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Freed U.S. Hikers Leave Iran; President Obama Speaks at United Nations; Palestinian Authority Seeks Statehood from U.N.; Mitt Romney and Rick Perry Criticize Each Other Over Social Security

Aired September 21, 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: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Brooke Baldwin, top of the hour here.

I want to quote something for you: "Today can only be described as the best day of our lives." That is the first word we have now heard from the families of the recently released American hikers. It cost a million dollars, but today Iran finally set Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer free.

You cannot see them yet, but the newly released Americans are inside this white Toyota as it left Evin prison today in Iran. That Toyota is a diplomatic car registered to Oman, where the two Americans are headed. In fact, we're being told they're just about perhaps 20 or so minutes away from landing in Oman.

And then another part of the story. There's the timing of this whole release. Coincidence or not? This came as Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad entered United Nations building in New York, where he will be addressing the Assembly tomorrow.

Let's go straight to Oman, to Mohammed Jamjoom, who I know is there on the line, on the tarmac there.

And, Mohammed, how close are these two Americans from touching down where you are?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, we're here at the Royal Airport in Muscat, Oman. Omani officials are saying that the plane should touch down here within the next 20 to 30 minutes.

We have also learned from the families of Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer that the families are indeed here, that Sarah Shourd,, the third American hiker that was detained along with the two men and who is the fiancee of Shane Bauer, that she's here as well. They're eagerly awaiting the reunion. We do not see the families yet. We do not see any of the families of the hikers or Sarah Shourd,, but clearly a sense of anticipation here.

We got word a few hours ago the Omani officials finally confirming that they were involved in the negotiation to secure the release of these two American hikers on bail, not so much of a surprise considering there was a lot of speculation in the past week that the Omanis would be involved, that perhaps they had paid the bail because last year when Sarah Shourd was released, they were behind paying the bail for her. That was $500,000. And her first stop when she left Iran was here in Muscat -- Brooke. BALDWIN: This is tremendous.

Mohammed, let me just say this. Obviously this is breaking news here and you are on the phone. We do have a camera there and we will get that signal up and running as soon as possible and hopefully bring that much anticipated arrival there in Muscat, Oman, live to our CNN viewers here.

I just want to look down because this is also just more from the family as you mentioned, Mohammed, there, as is the fiancee, Sarah Shourd,. They also said: "We have waited 26 months for this moment. We're all now -- we just want nothing more than to wrap Shane and Josh in our arms."

Mohammed, do you know once they touch down where you are what happens next, where do they go, who might they be talking to?

JAMJOOM: Omani officials tell us that they will be here for the next 24 to 48 hours. We anticipate that once they get here because they're now in the custody of the Omanis, that they will be turned over to diplomatic personnel with the American Embassy here and then after that they will be whisked off in the United States and they will arrive in the next few days. Again, not confirmed, but the American officials here haven't been speaking to us at this point.

They haven't confirmed that, but the families of the hikers, they are here. Sarah Shourd is here, and everybody has really been anticipating this reunion and it is going to be probably very emotional because Sarah Shourd and Shane Bauer got engaged when they were both imprisoned in Tehran. This is a moment that she's said she had been waiting for, the families had been waiting for and we're just waiting now to see when the families will appear to greet those two freed hikers and to see where exactly they will head to next here in Oman -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: I talked to both of the mothers of both Josh and Shane just a couple of months ago and just they kept repeating we're hopeful, hopeful, cautiously optimistic, but so many times they thought they would be released and they have not been.

Also want to let our viewers know we know that the president, President Obama, addressed United Nations General Assembly earlier today and he also spoke about both Shane and Josh. We're working on turning that sound around for you so we can play that as well.

In fact, we have it now. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Wonderful news about the hikers. We are thrilled. And I could not feel better for their families and those moms who we have been in close contact with. It's a wonderful day for them and for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So the president is thrilled. That's the word there.

Mohammed, we know that the bail has been paid. It was set at half a million dollars apiece. Who paid that bail?

JAMJOOM: Well, Brooke, conventional wisdom has it now here diplomats are suggesting and analysts believe that it was the Omanis. The Omanis have not officially confirmed that yet.

Even last year the Omanis never really officially came out and confirmed that. It was officials with the Obama administration who confirmed to CNN that the Omanis had paid the bail for Sarah Shourd. That was set at $500,000.

And a lot of people are asking why Oman is involved in this. Oman is one of the more low-key players here on the stage in the Middle East, but Oman is also a diplomatic rarity in that it has really good relations with the U.S. and Iran. There's not a lot of countries in this part of the country that have good relations with Iran, especially countries that are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Analysts say that Oman is seen as really a go-to country when it comes to trying to solve disputes between Iran and the Western countries like the U.S., countries that can't speak diplomatically to Iran, don't have a presence there. And right now Oman is seen as a country that's trying to really raise its profile on the geopolitical stage, and to be seen as a country that can play a mediation role at a time of such strife can only help its prospects and its P.R. here in the region -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Mohammed, I will ask you to please stand by, you and your crew. We're going to get that signal up and running. And the moment you spot that plane flying in and about to land there in Muscat, Oman, we're going to bring our viewers that image live, of course.

This has been 26 months in the making. We all want to see that moment when both Shane and Josh are embraced by their mothers and the fiancee, Sarah Shourd, there on the ground in Oman, a tremendous occasion for all families involved. Mohammed, thank you very much.

If anyone knows how these two hikers feel right now, it's Roxana Saberi. She's the American journalist held in that very same, very notorious I should add Iranian prison for five months during 2009. We will be speaking to her live next hour about her experiences and the condition behind bars and what this moment must be feeling like for Shane and Josh, what these first 24 hours of freedom must taste like. That is next hour. Stay tuned for that.

Also developing news at this hour, we're getting wind of what President Obama will be told when he meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in just a couple of hours from now. Palestinian officials tell CNN that President Obama will be told that Abbas will give the U.N. Security Council a letter requesting statehood for Palestine.

But -- and this is an important point here -- Mr. Abbas does not expect the United Nations to take immediate action on this question.

Let's go to Richard Roth, our senior United Nations correspondent.

And with regard to this letter, Richard, I understand Abbas will give the U.N. several weeks to respond. Could this be seen as a win for the Obama administration?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, maybe just delaying more intrigue and trouble and a potential big problem for the region. We don't really know the exact timing, a Palestinian diplomat telling reporters a short time ago that they're not bluffing, they want to give this a try, they're going to see what happens in the Security Council.

At the same time they could also be applying to the General Assembly after this effort for non -- non-full-state status. Either way, the Palestinians are determined to challenge the United States. They're willing to test a potential U.S. veto in the Security Council. They think they have the required nine countries who would approve this statehood application. That's the minimum votes they would need.

President Obama addressing the General Assembly today spoke largely about the Middle East, frustrated at the lack of progress between the two sides and really opposed in diplomatic language the Palestinian statehood application at the U.N.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now.

Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians who must live side by side. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians -- not us -- who must reach agreement on the issues that divide them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: French President Sarkozy speaking after President Obama later in the day said a United States veto of the statehood application at the Security Council would cause violence in the Middle East. He favors observer state status for the Palestinian status at the U.N. There are differing opinions as to how France might vote, indeed, in the Security Council on this measure -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Do we know -- I know we heard the president say he wants them -- that they're side by side, he wants these two entities to reach some sort of agreement, though. But, Richard, we have been talking about this for decades here. Are direct talks even a possibility?

ROTH: Well, the Palestinian diplomat Nabil Shaath said, look, we have been talking to Israeli officials, not Netanyahu, the prime minister, but we have been talking to them in other cities. But it's been months again as everybody knows between face-to- face talks. Both meeting individually today with the U.S. president. There's always a chance. But the Palestinians want to have a wider discussion. They would like to see an immediate freeze again on settlements. Israel has other issues and also there's the question of Hamas, who control the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian faction that still wants to wipe Israel -- that does not favor Israel as a state and has not joined with their Palestinian brethren in this statehood application.

They don't really favor it. Mr. Abbas will be speaking to the U.N. General Assembly on Friday.

BALDWIN: Richard Roth live at the U.N., Richard, thank you very much.

Now this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are two Troy Davis cases. There is the legal case, the case in court, and the public relations case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The former prosecutor in the Troy Davis case says he's guilty, but not everyone agrees with that. Despite people questioning his guilt, Troy Davis stands to die by lethal injection in just a couple of hours. We're on that.

Also, we're keeping a close eye on a plane that is soon approaching Muscat, Oman, as those two American hikers who have been in Evin prison in Iran for the past 26 months, they are about to land. We're going to hopefully carry that for you live right here on CNN. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Japan is dealing with a deadly storm. Roke has now been downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm, but not before blasting Japan with 100-mile-an-hour winds. At least four people have died. Three others are missing. And about one million people are told to get out, get out of these vulnerable low-lying areas.

Another image I want to show you, live pictures, remember this, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, northeastern Japan. It's just after 4:00 a.m. there. You remember this particular plant had to be shut down after major damage it sustained after that earthquake and tsunami hit back in March. Now Roke is blasting that area with heavy rainfall as well, which has halted reconstruction efforts. And some worry the downpour could wash radiation contaminated waters out of the plant.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Of course, there are still vast pools of radioactive water that have still to be treated within these reactors. Remember for months cool water had to be poured on the reactors to try and cool them down, and, of course, heavy rain could cause that water to overflow and maybe go into the sea or go into the groundwater.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Also, CNN iReporters have been giving us amazing images of Roke there.

Chris Potnikoff shot this video of damage. This is Tokyo, the Old Town district there. He says trees, bicycles were knocked down. He also says that he saw a couple of close calls. You saw those umbrellas, some flying umbrellas, which are often left on the side of the street to be picked up by garbage collectors there.

One more iReport I want to share with you, this is from Taha Refat, shot this video from his phone. This is from a sixth-floor balcony in Tokyo. He says the storm knocked down trees, trash cans, rattled his windows.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

BALDWIN: Also we have that live signal. We want to share it with you now.

Guys, let's just take it. OK. I'm being told in my ear -- thank you Angie Massie -- if there is a plane that we see, obviously it's not their plane.

Let me just back up and tell you this is Muscat, Oman. We are waiting to see the plane, the plane carrying Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer. They were the two American hikers. Initially, there were three, the third, Sarah Shourd. They were all caught and put in this notorious Evin prison in Iran. They were charged with espionage.

The two men, Shane and Josh, have been there for 26 months. And their families have been waiting to get them out. They have been denied and denied. And finally the moment is just about here. We're minutes away from bringing you this tremendous moment on live television. We have Mohammed Jamjoom live on the tarmac. As soon as we see that plane come down -- the families are there. Fiancee Sarah is there as well. We're going to bring that to you live. Stay right here.

Also, this, 16 bucks on a muffin, that is how much the Justice Department spent at a conference. And that's not all. Details of this government audit, you don't want to miss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A quick reminder, we're watching and we're the only to be able to bring you this kind of coverage, live pictures, Muscat, Oman.

This is the tarmac. And in a matter of minutes, we will be seeing that plane touchdown, finally, the first taste of freedom for those two Americans who were caught as they were hiking in from Iraq Kurdistan into Iran, ultimately charged for espionage. They are now free today. And we will see them, those first moments of them stepping off that plane and greeting their mothers and Shane's fiancee all there. Mohammed Jamjoom will bring that to us live.

Meantime, we're going to move on to this. How much are you willing to spend on a muffin, $2, maybe $3? Well, it turns out you, the taxpayer, spent $16 for a muffin at just one Justice Department conference. Do these look like they're worth $16 a piece to you? As a matter of fact, we spent than $15 on this whole dozen of muffins.

And how about this? A plain old cup of coffee, $8.24. That's what another DOJ conference spent on a cup of Joe. This audit report by the Office of the Inspector General lists what it's calling a lot of firefighters and I'm quoting them -- wasteful or extravagant spending at the Justice Department.

Take a look at this, a little bit more for you. In addition to the cost of the coffee and muffins, another Justice Department event served beef Wellington hors d'oeuvres $7 a pop. In all, between the years 2007 and 2009, the DOJ spent nearly $500,00 on food and beverages at 10 conferences. But the conferences themselves costs more than $4.4 million.

Joining me, wrote about this, this morning in "The Washington Post," Jerry Markon. He has covered this story extensively.

And, Jerry, first, did the DOJ at all dispute any of this report's findings?

JERRY MARKON, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Actually, the DOJ concurred with most of these findings.

And people over there were pointing out that majority of these conferences actually took place during the Bush administration, not all of them, however. The conference where the $16 -- actually, it's $16.80 to be precise -- muffins were served was actually in the early days of the Obama administration.

The DOJ agrees that this is extravagant.

BALDWIN: Yes, I saw the graph on page two of the report under 2009. We will get to that in a minute.

But I got to ask the why question, Jerry. What kind of explanation? If the DOJ even offered up someone to talk to you, did they give any kind of explanation as to why they needed these $16 and however many cents muffins?

MARKON: No, they wouldn't get specific about the muffins.

And unfortunately I was thwarted in my muffin quest to find out even more details, the kinds of muffins, how big they were. All I was able to find out was it was a tray of assorted muffins, there were 250 of them and the cost for them was $4,200. And when you divide that out, which the auditors did, it was $16.80.

Now, much of this was because all of these conferences were held at hotels, at Hyatts, Hiltons, nice hotels, all of which sort of jacked the price up 20 percent with service charges. So that accounted for it. But DOJ is basically saying we just shouldn't do this and we're going to try not to do it again.

BALDWIN: I was tweeting about this earlier today. And I got a tweet and somebody said, look, aren't we just blowing this out of proportion? As you mentioned, these are high-end D.C. hotels, a hotel in San Francisco. It's kind of par for the course with all these -- with add-on services.

Or, Jerry Markon, could they have chosen conferences at places that were a little less costly?

(CROSSTALK)

MARKON: I got the same e-mails today from some outraged event planners, thinking we were tainting their profession or criticizing their profession, which we are not meaning to.

I think the auditors made that point, that if you have a conference at a really nice hotel, this is what's going to happen. So I don't myself go to conferences at Omni Shoreham hotels, so I don't know. But I would suspect that most conferences there might feature these types of what one might call extravagance. So I guess the question is could they have had the conferences elsewhere and could they have been more careful in trying to control the costs?

BALDWIN: Well, here's the last question, sort of springboarding off of that. As you pointed out at the top, most of these conferences were held under the Bush administration.

You look at the graph though on the report, and they point out in 2009 the Obama administration spent nearly $30 million more than the previous year. What kind of assurances can the federal government give to you, give me, give American taxpayers that in the time of penny pinching that this is not going to happen at that level?

MARKON: Yes, I was going to say a lot of what made this story salient to people is the timing, that it takes place at a time of great concern about government spending, overspending, austerity. Those are the watch words in Washington.

You know, I'm afraid that people are a little skeptical that, you know, the government can control spending in any event. But for what it's worth, the DOJ, as other agencies, is saying today that they will put in tough controls. And the attorney general -- actually the deputy attorney general has issued a statement today, just two hours ago, saying they will not tolerate wasteful spending. So we will have to see until the next audit.

BALDWIN: We will see. Jerry Markon, thank you very much, "Washington Post."

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: -- this morning.

MARKON: Thank you. Thanks.

BALDWIN: Quickly, just a reminder, we're watching, we're waiting for that plane to land in Oman carrying those two American hikers, Josh Fattal, Shane Bauer, minutes away. We will bring you this live moment right here on CNN. Don't move. We will have that for you.

Also this. Convicted cop killer Troy Davis just hours away from execution. We will look at a last-ditch effort today to try to save this man's life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right, once again, live pictures. We're all sitting here awaiting this arrival of this plane carrying both of those Americans.

Finally after 26 months of sitting in this Iranian prison, this notorious prison, they will finally taste freedom on the target there in Muscat, Oman. They're of course Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal.

In fact, I have Shane Bauer's brother-in-law, Nate Lindstrom, on the line with me calling in from Duluth, Minnesota.

Nate, did you think this moment would ever come?

NATE LINDSTROM, BROTHER-IN-LAW OF SHANE BAUER: Yes, pardon?

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Nate, this is Brooke in Atlanta. Can you hear me?

LINDSTROM: Yes, I can hear you.

BALDWIN: Nate, Nate, my question is, did you think this moment, finally, your brother-in-law coming -- coming -- finally being freed, did you think it would ever happen?

LINDSTROM: I knew it would happen eventually, but I just didn't know when. But now that it's here, I'm so happy that it's finally going to be over.

BALDWIN: When did you find out that this moment would finally happen? Days? Weeks?

LINDSTROM: I actually found out at about 4:00 a.m. this morning. My wife called me and said I think something's going to happen today, so be prepared.

BALDWIN: What exactly did your wife say? What had Shane said?

LINDSTROM: She said pretty much all she could say. She couldn't give me specifics. But that was about it. BALDWIN: Is she there? Is she there in Oman?

LINDSTROM: She's with her family right now, yes.

BALDWIN: OK, because from what I understand, both of their mothers and Sarah Shourd is there on the tarmac as we're all waiting to see this plane. Do you know who else is with them?

LINDSTROM: It's -- both of the families are there with Sarah.

BALDWIN: Nate, what have these past 26 months, this waiting process and constant denial from the judicial system there in Iran, what has that been like for you and the family?

LINDSTROM: It's been really long and really frustrating, but we never gave up hope that it was going to end. And now that it's here, I mean that's -- all of that's forgotten for now.

BALDWIN: Nate, are you in front of a television by chance?

LINDSTROM: I'm not. I really wish I was, but I'm not.

BALDWIN: Then I'll just fill you in on what we were just looking at. Let's put that picture up once again. That's the first image we've seen finally now of both Shane and Josh. They're sitting with the Swiss ambassador. So this is the first still image we have seen of them before we finally will see them in action getting off this plane in a matter of minutes.

What -- do you have any idea what the plan is once they land in Oman? Do you know how long they will stay there and when they'll finally come home?

LINDSTROM: No, I honestly have no idea. I don't think anybody's planned that far ahead. They've just been waiting for them to get on the plane and leave Tehran.

BALDWIN: You know, I talked to both of the mothers a couple of months ago, and they seemed they were very measured in their optimism. Perhaps they've learned based upon their experience with Iran and like I said the judicial system, the judges and the constant denials. Have you ever been able to plan in advance in these past 26 months? How hopeful have you really been able to be?

We keep ourselves in check. I mean there's always some sort of good news, and we get excited but not too excited, because the last two years have been anything can happen at any time, so --

BALDWIN: And Nate, you're live here on CNN, nationwide. What do you want people to know about Shane and Josh?

LINDSTROM: They're just really good people trying to make a difference in other countries and people less fortunate than themselves. They just give and give and give and don't ever expect to get anything back.

BALDWIN: Nate Lindstrom, thank you so much for calling in.

LINDSTROM: Thank you.

BALDWIN: And now we have Josh Fattal's uncle on the line? Is this what I'm hearing? Josh Fattal's uncle on the line. Sir, can you give me your name, please?

FRED FELLEMAN, JOSH FATTAL'S UNCLE: Hello?

BALDWIN: Hi, can you hear me? This is Brooke Baldwin in Atlanta. Hi. Can you hear me? Can you please give me your name? I just know that you're Josh's uncle.

FELLEMAN: Yes. I'm Fred Felleman, Josh's uncle.

BALDWIN: Hi, Fred. So how excited are you?

FELLEMAN: I'm way excited now that I've seen my family has released an official statement that they are confident that this is no longer a drill but the real thing. It's a very good day, two years, two months to long.

BALDWIN: How have your families been able to withstand these, I imagine, 26 excruciating months. The line that jumps out at me is "We all want nothing more than to wrap Shane and Josh in our arms." That speaks volumes.

FELLEMAN: Yes. I just want to see the light in his eyes shine again. They're both, you know, very committed people that I'm sure will -- have had plenty of time to think about what they want to do next will be coming back with a clear agenda.

BALDWIN: Do you have any idea about what they want to do next, Fred?

FELLEMAN: The only evidence I've had so far is -- two things. One is that Josh was practicing his Jerries (ph) while in prison. He had the Jerries textbook. When Sarah was with my sister on "Oprah," she asked what did you do to keep sane? She said we talked about places we enjoyed and places we would go back to. We're going go whale watching when we get out. And that was -- I think Josh has done whale watching with me in the great northwest and I study killer whales. And so we're really looking forward to getting them out on the water.

BALDWIN: OK. So let me --

FELLEMAN: That's a short-term plan.

BALDWIN: Forgive me for interrupting you. I hope you are sitting next to a TV because I have just been told this is the plane, live images here on CNN. This is Muscat, Oman. We are now seeing the plane carrying those two American hikers, Josh Fattal, Shane Bauer as we watch it here on the tarmac. We have Mohammed Jamjoom there watching as well. And, Fred, I know I still have you. From what I understand, both of the families, both mothers, sisters, Sarah Shourd, Shane's fiancee, they're all there on the tarmac. Can you tell me, Fred, what kind of contact they've had with family within the last 26 months as we watch this plane?

FELLEMAN: I think there's only been like three phone calls and one visit in that whole time, which is contrary to most international conventions on the treatment of prisoner prisoners. It made a hard situation worse.

BALDWIN: OK, Fred, thank you very much. I am being told we have Mohammed Jamjoom. Where's Mohammed? I don't know if you can hear me. Let's take the screeching away. Mohammed Jamjoom live in Muscat, Oman.

Mohammed, we're both looking at this plane. Just set the scene for me. Tell me where you are and who's around you. Mohammed, this is Brooke. Can you hear me? Mohammed Jamjoom? Guys, we haven't -- OK. I'm being told we don't have Mohammed. We're going to work on getting Mohammed.

I'm being told it's loud on the tarmac. You and I can both hear the noise. You and i, let's watch this and we'll do this together. This is the plane carrying the two Americans and certainly a number of other people. Again, we have learned, according to Mohammed when we talked earlier, we know that the families of both Shane and Josh, Sarah Shourd, who is the third American who was also obtained by the Iranians, she was released last year.

And we did finally get a statement. So far we have been trying. We have not been able to talk to the families of these Americans just yet. They have been waiting. As they told me before, cautiously optimistic, wanting to see their sons. And the very first line of the statement from the families, they say, "Today can only be described as the best day of our lives."

I want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. Live coverage from Muscat, Oman as we watch this plane come to a halt carrying those two Americans, Josh Fattal, Shane Bauer.

I want to bring in Mohammed Jamjoom. Mohammed, can you hear me? Mohammed Jamjoom, can you hear me? This is Brooke in Atlanta.

JAMJOOM: Yes, hi, Brooke. We're here on the tarmac.

The plane has arrived. We're right here behind the families of Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer. They are eagerly awaiting the door of this plane to open.

Right now we're seeing security men going up to the plane. Everybody here, the mood, the anticipation very high. The family members, all the family members are here waving at the plane, just waiting for this door to open, waiting to see Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer. Brooke? BALDWIN: Mohammed, tell us what we can't see as we keep our eyes trained on this plane. Around you, do you see members of both of these families? Who is there?

JAMJOOM: We see brothers and sisters, we see Sarah Shourd is here. And they're now actually approaching -- they're actually approaching the plane. The doors of the plane have been opened. We're behind the family members. They look like it's very emotional for them, all of them hugging each other, smiling. And now the doors of the plane are open and they're waiting for the moment they've been waiting for so long. Now we see Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, they've emerged. The families are cheering. They're so happy. They're running down the steps.

BALDWIN: Look at this. There they are, racing down the steps to a crowd, flashing lights, cameras, families. Let's just listen. Let's just listen for a moment, Mohammed.

As we watch this moment -- and again, a reminder that Sarah Shourd, the third American also obtained as they were hiking right along the Iranian border and taken into custody and put in the notorious Evin prison for the past 26 months. Sarah was released last year. She is engaged to Shane. The three of them now reunited for the first time since last year, both parents, a sister, brothers, as Mohammed mentioned. Mohammed, have you had any chance to speak with the family or not yet?

JAMJOOM: We have not. They have been kept away from the press until now. Right now we're seeing Shane Bauer hugging one of his sisters and also Sarah Shourd. It's a very, very emotional moment. People here are crying and they have huge smiles on their faces. We hope we'll get a chance to speak to the family members here very shortly.

But this is a moment where clearly everybody here is simply overjoyed. You saw it just in the way that Shane and Josh ran off the plane, ran down those stairs to quickly run into the arms of their family members and loved ones. Brooke?

BALDWIN: Mohammed, can I ask you here live on CNN if you can at al approach the crowd? Stay on the phone with me and approach the crowd and see if we can put the phone a little closer to the crowd to hear the cheers. Mohammed, are you still with me? Let's just listen.

JAMJOOM: I'm very close to Sarah Shourd right now. Sorry, she's not talking to the press right now. Clearly the family is overjoyed. We're going to try to speak to some of the other family members. We're going to try to speak to Shane and Josh as well. One moment.

BALDWIN: As we're all standing by, Mohammed Jamjoom is our correspondent there in Muscat amongst this crowd trying to speak -- trying to speak to possibly Josh, Shane -- we'll stand by and wait.

JAMJOOM: Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal are being taken away, are being surrounded by security people. There are U.N. officials as well. They're being taken into the terminal and we'll have to wait a little bit longer to be able to speak to them. Right now they're not speaking to the press.

BALDWIN: Sure.

JAMJOOM: Again, they're overjoyed at this moment to be reunited with their family members and loved ones.

BALDWIN: As you mentioned, you saw hugging, tears. Certainly this moment 26 months in the making. And Mohammed, do we know as we watch them walk away together, do we know how long they'll stay in Oman, what procedurally what needs to happen next before they can finally come home?

JAMJOOM: We don't know the procedures that have to happen, but Omani officials have told us that will stay here probably two days. They're going to be turned over from the custody of the Omanis into the custody of the U.S. embassy here. U.S. Embassy officials are here. We've seen them, spoken to them.

Right now we're hearing if there will be any kind of a press conference. Right now we're walking behind the family members and behind Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer as they're going into the royal terminal but right now we're trying to find out exactly what the procedure will be. Omanis say it could be one to two days. We are trying to find out if there will be availability to try to speak to Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer. We'll update you once we know more.

BALDWIN: Mohammed Jamjoom, my thanks to you. We're going to let you go so you can do your job and try to grab any perhaps family members as well. Mohammed, thank you.

And I want to thank our viewers from all around the world watching this tremendous moment 26 months in the making there. Thank you once again. We're going to be right back after this quick break.

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BALDWIN: All right, just moments ago -- we just want to replay that moment as we saw Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal walking down those stairs. Actually I should say they ran down the stairs. And here's the moment as they were greeted by this crush of family members, obviously a photographer in the crowd. Many, many family members, of course, finally, finally getting to wrap their hands and arms around these two young men for the first time in 26 months. They've been in that Evin prison in Tehran for that amount of time.

The U.S. supports Israel and the need for Palestinians to compromise and negotiate directly with Israel. Those are the two big takeaways from President Obama's speech this morning at the United Nations general assembly. President Obama is walking a diplomatic tightrope this week at the U.N. He made it a goal for his administration to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

And now this -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas plans to ask the United Nations on Friday to recognize an independent state of Palestine. But Israel says if the U.N. decides to recognize Palestinian statehood, that would undermine a very long and very fragile peace process. Today President Obama said Israel and the Palestinians must sit down, must talk to one another directly and work it out themselves.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now. Ultimately it is the Israelis and the Palestinians who must live side by side. Ultimately it's the Israelis and Palestinians, not us, that must reach agreement on the issues that divide them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: President Obama also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. And he is set to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in a couple of hours to try to convince him that the path to statehood is through direct negotiations with Israel.

George Birnbaum is an international political consultant and former chief of staff for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. First, sir, I want you to just react to the news that we learned just this afternoon that Abbas plans to send a letter now, requiring statehood but won't actually try to force action right away. What do you make of that?

GEORGE BIRNBAUM, INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL CONSULTANT: First let me just say how happy I am for Shane and his family.

BALDWIN: Sure. Absolutely.

BIRNBAUM: And Josh. I think it's great and reminds us of a young Israeli who's been in captivity for five years in Hamas, and I hope their families have a similar reunion soon.

So the issue of what's happening with the United Nations and with Abbas and with President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coming days, let's keep in mind that back in 1947 the U.N. passed Resolution 181 which called for a partition plan between the Arabs and the Jews in Palestine and in essence created two states for two people, the same thing being advocated today both by the Palestinians and Israelis.

At the end of the day what has to happen is the livelihoods and quality of life of the Palestinians has to be improved. I'm just for very fearful that a resolution or declaration today will mean nothing in terms of the status quo among the Palestinian people.

BALDWIN: Does it not matter to you whether it's a letter requesting state hood or a full on vote at the U.N.? It doesn't matter?

BIRNBAUM: What matters is improving the lives of the Palestinian people and ensuring the security of the Jewish people in Israel. In order to do that, you have to have defined borders, define security arrangements. You have to have all kinds of policies in place. And in order to do that, a letter to the U.N., a vote in the U.N., a flag on a flag pole outside a building in New York is not going to do that for the Palestinian people. And at the end of the day that's who matters in this whole issue.

BALDWIN: This was when the president was speaking just this morning to the U.N. GA, speaking quite a bit about Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: America's commitment to Israel's security is unshakable. Our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring. And so we believe that any lasting peace must acknowledge the very real security concerns that Israel faces every single day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And the president coming out with clear endorsement of Israel. Is that what you wanted to hear? Do you agree?

BIRNBAUM: First of all, the American support for the state of Israel has always been clear, and I don't think it's any surprise that, what President Obama had said about U.S. support for Israel. What I'm afraid of is that the situation has given an enormous PR talking point for Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and other fundamentalist Islamic organizations around the world to say, hey, look, the American government is pro-Zionist. It's going to create enormous problems for the American administration and the American military in places around the world. Again, resolutions in the U.N. are not the answer. Solutions on the ground for the Palestinian people and the security of the Jewish state are what are needed.

BALDWIN: If statehood ultimately, sir, is granted to Palestine, what will that mean for the Palestinian people in your opinion?

BIRNBAUM: Well, I'm hoping what it means for any people with a state and country. It means independent sovereignty, security. It means independent ability to make trade agreements. It means the ability to control your own life.

Today the Palestinian people have to go through security checkpoints to go to work. They have to endure enormous hardships in the Palestinian-Arab areas. That's no way for anyone to live. The Jews more than anyone else throughout history understand what that means and are sympathetic to plight.

And so what my hope is that whatever comes out of negotiations, and by the way, even if a resolution passed tomorrow, a negotiation will still have to take place because a resolution is not going to define a border, a capital, security arrangements. So a negotiation has to take place in in case and agreements have to take place in any case. My hope is that at the end of that process, the Palestinian people will have what the Jewish people have in Israel, a thriving state where they can raise their children in peace and not worry about the threat of terrorism.

BALDWIN: George Birnbaum, thank you so much. Tomorrow, we'll speak with another man, former adviser to Mohamed Abbas, the executive director of the American task force in Palestine.

Also, Iranian hikers, we showed you the moment -- the American hikers who were in Iran for 26 months, they landed moments ago in Muscat, Oman. And finally, here we go, running, rushing down those stairs into the crowd, to their families. Tears, hugs, a moment many of those people there and here at home have been waiting for.

And there's this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can do it. Don't have a baby here because we'll land for about an hour or two hours. OK, OK, I said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BIRNBAUM: But she wasn't able to keep her word. The plane landed with a little extra passenger. Find out who helped her with that delivery.

And then crossing the Political Ticker, this hour, they exchanged jabs at the CNN Tea Party Express debate over Social Security. Now Governor Perry is slamming Mitt Romney and accusing him of acting like a Democrat.

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BALDWIN: Let's go to Washington now and get a quick check of what's making news in the political world. Paul Steinhauser joins us with the latest news off the Political Ticker. Paul, what do you have?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Brooke, remember the presidential debate in Tampa, Florida? Remember Rick Perry and Mitt Romney really going at it over Social Security. It's continues. Mitt Romney in Florida attacking Rick Perry over his plans to alter Social Security. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In my opinion, this thing does not work in any way, shape, or form. I can't see anything which suggests it makes any sense whatsoever to end Social Security as a federal entitlement and send it back to the states. So, this is -- by the way, this is not something that the governor said four years ago or two years ago. This is something he said in his book this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL STEINHAUSER: The Texas governor's campaign responded and said this in a statement, "Mitt Romney's own book compares Social Security to a criminal enterprise. Now Mr. Romney is against sounding like a Democrat, distorting the truth and trying to scare senior citizens. As he has so many times in the past, Mr. Romney seems to forget he's a Republican."

I tell you, this battle between the former Massachusetts governor and the Texas governor for the nomination will continue tomorrow. Another debate in Florida, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Getting exciting. Paul Steinhauser, thank you very much. We'll have another Political Ticker update in a half an hour. You can always hop on Twitter.