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Biden Vows Revenge for 13 Troops Killed: "We Will Hunt You Down"; Ida Now a Hurricane, Mandatory Evacuations Along Gulf Coast; Judge Blocks Florida Governor's Ban on Mask Mandates; Krish O'Mara Vignaraja, President & CEO, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, Discusses Continued Evacuations of Afghans after 13 U.S. Servicemembers Killed; White House Press Briefing. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired August 27, 2021 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:33:20]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: President Biden has sent a message to the terrorists responsible for the gruesome attack yesterday: We will hunt you down and make you pay.

I want to bring in CNN military analyst, retired Army Major General James "Spider" Marks.

General Marks, President Biden said he ordered plans to strike targets at the time and place of the U.S.'s choosing.

How is that possible with no U.S. forces on the ground in Afghanistan, or at least how difficult does it become?

MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's difficult on multiple levels. Understand, most of our intelligence capability has been withdrawn.

Bear in mind, we have -- it's the job of the CIA, the job of military intelligence capabilities, and especially our joint Special Operations capabilities, their intelligence, unique intelligence gathering capabilities, it's to maintain networks as best you can and to stay on top of that.

As a result of the efforts that have been in place in country for years, we've probably maintained some of that presence in country.

It is a difficult task. But we do have Special Operations, capabilities in order to go after some very precise targets.

What we need to bear in mind is that simply going after one or two targets looks very much like a tit-for-tat, a symmetric type of response. I would hope that the military advice going back to the president is,

let's do this, asymmetrically. Let's do it when we choose to do it. And let's relentlessly pursue ISIS-K as we roll up targets. Let's generate more intelligence and let's react on the intelligence, roll up more targets so we have this cascading effect.

[13:35:05]

I hope it isn't one strike and now we feel like the score has been settled. I am saying, with this military leadership, it won't provide that as a recommendation.

COOPER: The -- given that August 31st is the deadline, what do you -- what are you going to be watching for in the next couple days in terms of numbers of people being evacuated?

And at what point do the evacuations stop as the U.S. forces have to have a roll out to evacuate themselves?

MARKS: Very true. First of all, let me state up front, the 8/31 deadline is immensely arbitrary. Our mission set is to complete the mission. We've got the capabilities in country where we could do that.

Now, having said that, that's Mark's view of the world. Let's push that aside.

Over the course of the next several days, you will have to have a what's known as a retrograde operation where the existing military forces that have been securing the airport, those 5,000-plus troops, those Marines and airborne troopers from the 82nd, they will have to come out, they'll have to come out with their equipment.

Simultaneously, we will maintain the process of getting Am-Cits, American citizens, and those designated by the State Department, those Afghan nationals designated by the State Department to be extracted.

We will not, the United States will not suddenly rush this process through. That just increases an already risky situation.

I think we have a process in place. That muscle now has some memory to it. That will continue.

But we'll also see Special Operations -- there will be things we don't see. There will be some Special Operations activities that will remain over the horizon in terms of going after ISIS-K.

Those are really of three things. How do we get the Am-Cits and the U.S. military? And how do we get the Afghans out? And then what is the Special Forces? What are they doing to go after some of the targets?

COOPER: General James "Spider" Marks, I appreciate it. Thank you very much.

MARKS: Thank you.

COOPER: Coming up next, Ida now a hurricane. Mandatory evacuations posted along the gulf coast. The latest on its path and the potential impact.

We're also waiting for the White House briefing, which we expect to be just in a few minutes. We'll have it all right after this.

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[13:42:08]

COOPER: Ida is now a hurricane. A mandatory evacuation order is being posted along the U.S. gulf coast.

That includes parts of New Orleans, where the mayor says all residents outside the city's protective levy system should move to higher ground. She's also issued a voluntary evacuation for the rest of New Orleans.

We want to check in with CNN meteorologist, Allison Chinchar. She's tracking Ida from the Weather Center.

What's the latest on the storm?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Right, let's look. The hurricane hunters were investigating the storm. That's how we know it's hurricane strength, because of the measurements they took.

Sustained winds now 75 miles per hour. Moving to the northwest at about 15 miles per hour.

Again, it needs to get past Cuba, back over the very warm open water. And that's when we really anticipate this storm to really begin to strengthen even more.

Because of the anticipated landfall, this is where we have our hurricane watches in pink. The yellow indicating a tropical storm watch.

Again, you even got some of the hurricane warnings and even tropical storm warnings across the western portion of Cuba.

Here's a look. Once it gets back out into the Gulf of Mexico, again, that's where we anticipate seeing this strengthen, perhaps doing a rapid intensification, meaning in a very short period of time.

As of this point in time, the National Hurricane Center does anticipate this getting up to category 3 strength. That would make it a major hurricane.

The unfortunate part is it's expected to stay a category three up until its landfall, which, again, at this point, likely to be over Louisiana, maybe just to the west of New Orleans. But those finer details could change.

It could even potentially be stronger. Again, knowing what type of very warm water this is going to go through over the next couple days, the big concerns become storm surge. Again, Anderson, you're talking seven to 11 feet in the purple color.

On the outskirts of that, four to seven feet. And also very gusty winds. So power outages and trees coming down is likely with this storm.

COOPER: Allison Chinchar, appreciate it. Thanks very much.

We turn now to breaking pandemic news out of Florida where a judge has blocked Governor Ron DeSantis' order banning mask mandates, saying that he overstepped his authority.

CNN's Leyla Santiago is live in Miami with more.

Leyla, what else did the judge say?

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, this judge is saying that Governor Ron DeSantis overreached, does not have the authority for a blanket ban on those type of mask mandates.

I want to read to you -- I just got a statement from the governor's office. Here's what they are saying.

Quote, "It is not surprising that Judge Cooper would rule against parents' rights and their ability to make the best educational and medical decisions for their family but, instead, rule in favor of elected politicians. This ruling was made with incoherent justifications not based in science and facts. Frankly, not even remotely focused on the merits of the case presented."

Interesting, that the governor went back to the science and facts here. At least, his office did.

[13:45:01]

Because the judge today in the ruling spent a good chunk of time essentially tearing apart the research that Governor DeSantis routinely mentioned as facts in press conferences, even in his executive order, so where the executive order that banned the mask mandates without an opt out.

Where does that leave the districts? Right now, you have 10 districts that have mask mandates without parental opt outs. I spoke with a few of them. They're celebrating the judge's ruling.

And also interestingly enough, just minutes after this ruling came down, some of these districts are now receiving, for the first time, letters from the Department of Education saying that they are in violation of the law and could have salaries withheld -- Anderson?

COOPER: Leyla Santiago, appreciate it. Thank you.

The Pentagon standing by Tuesday's deadline in Kabul, saying evacuations will end on the 31st. We're awaiting the White House briefing on Afghanistan. I'll talk next to a group of people racing to get people out of Kabul.

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[13:51:02]

COOPER: The race to evacuate and resettle Afghan refugees is growing more desperate. That August 31st deadline approaching quickly, obviously. And the threat of more potential attacks looming over all of it.

With me now is Krish O'Mara Vignaraja, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services. She's also a former policy director in the Obama White House.

Krish, thank you for being with us.

So Lutheran Immigration Service, for weeks, has been specifically focusing on helping Afghans who worked for the U.S. military during the war to get out of the Kabul.

Do you know if the people you have directly been in contact with were harmed in any way in yesterday's attacks?

KRISH O'MARA VIGNARAJA, PRESIDENT & CEO, LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICES: Yes, thus far, we have no any indications that those people have been affected.

COOPER: Can you give us a sense of how many people you have been able help so far to get out and how many you are still trying to help?

VIGNARAJA: I can tell you, every day, we are hearing desperate pleas obviously getting more and more terrified.

Our allies that we heard from on the ground in the last couple days are expressing deep concerns about how the Taliban are going door to door looking for American collaborators.

We are in communication with women pleading for help because they are afraid to be forcibly married off to the Taliban militants and that they're having threat against them.

One woman that worked for the U.S. embassy that we've been in touch with, she has kids in harm's way. The Taliban believe that her son and daughter are American informants and they have been repeatedly hunted down.

Even in the last several weeks, just the son was actually shot. On another occasion, the Taliban burned their house, while they were still in it. So understandably, they're terrified of what comes next.

We are doing everything we can to coordinate with our partners in the government to get those on the evacuation list and into the airport.

And while we have been successful in some cases, the truth is that there are so many cases where they are being turned away.

And we know that history won't judge us for how many people we get out of Kabul but also on how many will be left behind. COOPER: The president said yesterday that getting everybody out can't

be guaranteed. Obviously -- I mean, many of the people you talk about are not necessarily people who -- I don't know.

Are all the people -- you are talking about people who had -- were already in the visa process or worked for the United States or are they Afghans who are understandably concerned and scared about the Taliban?

VIGNARAJA: Yes. So there's a divide. A significant number are people that qualified for the special immigrant visas.

They served as interpreters, translators, drivers, embassy security guards and they have been in the process. So it was a little bit easier to get them into the airport and onto evacuation flights.

But there are a significant number of people who we were working with, gender rights activists, journalists, academics, other civil society leaders who it has been more difficult to get them on flights. Some have made it.

COOPER: Krish, I appreciate all you're doing. And we'll continue checking in with you.

I need to go to the White House, though, for the briefing that's just taking place.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: -- a single-day total shots since July 3rd, which is a good sign.

So far, in August, we have gotten 12.5 million first shots into arms. That's already two million more first shots than in all of July, with several days still left to go to add to that total.

Importantly, we have now hit a milestone in our effort to vaccinate adolescents at a particularly important time as people go back to school. And 50 percent of 12 to 17-year-olds now have at least their first shot. Obviously, we have more work to do but a positive step forward.

Also wanted to note that today the Department of Health and Human Services secretary, Xavier Becerra, announced $85 million in funding to improve mental health services for our nation's children and youth.

Which is a priority for the Biden/Harris administration, as a part of our push to get kids back to school safety and address the impact of the pandemic on them.

[13:55:02]

Specifically, he announced the Health Resources and Services Administration is making 24 awards, totaling $10.7 million in funds from the president's American Rescue Plan, to expand pediatric mental health care access by integrating telehealth services.

For example, actions like technical assistance for pediatric care providers to diagnose, treat and refer children and youth with mental health conditions and substance use disorders.

And this will also -- this Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is also granting 29 awards, totaling $74.1 million, to mental health services for school-aged youth.

So as an example of that, Project AWARE, which stands for Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education, will use its funding to help raise awareness of mental health issues for young people and train school personnel.

Also wanted to note that today we are announcing that President Biden has directed the Department of Homeland Security to serve as the lead federal agency coordinating across the federal government to relocate evacuated Afghans to the United States.

Already, DHS has been working closely with agencies across the government, including our military, diplomats, Intelligence Community and law enforcement professionals and many others to ensure that all Afghans are screened and vetted prior to being allowed into the United States.

Additionally, all evacuees will continue to undergo extensive COVID-19 and public health precautions, including immediate COVID-19 testing, and offered vaccines upon arrival.

DHS will also coordinate with numerous other federal agencies to ensure that relocated Afghans have access to medical care and sufficient support to enable their successful resettlement in the United States.

The president is grateful for the critical role the dedicated workforces across the federal government, including our military servicemen and women, diplomates, our intelligence and law enforcement professionals and many others are implementing this effort.

Finally, this afternoon, the president and FEMA administrator, Deanne Criswell, will host a call with the governors of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi to discuss ongoing preparations for Tropical Storm Ida, which is expected to make landfall on the gulf coast as a major hurricane on Sunday.

As some of you may know, Sunday is the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which caused widespread devastation, claimed more than 1,800 lives and displaced so many families.

The FEMA administrator was in Louisiana yesterday. She met with the governor, Governor Bel Edwards, and the state emergency management director to discuss how they're mobilizing to prepare for what could be a very dangerous storm hitting a region that has been heavily impacted by the Delta variant.

And the president will be closely tracking this and receive updates through the course of the weekend.

(INAUDIBLE) UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You put out a statement not too long or a week out there, had sober language in it about the president. His national security adviser saying the impact is likely. I know you're limited but is there more specificity to offer on what that threat is?

And secondly, what does it mean for the evacuation? Does the intel in any way and also changes that need to be made limit or restrict the ability to continue or get as much done with the mission through August 31st?

PSAKI: Sure. Many of you may have seen the statement I put out this morning but just to highlight the reference, I believe you were making, what I conveyed in the statement was that the national security team the president met with this morning advised the president and vice president that another terror attack in Kabul is likely.

And they are taking maximum force protection measures at the Kabul airport and its surrounding areas with our forces as a result.

I will note that the Department of Defense also just gave a briefing this morning and I will echo some of the descriptions that they offered.

The threat is ongoing and its active. Our troops are still in danger. That continues to be the case every day that they are there.

This is the most dangerous part of the mission. This is the retrograde period of the mission.

And what means is that this is the period of time when the military, commanders on the ground and forces, begin to move not just troops home but also equipment home.

And that's often a very dangerous part of any mission. But in this case, also doing that while there's an ongoing and acute threat from ISIS-K. So that is what they are facing.

I would note, since you gave me the opportunity, that the military made clear to the president that they are committed to continuing this mission to getting -- to saving lives, to evacuating more people from the country over the coming days and completing their mission by the 31st.

What it will also mean, as they move to this retrograde phase, is that there will be a reduction of numbers over the next couple of days.

[13:59:58]

And we've been putting those numbers out to all of you twice a day so you can see how that -- how we are evacuating people out of the country. Those numbers will go down in the next couple of days and you should anticipate that.