILL CLINTON'S MOTHER: I don't have a question. I have a statement, please.

KING: Go.

KELLEY: I want to say hello to my son, Bill Clinton. WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hi, mother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And tonight's guests? Well, it's a surprise for Larry and for you -- for all of us, really. The final "LARRY KING LIVE," 9:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A Colorado lawmaker says he will introduce a bill next year that would make Colorado the fourth state to recognize civil unions. A similar ballot measure was rejected by voters four years ago.

And in Minneapolis, the Metrodome roof that collapsed last weekend takes another hit. There's a new tear, I believe this is the fourth. Repairs have stopped until workers can evaluate the new damage. But if you're looking for some extra holiday cash, you can help dig out the University of Minnesota's football stadium so the Vikings can play their game there next Monday night. Bring your own shovel and make $10 an hour.

The Florida school board shooting. Investigators now say the gunman planned the attack. You have certainly by now seen the video. But it's the people inside that room that make this remarkable.

CNN's Brian Todd has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM HUSSFELT, SUPERINTENDENT, BAY COUNTY SCHOOLS: You could tell by the look in his eyes that there was going to be some killing going on.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even with a gun pointed right at him, school superintendent Bill Hussfelt tries to engage a man who had disrupted a Florida school board meeting with his spray paint, his grievances, and his 9 millimeter gun.

CLAY DUKE, GUNMAN: Then as soon as you gutted the school system, then you turned around and said, oh, now we need this half cent sales tax again.

HUSSFELT: I said we needed a half cent sales tax from the very beginning. I campaigned on that. Oh, yes I did.

TODD: Another board member tries to address the gunman's other complaint -- his wife had been fired, he said.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, talk to us. if I can help get your wife a job somewhere else, I'll be glad to do that.

TODD: With almost unfathomable courage, the superintendent tells the gunman, I'm the only one you're mad at. HUSSFELT: I mean, they don't sign the papers. I'm the only ones that signs them. Will you let them go?

TODD: Experts say if you're facing an unstable gunman --

DR. LISE VAN SUSTERAN, PSYCHIATRIST: That's the first thing you need to do is listen and try to have a theme of fairness. Let's get to the bottom of this.

TODD: In this case, the assailant, who police identify as Clay Duke, is undeterred.

HUSSFELT: And I've got feeling that what you is the cops to come in and kill you because you're mad. Because you said you're going to die tonight?

But why? This isn't worth it. This is a prob -- please don't, please don't. Please.

DUKE: I am going to kill you, don't you understand?

(GUNSHOTS)

TODD: Police say Duke then shot and killed himself. Board members have since been back to the room and seen just how close the bullets holes were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you look at the video, his last two shots he fired, he was almost leaning over right where I was sitting. One hit my board book and my papers on my desk. I was laying down and there was one probably inches from where I was laying.

TODD: Then there's Ginger Littleton, who in the video sneaks up on him from behind and tries to knock the dun out of his hands.

GINGER LITTLETON, BOARD MEMBER: Probably not one of the smartest things I ever did. I don't know why he didn't pull the trigger.

TODD (on camera): It's the psychological piece that makes this such an extraordinary story, how the group dynamics came together in a few crucial seconds and how it informs us about dealing with hostage situations.

(voice-over): Psychiatrist Lisa van Susteren, whose dealt with several criminal cases, has high praise.

(on camera): The response of these people psychologically was extraordinary at that moment, right?

VAN SUSTEREN: It certainly was. This is one emotionally sophisticated group of people looking out for each other, rather than giving in to the impulse simply to protect themselves to survive.

TODD: Van Susteren says one of the mistakes made was when superintendent Bill Hussfelt told gunman Clay Duke that he thought Duke wanted the police to come in and kill him. She says, in that situation, you don't want to challenge an assailant on his thinking. It was right after that comment that Duke started shooting.

Brian Rodd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And we are standing by waiting to hear from Mike Jones. He is the security guard who shot the gunman.

And if you are like most of us around the country right now, you're in a deep freeze. Our meteorologist Karen McGinnis is tracking your weather. With will talk to Karen in just a couple of minutes. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

Mr. Obama gets down to business with the nation's top CEOs. His push to mend fences and fix the economy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Let's get you to a news conference outside of Panama City, Florida right now. Bill Hussfelt is the superintendent of schools there, as you know. And he is about to introduce Mike Jones. And Mike Jones is the security guard who shot Clay Duke on Tuesday.

Let's listen now to Mike Jones.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

MIKE JONES, SCHOOL BOARD SECURITY GUARD: I appreciate all of the waiting you've had to go through and I'm sorry, when this incident happened, they took me to the hospital and my daughter's only 5'4 but she's pretty feisty and she wanted know stay overnight. And so I had to stay there.

But first of all I want to tell you that being a law enforcement officer, you always think about this day. And I just want to let the Duke family know that my heart goes out to you. He was somebody's son and somebody's father and maybe even a grandfather, I don't know, I don't know the man, I've never met him. But my heart goes out to that family.

I think that the thing that sticks in my mind most of all was during the gun battle, I tried to get this gentleman to come outside with me and to draw him away from the school board and the superintendent. And that didn't work. And when I was planning my engagement and I saw that first shot and I knew the superintendent had fell backwards and all the board members fell backwards and then he and I engaged in the gun battle that I'd lost the superintendent and I'd let him down. And I love him and the board and I love the school system and that was the only thing that come to my mind. When the superintendent came from behind that counter and Franklin Harrison (ph) and came and hugged my neck, that's when I lost it like I am now, just crying. I cry at chick flicks, too, you all.

(LAUGHTER)

JONES: But just to see him, it was like seeing a newborn baby for the first time that I knew --

(OFF CAMERA REMARKS)

JONES: I'm not lying to you and I can't get that out of my mind. That's the picture that I see the most. I don't see the shots being fired, I don't see the bullets, I see him. And they're coming from behind that desk and I knew he was OK.

You know, it's just -- that training -- that you folks don't know, probably what I know about law enforcement. Law enforcement officers and their spouses, they go through so much. We train, we train, we train, we prepare, we prepare. And I know a lot of times, the school board folks get tired of me saying (INAUDIBLE) quit preaching. We got to do this, we got to do that, we got to prepare. But that's what it's all about, folks. And without the training I received with Panama City Police Department, over 20 years there, and the sheriff's department now, and Tindall (ph) Air Force Base security guy -- they just put me through the rapid response shooting school. If I didn't have that training, might have been a different scenario.

I'm just glad that we're here. I apologize, but yesterday I spent most of my day with my pastor and -- Jerry Moore (ph), who's my retired pastor. I just wanted to get right with God about this and get right with my church about what had happened. And you know, you think -- the first thing that came to mind was, you know, What's this community going to think of me? I'm known as (INAUDIBLE) Santa, this nice guy, and now I've taken somebody's life. And you know, my parishioners, what they would think. And then honestly, I shot the man in the back the first time, and I was thinking I was going to jail.

And there's just so many things that go through your mind. But it was the instinct and the training and -- I'm just glad that they're all here and alive. And I'm not a hero, folks. I'm just doing my job and...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you are.

(APPLAUSE)

JONES: And I just want to thank my wife. You know, folks, I want to tell you something. If there's anybody that doesn't believe in God, this was the first angel he sent my way 21 years ago. And he was wrapped around that entire room yesterday. I don't know how I lived through all the shots that was fired at me during that battle. But I praise God for everything right now and give him all the thanks.

And I appreciate you all being here. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here, but I had things to do.

QUESTION: Could you walk through yesterday from the time you first heard about it to -- and how it all played out? I think a lot of people are interested (INAUDIBLE)

JONES: Actually...

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) steps that you took along the way.

JONES: You mean before the shooting?

QUESTION: Well, how did you -- start at the beginning. How did you first hear about it? (INAUDIBLE)

JONES: Actually, there was an item on the agenda. They were doing some remodeling, I was going to move to a different building. And I still want to go -- I want to go to the pre-K playground because they play rough here. I don't want to be here no more, you know?

(LAUGHTER)

JONES: But that's what was on the agenda. And I called my immediate supervisor, Dr. Haley (ph), and to see if he needed me at the meeting to answer any questions the board might have, and he said no. And then the secretary called me and they said no, and I said, You know what? I'm just going to go by there because I've just got a feeling they need me in the board meeting to answer those questions. I wasn't in this building five minutes and I was in a gunfight. It happened that quick.

QUESTION: And what did you do? I mean, did you hear the shots (INAUDIBLE)

JONES: No, sir. Jessica Baron (ph), one of our finance people, called me on my cell phone, said, Mike, there's a man in the boardroom with a gun. I was on the fourth floor. I took the stairs down and I one a peekaboo into the room the first time. Just wanted to get an assessment, see what was going on.

Drew the guy's attention to me. I was hoping to get him to come to me, to come out of the building. And he didn't fall for that. He want me to come in. And I closed the door to go to plan B.

And from there, I went to my vehicle, which was parked right outside the back door, got my vest and some extra ammo because I knew it was serious. I knew that he had a real gun. I came back to that door, and I was peeking through the crack of the door at the time. And when I saw his back and he squared up with both hands, I knew the fight was fixing to happen. And I reached for the door, and it was too late. He fired the first shot at the superintendent and I thought he was dead, and I just opened the door and he and I went at it.

QUESTION: Were you crouched or what was -- what were you doing?

JONES: No, sir, actually, I was opening the door with one hand, I was firing with the other hand. QUESTION: Did you get the feeling that he was looking for a gunfight?

JONES: There's no doubt about that. There's no doubt. When he fired the first shot, I had no recourse. It was a gun battle then.

QUESTION: In your 20 years of experience, have you ever had a gun battle like that.

JONES: I had been in one and witnessed another. But you know, in this case, when I was peeking through the door, I was trying to isolate him. And any time you do these things, you locate, isolate and neutralize the threat, and rapid response. And I just didn't have a shot to take the shot because all the board members were sitting straight up, and I just didn't have the time to snatch the door open and get a good, clean shot. So I was waiting. But when he shot, I thought he'd shot the superintendent, I had to engage, no matter what. And I could hear the sirens coming, and that's what I was waiting on, you know, that...

HARRIS: Let's get you to President Obama now.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- team to regularly assess our efforts and to review our progress after one year. That's what we've done consistently over the course of the past 12 months in weekly updates from the field and monthly meetings with my national security team and in my frequent consultations with our Afghan, Pakistani and coalition partners. And that's what we've done as part of our annual review, which is now complete.

I want to thank Secretary Clinton and secretary Gates for their leadership. Since Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mullen is in Afghanistan, I'm pleased that we're joined by Vice Chairman General Cartwright (ph).

Our efforts also reflect the dedication of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, whose memory we honor and whose work will continue. Indeed, the tributes to Richard that have poured in from across the globe speak to both the enormous impact of his life and to the broad international commitment to our shared efforts in this critical region.

I have spoken with President Karzai of Afghanistan, as well as President Zardari of Pakistan, and discussed our findings and the way forward. Today I want to update the American people on our review, our assessment of where we stand, and areas where we need to do better. I want to be clear. This continues to be a very difficult endeavor. But I can report that thanks to the extraordinary service of our troops and civilians on the ground, we are on track to achieve our goals.

It's important to remember why we remain in Afghanistan. It was Afghanistan where al Qaeda plotted the 9/11 attacks that murdered 3,000 innocent people. It is the tribal regions along the Afghan/Pakistan border from which terrorists have launched more attacks against our homeland and our allies. And if an even wider insurgency were to engulf Afghanistan, that would give al Qaeda even more space to plan these attacks.

And that's why from the start, I've been very clear about our core goal. It's not to defeat every last threat to the security of Afghanistan because, ultimately, it is Afghans who must secure their country. And it's not nation-building because it is Afghans who must build their nation.

Rather, we are focused on disrupting, dismantling and defeating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan and preventing its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future.

In pursuit of our core goal, we are seeing significant progress. Today al Qaeda's senior leadership in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan is under more pressure than at any point since they fled Afghanistan nine years ago. Senior leaders have been killed. It's harder for them to recruit. It's harder for them to travel. It's harder for them to train. It's harder for them to plot and launch attacks. In short, al Qaeda is hunkered down.

It will take time to ultimately defeat al Qaeda, and it remains a ruthless and resilient enemy bent on attacking our country. But make no mistake, we are going to remain relentless in disrupting and dismantling that terrorist organization.

In Afghanistan, we remain focused on the three areas of our strategy -- our military effort to break the Taliban's momentum and train Afghan forces so they can take the lead, our civilian effort to promote effective governance and development, and regional cooperation, especially with Pakistan, because our strategy has to succeed on both sides of the border.

Indeed, for the first time in years, we've put in place the strategy and the resources that our efforts in Afghanistan demand. And because we've ended our combat mission in Iraq and brought home nearly 100,000 of our troops from Iraq, we're in a better position to give our forces in Afghanistan the support and equipment they need to achieve their missions. And our drawdown in Iraq also means that today there are tens of thousands fewer Americans deployed in harm's way than when I took office.

With those additional forces in Afghanistan, we are making considerable gains toward our military objectives. The additional military and civilian personnel that I ordered in Afghanistan are now in place, along with additional forces from our coalition, which has grown to 49 nations. Along with our Afghan partners, we've gone on the offensive, targeting the Taliban and its leaders and pushing them out of their strongholds.

As I said when I visited our troops in Afghanistan earlier this month, progress comes slowly and at a very high price in the lives of our men and women in uniform. In many places, the gains we have made are still fragile and reversible. But there is no question we are clearing more areas from Taliban control, and more Afghans are re- claiming their communities. To ensure Afghans can take responsibility, we continue to focus on training. Targets for the growth of Afghan security forces are being met. And because of the contributions of additional trainers from our coalition partners, I'm confident we will continue to meet our goals. I would add that much of this progress, the speed with which our troops deployed this year, the increase in recruiting and training of Afghan forces and the additional troops and trainers from other nations -- much of this is a result of us having sent a clear signal, we will begin the transition of responsibility to Afghans and start reducing American forces next July.

This sense of urgency also helped to galvanize the coalition around the goals that we agreed to at the recent NATO summit in Lisbon, that we are moving toward a new phase in Afghanistan, a transition to full Afghan lead for security that will begin early next year and will conclude in 2014, even as NATO maintains a long-term commitment to training and advising Afghan forces.

Now, our review confirms, however, that for these security gains to be sustained over time, there's an urgent need for political and economic progress in Afghanistan. Over the past year, we've dramatically increased our civilian presence. We have more diplomats and development experts working alongside our troops, risking their lives and partnering with Afghans. Going forward, there must be a continued focus on the delivery of basic services, as well as transparency and accountability.

We will also fully support an Afghan political process that includes reconciliation with those Taliban who break ties with al Qaeda, renounce violence and accept the Afghan constitution. And we will forge a new strategic partnership with Afghanistan next year, so we make it clear that the United States is committed to the long-term security and development of the Afghan people.

Finally, we will continue to focus on our relationship with Pakistan. Increasingly, the Pakistani government recognizes that terrorist networks in its border regions are a threat to all our countries, especially Pakistan. We've welcomed major Pakistani offensives in the tribal regions. We will continue to help strengthen Pakistan's capacity to root out terrorists.

Nevertheless, progress has not come fast enough, so we will continue to insist to Pakistani leaders that terrorist safe havens within their borders must be dealt with. At the same time, we need to support the economic and political development that is critical to Pakistan's future. As part of our strategic dialogue with Pakistan, we will work to deepen trust and cooperation. We'll speed up our investment in civilian institutions and projects that improve the lives of Pakistanis. We'll intensify our efforts to encourage closer cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan. And next year, I look forward to an exchange of visits, including my visit to Pakistan, because the United States is committed to an enduring partnership that helps deliver improved security, development and justice for the Pakistani people.

Again, none of these challenges that I've outlined will be easy. There are more difficult days ahead, but as a nation we can draw strength from the service of our fellow Americans. On my recent visit to Afghanistan, I visited a medical unit and pinned Purple Hearts on some of our wounded warriors. I met with a platoon that had just lost six of their teammates. Despite the tough fight, despite all their sacrifice, they continue to stand up for our security and for our values that we hold so dear.

We're going to have to continue to stand up. We'll continue to give our brave troops and civilians the strategy8 and resources they need to succeed. We will nerve waver from our goal of disrupting, dismantling and ultimately defeating al Qaeda. We will forge enduring partnerships with people who are committed to progress and to peace. And we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure the security and the safety of the American people.

So with that, Vice President Biden and myself will depart, and I'm going to turn it over to Secretaries Clinton, Gates, as well as Vice Chairman Cartwright, and they will answer your questions and give you a more detailed briefing.

Thank you very much.

(END COVERAGE)