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Assad Sets Conditions; Putin's Op-ed; Blueprint for Chemical Weapons Removal; Colorado Rescue

Aired September 12, 2013 - 14:00   ET

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

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It is also worth noting that Russia is isolated and alone in blaming the opposition for the chemical weapons attack on August 21st. There is no credible reporting, and we have seen no credible reporting, that the opposition has used chemical weapons in Syria. And we have been joined by now 34 countries in declaring that the Assad regime is responsible for the use of chemical weapons on that night. Even Iran, which is fighting on Assad's behalf in Syria, has publically blamed the Assad regime for the August 21 attack.

In addition to the intelligence pertaining to the regime's preparations for the attack and our post-attack observations, it is common sense that the opposition does not have the capabilities to have carried out such a large scale, coordinated rocket and artillery attack from a regime held neighborhood targeting opposition neighborhoods. And I think it's worth also pointing out that there's a great irony that in the placement of an op-ed like this, because it reflects the truly exceptional tradition in this country of freedom of expression. And that is not a tradition shared in Russia, by Russia, and it is fact freedom of expression has been on the decrease over the past dozen or so years in Russia.

Having said that, the point I made at the top is the most important. Russia, as we saw just now in Geneva, has put its prestige and credibility on the line in backing this proposal to have Syria, the Assad regime, give up the chemical weapons that until two days ago it claimed it did not have, turn them over to international supervision, with the purpose of eventually destroying them. And we are going to work with the Russians to see if this diplomatic avenue to resolving this problem can bare bear fruit. And that is absolutely worthwhile and the right thing do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you mentioned, Secretary Kerry just spoke. These talks that he's conducting in Geneva are occurring on the same day that there are reports of increased U.S. military assistance to the opposition forces. Do those two tracks kind of cancel each other out? Is there a chance that that additional military support actually undermines the diplomatic track that Secretary Kerry (INAUDIBLE).

CARNEY: Well, without confirming specific reports, we have said for quite some time, the president on down has said that we are -- have been stepping up our assistance to the Syrian military opposition. No question. And in June, the administration announced that following credible evidence that the Assad regime had used chemical weapons against the Syrian people, this is prior to the massive attack on August 21st, the president had authorized the expansion of our assistance to the Supreme Military Council in Syria. That's the opposition's military arm.

The expansion of assistance has been aimed at strengthening the cohesion of the opposition and the effectiveness of the SMC on the ground, as well as assisting their efforts to defend themselves against a regime that has shown no boundaries in its willingness to kill civilians. So I think it's an important distinction to make, as we have all along, in the wake of the August 21 attacks and in our response to them, that the issue of Assad's chemical weapons is distinctly problematic and is separate from, although it is part of the civilian - it's part of the civil war, it is separate from our policy response to the civil war in Syria. And that response is built around humanitarian support for the Syrian people, assistance to the opposition, including assistance to the Supreme Military Council, as well as an effort with a broad range of allies and partners, including Russia. to bring about a resolution of that civil war through a political settlement, because that is the only way to end that war. So these are distinct tracks.

The problem that confronts us by the use -- the indiscriminate use of chemical weapons needs to be addressed. And we are addressing that. The president has spoken clearly about his views on it. We are exploring this diplomatic avenue, this opportunity that exists, potentially to resolve this by removing from Assad's possession chemical weapons. But we will continue our policy of supporting the opposition in an effort to bring about a political settlement in the Syrian conflict.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the budget, you (INAUDIBLE) because you addressed it a little bit yesterday, but the House leadership is still trying to find a way to get a continuing resolution that funds the government beyond October 1st.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: So now they're talking domestic issues. We just want to pull away. I'm Brooke Baldwin. You've been listening to White House Spokesperson Jay Carney there taking questions. An important Q&A session when it comes to happenings in Syria, "The New York Times" op-ed from the president of Russia today, Vladimir Putin. All of the above we'll be exploring over the course of the next two hours.

Let me tell you that's happening right now here. The U.S. is officially going from the president's red line on chemical weapons to John Kerry and his Russian counterpart working on this blueprint of how Syria will get rid of them. The secretary of state is meeting, as I speak, with his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov -- this video just in -- to come up with this plan as far as how Syria will hand over this massive chemical weapons stockpile. It's the biggest in the entire Middle East. Hand it over to international control. And moments ago, these two men spoke in front of the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: Expectations are high. They are high for the United States, perhaps even more so for Russia to deliver on the promise of this moment. This is not a game, and I said that to my friend Sergey, when we talked about it initially. It has to be real. It has to be comprehensive. It has to be verifiable. It has to be credible. It has to be timely and implemented in a timely fashion. And finally, there ought to be consequences if it doesn't take place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Late this morning, President Obama there said he hoped for a concrete result from this Kerry/Lavrov meeting happening again in Geneva right now. The president did not comment on this opinion piece from Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, in "The New York Times" this morning, but some U.S. political leaders are all over it. And they are very angry. We're going to get to that op-ed piece here in just a moment.

But first to his ally, Syria's president, Bashar al Assad, who revealed several jaw-droppers in this Russian television interview. And our foreign affairs correspondent, Jill Dougherty, is in Moscow with some of the nuggets of this interview.

You helped translate this. Let's jump to it because in reading some of the translated pieces, so I see that Assad is saying that Syria is committing to starting the process, committed to signing the chemical weapons convention, this treaty, in the next couple days. But, Jill Dougherty, there is a big but, there's a big caveat here. What does he want from the U.S.?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there are a couple of them. I think look at the one that Secretary Kerry pointed out. President Assad says, this will go into effect -- after they hand things over -- this will go into effect within one month of signing. And Syria will begin to give international organizations data about the stores of chemical weapons. And he says, that's the way it works. That's standard operating procedure. Secretary Kerry, just about 15 minutes ago, said there's nothing standard about this. It has to be done quickly. So that's one problem.

The other one would be the -- President Assad was saying, this will all work. We'll follow through if the United States stops giving arms to what he called the terrorists. That would be the opposition. And also, if the U.S. stops threatening Syria. That's another potential problem because, after all, President Obama has said that he believes keeping that threat on the table as a possibility is what has to happen. And, in fact, brought all of this about.

So those are, as you can see, some of the, you know, knobby problems that are already arising. And we'll have to see as those two men, Kerry and Lavrov, go in, talking with their experts, et cetera, whether they can work this out. And also, Brooke, you know, the United States is making very clear, it's up to Putin right now and his team to carry this out because they've said the world will note whether they can follow through. So they've really kicked the football back to Putin.

BALDWIN: Yes, Assad saying, U.S., we don't trust you. This is all on Russia, aren't they? Jill Dougherty for us in Moscow. Jill, thank you. So from Bashar al Assad's words to the words of the leader of Russia entitled, in this op-ed, "a plea for caution from Russia." This is the title of this opinion piece that was printed this morning in "The New York Times." So President Putin says the U.S. should not strike in Syria, saying, quote, "Syria is not witnessing a battle for democracy but an armed conflict between government and opposition in a multi- religious country. There are few champions of democracy in Syria."

But if you read through this whole thing, it's that last paragraph that's really drawing the most fire today. Putin commented on the president's address Tuesday night when, in part, he said, America is exceptional. These are Putin's words here. Quote, "it is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord's blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal." And here is just some of the reaction that this op-ed has gotten today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: I almost wanted to vomit. The reality is, I worry when someone who came up through the KGB tells us what is in our national interests and what is not.

SEN. JAMES INHOFE (R), OKLAHOMA: Putin was lecturing to the United States. You know, I could hear Reagan turning over in his grave as this is going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) reaction to it (ph).

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: I was insulted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Joining me now is the editor of TIME International, Bobby Ghosh.

Bobby, welcome back to the show here.

I want to hone in on - I mean you heard Senator Menendez, he wanted to puke. You heard just from Jay Carney quoting him, saying he -- they weren't surprised, the White House not surprised by the op-ed, unlike Russia, the U.S. stands up for human rights. I mean I just want to hone in on the hypocrisy because I would have just two words for Vladimir Putin, gay rights.

BOBBY GHOSH, EDITOR, TIME INTERNATIONAL: Well, not just gay rights. I mean, if one of the American -- never mind President Obama, but if one of the American senators wanted to publish a hard-hitting letter against Russian policy in one of Russia's newspapers, it is extremely unlikely than anybody would pick them up because they would be afraid of reprisals from the Kremlin. So, it is -- it is ironic that Putin can use the freedoms, the free press, in this country when he's not willing to give his own media the same privileges.

BALDWIN: You know, and in talking, Bobby, big picture, I've talked to a number of experts this week who all sort of point out, my question has been, what's in it for Russia, what's in it for Vladimir Putin to really play this integral role in helping ultimately destroy these chemical weapons in Syria. And they say, listen, this is Putin's perfect opportunity to reassert himself on the world stage. But why do it in an opinion piece in "The New York Times"?

GHOSH: Well, this is - this is Putin thumbing his nose at America. And it's worth pointing out that this -- that his audience is quite wide. He's not simply speaking to the Americans. When he tweaks the American nose, if you like, he's also -- there's also a dog whistle there to many countries and many peoples around the world who silently or overtly will be cheering him on, because they will view -- they will have - they will view this as, in their own opinion, as just what America deserves. So he's playing to a rather large gallery, both in his country and in many other countries around the world where the United States is currently unpopular.

But, yes, this is his - this is his idea of returning to the international stage. For several years now, Russia's main role in the international stage has been to say no. Het (ph), het, het to everything. Here, he's trying to seize an initiative and project this plan for Syrian chemical weapons as a Russian plan. And this is his way of saying, we're not just simply saying no, we've come up with a plan. This is a yes. Now, if the United States can agree with us, then we are the peace makers. We are the people who are - who are trying to resolve this situation in a pragmatic way.

BALDWIN: We've heard from the president basically saying, listen, let's just give diplomacy a chance here. There's been this possibility, a lot of questions, a lot of pontificating about whether or not Russia is, in fact, bluffing. But what about - what about the possibility that Assad is actually playing Putin? Here is a guest I talked to yesterday. This is Ed Husain, Council of Foreign Affairs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED HUSAIN, SENIOR FELLOW, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: But my fear isn't the dynamic between Putin and President Obama. My fear is that Bashar al Assad, the war lord in Syria, plays both off one another and ends up buying more time for himself, killing more people on the ground, securing his dictatorship in the country and therefore having greater influence in the region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Just wanted your reaction to that possibility, Bobby Ghosh.

GHOSH: I think Assad and Putin are reading from the same hymn sheet. I don't think Assad is playing Putin against the United States because Putin is pretty much his main international supporter of any credibility. He also has the Iranians, but they're not credible on this issue. It would be extremely foolish of Assad, and Assad is many things but not foolish, to bite the hand that feeds him and that arms him. And that is Putin's hand.

BALDWIN: Bobby Ghosh of "Time" magazine. Thank you so much, sir, for coming on. We always appreciate your perspective.

And coming up next, we're staying on Syria. Really, at the center of all of this, those chemical weapons. You are about to hear from the author of the world's most dangerous places. He's been to Syria six, seven times. How does one even destroy these chemical weapons? What are the dangers in doing that? How does this work? That's next.

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BALDWIN: So, as I speak, sitting behind closed doors in Geneva, Switzerland, you have U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and they are talking specifically about the crisis at hand, about Syria. And we heard them speak to members of the media moments ago before going into this meeting which presumably will last a couple of days. Basically, John Kerry saying, you know, to Syria, the time is now to act, to cooperate, to give up your chemical weapons.

So let's talk about how exactly this would work. Joining me is the author of the book, it's entitled "The World's Most Dangerous Places." He is war correspondent Robert Pelton.

So, Robert, welcome. I have a lot of questions for you.

ROBERT PELTON, AUTHOR, "THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS PLACES": OK, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Beginning with, from everything I have read about this, in terms of the task at hand, I understand that there are only several hundred people in the world with this kind of expertise to go in country, to find these things and presumably destroy them. Who are they?

PELTON: Well, first of all, the U.S. Army has an entire group set up just for chemical weapons handling and destruction. But realistically, once you find these caches, you have to destroy them in place, which means you have to physically build a destruction factory that either incinerates these at high heat or uses some of the newer methods. That takes year. That is not something that's going to happen overnight.

Secondly, these caches are actually guarded by members of Hezbollah, you know, the Iranian militia that's based in Lebanon. So we're not just going to walk in there and start destroying munitions. This may be handed off to the Russians as a task, but, you know, right now, we're actually really focused on a red herring because Assad has done just fine killing people with traditional munitions. So he's not, you know, getting rid of --

BALDWIN: Oh, we lost him. Guys, let's work on getting him back because I have a lot of questions. He brings up the point - the fact that, you know, Hezbollah may be guarding these caches of chemical weapons. What about the fact that this is in the middle of a bloody civil war and by destroying these chemical weapons that may or may not even mean the civil war goes away. So we're going to work on getting Robert Pelton back. Fingers crossed on that one.

But coming up next, we're going to take you to Colorado. Deadly floodwaters there. We'll talk to one of the rescuers working to save a driver. Did you see this live on CNN today? We'll tell you how it ended and what exactly was going through his mind, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: My goodness. Heart pounding as I watched this this morning. This dramatic rescue today after raging floodwaters submerged parts of northern Colorado. In fact, in this one example, this man got trapped in his SUV. This is about 20 miles north of Denver. Watch.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Whew! So let's bring in Chad Myers here, who I know saw it happening on our air. We also have Chief Gerry Morrell of the Lafayette, Colorado, fire department, who was there at the scene watching this whole thing, taking part in this whole thing unfolding.

So, chief, first to you. I mean, watching it, I stopped breathing because you -- I had no idea what was going to happen to this guy, especially when you see the car go over. Incredible job, really, to your whole crew. Can you just first tell me how this guy, how the driver's doing now?

CHIEF GERRY MORRELL, LAFAYETTE, COLORADO, FIRE DEPARTMENT (via telephone): To my knowledge, he's doing fine right now. He was trapped in the water for -- or in his vehicle for quite a while. And while you're showing video of one person, just prior to that video being shot, we rescued another person out of another vehicle. There was actually three vehicles in the creek right there.

BALDWIN: Tell me where you were, as we're looking at some of these guys crawling on the underbelly of this car. Are you on the bank?

MORRELL: I'm on the bank, so I would be directly behind or what I would call south side of that vehicle.

BALDWIN: So what were you thinking when this car -- you see it suddenly going down river?

MORRELL: Well, you know, we -- when we first saw the vehicle there, we didn't know if anybody could possibly be alive in the vehicle. We were hoping for the best. But, unfortunately, you kind of mentally prepare yourself for the worst.

Once the rescuers got on top of the car, they shouted up to us that they hear banging.

BALDWIN: Wow.

MORRELL: And so that gave us just great hope. They attached the hooks to the back of the car. We used a -- or to the bottom of the car -- and used a tow truck to lift the car up to gain access. And then, of course, as you can see in that video, as the rescuer leaned forward or tried to go to the window while he was putting on his life jacket, the car slipped and went back - or not slipped but actually went back on its top again and I was just aghast. Just thinking, oh, my God. We found him. Is he going to die because of the car flipping again? But luckily things worked out very well. It really is to the expertise of the crews who were actually performing the water rescue. And it was a very, very good ending to what could have been a horrible, horrible situation.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, chief, it's Chad Myers. I have a question on how this happened, because on the wide shot you can see a piece of the roadway literally missing. Did the people just drive off, not realize it, or did that collapse later?

BALDWIN: Great question.

MORRELL: No, that is a very not traveled very common road. It's really more of a frontage road. And at that time of the morning, it was pitch black. It was raining heavily. Three cars went into the road at that point in time. And all three ended up in the creek. But the road had washed away. And they probably never even saw that the road was washed away based on the weather conditions that were going. And they just went in one after the other after the other.

MYERS: And, chief, it's going to continue to rain all night. You're going to have your hands full tomorrow as well. It's always dangerous in the dark, but the rain not stopping there in Boulder, in Larimer, in just all of these counties around Denver about to get more rain tonight.

MORRELL: Yes, we're - we are absolutely saturated.

MYERS: Yes.

BALDWIN: Chief, thank you so much. Hats off to you and your crew and wishing this driver, of course, all the best (INAUDIBLE).

MYERS: I have seen this video now no less than 10 times and I can tell you, the hair on the back of my neck is standing up right now from that.

BALDWIN: Yes, I was holding my breath watching it.

MYERS: Just - it was just an incredible sight. And this could go on again tonight with inches of rainfall. Boulder picked up 5.5 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. That's the most rain they've ever had in any day in any year since anybody's lived there.

BALDWIN: Oh, wow.

MYERS: And now it is still raining and there's still water coming down Boulder Canyon, still coming down Four Mile Canyon, still comes down Big Thompson Canyon. There's more flooding to go on tonight. And, people, if you're driving around, you are putting yourself in danger. Stay home.

BALDWIN: You heard him say, the road just gave way. Just, poof, gone. Chad, thank you very much.

MYERS: You're welcome.

BALDWIN: Again, chief, thank you very much as well. Chief Gerry Morrell.

Coming up next, we're going to talk live to one of the Democrats booted from office over her gun control stance. A huge story out of Colorado we've been following this week. We're going to talk to this woman about a plumber who began the push to get her out.

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