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Russian Submits Syria Weapons Plan; Gun Control backers Defeated; Missouri May Allow Machine Guns; Trooper Rams Couple on Motorcycle

Aired September 11, 2013 - 14:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Great to be with you on this Wednesday. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

We top this hour here with two days, two days after Russia proposed it, reportedly the plan for Syria to hand over control of its chemical weapons arsenal is now on paper. This is at least according to Russian News Service. Presumably, Secretary of State John Kerry will see those details for himself tomorrow when he meets with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Switzerland.

And now the world watches and wait. Watches whether Syria and Russia live up to their word or live up to their reputations after critics warn this newfound cooperation could really just simply be a delay tactic. This is what was said on the Senate floor today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM KAINE (D), VIRGINIA: So the offer that is on the table, and the action that's happened since Monday, is very serious and very significant, very encouraging and, Madam President, it could be a game changer in this discussion. Now, I said it's serious. What we still need to determine is whether it's sincere. It's serious and significant, but, obviously, what the administration needs to do, in tandem with U.N,. is determine whether it's sincere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Joining me now, our foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty, who is live in Moscow, and CNN International's Hala Gorani.

So, Jill, let me just start with you. You know, let's just begin with this report from the Russians. My goodness, that was fast. What's in it?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we don't know entirely. I mean, we can surmise what's in it. We certainly know that it's details of this plan that the Russians have presented and how this initiative would be carried out. And we also know from the White House briefing that there are about three steps. That they want to take those weapons, get them into one place, they want to make sure they're out of the hands of the Syrian regime, and then eventually they want to destroy them.

Now, how to do that, you need experts. And at those meet - that meeting, which actually will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, Kerry coming from Washington, Mr. Lavrov coming -- he's actually in Kazakhstan, flying together, meeting in Geneva and they'll be meeting for at least two days. They have a team of experts from both sides, and they will be discussing this in great detail because, after all, it's complex. And being carried out in the middle of a civil war, it's even more complex.

And I just wanted to tell you, Brooke, the late -- very latest. Just as I was running over here to do this live shot. The Russian foreign ministry is saying that there was a telephone conversation between Secretary Kerry and Mr. Lavrov. Just took place apparently very recently, today. And it was initiated by Secretary Kerry. And, of course, they were discussing Syria and the meeting that they will be having in Geneva tomorrow.

BALDWIN: OK. So they've been communicating on the phone. They'll be meeting face-to-face tomorrow. I know you'll be all over it, Jill.

And, Hala, you know, Jill mentioned that the complexities really of this idea, this proposal, practically speaking, I was talking to this expert yesterday, just reminding me how it took decades for just the United States to try to get rid of its - its stockpile of lethal agents. And that wasn't even during a civil war. How long, how complex might this be for Syria?

HALA GORANI, ANCHOR, CNN INTERNATIONAL: Well, we know it will be complex and we know it will be long. It's impossible at this stage to know how long or how complex because of how accurate the intelligence is. According to a recent report, Syria might be in possession of 1,000 tons of chemical agents that are spread out across the country in dozens of facilities. Many of these facilities, according to also recent reports, could be dual use. In other words, they could be one type of factory, they could be used to produce chemical agents or to store them.

And if the objective is to secure them, to move them, and eventually to destroy them, as you said and as the expert you spoke with as well, Brooke, yesterday said, and I've spoken to many experts as well, this is something that can take years. And who is going to provide security for these inspectors, the inspectors in charge of securing the weapons? What countries will they come from? Will the regime accept American inspectors, for instance, running around across Syria? Will the rebels accept certain types of inspectors coming from countries they view as supporting the regime, such as Russia?

So you have so many questions out there and we know that the meeting between Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and the secretary of state, John Kerry, will last for a couple of days to iron out these details and that Secretary Kerry will be going with arms experts as well. This is designed to iron out the technicalities and the modalities of trying to secure these weapons and it's a big job.

BALDWIN: Hala Gorani, thank you very much. Jill Dougherty, my thanks to you.

The man who confessed on video to killing a man in a drunk driving accident has just now appeared in court. He is Matthew Cordle. He had promised to plead guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated. He said he wanted to accept quote/unquote "full responsibility" for killing a man by the named of Vincent Canzani. And moments ago he took the first step toward fulfilling that promise. I want you to watch here as Cordle's lawyers enter an initial plea on this man's behalf.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE BREITMAYER (ph): Thank you, Judge.

George Breitmayer on behalf of Mr. Cordle. Martin Midian, Ross & Midian, on behalf of Mr. Cordle as well, your honor. At this time, judge, we'd enter a plea of not guilty, waive reading the indictment and we pass on bond respectfully, your honor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Respectfully, that's my job to set bond, so you can have another judge readjust it if they choose. At this time the court is setting a $150,000 assureity (ph), a $100,000 appearance and a $5,000 recon (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, your honor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, your honor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: As I said, this is Cordle's initial plea. Cordle's attorneys say the case will be given to another judge and Cordle will then change his plea to guilty.

One of two states to legalize recreational use of marijuana, Colorado, has now just tossed out two state lawmakers who played prominent roles in passing new gun restrictions. The two losers of yesterday's recall elections, both are Democrats. They include the man here, this is John Morse, a former police officer. And up until yesterday, this guy was the head of his state's senate. And he is proud, he says, of the stand that he's taken.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MORSE, FMR. COLORADO STATE SENATE PRESIDENT: If passing gun safety legislation in Colorado cost me my political career, that is such a small price to pay because the families of gun violence victims pay a huge price every single day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The new gun restrictions expand background checks on buyers and limit the number of bullets and ammunition clips. They remain in effect, but this defeat here, this recall of these two state lawmakers, could blunt gun control efforts in other states. Joe Johns is working this one for us today.

And, Joe, as I understand it, you have the NRA and its gun lobby supporters, they were actually outspent in these races, which makes this, you know, outcome pretty remarkable, as does the fact that you had the massacre in Aurora, you had Columbine and Littleton, all in Colorado.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. And this is a state that's actually familiar with this because Columbine happened so long ago, and Aurora happened much more recently. But it's a real wake-up call. It shows gun rights still has huge muscles, especially in the west. And the thing these legislators have in common, it bears repeating, they voted in favor of unpopular gun control laws limited firearm ammunition magazines to 15 rounds, requiring universal background checks on firearm sales.

A first ever recall of this type in Colorado. One of those rare situations where an election involving state legislature get nationized. And the money that poured in was just enormous. Gun control advocates had a huge advantage.

Now, Brooke, one of the arguments we've heard is that the -- essentially the reason for this was a blow-back reaction to Mayors Against Illegal Guns. That's the group headed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He was sort of cast as a heavy-handed outsider trying to influence the state. The Bloomberg folks say it was a local movement and they're trying to downplay the national impact, Brooke.

BALDWIN: We're going to debate this next hour because this may be Colorado today, could be another state another. Joe Johns, thank you so much, in Washington.

And today, the Missouri legislature could be the first to decide to bypass federal gun control laws in a way really the nation has never seen. It could turn out, if you live in Missouri, you could legally own a machine gun. The governor of Missouri has vetoed this bill once already, but now the state legislature is debating a bill that would essentially nullify all federal gun control laws.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG FUNDERBURK, HOUSE BILL 436 AUTHOR: It doesn't broaden anyone's scope or ability to purchase a firearm. It doesn't do - it doesn't even advocate the ownership of firearms. It strictly says that Missouri is going to protect the Second Amendment rights of Missourians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: George Howell is on this for us today. He joins me now.

And, George, just tell me, what is happening at this moment in the Missouri state legislature?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, the legislature is set to vote on this. I got off the phone with the governor's office earlier. They're not making any predictions on what happens here. It's being described really as a game-time decision for these lawmakers, whether they push ahead to try to override the veto or whether they've had some time to reconsider after some of the potential problems that have been pointed out by law enforcement.

But the long and short of it, this House Bill 436, supporters say it's more symbolic than anything else, Brooke. That it nullifies federal gun laws in the state of Missouri and protects and defends the Second Amendment rights of citizens there.

But opponents say that this law, if passed, could have real teeth that could cause real problems. For instance, allowing citizens the right to take legal action if federal agents enforce federal gun laws in Missouri, to take legal action, to sue them if they basically enforce the law. And it also prevents and makes it illegal to publish the names and addresses of gun owners in Missouri.

Now, so we're waiting to see what happens here with the house and senate. It's expected to go before the house. We expect it will take a two-thirds vote to pass the house. Then it would take 23 members to vote out of 34 members in the senate to pass. So we're watching, we're waiting, and we will see.

BALDWIN: George Howell, keep us posted.

In the meantime, we've got to continue this conversation. Mike Brooks, law enforcement analyst on our sister network, HLN, worked as a cop for many, many years.

OK, so let me just underscore what George just said.

MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Right.

BALDWIN: Basically, this would be a first. A, in Missouri, if this passes, you could own a machine gun. B, they would go after, possibly arrest, federal officers who try to take your machine gun away.

BROOKS: Misdemeanor. It would be a misdemeanor defense.

Let me, first of all, say, look, I am all for legal gun ownership. I have my Georgia carry permit. Ii carry a gun all the time, Brooke. And I can tell you, I'm all for that. But when it comes to machine guns, let's take a look at the Federal Firearms Act right now. The NFA (ph) of 1934 says you can't even own a machine gun that was manufactured after May 19th of 1986. Only federal firearms dealers and government agencies can actually own machine guns.

Now, look, I don't care. You can own all the semiautomatic rifles you want and all the -- but why do you need a machine gun? It's not going to happen. This is crazy.

BALDWIN: OK. So - so - OK, you say it's crazy.

BROOKS: I think it is, personally.

BALDWIN: So, number one, the idea of someone owning a machine gun you say is nuts. B, what about, I think for law enforcement, if I'm a cop in Missouri and I want to be working with my other jurisdictions -

BROOKS: Right. BALDWIN: Be it local, state, federal. And what I'm -- my law doesn't exactly jive with what the federal government is saying. How does that even work if you're a police officer?

BROOKS: It doesn't work. And that's the whole thing. When you think about it common sense wise, it doesn't work. So a citizen is going to be able to charge a federal agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or the FBI who's enforcing the laws, being able to charge them with a misdemeanor offense? That's just craziness.

Now, on the other hand, I don't think that gun owners' names should be published because, you know, what if somebody gets the name of the gun owner. Oh, at this house, there's all these weapons in this particular house.

BALDWIN: Right, that's part of the bill.

BROOKS: So that part of the bill, I agree with. The rest of it, I think is ridiculous.

BALDWIN: OK. Mike Brooks.

BROOKS: That's my personal opinion.

BALDWIN: Never lacking in opinion. Mike Brooks, thank you so much.

BROOKS: There you go. Thanks.

BALDWIN: We should point out, the one gun control advocacy group, The Brady Center, says they will sue - they will sue Missouri if this bill becomes law.

Coming up, as America remembers the victims of 9/11, you are about to hear from a daughter who lost her dad who was the first American killed in Afghanistan. It's an incredible story.

Plus, privacy concerns over Apple's new iPhone feature, you know, the fingerprint log in. What you need to know.

And we want to share with you this chilling dash cam video of this trooper slamming into this couple on a motorcycle. They're OK, sort of. We'll tell you what happens next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: At 8:46 this morning, the bell tolled. Ground Zero fell silent and we, as a nation, remembered.

Twelve Septembers ago, nearly 3,000 men, women, and children lost their lives in the worst terror attack in the history in the United States. 9/11 will forever remain etched in the soul and the skyline of New York City and beyond. But this year, right next to the footprint of the Twin Towers, New York rebuilt. Now, One World Trade Center stands strong, 1,776 feet high. President Obama marked the day today with a moment of silence in front of the White House. He then spoke at the Pentagon in front of the families of those who were lost that day. Here, now, a look back at the memorials at Ground Zero and at the Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joseph Angelini, Sr.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joseph Bron (ph) Angelini, Jr.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: David Lawrence Angell.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mary Lynn Edwards Angell.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Laura Angilletta.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Doreen J. Angrisani.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lorraine Antigua.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seima David Aoyama.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Peter Paul Apollo.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Faustino Apostol, Jr.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Frank Thomas Aquilino.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Patrick Michael Aranyos.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: David Gregory Arce.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael George Arxzynski.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our hearts still ache for the futures snatched away. The parents who would have known the joys of being grandparents, the fathers and mothers who would have known the pride of a child's graduation, the sons and daughters who would have grown, maybe married, and been blessed with children of their own, and those beautiful boys and girls just beginning to find their way who today would have been teenagers and young men and women looking ahead, imagining the mark they'd make on the world. They left this earth. They slipped from our grasp. But it was written, what the heart has once owned and had, it shall never lose. What your family has lost in the temporal (ph), in the here and now, is now eternal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The 9/11 attacks launched the U.S. into war. And I spoke with a young woman whose life has been shaped by that war. Her name is Alison Spann. Her father, CIA Officer Johnny Michael Spann, he was the first American killed in the war in Afghanistan when Alison was all of nine years old. And I tell you, her story is one of resilience. And at the end of our interview I asked her, if she had one more hour with her father, how would she spend it?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALISON SPANN, FATHER WAS 1ST AMERICAN KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN WAR: I would thank him for everything that he did for me. All of those lectures and speeches I got as a little kid that I didn't always appreciate and take to heart, that I just sort of scoffed off and I was like, oh, no, not another lecture, I would really love to thank him. Thank you so much for instilling all those great values in me and thank you so much for teaching me everything you taught me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Alison Spann, we thank you and we thank your father all these years later.

Today also marks one year since that attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. And today, a new explosion has rocked that city. We'll tell you about that.

But first, this video from the dash cam of an Ohio state trooper shows the car crashing into a motorcycle in the middle of the road. It sent the couple flying. What happened next, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just in to us here at CNN, we're getting word that Facebook stock just hit a new all-time high. The social network's last high on its very first day of trading way back in May of last year. The company has seen recent success by profiting on its numbers of mobile users it has. So good news if you have a little Facebook stock.

Now to this story we have been talking about here. And the video just really tells a dramatic. New police dash cam video I want to share with you. So, you have this Ohio state trooper, he's Jacob Damon (ph), apparently somehow not paying attention to the road. This was last month. Keep watching. He rams the rear of this motorcycle carrying a man and his wife. The bike flipped several times. We'll play it again for you and you can see. I know it's -- you turn away. It's tough to look at. The bike flipped a couple of times before getting out of sight here of the dash cam. The woman's injuries were severe. She, in fact, had to be flown to a hospital after this happened. Her husband, taken to the hospital by ambulance. Lynn Berry is joining me now from HLN because, you know, when you read about this trooper who hits them -- And it's tough, I know, I see you looking away.

LYNN BERRY, HLN ANCHOR: I know. I've seen it a dozen times and I'm still cringing.

BALDWIN: You've seen the video so many times. So he was like the trooper of the year. Did he just not see them?

BERRY: Brooke, literally, 2012, he was trooper of the year. He's never been disciplined for anything. That's the big question, did he not see them? And if you watch the video, it's kind of impossible if you're looking up not to see them.

BALDWIN: Right.

BERRY: Your headlights are right on them. They're not saying -- this is an ongoing investigation. His attorney has advised him not to speak to anyone. The Ohio State Patrol says he's still performing his duties, as he was before, while this investigation continues, but they're not giving any comment as to what he was doing.

Let's talk about this couple, though.

BALDWIN: Yes, please.

BERRY: Yes, exactly.

BALDWIN: Very injured looking at the pictures. That's tough to look at, too.

BERRY: Extremely injured. As you said, they were flown to a hospital. They were bolted off their bikes, thrown onto the ground. They were seriously injured, but they actually spoke to our affiliate the day after their injuries. We want to give that to you now and we'll get the take on the other side.

BALDWIN: Sure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COREY WALDMAN, HIT BY STATE TROOPER: I think I went off to the left side. I couldn't see her at all. And I just slid and slid and slid. And anytime it didn't hurt for two second when my helmet would hit the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERRY: And it's that helmet that they say is what saved their lives.

BALDWIN: Saved their lives.

BERRY: But even when you saw that video, you cannot imagine how they survived this accident.

BALDWIN: So despite their injuries, though, are they -- are they still standing by, hey, we're not going to sue you? Nothing litigious whatsoever here?

BERRY: As of now. They so, no hard feelings.

BALDWIN: Wow!

BERRY: They've forgiven the trooper. The prosecutor's office says there are no files - or no charges that have been filed as of right now. There is a grand jury looking into this. Once they've conducted their investigation, they'll determine whether or not there are any charges filed.

BALDWIN: That may change.

BERRY: But as of now, nothing. And that video, you can watch it a dozen times and it still gives you the chills.

BALDWIN: Absolutely. Let us know what happens and if they change their minds.

BERRY: We will.

BALDWIN: Lynn Berry, thank you.

Coming up, Apple's new iPhone has a pretty nifty new feature. You can actually use your own fingerprint to lock and unlock the phone. But with the potential for so much of our personal information to get hacked these days, could something go wrong with this?

But first, can diplomacy really work in Syria, in a country almost three years now ravaged by this bloody civil war. We're going to talk to a guest here and ask, is the United States getting played by Vladimir Putin? Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)