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Obama Vows Justice After Sotloff Beheading; Ukraine Clarifies Announcement of Cease-Fire; Friends of Sotloff React to His Death

Aired September 03, 2014 - 08:00   ET

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

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and welcome once again to NEW DAY. It is Wednesday September 3rd, 8:00 in the east now. We have breaking news we've been watching overseas today on two fronts.

First President Obama is vowing justice after the beheading of another American was put online for the world to see. The government confirmed overnight that the video of Steven Sotloff being executed is authentic. ISIS no doubt looking to intimidate the west, but the president putting his foot down saying that won't be the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will not be intimidated. Their horrific acts only unite us as a country and stiffen our resolve to take the fight against the terrorists, and those who make the mistake of harming Americans learn that we will not forget and that our reach is long and that justice will be served.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: We have full coverage on these breaking developments.

Let's start with Jim Acosta traveling with the president in Estonia this morning.

Jim, tell us more about the president's press conference.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kate. As you heard, that was the president talking for the first time about the killing of American journalist Steven Sotloff. As you said, he vowed that justice will be done, that the U.S. will not be intimidated by what he called a horrific act of violence.

But Kate he was also asked about that comment that he made last week when he said at the White House that the U.S. does not have a strategy for dealing with ISIS in Syria. The president said he was merely talking about the prospect of military action in Syria that might require congressional approval. And the president went on to say his goal in terms of dealing with ISIS to destroy the terrorist group.

Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The bottom line is this: our objective is clear, and that is to degrade and try ISIL so that it's no longer a threat not just to Iraq but also the region and to the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now later on, a few breaths, later the president went on to say that he wants to degrade ISIS to the point where it's a manageable problem, and that he did hold out the possibility that, of course, remnants of ISIS could wreak terror attacks in the future, but Kate, the president is here in Estonia to really reassure eastern European allies like those in the Baltics that NATO will have their back if Russian aggression moves to their front door from Ukraine.

But earlier this morning, there was some confusion as to whether or not there was a cease-fire between the Ukrainians and the Russian, the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko tweeted he had hammered out a cease-fire agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, tweeted as much.

And the president was asked about whether or not he believes this might actually hold and the president had something to say about that as well. He held out some doubts that that might be the case, but here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: If, in fact, Russia is prepared to stop financing army, training, in many cases joining with Russian troops activities in Ukraine and is serious about a political settlement, that is something that we all hope for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, obviously, both of these problems are going to be at the top of the president's agenda all this week, he is wrapping up a trip, his trip here in Estonia with a speech to the people in the Baltics about NATO protections for their countries. And then he moves on to the NATO summit in Wales, where he'll be working both on the Ukrainian issue and on ISIS. The president along with Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, they'll all be working with their allies trying to line up a coalition that the president wants to take on the ISIS threat in Syria -- something that he hinted is still coming, he hinted military action is coming at ISIS in Syria, but he didn't offer a timetable, Kate.

BOLDUAN: A huge pressing and important issues all on the front burner right now. Jim Acosta traveling with the president in Estonia -- thanks so much, Jim.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: A lot of questions about the alleged cease- fire because there doesn't seem to be one. Here's what we know about the rumor -- the Ukrainian president, as Jim Acosta just told you, he was saying that he had reached a deal but then Russia said well we can't make a deal. We're not even involved in this situation and Ukraine's president had to back off that claim saying Russia and Ukraine only had a similar understanding.

So, what does all this mean on the ground which is where it matters most?

Reza Sayah is live this morning in Kiev, Ukraine, with the latest -- Reza.

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chris, we'll clarify some of the confusion. We're not going to be able to clarify all of it and that's because the details of this agreement haven't been revealed yet. But let's explain to you how we got here.

Earlier this morning, the Russian news agency Interfax reported that the Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation with Petro Poroshenko, the Ukrainian president and the two leaders, according to Interfax, agreed on a road map to get out of this crisis. We needed confirmation from Kiev, and Ukrainian officials. We got it a short time later, when the office of the president confirmed the phone conversation and also took it a step further, saying that the two leaders had agreed to establish a cease-fire.

Now, the term cease-fire didn't come from the statement in Moscow, so we once again reached out to Moscow for clarification and that's when a spokesperson for Mr. Putin said that Mr. Putin could not authorize a cease-fire because he's not a party to this conflict. Now that's where the confusion surfaces.

But again it's Ukraine's position that a cease-fire has been established. We're also hearing from pro-Russian rebels the fighters on the ground, they doubt that a cease-fire can be held until the Ukrainian president calls off the troops. It's not clear if that happens.

So, a lot to sort through, including the details of this agreement, a lot of demands on both sides, were they met, what were the concessions? Hopefully, we'll get a formal announcement in the coming hours, Chris.

CUOMO: All right. Reza, thank you very much. Let us know what you learn there so we can try to advance this story. Appreciate it.

BOLDUAN: All right. For more on both of these fronts, let's bring in Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS."

Fareed, a lot going on. We got a lot from the president this morning to discuss.

I want to start with talking about the president's comments with regard to ISIS, if you will. We have this video, the killing of Steven Sotloff -- the timing of it regardless of, horrific no matter when it happens but the timing, of course, just adding to the pressure that you've been hearing for this drumbeat that the president needs to act more forcefully.

But the question is, when you hear from the president this morning, is he going to do more? Is the president -- does this video change the course of the president is taking against ISIS?

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS": Kate, I think you put it exactly right it's adding to the pressure and that is unfortunate, by which I mean that is the point of these videos. They are designed to goad the United States into action.

Osama bin Laden in one of his old videos, had famously once said, all we need to do is to put up a flag that says jihad and the American generals are come rushing into our trap.

And that's really what part of this is. So, of course, we have to respond. But we should respond in a manner of Washington's choosing, at a time of Washington's choosing, when you have a real strategy in place, which is quite complicated, because if you're going to destroy ISIS, and if that is the goal, what that is going to do unintentionally is strengthen the Assad regime in Syria.

So, how do you make sure that you degrade ISIS while at the same time not strengthening the Assad regime?

In the Middle East the enemy of your enemy is still your enemy, and so, that's a very complicated dynamic. It means figuring out if there are moderate Syrian rebels whom you can support strategically, it means trying to figure out if there's a way to get the other countries involved. So, I'm glad that the president is taking some time. He should respond, but he shouldn't view this -- you know, this is where the media pressure is actually unhelpful to having a smart foreign policy.

BOLDUAN: Yes, I think I read a former State Department official telling the "New York Times" just that pressure can often be the enemy of good policy, and that's what you could see in this situation.

What you heard from the president then this morning with regard to strategy -- a lot of folks calling for the president to clarify what is United States' strategy in Iraq, in Syria with regard to ISIS. Did you hear clarification? Did you hear him lay out a clear coherent plan of what the United States' goal is on the ground?

ZAKARIA: It's a good question. I think that in Iraq, we have a very clear strategy. The strategy in Iraq is to take all the territory that ISIS has taken, defend Iraq, make sure that ISIS cannot come back, and we know in a sense what the means are to that, rebuild Iraqi army to make it not a sectarian force, an effective fighting force, support the Kurdish troops, the Peshmerga, that's all clear.

The problem is we don't have a similar strategy in Syria. As I said, the problem in Syria is complicated. You can say destroy ISIS but then, what does that do to the Assad regime? How do you figure that out and that's going to be the tension in this policy. We have a policy that works, that could work in Iraq.

What is the equivalent policy in Syria, and can you have a policy in Iraq that works if ISIS just crosses the border and uses Syria as a safe haven?

BOLDUAN: They sure don't seem to be honoring any borders that are there. I myself found -- I found myself confused as to what the president was laying out in terms of saying his goal was with regard to ISIS, and Ann Compton asked for clarification. Is your goal to destroy ISIS? Is your goal to degrade ISIS or just contain ISIS?

He said both, at different points. He said degrade and destroy.

Is it important he lay that out clearly? Which is it?

ZAKARIA: I think that he clearly has to be to destroy is. I think he probably recognizes that's a tall order.

BOLDUAN: Right.

ZAKARIA: See, what is feeding ISIS at the end of the day, and this is very important to understand, is the discontent that is felt by Sunnis in both Iraq and Syria. Iraq is run by a Shia majority government. Syria is run by an Alawite government, which is sort of a quasi-Shiite government. So, in both cases the Sunni feel disempowered, dispossessed, discriminated.

So, that's the thought of. That's the fuel --

BOLDUAN: The Sunnis want to stand up against ISIS.

ZAKARIA: And so, you have to find a way to get the Sunnis in the front of the battle. So, that's why you've got to make the Iraqi army a really non-sectarian force. That's why you got to find moderate -- when we say moderate Syrian rebels, we mean Sunnis who are not jihadists, because otherwise, we're playing into this great regional dynamic of the Shia versus the Sunni.

And if all the Sunnis think that the United States is against them, then no matter what we do, we're not going to win.

BOLDUAN: You're going to lose regardless if you're going to pick a side in that.

ZAKARIA: Because in the region in general, people need to understand, it's 90 percent Sunnis.

BOLDUAN: It's exactly.

ZAKARIA: It's not true in Iraq and Syria but if you add Saudi Arabia, if you add Egypt, if you add all these places, the Sunnis are the dominant majority. They have all the money, they have all the --

BOLDUAN: Fareed, when you lay it out like that, it seems obvious -- even though the president restated it this morning -- this is not a one-week, one-month or six-month proposition in terms of U.S. engagement trying to degrade or destroy ISIS, especially if you lay out how complex it is. That's absolutely the case.

And then if we turn our focus for a moment to one of the main focuses of the NATO summit, Ukraine, what is going on, on the ground, is I was kind of saying it would be humorous if it wasn't so sad the fact that we've got talk of a cease-fire, not so much in Russia, still playing this game saying, we can't even be part of a cease-fire because we're not on the ground militarily.

ZAKARIA: You know, I think we need to understand the Russian position, not necessarily condone it.

BOLDUAN: Right.

ZAKARIA: What is happening right now is that you have the Ukrainian government trying to take back control or take control of these parts of eastern Ukraine that the rebels hold. The Russians are saying let's negotiate. Let's negotiate this rather than you using force to do it. The Ukrainian government says, no, first we want to get control of our territory. This is Ukraine, after all, this is meant to be our country, then we'll negotiate.

So, that's where underneath all this, you know, this sort of noise what's happening is, the Russians are saying we want to negotiate while the rebels hold us down. So, we have some cards. The Ukrainian government is saying no we first want to take the towns and then we'll negotiate.

This is an area where, frankly, a good diplomatic negotiation could yield an outcome. Neither side is going to win entirely. The Russians are strong enough that they can effectively make sure that the Ukrainian government will not be able to take these towns in Ukraine, but the Ukrainian government is strong enough that they will also make it very hard for these rebels.

So, this is where at some point you've got to get into a negotiating situation with the Russians, the Ukrainian rebels, the Ukrainian government, come up with some autonomy deal that says in return for relinquishing control of these towns, the eastern Ukraine will have certain autonomies, Russian language will be protected and things like that.

I think we have to recognize our problem is for the United States, this is 8,000 miles away. The Russians are right next door. They can very cheaply, constantly keep this going on a boil.

BOLDUAN: Yes. And the president will be speaking a little later in less than an hour now, a lot of that focus we're told will be on the Ukraine/Russia issue.

Of course, Fareed is going to stick around. We're going to have that discussion later in the show.

Fareed, it's great to see you. Thanks so much.

And, of course, a reminder to our viewers, to watch "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS," Sundays 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.

Michaela?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Let's give you a look at more of your headlines right now.

Another American has been infected with the Ebola virus, a missionary doctor who's been working with pregnant women in Liberia has tested positive for the virus. CDC director, Dr. Tom Frieden, who just returned from a visit to the

region warned Tuesday that this outbreak is gaining momentum. He also said it's becoming harder and harder to stop every day. Meanwhile, human testing of an experimental Ebola vaccine began in Maryland this week, a group of three healthy volunteer will get the vaccine in these first phases of testing.

A senior Israeli military intelligence official says Hamas suffered, quote, "a huge dramatic hit" during their violent 50-day conflict. The official told "The New York Times" senior Hamas commanders were killed, thousands of operatives were likely wounded, and major damage was done to the group's military infrastructure, saying that Hamas lost two-thirds of its rockets.

Some terrifying video to show you now this morning of a Libyan military plane crashing to the ground. Look at that. It exploded during an air show over a residential area. You can see the plane hurdling downward, unable to right itself, exploding into this massive fireball. The pilot was killed.

Now, what's interesting that reports say this plane went down during a ceremony that was honoring another pilot who died in a crash four days earlier.

To sports now, one of football's top receivers has been suspended four games for a drug violation. Wes Welker of the Denver Broncos, he's going to miss the first quarter of the season after losing his appeal.

Speaking with "The Denver Post", Welker adamantly denies knowingly taking a banned substance. Welker is already facing time on the sidelines as he battles his third concussion in the last year. Apparently, according to ESPN, he told "The Denver Post" he suspects somebody might have put something in his drink when he was at the Kentucky Derby. He says, "I wouldn't knowingly to this."

CUOMO: Wes Welker, we know because he is the great underdog in football, an undersized guy, got phenomenal hand.

BOLDUAN: He's a wide receiver?

CUOMO: Yes, he is. He's a wide receiver. Slot back sometimes, scat back, but he is an amazing example of a guy who has worked so hard. So, you got to give him the benefit of the doubt.

We should always be giving people the benefit of the doubt, we don't in the U.S. especially, but you should because this guy has a reputation for just working his butt off.

PEREIRA: And he said that, "If you look at my record, I work hard, take care of what I put in my body", I wouldn't knowingly do this.

So, who knows, there's more to be found out about this clearly.

CUOMO: So, a lot of the substances have crossovers so you have to be careful. He deserves the benefit of the doubt, that's for sure. And he played for the Patriots, it's not like he's a friend. BOLDUAN: Not like he's a former Jets.

CUOMO: If he played for the Jets --

BOLDUAN: The one time Chris is actually being fair.

CUOMO: If he played for the Jets, we wouldn't have had this discussion because nobody would never done anything good.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: So, nobody would care if he's taking things or not.

I am a Jets fan, just the truth.

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

CUOMO: All right. What do we know about how this country is reacting to what's been going on when we see these journalists being killed and the horrible videos that go along with them? The reaction is that millions and millions are affected and certainly those who knew and loved these two men.

We're going to speak with some of the friends of Mr. Sotloff who was Steven's friends -- he was recently killed, and the question of how far the terrorist also go and the question becomes will this change Americans' minds about what the U.S. should do overseas?

BOLDUAN: Plus authorities are going frame by frame over that video showing Sotloff's beheading. What are they looking for? What clues are they trying to gain from it? We're going to ask a counter- terrorism expert to weigh in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Steve's life stood in sharp contrast to those who murdered him so brutally. They may assert claim that they kill in the name of religion, but it was Steven, his friends say, who deeply loved the Islamic world. His killers try to claim that they defend the oppressed, but it was Steven who traveled across the Middle East, risking his life to tell the story of Muslim men and women demanding justice and dignity. Whatever these murderers think they'll achieve by killing innocent Americans like Steven, they have already failed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: A look and listen to what the president was saying this morning, reacting to the gruesome death of American Steven Sotloff at the hands of ISIS.

Sotloff's family grieves privately, reaction to his beheading has been swift and strong publicly -- friends, colleagues from around the world are paying tribute to the man they knew and loved.

Let's go to Alina Machado live in Miami.

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chris, Steven Sotloff, by all accounts, was a good guy, the kind of person you'd want as a friend. He was also a brilliant writer and was very passionate about all things the Middle East and it of that passion that drove him to the region.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MACHADO (voice-over): Few people knew Steven Sotloff was being held captive by ISIS for the past year until two weeks ago.

SHIRLEY SOTLOFF, STEVEN SOTLOFF'S MOTHER: We want to see him home safe and sound and to hug him.

MACHADO: His mother's emotional plea for his release now turning into grief after another video released by ISIS Tuesday shows the 31-year- old's gruesome killing.

DANIELLE BERRIN, SENIOR WRITER, LA JEWISH JOURNAL: Steven was my hero.

MACHADO: Sotloff's childhood friend told CNN he was full of light.

BERRIN: Anyone who cares about freedom of expression and human life should be appalled and saddened by this really horrific act.

MACHADO: Sotloff grew up in south Florida but went to high school in New Hampshire, where he played on the varsity football and rugby teams and appeared in the musical "Cabaret." The school issued a statement saying in part, "His courageous actions have and will always inspire our students and our community."

EMERSON LOTZIA, FRIEND: I saw the tweet and the picture of him with the terrorists and I'm just thinking, wow, like that's my old college roommate. It's scary stuff.

MACHADO: Emerson Lotzia and Sotloff both attended the University of Central Florida. Once shocked by his friend's captivity, Lotzia is too distraught to talk on camera tweeted in part, "devastated and crushed. Steve was an amazing friend. Heart is heavy for his family."

Back on UCF's campus, students and faculty are horrified for his death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really wished it didn't turn out like that. I really hoped there was a way to get him back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Steven wrote for the student newspaper, so the journalists you can imagine, this is their campus community and I think it feels very personal.

MACHADO: While at UCF, Sotloff talked about wanting to go to the Middle East. He eventually did freelance work for several publications, including "TIME" magazine, "Foreign Policy" and the "Christian Science Monitor."

Sotloff was on assignment in Syria last August when he was kidnapped.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACHADO: Sotloff's family lives here in South Florida. So far, they have only released a statement saying they are aware of the video and they are grieving privately -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right. Alina, thank you very much.

And, obviously, this touches on so many different heartstrings -- his family, his friends, you know, the media, because that's what this man was doing, he was doing a job that he believed in passionately.

BOLDUAN: Yes, his passion so much.

CUOMO: The cowardice is just pointed out. He's not even a combatant and it speaks to what that group is about.

BOLDUAN: Exactly right, Chris. We're going to continue to be covering as well, as investigators -- they are poring over that beheading video, what clues can they find about the executioner's identity, what clues can they gather when comparing it to the video of the other American journalist killed, James Foley. We're going to have a counterterrorism expert joining us to discuss that.

CUOMO: And the president will be speaking soon. What else will he likely say about the plan against ISIS and what about Russia? Bring back Fareed to give us a preview of the president's speech. Stick with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Here we go with the five things you need to know for your NEW DAY.

At number one, President Obama vowing justice after ISIS beheads another American. Images of Steven Sotloff's execution were verified as authentic overnight. The president called this a horrific act of violence.

Ukraine's president is clarifying an earlier claim that a cease-fire deal had been reached with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Petro Poroshenko office said the two had an understanding to achieve peace but a formal deal is not in place.

Apple says hackers did not breach its iCloud system to steal nude celebrity photos that were later leaked online. The company says the images were stolen through individual attacks on individual accounts and that it is working with law enforcement to identify those hackers.

It is sentencing day for the man convicted of fatally shooting a teenager on his front porch. Theodore Wafer plans to apologize in court to the parents of 19-year-old Renisha McBride.

You will not find cigarette anymore at CVS. All 7,700 CVS Stores nationwide are tobacco free starting today.

We do update those five things to know. So, be sure to visit NewdayCNN.com for the latest -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, Michaela.

In today's "Human Factor", Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to a young girl who loves to swim and teach others about living with diabetes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Carly Lynnette was born to be in the water, a competitive swimmer since she was poor.