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Hundreds Killed in Deadly Storms; President Obama Holds News Conference
Aired April 28, 2011 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Brooke Baldwin.
Want to pass along a couple items here. Been a horrific past 24 hours. As a result, any minute, we will hear from the president expected to speak live on the tragedy in terms of all the severe weather, the tornadoes, the fatalities across the country.
We are told he will visit parts of the South tomorrow specifically traveling to Alabama where the deadly storms hit the hardest. Also, the governor of Alabama and the state's emergency management director are also scheduled to hold a news conference just about an hour from now, amid a tour of the hardest-hit areas there. We will bring both of those events to you live on this show.
But, first, the latest number we have. And I have to be honest, this keeps going up and up today, 268. At least 268 people are confirmed dead from the storms that assaulted the South. And I want to begin with this image. Take a look with me.
This is central Alabama, mile after mile after mile after mile after mile of utter devastation. Here's a quote we have heard many, many times today. There's nothing left. Many, many people today are reassessing their lives because they have no other choice. The heart of the blow here is in the Deep South.
Take a look at these states. You have Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Virginia, all of which are under states of emergency, and today the National Guard is out in the state of Alabama. And this is the story, as we know it right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN (voice-over): -- and carried on into a long and hellish, hellish night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything that we had --
BALDWIN: Sunrise, the true scale of an epic disaster.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is all I have is what I have on.
BALDWIN: Alabama, more than 130 people are dead, a big city, Birmingham, just devastated. And worst hit of all, Tuscaloosa.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're facing an overwhelming situation in which we are short on men, materials, and equipment.
BALDWIN: At least 30 people died from storms in Tennessee -- 11 are dead in northwest Georgia. The damage there staggering. Storms raked Virginia. At least eight people have died there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could feel the house lift -- felt like it was going to go and I thought we were going to take a ride.
BALDWIN: Ohio was hit, but nothing on the scale of stricken Alabama.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was our bedroom right here. And that right there on the corner was our little girl's bedroom. Huh?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the floor of the house here. This is the back deck that was back there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, OK. See, I -- yes, the back deck.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of our neighbors said, well, I'm going to tough it out. I'm going to stay home.
QUESTION: Do you know where that neighbor is?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not sure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: I want to bring you up to date on the number of deaths because it's going up hourly. In fact, I just got an update here.
Now, in Alabama, the number is up to 184 dead, 184. That is new information just in to CNN from Alabama's governor, Robert Bentley. Also, Tennessee, 33 dead. Mississippi, 32 dead. Georgia, 14. Virginia, eight. And one single death we can report in Arkansas. Again, at least 180 people -- 184 now dead in the state of Alabama.
Reynolds Wolf is standing by in one of the areas hardest hit there in Tuscaloosa.
And, Reynolds, what's the latest number, in terms of fatalities you have there? Because I know the number unfortunately keeps rising.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And is going to rise a bit more unfortunately, Brooke. I say this with a heavy heart. I'm an Alabaman. These are my people. So this is very, very close to the chest.
I can you that in Tuscaloosa they have had dozens. I think the last I heard was the number was around 40. The big number I have heard in the state of Alabama, 180. But, as you mentioned, the problem is, we're probably going to see that number continue to rise.
I can tell you that, in this specific neighborhood, where we have been reporting for a good part of the morning, they say possibly two, as many as four children, are missing in this vicinity, unaccounted for.
We -- we don't know where they are. Could they -- could they somewhere be in here? We don't know. We have seen rescue dogs come by. We have heard people coming by. They have actually been looking, trying to hear any potential survivors in this area of strewn rubble.
But it's just hard to believe. I cannot imagine the anguish of a parent or family member missing a child. One of the things that's incredible about this is how quickly it came on, Brooke. We're talking about a tornado that at times was up to a mile wide, that came through here with winds in excess of 200 miles per hour, causing this widespread devastation. You can actually see part of a bathroom if you look right through there.
CNN's Jonathan Cherry (ph) is the man behind the camera. You can just make out a sink. Now, we're often told that bathrooms are one of the safest places to be in a structure, the reason being is because of the plumbing. The plumbing acts almost like an anchoring system to kind of keep the room firm to the foundation.
Well, obviously anyone there in that room would have passed away. Overhead, you're hearing a couple of things. If you happen to look over there, you see a Black Hawk helicopter flying overhead. We have had members of the National Guard flying up and above, Air National Guard, that is. We have had members of the National Weather Service flying overhead doing their observation, their aerial reconnaissance.
Hopefully, they will have a report within hours. Perhaps it may take the weekend. We're not sure as of yet. They have got a lot to figure out. One thing we're seeing also is the devastation in not only the homes, but the cars. You look at this car, the ones in the foreground. Often, we tell people not to get in these in times of tornadoes, because it can take the smallest thing, even a board, and just rip these things to pieces.
In fact, you can't see it there, John. Don't worry about it. I can tell our viewers at home, these things are filled with wood, rocks, all kinds of debris.
On the other side of the road, the situation continues. You can see that have got a nice foundation here on this home, but a few walls are standing, walls that might have provided a bit of shelter, but for the most part, again, with a storm of this magnitude, a tornado this big, this strong, there's not a whole lot of places you go to be safe other than underground.
And unfortunately many of the people here, many of the homes not equipped with storm shelters or with basements. So they had only a few options. The things you see here --
BALDWIN: Reynolds, it's tough --
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: -- just insane, little pieces of dresses, wreckage everywhere. (CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Personal items, pieces of bathrooms, as you pointed out. It is tough for us to wrap our heads around this. And it really seems like there are no words. There are no words for the devastation. Reynolds Wolf, stand by for me, because we are going to hear from the president here in a couple of minutes.
But we will also hear from you again next hour and from the Alabama governor, Robert Bentley. Reynolds, my thanks to you.
And my heart goes out to every single person there affected by this horrific storm.
As we mentioned, President Obama will be heading to Alabama tomorrow to take a look at the hardest hit areas, but also any minute now he's expected to speak live about these deadly storms and also announce major, major changes involving our national security. We are live there at the White House. Take a look. The press is packing in. We're at the White House in 60 seconds. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: In just a couple of minutes, we will be hearing from President Obama, who is set to announce big changes to his security team and talk about the series of deadly storms that hit the South overnight.
The president will be announcing he's nominating CIA director Leon Panetta as defense secretary, and then General David Petraeus, in charge of the job over in Afghanistan, is going to be the president's choice to replace Panetta over at the CIA.
I want to bring in two of my colleagues, Ed Henry, there he is, waiting for the president at the White House, and Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.
And, Ed, I would like to begin with you, because before we talk about these changes in national security, we have to talk about the horrific storms, the fact that we have now learned that the president I believe along with Craig Fugate, the FEMA director, will be going to Alabama tomorrow. What more do you know about his schedule?
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The president will, in fact, Brooke, be going down Alabama tomorrow.
He was already headed to Cape Canaveral, Florida, for the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour. So he will just stop in Alabama before doing all of that. Interesting because last night the president also immediately announced an emergency declaration for the state of Alabama.
The reason why he does that mechanically is to get federal funds, get help and aid to the state as quickly as possible. We have been talking about not just in that state, but the entire region, more than 200 people dead, more than a million without power. Obviously, this White House wants to act quickly, move fast. The president also had a conference call this morning with some top officials, like Craig Fugate, the FEMA director, to make sure that this administration is on top of the situation.
And in fact, we're told by aides that before the president starts talking about national security at this event in a few moments, he will address the storms and talk about the victims as well before he gets into these important national security changes as well, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Well, let's talk now about the changes.
And, Barbara, I want you to weigh in first here. I understand when it comes to Leon Panetta, who has been the chief at the CIA, heading over to the DOD, I understand there was a bit of arm-twisting. In fact, it took a meeting with the president for Mr. Panetta to agree. Is that what you're hearing?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, White House officials, Brooke, are saying that behind the scenes.
But, you know, Leon Panetta, decades of experience in Washington, when the president asks, Leon Panetta is one of those public servants who generally says yes. He likes the CIA job. It's very clear he enjoys it. And he likes what he's doing there.
But he will come to the Pentagon, probably July 1, if confirmed, and I think what his tasks will be the kind that he's had for so many years, looking at the issues out there, the threats facing national security, getting the military always to have them ready to be in fighting shape, and cutting defense spending here at the Pentagon. He's a former OMB, office of Management and Budget director.
He knows how to cut the budget and that's one of the real priorities that Bob Gates is leaving behind here.
BALDWIN: Ed, to you. We knew that this would happen, but with regard to the fact that General Petraeus, you know, is a veteran military man, highly decorated four-star general, is it any surprise that he will then be switching gears and head of intelligence?
HENRY: Yes, because there will be some people in the intelligence community concerned about a military official coming in and running this civilian agency. We're told by White House aides that if General Petraeus is confirmed as CIA director, he will step down from the military and basically serve as a civilian.
I think there are huge, huge challenges for him, huge challenges for Leon Panetta if he's confirmed as well. I think Gloria Borger made a good point a few moments ago about Leon Panetta being -- and let me sit down, because I think the president is about to enter, but Leon Panetta being a former budget director, that is important, because the Pentagon is going to have to go through a lot of budgetary changes to try and balance this budget.
And I think as well something to watch is July is coming up pretty quickly. And that's supposed to be a pivot point in Afghanistan. We're expected to start seeing a withdrawal of U.S. troops and that will be something to watch.
Here is the president.
BALDWIN: And here he is, Mr. Henry. Here is the president of the United States.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Everybody, please have a seat.
Good afternoon, everybody. I want to begin by saying a few words about the devastating storms that have ripped through the southeastern United States.
The loss of life has been heartbreaking, especially in Alabama. In a matter of hours, these deadly tornadoes, some of the worst that we've seen in decades, took mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, friends and neighbors, even entire communities. Others are injured, and some are still missing. And in many places the damage to homes and businesses is nothing short of catastrophic.
We can't control when or where a terrible storm may strike. But we can control how we respond to it. And I want every American who has been affected by this disaster to know that the federal government will do everything we can to help you recover, and we will stand with you as you rebuild.
I have already spoken to the governors of Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia, and I have let them know that we are ready to help in any possible way.
I have declared a state of emergency in Alabama so that we can make all necessary resources available to that state. I have dispatched Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate to Alabama so he can personally work with state and local officials. And I will travel myself to Alabama tomorrow to meet with those leading the response efforts, as well as the families who are reeling from this disaster.
I also want to commend all the men and women who have been working around the clock for the last few days to save the lives of their friends and neighbors and to begin the long work of rebuilding these communities.
OBAMA: I also want to commend all the men and women who've been working around the clock for the last few days to save the lives of their friends and neighbors and to begin the long work of rebuilding these communities.
These police officers, firefighters, EMTs and other emergency responders are heroes. And they have the thanks of a grateful nation. And we pray for their success, and we stand with every American affected by this disaster in the days and weeks to come.
Now, as we meet our obligations to these Americans, we're mindful of our obligation to the safety of all Americans, and that's why we're here today. As commander in chief, I have no greater responsibility than the security of the American people and the well-being of our courageous men and women in uniform and their families.
Over the past two years, my administration has done whatever it takes to meet these responsibilities. We've been relentless against al Qaeda and its affiliates, preventing terrorist attacks and saving lives.
We brought nearly 100,000 troops out of Iraq in an orderly way. We ended our combat mission. And we focused on Afghanistan, where we're breaking the Taliban's momentum and training Afghan forces.
And from Europe to Asia, we strengthened old alliances, forged new partnerships and restored American leadership in the world.
Still, we confront urgent challenges. In Iraq, we're working to bring the rest of our troops home as Iraqis secure their democracy. In Afghanistan, we're moving into a new phase, transferring responsibility for security to Afghan forces, starting to reduce American forces this summer, and building a long-term partnership with the Afghan people.
As people across the Middle East and North Africa seek to determine their own destiny, we must ensure that America stands with those who seek their universal rights, and that includes continuing to support the international effort to protect Libyan people.
And here at home, as we make the hard decisions that are needed to reduce America's debt, we cannot compromise our ability to defend our nation or our interests around the world.
These are some of the pressing challenges that we must meet in the pivotal days ahead.
And today I am proud to announce key members of my national security team who, along with Vice President Biden and Secretary Clinton, will help us meet them.
I have worked closely with most of the individuals on this stage, and all of them have my complete confidence. They are leaders of enormous integrity and talent who've devoted their lives to keeping our nation strong and secure. And I am personally very, very grateful to each of them for accepting these new assignments.
Given the pivotal period that we're entering, I felt that it was absolutely critical that we had this team in place, so that we can stay focused on our missions, maintain our momentum and keep our nation secure.
When I took office, Bob Gates had already served under seven presidents, and he carried a clock that counted down the days --
(LAUGHTER)
-- hours and minutes, until he could return to Washington state with his wife, Becky.
I was able to convince him to stay for one more year. Or, I was able to convince him to talk to Becky about staying one more year.
(LAUGHTER)
At some point along the way, Bob threw out that clock. He is now one of the longest serving defense secretaries in American history. And as a grateful nation, we can all agree that Bob has more than earned the right to return to private life, which he has decided to do at the end of the June.
I will have more to say about Secretary Gates' exemplary service in the days to come. But today every American must know that because he helped to responsibly wind down the war in Iraq, we're in a better position to support our troops and manage the transition in Afghanistan.
Because he challenged conventional thinking, our troops have the life-saving equipment they needed, and our military is better prepared for today's wars.
And because he courageously cut unnecessary spend, we'll save hundreds of billions of dollars that can be invested in the 21st century military that our troops deserve.
I am confident Bob Gates will be remembered as one of the finest defense secretaries in American history. And I will always be grateful for his service.
I'm equally confident that Bob's reform agenda will be carried out by another great public servant of our time, Leon Panetta. Leon appreciates the struggles and sacrifices of our troops and military families, because he served in the Army himself and because he and his wife Sylvia are proud parents of a son who served in Afghanistan.
And just as Leon earned the trust and respect of our intelligence professionals at the CIA by listening to them and fighting fiercely on their behalf. I know he'll do the same for our Armed Forces and their families. The patriotism and the management skills that defines Leon's four decades of service is exactly what we need in our next secretary of defense.
As a former Congressman and White House chief of staff Leon knows how to lead, which is why he is held in high esteem around the world. As CIA director who plays a decisive role in our fight against violent extremism he understands, even as we begin the transition in Afghanistan, we must remain unwavering in our fight against Al Qaeda.
And as a former OMB director, he'll ensure, even as we make tough budget decisions, we'll maintain our military superiority and keep our military the very best in the world.
Leon, I know you've been looking forward to returning home to Sylvia and your beautiful Monterey.
OBAMA: So I thank you for taking on yet another assignment for our country, and I hope you don't have a clock.
(LAUGHTER)
I'm also very pleased that Leon's work at the CIA will be carried on by one of our leading strategic thinkers and one of the finest military officers of our time, General David Petraeus.
This is the second time in a year that I have asked General Petraeus to take on a demanding assignment, and I know this one carries a special sacrifice for him and his wife Holly. After nearly 40 years in uniform, including leading American and coalition forces in some of the most challenging military missions since 9/11, David Petraeus will retire from the Army that he loves to become the next CIA director, effective early September, pending Senate confirmation.
As a lifelong consumer of intelligence, he knows that intelligence must be timely, accurate, and acted upon quickly. He understands that staying a step ahead of nimble adversaries requires sharing and coordinating information, including with my director of national intelligence, Jim Clapper.
And even as he and the CIA confront a full range of threats, David's extraordinary knowledge of the Middle East and Afghanistan uniquely positions him to lead the agency in its effort to defeat al Qaeda.
In short, just as General Petraeus changed the way that our military fights and wins wars in the 21st century, I have no doubt that Director Petraeus will guide our intelligence professionals as they continue to adapt and innovate in an ever-changing world.
Finally, I'm pleased to announce my choice for the civilian military team that will lead our efforts in Afghanistan in this year of transition. I'm nominating a superb commander, Lieutenant General John Allen, to succeed General Petraeus as commander of the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF.
As a battle-tested combat leader in Iraq he helped turn the tide in Anbar province. As deputy commander of Central Command, he's respected in the region and has been deeply involved in planning and executing our strategy in Afghanistan.
As our troops continue to sacrifice for our security, as we tragically saw again yesterday, General Allen is the right commander for this vital mission.
As coalition forces transfer responsibility to Afghans, we're redoubling our efforts to promote political and economic progress in Afghanistan as well. Our tireless ambassador, Karl Eikenberry, has helped us dramatically increase our civilian presence of diplomats and development experts.
OBAMA: Never before have our civilians and troops worked together so closely and so successfully. And I personally relied on Karl's candid advice on this incredibly complex mission. After two years in one of the world's most challenging posts, Ambassador Eikenberry's time in Afghanistan is coming to an end. He's hard at work in Kabul today.
And I want to thank Karl and his wife Ching for their outstanding service.
To build on Karl's great work, I'm very grateful that one of our nation's most respected diplomats, Ryan Crocker, has agreed to return to public service as our next ambassador to Afghanistan.
This is a five-time ambassador, and Ryan is no stranger to tough assignments. Few Americans know this region and its challenges better than Ambassador Crocker. He was our first envoy to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. He reopened our ambassador there. As a former ambassador to Pakistan, he recognizes that our strategy has to succeed on both sides of the border.
As ambassador to Iraq (inaudible) remarkable partnership with David Petraeus helped to reduce the level of violence, promote reconciliation, and shift from the military surge to a political effort and long-term partnership between our two countries.
This is exactly what is needed now in Afghanistan where Ambassador Crocker will work with our new special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mark Grossman.
I want to thank Ryan and his wife, Christine, a decorated, former foreign service officer herself, for agreeing to serve our nation once more.
So Leon Panetta at the Defense Department, David Petraeus at the CIA, Ambassador Crocker and General John Allen in Afghanistan. These are the leaders that I have chosen to help guide us through the difficult days ahead. I will look to them and my entire national security team for their counsel, continuity and unity of effort that this moment in history demands.
And our people on the front lines, our brave troops, our outstanding intelligence personnel, our dedicated diplomats, will look to them for the leadership that success requires. I urge our friends in the Senate to confirm these individuals as swiftly as possible so they can assume their duties and help meet the urgent challenges we confront as a nation. We are a nation still at war.
I'm joined by the leaders alongside me today. I will continue to do everything in my power as commander in chief to keep our nation strong and the American people safe.
And with that, I would like to invite each of these leaders to say a few words. I'm actually going to start with Bob Gates.
ROBERT GATES, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind words.
I want to thank President Bush for first asking me to take this position, and you, Mr. President, for inviting me to stay on and on and on.
(LAUGHTER)
I also thank my wife, Becky, for 44 years of extraordinary patience, but especially the last 4.5 years of patience.
Every single day I have been secretary our military has been engaged in two major wars and multiple other missions. It's been the greatest honor of my life to serve and to lead our men and women in uniform and our defense civilians. They are the best America has to offer.
I will continue to give my all to them and to the president right through June 30th, because obviously there is much left to do.
GATES: My highest priority from my first day in office has been to do everything I could for our uniformed men and women in harm's way, to help them accomplish their mission, to come home safely, and if wounded, to get them the best possible care from battlefield to home front. I have done my best to care for them as though they were my own sons and daughters, and I will miss them deeply.
There will be other occasions to speak over the next two months, so for now I will just congratulate Leon Panetta and thank him.
(LAUGHTER)
Leon, I believe, is the best possible choice to succeed me.
And I also congratulate General Petraeus, Ambassador Crocker and General Allen.
And I want to thank you, again, Mr. President, for the opportunity to serve and to work with you.
LEON PANETTA, CIA DIRECTOR: Thank you, Mr. President.
I want to thank you and the vice president and your entire national security team for the trust and confidence that you've placed in me.
I especially want to thank my good friend, Bob Gates, the guy with the big smile next to me. He's a public servant without equal, whose tenure as secretary of defense will go down as one of the most consequential and important examples of leadership in the history of the American government.
And since he, too, is a former CIA director, I'm hopeful that that experience can serve me as well as it served Bob as secretary.
And speaking of the CIA, I also want to deeply thank the good men and women of the CIA for all they do without recognition or credit to safeguard this nation and protect it.
They welcomed me to their ranks. And it has been the highest honor of my professional career to be able to lead them. And I only wish that all Americans could see as I have how vital their work is in protecting our national security.
If confirmed, I will be relying heavily, as I always do, on the support of my wonderful family, my wife, Sylvia, my three sons, Chris, Carmelo, and Jim, their wives, and our six grandchildren. In my 40 years of public life, they have been tolerant beyond measure, and very loving. Because of that I love them all very much.
I have spent 40 years in public service and it began when I served in the army as an intelligence officer in the 1960s. I was proud to wear the uniform of our country. And my respect and admiration for our nation's armed forces has only grown in the decades since.
This is a time of historic change, both at home and abroad. As the son of immigrants, I was raises to believe that we cannot be free unless we are secure. Today we are a nation at war. Job one will be to ensure that we remain the strongest military power in the world, to protect that security that is so important to this country.
Yet this is also a time for hard choice choices. It's about ensuring that we are able to prevail in the conflicts in which we are now engaged but it's also about being able to be strong and disciplined in applying our nation's limited resources to defending America.
None of this will be easy, but I am confident, Mr. President, that you can be assured that I will give you the nation's commander in chief, my best and most candid advice about these issues and that I will be a faithful advocate for the brave men and women that the department of defense, who put their lives on the line every day, to ensure that we achieve that great American dream of giving our children a better life and a more secure America. Thank you.
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, U.S. COMMANDER, AFGHANISTAN: Mr. President, thank you very much. I feel deeply honored to be nominated, to become the 20th director of the central intelligence agency. And I feel deeply grateful for the opportunity if confirmed to continue to contribute to the important endeavors which so many have given to much over the past decade, in particular.
During that time I've had the privilege of working very closely with the quiet professionals of the central intelligence agency. I have seen firsthand their expertise, their commitment to our nation, and their courage in dangerous circumstances.
Their service to our country is of vital importance. Indeed, it is all the more vital as it is all the more unheralded. In short, I have enormous respect for the men and women of the agency and if confirmed I will do my utmost to serve, represent, and lead the great intelligence professionals, as well as work closely with the DNI and the other intel community leaders as Director Panetta has done so superbly over the past two-and-a-half years.
As I return to Afghanistan tomorrow I will do so with a sense of guarded optimism about the trajectory of the mission and the exceptional civil military team the president will nominate to lead that effort. Indeed I can think of no two individuals better suited than General Allen and Ambassador Crocker to build in the hard fought gains that ISAF and afghan troopers and their colleagues have achieved over the past year.
During flight back to Afghanistan I will also reflect on the extraordinary leadership that secretary gates has provided over the past four-and-a-half years at the helm of the department of defense. I believe that all in uniform are deeply grateful to him but none can be more grateful to him than I am. Again, Mr. President, thank you very much for the opportunity, if confirmed, to continue to serve our nation.
LT. GEN. JOHN ALLEN, DEPUTY COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Mr. President, thank you. I'm deeply honored by this selection. I'm grateful for the support and the leadership of Secretary Gates and Chairman Mullen. Sir, I am mindful of the significance of this responsibility and I am deeply committed to the leadership of the magnificent young men and women of our armed forces and those of the armed forces of this great and historic coalition of nations.
I understand well the demands of this mission. And, Mr. President, if confirmed by the Senate I will dedicate my full measure to the successful accomplishment of the tasks and the objectives now set before us. Mr. President, thank you for your confidence.
RYAN CROCKER, TAPPED TO BE NEXT U.S. AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN: Mr. President, I am deeply honored to have your confidence, that of the vice president, that of the secretary of state, that of the national security adviser for this important mission. The challenges are formidable and the stakes are high. 9/11 came to us out of Afghanistan. Our enemy must never again have that opportunity.
I thought I found a permits home as dean of the Bush school at Texas A&M, as the secretary of defense had done before me. But the Bush school is a school of public service, and, Mr. President, I'm very proud to answer this call to serve.
Over nine years ago I had the privilege of reopening our ambassador in Kabul after the fall of the Taliban. If confirmed, I look forward to returning to Bill on the progress that has been achieved in recent months, working with the courageous men and women at our ambassador, with our military, with our NATO allies in the United Nations, and especially with the people of Afghanistan.
I also look forward to rejoining my old battle buddy, General Dave Petraeus, however briefly. And I am delighted that I will have the opportunity to carry forward with another good friend and comrade from Iraq, General John Allen. Thank you, Mr. President.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I cannot think of a group of individuals better suited to lead our national security team during this difficult time.
While I'm up here, I think it's important to acknowledge the extraordinary work that my vice president and my secretary of state and national security adviser have done as well. This is going to be an outstanding team. I'm grateful for the service that they've already provided and I'm confident that they will continue to do everything that they can to ensure America's safety and security, not just today, but tomorrow.
Let me also just briefly thank their teams, some of whom are going to be shuffling their own lives, whether it's the CIA or in Afghanistan, all of you have done outstanding work, and I'm grateful for your service to our nation. And once again, let me thank the families of the individuals here, all of them make extraordinary sacrifices. Michelle can attest to that. And we know that none of us could be successful where it not for your extraordinary support. So thank you very much.
BALDWIN: There you have it, the president used the word "shuffling," so we'll call it shuffling among national security folk. President Obama made several significant announcements, nominations. First of all, the president nominated CIA Director Leon Panetta as new defense secretary.
President Obama then wants to General David Petraeus to take Panetta's job at the CIA. He also nominated Lieutenant General John Allen as head of the U.S. led international military force in Afghanistan and nominated diplomat John Crocker as next ambassador to Afghanistan.
So that said, I want to bring back in our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr who is listening to all of that with me. Barbara, I think I noticed Secretary Bob Gates tearing up just a little bit after all of his years of service. You listened to the whole thing along with me. What did you glean from that as the most important bit of information for Americans, for security?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Brooke, dignified and maybe a little bit long in the speech making, but what's important in what you just saw, I would say go back focus on the CIA. General Petraeus will be the new director. For his entire career he has been what we call a consumer of intelligence. The CIA puts intelligence outing he receives in the battlefield and then act upon it.
Now he will be the producer of intelligence, it will be his agency around the world that will gather some of America's most vital, secret information and give it to the military to be able to use in wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But the CIA is undergoing a lot of change right now in what it does. Can Petraeus make the change? They have operatives on the field in Libya. They have had operations around the world in places like Somalia, in places that we don't know about. So if there is a security crisis, Petraeus will have to be president Obama's guy to connect the dots and provide the information that the government can act upon to avoid a major terrorist attack again.
Will he be able to do it? We've seen a lot of surprises in the first of the year in what's go on in the Middle East. You can never predict where the next threat may come from. Petraeus has to be able to do that.
BALDWIN: He will, indeed. Barbara, thank you so much. I want to bring in P.J. Crowley. He was the Obama administration state department spokesman up until last month. He resigned after publicly criticizing the Pentagon's treatment of WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning. Mr. Crowley, good to have you on. Thank you so much.
P.J. CROWLEY, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Hi, Brooke.
BALDWIN: First, can we get your reaction to the news out of the White House today? If I make I want to ask you about a name people don't know about seasoned diplomat Ryan Crocker, the next ambassador to Afghanistan. How do you think he'll do?
CROWLEY: We'll, he's a known commodity. He's an experienced in the region as the president outlined a few minutes ago. I think you see it's a shuffle. It's changes the deck chairs but it's signaling continuity across both the team and the strategy.
I think the other thing you noticed here is these guys have worked together before and many of them have experience in the transition that is pretty much done in Iraq from a military strategy to a civilian strategy and as we approach the pivot point in July, we'll begin that transition in Afghanistan over the next three years. These are people who have gone through it and done it once before.
BALDWIN: If you can, going back to Crocker, and it's Karl Eikenberry, the ambassador to Afghanistan, if you can, give Eikenberry a grade, how did he do in relations with Hamid Karzai and how might Crocker improve upon that?
CROWLEY: It's a little bit unfair because you have a team of people who have been dealing with president Karzai, including the president himself, also the secretary of state has had a close relationship with limb member Karl Eikenberry, the late Richard Holbrooke, it's not just one person who deals with the afghan government, it's self-people.
General Petraeus, recently before him, General McChrystal, I think and each of these including Karl Eikenberry have plays the good cop, the bad cop. There are tremendous challenges that exist in Afghanistan, the prison breaker shows you the fragility of the afghan institution. So Ryan Crocker, again, has gone through this once before. He's helped build from that are beginning to take on more responsibility in Iraq. We need to see that progress in Afghanistan in the months and years ahead.
BALDWIN: I do want to ask what's next for you, but I have to go back, have to go back to your resignation. You characterized Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks suspect, treatment by the Pentagon to quote, ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid. You agree that the comment was On the Record. I know you know your voice could shape policy. In that moment, sir, what kind of impact did you think those words would have? You laugh. I hear you chuckling.
(LAUGHTER) CROWLEY: I know I was throwing a dart at the Pentagon. I didn't think it was traveling quite as far as it did. But that said, ultimately through my voice and others working, you know, quietly behind the scenes, the Pentagon came to recognize that it had an unsustainable situation and the treatment of Bradley Manning at Quantico was undercutting what I and others feel is a necessary and legitimate prosecution.
Recently the Pentagon has shifted Bradley Manning from Quantico within which he was not suited for long-term pre-trial detention to Ft. Leavenworth, a modern and suitable facility, more appropriate treatment of him as he prepares for the prosecution. It ultimately was the right answer and has worked out appropriately.
BALDWIN: So the dart did travel fast. But what about you? Quickly, what is next for you?
CROWLEY: I have accepted an invitation to teach next year at the Omar Bradley chair and a combination of Dickenson College, Penn State law school. I'll do other thing in addition to that, but I'm looking forward to this opportunity.
BALDWIN: Good luck to you. We're following you on twitter. Thank you for coming on. Appreciate it.
CROWLEY: A pleasure Brooke.
BALDWIN: And now this --
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JEANNIE GRAY, TORNADO VICTIM: This is all I have is what I have on. And like I said I went to my parents because I couldn't get the radio to work and it made me mad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: What a story this is. The woman you heard from, she says she is alive because the batteries in her radio were dead. She explains how that happened and what was next coming up.
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BALDWIN: Daylight is revealing what was certainly a night of terror and horror for people in and around Birmingham, Alabama. Twisters wiped out entire neighborhoods. The death toll stands at 272. Not just there, though. This is a cross six different states and that number is expected to rise.
One woman said her life was saved because of faulty radio batteries. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAY: This is all I have is what I have on and like I said I just went to my parents because I couldn't get the radio to work and it made me mad. And I went over there because their power came back on and I was going to give her bath and then eat and then once it passed, we were coming back home. And I just can't believe this.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That radio may have saved your life.
GRAY: It did. It was god working. It was god not making the batteries work and I was so -- I was so mad. I had fussed about it. And I just thank god last night that they didn't work because we would have been killed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: How about that, her radio? Martin Savidge there, he is surrounded by damage. This is near Birmingham in pleasant grove, Alabama. Martin, she's one of the lucky ones.
SAVIDGE: She is. A lot of people who, you know, they realize today that split-second choice they made might have seemed indiscriminant and minor at the time, made the difference between life and death.
I want to show you the luckiest house on 7th street because totally untouched. And then you start you start turning and looking down the direction of 7th street and you start to see damage, as in the house next door. And then the farther you go down this street, the deeper the devastation gets until it becomes a point of where homes are absolutely obliterated.
People have lived on this street for decades. A number of them died last night in a matter of seconds and it is still something that many people here are trying to come to grips with, Brooke. They have been trying to clear the streets. You might see there is a lot of debris here. There was power lines down there were huge tree limbs. They have managed to clear.
It took most of the day and deep into the afternoon. They had to use some heavy earth-moving equipment. But now it means the streets are open. For the people who live here, it means they can finally start gathering some of what little remains of their lives and start taking it wherever next they plan to live, at least in the short term.
As far as the rescue efforts, they are pretty much done. They do not seem to have found all the people. And as far as recovering the dead, most of that was already achieved by this morning. So, how have the numbers changed? We don't have an update yet but we know this town took a very heavy toll, Brooke.
BALDWIN: We are hearing from the governor it is up to 184 overall in the state of Alabama. We'll be hearing from him at the top of the hour, Martin Savidge, unbelievable stuff there. My thanks to you and your crew.
Back to the deadly storms here in a moment. But first, it is being called a terrorist attack, a deadly explosion in morocco and it happened at cafe is that quite popular with tourists. Also, listen to the screams. There she is. Kate Middleton arriving at the hotel. She will be spending her final night as a commoner and single gal, might I add. Also getting word prince William is shaking hands outside of Buckingham Palace this very moment. Take a look at the crowds. We'll take you back there live, next.
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BALDWIN: I'm going to take you back to the aftermath of the severe storms in just a moment, but it's the eve of the royal wedding. Trending now, London is bracing for an influx of tulle and tears and tiaras tomorrow. We are getting word that Prince William is out and about shaking hands outside of Buckingham Palace. We are working on getting video of that for you.
In the meantime, take a look at this for me it is a peek at the official photo, how lovely. Prince William and Katherine Middleton will appear in the royal wedding program. Also today, the Goring hotel, a beehive of activity. Why? Because Kate Middleton is staying there tonight. She arrived just a short time ago to the squeals among the crowd. The five-star hotel is where Middleton will stay tonight with her family on the eve of the big day.
Now, a number of garment bags, look closely here, were hand- carried inside the hotel today and one of them maybe, maybe contains Kate's wedding dress. The hotel is taking special precautions to make sure nothing spoils the future princess' big day.
Let's go to Max Foster just outside the hotel there and keeping tabs on garment bag watch and such. Max, I'm hearing that there's some sort of canopy that's out -- that I guess would protect Kate from prying eyes when she leaves for -- leaves the hotel in her wedding dress in the morning. Really?
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Let's show you that. That's the hotel down there you can see that big white town it that will they have constructed for her. Kate's car, Rolls Royce one, will pull up outside that and the idea is that Kate can get in the car, of course can, and none of us get a sense of her dress at that point.
But I'm going to show you something, Brooke, going to be here tomorrow morning in this position when Kate leaves. She is going to be driving this up road, through this temporary police barrier here and I'm going to be right here. Her car is going to be right there, a bit of an awkward turn. Our camera is going to look straight into that Rolls Royce, big glass back.
So at that point, Brooke, you're going to know what color the dress is, whether the hair is up or down, tiaras, eye makeup I'm told is very important, will be dark or light. You might know more about that than me. We will get a good sense before 11:00 what the dress is and told also to look at her feet and that's because we want to see how much material is gathered up, how long is that train?
BALDWIN: We will all be watching and you your camera position tomorrow morning, sounds like you will be getting the goods. Quickly, duke me about security, it must be very, very tight tonight.
FOSTER: Absolutely, the whole hotel is surrounded. Interestingly, talk about the mother-in-law for a moment the duchess of Cornwall was wondering down the mall in public before she went to the Clarence House. We can show you pictures of that she looks fright relaxed. One level, talking about Prince William wandering down the mall as well.
They are trying to be accessible, but security is so important. Wherever they go I was at the abbey earlier, bomb squad people checking the whole area. They are not taking any risks here but they do want to still keep the couple accessible. See what happens tomorrow.
BALDWIN: Max Foster, we will all be getting up early, I promise I will be. Max, thank you so much. We will all be watching. Make sure you set your alarms with me, Friday, watch CNN's royal wedding experience, watch, DVR, participate. Here is the A-Team we have got, Anderson Cooper, Cat Deeley, Richard Quest, Piers Morgan. We are live from London starting bright and early Friday morning, for all you east coasters, 4:00 a.m., 1:00 a.m. on the west.
Switching gears took severe weather, any minute now the governor of Alabama, Governor Robert Bentley, expected to hold this news conference, we are monitoring that for you, where we are going to see them and bring that to you as soon as that happens, get an update there.
Also, Alabama clearly the hardest hit area, but look at this. This is Mississippi, and at least 32 people were killed there. One of them a police lieutenant who died shielding his young daughter from a falling tree, saved her life. I will be speaking with one of his friends, one of his colleagues about exactly what happened. We are back in 90 seconds. Stay here.
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