Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Iraq in Crisis; Bowe Bergdahl Returning to U.S.; Children Crossing US Border

Aired June 12, 2014 - 15:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye, in for Brooke Baldwin.

A sudden development in the Bowe Bergdahl story, a U.S. Army official telling CNN the Army sergeant will be returning to the U.S. tonight. He disappeared from his Army unit in Afghanistan and wound up in the hands of the Taliban five years ago.

On May 31, the Obama administration swapped five high-value Taliban detainee held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for Bergdahl's safe return. Critics say that the administration paid too high a price.

In a grilling before the House Armed Services Committee, Defense secretary Chuck Hagel said he couldn't guarantee that U.S. troops wouldn't be injured or killed trying to the recapture the five yet again.

And one committee member even hinted the administration was keeping Bergdahl in a German army hospital so he wouldn't have to answer questions about his capture.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JEFF MILLER, R-FLORIDA: You're trying to tell me that he's being held at Landstuhl, Germany, because of his medical condition?

CHUCK HAGEL, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Congressman, I hope you're not implying anything other than that. The fact is...

MILLER: I'm just asking the question, Mr. Secretary, that you won't answer.

(CROSSTALK)

HAGEL: I'm going to give an answer too, and I don't like the implication of the question.

MILLER: Well, answer it. Answer it. Answer it.

CHUCK HAGEL: He's being held there because our medical professionals don't believe he's ready, until they're -- they believe he is ready.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: CNN White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski joining me now. Michelle, what is the administration saying about all this?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Randi.

Well, nothing yet. I mean, this all just came about, that the news came that he will be released and he's coming back to the United States tonight. But he will go into the military hospital. So how much contact the public has with him to see him, see pictures of him, know of his condition might be absolute zero still.

So, at the time of the White House press briefing, the administration did not have any information on that. But now we're hearing, and others are hearing from defense sources that this is happening. And it is not even known when or how exactly he will meet with his family.

Up until this time, we know he has not had contact with his parents. But in the past several days of reporting, we do know that a room is being prepared for him there at the military hospital in San Antonio, that a team has been assembled.

It is all following this lengthy process of getting him back home and getting him back into a state that he can be questioned. We know that they're assembling a team of security personnel, of course doctors, psychiatrists, chaplains, and attorneys, part of the way that they're going to you know, be able to reintegrate him into some form of the old life that he used to have here.

I think that exchange that you played was really interesting because in the way Secretary Hagel was questioned, his answers kind of made it seem like he was not ready to be questioned and his condition was pretty bad, at least if you could draw that from the way he answered the question.

He didn't give any details of that, but now at least we know that Bergdahl is well enough at least to be transferred back here to the U.S. -- Randi.

KAYE: Michelle Kosinski, thank you very much, an update there from the White House.

Now let's expand the conversation with Terry Lyles, a psychologist and expert in combat stress. He joins me now by phone.

So, Terry, what would an expert like you be looking for in Bergdahl's demeanor after so long in captivity?

TERRY LYLES, PSYCHOLOGIST: You know, I think what you have to really pay attention to is the overall condition of who he is. And, obviously, he has been in Germany for a period of time while they tried to stabilize him, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically.

But, I mean, first off the plane, I mean, you just really need to take it easy and just getting comfortable with the surroundings, getting comfortable with people that's going to be talking to him and seeing him, his family, parents, and the media. He is -- he's going to have a media barrage waiting there for him in

San Antonio. And less is going to be more here in this situation. I think we have really got to be careful in how we approach him.

KAYE: What did he have to do, though, do you think, to prove that he was ready to return to the U.S.? What would they have been looking for?

LYLES: Well, I think, in any situation, you are just trying to make sure that the person is functional, rational, stabilized enough that they can move to the next stage.

In this case, he is in the third stage. So, release is just after that. So, I would liken it to a physical condition. If somebody had surgery and they were on an operating table for an extended period of time, you just don't walk out of the hospital.

So, you go to the recovery room to make sure your vitals are stabilized. And I am sure they have done all that. So, they have met that condition, evidently. They're ready to send him home. But he is going to be received by medical and professional people that's going to continue that phase of treatment so you make sure that he recovers correctly.

KAYE: All right, Terry Lyles, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

To our other breaking story right now -- Iraq is spiraling out of control, cities falling to militants who are so extreme, even al Qaeda booted them out, President Obama responding to the escalating violence, saying nothing is off the table. A range of options are being considered, including airstrikes, after Iraq conducted its own last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we have seen over the last couple of days indicates the degree to which Iraq is going to need more help, is going to need help from us and it's going to need more help from the international community.

So my team is working around the clock to identify how we can provide the most effective assistance to them. I don't rule out anything, because we do have a stake in making sure that these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in either Iraq or Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The fighting forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in hot spots across the country, the situation so bad right now, some U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces are putting down their arms and running.

Others, we're hearing, have been taken captive, video reportedly showing hundreds of soldiers in civilian clothing captured by this extremist group ISIS and paraded through the streets, although CNN can't independently confirm the authenticity of the video. I want to bring in now Robert McFadden, former military investigator

and counterintelligence expert, and Colonel Peter Mansoor, retired U.S. Army and former aide to General David Petraeus.

First, Senator John McCain, furious about the situation, spoke just a short time ago. I want you both to listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZONA: The president should get rid of his entire national security team, replace it, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, and bring in General Petraeus, General Keane, General Mattis, and others who won the conflict in Iraq, including Ambassador Crocker, and turn this whole situation around. But it is going to be extremely difficult to do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: Praising Petraeus, saying he would do a better job.

No one better to address this than his former aide.

So, Colonel, what would Petraeus do?

COL. PETER MANSOOR (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Well, I spoke with General Petraeus recently. And I think we both agree that you cannot allow ISIS to gain a permanent foothold in Iraq.

The creation of a terrorist state in the heart of Mesopotamia would be highly destabilizing to worldwide oil markets and would be a base for terrorism, which could exported to Europe and the United States. So we have to do something. The question is, when and how much?

KAYE: And, Robert, to you. Do you really see the U.S. dropping bombs on Iraq? I mean, what can be done, I guess, short of airstrikes?

ROBERT MCFADDEN, FORMER MILITARY INVESTIGATOR: Well, as far as the sort of broader strategic issues, I know that the State Department, the Department of Defense have been talking and engaged with the Baghdad government.

But it is going to take some formidable forces of a coalition of stakeholders in the area, first with Baghdad. Turkey is also a key factor here, and an alliance of those that need to force some kind of bulwark against the push toward Baghdad and well outside the Anbar province.

KAYE: And, Colonel, let's talk about ISIS. We're hearing that ISIS is using U.S. equipment left there when the troops withdrew.

I guess, why didn't the U.S. see this coming, a lot of people are asking about this point today.

MANSOOR: Well, some of us did see it coming.

When we withdrew U.S. forces from Iraq, we withdrew the glue that was holding that -- that state together. We withdrew the backbone that was helping the Iraq army better itself.

And what happened in the succeeding years is Nouri al-Maliki replaced competent army commanders with political cronies. And you ended up with an army that is very loyal to him, but can't fight effectively.

KAYE: All right, I want to talk more with both of you about this terror group, so please, both of you, stand by, and we will be right back after a very short break to continue this conversation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back.

We're continuing our conversation on the breaking news of what is happening there in Iraq and continuing that conversation with Colonel Peter Mansoor, who is a former aide to General David Petraeus, and Robert McFadden is here with us as well.

Colonel, so from what we understand, the ISIS group is about 70 to 100 miles or so away from Baghdad. They have already taken Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq. What needs to be done right now to stop them?

MANSOOR: Well, they have taken Mosul. They have taken Tikrit. The next target would be the city Samarra, with the Golden Dome Mosque, a very important Shiite shrine.

So, the Iraqi group needs to regroup. And it needs to decide where it's going to make a stand, and that could the city of Samarra. It could be Taji, north of Baghdad. And they are going to need all the help they can get to stop the conventional assault that they're undergoing right now.

That could be U.S. airstrikes. Unfortunately, it could be other things, too. The Iranians will no doubt get involved. And I saw reports this morning that they're sending special forces into the country, which is not a good sign.

KAYE: And, Robert, you actually think that they will face some pretty stiff resistance on their way to Baghdad?

MCFADDEN: Well, they undoubtedly will.

And some of the other areas, to the colonel said, besides Samarra, which they have already at the gates of Samarra, and tried to attack the Al-Askari Mosque, the Golden Dome Mosque, which is one of the holiest sites in all of Shia Islam. If they try to move toward Karbala, which is one of the holiest cities in all of Shia Islam, you would expect some stiff resistance.

And agree that a troubling aspect of what we're hearing right now as far as alliances that come out of crises, the head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is reported to be in Baghdad right now. So, but that really would be a natural occurrence when the al- Maliki government was desperate for outside help.

KAYE: So is this a fight, Robert, that the Iraqi government can win? Do they need the Kurds to help them? Do they need the U.S.?

MCFADDEN: Well, the Kurds, absolutely. That's again where there an alliance you would expect to be formed between Irbil, which is the seat of Kurdistan and Iraq, and Baghdad.

Now, earlier today, though, there was reporting that the Maliki had called for an emergency session of its parliament.

However, it was unable to call a quorum because the Kurdish parliamentarians were not there. So, that is a wild car factor, but expect to see there would be a Kurd and Baghdad alliance against the push to the east.

KAYE: And, Colonel, I'm just curious, how does it feel for you to see the areas that the U.S. fought so hard for fall to militants now?

MANSOOR: Well, it is deeply disturbing, 5,000 dead, a trillion dollars of treasure, and to see it all disappear overnight, it is pretty frustrating.

I would like to add to the Kurdish issue, though. The Kurds are going to do what is best for them. They have already seized the city of Kirkuk. And my guess, is they are going to use their forces to defend a greater Kurdistan. I'm not sure you are going to see them join the fight for Baghdad.

KAYE: All right, Colonel Peter Mansoor, Robert McFadden, thank you both very much.

The last thing Brazil wanted to see this week were scenes like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Protesters (INAUDIBLE) get moving and there's some pushing back, as you can see. (INAUDIBLE) Got to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: You see it there, protests in the streets, police dressed in riot gear firing tear gas inches from a CNN reporter and crew, all of this happening while Brazil is welcoming fans to the World Cup.

And an appalling crisis on our southern border -- why are so many immigrants bringing young children across the border?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: An explosion of children coming from Central America to the U.S. by themselves shows no sign of letting up; 47,000 have made the treacherous journey so far this year. And last hour, the homeland security secretary had a message for their parents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEH JOHNSON, U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Illegal migration is not safe. The illegal migration through the South Texas border is not safe. A processing center is no place for your child. Putting your child in the hands of a criminal smuggling organization is not safe.

Your child will not benefit from DACA if they come here now. DACA is for who came who came here seven years ago. The legislation being contemplated right now, the earned path to citizenship, is for those who came here 18 months ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: So an unsafe journey with no golden ticket to U.S. citizenship waiting on this side of the border, yet still they come in droves. And the pace is picking up.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is in McAllen, Texas, first stop for this tidal wave of children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sunset in the South Texas city of McAllen nestled along the banks of the Rio Grande on the border with Mexico. It's when shadowy figures emerge from the dark, desperate to cross the river and enter the United States.

These are the faces of a humanitarian crisis and the subject of fierce political debate. Thousands of families from Central America are flooding the nation's southwest border, overwhelming immigration officials and its resources, most shocking, thousands are children as young as 4 traveling alone, a note pinned to the shirts telling authorities who to contact when they arrive.

Isma (ph) crossed the border with her son, 15-year-old Wilmer (ph) and her 2-1/2 year old daughter. They rely on what little to carry and on each other.

Isma says she and her family left Guatemala because of what she described as tough times. Belquis (ph) also turned herself over to police after crossing the border. Her dream was for her son to get medical care so that he could see properly again. She says working in the U.S. will make that easier.

She tells us word is spreading in Guatemala some who are caught released with money for a bus ticket and a date to appear in immigration court.

"I heard people are getting passes to stay," she says. Others are not.

But officials here say they don't show up for court. They disappear and add to the number of undocumented workers already here.

SGT. DAN BROYLES, DEPUTY CONSTABLE, MCALLEN, TEXAS: I think there's too much dwelling on the problem and not dwelling the solution.

SANDOVAL: For officers, seeing the children traveling on their own is the most difficult. BROYLES: I'm a father of three boys, you know? Men now. But, you

know, at the age of 6 and 7, you wouldn't think that a parent would send their child on a 1,000-mile trek across Central America and into -- all the way through Mexico into the United States.

SANDOVAL: Sergeant Dan Broyles is a local deputy constable. He helped border patrol in the area for decades. He says the beat isn't what it used to be.

BROYLES: We're not having to chase them down anymore. Like I said, they're family units or unaccompanied children and they come over here, they want to get caught. They make no quarrels about being caught.

SANDOVAL: He says an encounter with border patrol no longer means a quick deportation for most who cross; rather, it's one more way to get into the U.S.

Isma and Belquis hope that's the case.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And Polo joins me now.

Polo, the homeland security secretary warned parents in Central America not to put their children in the hands of smugglers. So, what are the dangers exactly? What are they most concerned about?

SANDOVAL: Randi, I can tell you that the secretary deeply concerned.

He sent a very strong message to Central America, which is where a lot of these unaccompanied children are coming from. He does not want parents to put their children in the hands of these smugglers who work for dangerous drug cartels that are in charge of territories on both sides of the border.

So he is sending a very strong message to parents that are truly just thousands of miles away that it's simply not worth it, not only with the violence, but also the South Texas unforgiving heat as well -- Randi.

KAYE: All right, Polo Sandoval, thank you very much.

So, whose fault is it for the nightmare unfolding now in Iraq? Some say American forces left too soon, but more and more people are pointing fingers at this man, Iraq's leader. They say he has only himself to blame for the rise of the militants on his watch.

And then the assassination of President John F. Kennedy stunned America. But, for some reason, thousands of people never accepted the official explanation for his death. How have these conspiracy theories lasted so long?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)