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Hurricane Ida Threatens Parts Of U.S. Gulf Coast; New Orleans Mayor Urges Citizens To Leave City Ahead Of Hurricane Ida's Landfall; Hurricane Ida Anticipated To Be Category Four Storm; Evacuations Continue In Afghanistan From Kabul Airport; U.S. Drone Strike Reportedly Kills ISIS Terrorist Planner Near Afghanistan-Pakistan Border; Interview With Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA). Aired 2-3p ET

Aired August 28, 2021 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

Hurricane Ida is barreling toward the United States and aiming directly at Louisiana. Ida is expected to reach category four strength before making landfall tomorrow, projected storm surge up to 15 feet along with winds up to 115 miles an hour. It could produce an extremely life-threatening situation across portions, southeast portions of that state. The mayor of New Orleans had this urgent warning earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL, NEW ORLEANS: If you are voluntarily evacuating our city, now is the time to leave. You need to do so immediately. If you're planning to ride it out, again, make sure that you're able to hunker down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The National Weather Services warning some places might be uninhabitable for weeks or months. They're urging people to complete their hurricane preparations today.

If all of this sounds ominously familiar, it's because Ida is expected to make landfall on the same date, August 29th, that hurricane Katrina devastated a large portion of the Gulf coast 16 years ago. Mandatory evacuation orders in effect in parts of Louisiana, and as you can see right there on your screen, highways are already backed up with people trying to leave.

And we're tracking this storm from all angles. CNN's Derek Van Dam is on the ground in Houma, Louisiana, the expected bull's eye of the storm. But let's begin with Allison Chinchar in the CNN Weather Center. Allison, you've been following this very dangerous storm. What's the latest forecast on Ida? What can you tell us at this hour?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right, so we just got the latest update from the National Hurricane Center moments ago. Winds are now up to 100 miles per hour sustained. That now officially makes it a category two storm. Movement to the northwest at just about 16 miles per hour. Now, we anticipate it to rapidly intensify over the next 24 hours because it's going to move into incredibly warm waters. We're not just talking bathwater here. We're talking jacuzzi warm, which will be fuel for this particular storm.

It's expected to make landfall as a category four storm likely sometime late Sunday afternoon over Louisiana. There's been a lot of comparisons here to hurricane Katrina because it's very memorable for a lot of folks that live there. Katrina was technically a category three at landfall, whereas Ida is expected to be a category four. So in terms of winds, Ida is expected to be a stronger storm compared to Katrina.

But one other thing to note is the path. Technically with Katrina, the track went just to the east of New Orleans, where Ida is expected to go just to the west, putting New Orleans on the eastern side of the storm. That is a very key area, because traditionally speaking, the eastern side of the storm typically has slightly stronger wind speeds than the western half of the storm.

And even more specifically, the northeast quadrant, also called the front right quadrant, not only tends to have strongest winds but also the highest surge and even greatest tornado potential. And that, unfortunately, is where New Orleans is expected to be.

We have the potential, not only for tornadoes, but also water spouts and even damaging winds tomorrow for New Orleans, even up through Jackson, Mississippi. Not just the potential for tornadoes, but also very damaging winds, 110 miles per hour, especially for Baton Rouge and New Orleans, so power outages likely to be a big concern.

But biggest concern, especially along the coast, is going to be storm surge. This pink area here, 10 to 15 feet of storm surge, that includes the city of Grand Isle. Biloxi is in this purple shaded area of seven to 11 feet. To really put this in perspective for people to understand storm surge and the impacts, at even just four feet, you start to have your home inundated with water. That water begins to come back in.

But we're not talking about four feet for some of these areas. We're talking nine, 10, even 11 feet of storm surge in some areas. That will completely overtop, Jim, the first level of your home. So if you have a two story home, fine, you go to the second story. But if you don't, where do you go from there?

ACOSTA: That's right, Allison. And that's why we saw during hurricane Katrina people evacuating to their rooftops and waiting to be rescued by authorities. That is a scene we do not want to see again.

Derek, you're in Houma, the storm's expected bull's eye. What are seeing and hearing on the ground, and how are people getting ready for the storm? I hope people are getting out of there. Are you seeing that at this time?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, definitely, Jim. People are getting out. They are leaving. Steady streams of traffic moving away from this particular location, and for good reason. We know this is ground zero for that outer eyewall to move through, and that means the strongest rain and winds bands will be felt within this particular area.

Last minute preparations taking place for the individuals who are still here. The mandatory evacuations started at 6:00 a.m. in Terrebonne Parish where I'm located. There is a curfew in place at 6:00 p.m. tonight. People are sandbagging their businesses and their home, and then they are evacuating, listening to the orders.

[14:05:02]

Of course, this impending disaster, Jim, is happening amongst the backdrop of our global pandemic, and Louisiana has been hit particularly hard. We have a very low vaccinated rate, roughly about 41 percent of the state fully vaccinated. You can hear some thunder and some of the rain bands that aren't even associated with the hurricane.

Going back to the COVID angle here, though, it's interesting to note that there is a high hospitalization rate here as well. So people don't necessarily want to go to evacuation centers because of the fear of COVID as well. That is a concern for people here. There is very low occupancy around the local hotels. Just exiting the hotel to come to our live shot, we heard an individual asking the person at the front desk, asking if there was occupancy, and she had to be denied because there are no rooms available here.

So obviously, we know the threats here. Storm surge 10 to 15 feet. But what makes this particular location particularly vulnerable to storm surge is that I'm only 10 feet above sea level, and most of Terrebonne Parish is roughly about the same. So you can imagine as that surge ahead of Ida comes in, it is going to push the water several miles inland, especially where I'm standing. And of course, that is going to inundate businesses and home. And that's why people are getting out. Jim?

ACOSTA: Derek, it's such an important message. People don't want to leave their homes. They don't want to go to a hotel or an evacuation center, but it is going to be so much safer than staying in your homes in those low lies areas, those areas that are prone to flooding and in the direct path of any storm surge from this hurricane. Derek and Allison, thanks so much.

Joining us now is Collin Arnold. He's the director of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Collin, what do people need to know right now to prepare for this storm? and are you seeing people heeding these warnings to get out?

COLLIN ARNOLD, DIRECTOR, NEW ORLEANS OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: Jim, thanks for having me. Absolutely, we are. a lot of people in the stores, a lot of people making their last preparations. But as we have said, that time is coming quickly to a close. If you plan on sheltering in place, you need to be where you need to

be by midnight. And if you are getting on the roads to evacuate, if that's the best decision for you and yours, that needs to happen now. And so that's what we're saying very clearly.

Also, we do have a small portion of our city that is outside the levee protection, which is exactly what Allison was talking about. Low lying area with a seven to 11 foot storm surge potential and under a storm surge watch, a warning. Those areas need to evacuate, and we started that yesterday. That's a mandatory evacuation and they need to leave as well.

ACOSTA: And the National Weather Service warned today that some locations could be uninhabitable for weeks or months. How are you preparing for this? And you mentioned those levees. I covered hurricane Katrina. I remember what happened with the levees. What is the state of the levies? Are you in better shape now than you were back then? I gather you are, but I'm sure you're assessing it hour by hour.

ARNOLD: There's been $15 billion investment since 2006, and yes, tomorrow is the anniversary, but I believe it's also an anniversary that shows we are more resilient, we are more prepared. We talked with the corps of engineers, the governors, the state and National Weather Service, our local levee protection authorities, and they're comfortable with the status of the system right now. All of those gates and flood walls will be closed completely by tonight. The river will be closed at some point by the Coast Guard.

So they're really, the time is drawing down, and people need to shelter in place or evacuate. And that's just the bottom line at this point. What we'll do after is, depending on the condition on the ground, if we have to do any post-storm movement of people that are in the city, we're addressing that right now with our state and federal partners.

ACOSTA: And Louisiana is still recovering from major hurricanes that hit last year. Are you ready for this? What are you anticipating for what your needs are going to be in the days ahead?

ARNOLD: Power restoration I think is going to be a big one. And additionally with that power restoration, as you know our city geographically relies on engineer drainage. So if our drainage systems go out, there is that potential for flooding.

And I would say, to set expectations, any amount of heavy, heavy rain over a short period of time will inundate our system, and that's pretty clear. What we're seeing right now is manageable over two days. Again, if you get one of those seven to eight inches per hour rain events that happen for several hours or even for an hour, you will start to get street flooding, and then the pumps play catch-up mode.

And so if we do have those extended power issues that occur, that can have an effect as well.

ACOSTA: And officials like yourself are urging people to evacuate, but not everyone is going to heed that warning. For those who are planning to stay behind and ride out the storm, what's your message to them?

[14:10:00]

And some people may not be old enough to remember what happened during hurricane Katrina, the way people had to shelter under overpasses and in the Superdome, and all kinds of just evacuation centers and sheltering places that were not really equipped for a lot of people to come in. What's your message to people to make sure they don't end up in a situation that you saw 16 years ago?

ARNOLD: Have 72 hours of food, water, medications, and supplies on hand. The first 72 is on you. That's three days worth. Have that, shelter in place by midnight tonight. And depending on the conditions after this passes, you're going to have to address getting you out further in a post-storm scenario, if that occurs.

ACOSTA: I think that's pretty straightforward advice. You may have to fend for yourself for three days until the rescuers can get to you if it's that kind of situation. Collin Arnold -- go ahead. Finish your thought. Yes.

ARNOLD: We're a tough city, and tomorrow kind of shows 16 years ago we learned a lesson. And we're going to face this together, and we'll get through it.

ACOSTA: You're a strong city and you're a great city, and all the best to you, sir. Thank you very much. Collin Arnold, we appreciate your time. Thanks so much.

Coming up, we are also following the other breaking news, the U.S. air strike on ISIS-K planners in retaliation for the bombing outside the Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. troops and more than 170 others. All this while evacuations in Kabul continue. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:15:40]

ACOSTA: The Pentagon says two high profile ISIS targets were killed in a Friday night air strike in Afghanistan. The drone strike was authorized by President Biden in retaliation for Thursday's suicide bombing outside of Kabul airport. That horrific attack left 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 others dead, making Thursday the deadliest day for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since 2011.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins me now. Barbara, what more are we learning about this strike and the targets? There was just a briefing a short time ago.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Jim. The Pentagon is calling them high profile, facilitator, planner, but not calling them senior ISIS operatives in Afghanistan. No indication either of the two that were struck and confirmed dead by the Pentagon were in charge or in command, if you will, of anything. We asked if this now is essentially a death blow to ISIS. How does this really impact ISIS in Afghanistan? Here's what John Kirby, the press secretary, had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Nobody is writing this off and saying, well, we got them, so we don't have to worry about ISIS-K anymore. Not the case. As I said earlier, the threat stream is still active, still dynamic. We're still laser focused on that and force protection. And we aren't thinking for a minute that what happened yesterday gets us in the clear. Not a minute.

But do we believe that we hit valid targets? Bad guys who can do bad things and can plan bad missions? Absolutely. And do we think that that will have some impact on their ability going forward? Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: So the situation right now, the threat from ISIS-K in Afghanistan still very active, being monitored, we're told, in real time. That means literally minute by minute. A lot of concern about that threat around the airport. We are now just really counting down the hours, right. Tuesday is the day the U.S. is finally supposed to be out of Afghanistan.

They are beginning the withdrawal of U.S. troops. And as there is less and less military capability at the airport, the security concerns are growing. The Pentagon says they believe they can keep everyone safe, but nobody is taking anything for granted at this point, Jim.

ACOSTA: And Barbara, as for that military withdrawal and how those evacuations are almost over, what are they doing in terms of prioritizing the security situation there? Are we now at a point where we're just mainly focused on getting our troops out?

STARR: Well, the Pentagon, the administration officially says they'll keep evacuating people, U.S. citizens, Afghans with those special visas, with the right paperwork, until the very last minute, that they will not give up. They will continue to do that even as U.S. troops are withdrawing.

But there are still plenty of stories out there we're hearing from people even today that there are Americans who cannot get to the airport, who cannot get out of Afghanistan, and many Afghans as well.

ACOSTA: Barbara Starr, your reporting at the Pentagon always greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

Joining me now, Democratic Congressman John Garamendi. He's a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and chair of the readiness subcommittee. It's an important subcommittee at the heart of all of this. His district includes Travis Air Force Base which has 300 airmen involved in the Kabul evacuation efforts. Congressman, I know you've been busy on the phone. I understand your office helped 145 Americans get out of Afghanistan just yesterday. Tell us about that effort, how everything played out.

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI, (D-CA): Well, this is really an extraordinary effort, not by my office specifically, but by other members of Congress, the State Department and the military. Here's how we've been working it. We get all kinds of requests. We process those through the State Department. And then we do have contacts on the ground. We had contacts at the gates. We still do, I believe, and we called those sergeants, really, and say, hey, we've got a couple of people. They have the proper documents. They're going to be there at this time. And then those soldiers very heroically in a very, very dangerous situation call out the names of the individuals.

[14:20:00]

For the 145, there was a group that had been stuck outside quite a far distance from the gate. We got information that they were there. We then made those very same contact State Department and directly to the military at the gates, and they were escorted in.

This is a continuing effort. Just today, another group of people in contact with us -- actually, this was passed to us by one of my congressional colleagues. We were able to identify where they were. They had the right papers. The contacts were made. They were actually escorted to the gates, and they are now in Qatar.

ACOSTA: And what insight did you get about the security situation at the Kabul airport now and how much it's changed following the U.S. air strike, and as this military withdrawal begins? I suppose it could be changing moment by moment.

GARAMENDI: You're quite correct, Jim. It is changing moment by moment. We do know that the Taliban have moved more people away from the gates. They've expanded the security that they were involved in, and that's really some of the pressure at the gate. Nevertheless, it remains a very, very dangerous situation at the gates. There's still crowds. Not as much as before, but they're still there.

So what is going to happen, and I want to add to something that Barbara said, the president has been very clear. The American evacuations do not end when the military leaves. There will be other mechanisms being used to evacuate Americans that for one reason or another did not get to the airport before the American military left.

But nonetheless, those evacuations will continue, and efforts will continue to evacuate from Afghanistan, Afghans that are at risk for a variety of reasons. And we'll continue to work on that, as will other members of Congress and the State Department and the military where appropriate.

ACOSTA: And Congressman, the Taliban's cooperation is expected in all of that without U.S. troops there, the expectation is that they will continue to cooperate with that?

GARAMENDI: I think what we need to do here is to hope for the best and plan that it may not occur. The Taliban has been cooperating now. There's many, many reasons why they would continue to cooperate into the future, not the least of which is they now have 40 million people that they're responsible for. There's a serious economic crisis that existed before the Taliban took over the government. There will clearly be a humanitarian crisis as a result of the disruption of all of the services from food to medicine and beyond.

So the Taliban is going to need support. And clearly, the community of nations, the United Nations and other interested countries will be working with the Taliban where appropriate and in a way that creates a better security environment in that area. And of course, ISIS-K has not disappeared. The air strikes, perfectly appropriate.

If I were an ISIS-K member, I'd be looking up into the air for that Hellfire missile that's coming my way. And I suspect that right now, the ISIS-K is hunkering down because we know where many of them are, and I will guarantee you that there will be additional air strikes on various ISIS-K targets in the days ahead.

ACOSTA: And the whole point of this war was to make sure Afghanistan was no longer a harbor for terrorist groups like ISIS-K, but federal officials are on high alert for threats in the U.S. originating in Afghanistan. Twenty years later, how do we avoid being back where we started on 9/11, do you think?

GARAMENDI: With regard to Afghanistan, this is a continuation of a discussion I had a moment ago in that the Taliban government is faced with a choice. They could be the Taliban of 1990, or they could be a different government. If they choose to be a different government, then the community of nations will be working with them, and certainly the United States, dealing with terrorism.

I'm not in any way suggesting that we immediately or in the near future recognize them as the legitimate government, but they are there. We must deal with them, at least in the short-term, and I would suspect that we'll continue on into the days and months ahead.

But this is really a question for the Taliban. What kind of government will they be? Will they be a rational government caring for all their people, or are they going to return to the 1990 government that really terrorized Afghans, and particularly, women and children?

[14:25:02]

It's their choice. We'll be working with them as long as they are willing to be a legitimate and worthy government.

ACOSTA: All right, Congressman John Garamendi, I know that's something you'll be focused on and keeping your eye on, as will. Congressman, thanks so much. We appreciate it.

GARAMENDI: Thank you.

ACOSTA: And the Department of Defense has just released the names of the 13 U.S. service members who were killed in Thursday's attack in Kabul. As we go to the next break, I want to take a moment to recognize their sacrifice.

(MUSIC)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:3045:00]

ACOSTA: So far, the story of America's exit from Afghanistan has been chaotic and deadly, and the final chapter is quickly unfolding. U.S. forces are now beginning to withdraw from the Kabul airport as they continue to evacuate Americans and allies looking to escape the Taliban. We know how dangerous this mission truly is after Thursday's deadly suicide blast. ISIS-K claiming responsibility for that bombing. The White House warning another attack is likely.

CNN's Sam Kiley who is in Doha, Qatar, joins me now. Sam, how are these evacuation efforts progressing in the aftermath of Thursday's attack? It sounds as though they're accelerating.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The process of acceleration, I think, Jim, is part of the natural planning. This planning would have all been done against the background of withdrawing, what the American military are calling a retrograde process in combat, under pressure, possibly under fire. So this was all anticipated, baked into the planning that there would be or could be these sorts of terrorist attacks.

That notwithstanding, I understand from my own contact in intelligence that there is a concern of multiple possible attacks, or a number of different complex attacks being planned by the so-called Islamic State in the Khorasan. This all at the time with coordination with the Taliban, really, is the absolutely key relationship.

There are still evacuees getting out. They're not getting out through the official gates. The gates have been officially closed. They're getting out through covert means and by special arrangement, if you like. But evacuations are continuing apace, 2,600 in the last 24-hour reporting period. That number going down still further today because the U.S. military are withdrawing their people. They're withdrawing under pressure, but they're not withdrawing in any speedier rate than they would have done otherwise, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Sam Kiley, thanks for staying on top of that. We appreciate it.

And joining me now is Ahmad Shah Mohibi an Afghan American and former counterterrorism adviser to the U.S. and Afghanistan. He's been helping families navigate the chaos at the Kabul airport through his connections in the military.

Some of the people you were trying to help, Ahmad, were there at the airport when the suicide blast happened. You were just talking about this a few moments ago before we went to this interview. Do you have any kind of update on what happened to some of the people there? What can you tell us about that?

AHMAD SHAH MOHIBI, FORMER U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM ADVISER IN AFGHANISTAN: As of right now, one family is missing. So now there are four that I was helping, they called me, one of them this morning. One of the babies are inside the base, the two sisters and the mom are wounded in the hospital. So I've been working with other marines and texting the information if they could be able to rejoin the families. But I've been sending this, working with the back channels, former and

active service woman and man, trying to help government get people inside. The priority was U.S. citizens and green card holders. Last night, I sent a big list of 48 people that includes SIVs and P2s and also green card holders.

But that gate, that Abby Gate, I have had people sending me pictures that we are here until the people inside to let us in. But I'm happy that they made it outside, but except one is missing. And they're calling me, if there's any way you can find information.

So it's really hard at the moment. I called one AMP (ph) officer who I was calling at the same time. I said go check the emergency hospital and see if these people are there. So it's really rough and tough. At the moment the crowd is not out there, but the Taliban has more control. I was speaking to one of the Taliban commanders earlier, because the way I put the list, we make the list, we send it inside, and then pick them by the buses to go to the airport.

So the families were telling me we're here, that's all. They're not letting in. So I asked them to give me the number. So I spoke to one of their commanders at the checkpoint, the third checkpoint. And he was telling me, no, we are letting people in as long as their name is on the list. So I think it's wise for the people to stay away from the airport. The threat is there. ISIS will retaliate, and unless their names on the list, it's impossible. All the gates are shut down at the moment.

ACOSTA: And you have worked tirelessly to get more than 110 people out of Kabul. What has that process been like? And I guess it's become more dangerous now because of this threat posed by ISIS-K at the very end of this operation.

[14:35:02]

MOHIBI: It really mentally impacts not me but the whole team, both former and active, including my brother. I asked him last night please, work on this, because I cannot do it myself. There's really a lot of documents. We have to verify, we have to vet.

For me the most important thing is we have over 315 Qataris (ph), so we have to get those who are eligible, put them on the list, and send them to them immediately. So for example, last night, I sent the list. Two of the families, one man inside one of the gates. So with these families that I'm sending inside, the number will increase to 135.

ACOSTA: And if you're an Afghan in the crowd at the airport and go through the Taliban, what is that process like?

MOHIBI: It's impossible. If your names are not on the list, it's impossible. So the Taliban literally beat the people if they didn't listen to them. The Taliban unit, also the daily bombing that is surrounding the airport protecting is called Bather (ph). It's one of the topnotch special force, and they have control the airport.

But it's impossible, because the Abbey Gate, the east gate, these gates are the ones that the crowd went in the beginning. A lot of people got in through there, so people are hoping to get inside, including the former chief of staff hoping to get inside. So the north gate, most of the people that got in have been on the other side, north gate where the Turkish government, they have control through their gate.

ACOSTA: And I know you were able to get your own family, people on the ground there were able to get your own family through the gate and out of the airport last Monday. I'm just wondering, what are your thoughts as we're remembering these 13 U.S. service members, over 100 Afghans, your fellow countrymen who died in those bombings on Thursday, what are the thoughts that go through your mind as we think about it?

MOHIBI: I was heartbroken. Heartbroken. My entire family, they keep telling me, mentioning the names of the soldiers and the marines that held in the night. They had to plan a special operation to get my family inside from a designated location, a designated time. So really devastating. At the moment, I'm looking at the list, it's really sad. All these young 20, 21, 22 marines went there to save lives and protect people. And then ISIS took their lives. It's really hard. It's devastating.

And some of the videos that our organization, our journalists put up, it went viral, is how these young soldiers helping babies and the woman inside the base. So it's really hard. It's devastating. And I urge the Biden administration, we have to avoid and we have to prevent more chaos and tragedies. Not only sending more soldiers to prevent ISIS-K from slaughtering thousands of people outside the gates, but at the same time our troops, they are by the walls. We need more people. I think if we have put a good plan for this, this would have not happened.

ACOSTA: And as the U.S. is pulling out, your country now faces the prospect of just having the Taliban on the ground to deal with terrorists like ISIS-K. Obviously, the U.S. could come with these over the horizon type of attacks, but what does that mean for your country now?

MOHIBI: ISIS is the new Taliban, the Taliban are the new Afghan government. The resistant forces are also the new Taliban. History is repeating itself. Four years of war. In the last century, if you look at the history of Afghanistan, 13 of your prisoners have been killed. So this is repeating itself. There is not that much international community to do to help. It's just the Afghan leaders, they have to respect themselves.

Afghan Mujahideen killed communists and Afghans because they were helping the Soviets, Taliban killed capitalists, that's what they called them. And so it's different players, but the same war. I think the future of Afghanistan and literally on the hands of its people, and at the same time, we are looking right as an emergency, as a crisis. The humanitarian crisis outside.

We're talking about the international community need to act in terms of sending for the children, for the people outside the gates. They are refugees, and the Geneva Convention, they have every right, the U.N. Security Council. They really like saying that these people have the right to departure, but you have to act. You have send your people there, the U.N. peacekeepers to help them, because the Taliban is saying, look, we're not killing anyone, but you're outside the gates, they're killing yourself.

So the future, either it's right or left. I think right is the peace if the Taliban work on some sort of compromise and power sharing. The political trajectory of Afghanistan is that everybody wants to rule. Former president Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan, one of the biggest reasons his generals, I was talking to him, they were really pissed off at him is that because of dictation of power and centralization of power.

If you have listened to President Biden and the administration had worked with some sort of unity with other leaders, you would have some sort of strong government and the Taliban would have nothing there.

[14:40:00]

ACOSTA: All right, Ahmad Shah Mohibi, thank you very much, and all the best to your family as you get settled here in the United States. And I know you're going to continue your work on this very important effort. Thank you so much.

MOHIBI: Thank you. And I need people's help. Thank you.

ACOSTA: Yes, absolutely.

Coming up, we are continuing to monitor the major hurricane set to slam Louisiana tomorrow. Lieutenant General Russel Honore, who was the commander of the coordinating relief effort after hurricane Katrina, he joins me live next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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[14:45:02]

ACOSTA: Extremely dangerous, that is what the National Hurricane Center is saying about Hurricane Ida, which is expected to pummel Louisiana tomorrow. Ida likely will be a fearsome category four hurricane according to forecasters. The New Orleans mayor telling people there, if you're going to evacuate, the time to do it is right now. Sixteen years ago tomorrow, August 29th, hurricane Katrina devastated much of the Gulf coast.

And retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore, he joins me now. He was the commander of Joint Task Force Katrina. I'm sure he's a familiar face to all of our viewers. He was responsible for coordinating military relief efforts in post hurricane New Orleans. General, great to see you, as always. We appreciate your expertise in this area with Ida's landfall only hours away. What is your recommendation for people in the path of this, what looks like a terrible storm?

LT. GENERAL RUSSEL HONORE, U.S. ARMY (RET): Yes, listening to the local parish officials, they're still encouraging people if you're inside the designated cone of uncertainty, particularly along the lower parishes, in New Orleans, St. Bernard, Jefferson Parish and below I-10 in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish to evacuate if you're in that area.

So listen to the local parish officials. There's still time to evacuation tomorrow. That door will close as we get closer to tomorrow morning, Jim, as people will be restricted from being able to get out. So get out now, and check on your neighbors before you leave. Leave no neighbor behind.

ACOSTA: Right. So people could be stuck there if they don't make plans to do the right thing and get out right now. The New Orleans mayor said the city didn't even have enough time to issue a mandatory evacuation order for areas inside the levied barrier, and that residents should get ready to hunker down and ride out this storm.

What does it mean for the people who live there? General, know you remember this. I remember this all too well, people having to go to the tops of their houses, punch holes in the roofs so they can hang out on those rooftops until rescuers arrive. I hope we don't see a situation like that all over again, but is that a possibility?

HONORE: It's possible. The levy system has been reinforced. The Corps of Engineers did a great job to building a category three protection level. They put the gates in. The gates were the primary weak spot that we didn't have prior to Katrina, and the water entered the canals and the secondary levies broke.

That's how water got into the interior of the city. And massive work has been done in terms of gates and locks to prevent the surge water from violating the internal levies that would go into the canals that are used for the pumps to pump the water out of the city.

And all that is much improved, but around $14 billion or $15 billion worth of work was done. So I think there's some confidence by many that having people in the city hunkering in place is a good guidance based on what the parish official is saying if you don't get out by tonight, is what I heard them say. And you should always listen to locals.

But we're doing this in the COVID environment, Jim, and the area it's going in is very dangerous. It's going between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. A point that hadn't been talked about, 150 chemical and refinery plants between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. It's commonly called Cancer Alley.

ACOSTA: Right, in that area, if it goes up into that area, there's a high concentration of people, as you said, a high concentration of industrial factories and that sort of thing in that area. The thing I get worried about, General, is New Orleans being on the so-called dirty side of the storm, that the most harsh conditions of this hurricane could lash New Orleans, because we're always looking at that top right quadrant when we're looking at a hurricane as it makes landfall.

And I'm wondering, getting back to those scenes of devastation during hurricane Katrina, the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, is the Superdome ready to take in evacuees, or are these shelters ready to take evacuees? Is New Orleans ready, do you think?

HONORE: The Louisiana National Guard has mobilized 2,500 troops. Most of them will be positioned in and around the designated area by the governor and the adjutant general. They'll be prepared to immediately respond.

But that being said, Jim, that right front quadrant that you talked about, with Katrina, most of the wind damage went to Mississippi, as you recall. New Orleans got water damage when the levies broke. In this case, New Orleans will get more wind damage, which will take the power out in a more devastating predicted way, and will take more roofs off.

[14:50:06]

In the levee holds, then they'll just have to deal with the flow of the water and how fast it falls, so the pumps could pump it out. But this is not a good scene for New Orleans at all. They're equally dangerous this time because they're on the most dangerous wind side of the storm with more surge water coming in. So this is going to be a real test for those category three levees. And don't be surprised if you see some levees being overtopped.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. And I was there covering hurricane Katrina in Mississippi on the Gulf coast there. I remember the devastation when they talk about storm surges being as high as we're talking about in this situation. It is not possible to stay in a home that is right there on the Gulf coast. If you're in that kind of area, please get out. Please do the right thing, get your loved ones out.

Lieutenant General Russel Honore, thanks again as always for your expertise. We'll get back to you again. As always, thanks so much.

And we'll be right back.

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[14:55:29]

ACOSTA: It has happened again. Another Afghan family welcomed the birth of their baby aboard an evacuation flight. Meet Hava (ph). She was born this morning 30,000 feet in the air over Kuwait on a Turkish Airlines flight. There she is right there.

The cabin crew helped to successfully deliver this baby girl. Both Hava (ph) and her mother appear to be doing well. Just a beautiful image there of that baby girl born on one of these evacuation flights. So some good news. And we'll be right back.

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