Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Biden Still Deciding Over Extending August 31 Deadline; FDA Fully Approves Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine; G7 Leaders To Press Biden To Delay Troop Withdrawal. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired August 24, 2021 - 02:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:00:11]
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hi, welcome to CNN. I'm Robyn Curnow live in Atlanta. So ahead on the show, the evacuations continue in Afghanistan but not enough people are leaving each day to meet the U.S. President's August 31st deadline. And Joe Biden is considering whether to push that date back. Also renewed hope and getting more people vaccinated as U.S. regulators give their first full approval to a COVID vaccine.
But is it enough to sway the millions who are hesitant? Plus, Israel starts offering Pfizer booster shots amid a spike in cases there with growing calls for another lockdown.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Robyn Curnow.
CURNOW: Good to see you. Thanks for joining me this hour. So Joe Biden is facing a crucial, crucial decision whether to extend the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan past August the 31st. Members of the G7 including Britain, France and Germany are expected to press for an extension during a virtual meeting in the hours ahead. They say coalition partners have a moral obligation to the thousands of Afghans who helped them during the war.
But about 6500 people, mostly Afghans remain at Kabul Airport. And a source close to the situation says those holding Special Immigrant Visas are now permitted onto the base, although the gates are still closed.
Meanwhile, the military is advising the White House that they need to know before the end of the day if they supposed to leave the country. And the Taliban are warning there'll be consequences if those U.S. forces are not gone by next week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: We are well aware of the stated desire to buy the Taliban to have this mission completed by the 31st of August, I will tell you that we too are still planning on completing it by the 31st of August. That is the mission that were been signed by the commander-in-chief assigned to us and that's what we're trying to execute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: I want to go now live to Doha, Qatar. And CNN International Security Editor Nick Paton Walsh. Nick, hi. I mean, obviously, this is a numbers game, can you get all those people, you know, in the days allotted to the Pentagon? What do we know about how many people are still on the ground and need to get out? Do we even know?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We don't know how many needs to get out. And that is the extraordinary facts that I'm sure U.S. officials are having to wrestle with. We do know how many people are on the airport. And it is dramatically lower than when I spoke to you 24 hours ago with 20,000. We now believe there are 6500 people on the airport. That's a lot less.
And the vast majority of those are it seems Afghans who may have gained access through a sort of unofficial route being used by Afghan Security Forces to essentially help their colleagues. Overnight I understand 300-plus American citizens got on to the airport. That we now know from hearing Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby, that's most likely because they have been gone to -- have been got by U.S. troops at some point.
No more details on how those operations work. And a slight change appears to have happened as well. I understand according to a source close to the airport familiar with the situation there that SIV applicants, Special Immigrant Visa applicants are essentially allied Afghans who President Joe Biden has said that they want to help. They can now be allowed on to the base and processed at the discretion of staff there.
And also to -- can people who present a clear and credible connection to the U.S. government, but the gates of the airport are still closed. So essentially this change in policy, the policy yesterday being American citizens and NATO citizens only, the change now to SIV applicants or holders are allowed to be permitted on is in effect not massively significant because you have as an SIV applicant to find a way onto the airport that doesn't involve going through the gate.
So Robyn, essentially the question now is how many more of the potentially thousands of SIV applicants do they actually wants to get on to the airport. In the limited timeframe that they have. It's clear from yesterday's airlift that their capacity is extraordinary when they want it to be over 10,000 people moved in 24 hours. That is absolutely remarkable and valiant work by the U.S. airmen and those on the base there.
Do they want to repeat that? Well, they can't it seems today because they've only got 6500 physically on the airport. And so the question essentially is, where do the remaining numbers come from? One particular group it's important not to lose sight of are the locally employed U.S. embassy staff.
[02:05:05] WALSH: That's Afghans who sort of sat next to U.S. diplomats over years as they help them out in their jobs in the embassy. They could number as many as 4000. If you add in their family members and they're all either SIV holders, SIV eligible, they're still out there. And as I understand now, there's planning to get them, but it hasn't been executed. So that's maybe where the remaining numbers come from.
But it sounds like the possibility of replicating yesterday's extraordinary airlift numbers is limited by the fact there aren't enough people on the airport. Robyn?
CURNOW: OK. Thanks for that update there. Nick Paton Walsh live in Doha. So the pace of evacuations is ramping up as Nick referred to there, but that may not ease the criticism of the Biden administration's handling of this crisis. Phil Mattingly reports now. Phil?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE SULLIVAN, UNITED STATES NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: A massive military d Diplomatic Security humanitarian undertaking.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With approval ratings dropping in chaos on the ground showing no signs of a vetting President Biden pressing forward on an urgent effort to extract thousands from Afghanistan.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: His focus right now is on taking the steps and making the decisions that he feels are in the interest of our national security and the American people.
MATTINGLY: A critical moment in a foreign policy crisis that is tested the mettle of Biden's team. But while officials make clear Americans broadly support Biden's withdrawal decision.
PASKI: Certainly we understand that people are seeing chaotic photos. But he continues to believe that this was a decision that only the commander-in-chief to make -- is able to make and one had to make her own long term national security interests.
The views on what is transpired the last 10 days are far less kind, with only 25 percent of those surveyed approving of his handling of Afghanistan, according to an NBC poll. And 44 percent saying the actual withdrawal has gone "very badly" according to a CBS YouGov survey. Yet each day has brought significant new progress and scaling up the tumultuous evacuation of Americans and Afghan refugees.
SULLLIVAN: This is an enormous logistical, Diplomatic Security humanitarian undertaking. There is no other country in the world who could pull something like this off bar none.
MATTINGLY: Still, the White House now pressed about why efforts were launched earlier.
SULLLIVAN: Supporters of the Afghan government in Afghanistan, including many of the people who want to come out now said that doing so would trigger a complete crisis of confidence in the government. As it turns out, not taking out the -- not doing that evacuation didn't exactly save the Afghan government. We acknowledge that.
MATTINGLY: And whether the U.S. will need to extend its August 31st withdrawal deadline. Even amid Taliban threats of repercussion.
SULLIVAN: He is taking this day by day and will make his determinations as we go. Ultimately, it will be the President's decision how this proceeds, no one else.
MATTINGLY: All his sources say leaders from America's closest allies plan to press Biden to do just that. And go further and G7 meetings scheduled for Tuesday morning.
SULLIVAN: All I'm going to say is that the President continues to consult with the Prime Minister and our other allies on how this evacuation should proceed from here and he'll ultimately make the determination.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY: And White House officials say they are very clear, they are still in constant consultations with the Taliban regarding potential pathways to the Hamid Karzai Airport, potential pathways for Americans for other third party actors, for Afghans to get to the airport to be processed and leave the country. But it is those consultations, those negotiations to some degree that are very much in question.
Because of that August 31. deadline, it's putting a lot of pressure on the President not just from G7 allies, but from across the globe as they try and figure out next steps. Keep in mind, the military can't just pull the plug on something in a 24-hour period. They will need days to wind down and there are only days left until that deadline is a significant decision for a president, particularly as the U.S. has ramped up flights out of the country departures from the country over the course of the last several days.
They expect that pace to continue perhaps even grow in the days ahead. But real questions about how long that pace can be maintained. So long is that August 31st deadline sits. Phil Mattingly, CNN, the White House.
CURNOW: I want to talk now with CNN Military Analyst Colonel Cedric Leighton. Good to see you sir. So, looking --
CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good to see you too, Robyn.
CURNOW: Hi. It's been a while. And I do want to get your take, your expertise on what we're seeing on the ground, particularly Kabul Airport from a military perspective, what kind of a mess is it?
LEIGHTON: It's quite a mess. It's basically chaos. Now it's ordered chaos. A, you know, what you're looking at is an attempt by the military to impose a degree of order on what is really a, you know, very chaotic situation. And what the military has done is they've basically taken elements of a, you know, good supply chain management in essence and put processes in place so that they can actually process people to -- through the gates and then onto the airplanes and then onto further destinations.
[02:10:07]
LEIGHTON: That's an essence what's happening but it, you know, from the outside, it does look incredibly chaotic, particularly because there is so much mayhem on the area or just outside of the airport gates that people are trying to enter. And that's a real problem. It's very difficult for the military to control that. And of course, the Taliban is doing their part to ensure that there's the degree of chaos and in some cases, violence in those areas. So it's a very tenuous situation.
CURNOW: One American security analysts described all of what we're seeing on the ground in Kabul right now is a three-ring goat rodeo. Now, I know that is not a military term, but it really is an indictment perhaps on the (INAUDIBLE) now. This is -- this is not a pretty sight, an exit strategy. Surely that's military planning 101. Why was that not in place?
LEIGHTON: Well, I think one of the big problems was that the exit strategy that should have been in place was never put in place. A lot of people had a -- let's call it wishful thinking that the Ghani government was going to stay in power for a lot longer than it did, that they would control the access points to the airport and that this would be a relatively permissive environment.
But what we're doing here is an operation that's in a non-permissive environment. The fact that it isn't a non-permissive environment makes it look like a three ring goat rodeo because what it is an attempt to impose a type of order on a situation that is a very chaotic, that did not need to be this this chaotic and this fluid.
CURNOW: Now, it says essentially, there wasn't an effective exit strategy based on various scenarios that would possibly there. With that in mind then, is this clear indication that the Taliban won? There is that that saying that the Taliban has the time, the Americans had the watchers, and they just waited, this was inevitable. And also from an operational perspective, the military with the biggest firepower has not held out here.
It's a scrappy guerrilla, local groups that have over time coalesced to create what we're seeing now.
LEIGHTON: Well, yes, that's -- that is true in the sense that the big power of the United States in this particular case, I came in, we did take care of the Taliban back in 2001. But that, of course, was 20 years ago. And what we didn't do was maintain pressure on the Taliban. We thought that we could train the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police to do the job for us. And for a while they were doing a relatively adequate job in that area.
But there were a lot of issues with the Afghan military and the Afghan police, there was, you know, as everybody is talking about the corruption and all the other different aspects of lack of leadership and the lack of a coherent strategy on their part, that created problems and also the political issues trickled down into the military aspect of it as well. The U.S. military was effective when it a had a very specific mission to go after.
But when the mission became more amorphous, when it became less direct, less specific, that's when things started to unravel. And the U.S. military is very good at taking care of specific tasks and specific goals that it needs to achieve. But when it comes to the more amorphous areas, such as nation building and the long term kinds of relationships in an environment like Afghanistan, that's where things begin to fall apart because we really didn't have the staying power that was needed in order to keep that kind of a mission alive.
Where did we have the political vote, quite frankly, and the two of them go together?
CURNOW: As you well know, airpower, you know, is critical in situations like this. Do you think that was the end of the end when we -- when airpower was pulled as well as contractors who could perhaps service a lot -- a lot of these weapons -- these weapons that were given to the Afghan army? How critical would it have been to create some sort of at least parallel channel to maintain some sort of airpower and servicing ability with contractors and the U.S. withdraw -- and the U.S. could withdraw. Was that -- was that a clear mistake not doing that?
LEIGHTON: think when we look at it from an after action perspective, I think that the answer will probably be yes. You know what we know so far is that, you know, when contractors and the whole logistical chain for aircraft maintenance was in essence pulled from Afghanistan that then created a major problem.
[02:15:13]
LEIGHTON: Because the one big advantage that the Afghan National Army and the Afghan police had was airpower, the helicopters, especially that they had put some of the fixed wing aircraft that they had as well. But what they didn't get a, you know, from us was their own version of a supply chain, their own version of the maintenance capability. And those kinds of things go and when, you know, quite frankly, the weapon systems are hard to maintain, then it becomes much more difficult to keep them flying.
And you can have all the pilots in the world, you can have the bravest pilots in the world. But that doesn't matter when you don't have weapons such as helicopters, such as fixed-wing aircraft that can actually fly and put bombs on target. And when that happened, that was in essence the end of the Afghan National Army.
CURNOW: Colonel Cedric Leighton, really good to speak to you. Thanks so much for bringing us all your expertise. Have a good day.
LEIGHTON: You too. Thanks, Robyn.
CURNOW: Still to come here at CNN, the U.S. now has its first fully approved COVID vaccine and the vaccine proponents say the millions of Americans who are still skeptical of a shot are now out of excuses.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: Welcome back. It's 18 minutes past the hour. I'm Robyn Curnow. So the U.S. now has its first COVID vaccine, fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration. And health experts are hoping this will sway the millions of Americans still hesitant about getting the shot. Here's Elizabeth Cohen.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval for the first time to the maker of a COVID-19 vaccine. It's for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. And let's take a look at what difference it might make that now this vaccine doesn't just have emergency approval, they actually have full approval from the FDA. The hope is that full approvals are not just emergency authorization anymore, but actual full approval, like other drugs will make a difference and some unvaccinated people will say now I feel more confident. I'm going to roll up my sleeves and take a shot.
Also full approval legally allows Pfizer to market and to advertise this vaccine and pharmaceutical companies are good at doing that advertising drugs and vaccines. Also, the hope is is that more employers, more restaurants will feel comfortable requiring the vaccine now that it does have full approval and when there's more mandates, more requirements that more people will get vaccinated.
Now let's take a look at who in the United States has not yet gotten even a single shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. When you look at folks in the U.S. who are eligible for a vaccine, that's anyone ages 12 and older, about 82 million people have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine.
[02:20:10]
COHEN: That's 29 percent of the eligible population. And to be clear, COVID-19 vaccines in the United States are not only free, they're everywhere. They're very, very easy to find. So the hope is, is that now that Pfizer has full approval that more people will roll up their sleeves. Back to you.
CURNOW: Thanks so much. So after Monday's announcement by the FDA, President Joe Biden quickly urged business leaders in the public and the private sector to begin mandating the shop saying it's time for reluctant Americans to get vaccinated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you're one of the millions of Americans who said that they will not get the shot, when it's until has full and final approval of the FDA. It has now happened. The moment you've been waiting for is here, it's time for you to go get your vaccination and get it today, today.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CURNOW: So in the past month, eight -- in the past eight months, we have had more than 200 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been administered across the United States under this emergency use authorization and now health experts are saying the vaccine safety and efficacy really can't be questioned. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. STEPHEN HAHN, FORMER U.S. FDA COMMISSIONER: For those who've been waiting for this full approval, that this is the impetus for them to get vaccinated. We have clear evidence of the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is undergone full approval and full vetting by the gold standard, the US FDA.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Just how much the FDA approval will sway the vaccine skeptics depends on who you ask. Back in June, the Kaiser Family Foundation survey broke it down into groups of those who said they wanted the vaccine as soon as possible. The vast majority said they'd be more likely to get the shot of the after the FDA's approval. But that number drops to around half among those waiting to see how the vaccine would work.
Even less for those who said they'd only get the shot if force and only eight percent for those who said they were totally opposed to the vaccine.
Now despite those poll results, CNN has spoken recently to a number of hardcore anti-vaxxers and they're still not convinced.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you got your vaccine, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nope. Don't want it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No? Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They didn't test it enough for my opinion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. The Pfizer shots is about to get full FDA approval, would that change your opinion on it at all?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not until they do a whole lot more investigating and knowing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing's going in me until the end.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. Do you think that would take a long time?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About 10 years or so.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not getting that vaccine. No, no, no, no, no. The vaccines are not good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Dr. Scott Miscovich is a family physician and national consultant for COVID testing. It comes to us from Hawaii. As a doctor, I mean, what do you make of those comments, particularly after you've heard about the rigorous approval process the Pfizer vaccine has gone through now?
DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, FAMILY PHYSICIAN: Robyn, you know, it makes it all in the health field to shake our heads, especially those of us on the front lines. And I have teams of people on the front lines and my colleagues in the hospitals, as we watch people die unnecessarily. And now we're seeing this massive growth between the ages of children on up in their 20s and 30s and 40s. That shouldn't be dying then you would really, really think what are they thinking of.
I, you know, the education has to be brought that this is killing people who don't even have health risks. And it's the only thing that there is to save us right now.
CURNOW: But do you think that some people will be flipped that the skeptics and the waivers are going to go yes, now I'm getting the shot? How optimistic do you think President Biden, for example is?
MISCOVICH: Well, I do think there will be a small percentage. I've said this before, this is not going to be a massive jump. I believe, you know, one of the polls showed that maybe up to 20, or 30 percent of the people, 33 percent of the people will start considering it. But I do think there's the other factor we're seeing, which is the areas that we have the skeptics in the southern United States and some other areas in the Midwest and mountain region.
Combining that with the surge in the death. We are seeing some upticks in the amount of vaccines that are given because people are starting to realize that they have friends that are dying. And again, I've said this before, we now have one degree of separation in the United States where someone either know someone who has died or someone who has been seriously hospitalized. I think that's almost more important than the -- than the approval right now.
CURNOW: And the mandates, what's the -- as a doctor, I mean, what's the practical reality of that that you know that businesses public or private can actually say, you can't come in or you can't do this unless you're vaccinated? Do you think that's going make a difference?
[02:25:14]
MISCOVICH: Well, it made a big difference in France, we know that. And countries who have instituted it has made a difference. So, you know, the United States is a little bit different. People are in that attitude that they're privileged, and they deserve things. And do I think it's going to make a big difference? No, I don't think it's going to make a huge difference. Now, I do think that the mandate, it will come out now from numerous businesses, governments, large employers, health insurers. People are probably going to assume face increased health premiums, if they don't get vaccinated. So, I think there's probably going to be a bigger push in our vaccination rate from the -- now freedom of people to push and say you have to get it or else versus just people feeling more comfortable.
CURNOW: How bad is the situation in your hospitals right now, particularly with the Delta -- the Delta variant?
MISCOVICH: Oh, it's devastating right now, you know, I'm calling -- I'm talking to you from Hawaii, we have tents set up on the grounds of our hospitals, we're having the largest surge we've ever had. We're in a crisis phase here, right now, across the United States. If you look through the southern United States, we have ICUs that are full. The thing that is just so disheartening to us.
And it shouldn't be that every parent is the massive surge in pediatric admissions, you know, with the number of children now on ventilators and intensive cares. That is something that is devastating. And I'm concerned now as school is being put back for in- person learning. That's not a good environment. So, on the front lines, my colleagues, we are just so -- you're hurt, you're almost numb, but yet, you can't stop working, whether it's a 12 or 18-hour shift.
CURNOW: With that feeling, I mean, I just can't imagine what it's like also, if you having to also care for somebody who has said they don't want the vaccine. How much compassion fatigue is there with doctors? You're human after all. I know that one doctor I spoke to actually admitted saying their bedside manner had not been really good. Putting that nicely towards people who are not vaccinated and were in hospital. Is this -- is this something that you wrestling with on a moral basis as well?
MISCOVICH: I think we're human. I think the medical community is human. And I do believe it's happening. I know, just this weekend, I was reading that in Dallas they're been discussing the fact that they might look at saying, if you're vaccinated, you might be able to get an intensive care bed versus an unvaccinated. Now, they said, it's because you have a higher chance of recovery and those types of things have to be natural.
Here's another thing, Robyn, when you're in this type of setting, you look at these people, and you're just watching them die because basically, a lot of these people are on ventilators for four weeks, five weeks, six weeks, and you just watch them fading away. And you're helpless, because we do have some tools but we don't have a lot of tools to help people survive. And you know what that's like, as a health professional, when you're caring for someone, and you have that instinct, and you watch them and you know that they're going to die.
That is psychologically such a strain on individuals, and it's happening across the country.
CURNOW: What's it like telling families particularly families who are unvaccinated? MISCOVICH: You know, the thing that --
CURNOW: (INAUDIBLE)
MISCOVICH: Yes. The thing that is really challenging is that when you have someone with a bad pneumonia, or you have someone with some type of infection, you have this training, and you have this degree of knowing you have so many arrows in your quiver, and so many tools to help make a difference. But then you'll get these people that are coming in, they're really healthy. And then you just watch them go through this cascade, and you have this helpless feeling.
And you talk to the family. And everybody's going like why, how can that be? They're so healthy. That's what this disease does. It has also this degree of unpredictability. And it's impossible. It's impossible not to feel emotionally. Just so burned out by this.
CURNOW: I can't imagine. Thank you for sharing with us. Thanks for all the work you and your colleagues are doing. I mean, you guys are heroes and just beyond everything. Thank you, Dr. Scott Miscovich. Really appreciate it. I'm going to let you go and hopefully get some sleep.
MISCOVICH: Thank you, Robyn. Have a good night.
CURNOW: You too.
[02:30:01]
CURNOW: At So still ahead on CNN, the race to leave Afghanistan, huge crowds visible in the satellite images. We have new information on who has been allowed into the airport.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to face pressure to extend the withdrawal deadline in Afghanistan when he meets virtually with G7 leaders in the coming hours. According to one official, the commander-in-chief is being pressed by the military to decide by Tuesday whether he will keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond the August 31st deadline. Those troops are currently deployed as security at Kabul's airport. There has been a significant increase in the number of flights but about 6 and a half thousand people, mostly Afghans, are still inside the airport waiting to leave right now.
Now, a picture is worth 1,000 words as we all know. And these photos of troops helping Afghans flee to safety speaks volumes. Families and children leaving behind their lives they knew in fear of the Taliban and praying they won't not be left behind. Here is Sam Kiley.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): One of four Afghan soldiers wounded in a firefight after an unknown sniper killed a comrade who was guarding Kabul's Airport. The attack followed warnings that ISIS posed a threat to the evacuation of thousands of foreigners and Afghans from the capital.
JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The threat is real, it is acute, it is persistent, and it is something that we are focused on with every tool in our arsenal.
KILEY (voiceover): The reopening of the gates to the airport is likely to depend on how long U.S. and coalition forces can stay on to run evacuations. President Biden has said troops would remain until all Americans are out. But the Taliban has told CNN that U.S. troops would have to leave by August the 31st and no extension.
The urgency for evacuation is driven home by these, letters with the Taliban seal sent to the brother of an interpreter who work for U.S. forces. Apparently, from a Taliban court, they demand first that he present himself, and when he failed to do, delivered him a death sentence all in the last three months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their life was in danger.
KILEY (voiceover): This Afghan American is a sergeant in the 8second Airborne. Originally, from Kabul. He was an interpreter for U.S. forces nine years before enlisting. His family was also threatened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We received two letters, threatening letters, that's why we're just moving out from the -- we moved two locations.
KILEY (voiceover): His family was evacuated this week in a process where the high point is when safety comes from a white wristband. It's a plane ticket already given to more than 38,000 people in a massive airlift, one during which there have been no American deaths but the window for more flights to freedom for foreigners and Afghans is fast closing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:35:00]
CURNOW: That was CNN Sam Kiley reporting there from Kabul.
Well, Anna Coren has covered Afghanistan for many years. And recently, she returned from Kabul. She joins us now from Hong Kong.
Hi, Anna. Good to see you.
So, the fate of tens of thousands of Afghans now rests with the U.S. decision, U.S. president needing to make a crucial decision in the next day or so on whether he's going to extend that airlift or will he even can.
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Even if he can, that's a really good point, Robyn. Because even if the will is there, obviously, by the Americans, we know this pressure from the Brits and the Germans and the French to extend that deadline possibly, to September 11th. We don't know if the Taliban will allow it.
Obviously, we heard from the Taliban spokesperson yesterday who said that any extension beyond the 31st of August would be a clear violation and that there will be consequences. We know that the Taliban is tightening its grip around Kabul. People are living in fear. People are not leaving their homes. You know, they are prepared not to go to the airport and risk it in case to come into contact with the Taliban. The threat is very real despite the Taliban saying there is general amnesty.
The Americans now saying that only U.S. citizens, only those with green cards will now be allowed in. What about all those Afghans, all those Afghan interpreters who have been issued with special immigrant visas? Those SIV visas. They are not allowed in. And you mentioned the numbers on the airport, 6 and a half thousand. That is down drastically from the 20,000 yesterday, which clearly indicates that they are moving people out.
They could move those 6 and a half thousand in one day, if we go off the math that the Pentagon is giving us. But does that mean that they will then reopen the gates, allowing Afghan SIV holders into the airport or does it signal that the operation within the airport will now begin to wind down? I mean, just moving those 5 and a half, 5,800 U.S. troops on the base, let alone the other foreign troops, the Afghan soldiers that we saw in Sam's piece, I mean, you have to move all these people, and that 31st of August deadline is fast approaching.
CURNOW: Yes. And the equipment as well. Anna Coren, thank you so much for that. Good to speak to you. Thanks so much.
So, it's cautious optimism, but optimism nonetheless. Israel's COVID booster shots appear to be working. Coming up, there early data and the hope that it's inspiring.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:40:00]
CURNOW: So, COVID-19 has killed more than 4 million people since the pandemic began. And the case numbers have soared above 200 million. Those global numbers coming from Johns Hopkins University. Now, some places are battling resurgence outbreaks due to the more transmissible Delta variant.
Now, the country, as you see here, in dark shades of red are dealing with these climbing infections. And Israel maybe turning the tide against the COVID Delta variant. Early evidence suggesting its policy of offering a booster, a third vaccine dose essentially, is having an impact. I want to go to straight to Jerusalem. Elliott Gotkine joins me now.
What more can you tell us about the way Israel is rolling this out? Particularly because the country has been ahead when it comes to vaccines.
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Robyn. Israel met the world with the first two doses of the vaccine, and now, it's trying to do the same with the third dose. And the reason for that is that, as you say, the more transmissible Delta variant has been raging throughout Israel. According to local media reports, there were, in fact, almost 10,000 cases over the past 24 hours, which is close to the highest that there has ever been in Israel since pandemic began.
But as you say, there is some encouraging data coming out after the introduction of the third dose since it was approved on August 1st. Initially, for over 60s. And since then, to over 40s. So, first of all, there is the so-called R number, the kind of the infection coefficient, how many people one infected person is infecting? And that rate has been declining since the first rollout of the third dose from 1.36 to 1.19. If it goes below one, then that means that each person is infecting fewer than one person and then the outbreak begins to decline.
In addition to that, there was a study carried out by MacCabi Health Care, this is one of the big HMOs, one of the big health care providers in Israel, it found that the vaccine, the third dose of the vaccine meant that for patients who had -- for people that had had it for seven days or more, they were -- that it was 86 percent effective against the virus. And, you know, quite categorically, the leader of that study, Dr. Anat Ekka Zohar, said the triple dose is the solution to curving the current infection outbreak. So, that's the good news.
The bad news is, as I say, we are still seeing rising case numbers. In fact, Israel is very close to hitting the 1 million a mark. 1 million people out of a population of just 9 million having been infected with COVID-19. In addition to that, as we head into September, we're going to see the reopening of the school system. We're also going to be seeing the Jewish holidays, Jewish new year on the like, when traditionally families and friends get together. So, there are concerns that this outbreak could continue.
The other key figure to be keeping an eye on is the number of serious cases. This is of course what puts pressure on the health care system. That is also declining. There were 15 fewer serious cases over the past 24 hours than there were the day before. So, if that keeps declining and the RRA (ph) keeps declining, then there is, together, some cautious optimism that this third dose of the vaccine will be helping Israel get over this COVID-19 outbreak. This latest wave. Robyn.
CURNOW: Good to have a little bit of good news. Thank you so much. Good to see you, Elliott.
So, thanks for watching CNN. I'm Robin Curnow. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and on Instagram @ROBYNCURNOWCNN. There it is on your screen right now. I'm going to hand you over to the rest of the team. See you same time, same place, next time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:45:00]
PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there. Welcome to CNN World Sport this Tuesday. Where we are now just hours away from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics official opening ceremony. The Japanese Capital becoming the first city to stage two Paralympics twice having also hosted in 1964 and so much to look forward to as well over the next couple of weeks. Almost 540 events scheduled across 22 sports at 21 different venues.
So, let's cross now to CNN's Blake Essig in Tokyo for us.
Blake, set the scene for us over there. The opening ceremony just hours away. What's the mood like?
BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, Patrick, in just a few hours, the Paralympic flame will be lit inside the National Stadium right there behind me making Tokyo the first city to host the games twice, the first time being back in 1964.
Now, compared to the somewhat festive like atmosphere that we experienced around the Olympics a few weeks ago, there's clearly not quite that level of excitement surrounding these Olympic Games. Though I will tell you right now, the blue (INAUDIBLE) flight demonstration -- Fighter Jet Demonstration Squad is about to perform and that has brought some people out to the streets. That will take place in about 20 minutes. But it is still early. And for some people who are here, this event has special meaning. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I hope the Paralympics serves as a catalyst to show that we are all equal. I hope that feeling of diversity and equality is instilled in Japan.
ESSIG: Of course, health and safety was always the story throughout the Olympics and will continue to be the story throughout the Paralympics. Here in the capitol, COVID-19 infections continue to absolutely skyrocket. In fact, cases are at least three times higher than when the Olympic Games started about a month ago.
In just last week, Tokyo's governor called a situation a disaster level emergency, currently only 41 percent of Japan's population is fully vaccinated. And medical professional say that the recent surge in cases has put the medical system under immense pressure. Well, there's no question that the movement of people has increased as a result of the Olympics, organizers maintain that there is no connection between the games and the rising cases in Tokyo.
At this time, 19 prefectures including Tokyo are under a full or quasi state of emergency through mid-September. And as a result on the ongoing emergencies, orders in the prefectures that are holding their Paralympic competition no general spectators are allowed to attend any of the events here, Patrick.
SNELL: All right. Blake, we're going to leave it there. Many thanks for joining us and setting the scene for us today from Japan. We do appreciate it. Well, you can be sure of one thing, we will indeed be seeing plenty of very powerful inspiring storylines at these Paralympics. Beatrice de Lavalette's life journey, one of the triumphs of tragedy, the Team USA (INAUDIBLE) equestrian was caught up in the Brussels Airport terrorist attack back in 2016, which resulted in the loss of her lower legs. Well, she's been speaking to him CNN 's Amanda Davis about that fateful day and how riding has helped heal some of those wounds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEATRICE DE LAVALETTE, PARALYMPIC ATHLETE, EQUESTRIAN: It was just a regular travel day. I got to the airport, did the self-check-in, went to do the baggage drop off. The next thing I see is that everything is going really dark and I remember the feeling of being lifted off the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: We are covering a series of deadly explosions rocking Brussels. Two blasts at the airport --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eyewitnesses described to us some horrifying scenes.
DE LAVALETTE: A lot of chaos. A lot of smoke and fire and darkness. At first, I couldn't hear anything, but I could see a little bit of what was going on. As time went on and I was able to start hearing, I could hear start hearing other people screaming for help. And then I remember them saying, oh, there's one over here.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT (voiceover): Beatrice de Lavalette was just 17 years old when she was heading home from Belgium to see her family when four suicide bombers blew themselves up in Brussels in multiple attacks at the airport and train station, killing 32.
DE LAVALETTE: I was standing right next to the first bomber of the airport when the bombs went off. Because of that, I lost my legs and I have a spinal cord injury. And I think that I wouldn't be the person that I am today without the events that happened that day.
DAVIES (on camera): Have you ever seen the footage back? Have you watched it back?
DE LAVALETTE: Yes, I did. I watched it with my parents about a year after the accident. For me, it was really important to see it because I didn't realize just how close I was actually to the bomber. For me to see myself literally stepping right next to the guy and then moments later, the bomb going off was a bit of a realization about how lucky I really am.
[02:50:00]
DAVIES: If you had a message to him right now, what would it be?
DE LAVALETTE: You are not stopping my life. But it was not easy. For about three weeks to a month after coming out of a coma, I was just crying every day. Thank God I had my family there to support me and be with me and help me realize that my life wasn't over. Knowing that I was going to be able to continue living my life in a positive way helped me a lot when I was in the hospital.
DAVIES (voiceover): De Lavalette credits her family and some dark humor and her horses for where she is today. Horses have been part of her life since childhood.
DE LAVALETTE: The connection that you have with the horse, just that bond that you create, I think, for me is probably my favorite.
DAVIES (on camera): At what point did you decide to get back on a horse?
DE LAVALETTE: As fast as I could.
DAVIES: And what was it like the first time you got back on the horse?
DE LAVALETTE: Really uncomfortable actually. I had no muscle. I was just skin and bone. So, being back on the saddle with no sense of violence was really uncomfortable. I had to learn how to ride completely all over again because I was -- my body was so different than prior to the accident. So, for me, it was just readjusting completely my whole way of riding and what I had learned my whole way of life.
DAVIES (voiceover): From competing in her first Para equestrian show in April, 2017, just 11 months after the bombing, De Lavalette is now preparing to represent Team USA at the Paralympics.
DAVIES (on camera): What is the moment at the Paralympics that you picture in your head? Is it pulling on the tracksuit?
DE LAVALETTE: Getting on the middle podium for sure.
DAVIES: Are you in the top step?
DE LAVALETTE: Yes, I am.
DAVIES: Have you allowed yourself to think about that moment and what it would feel like?
DE LAVALETTE: Yes. I mean, through the past five years that's what's kept me going the most is knowing that I'm going to be at the top of the podium and be able to represent my country.
DAVIES: What would that mean to you?
DE LAVALETTE: It'll probably make me cry but it's going to mean everything. It's just such a special moment, just to be able to represent the country and then to do well enough to make the podium is going to be incredible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: It really is such an incredible and courageous story, isn't it? A very powerful and poignant words. And our thanks go out to Beatrice there for her time.
World Sport will be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SNELL: Welcome back.
West Ham United, now one of five teams in English Premier League with back-to-back wins at a start of a new campaign. And a special piece of history for one Hammer star. Not to mention one truly epic dance celebration. A sweeping move from the host here seeing the Spanish player, Pablo Fornals, tucking the ball away superbly for the opening goal of the match against (INAUDIBLE) Leicester City.
Then it was the Michail Antonio's show, how you would strike 10 minutes from time for 3-1 West Ham, his 48 top flight goal for the (INAUDIBLE). Seeing him surpass the Italian great, Paolo Di Canio's top record. And look at the celebration. What's he doing there? Lifting up a cardboard cutout of himself and then sealing it with a kiss.
[02:55:00]
Seems reminiscent of the iconic dirty dancing movie perhaps? Well, hold that though. Minutes later, he grabs another, number 49, 4-1, West Ham, the final. Now, about that celebration, Michail, explain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAIL ANTONIO, WEST HAM FORWARD: I've not been celebrating of late because PRA (ph). You know, I'm making history. I've got to make it through especially winning. I started off doing celebrations, so I've got to finish it with celebrations. Did any of you get what celebration it was, by the way?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what I asked.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go on then. Come on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fill us in.
ANTONIO: Now, we ought to get what you forgive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You haven't had a kiss for a while?
ANTONIO: Save the last dance. You don't remember, the lift from the end, save the last dance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: One of the last great moments already of this new season or did he mean another movie, maybe? Well, Antonio tweeting later just to clarify, score the goal, make history, nail a celebration, get the film name wrong in the interview. Baby, forgive me. #dirtydancingforlife. Let's get on now to the top play of Italian football where (INAUDIBLE) Milan opening up with victory at Sampdoria. Just the one goal in this one. I have to say, it made an awful defending. It will be the Spanish youngster, Brahim Diaz, taking full advantage, (INAUDIBLE) shot finding the back of the net, poor goalkeeping too, isn't it? But they all count don't they, 1-0 Rosanar (ph).
American golfer, Tony Finau, celebrating his biggest career victory at the FedEx Cup Playoff event. This is the Northern Trust Open after a final round that had to be delayed until Monday there in Jersey City due to Tropical Storm Henri.
Finau having to hold off top rank, Jon Rahm, well at a two-shot lead at the turn but a bogey at 15, derailing his chances. The Spaniard finishing up alone in third. In the end, it came down to a playoff between Finau and Australian, Cameron Smith, both players finishing at 20 under. Smith's wild drive though on the first extra hole and that effectively ended his chances. The 31-year-old Finau who once told me he used to practice on a mattress in his garage in his home state of Utah, keeping his cool, snapping his windless draught that had stretched back to 2016. His first victory in 143 starts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY FINAU, NORTHERN TRUST WINNER: I couldn't be more happier. It's been a long time I feel like coming. But, you know, miracles come to those who wait. And this is definitely one of those.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: They certainly do. And a hearty congratulations to him as well.
For our teams in Tokyo, right here in Atlanta, thanks for joining us this Tuesday. Stay with CNN. Thanks for watching, and take care. Bye for now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
