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President Obama Meets With Navy SEALs; Interview With Sen. Dick Durbin; Vice President Biden and President Obama Address Troops in Kentucky; Surviving a Gunshot to the Brain
Aired May 06, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.
Top of the hour, live pictures, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. We're looking at some men and women in Fort Campbell. Of course, that's the home to the 101st Airborne Division, but also make note that is home to the 160th SOAR, which is an acronym for Special Operations Aviation Regiment. They are called sort of colloquially as Night Stalkers.
Those are some of the men who actually piloted those helicopters, those four helicopters that landed at that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan during that top-secret operation. We of course are traveling with the president.
Dan Lothian is live there amidst the crowd at Fort Campbell.
And, Dan, just if we can, reset. I mean, the president's big mission and message in terms of being there at Fort Campbell is telling these guys and gals, thank you.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
This will be -- first of all, what you're hearing behind me here is that they are trying to get the crowd excited. Someone came out a while ago and said that, in the past, when relatives are here for a welcome home ceremony, that this place has a lot more excitement, a lot more noise.
So they weren't happy with the intensity. So they are trying to get this crowd all revved up. From the White House's perspective, this is not a chance to gloat, not a chance for the president to spike the football, but a chance for the president to talk about a mission that still is ongoing, yes, capturing, rather, killing Osama bin Laden was a big part of that, but that the war against terrorism continues. And that's a message that we will hear from the president here today, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Also, Dan, so important to mention that we may be waiting for the president, but he's been on the ground in Fort Campbell, what, for maybe an hour or so, and he's been meeting with some of the members of SEAL Team 6, those guys who carried out the mission in Abbottabad.
LOTHIAN: That's right. In fact, right after he landed, he did go to an undisclosed location here at Fort Campbell to meet with them. Typically, when the president moves around, you have a small group of reporters who move with him. That's called a pool press, but in this particular case, no cameras allowed in the section of the base where the president was going, so they peeled off.
The president went there to have this meeting. And as we pointed out earlier, the president did meet directly with those who were involved directly with the killing of Osama bin Laden, but also others who were part of the special operations forces, that team that was there, that took part in the operation.
We do not know yet what was discussed there, but we were told earlier by an administration official that the president would be thanking them for their mission, for the successful mission, and also getting a somewhat informal debrief from them. We're told, later on today, though, we should get more details about what was discussed at that meeting Brooke.
BALDWIN: Dan, when you and I were talking just yesterday -- instead, you were standing in front of the White House at the time -- and you and I were talking about Admiral William McRaven. And he's the one who was in Jalalabad relaying the information to Leon Panetta Sunday night, who was then relaying the information the president in terms of what was happening minute by minute, in terms of this operation.
Is he there today in Fort Campbell?
LOTHIAN: We presume that he's here. We have not seen him as of yet. And, as you pointed out, there are 2,300 or so people inside this room.
And you know what? They are all wearing those uniforms. They all kind of look alike. We will find out in just a few minutes when the president comes out here. We said earlier that the president was running a little bit ahead of schedule. But now it's been pushed back, we're told, anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes before the president will come out here.
And, again, the message from the president will be to focus on the ongoing war on terrorism, that this mission is a job well done, but not a job that is finished.
BALDWIN: Indeed, you are correct -- 100,000 troops still there fighting that war in Afghanistan. Dan Lothian, stand by. We will check back in with you when we hear from the president and the vice president as well.
But let's move on to more details we're learning today. The more we learn about Sunday night's operation, the more we're wondering who are these Navy SEALs?
Let's bring in CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. And, Barbara, these guys usually operate in complete secrecy. We know so little about what they do, where they do it, who they are. But this time -- I was just talking to a former SEAL Team 6 member who was actually surprised that we know as much as we do right now. What are you learning?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Brooke, I think what you're talking about, it really is the most extraordinary thing that I see members of the U.S. military reflecting on this week.
This perhaps is the most non-covert covert operation out there in decades. SEAL Team 6, Delta Force, all the covert units that make up what Admiral McRaven is in charge of, which is the Joint Specials Operations Command -- we throw the name JSOC around -- it's so important to understand these are the most covert, elite counterterrorism, assault, assassination, kill units, kill teams against insurgents, al Qaeda, the Taliban that the U.S. military has.
Most of their work never acknowledged, their membership not acknowledged, very little information publicly available about the units that they are and even where they are located around the world. It is extraordinary to see this profile this week, even to see the Admiral McRaven's name out in public.
These were the guys, JSOC guys, that a few years back, killed Zarqawi back in Iraq, when they were under the command of General McChrystal. And people were flabbergasted when President Bush offhandedly mentioned General McChrystal's name and his men in association with that event.
Here we are. Everybody is throwing around Admiral McRaven's name in public. I can guarantee you he's very uncomfortable in the public spotlight. And he and his men are looking to go as fast back into the shadows as they can.
BALDWIN: Well, he -- it's a name we have all learned now and in course of the past couple of days.
And, Barbara, just curious. We know that the president met with some of these members of SEAL Team 6 today at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, but that by no means, by no way means that they are based there, live there. It's just sort of just geographical ease perhaps for the president.
STARR: It is. It's a place for them to come to meet the president.
BALDWIN: Yes.
STARR: The Joint Special Operations Command headquarters is actually in Fort Bragg. The SEALs sort of live, if you will, in the area of Virginia, Oceana, Little Creek, down in that region of Southern Virginia, along the water, as you would expect.
Brooke, let me throw something in here. As we see the 101st, I want to share that this is -- this is kind of a moment that tickles me, because I traveled with the 101st in Afghanistan late last year for some period of time.
These guys -- you know, we're talking about bin Laden. But these guys from 101st Airborne, the Screaming Eagles, they had a very tough tour of duty that they are now wrapping up. They are all coming home. And they have had a really tough time out there. They have suffered many, many wounded. They have suffered an awful lot of fallen.
They have been on the receiving end of some very tough fighting against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Eastern Afghanistan in the remote mountain regions along the Pakistan border. So, there's a lot of families right now that are looking forward to getting their loved ones back home.
BALDWIN: They are looking forward to seeing their husbands, wives, sons and daughters. But I have to imagine -- and you covering the Pentagon day in and day out, the Pentagon must be feeling now, now that bin Laden is dead, this mounting pressure to get these guys out and start quickly in July.
STARR: Yes. I think that's a question that people are sort of looking at right now, as they see General Petraeus getting ready to make that July recommendation to draw down troops. It will be a political decision, of course, by the president what to do, what the course ahead is in the military.
General Petraeus will be making a recommendation on how he feels it's best to militarily to carry out what the president wants to do. But I don't -- make no mistake, everybody is looking at this now and saying, OK, do we need to reset? Do we need to think again, or do you keep at it in Afghanistan still for several years to come? Current strategy is to be there at least through 2014, Brooke.
BALDWIN: I have to get one more question into you as we continue looking at these live pictures out of Fort Campbell. We wait for the president to speak.
You mentioned -- you have a little love, Barbara Starr, for the 101st, as you have traveled with them to Afghanistan, but let's also give a little love to the 160th SOAR, the Special Ops Aviation Regiment.
What do you know about that group?
STARR: Well, these are the Night Stalkers, aren't they?
These are -- let's just face it. These are some really cool guys. And normally you would not see much in public about what they do, except for the fact they had to leave that helicopter behind in Pakistan this week.
You know, we have all seen the pictures of the wreckage. My colleague Chris Lawrence reporting very specifically that this wreckage, this was a special helicopter they used, a modified Black Hawk that had stealth capability to try and evade Pakistani radars as it flew into Pakistan. This helicopter was never supposed to be seen by the world. This was supposed to be something they would fly in on and fly out on, and no one would ever know it existed. But, of course, with that wreckage of the helicopter in that Pakistani compound, they had to leave it behind when it basically hit a wall.
They tried to torch it, so that the classified technology would not fall into the wrong hands, but they couldn't really torch the whole thing. And, you know, there's a lot of rumor, chatter, whatever you want to call it, that some of that technology, a lot of concern that it could fall into Chinese hands now, a lot of rumor out there that the Pakistanis may be so angry, that they may be sending that technology to China and asking the Chinese to figure out how do it.
I want to tell you we have not confirmed that, but even in the Pentagon, that's the question that's being asked. The Night Stalkers are a pretty tidy lot. They normally don't leave anything behind, unless they are absolutely forced to.
BALDWIN: Yes. They were quick-moving Sunday night, for obvious reasons.
Barbara Starr, fascinating details there. Barbara, thank you so much, as always, live from the Pentagon.
And, you know, as we continue to watch these live pictures out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, I do want to bring you up to speed on some new developments on the raid Sunday night. Al Qaeda confirms Osama bin Laden is dead and it vows to continue and to retaliate against the United States.
Al Qaeda's statement posted online translated by CNN says bin Laden did not die in vain. I want you to listen to this. Al Qaeda says bin Laden's blood -- quote -- "will be a curse that will chase the Americans and their agents, a curse that will pursue them inside and outside their country."
All those computers, the thumb drives, the papers that were taken out of this compound Sunday night in Abbottabad, they are beginning to reveal some new details, some plans from al Qaeda, have already resulted in a terror alert for trains across the United States.
So, what does that mean for Americans?
Here is homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We are told that the information about this came from a handwritten document.
And U.S. official says that there is reason to believe that this information came from the writings of Osama bin Laden himself.
BALDWIN: Huh. MESERVE: As to how far along this was, officials say there's no indication that anything was imminent, that anything had been put into motion. This was something that was aspirational.
What it involved, as we told you, had to do with putting objects on tracks, causing derailments. It mentioned doing it on bridges and over valleys, presumably to maximize casualties.
And as for timing, it purportedly was to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks this September, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Do you have specifics, Jeanne, as far as cities at all?
MESERVE: I am told that there were no specific cities or rail systems mentioned in the rail -- in the rail intelligence specifically, but, generally speaking, that the materials do indicate that al Qaeda still had an interest in hitting the big cities in the United States, specifically New York, Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles, Brooke.
BALDWIN: So, what is being done now? We mentioned sort of a higher -- higher security today. What is being done because of this news that is coming out?
MESERVE: Well, it is up to the individual rail systems.
What the Department of Homeland Security has done is to put out this information. The TSA has issued a bulletin giving them the basics. Many of these rail systems had already ramped up security. They did it last weekend when news of Osama bin Laden's death broke, because terrorists have repeatedly targeted rail systems. They know they are vulnerable. They're big. They're wide-open.
And so many of them had already increased their precautions, Brooke, even before this information about this potential plot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: We're also learning this afternoon that videotapes were grabbed from bin Laden's compound the night it was raided by American commandos, all 79 of them. In fact, one U.S. official tells us those tapes are being aggressively analyzed.
Senator Dick Durbin is here with us in Atlanta. He's assistant majority leader, the Democratic whip. And he's also on the Foreign Relations Committee and was a member of the presidential debt commission.
And, sir, it's a pleasure to have you in Atlanta. It's such a treat. We always see you in Washington.
I want to begin with the big news this week. Tell me. It was Sunday night, 9:00 p.m. You're home in Springfield, and you get a phone call.
SEN. RICHARD DURBIN (D-IL), MAJORITY WHIP: I did, from Vice President Biden. And I thought, what in the world is going on here? And he said, I just wanted to give you a heads-up. We have captured and killed Osama bin Laden.
I said, you're kidding me. No, he said, the president is going to make an announcement in a few minutes.
It took a little bit longer, but it was an amazing thing. I stayed up for it, and a lot of Americans did. It was an amazing thing to catch the most high-profile terrorist on the face of Earth. It's something we have been trying to do for 10 years. BALDWIN: You use the words captured and killed. So, I hear captured. That tells me he was in custody. In terms of the details that you know, did we execute him?
DURBIN: Well, I can tell you that, under the circumstances, when you consider this man killed 3,000 Americans in cold blood and boasted about later on how many others he was going to kill, you -- you have to understand, when our soldiers went on the scene there, they were expecting the worse.
If there were truly Osama bin Laden, they didn't know what they would run into, weapons and bombs. And it's the dark of the night. And let me tell you, if we're going to err, I'm erring on the side of our soldiers. They did their job, and they did it right.
BALDWIN: So, even though some of your more liberal colleagues have already started expressing concern, if he had been executed, that that is very worrisome for them.
If that had been the case --
DURBIN: I don't see it that way. This is the heat of war. He was a war criminal and had been responsible for the deaths of so many innocent people.
He was ruthless. And we knew that he would kill, if given a chance. No, our soldiers did the right thing.
BALDWIN: We found out yesterday that bin Laden and his wife, his youngest wife, apparently had been living in this particular compound in Abbottabad for some five years. And so obviously a lot of questions about what Pakistan knew, right? Not just the government but ISI, their intelligence arm.
Do you think there was any complicity?
DURBIN: I don't know that, but I could tell you if the most wanted person on the face of the earth were living six blocks away from West Point Academy, military academy it would raise a question of whether the United States would know or should have known he was there. And the same think is true in Pakistan.
In this situation, this man we knew was guilty of killing not only of the killing of Americans but Pakistanis and Muslims all over the world. And the fact that he was there for such a long period of time undetected, I tell you, a lot of questions have been raised. BALDWIN: Your colleague, Carl Levin, just this morning said, I think high levels, high levels being the intelligence service, at high levels they knew it. Obviously, he doesn't have proof, we don't have proof, but if there ever comes a time where there is proof, do you think that that would be reason enough to yank funding from Pakistan?
DURBIN: Well, we need Pakistan and we need their cooperation, but we don't want to waste our money. If they are going to help us catch terrorists, if they're going to help us bring peace to Afghanistan, then we need their engagement. But if this is a matter of sending money and they are not engaged, that's another story.
For the time being, though, we ought to pursue what happened here, let's do a real investigation of it, but we shouldn't write off the Pakistanis. It's far better for the world and for United States if we're working with them.
BALDWIN: What would you need to see in front of you in order to say, yes, we need to stop funding?
DURBIN: I have to see absolute complicity, and I'm not sure that's ever going to happen. The former president, Musharraf, I heard an interview with him this morning, and he said I want to know how this happened, because it happened while I was there.
So if it were known, I don't think it reached the highest levels of their government, if he's telling the truth.
BALDWIN: How does, beyond national psyche, how does the death of bin Laden affect our war on terror, and specifically Afghanistan?
DURBIN: Well, it has a dramatic impact. We think there are about 100 active al Qaeda members left in Afghanistan, and now the head of their organization is gone.
And I might add that because of the hard work of our intelligence community and military, many other levels of leadership is gone as well. Al Qaeda is being hollowed out. We can't take it for granted that they are gone, but it's a much different organization than when they attacked us 10 years ago. I hope we can reach the point and soon where our troops come home from Afghanistan.
BALDWIN: Do you say, come July, get out and get out quickly?
DURBIN: I think the president's promise is one that should be kept. Start bring troops home. The Afghans at some point have to stand up for their own nation and future.
We cannot police the world. We can't be responsible for bringing Afghanistan into the 21st century. We have to do our part to bring them stability and they've build on it.
BALDWIN: Even if some of your colleagues on Capitol Hill say Afghanistan is still way too fragile, we haven't finished the mission, will there ever be a sense of mission accomplished in Afghanistan? DURBIN: This is the longest war in the history of the United States. It costs us in the range of $10 billion to $12 billion a month, and more importantly, we're losing American lives. There comes a point when we come home.
There are other dangerous nations on earth, and if the United States is setting out to go to everyone, we couldn't recruit enough people in our military.
BALDWIN: So we're waiting on the president. And as you joked with me moments ago, it's not the first time you've been waiting for the president.
And again, I just want to remind our viewers, these are live pictures out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. We're awaiting the president there.
And just quickly, if I can tell you on-the-spot ask you, I know the president is there and speaking about Afghanistan, a lot of these members of the 101st Airborne are there, he's saying thank you.
What message do you have to these guys?
DURBIN: Well, how proud we are of what they've done for us, and the fact that over and over again we say thank you. When you have a member in your family in the military, as I do in Afghanistan, when you have friends who have been there, you understand the sacrifice each and every person is making in serving our military. And equally important, the sacrifice the family makes. The anxiety they feel while they are being activated. The concern they have. Shipping off packages and letters trying to keep in touch with them.
But that just shows you the sacrifice they make voluntarily for this country. And then given a mission of such global importance and executing it flawlessly, as far as I'm concerned, with the cooperation of the intelligence community shows when the United States says if you come after us we're coming after you, and we kept our word.
BALDWIN: Senator Durbin will you stick around? I have more.
DURBIN: I will.
BALDWIN: I have more for you, but I have to get a quick -- actually, I'm hearing Dan Lothian is standing by. Stand by, cause I do want to talk with you about taxes, debt ceiling --
DURBIN: How about the Chicago Bulls here in Atlanta? This is the big game.
BALDWIN: Go Hawks. I know, playoff, playoff. I was already getting tweeted by somebody over at NBA TV. We'll talk basketball, perhaps, a little as well. And I have another fun tidbit with you.
But, if I may, let me get to Fort Campbell, Kentucky because Dan Lothian, I understand, Dan Lothian, you've just gotten a read out with regard t what the president will be saying. Do share. DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right. This is actually, as we talked earlier, that we were expecting to get more details from those meetings that the president had right after landing here before coming over to this location.
Now a White House official saying that, quote, "President Obama and Vice President Biden had several meetings at Fort Campbell to thank our troops for their heroic and selfless service."
First, this official pointed out that the president and vice president met with some of the special operations forces who conducted the successful operation against Osama bin Laden. The president was briefed on the operation by members of the units who carried it out.
The president and the vice president then met with a full assault force that carried out the operation. The president awarded the units involved a Presidential Unit Citation, the highest such honor that can be given to a unit in recognition of their extraordinary service and achievement.
And then the official added that the president and vice president then met with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the 5th Special Forces Group to thank them for their service. In each of these meetings, the president was able to speak and offer his personal admiration and gratitude for the service members and to personally greet them.
And this crowd, I can tell you, Brooke, is getting very antsy leading up to the event. There was a lot of celebration, if you will, happening here. There is a band over to my right playing a lot of, what we would call, old school tunes, make people dancing.
Now they are getting a little antsy. Someone came out and put the president's speech up on the podium. We thought that that might mean a two-minute warning, but it's been several minutes since then. So waiting for the president who is well behind schedule.
BALDWIN: It's the waiting game, and the waiting game continues, Mr. Lothian.
We will chat with you in just a moment. Let's get another quick break in. I still have Senator Durbin sitting right next to me. We will talk on the other side of the break and we hopefully see President Obama in a matter of minutes. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: And here we go. Vice President Joe Biden live in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Let's listen.
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hey, it's good to be back with you all. I'll tell you what. I want to thank General Colt for accompanying me up here. I get the honor of introducing the General. I was back here on February 11th, to welcome home members of the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan -- 155 of you got off that plane in the middle of the night, and the only thing that was more exciting than seeing you getting off is watching your families watch you all get off. So it's an honor to be back here so soon.
I know many of you have just gotten home in the past few weeks -- so welcome home. And I know from experience that your families want more than anything to spend time with you. And so, every time I show up at a welcome home ceremony, I'm always worried about getting in the way. Because I remember when my son came back home from Iraq after a year, there were all these ceremonies. And I kept saying, hell, man, stop, I want to see my kid.
(LAUGHTER)
So, anyway, I get it. So let me just say how much gratitude the President and I have, and all Americans do, for you all. You guys have been in the fight from the beginning. And the risk you've taken, the incredible sacrifices you've made, the comrades you've lost, the losses you've personally endured -- you've been in some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world.
I've been there a number of times, back up those damn mountains. I'd get a helicopter to go down 9,800 feet, and all I got on is a vest -- a bulletproof vest and a helmet and I'm out of breath climbing up about 40 clicks -- 40 feet. And you guys are up there, 60 to 80-pound packs running around. God, you're amazing. You just are amazing. I'm in awe of the job you do, in awe of the job you do.
(APPLAUSE)
As I said back in February, I want to also thank your families. They made sacrifices as well, those intangible sacrifices -- those missed births and those missed birthdays, those missed graduations, those missed -- an occasional funeral. Perhaps more than anything else, just being missed, just not having you home.
The famous poet -- there was a famous poet I like to quote, John Milton, who said, "They also serve who only stand and wait." Your families serve as well. And the rest of America owes your families a debt of gratitude as well.
(APPLAUSE)
And so, to all the families that are listening, I want to say their service is as real as yours and it's as appreciated.
To the soldiers here, you are the most capable warriors. Let me say this without any fear of contradiction, you're the most capable warriors in the history of the world. There has never, never, never, never been a fighting force as capable as you are.
It's my job today and my honor to talk a little bit about the man that I get to work with every day. We've just got to spend time with the assaulters who got bin Laden. (APPLAUSE)
By the way, I shouldn't say this, but I'm going to tell you anyway -- the President is going to be mad I'm taking so long --
(LAUGHTER)
-- but today was "Grandfather's Day," so I went by earlier this morning before I came out here to my granddaughter's little spring play. And after it's all over she said, "Pop, come back to my classroom with me." I said, "I can't, honey." She said, "Are you going someplace on Air Force Two?" I said, "Yeah, I am, babe." She said, "Where are you going?" I said, going to -- true story -- I said, "I'm going to Fort Campbell." I said, "We're going to see the guys out there who got Osama bin Laden." Absolutely true story. She said, "Pop!" and then she grabbed a little friend of hers and she said, "My Pop is going out to see the whales."
(LAUGHTER)
Not the SEALs, the whales
(LAUGHTER)
Because if they're that good they got to be big, man. They got to be big.
(LAUGHTER)
Well, you guys are the gorillas, I'll tell you.
I want to tell you, look, I've watched -- I've been around a while with eight Presidents, so I've watched Presidents make some difficult decisions. They've all had to make difficult decisions. But sitting in every meeting getting ready and planning for this mission and assault, for the mission to get bin Laden, I saw something extraordinary. I saw a President who was told the odds -- told the odds weren't but much more than 50/50 that he'd be there and we could do this, but they were considerably less than 100 percent.
And I, along with the all the rest of his national security team and Secretary of Defense, stayed -- everyone else, we sat around there and he asked our advice and we gave him our advice, and we told him told him a little this and that. And finally, he just looked at all of us and said, I got faith in the -- I got faith in these guys.
He walked off on his own without anybody giving him any guarantees at all and he decided -- because he believed in not only the SEALs, but believes in all of you. He has absolute total faith in all of you. And he made that determination, and it was an amazing thing to watch. But it was because he had the absolute confidence that you were there.
And so he decided, when he got into office, because of the fight you all were in from the beginning, that the number one priority was to get Osama bin Laden. And he knew the risks, he knew there were significant risks, and more importantly, special operations risks to the people who were risking their lives getting there. But he didn't hesitate, nor did your guys.
Bob Gates said something interesting. I've known Bob for a long time. He said, it was one of the gutsiest decisions I've ever seen made and one of the gutsiest raids. This is going to go down in history, what happened. This is going to go down in history.
And here to introduce your Commander-in-Chief, the guy that I'm proud to serve with, is one of the country's leading warriors himself, Deputy Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division, General Jeffrey Colt.
Ladies and gentlemen, General Colt.
(APPLAUSE)
GEN. JEFFREY COLT, DEPUTY COMMANDING GENERAL, 1010ST AIRBORNE DIVISION: Thank you, sir.
I can only try to tell you today just how proud of you that this Division and this local community are. But more importantly, today, you're going to get to hear from the Commander-in-Chief just how appreciative he is of all of your service and your sacrifices.
Please join me in this great privilege of welcoming the President of the United States, Barack Obama.
(APPLAUSE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, Fort Campbell!
(APPLAUSE)
101st Airborne Division-Air Assault, hello!
(APPLAUSE)
General Colt, thank you for that great introduction -- it was great because it was brief.
(LAUGHTER)
More importantly, thank you for the extraordinary leadership that you've shown here at one of the largest Army bases in America.
(APPLAUSE)
And let me just say, I make a lot of decisions; one of the earliest and best decisions I made was choosing one of the finest Vice Presidents in our history -- Joe Biden, right here.
(APPLAUSE)
Chaplain Miller, thank you for the beautiful invocation. I want to thank General Colt for welcoming me here today, along with your great Command Sergeant Major, Wayne St. Louis.
(APPLAUSE)
The Quartet and 101st Division Band.
(APPLAUSE)
All these troopers behind me -- you look great.
(APPLAUSE)
You noticed they kind of hesitated.
(LAUGHTER)
We got a lot of folks in the house. We've got military police and medical personnel. We've got the Green Berets of the 5th Special Forces Group. I think we've got a few Air Force here. Ohh --
(LAUGHTER)
Well, we thought we did. There they go -- okay. Come on.
(APPLAUSE)
And, of course, the legendary Screaming Eagles.
(APPLAUSE)
And although they're not in the audience, I want to acknowledge the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment -- the Night Stalkers -- for their extraordinary service.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, I've got to say, some of you are starting to look a little familiar -- because last December, when we were at Bagram, I was out there to thank you for your service, especially during the holidays. And we had a great rally, a big crowd -- it seemed like everybody was there from the 101st.
And since then, I know we've had quite a few homecomings. The Rakkasans.
(APPLAUSE)
Destiny.
(APPLAUSE)
Strike.
(APPLAUSE)
Bastogne.
(APPLAUSE)
And some of the Division Headquarters -- the Gladiators.
(APPLAUSE)
On behalf of a grateful nation -- welcome home.
(APPLAUSE)
Of course, our thoughts and prayers are with General Campbell, Command Sergeant Major Schroeder, and all of the Screaming Eagles and troops that are still risking their lives in theater.
And I'm so pleased that Ann Campbell and Marla Schroeder, and some of the inspiring military spouses are here. Where are they at? Right over there.
(APPLAUSE)
We are grateful to you. God bless you. There they are. Thank you so much.
(APPLAUSE)
This happens to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
(APPLAUSE)
And we honor your service as well.
Now, I didn't come here to make a really long speech. I know you're hearing that.
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It's like, yeah, it's hot!
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What I really wanted to do was come down and shake some hands. I came here for a simple reason -- to say thank you on behalf of America. This has been an historic week in the life of our nation.
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Thanks to the incredible skill and courage of countless individuals -- intelligence, military -- over many years, the terrorist leader who struck our nation on 9/11 will never threaten America again.
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Yesterday, I traveled to New York City, and, along with some of our 9/11 families, laid a wreath at Ground Zero in memory of their loved ones. I met with the first responders -- the firefighters, the police officers, the Port Authority officers -- who lost so many of their own when they rushed into those burning towers. I promised that our nation will never forget those we lost that dark September day.
And today, here at Fort Campbell, I had the privilege of meeting the extraordinary Special Ops folks who honored that promise. It was a chance for me to say -- on behalf of all Americans and people around the world -- "Job well done." Job well done.
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They're America's "quiet professionals" -- because success demands secrecy. But I will say this. Like all of you, they could have chosen a life of ease. But like you, they volunteered. They chose to serve in a time of war, knowing they could be sent into harm's way. They trained for years. They're battle-hardened. They practiced tirelessly for this mission. And when I gave the order, they were ready.
Now, in recent days, the whole world has learned just how ready they were. These Americans deserve credit for one of the greatest intelligence military operations in our nation's history. But so does every person who wears America's uniform, the finest military the world has ever known.
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And that includes all of you men and women of 101st.
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You have been on the frontlines of this fight for nearly 10 years. You were there in those early days, driving the Taliban from power, pushing al Qaeda out of its safe havens. Over time, as the insurgency grew, you went back for, in some cases, a second time, a third time, a fourth time.
When the decision was made to go into Iraq, you were there, too, making the longest air assault in history, defeating a vicious insurgency, ultimately giving Iraqis the chance to secure their democracy. And you've been at the forefront of our new strategy in Afghanistan.
Sending you -- more of you -- into harm's way is the toughest decision that I've made as Commander-in-Chief. I don't make it lightly. Every time I visit Walter Reed, every time I visit Bethesda, I'm reminded of the wages of war. But I made that decision because I know that this mission was vital to the security of the nation that we all love.
And I know it hasn't been easy for you and it hasn't, certainly, been easy for your families. Since 9/11, no base has deployed more often, and few bases have sacrificed more than you. We see it in our heroic wounded warriors, fighting every day to recover, and who deserve the absolute best care in the world.
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We see it in the mental and emotional toll that's been taken -- in some cases, some good people, good soldiers who've taken their own lives. So we're going to keep saying to anybody who is hurting out there, don't give up. You're not alone. Your country needs you. We're here for you to keep you strong.
And most of all, we see the price of this war in the 125 soldiers from Fort Campbell who've made the ultimate sacrifice during this deployment to Afghanistan. And every memorial ceremony -- every "Eagle Remembrance" -- is a solemn reminder of the heavy burdens of war, but also the values of loyalty and duty and honor that have defined your lives.
So here's what each of you must know. Because of your service, because of your sacrifices, we're making progress in Afghanistan. In some of the toughest parts of the country, General Campbell and the 101st are taking insurgents and their leaders off the battlefield and helping Afghans reclaim their communities.
Across Afghanistan, we've broken the Taliban's momentum. In key regions, we've seized the momentum, pushing them out of their strongholds. We're building the capacity of Afghans, partnering with communities and police and security forces, which are growing stronger.
And most of all, we're making progress in our major goal, our central goal in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and that is disrupting and dismantling -- and we are going to ultimately defeat al Qaeda.
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We have cut off their head and we will ultimately defeat them.
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Even before this week's operation, we've put al Qaeda's leadership under more pressure than at any time since 9/11, on both sides of the border. So the bottom line is this: Our strategy is working, and there's no greater evidence of that than justice finally being delivered to Osama bin Laden.
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But I don't want to fool you. This continues to be a very tough fight. You know that. But because of this progress, we're moving into a new phase. In the coming months, we'll start transferring responsibility for security to Afghan forces. Starting this summer, we'll begin reducing American forces. As we transition, we'll build a long-term partnership with the Afghan people, so that al Qaeda can never again threaten America from that country.
And, as your Commander-in-Chief, I'm confident that we're going to succeed in this mission. The reason I'm confident is because in you I see the strength of America's military -- (APPLAUSE)
-- and because in recent days we've all seen the resilience of the American spirit.
Now, this week I received a letter from a girl in New Jersey named Payton Wall. She wrote to me on Monday after the news that bin Laden had been killed, and she explained how she still remembers that September morning almost 10 years ago. She was only four years old. Her father, Glen, was trapped inside the World Trade Center.
And so, in those final, frantic moments, knowing he might not make it, he called home. And Payton remembers watching her mom sobbing as she spoke to her husband and then passed the phone to Payton. And in words that were hard to hear but which she's never forgotten, he said to her, "I love you Payton, and I will always be watching over you."
So yesterday, Payton, her mom, and her sister, Avery, joined me at Ground Zero. And now Payton is 14. These past 10 years have been tough for her. In her letter, she said, "Ever since my father died, I lost a part of me that can never be replaced." And she describes her childhood as a "little girl struggling to shine through all the darkness in her life."
But every year, more and more, Payton is shining through. She's playing a lot of sports, including lacrosse and track, just like her dad. She's doing well in school. She's mentoring younger students. She's looking ahead to high school in the fall. And so, yesterday she was with us -- a strong, confident young woman -- honoring her father's memory, even as she set her sights on the future.
And for her and for all of us, this week has been a reminder of what we're about as a people. It's easy to forget sometimes, especially in times of hardship, times of uncertainty. We're coming out of the worst recession since the Great Depression; haven't fully recovered from that. We've made enormous sacrifices in two wars. But the essence of America -- the values that have defined us for more than 200 years -- they don't just endure; they are stronger than ever.
We're still the America that does the hard things, that does the great things. We're the nation that always dared to dream. We're the nation that's willing to take risks -- revolutionaries breaking free from an empire; pioneers heading West to settle new frontiers; innovators building railways and laying the highways and putting a man on the surface of the moon.
We are the nation -- and you're the Division -- that parachuted behind enemy lines on D-Day, freeing a continent, liberating concentration camps. We're the nation that, all those years ago, sent your Division to a high school in Arkansas so that nine black students could get an education. That was you. Because we believed that all men are created equal; that everyone deserves a chance to realize their God-given potential.
We're the nation that has faced tough times before -- tougher times than these. But when our Union frayed, when the Depression came, when our harbor was bombed, when our country was attacked on that September day, when disaster strikes like that tornado that just ripped through this region, we do not falter. We don't turn back. We pick ourselves up and we get on with the hard task of keeping our country strong and safe.
See, there's nothing we can't do together, 101st, when we remember who we are, at that is the United States of America.
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When we remember that, no problem is too hard and no challenge is too great.
And that is why I am so confident that, with your brave service, America's greatest days are still to come.
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God bless you. God bless the 101st. And God bless the United States of America.
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BALDWIN: President Obama just wrapping up his speech there in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. What a speech it was.
I want to bring in Senator Dick Durbin who has been sitting here during this entire time watching this whole speech with me. There the president goes along with vice president. Jackets off. Rousing round of applause from those troops there. First, Senator, just your impressions?
DURBIN: What a great moment. You know this president, I think, was being as honest as he could be with the American people and these troops. This was the riskiest decision he ever made as president.
BALDWIN: Going in Sunday.
DURBIN: He put his faith in those men and women in uniform and those like them who were part it and he came to say thank you that they didn't let him down. They didn't let America down. It was a great expression of gratitude from the president and the nation.
BALDWIN: In the speech,. the president said, looking at my notes, he said we're making progress, we're going defeat al Qaeda. And when you and I spoke before the president came out, with regard to getting our troops out of Afghanistan and starting to really draw down come July, would you be willing to take the troops out even if al Qaeda isn't fully defeated?
DURBIN: Listen, I think we can put all the members of al Qaeda in Afghanistan in this room. It's a small number. We can't ever give up the fact that they are dangerous to us, America and the people in Afghanistan, but we're closing in on them. We've taken the head of the snake and beating them down. We've still got work to do and we need to do it with the Afghans. They need to step up with us, their military, their police. They have be as focused as we are in keeping Afghanistan safe. BALDWIN: Also though in terms of those opportunities, one opportunity one may say is the fact that Bin Laden is dead, now we have the opportunity. The United States has the opportunity to reconcile, to negotiate with the Taliban.
It's widely known or surmised the head of the reclusive head of the Taliban Mohamed Omar is in Pakistan. Perhaps this is one way to get him out in talking to the U.S., do you agree? Is that an opportunity?
DURBIN: I don't think we missed the chance to see if it can work. If in fact we can sit down with the Taliban with an agreement that they will honor the government that is in Afghanistan, that they will not engaging acts of terrorism, that they will treat women with dignity in their country. If they are prepared to do that then perhaps something can happen. Should we try? Of course, we should.
BALDWIN: And if they are not?
DURBIN: Then the battle continues.
BALDWIN: The battle continues. Do we have Dan Lothian standing by, guys? What more, beyond this speech and certainly he's very thankful to all of these troops but in terms of, you know, lights off, we're out, Afghanistan, is there such a thing as mission accomplished?
DURBIN: I don't think any president is going step up and stand under that banner soon. President Bush, as I one it, looked back and said that was a mistake. He was branded with it for the longest period of time. They spoke too soon, claimed too much.
I think presidents are careful now, President Bush since then and President Obama now not to make these claims. Let me just add one other point. There's a group that cannot be shown on camera that deserves equal billing and gratitude and that's the intelligence community.
When you read about a 10-year effort to find this man and all of the work and all of the danger that they face to bring that day about, to allow our military to step in that of gratitude should go to our intelligence community as well.
BALDWIN: We learned from the vice president at a dinner two nights ago and he said there were a number of members of Congress who were in on this operation. Were you part of that?
DURBIN: No, there were 16, limited number of those on the intelligence committee, which I once served on and the leadership. And the good news is the vice president said they knew for months and not a word leaked. Everyone understood. I talked to Senator Harry Reid about this, the gravity and importance of this mission. BALDWIN: No leaks at all. Senator Durbin, thank you so much for sitting here --
DURBIN: For this historic moment.
BALDWIN: -- for this historic moment. What a moment to share with you. Number two Democrat in the Senate.
Let's go to Wolf Blitzer here in these final minutes before your show, Wolf.
You listened to the president speak. What struck you the most?
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Well, you know, this is -- as Senator Durbin, as you, as everyone realizes, this was a very, very risky move for the president. A, risky politically for himself, but even more important than that risky for the men he was dispatching into Pakistan to go ahead, risk their lives and try to find Bin Laden.
And if it would have failed, only imagine the consequences for the president, consequences for the United States. U.S. credibility around the world would have suffered. It would have emboldened terrorists outside of the United States, emboldened the people who hate the United States to take further steps.
So they could have undermine security, U.S. prestige. So it was a risky move that the president made and he did it and it worked out, obviously, and so he can get some credit for that, but it was by no means a done deal.
Everything I'm hearing, by the way, it was by no means a done deal when he gave the go order. I'll say this. We'll have more on this in "THE SITUATION ROOM," Brooke. It is intensifying the U.S. hunt for other terrorists out there. The U.S. is really speeding up its activities.
It's getting new information, in part as a result of that treasure trove of documents and computer disks, hard drives, thumb drives that they picked up at Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad.
So they are getting new information. I wouldn't be surprised to see some other successes, dramatic successes in the weeks and months to come based on some of the information that is being picked up right now.
BALDWIN: Also perhaps what might pop up on your show with Dan Lothian, as we has telling me, there could be read out on that closed door meeting between the president and some of the members of that SEAL Team Six who he met with there in Fort Campbell, Kentucky before giving the speech that we just show.
So in your show you may start to get some of that information and that will be certainly stunning to listen too. Wolf Blitzer, give you a quick break so you can have a couple more minutes to prep for your show. Thank you so much, sir. And we will not go too far from this story, but we do have some new incredible details coming up about Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Listen to this.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The entire time she was going hospital was she alert and awake?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her eyes were closed. She was responsive to pain.
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BALDWIN: Dr. Gupta joins me live previewing this documentary he's been working on for quite a while. We'll be talking about that coming up next. Stay right here.
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BALDWIN: We're covering Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is taking a break from hospital food. Here's what we learned, she and her husband, Mark Kelly, commander of Space Shuttle Endeavour went out on a date last night. They went out to dinner at a Houston area restaurant.
Congresswoman Giffords is in rehab as you know in Houston for her brain injury that she suffered back in January and she says she will return to Florida, back to Cape Canaveral, back to Kennedy Space Center when the postponed launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour is rescheduled.
And CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is working on this special report. We're all so excited to see this, Sanjay, about Giffords remarkable recovery and you know, one question a lot of people keep asking is how in the world did she survive a bullet to the brain? Sanjay --
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's pretty remarkable, Brooke. You know, if you consider this one fact, first of all, that only about 5 percent to 10 percent of people who have gunshot wounds to the head survive.
People might expect that number to be that low like that. But there are several different factors that go into, for example what was working in her favor from the time of the shooting throughout, through right now. Let me give you a little bit of a preview of what happened.
Take a look.
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GUPTA (voice-over): The bullet was fired from a Glock 19 9-mm semi-automatic handgun. It entered from the front left side of the congresswoman's forehead, travelled the entire length of her brain and exited out the back. It was a focused wound meaning the damage was concentrated to one area of the brain.
(on camera): She was exceedingly lucky, right?
DR. PETER RHEE, CHIEF OF TRAUMA, UMC TUCSON: When I saw that trajectory where one hole was and where the other hole was I was like, my gosh, you know, however --
GUPTA: Because it was so far apart?
RHEE: Yes. I mean, it wasn't that little skiving thing. It went through a lot.
GUPTA: It wasn't a glancing shot. It was --
RHEE: Yes, it wasn't a glancing shot.
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GUPTA: Now, one of the important things he just said there, Brooke. Let me tell you is that he is describing what's known as a through and through bullet wound injury. Now the reason that's important is because you have a certain amount of energy from this bullet. You want that energy to be dissipated into space as much as possible versus inside the skull.
All that energy, more of it is dissipated into space that the bullet goes through and through. So that's one example of something that worked in her favor, Brooke.
BALDWIN: What about, Sanjay, specifically, you mentioned the gun type. What about the bullet? I mean, does it matter? Is it size or trajectory?
GUPTA: Yes. I mean, there are several things that matter about the bullet, for example, in particular. The exit wound, we know, when it went through and through relatively small exit wound. In fact, the doctors had a hard time distinguishing what was the entrance wound, what was the exit wound.
That's important because the bullet is likely not to have inside the brain. You've heard of tumbling bullets or exploding - literally the bullets tumbling inside the brain and that can cause more damage inside the brain.
As opposed to a straight shot or the bullet goes inside the skull and sort of explodes. That can be a real problem. Also, you mentioned the trajectory of this bullet. Most neurosurgeons will tell you, Brooke, that if the bullet crosses the mid-line goes from left to right or right from left whatever the case may be.
That offers a much worse prognosis. In fact, a lot of hospitals, a lot of doctors won't even be aggressive in terms of therapy. This stayed on one side of the brain. That worked in her favor as well.
BALDWIN: It is a stunning story. You spoke with her doctors and the rookie paramedics. I want to make sure we get this in, Sanjay. Because they're so much and we're excited to watch this.
You're calling it -- it's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports "SAVING GABBY GIFFORDS" and we could all watch it, Sunday night, CNN, 9 p.m. Eastern. Sanjay Gupta, 7:00 Eastern. Sanjay, thank you and now let's go to Wolf Blitzer, "THE SITUATION ROOM" starts right now.
