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275 U.S. Troops Being Deployed To Baghdad; Dr. Oz On Capitol Hill Today; Paul Bremer Weighs In On Crisis In Iraq; Preview Of Hillary Clinton Town Hall

Aired June 17, 2014 - 14:30   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. Bottom of the hour. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

The president says sending troops into combat on Iraqi soil is not an option. Right now we do know that 275 troops are being deployed. The distinction, they are there to provide quote "support and security for U.S. personnel." The last combat troops left Iraq two and a half years ago, leaving behind U.S.-trained Iraqi forces.

And right now, those Iraqis are all that are standing in the way of this brutal terrorist militia group who first gained ground in Syria and now, as we have been reporting, Iraq. It appears the Iraqis are losing the battle. Today, ISIS is gaining more footholds, marching closer to Baghdad. Fighting breaking out in a new town, city of Baquba less than 40 miles north of Baghdad.

So Colonel Rick Francona, let me bring you in, our CNN military analyst and former U.S. attache min Syria. Colonel, welcome.

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good afternoon.

BALDWIN: Do we know what these 275 U.S. troops will be doing, any idea?

FRANCONA: Yes. They're there to beef up the security embassy. That's a huge embassy. It is the largest in the world, at one time 5500 people working there. So their security force is not equipped to take on a battle so they are in there to plan an evacuation if that needs to happen and provide security in the case of that.

Some of the other ones, it's kind of phrased a little differently, 100 others will be doing other things. Hopefully, they will be training and advising the Iraqis. We trained these Iraqis. Unfortunately, the leadership has failed. Maybe we can get in there and get some advice into this leadership and turn this around.

BALDWIN: OK. So maybe that can happen. But as far as options for the U.S., we knew from the White House that they're telling CNN one very real option could be air strikes. But according to previous reporting, air strikes aren't necessarily realistic. Perhaps we don't have enough intelligence. You have the collateral damage, too many civilian casualties, no one on the ground to direct the air strikes, not to mention ISIS. They are constantly, you know, on the move. So, how are air strikes even really a possibility here? FRANCONA: Yes. That's a real problem. You know, the knee jerk

reaction is we will do air strikes. We will send drones in there. We will blow up something. That's all well and good, but you have to have targets. You have to know what you're going to hit, you have to know what effect you're trying to achieve. Are you trying to slow down the advance, are you trying to destroy the logistics, are you trying to kill the leadership? All of that requires precise intelligence. The best way to get that intelligence of course is have assets on the ground. And once you commit to doing the air strikes, there is nothing better than a U.S. special forces or army special forces team or U.S. air force tactical control party on the ground to designate the targets for the fighters. Otherwise, you are relying on Iraqis and we have seen how poorly trained they are to do this for us. And that will just lead to immense civilian casualties. It probably will have the negative -- it will have the exact opposite effect we are trying to have.

BALDWIN: As I mentioned, just one of several options the White House is weighing.

Colonel Francona, thank you so much for joining me this afternoon.

And let me just remind you, Anderson Cooper is on the ground in Iraq. He will be reporting from Baghdad on the crisis. Make sure you watch him tonight for the details. "AC 360" live at 8:00 eastern here on CNN.

Coming up, Dr. Oz on Capitol Hill today testifying in front of this committee about sham weight loss tricks? Only problem, some people are saying some of Dr. Oz's weight loss tips fall into the same category. We are talking to Elizabeth Cohen about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: In his search to help viewers lose weight, Dr. Oz himself may risk losing some of his credibility. Today, the surgeon and TV star sat before the Senate's consumer protection panel on Capitol Hill, facing criticism for the quote unquote, "Oz effect."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D-MO), CHAIRWOMAN, SENATE CONSUMER PROTECTION PANEL: When you feature a product on your show, it creates what has become known as the |Oz effect," dramatically boosting sales and driving scam artists to pop up overnight, using false and deceptive ads to sell questionable products. While I understand that your message is also focused on basics like healthy eating and exercise, I'm concerned you are melding medical advice, news and entertainment in a way that harms consumers. You are very powerful, and power comes -- with power comes a great deal of responsibility. And you are being made an example of today because of the power you have in this space.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Dr. Oz has touted the benefits of green coffee bean extract, person in Cambodia, other supplements on his show, if you've watched. His detractors say the products do not have the medical studies to back his enthusiastic claims.

Now, Oz sat there today in D.C. and told those senators he can't control how internet scammers distort his comments, but he is now very aware of his need to carefully choose his words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MEHMET OZ, THE DR. OZ SHOW: I actually do personally believe in the items that I talk about on the show. I passionately study them. I recognize that oftentimes they don't have the scientific muster to present as fact. But nevertheless, I would give my audience the advice I give my family all the time. And I have given my family these products, specifically the ones you mentioned. I'm comfortable with that part. Where I do think I have made it more difficult for the FTC is that an intent to engage viewers, I use flowery language, I use language that was very passionate but it ended up not being helpful but incendiary. And it provided fodder for unscrupulous advertisers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Joining me now, our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.

You have been on Dr. Oz's show. What about the point with the FTC where they are warning listen, a lot of these big bogus claims on TV are just that bogus. So why don't they go after the products?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. And you would think because the FDA does that with drugs so you think it so. I asked the FTC that. They said there are just too many of them. We can't go after all of them. They said there's this endless flood of these products that are making claims that just aren't true. They can go after only a small percentage. And even when they do go after them, it takes so long, the legal process, to get these things off the market takes so long that the products sit there while they go through it all.

BALDWIN: People buy them and they don't work. How do you know? How are you supposed to know if it's a fake or it has validity and works?

COHEN: Right. You know, I don't care if Dr. Oz or Dr. Whoever says it's the greatest thing on earth. Go to the Web site for the product and find the studies that show it's the best thing. Because if they're making claims, they're supposed to have studies. If they don't, that's a problem.

Now, the FTC says some things are out and out false. For example, if a product says lose two pounds a week for a month without dieting or exercise, just don't believe it. Lose substantial weight by blocking the absorption of calories. Not possible. Rub in this cream and get weight loss. We wish. Wouldn't that be fabulous?

BALDWIN: Just not true. OK. Do your homework. Go to the Web site, read the studies.

COHEN: That's right. BALDWIN: Elizabeth, thank you so much for checking up on that.

Just ahead, Hillary Clinton has been giving out a lot of noteworthy interviews over the past week but none, as I mentioned, quite like tonight. CNN is holding this live one-hour town hall and Clinton will not only get questions from us but from the audience. What to expect, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We are less than three hours away from CNN's global town hall, Hillary Clinton, hard choices. As we take a live look, here we go, Nation's capital. This is an awesome place to visit, y the way. The Newseum, scene of the big event that starts at 5:00 eastern, Christiane Amanpour hosting this.

Hillary Clinton, as you know, she launched her book tour about a week ago today and talk about the timing for the town hall. Iraq is blowing up, Benghazi, this first Benghazi arrest. Of course, she will be asked about both. The book tour, though, hasn't exactly been a walk in the park. Some pretty tough questions for Hillary Clinton and some missteps.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: We came out of the White House not only dead broke, but in debt. We had no money when we got there.

Let me just clarify that I fully appreciate how hard life is for so many Americans today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary, dead broke. Really?

CLINTON: That may not have been the most artful way of saying that Bill and I have gone through a lot of different phases in our lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So that's one for you changed your mind.

CLINTON: I have to say, I think you are very persistent but you are playing with my words and playing with what is such an important issue.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm just trying to clarify so I can understand.

CLINTON: No, I don't think you are trying to clarify.

When you are in the spotlight as a woman, you know you're being judged constantly. I'm done with that. I mean, I'm just done.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said you're just over it.

CLINTON: I am over it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: How about that? Here now, Brian Stelter, our CNN senior media correspondent, Host of "RELIABLE SOURCES."

So Brian, again, talk about timing. Iraq, Benghazi, Clinton, you know, can now say at the town hall meeting, sure, knew about this stuff, I have been there, but on the other hand, neither Iraq nor Benghazi has turned out exactly well and she wasn't in charge of the policy at the time, correct?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN HOST, RELIABLE SOURCE: There are even these ridiculous ideas being floated online this afternoon that this capture in Libya is somehow tied in some way to this book tour. That's crazy. That's just plain crazy.

But the fact that you just spoke to a mother of one of the Americans that died and the fact that she still has questions for Hillary Clinton speaks volumes. Now, I think what Hillary Clinton would say to that mother, not to that mother, I think what Clinton would say in general is what she said before, which is there's a difference between unanswered questions and un-listened-to answers. But how do you say that to the mother of one of those four Americans? I think she's probably thinking right now this afternoon about what to say in this town hall meeting.

BALDWIN: Can you blame the mother for being so frustrated, two years later all these promises. My heart goes out to her and her family.

As far as the town hall tonight, tell me about the format. Who is in the audience, what will you be watching for?

STELTER: Well, this will be a theater in the round. It will feel -- I think as a viewer, not as a CNN person here, look presidential. You know, you think about town hall formats, these are usually things we see in presidential debates. But in this case, it's bringing an historic figure, Hillary Clinton, together with a round robin sort of group of people, many of whom will have submitted questions ahead of time, and they will also be taking questions from the web, from Tumblr, for example. CNN has been making a big push with Tumblr to bring in questions there and to promote the town hall there.

So it's a unique format. It is unlike all the ones we have seen before in that highlights for example where it's one-on-one interviews. This will be many different Americans asking questions of Hillary Clinton. And I wonder how her responses might differ because the questions are coming from ordinary Americans.

BALDWIN: I love the idea of a lot of voices. Brian Stelter, we know you will be watching. I will be watching. And hopefully you will be watching. Reminder tonight CNN hosts this town hall with Hillary Clinton. You can watch it live 5:00 eastern with a special replay at 9:00 eastern only here on CNN. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Lot of people are coming out with some strong opinions about how to handle the current situation in Iraq and many of them, very familiar with how we got here. Paul Bremer, for example, the former U.S. envoy to Iraq and head of

the coalition provisional authority, that was the organization to help rebuild the country after the fall of Saddam Hussein, he basically was the man who ran Iraq back in 2003-2004. And now, with Iraq on the brink of a civil war, Paul Bremer is weighing in on the current crisis and his opinion, the U.S. should have boots on the ground. Take a listen to what he told Erin Burnett last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST, OUTFRONT: I want to make it clear. You're not trying to blame President Obama for anything that's gone wrong, are you?

PAUL BREMER, FORMER AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: I am saying that his decision to withdraw all the troops at the end of 2011 was a serious mistake.

BURNETT: Right. But I'm saying that wasn't his decision.

BREMER: I'm on the record as saying that, three years ago. Yes, it was, Erin.

BURNETT: But President Bush who signed that agreement in 2008 that promised that all those troops would be removed at the end of 2011.

BREMER: The planning in 2011 leaked very heavily from the Pentagon and the White House was to keep 20,000 to 30,000 troops after 2011.

BURNETT: Right.

BREMER: The White House then leaked that they really wanted to only keep 3,000. Then they said to al-Maliki not only do we want a status of forces agreement but you have to get it through your parliament. So for the first time, to my knowledge, since 1945, we had 84 SOFA agreements around the world, we were telling the host government how they should proceed in approving that status of forces agreement. That put al-Maliki in an impossible political situation. 3,000 troops --

BURNETT: Weren't we trying to do it in a democratic way? Hold on. Can you answer that question? Wasn't he trying to use his parliament in a way to have them democratically support that agreement?

BREMER: After I answer the question, I will answer your next question. Usually the system goes you ask a question, the guest answers it, and then you ask the next question.

BURNETT: That is true. I felt I had given you plenty of time on the prior question. So, as long as you finish it, please answer the one I just asked.

BREMER: From al-Maliki's point of view, we had said we were going to only have 3,000 troops there. That means in effect, they would do nothing. They would sit at the Baquba air force base and protect themselves. Less than a brigade. They would not have any effective counterinsurgency or basically any major training. So we put al- Maliki in an impossible situation with that demand.

And effectively, I think, in many ways, there are a lot of people in this town who believe, and I am among them that this suited the president's purpose. He didn't want to have to keep the troops there. Certainly everything he has done since then in Libya and in Syria speaks very highly of a desire to get out of this region.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: That was part of the conversation last night. I sat down with Michael Holmes earlier today at CNN international anchor, correspondent, I asked him what he thought of Bremer's controversial stance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Michael Holmes is joining me. You are our go-to guy on everything Iraq. You have been there 14 times. You were there every single year of the war. You have literally seen Baghdad burning. When you see Paul Bremer coming on national television, what was your reaction to the interview?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You know, you can't lay the whole blame at Paul Bremer's feet. A lot of people are responsible for what's going on in Iraq right now. But I can tell you what, what was obvious when we got off the air was the Americans did a great battle plan to win the war. They didn't know what to do when they got there.

Within two or three days of me getting to Baghdad, buildings were on fire, the whole city had a smoke haze from the looters. The big mistake that he made was firing the army, sent home a couple hundred thousand guys.

BALDWIN: He, Bremer.

HOLMES: Yes, with no pay and guns. Sent them home, they were a bit annoyed by that.

BALDWIN: You know, his pushback with Erin Burnett last night, he said listen, Iraq was on the road to success, albeit this whole situation clearly with is, he said Iraq was a success. He said take a look at life expectancy rates, they're up. He said take a look at the democratic constitution, look at the democratic elections, all six of them. You were there as recent as January. How would you describe it?

HOLMES: Totally insecure. I was there throughout all the things he said were going great. Electricity was always horrible in Baghdad. It was totally unreliable. There was sewage in the streets for a lot of the time. It was a mess. The infrastructure of Iraq was total and utter mess. That's putting lipstick on a pig to say things were working OK. In terms of the stability, no, when I was there in January, there were bombs every single day I was there.

BALDWIN: In Baghdad. HOLMES: In Baghdad. There were six bombs in an hour on two separate

days that we were there. It's extraordinarily insecure. When the U.S. was there, it wasn't perfect. They kept a lid on it and when they left, everything else has bubbled to the surface aided by Nouri al-Maliki and him being essentially a sectarian dictator.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Michael Holmes, thanks for sitting down with me earlier today.

We are getting word, militants in Iraq, just 30 miles away from Baghdad. CNN's special coverage continues in just a moment.

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