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Evacuations Continue After Deadly Suicide Bombings; ISIS-K Claims Responsibility for Deadly Kabul Attack; Biden Slammed Over Handling of Afghanistan Withdrawal; France, U.K. Vow to Continue Evacuations Along with U.S.; 14,500+ Evacuees Pass Through U.S. Air Base in Germany. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired August 27, 2021 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

It is early afternoon in Kabul, Afghanistan and the U.S. continues evacuating at-risk Afghans and U.S. citizens. But many international partners have now ended airlift operations and as we reported just before the break, the U.K. says its rescue effort will end in, quote, a matter of hours. But insists the deadly suicide attack at the airport on Thursday did not hasten the British departure. More than 90 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were killed in the bombings. The group ISIS-K claiming responsibility. U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. is already drawing up plans to strike back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: With regard to finding, tracking down, the ISIS leaders who ordered this, we have some reason to believe we know who they are. Not certain. And we will find ways of our choosing without large military operations to get them.

Wherever they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now the attack comes as U.S. forces race to evacuate Americans and some of the thousands of Afghans who helped them fight the Taliban. Earlier I spoke to CNN military analyst and retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton about the challenges to protecting the airport.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Force protection is actually job one for all deployed commanders in the United States military. And that normally means protection your own force and allied forces. This is a little bit more difficult because you also have a civilian population that you also want to protect. And that is, I think one of the big issues here. Because force protection obviously there are measures in place but they didn't work as they wanted them to as they were intended to. And that makes for a big difference.

I think we have a situation where when a disaster like this occurs, you have to change a lot of practices and you have to change them on the fly. And that becomes a challenge for the deployed commander.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: U.S. military leaders are warning that the deadly suicide bombings outside the Kabul airport are likely just the beginning. CNN's Natasha Bertram joins me now for more on this. What are you hearing about the continued threats and also how they might impact the evacuations as they hopefully proceed along?

NATASHA BERTRAM, CNN REPORTER: Yes, Michael, well we're told that the threats continue, they are persistent, they are acute. U.S. officials are very concerned particularly about ISIS, but also about al Qaeda. However, ISIS Khorasan, that offshoot group of the Islamic state there in Afghanistan, is the top concern at this point.

What we're hearing about the evacuations is that now they are prioritizing U.S. citizens to get out of Kabul airport there. They have pretty much sealed off the gates in light of this terrorist attack. It's very, very difficult. It was even before this attack to get in if you were not an American citizen or green card holder, a permanent resident. So now it's going to become even more difficult for Afghans to get out especially ahead of that Tuesday deadline before all of the U.S. troops withdraw here.

And of course, U.S. officials are very mindful of the fact that every day there is this persistent threat there of a terrorist attack. They have asked the Taliban to extend the perimeter around the airport to make it harder for potential suicide bombers to get up to those checkpoints where they could get into close contact with the civilians, with these U.S. forces on the ground there trying to protect the airport.

But obviously, you know, the Taliban has not been able to thwart every single attack as we saw on Thursday. They have been sharing intelligence, the U.S. has been sharing intelligence with the Taliban and they have said that some attacks there have been thwarted by the militants because they are again very much in conflict with the Islamic state. But some things obviously have slipped through the cracks here and as the U.S. force presence dwindles in Afghanistan, in Kabul, it's going to become increasingly difficult for the U.S. to secure that area around the airport. So a lot remains up in the air.

[04:35:00]

Obviously, this is the number one priority for the president right now is just making sure that American soldiers get home safe, that Americans are evacuated out of Afghanistan, those 1,000 or so that are still there. And drawing down as safely as possible after this devastating attack.

HOLMES: All right, appreciate the update, Natasha, thank you. Natasha Bertram there in Washington for us. And there is more to come on the deadly terror attack in Kabul. How

President Biden's political future might be impacted by all of this. We'll talk to one of the best political minds around.

Also, an American air base in Germany has become a welcome haven for thousands of evacuees who managed to flee safely from Afghanistan. We'll take you there after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: The United Kingdom says its evacuation operation in Afghanistan will end in a matter of hours. Many other of America's international partners have now ended their participation in the airlift, which has helped almost 100,000 people escape. U.S. efforts reportedly continue despite the suicide attacks on Thursday that killed at least 90 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members. The terror group ISIS-K claiming responsibility.

Flags are being lowered to half-staff at the White House and U.S. Capitol in honor of those killed in the Kabul terror attack. They will remain at half-staff until Monday, the eve of the U.S. deadline to formally withdraw from Afghanistan.

Now the carnage, fears of further violence and nagging questions about what could have been done differently have all made for what Joe Biden's aides call the worst day of his young presidency. Now of course, Washington being what it is these days, some Republicans are demanding his resignation saying he has blood on his hands, calling for impeachment some of them.

[04:40:00]

Here is what the White House press secretary had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It's not a day for politics and we would expect that any American, whether they're elected or not, would stand with us in our commitment to going after and fighting and killing those terrorists wherever they live and to honoring the memory of service members. And that's what this day is for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Ron Brownstein joins me now. He's a CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at the "Atlantic." Just before we came to you, we heard Jen Psaki say that it is not a day for politics, but sadly these days it is all about politics. What is the likely political fallout, the political cost, if any, for Joe Biden as a result of what's happened?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: First of all, good to be with you, Michael. Unfortunately, it is such a tragic day for America and these young service members and their families. I don't think this by itself will be a significant long-term political issue for Biden. I think it will obviously have a short-term impact on his political standing, I mean his approval rating was already sinking. And I think this will push it further.

But, you know, in 1983, 20 times as many Americans were killed in the marine barracks bombing in Lebanon and the next year Ronald Reagan won 49 states. I think this becomes a lasting political problem for Biden only if it can become part of a broader narrative that Republicans will try to put together that events are overwhelming him, and that is what to do with COVID, inflation, crime, the border, other issues. If all of those things are still going in the wrong direction for him next year, even as a political problem, if not I think he can surmount this.

HOLMES: Well, I was going to ask you, because given the view of Americans in terms of their support for the broader withdrawal, do you see any likely impact on the 22-election campaign for him?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I do -- look, I think that Biden is at this moment in a kind of split screen presidency. On one screen, he is moving, steadily if, you know, bumpily toward historic legislative achievement. I mean, this Congress, just in that single reconciliation bill that they are moving forward is poised to pass the most significant Democratic legislative agenda since Lyndon Johnson in 1965 and 1966. A massive array of programs that virtually every American will feel in their daily life. From Universal Pre-K to expand of their child tax credits.

On the other hand, on the other screen in the here and now, there are a whole series of trends in daily life that all show Americans are uneasy about, the trends in COVID, inflation, as I mentioned, crime, for Republicans with what's happening at the border and certainly the way the Afghanistan withdrawal has been handled. And I think if all of those things are still seen to be going in the wrong directions next year. Yes, it will be a significant drag on Democrats. But if he gets control of the broader circumstances, particularly COVID and the economy, I think that this particular, you know, a reversal and tragedy will not be a lasting blow.

HOLMES: And meanwhile how do you think Republicans are going to handle what happened politically? When we are already seeing their behaving like there is blood in the water.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Well, look, I mean, I think it is indicative of where we are that you have had Republican senators calling for Biden's resignation because of this. I mean, I don't remember whether there were Democrats who called for George W. Bush's resignation after 9/11, or even during the darkest days of Iraq, much less Democrats to call for Ronald Reagan's resignation after the Marine bombing.

So, it is just a few reflections of where we are politically and I think also, a reminder I think, if Republicans gain control of the Congress in 2022, it is highly likely that they will find a reason to impeach Joe Biden. I mean, sentence versus verdict afterwards. I think they will find a cause to do it and I think the reaction to this is just a reminder that that is one of the likely outcomes if Republicans gain the House in the 2022 election.

HOLMES: Just pay back. BROWNSTEIN: Yes, well, or just because the demand from the base is so overwhelming. I mean, as we have seen. You know, 75 percent of Republicans believe the big lie, that the election was stolen. They view Biden as fundamentally illegitimate. And we see Kevin McCarthy showing no effort to discipline the most extreme voices of his caucus and I think it will be very hard for them to avoid finding some reason to -- even Lindsey Graham, who, you know, is theoretically, you know, someone not at the far militant end of the party was talking about impeaching Biden over this.

So, I think that's just a reflection of where we are politically. He does have to get this under control. I mean, you know, in some ways they seem to be heading for that, with the enormous amount of people they had move out in the past few days.

[04:45:00]

But this is a reminder of just how much exposure and vulnerability both literally for our service members and politically for the president we have each day that we have their presence at the airport in Kabul.

HOLMES: Ron Brownstein, always a pleasure. Thanks so much.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you, Michael.

And we've been monitoring images coming to us from Kabul airport. This is a live image here. What we've been seeing over the last few minutes and a lot of these people have obviously got on board the plane, there was a huge queue behind that C-130 of people climbing on board, getting on board that plane. They appear many of them to have gotten on, there are still some stragglers coming. But just an indication of how many people are airlifted out.

Of course, the worry is that people outside the airport, those even who are entitled to or have the right documents are not getting inside the airport. These are people inside the airport who have been processed and are on their way out of the country. And you can just see a little group there at the end of it. It was a long line a few minutes ago. But the evacuations are continuing.

Still to come here on the program, the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany has become a major transit point for thousands who have gotten out of Afghanistan. The same way those other people are about to. The teams in the air and on the ground making sure that they feel welcome. We'll have a report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did everything we could to make everyone feel comfortable and feel protected and quite frankly loved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right, this plane landed in Frankfurt, Germany just hours ago carrying Afghan refugees fleeing the chaos at home. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says her government is still in negotiations with the Taliban to get more people out of the country. But other nations have wrapped up their evacuation efforts, including Australia, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Denmark and New Zealand. And the U.K., as we've been reporting, says it too will be wrapping up evacuations in a matter of hours.

But France says that it will join the U.S. in seeing evacuations through to the end. The statement coming after President Emmanuel Macron said he could not guarantee success because the security situation in Kabul is progressively getting worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): It is obvious that the tension is increasing greatly. We have all known that risk since the beginning. Considering the confusion in Kabul and the tension have been there since the beginning at the military airport. The next hours will remain extremely dangerous in Kabul and at the airport.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now many people still in Afghanistan of course now living in limbo, uncertain of when or even if they will make it out. But for thousands of evacuees who did make it to safety, got out of the country, the American air base in Ramstein, Germany has become a welcome refuge as they await their journey onward. Atika Shubert is joining me now from Ramstein. What have you been seeing and hearing, Atika? I'm sure there's no shortage of hopeful but at the same time heartbreaking stories.

ATIKA SHUBERT, JOURNALIST: Well, absolutely. It's a mix of emotions. But what we have been witnessing is this incredible transformation of the Ramstein Air Base. There is now a massive tent city literally on the tarmac that houses thousands of evacuees, that is their temporary home, and more are expected to come. And that's why it's so critical to get these commercial carriers, flights bringing these evacuees to the United States. And we were fortunate enough to get into what they call the international airport terminal which is where these evacuees finally take their flight to the United States. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHUBERT (voice-over): Hangar five at Ramstein Air Base has become the gateway to a new life for thousands of Afghan evacuees.

SHUBERT: Now this military airplane hangar has essentially become an international airport terminal and we're standing in what would be the check in area. And the goal is to get as many evacuees as possible onto those commercial planes to the United States.

SHUBERT (voice over): Many are happy to be leaving but also fearful for family left behind. Ahmad Shah Shirzad checks in for his flight with his sister and father.

AHMAD SHAH SHIRZAD, EVACUEE: And they're remain in there my -- I have four sisters and two brothers. I come here with my one sister. Yes, it's very hard to feel this honestly.

SHUBERT (voice over): While the military has handled the evacuation from Kabul, it is the State Department and Homeland Security that are responsible for getting evacuees to the U.S.

ANDREW HALUS, SPOKESPERSON, U.S. CONSULATE FRANKFURT: The military brings them in, and they stay here for a short period of time. And then we bring them out so they can go back to the United States. It has been slow moving, but now we're getting into a process, flights are leaving.

SHUBERT (voice over): Volunteers pack toys, coloring books and snacks into backpacks for the kids before the flight.

JESSICA BLEDSOE, VOLUNTEER: And it doesn't even have to be anything fancy or that makes noise. And they'll go from wailing to content and happy and smiling the rest of the time. It's unbelievable.

SHUBERT (voice over): On the tarmac, the flight arrives, Delta's A350 flagship plane with the entire crew and emotional experience.

JOSHUA MILLER, DELTA FLIGHT ATTENDANT: We saw some of the evacuees standing out by the hangar and I think that's really when it clicked and we were all in like, OK, this is game time. These are people that we are bringing back to the United States to you know, escape.

SHUBERT (voice over): Hope that the normalcy of a commercial flight might provide some measure of comfort after the hasty evacuation.

DANIEL THAMES, DELTA FLIGHT ATTENDANT: We did everything we could to make everyone comfortable and feel protected and quite frankly loved.

SHUBERT (voice over): As the plane is ready for boarding, Ahmad Shah Shirzad and his family weigh their bags all they were able to bring. Then they waved goodbye to board their flight to a new life in America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:55:00]

SHUBERT (on camera): And I just have some new numbers coming in here, more than 4,100 evacuees have departed for the United States on approximately 18 flights from Ramstein Air Base which sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that in the next 24 hours as the evacuation out of Kabul airport continues, they are expecting as many as 10,000 evacuees to arrive at the Ramstein Air Base. And at the moment, we're averaging about one plane an hour. So, it really is an incredible logistical operation that is happening at the base. Michael.

HOLMES: Absolutely is. Atika, thanks so much. Atika Shubert there in Germany. And to find out how you can help Afghan refugees or if you are a

veteran troubled by events in Afghanistan, just go to CNN.com/impact for resources that can help.

I'm Michael Holmes. Thanks for spending part of your day with me. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @holmesCNN. "EARLY START" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is "EARLY START." I'm Christine Romans.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Laura Jarrett, it's Friday, August 27. It's 5:00 a.m. here in New York.