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Several Hundred U.S. Troops Have Already Departed Afghanistan; Airlift Picks Up Pace as U.S. Pullout Deadline Nears; Taliban Not Allowing Evacuation of Afghans Anymore; U.S. House Approves $3.5 Trillion Budget Resolution; CDC Study: Vaccines 66 Percent Effective Against Delta Variant; Mask Disputes Escalate as Children Return to School; U.S. Vice President Harris Meets Vietnamese Leaders. Aired 4- 4:30a ET
Aired August 25, 2021 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM --
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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are currently on a pace to finish by August 31.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To protect these most vulnerable is clearly a matter for global cooperation.
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CHURCH: Deadline confirmed, President Biden says the U.S. military will exit Afghanistan by the end of the month. While the Taliban are warning Afghans not to leave.
A big win for U.S. House Democrats as they push forward with the president's economic agenda.
And devastating losses, CNN speaks to residents of a small town in Tennessee destroyed by flash flooding.
Good to have you with us. Well, U.S. troops have only six more days left in Afghanistan after the nearly 20-year mission there draws to a close. And the Pentagon confirms several hundred American forces have already left the country. But tens of thousands of Afghan citizens who helped the U.S. during the war may be left behind. More than 70,000 people have been evacuated in the past ten days and about 5,000 more are at the airport waiting for flights out.
And we just got new video of the scene outside the airport from earlier today, and you can see huge crowds of people hoping to get inside as U.S. forces try to keep them out. But U.S. President Joe Biden says he won't keep troops there past the August 31 deadline.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BIDEN: Every day we're on the ground is another day we know that ISIS- K is seeking to target the airport in attack both U.S. and allied forces and innocent civilians. Additionally, thus far the Taliban have been taking steps to work with us so we can get our people out. But it is a tenuous situation. We already had there gunfighting breakout. We run a serious risk of it breaking down as time goes on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: About 4,000 American passport holders and their families have been evacuated and the State Department says it's contacted others. President Biden has asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken for a detailed report on how many Americans remain in Afghanistan.
And President Biden may be sticking to that August 31 deadline, but other G7 leaders and EU partners are calling for the U.S. to leave troops in Afghanistan until September 11th. They are also calling on the Taliban to allow safe passage for all those wishing to leave the country after months end.
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BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Number one condition we're setting as G7 is that they've got to guarantee right way through August 31st and beyond a safe passage for those who want to come out. Now some of them will say that they don't accept that and some I hope will see the sense of that because the G7 has very considerable leverage, economic, diplomatic and political.
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CHURCH: In the meantime, the Taliban are not allowing the evacuation of anymore Afghan citizens and they are blocking them from the road to the airport. A spokesman for the militant group says Afghans should return to their homes and won't face reprisals.
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ZABIULLAH MUJAHID, TALIBAN SPOKESMAN through translator): Unfortunately, the Americans are continuing their previous policy. We call on the Americans to change their policy. They should not encourage people to go to the airport or to leave the country. We've got ingenious doctors, engineers, academics. They are talented people. They are talented cadres of this country. They should not leave this country. They should work in their own specialist areas. They should not go to other countries, to those western countries where they will be working as laborers.
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CHURCH: The World Bank's financial support for Afghanistan is now on hold over doubts the Taliban will follow through on women's rights and other it's another financial blow to a country which relies heavily on foreign aid. Journalist Atika Shubert is standing live at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
[04:05:00]
But we're going to begin with CNN's Anna Coren. So, Anna, as evacuations ramp up in Kabul ahead of that looming August 31 deadline, it looks like those remaining Afghan allies are going to be left behind. What is the latest on all of this situation?
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary, we keep saying the window is closing. From what I'm hearing the window has closed at least for the Afghan allies, those being the people who worked for the United States, for organizations, you know, sponsored by the United States, let alone the Afghan interpreters who worked for the U.S. military.
There are tens of thousands of people, Rosemary, who want to leave Afghanistan. You know, I am receiving messages from just a handful of those people, particularly women, some who worked for an organization sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul who said we thought we could get an SIV. We were told we could get an SIV and that clearly has not happened because of the rapid pace at which the country has fallen. She is pleading for help. Asking, how do I get, you know, my family out of Afghanistan? And this is the message, Rosemary, that I received in the last 20 minutes.
She said, we fear that they will start searching houses to find people like us. I don't ever feel safe at home. Windows are closed, the doors are locked. We are dying at home gradually.
You know, these are people who are terrified for their lives. The only thing that they can now to is either wait hoping that their companies might be able to come up with some sort of evacuation plan. But as we know 31st of August is less than a week away.
The priority for the Americans is to get U.S. citizens out as well as those troops. We know there is probably 5,500 rooms left on the base. Several hundred flew out yesterday. We know there are other coalition forces at the airport helping with those evacuations. We know there are Afghan forces who have also been helping, you know, secure the perimeter of that airport who haven't surrendered to the Taliban. The commandos who are there. So, there are not just those 5 1/2 thousand Americans who have to leave, but thousands of others, plus the equipment. So, the attention will now turn from evacuations to a drawdown so that they can meet that August 31 deadline -- Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yes, it is a nightmare scenario. And Atika, you are at the other end of these evacuation flights at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Where there have been a number of challenges of course with so many people arriving there. How are things looking today?
ATIKA SHUBERT, JOURNALIST: Yes, I mean at least what we're starting to see now are these evacuation flights that bring evacuees from Ramstein Air Base to the U.S. We've seen about four or five yesterday and overnight. Several hundred people have gone. The problem is, is that really a bottleneck considering that thousands have arrived here at the Ramstein Air Base.
So, we've got about 7,000 people that are now living in a rapidly constructed tent city inside the air base. And it's very basic conditions there. You know, robust tents, but still tents, nonetheless. There are some portable toilets but no real showers. There's a washing area. There are three hot meals served a day. But for many of the evacuees, they don't want to be there, they want to be in the United States and many have been there for several days now. So, they are quite tired, they are frustrated.
But at least what we're seeing now is those evacuation flights bringing them to the U.S. and the speed of those flights should ramp up especially now that commercial carriers are getting involved in this. We've seen Delta Airlines take off yesterday. Other charter flights will also be involved -- Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right, let's hope that that can move along smoothly. Anna Coren, and Atika Shubert many thanks to you both for joining us, appreciate it.
Well, as thousands of people flee the Taliban's control in Afghanistan, experts warn of a massive humanitarian crisis. The World Food Program says up to 14 million Afghans could face starvation as early as next month. And the U.N. Refugee Agency estimates 270,000 people have been forced to leave their homes this year bringing the number of displaced in the country to 3.5 million. The U.N. Human Rights Council says it's gravely concerned about human rights abuses by all parties and is calling for a transparent and prompt investigation.
Evacuees have been seeing the humanitarian crisis firsthand. Earlier CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke with Afghan American Salma Kazemi, who was in Kabul visiting family when the Taliban took over. And she was able to leave the country with her mother and is back in the United States. She described the chaos outside Kabul's airport.
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SALMA KAZEMI, AMERICAN WHO JUST RETURNED FROM AFGHANISTAN: Once we got closer to there, we got out of the car and we went up to pass the Taliban, so they actually had stopped us. Once they stopped us, they took a look at my mom's passport and like they saw that we were Americans and they actually let us through.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And then what happened? KAZEMI: We kept walking upwards, and like when we got to the top, you just see a whole crowd of people pushing and like pushing and pulling each other, and like all we could think about is like, is this what we're going to have to go through? Maybe if we tell them that we're citizens, we might be able to go around all these people but no, we had to fight just as much.
Some people had no paperwork. Some people were from Germany and Turkey. We were all in the same mess and there were kids just crying. And they're -- sorry, I'm getting emotional. They were just crying and they're like fainting and there are people all bloody and having strokes and it is probably something I would never expect to see.
(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: Some U.S. companies are moving to help people fleeing the Taliban. Verizon is waiving charges for calls to Afghanistan for the next week and a half. Charity arm of Walmart is donating $1 million to three groups giving aid to refugees, immigrants and veterans. And the CEO of Airbnb has pledged free housing for 20,000 Afghan refugees.
Well, still to come, the Democratic leadership in the House breaks a stalemate and pushes forward a $3.5 trillion budget plan. The details from Capitol Hill, next.
Plus, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is in Vietnam. We'll discuss the pledges she is making to leaders there and the gift she promised that will help save lives. We're back in just a moment.
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[04:15:00]
CHURCH: Welcome back everyone.
Well, a key step for House Democrats looking to advance President Joe Biden's economic agenda. On Tuesday they approved a $3.5 trillion budget resolution after reaching a hard-won compromise with House moderates. CNN's Ryan Nobles has the details from Capitol Hill.
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RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is no doubt a big win for the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a little more than 24 hours ago it looked like she didn't have the votes to get that framework for the big $3.5 trillion budget package to be passed. But ten moderates who were holding out demanding that they get a vote on the smaller $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package and saying they weren't going to vote for the bigger package without a vote on the smaller package, they relented.
This after many hours of negotiating between those moderates and the House Speaker. They settled on a deal where Pelosi agreed in writing that she'll bring the bipartisan package up by September 27th in exchange for that group voting for the budget resolution.
Now, that is just the overall framework that begins the process of building out that big $3.5 trillion package. This wasn't easy and it shows just how tenuous the situation is and how even something small could potentially derail the whole process. The House Speaker able to hold things together, keep this dual track plan moving along the rails, but there is still a lot of work to be done before any of this is eventually passed. And then signed into law.
Ryan Nobles, CNN, on Capitol Hill.
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CHURCH: The U.S. House has just barely passed a bill that gives the federal government and racial minorities more power to block or challenge election rules they find discriminatory. But the bill faces strong opposition in the Senate with most Republicans against it. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act was named after the civil rights icon and longtime Georgia Congressman who died last year.
Well, a new study from the U.S. CDC finds COVID vaccines are less effective against the Delta variant but they still reduce the risk by two-thirds. The study is in line with others showing the Delta variant causes mostly minor infections among fully vaccinated people. Vaccines are still highly effective for a protecting against severe cases, hospitalizations and death for all known variants.
Now this comes as vaccinations are on the rise across the United States. The country is averaging more than 800,000 doses given out each day. And while that's an encouraging sign, health care systems remain under immense pressure. Here in Georgia the governor is deploying more than 100 National Guard members to assist hospitals. In Arkansas all the ICU beds are lotted for COVID patients are full and they make up nearly half of all ICU patients. Meanwhile Mississippi set a new record for COVID-related fatalities. Dr. Anthony Fauci is pleading for unvaccinated people to do their part to help end the pandemic as quickly as possible.
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DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I would like to appeal to this country to the people in the country who are not vaccinated to realize that we have the capability among ourselves to essentially cut down the time frame to getting the end of this pandemic very, very clearly by just listening to everything you've heard on this press conference. Get vaccinated and the time frame will be truncated dramatically.
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CHURCH: Well, daily coronavirus death rates are at a record high in Florida. The state accounted for about one in five COVID deaths reported in the U.S. last week. That's according to Johns Hopkins University. To slow the spread among the young, more school districts are defying governor Ron DeSantis' ban on mask mandates. At least eight school districts are moving forward with requiring face coverings. And the governor's effort to block them appears to be growing more unpopular.
[04:20:00]
A new poll found 60 percent of Florida residents support requiring students, teachers and staff to wear masks in schools. But many parents are still highly opposed and making their voices heard. CNN's Randi Kaye has more on the escalating mask wars.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think that we're just going to give this up, but we're not.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In Lake County, Florida, tempers flared over mask mandates. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want them to wear masks. It's my kid, it's my choice, my freedom.
KAYE (voice over): Hundreds on both sides of the issue turned out to protest even though masks are still optional in this district. The issue wasn't even on the school board's agenda. But that didn't stop parents from speaking out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really feel as though the only way you're going to get control is to close it down for a month.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my god.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm talking. Shut up.
KAYE (voice-over): In Jacksonville, Florida, more anger over masks.
TESS PERRY, PARENT AGAINST MASK MANDATE: Your job is to educate my child. That means reading writing, math, a game of dodge ball at PE would be great but not a mask. Not a medical decision, is not your decision to put a medical device on my child.
TIFFANY WOODY, PARENT FAVORING MASK MANDATE: It seems like a no brainer. A universal mask mandate is the minimum that we can do to keep our children safe.
KAYE (voice-over): After heated debate, the Duval County School Board voted in favor of a 90-day mask mandate for all students. Only those with a note from a licensed healthcare provider can opt out.
In Northern California, the mask debate prompted a 49-year-old father to allegedly assaulted teacher in his child's school. He's now charged with three misdemeanors.
TONIE GIBSON, SUPERINTENDENT, AMADOR COUNTY UNITED SCHOOL DISTRICT: There's a part of me that's not surprised and there's a part of me that just completely shocked. But to everyone's defense, I just think, you know, emotions are really high right now.
KAYE (voice-over): It happened at Sutter Creek Elementary on the first day of school. The district has a mask mandate but parents can opt out with a doctor's note. In Williamson County, Tennessee outside Nashville parents clashed at a recent protest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know who you are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know who you are. We know who you are. You can leave freely.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one should ever be allowed to talk up again. KAYE (voice-over): It got so heated police stepped in. In the end, the Board of Ed approved a temporary mask requirement.
And in Pinellas County, Florida where masks are still optional, parents sounded off at today's school board meeting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, it's our choice. It's our choice. We want it to be our choice. I don't care if any of these people wear masks. I don't care if their kids wear masks. We're pulling our kids out. We don't want any of these decisions to be made for us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most masks do not cover the face properly to prevent COVID-19 infection -- come on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The speaker to follow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Thank you. You're finished. You are finished. Thank you. Time's up. Let's move on. Next speaker. Don't make me ask -- don't make me ask you to be removed.
KAYE (voice-over): Randi Kaye, CNN, Palm Beach County, Florida.
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CHURCH: Well, as the U.S. grapples with its latest surge, global COVID cases appear to be leveling off. The World Health Organization says more than 4.5 million cases were reported in the last week. About the same as the week before. But while some areas are seeing fewer new infections, others are facing their worst surges yet. In Australia, a growing Delta variant outbreak has sent daily caseloads soaring over the past week. Infections are also climbing in New Zealand, which had largely avoided the devastation seen in other parts of the world.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is in Hanoi at this hour, but her trip there was delayed several hours because of a possible Havana syndrome incident. On her arrival, Harris met with Vietnam's president at the presidential palace in Hanoi and promised to take a strong stand against China's ambitions in the South China Sea. She's also met with the country's Prime Minister where she announced the U.S. is donating to Vietnam an additional 1 million COVID vaccine doses.
Kristie Lu Stout joins me now with the latest on the Vice President's visit. Great to see you, Kristie. So, what more are you learning about this possible Havana syndrome incident that delayed Vice President Harris's flight Vietnam, and what did she say when she got there?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, regarding the Havana syndrome incident, it's all very mysterious. Look, we know that it's an ailment of unknown origin, and symptoms include dizziness, migraines, memory lapses. Hundreds of U.S. officials have been inflicted by the syndrome over the years. It was on Tuesday, there was a three-hour delay in Singapore after the U.S. government said that there was a reported case of this syndrome in Hanoi, but it was not a confirmed case. So, it was decided for the U.S. Vice President and her team to continue with their visit throughout Southeast Asia.
[04:25:00]
Today she has been conducting high level meetings with the leadership in Vietnam, with the President, with the Vice President as well as the Prime Minister. And on the agenda, a whole array of items including climate change, including economic concerns like the global chip shortage and global chip production, as well as security concerns. Top of mind, the South China Sea and China's continued assertions of its sovereignty in that region. Take a listen to this from the U.S. Vice President.
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KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will work closely with Vietnam to uphold the rule based international order, including freedom of navigation, an issue that we take seriously. And including as it relates to the South China Sea. We need to find ways to pressure and raise the pressure frankly on Beijing to abide by the United Nations convention on the law of the sea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT (on camera): Now we have received a response from China and its ministry of foreign affairs to those comments by the U.S. Vice President.
The ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson saying this, quote, China firmly opposes the U.S. of deploying maritime law enforcement forces in the South China Sea, meddling in regional affairs and disturbing regional peace and stability. Unquote.
Also on the agenda this day for Kamala Harris, in Vietnam, is the coronavirus pandemic. The United States announced that it will donate an additional 1 million doses, this time of the Pfizer vaccine, to Vietnam. Also, Harris launched a regional office of the CDC or the Centers for Disease Control, and this is the help that Vietnam really needs right now. Cases are rising, only 1.8 percent of the total population there has been inoculated -- Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yes, they need so many more and of course we have so many in the United States and a third of the population not wanting to take them. It's very frustrating situation. Kristie Lu Stout joining us live from Hong Kong, many thanks.
Well, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is in the U.S. and will meet with President Biden at the White House on Thursday. Mr. Bennett's top goals during his visit are to reaffirm the strong relationship between Israel and the U.S. and to try to seek common ground with the Biden administration on Iran. According to an Israeli official, Mr. Bennett wants to propose a new strategy to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions that doesn't involve a return to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Well, time for evacuations is running out and the Taliban have issued ominous warning. Coming up, the tensions at Kabul's airport with thousands still desperately waiting for a flight out.
Then Afghanistan's former ambassador to the U.S. tells me what scares her the most about the loss of women's rights under the Taliban.
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