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U.S. Troops Killed by Friendly Fire in Afghanistan; Armed Militants Take Control of Iraqi City; Interview with Representative Adam Schiff; Cop Killers' Friend: "5 Deaths on My Shoulder"; Critics Slam Clinton for "Dead Broke" Claim
Aired June 10, 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: How did you know I was known as the scientist of news? You know every, Chris Cuomo.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: See? Spot-on.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Have a great day.
CUOMO: Professor Costello.
COSTELLO: NEWSROOM starts now.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks for joining me. We do start with the breaking news out of Afghanistan as a deadliest day for U.S. troops there in six months. It all appears to have been from a so-called friendly fire mistake in the southern part of that country. Sources tell CNN that five American forces died along with an Afghan soldier when a coalition air strike mistakenly hit the ally troops. They were locked in a fight with Taliban forces, as the militant group sees a resurgence across the region.
Our national security analyst Peter Bergen is here. He joins us by phone from Washington. And in Beirut, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh who has reported extensively from Afghanistan.
Welcome to both of you.
PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Well, first I want to start with you, Nick Paton Walsh, and talk about the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan because the reason this tragic event happened was because they are driving -- coalition forces are trying to drive away Taliban forces. How strong are they in Afghanistan today?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly if you leave what people call the kind of the city of Kabul, the walled area where many people used to say the president of Afghanistan was only president of that particular area, they're increasingly strong. They were on their back foot when the U.S. flooded in troops as part of their surge. But now they're pulling them out.
We just heard Barack Obama saying that he'll put them out extraordinarily fast down to pretty much zero in 2016. The Taliban are gaining ground again. Afghan security forces simply aren't up to the job. They don't have the logistical backup, they don't have the equipment to be able to fight the Taliban who have been at this war, many of them, for almost 30 years, given they were fighting the Soviets, too, when they invaded as well.
So this is an extraordinary motivated force. It has a lot of local support that many say have been waiting for this moment, for the U.S. to begin to reduce their footprint and move down. Now in situations like this, this so-called friendly fire incident, if that has what has occurred, it can be extraordinarily difficult for troops on the ground, in these situations, we're hearing, that they came under rocket fire at about 9:00, when it was already dark. Presumably then called in an air strike to try and suppress that rocket fire.
You know, we don't know what happened here, but in the past troops have sometimes mistakenly given their own position as an error. Two people trying to provide support by rocket fire. And so we don't know if that happened here. There have been many things put in place to prevent that from happening but these mistakes do happen in the heat of the moment and, of course, this is another sign of how we still have American troops on the ground fighting here.
They were fighting alongside Afghans, as they have been for months, almost years now, but it's another sign really of how dangerous it is for American troops on the ground still there. Thirty-thousand still actually in that country now -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Absolutely. And, Peter, I got to tell you that many Americans are probably wondering if the Taliban is even more energized because of the Bergdahl swap. Do you think that -- do you think that's true?
BERGEN: Well, you know, I mean, I think Nick's assessment is correct. I mean, this is not a huge force, by the way, and we're looking at 30,000 to 40,000 according to U.S. officials. Taliban sort of foot soldiers. Contrast that with the size of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, which is around 350,000. That's probably not a sustainable level, but the Afghan National Army has actually performed better than expectations. I think a lot of people, Nick outlined the problems that they do have, but they are losing significant numbers of men indicating that they are engaging in real combat.
And it hasn't been sort of the disaster that a lot of people prognostisized. And the fact is that the Taliban hasn't really been able to hold even a small town let alone major cities so there's going to be no air offensive by the Taliban, you know, when U.S. forces pull out at the end of 2016, if that is indeed what happens. You know, I think they certainly control -- before this incident happened, by the way, in Zabul provinces, you know, one of the most remote, rural provinces in the country, and that's the kind of area where these groups thrive, but they're not, you know -- we're not seeing them sort of marching on Kabul any time soon.
COSTELLO: Right. And we should mention the violence is escalating because there's going to be an election on Saturday to elect a new president. Of course we'll keep you posted.
Peter Bergen, Nick Paton Walsh, many thanks to both of you.
More breaking news this morning out of Iraq. There's chaos in the streets after hundreds of armed insurgence took control of key parts of the northern city of Mosul. The insurgents freed some 1,000 inmates from the central prison. Authorities are asking Iraq's parliament to declare a state of emergency and calling on them to volunteer help fight the militants.
CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is following that story for us.
Good morning, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Carol. It seems that the militant from ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, an offshoot from al Qaeda, have taken control of much of the west of the city, including the airport, including hospitals.
Of course this is the second largest city in Iraq. The main highway linking the capital in the south to Turkey in the north. Runs right through the area of these militants are now believed to control. There are reports that police fled their posts, that the army deserted their posts.
This offensive began in earnest on Friday. But the fact is, is that ISIS has held sway over the -- over the whole of many of the province pretty much, which is where most was located in the north of Iraq, for many, many months now, essentially bleeding over their influence from areas that they now control inside Syria. They also control parts of, and parts of cities in the west of Iraq. So their influence has been gray.
The indication here is that ISIS, this group, this splinter from al Qaeda, is going from strength to strength. And why the government, the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad calls -- wants to call for a state of emergency, is calling for men to take up arms to take them on, the government is losing ground to this al Qaeda offshoot -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live for us this morning. Thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Happening now in the NEWSROOM --
AMANDA MILLER, LAS VEGAS RAMPAGE KILLER: Highway to Vegas, baby.
COSTELLO: Breaking this morning. Brand new details about the Las Vegas cop killers.
JERAD MILLER, LAS VEGAS RAMPAGE KILLER: I feel sorry for any federal agents that want to come in here and try to push us around.
COSTELLO: This is Jerad and Amanda Miller. A self-branded revolution backed by swastikas and hate.
KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A picture from Facebook shows the couple's affection for the Joker from the "Batman" series.
COSTELLO: The swap scapegoat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now they're saying that Secretary Hagel made the decision.
COSTELLO: Startling new claims.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very concerned about how many people knew about this.
COSTELLO: The Bergdahl exchange front and center this hour on Capitol Hill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can he feel his legs?
COSTELLO: Startling video obtained by TMZ.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you help him, god?
COSTELLO: Tracy Morgan being pulled from the van the night he was critically injured.
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: When you were in the spotlight as a woman, you know you're being judged constantly.
COSTELLO: The Hillary Clinton interview everyone's talking about.
DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS: How is your health?
CLINTON: It's very good, thank you.
COSTELLO: The run for the White House.
SAWYER: When are you going to decide whether you're running for president?
COSTELLO: And Benghazi.
SAWYER: Is there anything you personally should have been doing to make it safer in Benghazi?
COSTELLO: Let's talk. Live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Happening right now, behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, Pentagon officials are briefing the Senate Armed Services Committee on the Bowe Bergdahl swap. Last night after members of the full House were briefed many of them emerged even more angry over the White House's secret deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R), ILLINOIS: We heard nothing except continued excuses about why they didn't come to Congress. I didn't get any good answer as to why five Taliban, high-ranking Taliban, were traded and why that was a good deal and so I think people probably are leaving -- even more disappointed than they walked in so.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: It sounds like you are.
KINZINGER: Yes. Yes. I expected something, but I got nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Americans at large also have doubts. According to a CBS News poll, 56 percent of Americans say the price was too high, among veterans, 65 percent disapproved. And in that same poll nearly three in four Americans say President Obama should have notified Congress before the deal was made.
With me now by phone is one of the lawmakers who attended last night's briefing, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California.
Good morning, Congressman.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA (via telephone): Good morning. How are you?
COSTELLO: Good. Did you get answers as to why the Obama administration didn't consult with Congress?
SCHIFF: We did get answers but I'm not sure that they were completely satisfying. Clearly, in my view anyway, the president had the authority to do what he did as commander in chief under Article 2, as a prisoner transfer. But at the same time, for reasons of relations with the other branches, and clearly what Congress wanted and intended, this administration really should have advised the leadership in Congress. There was really I think no reason not to. They have advised our leadership of our very sensitive matters before they took place. We understand the risks of disclosure so that notification really should have been made.
COSTELLO: Representative McKeon is really upset because he's accusing the administration of now trying to pass the buck for this swap. Apparently Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the swap yet President Obama as we all know stood in the Rose Garden with the Bergdahls, without Hagel. In your mind, is Mr. Obama trying to pass the buck for this?
SCHIFF: I don't think that's the case. I'm not sure that we have the full story on that. You know, what I would expect is, that the president ultimately made the decision to go forward with the trade, but that they may have fallen to the secretary of defense to make sure that all the logistics were in place his troops could be safe in making the exchange, that when it became operational, it was his call to make that the logistics were correct in that it could take place.
But I have to think that the president made the decision to make the trade and that it was more likely that the secretary only made the decision and put it into implementation.
COSTELLO: Well, it's just curious that we didn't know of Chuck Hagel's intimate involvement before this hearing?
SCHIFF: You know, I'm really not sure how much to read into that answer that we got yesterday. Again, it may have been more the logistical decision about when to pull the trigger was made by the secretary, but I have to think that the president would have approved this deal. So I'm not sure that anything that we heard yesterday necessarily contradicts that.
COSTELLO: And we'll probably learn more tomorrow when Chuck Hagel appears before lawmakers to answer some questions.
Another note. Republican representative peter king is also upset. He said, quote, "probably the most distressing thing or the most disturbing thing I heard was at least 80 to 90 people in the administration were aware of this proposed deal, and yet they couldn't notify anyone in Congress."
Does that disturb you?
SCHIFF: You know it does. I think, again, I think it was a mistake of the administration not to have notified Congress. The leaks traditionally have not come from the Congress. The leaks have come from the administration itself, and the fact that the administration often leaks information is not a reason not to share that with Congress.
I can fully appreciate the sensitivity of the matter and not wanting the deal to fall apart, or concerns over Mr. Bergdahl's safety and security, but I don't think that was the justification for not informing certainly the leadership of Congress, even if they didn't fully inform all of Congress.
COSTELLO: Congressman Adam Schiff of California, thanks so much for being with me this morning.
SCHIFF: You bet. Thank you.
COSTELLO: They've plotted, planned, even talked openly about carrying out an attack. Now, friends and neighbors of the two Las Vegas cop killers say they regret in the saying something sooner.
Jerad Miller seen here on Facebook dressed as the joker, and his wife Amanda, made their disdain for the government and law enforcement known through postings on social media and rants on home video. Yet, no one took those rants seriously enough to warn police.
A friend they'd been living with just before Sunday's deadly rampage says she's forever live with that regret.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY FIELDER, FRIEND OF LAS VEGAS COP KILLERS: I got five deaths on my shoulders. I should have called the cops.
I mean, a cart full of just ammunition, ammunition, guns, everything.
REPORTER: Were they carrying them? Can you describe what they were doing?
FIELDER: They were carrying them, because they said they were going underground. And I'm so, so, so sorry to everybody that -- I'm sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: A neighbor says they warned her, too, about an attack. She tells a CNN affiliate Jerad often dressed as Slenderman, that fictional character that recently surfaced into stabbing of the 12- year-old Wisconsin girl.
Dan Simon is live in Las Vegas for us with more.
Good morning.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, as you said, these people were very overt in expressing their radical beliefs to their neighbors and on their Facebook pages, but apparently no one thought they would carry out this deadly rampage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Highway to Vegas, baby.
SIMON (voice-over): They moved here about six months ago from Indiana. Documenting their journey from the road.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're approaching Indianapolis and it's our last time going through this awful city, hopefully.
SIMON: The couple made lots of videos, a window perhaps into their twisted world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you so much, baby!
SIMON: Thirty-one-year-old Jared Miller declaring his love for his 22-year-old wife before he was to head to jail. He had a lengthy rap sheet that included a felony for stealing cars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm, like, brag about you in jail! Tell you about how awesome you are. SIMON: Nevada would certainly not be a fresh start. They were attracted to the anti-government, anti-law enforcement rhetoric of rancher, Clyde Bundy. Jerad Miller even appearing at a local newscast.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel sorry for any federal agents that want to push us around or anything like that. I really don't want violence toward them but if they're going to come and bring violence to us, well, if that's the language they want to speak, we'll learn it.
SIMON: But, apparently, the Millers were too radical for the group, which included state militia. They were as ostracized, told to go home according to Bundy's son.
The message was not well-received. Jared Miller writing, "We sold everything we had to buy supplies and quit our jobs to be there 24/7. How dare you ask for help and shut us dedicated patriots!"
Whether the Bundy movement or being shunned from it sparked some kind of deep anger and fueled a desire to kill police officers isn't known. Authorities say they are investigating all aspects of Miller's past.
A past that Amanda's father Todd Woodruff is all too familiar with. In an interview with the "L.A. Times," he says, quote, "I begged her not to marry him and move to Las Vegas. He was into all this patriot nation and conspiracy theory stuff, and the whole world was just against him. And he was just, he was just nuts."
Here at this Las Vegas restaurant they carried out what they called the beginning of the revolution, killing two officers who did not see it coming.
ASST. SHERIFF KEVIN MCMAHILL, LAS VEGAS METRO POLICE: The suspects pulled the officers out of the booth and on to the ground, where they placed a Gadsden flag, which is a "don't tread on me" yellow flag on the body of Officer Beck. They also threw a swastika on top of his body.
We don't necessarily believe they are white supremacist or associated with the Nazi movement. We believe they equate government and law enforcement fascism and those who support it with Nazis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON: And we're learning more about that victim who was killed at the Wal-Mart. Joseph Wilcox was carrying a concealed weapon. He tried to intervene, but what he doesn't realize is that Miller has a wife. She sees what he's doing and she shoots him before he can take any action -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Dan Simon, reporting live this morning.
Right now, protesters are facing off against General Motors at the company's annual shareholder meeting in Detroit. Moments ago CEO Mary Barra responded to criticism the company mishandled a recall over a faulty ignition switch linking to at least 13 deaths. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY BARRA, GENERAL MOTORS CEO: It's not about putting it behind us. It's about using the learnings and the feelings that we had to make sure that we improved the whole development process and the culture which we're continuing to work on to make sure that we have award- winning products that are focused on the customer across the globe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Last week, G.M. dismissed 15 employees after an internal probe called the delay part of a pattern of incompetence and neglect. The automaker admits he knew about the problem as early as 2004 but did not issue a recall until earlier this year.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Hillary Clinton continues her marathon media tour as her new memoir finally let's to the book stores.
Brianna Keilar is covering it from Washington.
Hi, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Carol. Hillary Clinton giving her first major interviews of her book rollout, and it seemed less about groundbreaking revelations than about really making a connection with who? I'll tell you, coming up.
COSTELLO: Interesting. And take a look at these live pictures. These are pictures from a Barnes & Noble in Manhattan. You see all of those people waiting in line? Well, Hillary Clinton is about to have a book signing here. They want her book, and in fact some of these people actually lines up yesterday to be first in line.
I'll tell you more, after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: After weeks of carefully crafted media appearances and strategically placed experts, Hillary Clinton's memoir finally hits book stores today, but not before an interview, a long one, with ABC's Diane Sawyer.
While Clinton didn't clues about potential president's run she opened up about what will likely be a focus point for her rivals on both sides -- the Benghazi consulate attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS: Is there anything you personally should have been doing to make it safer in Benghazi?
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, what I did was give very direct instructions that the people who have the expertise and experience in security --
SAWYER: A personal -- CLINTON: That is personal, though, Diane. I mean, I am not -- I'm
not equipped to sit and look at blueprints, to determine where the blast walls need to be or where the reinforcements needs to be. That's why we hire people who have that expertise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And it is Benghazi and Clinton's tenure at the State Department that Republicans are seizing on this morning. In a 47-page response to Clinton's book called "Bad Choices", the Republican National Committee slams Clinton for a failed legacy and lack of accomplishments.
Senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar is here to talk more about this.
Good morning, Brianna.
KEILAR: Good morning to you, Carol.
In these interviews that Hillary Clinton is giving as her book rolls out, it seems less about groundbreaking revelations and more about really trying to make a connection with women, who will be very important to book sales, but also when it comes to votes in a possible 2016 presidential election.
The other thing we're noticing is this morning on "Good Morning America," Hillary Clinton doing a little bit of cleanup after a misstep in her interview last night with Diane Sawyer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR (voice-over): Hillary Clinton in an interview with ABC News found herself position in the awkward position of defending her wealth.
CLINTON: We came out of the White House dead broke, but in debt. We had no money when we got there and we struggled to, you know, piece together the resources for mortgages for houses, for Chelsea's education.
KEILAR: Houses, plural. Clinton's opponents jumped on that. "Shamelessly out of touch," the RNC declared. America Rising, the leading anti-Hillary super PAC, tweeted pictures of the Clinton's two multimillion dollar homes and their Hampton's vacation rental.
That mistake aside, Clinton's first big interview as her new memoir "Hard Choices" goes on sale showed a more personal side, even as she spoke about Monica Lewinsky who resurfaced last month writing an essay for "Vanity Fair."
DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS: Is there anything you would say to her, about her life?
CLINTON: Well, I would wish her well. I hope she is able to, you know, think about her future and construct a life that she finds meaning and satisfaction in.
KEILAR: She talked about moving beyond the toughest time in her life.
SAWYER: Somebody said forgiveness is releasing a prisoner and discovering the prisoner was yourself.
CLINTON: I am 100 percent in the camp that says forgiveness is mostly about the forgiver. I know too many people having now lived as long as I have who can never get over it.
KEILAR: The softer side of Hillary Clinton. One we haven't seen since the 2008 campaign.
CLINTON: This is very personal for me. It's not just political. It's not just public.
KEILAR: That appeal, though convincing, came too late. Not this time.
CLINTON: When you're in the spotlight as a woman, you know you're being judged constantly. I mean, it is just never ending. And you get a little, you know, worried about, OK -- well, you know, people over on this side are loving what I'm wearing looking like and saying. And people on this side aren't.
You know, your natural tendency is how do you bring people together so that you can better communicate? I'm done with that. I mean, I'm just done.
KEILAR: Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: And, Carol, that comment that she made at the top of the piece there, where she said, dead broke, that they were dead broke and actually in debt coming out of the White House.
Hillary Clinton did not repeat that this morning when she gave her interview on "Good Morning America." Instead emphasizing working hard. It's important she said working hard many times.
It's important to note that coming out of the White House actually the Clintons were I think reportedly $5 million in debt. But according to looking at her congressional financial disclosures, they did come out of debt in 2004 and have gone on to make millions upon millions of dollars, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes. I think they're doing just fine now.
KEILAR: Yes.
COSTELLO: You know, some people struggle and then other people who struggle. I mean, come on.
KEILAR: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Brianna Keilar, thanks so much.
KEILAR: Thanks, Carol.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM: Donald Sterling's fight is on again, and the Clippers sale is off again.
CNN's Jean Casarez has the latest turn of events.
Good morning, Jean.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Carol, it just came out. A statement, Donald Sterling, in lieu of his attorney, saying the team is not for sale. So what does this mean?
