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Now, Biden Meeting with G7 Leaders on August 31 Deadline; Harris' Trip to Vietnam Delayed over Recent Anomalous Health Incident There, Possibly Related to Havana Syndrome; Sources Say, Democratic Leaders, Moderates Close to Deal on Budget Resolution. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired August 24, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM: A very good Tuesday morning to you. I'm Jim Sciutto. Evacuations from Afghanistan accelerating, a new record in the last 24 hours, but President Biden under pressure now and on the clock. Happening right now, President Biden is holding a behind the doors virtual meeting with leaders of the group of seven nations. They are expected to press him on extending the self-imposed U.S. August 31st deadline to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Those troops, of course, making those evacuations possible. They are also expected to discuss whether they should jointly recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's effective government.

U.S. military leaders say a decision to extend the withdrawal deadline must be made by today. Why? Because that would provide enough time to make plans for pulling out the 5,800 troops on ground in Kabul when that mission ends, as well as to remove equipment and weapons. More than 21,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan in just the last 24 hours, an unprecedented operation. An estimated 4,500 people are now waiting for evacuation flights inside Kabul airport this morning, a little more calm than in recent days.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is at the White House for more on this G7 meeting underway. I suppose the question is will White House officials bracing themselves for a bit of shellacking from their allies on this.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is no question that they know that President Biden is going to face tough questions and pressure from these allies, especially the United Kingdom and France, who have been vocal about the need for the United States to extend that withdrawal deadline past August 31st to facilitate not only the evacuation of Americans and Afghans who have helped the U.S. but also, of course, of all these other foreign nationals and the Afghans that have helped other coalition forces.

The U.S. has the largest force on the ground at Kabul airport and it is facilitating air traffic control as well as the security of the airport and coordinating that security with the Taliban on the perimeter. But the Taliban for now are being adamant, once again, today that they will not allow the United States to extend that deadline past August 31st, which raises the question of how President Biden will handle that increasingly firm position from the Taliban.

We know that in the lead-up to this G7 meeting and this advice from military leaders that the president needs to decide today if that withdrawal is going to go forward, that yesterday, the CIA director, Bill Burns, met in Kabul with the Taliban's deputy leader, one of the top political leader currently in Kabul and a co-founder of the Taliban, a remarkable meeting that we understand was made at the direction of the president of the United States who asked Ambassador Burns, the CIA director, to go to Kabul and meet with him, clearly, part of this in the lead-up to this decision by the president as to whether or not to extend that August 31st deadline.

So we will see, but today, again, Jim, does indeed appear to be decision day, that G7 leaders meeting underway and the president expected to speak this afternoon to address the American people. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Well, we'll be waiting for that decision. Jeremy Diamond, thanks very much.

This morning, as pressure builds on President Biden to extend that deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw, evacuation efforts, they've been accelerating both inside the Kabul airport, but also outside. Right now, there are around 7,000 evacuees being housed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. They're waiting there, kind of a midway point before departing for the U.S.

CNN's Atika Shubert she is on the scene at Ramstein. Atika, what happens there and for how long?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, for how long is the big question. And for many evacuees here, it is the only question they want answered. We were just inside. We had a chance to quite a few of them, many of them still wearing the white wristbands that get them access into Kabul airport. Quite a few of them have been here for two days and they tell us that they expect to be here for possibly up to seven days while they get processed, and by processed, I mean figure out who are U.S. citizens, green card holders or special visa holders.

Once they have that cleared up, and that is the responsibility of the State Department, then they board a flight to the United States. And, in fact, we saw this morning one of the first commercial flights that have now been activated to bring evacuees to the U.S. from the base, a Delta Airlines flight. And already about 700 people have left the air base now and should be in the United States. So the process is moving forward but it is slow when you consider that there are about 7,000 people here and only about 700 who have left so far.

SCIUTTO: What a remarkable change for the people, going from a Taliban controlled Afghanistan to the U.S. perhaps in a matter of days.

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Atika Shubert there watching it all unfold, thank you. The United Nations has received what it describes as harrowing, incredible reports of executions of civilians as well as new restrictions on women's rights under the Taliban in Afghanistan. That is the word from the U.N.'s high commissioner on human rights speaking this morning at a U.N. emergency session in Geneva. What is the risk to women there, people who work for the U.S. and others?

Joining me now are people doing their best to save lives. Kelley DeConsiliis, she's a security and exfiltration expert who sits on board of advisers for the Institute of World Politics, Leslie Schweitzer, she is president and chair of Friends of American University in Afghanistan, in fact, founded that university for Afghan women. Thank you so much to both of you.

I know you have incredible life-life-saving work you're trying to do right now. So I want to ask you to help our viewers understand the need and what it is like.

Kelley, can I begin with you? You've spent years in the intelligence community, you know how this kind of stuff works. Tell us what the is that the women whose lives are trying to save are facing right now, women who attended university there.

KELLEY DECONSILIIS, BOARD OF ADVISERS, INSTITUTE OF WORLD POLITICS: Sure. Well, first, Jim, thank you for having me on. Let me talk to you a little bit about, because it changes every hour, the situation on the ground. It is significantly changed over the last ten hours. The shift of power is fully in the Taliban's court for any entry right now into HIKIA, which is the airport in Kabul. The Taliban has set up a blockade right outside the perimeter known as Chevron, so not allowing anyone through as of right now. Men and women, which you've seen in reports, have been beaten, whipped, shot, killed. And within the government contractor community, the HKIA gates are known right now at the gauntlet.

I can tell you this, even the British military, who have been wildly more successful than the U.S. and bringing their SIVs and own citizens through the gates, are now at a standstill, according to our reports on the ground.

SCIUTTO: That is a remarkable and alarming development. You're saying no access to the airport for these people right now, Kelley?

DECONSILIIS: That is correct. There is no access as of right now. I also did receive a report about two minutes ago that the aircraft fuel is also running low on the military side. So this may affect the pace of the evacuations moving forward.

SCIUTTO: Goodness. That is sad news to hear.

Leslie Schweitzer, I want to speak to you. You founded what is a remarkable institution in Afghanistan, a university for women. Right now, there were some 600 female students that you wanted to help get out because they are under threat there from the Taliban. You were able to get out about 50. What happens now? What threat do these women face now there? We hear of the Taliban going door-to-door, marking doors with red spray paint to identify them as students.

LESLIE SCHWEITZER, PRESIDENT AND CHAIR, FRIENDS OF AMERICAN UNIVERSIT OF AGHANISTAN: Thank you, Jim, and thank you for having me on. Let me just make one correction. I have been involved in the university for about 15 years but it was really Mrs. Laura Bush that is responsible initially for founding the university and it is co-ed. It is the only not-for-profit, private, non-sectarian co-ed university in the history of Afghanistan.

And today, actually, marks the 15th anniversary of a complex terrorist attack that we had on campus that killed seven students and a total of 15 people. So I don't think we thought at that time that our moment could become darker but it is today. I spent time yesterday, I'm in Doha, with some of our students that we've been able to evacuate and it was a fascinating experience to talk to these, all of these girls. One of them said, I only left Afghanistan with my passport and some afghan soil. And she said to me, she said, I miss my family, it was a terribly difficult thing to leave But I need to continue my education. And then she told me that she wanted to write a book and she wanted to go back and be president (ph) of the country.

So, this is a kind of courage that we're dealing with. These students have had to have courage to belong to the university from day one.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

SCHWEITZER: As American University of Afghanistan, a co-ed university, they've been brave from day one.

SCIUTTO: No question, a co-ed university and Taliban taking particular attention to the female students, something they don't believe in.

The Taliban, as you know, Kelley, has given U.S. forces until the end of the month to leave the country. It is a week away. The president has an important decision today. Is that enough time to evacuate the thousands in that country that still want to leave?

DECONSILIIS: So, it is a question that I push back on when people say, do we need more time?

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Yes, of course, we need more time to get as many people out. But I think the question that we need to be asking is -- or even pushing is we need to change the paradigm of currently what is going on outside the gates. As of right now, you have the 82nd airborne inside of the gates. We really need them to be able to come out and secure at least one gate, even if it is for one owe two hours every day to allow safe passage for these people to come in.

I mean, you truly cannot get through from a mile out. There are multiple checkpoints. Within the community, we are trying our best and using maps to tell people where to go. But it is such a precarious situation right now. It is extremely difficult to do.

SCIUTTO: I'm hearing from others as well that they can't get, even secure convoys to the airport. They've been turned away.

Leslie, you're university was an example of progress in education. Your university you helped work for, for women, for men too, an open education. Is all that progress now lost with the Taliban now taking over?

SCHWEITZER: Would you like to think not, Jim. Our intent is to continue this university. I will tell you that the Qatar ambassador has been a hero to us in Kabul, helping us to get our students out of the country. We will continue these efforts to get our students out of the country. Education City will be the hub of our new university as we develop satellite campuses at the American University in (INAUDIBLE) and in Kurdistan, the American University of Central Asia and other locations.

This university will not close. We are continuing. And our hub will be Doha. We will be involved with Education City. Our students will be able to continue attend the American University of Afghanistan, but also they hold classes at Georgetown and Northwestern and Carnegie Mellon. So, we will continue.

SCIUTTO: Kelley, that is, of course, for the lucky ones who get out, who can get out. But there are many who aren't getting out. And it's alarming when you and I have spoken about how real the risk is to them to convey to our viewers the urgency of this need. Tell us what may await students who are left behind.

DECONSILIIS: Sure. So I think something that the narrative that we hear a lot right now in the news is the Taliban going door-to-door. But I don't know if the public truly appreciates what exactly that means. So the Taliban is using everything, from night vision goggles, to sniper rifles and armored vehicles supplied by us through the streets of Kabul looking for those who worked with or supported the view of the west. So as you can imagine, anyone that is worked as an Afghan National Security Force, like you said earlier on program, they mark their homes with spray cans to label the occupants who are family members. I have heard horrifying reports of young women having their head scarves pulled off, their hair set on fire, raped, killed or they become property of the Taliban.

So as you can imagine, Jim, young female students from American University absolutely, unequivocally qualify for this most vulnerable status. We need to get them out of this country.

SCIUTTO: Young women as property of the Taliban, goodness. Listen, Kelley DeConsiliis, Leslie Schweitzer, we know you have tremendous work to do here. We hope you get the help that you need. And thank you for coming on this morning.

DECONISILLIS: Thank you, Jim.

SCHWEITZER: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Well, this morning, a developing story, we learned that the president -- the vice president, Harris, her travel delegation from Singapore was delayed because of what they're describing as a possible anomalous health incident.

CNN's Natasha Bertrand is here to explain what that means. This is about concerns about a potential attack on Americans?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. So, U.S. officials don't exactly know what the anomalous health incidents actually are, whether they're attacks or whether they're kind of the incidental symptoms that people are experiencing because of some kind of, you know, spying by foreign adversaries.

SCIUTTO: This is the Havana syndrome?

BERTRAND: This is the Havana syndrome, right. So, this is something that's been affecting hundreds of diplomats globally, U.S. diplomats globally for a number of years now. And their symptoms range from the worst, which is things like traumatic brain injury, to vertigo, to nausea to -- so, sometimes the symptoms can be so debilitating, it forces career government officials to actually retire. And, again, the U.S. government doesn't know what is causing these incidents.

The best guess that they have right now, which they have not been able to confirm yet, is that it is some kind of directed energy device that perhaps a foreign adversary is directing at CIA officials, at diplomats globally.

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But, again, as I mentioned, it could also be that these foreign adversaries are trying to collect intelligence and are pointing devices at these officials that then have these weird side effects.

So, at this point, we don't know why the vice president actually decided to delay her trip to Vietnam. Whether this was perhaps like a member of her advanced team or someone at the embassy who reported these symptoms, details are kind of scarce but it is significant that they decided that this was serious enough to delay this.

SCIUTTO: We'll see, and I know you'll stay on top of what happens next. Natasha Bertrand, thanks very much.

Still do to come this hour, President Biden's agenda, legislative agenda, in jeopardy, as we speak. Can Nancy Pelosi break the stalemate within her own party with moderate Democrats in the House? We're going to discuss after the break.

Plus school kids and the coronavirus, could it get worse? A medical expert from one of the nation's hot spots weighs?

And New York has a new governor, but the state's challenges remain the same. What is the top priority for Kathy Hochul?

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SCIUTTO: Progress on the Hill, sources are telling CNN now that House Democratic leaders and moderates are close to a deal after clashing last night over the last several days over infrastructure, the budget resolution, when they vote on what.

CNN's Melanie Zanona is on Capitol Hill to break down the details. All right, moderates, I spoke to one of them yesterday on the air, they want the infrastructure vote first, they've been insisting on it. Progressives tied to the larger budget resolution. Is there a meeting of the minds? Is there is a way to make both of these sides happy that you're learning about?

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Yes. Well, after a tense standoff in the House last night between moderates and Democratic leadership, CNN has just learned that House Democrats are now closing in on a deal that would allow them to move forward on both the bipartisan infrastructure bill as well as that budget blueprint that will set the stage for a massive reconciliation package that includes so much of Biden's economic agenda. Speaker Pelosi telling House Democrats in a caucus meeting this morning that they are, quote, close to landing the plane, not quite there yet, though.

What we're learning about this emerging deal is that it would have three main elements. Number one, it would include a guaranteed passage of September 27th for that bipartisan infrastructure deal. Number two, it would deem and pass the budget resolution this week. So, essentially, that means wrapping up a procedural and a final passage vote all into one. And number three, it would also include nonbinding sense of Congress language to sort of spell out the entire procedural process, which, of course, has been a source of the tension and drama in the caucus.

So, things are moving in the right direction. This is certainly a good sign. It is not quite finalized and we are still waiting to hear reaction from the progressive wing of the party. But, look, all of this underscores just how fragile the Democratic majority is and just how complicated this process has been.

SCIUTTO: Tension and drama in the caucus, that could be a Netflix series. Melanie Zanona, thanks so much.

ZANONA: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: All right. So, what is happening? Joining me now, Democratic Congresswoman Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, she's the assistant speaker, serves on Appropriations Committee, I'm sure knows the details of what's going on inside. Congresswoman, thanks so much for taking the time this morning.

You heard my colleague there outline a potential deal here. Is that accurate, in your view, and are you close?

REP. KATHERINE CLARK (D-MA): Well, thanks, Jim. It is good to be with you. And, yes, we are close. Negotiations are ongoing. We are trying to address all of the concerns that members have with process. But I can tell you what gives me great confidence, is that every member I have spoken to is committed to the build back better agenda. We know that this is our moment for transformational change to put working families at the center of our economy. And that is exactly, with President Biden's help, we are going to do.

SCIUTTO: Okay.

CLARK: So, we will be back on the floor shortly. I am confident that we are going to be able to address the concerns of process because we understand what is at stake.

SCIUTTO: Okay.

CLARK: And it means building an inclusive economy.

SCIUTTO: So, if true, there is a vote then on the infrastructure, bipartisan infrastructure deal by September 27th. That gives the moderates what they wanted, that they wanted that vote first. What did the progressives get in terms of commitment on the broader agenda, because there is disagreement in the caucus over the size and scope of that?

CLARK: You know, what we have always said is that we are not going to leave women and working families behind. This is a yes-and situation. Yes, celebrate the bipartisan infrastructure bill but it is the foundation. We also need to make sure that as we are looking at a 33- year low of women participating in the workforce, that we are looking at that and doing everything we can to establish universal pre-K, expand childcare, make sure families have access to (INAUDIBLE) and home care, these are critical pieces of the build back better agenda. And we're going to bring them together because we know that this comprehensive transformational change.

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This is our opportunity. The American people elected us because they want to see action.

The process issues are going to resolve themselves. But what we're going to do is bring this change to the American people and quickly.

SCIUTTO: Well on that bigger plan though, as you know, it is not just process, right? I mean, there are fundamental public disagreements over the price tag. I mean, $3.5 trillion actually, by a lot of accounts, underestimates the actually cost when you run it through CBO estimates here, perhaps higher than 4 trillion. Not only do you have nine House Democrats who say that is too high, you have Joe Manchin, of course, you need his vote in the Senate to get this stuff through too, who says it's too high.

Are you, is the leadership, are progressives willing to deal on the size and the cost of this to bring that number down?

CLARK: Listen, we are going to look at the size of this and how we pay for it. And we have very strong proposals to pay for it by making our tax code fair, making it work for working families. Far too often it has worked only for the very wealthy and for corporations. We are saying it is time that we put forward a package that is paid for and that makes sure that we are building back better with a more inclusive economy. That is our commitment, our pact with the American people, and that is what we're going to do.

SCIUTTO: Okay.

CLARK: But today, beginning of that process, today, we are going to pass a budget resolution and we are going to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to make sure that we are doing both things, protecting our democracy, making sure every American has that right to vote, and making sure that every American can participate fully in our economy.

SCIUTTO: Okay.

CLARK: To be able to work and make those investments in climate change and in our working families that Americans are demanding.

SCIUTTO: I get those priorities, but you mentioned taxes. That is another issue of disagreement within the Democratic caucus. That has been an issue for Representative Gottheimer and others. Are you, as the leadership and crucially are the progressives, because you need their votes, willing to negotiate on tax hikes in that broader deal to pay for it? Is that a red line issue?

CLARK: Listen, Jim, we are, first and foremost, legislators. So, yes, we are going to negotiate. This is a starting line. But I tell you what is not negotiable, is that we don't act at this moment. This pandemic has exposed and exacerbated challenges of American people, the challenge of women and women of color in participating fully and getting paid a decent wage that they could raise a family on.

We see the American people and the challenges they face and we're going to meet them. And we are going to do it by making the system work for them. That is our commitment to the American people. That is what we're going to do.

SCIUTTO: Well, folks, you heard it there first from the deputy speaker that they're close to making a deal on this. Congresswoman Katherine Clark, thanks so much for joining us.

CLARK: Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Well, as COVID-19 forces students news quarantine or to go virtual, the pressure is on to make the vaccine available for those under 12 years old. Dr. Anthony Fauci said that could happen by Christmas. Is that the earliest? More on the timeline ahead.

But, first, here is what else to watch today.

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