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U.S. Air Strikes Ongoing in Iraq; ISIS Continues To Terrorize Iraq; Judge Rules in Favor Of College Athletes

Aired August 09, 2014 - 16:00   ET

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

JUAN ZELIZER, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY HISTORIAN: There's the poll testing, but there's also the need to build a sustainable coalition in Congress. Ultimately, this won't go in you don't have that. I don't think it's simply the polls of American citizens, how does that then play out on Capitol Hill, where I really think the coalition for doing anything more is incredibly fragile. And if you go in with that, it could be a huge problem for the military, and overall for strategy in two years from now.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Julian Zelizer, Margaret Hoover, thank you both.

ZELIZER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: I appreciate it.

We continue on, you're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin, here in New York for you on this Saturday.

We have some new information coming into us here on CNN from Iraq. U.S. air strikes have targeted and eliminated at least 16 ISIS militants in northeastern Iraq. Here's what we're getting from Iraqi officials. The ISIS militants had been shelling Kurdish security check points from a town near the regional Iraqi capital of Irbil.

Meantime, U.S. aircraft made a second emergency airdrop, you see all these people finally we're getting video of what we've been talking about. These people in dire straits, thousands of desperate Iraqis stranded on top of this Mount (INAUDIBLE), have been bringing them food, bringing them water, medical supplies, dropping them down to terrified men, women and children, suffering from dehydration and starvation.

These are the Yazidis. This a religious sect, one of many in northern Iraq. Dozens of whom have already died from the situation on top of this mountain, whereby the way, when you think about the topography and also the climate, it is a scorching 122 degrees in August in this part of Iraq. As far as ISIS goes, these militants have really surrounded this mountain from below the siege that we're watching, and they are ready to kill anyone who tries to descend the mountain.

As for President Barack Obama he says there is no specifics as far as a timetable is concerned for these U.S. air strikes. But in that end, victory is really up to the Iraqi government. President Obama's came just hours before he left for vacation with his family, on Martha's Vineyard. These pictures coming in of him, playing a little golf just a moment ago.

Let me bring in correspondent Erin McPike, she joins me from Washington. And Erin, how is the president planning to monitor the situation from vacation?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first, Brooke, already on his flight to Massachusetts, President Obama spoke to a number of world leaders about the handful of crisis that are raging around the globe, and on his vacation, he'll be getting daily security briefings, which will be important, there is no apparent end game in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCPIKE (voice-over): As the first family begins its Martha's Vineyard vacation, President Obama is refusing to set a timetable for how long U.S. military action in Iraq will need to continue.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think we're going to solve this problem in weeks. I think this is going to take some time.

MCPIKE: U.S. air strikes destroyed some ISIS arms and equipment, hoping to stop the militants advance on the northern city of Irbil. The U.S. have also dropped food and water to aid thousands of a minority group stranded on Mt. Sinjar.

OBAMA: The next step, which is going to be complicated logistically is how do we give safe passage for people down from the mountain.

MCPIKE: The broader problem, how to contain or destroy the mounting terrorist threat from ISIS. Complicating the issue, concerns from some Democrats, such as Congressman Keith Ellison, "I am weary of Mission Creep, and the possibility of being further embroiled into a situation that has no military solution," he said, urging the president to seek congressional authorization if military operations continue.

And others like House Speaker John Boehner approving the president's current actions but accusing him of lacking a long-term strategy for handling the terrorist threat in the region.

OBAMA: There is no doubt that their advance, their movement over the last several months has been more rapid, than the intelligence estimates and I think the expectations of policy makers both in and out of - outside of Iraq.

MCPIKE: The president insists he won't send American troops to battle on the ground in Iraq again, and says a solution will only come when Iraq forms a government that shares power with minority groups.

OBAMA: This is going to be a long term project.

MCPIKE: But with no end in site, could this cost American taxpayers more in the future?

OBAMA: We'll have to evaluate what happens over time. (END VIDEOTAPE)

MCPIKE: Now, the criticism doesn't break down neatly along party lines, Brooke, but we are seeing criticism from both sides of the aisle, people weary of war, and also those saying, we need to be - or the U.S. rather needs to be involved in a greater way in Iraq, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Erin McPike, thank you so much from Washington for us. As far as these ISIS militants are concerned, they have a massive stockpile of dangerous weapons. Some ISIS members are using modern American-made weapons that were stolen from the Iraqi army. ISIS is now considered the most dangerous jihadist group in the world.

And Justice correspondent Pamela Brown has more on the ISIS weapons stockpile.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): ISIS fighters seen here using weapons seized from the Iraqi Army.

Parading around on armored tanks, showcasing ISIS signature black flags and hauling a massive missile through the streets of seized Iraqi territory.

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: ISIS is more of a threat to the United States now than Al Qaeda was prior to September 11th.

BROWN: Perhaps ISIS' most lethal weapon, the capture of this massive dam in Mosul. The U.S. itself warned during the Iraq war that its failure could create 20-meter waves and result in a significant loss of life and property.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: We just better have our eyes wide open about the possible range of potential casualties here.

BROWN: A source telling CNN the Islamic militants attacked the dam with an American made M1-Abrams tank like this. ISIS has been stockpiling artillery ever since it began commandeering Iraqi territory. Taking some American-made machinery, left over from the war, and weapons dropped by fleeing Iraqi troops. A senior administration official tells CNN ISIS is well resourced and well organized militarily.

O'HANLON: I think it's entirely possible that the ISO or ISIS group has found various kinds of either anti-tank weapons or anti-aircraft weapons, and mounted them on vehicles to have maximum mobility.

BROWN: Based on ISIS videos posted online, experts believe it's possible ISIS could have access to portable air defense systems, which has a range of approximately 10,000 feet and 37 millimeter anti- aircraft guns with a range of approximately 27,000 feet, high enough to bring down within of the U.S. planes dropping humanitarian relief. The navy jets involved with air strikes fly at around 40,000 feet.

On Friday, the FAA banned U.S. flights over Iraq, citing the potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict.

BROWN (on camera): Officials say the Kurds who are fighting ISIS in northern Iraq are outgunned by the Islamic militant group. But a senior administration official says the U.S. is expediting assistance to the Kurds.

Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Pamela, thank you.

Terrifying prospect for all of us, fearsome militants armed with American-made weapons. Ahead, we will talk about exactly how dangerous this could be to everyone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We just showed you that piece. We're taking a closer look at the weapons ISIS militant are using in Iraq, and where exactly they came from. According to a senior Kurdish officials, the militant fighters have U.S. MADE weapons seized during fighting with the Iraqi army, even using some American tanks.

So let's talk about that with CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank and retired Army Lt. General Mark Hertling. He is a former commanding general for Europe in the 7th Army. General, first to you, as we talked about the fact that these ISIS militants are using some of the U.S. weaponry, I understand that some of it is so sophisticated, they wouldn't know how to use it?

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Well, some of them, that's probably true, Brooke, but also, you have to understand that a lot of the weapons we gave them, to include the M-1 tank is an export version, so it doesn't have some of the same things that a U.S. version would have. And it is extremely sophisticated. The firing sequence for a trained tanker - I happened to be a tanker, is pretty difficult.

If you know how to use it, and you've been trained in it, you can hit anything you point at. But it's very difficult to be trained on it.

BALDWIN: Bottom line, general, as far as the weapons go, and then I want to move on to you, Paul, man for man, whether you are part of the (INAUDIBLE) Kurdish military or Iraqi air force let's say, who has the bigger guns?

HERTLING: Well, I think the U.S. export tanks is certainly an imposing piece of kit. But at the same time, as we saw yesterday, and you continue to show on the air, it also makes a pretty good target for pilots. So that's a whole lot different than going after individual fighters, if they're driving around in a tank or an armored personnel carrier, or towing an artillery piece, they're going to become quickly a target.

BALDWIN: Paul Cruickshank, to you. And let's just pivot this conversation to what you wrote about in that CNN opinion piece about how there are -- there will be unintended consequences of the U.S. air strike campaign over Iraq, including retaliation from ISIS. How big of a concern? It's one thing to talk about retaliation within Iraq, and then it's another to talk about targets in the west.

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: It's a big concern, Brooke, particularly in Europe, the European counter terrorism officials they are also up to about 1,000 European fighters that have joined this group, hundreds of people from Europe have traveled back from Syria, to Europe. There's real concern that ISIS could lash out with a terrorist attack, train some of these operators and send them back.

BALDWIN: We were talking recently in the news about coming from oversees to the United States, people were having to turn on and off their cell phones and their laptops. Is that at all tied to this?

CRUICKSHANK: It could possibly be tied to this. Because there is concern that some of the AQA people - that's Al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen have transferred some bomb making know-how in terms of making bombs on to Arab planes, undetected, to jihadist groups in Syria. Obviously one of those jihadist groups is ISIS. So some concern that they could perhaps at some stage equip a European volunteer or an American volunteer with one of these devices and perhaps target western aviation, Brooke.

BALDWIN: That is frightening, there is so much to this story, and so much to talk about. Gentlemen, do me a favor. Stay with me. We're going to hit a quick commercial break, can you fight ISIS with air strikes? This is a nimble force that has conquered territories with lightning speed. Can you fight these militants from the air? We'll talk about that.

And about 15 minutes from now, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is up with more on the deadly Ebola outbreak. Sanjay?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, all week people have been e-mailing me and tweeting me questions about the Ebola outbreak, so we're going to bring you some answers. Plus, an incredible rare look inside a Gaza emergency room. And finally the latest on a federal bill that could legalize some strains of marijuana. See you in just a bit, 4:30 Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: You are watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

As we continue our coverage on Iraq, air strikes - U.S. air strikes have ramped up again America's involvement in Iraq. Where ISIS calls itself the Islamic state. And these militants are seizing control of towns and key infrastructure, in an advance that has forced hundreds of thousands of families to run for their lives.

Back with me, CNN terrorism analyst, Paul Cruickshank and retired Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling.

General, let me begin with you, because much to do has been made about the hydroelectric dam on the Tigres River in Mosul, the second largest city. Do you fear that as far as retaliation, possible retaliation from ISIS goes, that that is something that they could use? As far as flooding and potentially killing many people? Or that it's something that they want to hang on to, because they plan on making an Islamic state, and that's what runs the power?

HERTLING: Right. I say the second one, Brooke, and thanks for asking about that, because I think there's a lot of fear about this. That dam certainly is crumbling, it's been that way, well, when we were there, we had some engineers take a look at it, and it certainly had not been well maintained, so there is that danger.

But truthfully, I think ISIS wants to control it because it controls hydroelectricity for not only Mosul but all the smaller towns in the (INAUDIBLE) province. But it also controls much of the electricity going to Irbil and some of the Kurdish regions as well.

Secondly, if they do unleash some of the water from the gates, it's going to flood the areas and the towns that they like to occupy, so I've heard discussions about it going all the way down past Baghdad, I don't think that's the case, especially this time of year, the dam is probably only at about 40 percent water supply, and it couldn't be just wide open, where gushes of water are going to come out.

Thirdly, I don't think they want to - they want to build a state, so they want as much infrastructure as they can, and Rick Francona said earlier, they've now looked at taking over the Adifa dam as well, which is the second of three dams in that area. So it's obvious to me they're trying to establish the power source for a state and they're looking at all the infrastructure requirements to do that.

BALDWIN: I'm glad you bring that up because there has been a lot of fear that they could use that, or even use it perhaps as a negotiating tactic. We're talking to Col. Francona, he said "negotiate? These people don't negotiate."

HERTLING: Right.

BALDWIN: Paul, to you, on your point on what you wrote about a possible retaliation from ISIS, your first point on how they could retaliate. ISIS could unleash a crash program to attack the west. What do you mean by a crash program?

CRUICKSHANK: Well what that would entail is giving western recruits specifically tailored training in terms of bomb making, to make the kind of bombs where you could actually go to a home improvement store in the west or a beauty supply store and actually make an explosive device.

We saw Al Qaeda in Pakistan give that sort of training specifically tailored training to western recruits in the 2000s in the period after 9/11, we have not yet seen that from ISIS. So they could launch this kind of program and then send western operatives back to the west to launch attacks.

BALDWIN: I urge our viewers to read your piece. CNN.com/opinion. Paul Cruickshank, thank you. General Hertling, thank you as well.

The NCAA has fought the idea of paying college athletes. But a new lawsuit could totally change the way colleges do business and mean paychecks for athletes in several sports. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: More than a day after the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas expired, there appears to be a bit of a lull in the fighting, but lets be clear, this is not stopped all together. Because we now know that three bodies were pulled from the rubble of a mosque in Gaza today, that was hit by an Israeli air strike. Two other Palestinians died when their motorcycle was bombed and the IDF says since the cease-fire crumbled, dozens of rockets have been fired into Israel.

Let's talk about college sports because college athletes might be playing for money one of these days. Here is CNN's Sara Ganim.

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, it used to be that everyone in college sports made money except the athletes. Well, Friday a federal judge ruled that now student athletes own the rights to their own images, and for the first time ever, they could start to get paid for it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED O'BANNON, UCLA: I love the fact that student athletes are standing up for themselves.

GANIM (voice-over): The landmark case started with Ed O'Bannon, a former UCLA basketball player who sued after he was surprised to see himself in a video game.

O'BANNON: I just said to myself, something's got to change, how, why? Why wasn't I asked, you know, they used my face, they used my likeness.

GANIM: They used his likeness, but they didn't pay him for it. Now, the NCAA can no longer ban universities from paying players for the rights to their images. That could really help athletes like Tyrone Prothro, who often struggled while universities make millions.

Prothro is the former wide receiver who caught this amazing Hail Mary pass seconds before half time in a game with his arms outstretched around the helmet of a defender. It became the play of the year in 2005. Shown over and over again on TV.

(on camera): Even, you know, eight, nine years later, it's still the catch. That's how famous it is.

TYRON PROTHRO, FORMER UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA FOOTBALL PLAYER: You could ask a random person about the catch, and they'll probably give you a little story about it.

GANIM (voice-over): Just three years later, this was Prothro, his leg was shattered and so were his chances of ever playing in the pros. He graduated but he struggled financially.

PROTHRO: You know, just been working in the banking industry, and did a little pest control sales, and then ended up at my job that I'm at now. That's Coca Cola refreshments.

GANIM: To Prothro it felt like everyone made money off the play except him. That's changing. Starting in 2016, universities will be allowed to pay players up to $5,000 a year for use of their image. The money will be held in a trust fund until they leave the school.

SONNY VACCARO, FMR. NIKE EXECUTIVE: Everybody - basically everybody made money except the kid who gave them the opportunity to make the money on what he did.

GANIM: Sonny Vaccaro is the former Nike executive who basically invented athlete endorsements. He's also the driving force behind the O'Bannon lawsuit.

VACCARO: There's no television sports, there's no mark in t-shirts and Gatorade than anything else without the athletes.

GANIM: The NCAA has argued that this ruin college sports, but the judge rejected that argument saying fans come for tradition, not for amateurism.

O'BANNON: I wanted to stand, stand up and say, no, this isn't right and so far, you know, mission accomplished.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GANIM: Now, the NCAA has promised they will appeal this, but it really isn't a total loss for them. When the judge set the cap at $5,000 a year per athlete, that keeps multi-million dollar contracts out of the hands of college athletes. Brooke.

BALDWIN: It's pretty interesting. Sarah Ganim, thank you so much.

And thank you so much for being with me on this Saturday. I'm Brooke Baldwin, live in New York. Don't go too far, I'll be back live at the top of the hour with much more on the comprehensive coverage of U.S. air strikes in Iraq. We got you covered on that. So stay right here on CNN but for now, I'll turn you over to my colleague, Sanjay Gupta.

"SANJAY GUPTA, MD" starts right now.