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World Remember D-Day 70 Years Later; Interview with Susan Rice; World Leaders Arriving at Sword Beach; Commemorating D-Day

Aired June 06, 2014 - 09:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: TGIF to you. Thank you so very, very much. NEWSROOM starts now. And good morning to you, I'm Carol Costello. We want to go right back to France to the beaches of Normandy, Sword Beach in particular, where a moving ceremony is going right now to honor so many soldiers who really -- you know, this was the start of the win in World War II, these soldiers fought so hard and so bravely.

And we're honoring those soldiers today. In just a few minutes the French president will speak. President Obama spoke earlier today and said many moving words. In fact one of the most moving moments I saw from earlier this morning was an elderly World War II vet went up to the president, shook his hand, talked to him for a while. The president treated him with much respect. It was a very moving moment. We'll show you that in just a second.

I want to bring in historian Ken Davis right now.

Tell us a little bit about Sword Beach because there are a number of beaches, of course, on the shores of Normandy. But tell us the significance of this beach.

All right. We don't have Ken yet. Let's listen to the ceremony. They're playing the French national anthem now.

(MUSIC)

All right. So there, the French president is about to approach the podium. And he'll begin giving remarks.

Jim Acosta is on Omaha Beach.

You've been watching this ceremony all morning long. Just give us a little flavor, Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol. We've been standing here in Normandy at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial all morning long.

I have to tell you I've had a chance to walk among these gravestones. And it's really just an inspiring and moving experience. But one thing that we did hear this morning and I think you touched on it just a few moments ago, Carol, is the president's tribute to the D-Day veterans who were on hand here today and his tribute to what happened here at Normandy 70 years ago, the president describing this place as democracy's beach head.

And, Carol, it was really striking because all morning long we've just seen veteran after veteran come through here along with their families, family members of the fallen, quite frankly, who are here. Some 9300 Americans who are buried here in Normandy. And it has just been a tremendous experience all morning long.

Now as you mentioned, the president has been attending to other ceremonies here. He had that heads of state lunch up the coast at Sword Beach. And one thing we've been waiting to see if it's indeed going to happen is whether or not the president has a face-to-face encounter and speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

From what we understand at this point, the two were close enough to touch one another, but in the presence of reporters who were right there with the two leaders, they did not observe the two leaders talking to one another or exchanging words at this point. So we're waiting to hear from White House officials whether or not that indeed happened.

But, Carol, I can tell you, I talked to the president's National Security adviser Susan Rice earlier this morning after the ceremony was over at Omaha Beach, and she said that, you know, the president has spoken with Vladimir Putin over the phone. She said Putin knows where President Obama is coming from, but if they have the chance to talk, she said the president will communicate what he's been saying over the last several days.

If the United States expects Russia to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine, to ask those separatist in eastern Ukraine to stand down. And so the president has that chance to interact with Vladimir Putin, that will be the words expressed.

And as you know, Carol, all week long this president has been distracted somewhat by the story of Bowe Bergdahl. We really didn't hear the president talk about that today, but I did have the chance to talk to Susan Rice about that. I asked Susan Rice about whether or not she felt at this point knowing the facts as they stand right now, whether or not Bowe Bergdahl was a deserter.

She said we just don't have that information at this point. And she went on to say that Bowe Bergdahl like other Americans deserved to be considered innocent until proven guilty and that he really hasn't had a chance to give his side of the story, and that until that side of the story is given, that Americans shouldn't draw conclusions from that at this point. The other thing --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Let me interrupt you for just a second, Jim.

ACOSTA: Yes.

COSTELLO: Because your interview with Susan Rice was spot on.

ACOSTA: That's right. COSTELLO: It was a great get, and you're the first person to

interview Susan Rice, the National Security adviser, since she made those comments on ABC News.

ACOSTA: Right.

COSTELLO: So I know you asked her the question, did she regret calling Bowe Bergdahl a hero on national television on Sunday, and she made no apologies for that. So let's listen to what she told you now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: I want to start off with Bowe Bergdahl. Let's just jump right into it. I guess yesterday there were congressional sources telling reporters that had word leaked out about the deal to free Bowe Bergdahl, that he would have been killed. Did the administration explain that to lawmakers, and is that the reason why the administration did not notify Congress before this exchange took place?

SUSAN RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Jim, we're very concerned about the well-being of Bowe Bergdahl. He has been in captivity for five years. We had indications that his health may be fragile. And so there was a real sense of urgency to obtaining his freedom. The president had the opportunity to do so, and it was an opportunity that could well have been fleeting, and he chose to take it. And he feels very strongly that that was the right decision.

All of us on the National Security team were unanimous in supporting and recommending that we take this opportunity.

ACOSTA: But was that the reason why you didn't notify Congress because there was this threat on his life if word had leaked out.

RICE: We had reason to be concerned about his life. But we also had reason to be concerned that the 30-day period that would normally be honored was too long. That had we waited that long, we may have well missed what General Dempsey has called the last best opportunity to bring him back.

We don't leave anybody on the battlefield, regardless of the conditions of their capture. And as a prisoner of war, Bowe Bergdahl deserved and we had the obligation and the commander in chief had the obligation to do what was necessary to bring him home.

ACOSTA: Let me ask you about some comments you made last Sunday on one of the Sunday talk shows. You said that Bowe Bergdahl served with honor and distinction. It's come out since then that some of his fellow soldiers say he was a deserter. He may have wandered off the post there in Afghanistan. Did you misspeak? Did you get that wrong?

RICE: Jim, I realize there's been a lot of discussion and controversy around this, but what I was referring to is the fact that this was a young man who volunteered to serve his country in uniform at a time of war. That is itself a very honorable thing. And --

ACOSTA: But honor and distinction.

RICE: Jim, really. I mean, this is a young man whose circumstances we are still going to learn about. He is, as all Americans, innocent until proven guilty. He's now being tried in the court of public opinion after having gone through an enormously traumatic five years of captivity, his parents the same. I think what we need to care most about is his health and well-being and recovery.

There'll be an opportunity and the military has committed to review the circumstances of his capture. If there is a consequence that results from that, that will be delivered, but in the meantime, let's remember this is a young man who volunteered to serve his country. He was taken as a prisoner of war. He suffered in captivity. He's now trying to begin the process of recovery.

Let's let that happen and then let's know the facts including his side of the story and then we can make a judgment.

ACOSTA: OK. And do you know based on the latest information, was he a deserter?

RICE: We don't have reason to come to that conclusion yet. Obviously he needs to be debriefed. His side of the story matters, too. Let the military work in the first instance to bring him back to health. We'll have a full and comprehensive review of what happened and then we'll be able to make that judgment.

ACOSTA: And after Benghazi, you blamed that attack on an anti-Muslim video. You know you've become a GOP lightning rod. You've been accused by Republican critics of being fast and loose with the facts during some of these Sunday talk show appearances. Are you being up front with the American people? Are you being guided by talking points too much when you go on these programs?

RICE: Jim, I'm up front with the American people. And I always do my best on behalf of my country and I do my best until the facts as we know them. In the case of Bowe Bergdahl, for me to condemn him without any opportunity for him to have the chance to tell his side of the story, without any due process that we accord any American, that would be inherently unfair.

Similarly with Benghazi, as has been recounted on many occasions, I provided the best information that the U.S. government had at the time. Parts of it turned out to be wrong. I regret that the information I was provided was wrong and that I delivered to the American people. That doesn't make me a liar. That makes me a public servant trying to say what we knew at the time and when I gave that information I caveated it and noted that it was what we knew then and there, but it could well change.

ACOSTA: I'm sure a lot of our viewers would like to dive further into the Benghazi controversy. But let me move on to one of the main reasons why the president went on this trip, and that is to talk about the crisis in Ukraine. We heard the president say during his news conference that Russia has the chance to return to the lane of international law. (CROSSTALK)

RICE: I don't think those words precisely.

ACOSTA: Those were not --

RICE: I don't think those words precisely.

ACOSTA: Well, that they have the opportunity to do that.

RICE: Well --

ACOSTA: But I guess what I'm curious about, and I know we were talking about this before the president may have an encounter with Vladimir Putin, is he letting the Russian president off the hook here?

RICE: Absolutely not. The international community led by the United States has been absolutely clear. That Russia's behavior has been contrary to international law, as the president said repeatedly, including just yesterday. The annexation of Crimea was illegal. It is not recognized by any rational country or the majority of countries in the international community. We have rallied the countries of the world to impose costly sanctions on Russia for its actions, and we continue to make clear that if they are actively involved going forward in destabilizing Ukraine, there's a very real prospect of additional sanctions and pressure.

And what the president has done over the course of this week in meeting with our G-7 colleagues is to come together around a mutual understanding of what our shared posture will be and has been, and by holding together our Western partners in Europe and our allies around the world, we have successfully isolated Russia and exacted real costs for its behavior in Ukraine.

ACOSTA: And it seems every one of these foreign trips he's had over the last couple months, there have been these questions about his foreign policy. He described it as, well, sometimes you hit singles and doubles and you may occasionally get a homerun. A lot of critics on the left and the right describe that as uninspiring.

Does the president want to have an inspiring foreign policy?

RICE: Jim, did you listen to his speech today? Did you listen to his speech in Warsaw? This is about American leadership, and President Obama is deeply, deeply committed to America playing its unique role of leadership in the world, a role that no other country can match.

Here we are at the 70th celebration, commemoration of D-Day side by side with our oldest ally in the world, France, on hallowed ground where over 9,000 Americans are buried. This embodies American leadership and our commitment to a Europe and a world that's whole and free, a democratic future, a future where the dignity of every man and woman is respected.

That's what we stand for, that's what our leadership is about. And that's why we have the greatest network of alliances and partnerships that the world has ever seen, including most profoundly here in Europe where NATO and the United States stand side by side as we have for generations.

ACOSTA: But you acknowledge, though, that these questions have hung over all these recent trips. Do you bear any responsibility for that? Has he been frustrated with you about this?

RICE: Jim, you know, critics will be critics. I think we have the obligation in leading foreign policy.

ACOSTA: But some of the criticism has been fair. Hasn't he struggled somewhat in explaining --

RICE: Jim, I don't think the criticism has been fair. I think the fact of the matter is we're living in complex times. There are many different challenges that the United States and the world faces. But our leadership is unmatched. Our role is indispensable. There is no other country on the planet with our military might, our economy, our diversity, our resources, our growing energy independence and our alliances.

And everywhere we go, in each of these trips that you've referred to, we have met and stood side by side with allies who look to the United States, not only for partnership and security, but for the moral leadership to ensure that we're living in a world where our values are upheld and where our security is maintained. So you may see one version of this. I'm sitting in the meetings and watching and seeing the interaction with the leaders and the people that we are engaging with.

And I can tell you that they have confidence in President Obama, they have confidence in the United States and its leadership. And without that, they acknowledge they would be much, much less secure.

ACOSTA: And you talked about D-Day and how the U.S. and its allies stood up against aggression during World War II. Let me ask you about Syria. Do you think you're going to look back? Do you think this administration is going to look back and think that perhaps you've missed an opportunity, a window of opportunity to stop Bashar al-Assad and what has been an atrocity in that country?

RICE: Jim, we all are deeply concerned and heartbroken by the suffering in Syria and that's why the United States has been the single largest contributor of humanitarian assistance, providing over $1.7 billion. That's why the United States has ramped up its support for the moderate vetted opposition, providing lethal and nonlethal support where we can to support both the civilian opposition and the military opposition.

ACOSTA: Will we see training --

(CROSSTALK)

RICE: We're continuing to ramp that up as the president indicated at West Point, and we want to work with Congress to be able to do that. But we're also working very importantly with our allies and partners in the region, trying to help the neighbors of Syria, countries like Jordan and Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon, who are also suffering the consequences of this spillover of the conflict, to be able to protect their borders and protect their people.

We're working on the counterterrorism challenge because as we have seen there are increasingly emanating from Syria the threat of terrorism to the neighbors and beyond.

So all of these are concerns that we have. That's why our efforts are increasing and why we'll remain very much engaged, both in trying to support the Syrian people and trying to support the Syrian opposition.

ACOSTA: And standing on this ground here, the weather's almost as majestic as the ground we're standing on. What lessons do you draw from this anniversary?

RICE: The most profound lesson is that Americans have always been willing to sacrifice blood and treasury for what is right. We had the opportunity to honor those veterans who were here today, some in their 90s, my father's age when he passed. He also served in World War II. I think all of us were very moved by their sacrifice and reminded of the sacrifice of our men and women of the 9/11 generation, who also were here represented today, who are serving and have served at great risk and have done so with tremendous commitment. And it makes us all, I think -- it certainly makes me -- exceedingly proud.

ACOSTA: They've been a great generation, too.

Madam Ambassador, Susan Rice, thank you very much for joining us.

RICE: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Appreciate your time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: All right, she certainly was not apologetic, Jim Acosta. She was a little bit defensive. Does she realize that she's a lightning rod for certain factions in this country?

ACOSTA: I think she knows that, Carol. But, frankly, I'm not sure she really cares that much. I mean, she a fierce defender of the president and his foreign policy. You heard me ask her about the fact that almost during all of these last trips that he's been on over the last couple months, his foreign policy has been questioned. It's been front and center. It's been subject of debates on the right and the left, and she was basically saying during that interview that the allies of the United States know where President Obama stands and so she was unapologetic about that.

I also think it was interesting, Carol, that she is determined, and I think this administration is determined, at least at this point to not draw any final conclusions about Bowe Bergdahl. Yes, some of his fellow soldiers have called him a deserter. There are questions about how he landed in Taliban hands. But this administration at this point is saying, you know what? The Pentagon needs to conduct its own investigation, and Bergdahl needs to give his side of the story. We just haven't heard that at this point. And so that is also interesting.

One final thing I want to point out, Carol, is during our discussion about Syria, the White House has been fairly -- not very specific, frankly, about what kind of assistance they're providing to the Syrian moderate opposition. And you heard at one point during that interview, Carol, where Susan Rice used the term "lethal and non- lethal assistance". My understanding is that the White House has not really described it in that fashion. They've talked about military and non-military, a little bit of distinction there, but also perhaps a little bit of news that she described it as legal and non-lethal assistance. I'm pretty sure up to this point that the White House has not gone that far in describing their assistance to Syrian rebels.

COSTELLO: Right. Of course, we'll talk much more about all of this later on all day on CNN.

You're watching Angela Merkel; she's walking down the red carpet to greet the French president, who will begin speaking on Sword Beach in just a short time. As you can see, other world leaders are approaching their seats as well, accompanied by children, a really nice scene there.

(APPLAUSE)

COSTELLO: Earlier in the day President Obama laid a wreath at the American cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach, the final resting place for more than 9,000 U.S. servicemen, the president declaring their story should be, quote, seared into the memory of future generations. He paid tribute to them during a moving speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whenever the world makes you cynical, whenever you doubt that courage and goodness is possible, stop and think of these men. Although I know we already gave them a rousing round of applause along with all our veterans at D-Day. If you can stand, please stand. If not, please raise your hand. Let us recognize your service once more.

These men waged war so we might know peace. They sacrificed so we might be free. They fought in hopes of a day when we'd no longer need to fight. We are grateful to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Let's bring in Christiane Amanpour, who's live on Sword Beach where the French president, as I said, is about to speak, and Kenneth Davis, a historian author of "Don't Know Much About History".

Ken, I'd like to start with you because I'd like to focus on just the veterans who are there. They're in their 80s and 90s. There aren't many left, frankly. As you know, thousands of Americans died storming the beaches of Normandy. There was one moment when an elderly veteran approached President Obama and had a brief conversation with him. It was a touching moment. Did you catch it?

KENNETH DAVIS, HISTORIAN: I did not see that particular moment, Carol. But, first of all, thank you for allowing me -- I'm honored to be part of this very, very important day in not only American history but world history. And too many of us, and especially perhaps the younger generation, have forgotten what this day is really about. And the president of course is speaking about men and we see the older men there.

But remember that these were teenagers, many of them teenagers, on that day 70 years ago. This is what Abraham Lincoln talked about when he talked about making the great sacrifice, giving the last full measure of devotion. And that's what we're honoring today.

COSTELLO: I'm just looking at this picture of this because this elderly veteran, he just walked himself up to the president, the president helping him back to his seat. And I got to say, the moment really touched me.

Sometimes -- we're 70 years out now. And sometimes I think you're right, people do forget and they forget to pause and honor these men on this particular day. And I find that sad.

DAVIS: Well, we just had Memorial Day, of course. And that's a day on which we honor those who did give the last full measure of devotion, as Lincoln said. And this is another day to reflect on that and what sacrifice means.

Unfortunately, for a lot of Americans today, the military and war has really been removed to us. During World War II, no home was untouched by this, no household was untouched. Everyone watched and waited for news of what was going on in Europe every minute.

And, of course, while the war was going on in Europe, Americans were also fighting in the Pacific. This truly was a world war. We forget how all-encompassing this was 70 years ago and that, as Eisenhower said, as he told the troops they were leaving, this was a great crusade. This was fighting for something much, much larger than some of the things we sometimes think about.

So that's kind of what we're talking about today. And when we say this is a turning point in history, it's a turning point in all of world history. It's not just an American moment. Certainly, the British were there, the French. The Soviet Union lost tens of millions of people in fighting the Germans. And one of the reasons, of course, that President Putin is there today. Of course, there were no Soviets in Normandy that day, but this was an alliance that defeated Nazism.

COSTELLO: And I want to center on the politics of this event with Christiane right now. Everyone was waiting for President Putin and President Obama to somehow get together. And apparently they did meet briefly ,according to the French president, earlier today.

I just want to put up a picture. Everybody had lunch, right? And they certainly weren't sitting together. You can see the president sitting next to the Queen of England. And you can see President Putin reading his program there. They certainly didn't talk at lunch. But at some time, they did speak briefly. What do you suppose that was like, Christiane?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, they were seated frankly quite close to each other so there's a little bit of a tap dance situation going on. And according to the pool, that picture you're showing, they talked apparently after the lunch in a sort of informal, before they're all coming here, which is what's happening right now, coming here to Sword Beach for the big set-piece celebration that is bound to be incredibly dramatic.

But I would say that what went on in that conversation, if the president said what he was going to say in public yesterday, that he wants President Putin to stop the flow of fighters and weapons into the east of Ukraine and to start proper talks and negotiations to authorize his top officials to engage with the new Ukrainian authorities, to defuse this crisis which Putin himself started several months ago.

So that is what the west, President Obama, the allies, are demanding, asking of President Putin. If not, they have said that there will be more sanctions.

And even though maybe the world doesn't think those are very hefty, they have, in fact, had a significant impact. They've had an impact on not just the Russian economy, but also in the confidence of the Russian system right now. People are not wanting to invest, not foreigners, not Russians who are bringing their cash out in billions of dollars. And this is a big issue now for Russia. So that is what clearly what message that will be transmitted from President Obama to President Putin.

And we just saw a really touching historic moment. Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany who has also had tough words with President Putin, came here. Of course, the Germans were the enemy. But nonetheless, she got a rousing welcome and a cheer when she arrived here on this beach. And President Hollande took her over to meet some of the veterans.

And it was really moving and touching, again, to see in 70 years, how far Germany has come, what a solid, solid European democracy it is. And guess why? Because the United States and the Marshall Plan really did help it. And they enacted this enormous de-Nazification program and this enormous commitment to democracy. And they're now the strongest in Europe, and they, too, in this case have some tough words for President Putin.

So everything here reeks of symbolism, not just for the past, and commemoration and veneration, not just for the people who died, but of those who also survived, as well as using this to look forward to what has to happen right now, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Christiane Amanpour, many thanks. Thanks also to you Ken Davis. I have to take a break. I'll be back with much more in the NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)