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ISIS & Russia Top Concerns at NATO Summit; Cameron Says ISIS Must Be Destroyed; Interview with Senator Bill Nelson of Florida; Feds to Investigate Ferguson Police

Aired September 04, 2014 - 08:00   ET

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

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KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome once again to NEW DAY, everyone. It's Thursday, September 4th, 8:00 in the East.

And right now, we're going to show you some live pictures. A pivotal NATO summit is getting underway in Wales. This is a live look at the start of the meeting. The issues Western leaders faced are well- documented. Top of that: how to slow ISIS and to prevent Westerners from joining their ranks anymore.

The other crisis on hand: stopping Russia's aggression in Ukraine. And can Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to end the conflict be taken seriously at all?

There's a lot for leaders to tackle and not a lot of time to get underway.

CNN's Michelle Kosinski is in Wales with what to -- what more on -- with more on what to expect -- Michelle.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kate.

Right. It's strange to think this hasn't even properly started yet in terms of meetings, because there's been so much news leading up to it in the last week, with the planning and goal setting.

This morning, we saw President Obama meet with the U.K.'s prime minister, David Cameron, they sat together and had a meeting between themselves, even put out together an op-ed piece in "The London Times" this morning, that was very bluntly titled, "We will not be cowed by barbaric killers," referring there to the ISIS threat.

Well, today, we expect to see meetings on Afghanistan. That's a situation that has not gone away. Also, of course, Ukraine.

And there's one meeting with Western powers, including the U.S., U.K., Italy, France, and Germany, and they have invited Ukraine to join them, even though Ukraine, of course, is not a NATO member, though it may be in the future. This summit has been, if not, all about, then certainly greatly shaped by the events happening there.

And the West's problem now is how to deal with Russia and NATO is going to be forging that plan further. It seems like the only option short of military force is expanding sanctions.

So, we expect to see an announcement on that, if not today, then tomorrow, and also expanding the capability of NATO forces. That, then, is going to require greater contributions from individual members.

So, we should see something announced in that department as well, Kate.

BOLDUAN: To think, we've already heard the president, President Obama, beginning the call for greater contributions from all NATO members. Michelle, thank you so much -- traveling with the president in Wales this morning.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: The big ticket, of course, is the ISIS threat. And it is being felt especially strongly in Great Britain. Why? Well, hundreds of Brits are believed to have joined ISIS, including the terrorist seen on the video beheading Americans James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

So, what are the Brits prepared to do about the problem? British Prime Minister David Cameron holds the answers. And our Nic Robertson put the key questions to him.

Good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Chris, I began by asking the British Prime Minister David Cameron about what President Obama has said in Estonia, that ISIS should be destroyed. And then they had gone on to say that it should be shrunk to manageable problem.

I asked the British prime minister, should it be shrunk or destroyed? This is what he said.

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DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Destroyed, squeezed out of existence is the way I should put it. But we should be clear what we're facing here is this Islamist extremist narrative, a poison narrative. It isn't just in Iraq and Syria. We've also seen it in Somalia and Mali, of course, in Afghanistan, when hosted by the Taliban. So, this is a generational struggle.

ROBERTSON: Will Britain be committing air strikes against is in Iraq and Syria?

CAMERON: We don't rule anything out. We'll act with partners in our national interest. We've already taken some important steps, with Americans and others. We've been helping the Kurds.

ROBERTSON: On that poisonous narrative, the man with the British accent seen involved in the murder, in the brutal murder of James Foley and Steven Sotloff. Is the British government any closer to identifying this British accented man and capturing him? CAMERON: Well, we have been working exhaustively to identify all the

people that are potentially involved. I'm not going to give out that information publicly.

But, obviously, what we're doing is everything we can to stop people traveling. We're taking away passports. We're banning people from traveling. We're also prosecuting, convicting, and imprisoning those that commit or support terrorist acts. We're preventing people from returning.

We're looking at all the people that we can do. But I'm in and out do that these people, they will face justice one way or the other.

ROBERTSON: Let's shift to the other important thing on the agenda here, Ukraine. President Putin released steps towards peace. Do you -- in Ukraine -- do you trust those steps in his outline?

CAMERON: Well, it's positive that at least he's making noises about peace. I think the difficulty of trust is partly based on the fact that Putin has been denying that there are Russian troops on Ukrainian soil, when everyone can see that that is the case. If you go on with this destabilization, a potential breaking up of Ukraine, there will be a very different relationship between Russia on the one hand in America and Europe on the other.

And let's be frank -- Russia needs America and Europe more than America and Europe need Russia. We need to make that relationship pay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And I followed up with the British prime minister, asking about the specific points in President Putin's peace plan that essentially appear to amount to an annexation of parts of southeastern Ukraine by the pro-Russian rebels and effectively, therefore, by Russia itself. He said this was completely unacceptable, that Kiev must be free to control the whole country -- Chris.

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

Important conversation to have, especially right now, Kate, and we'll have to see what resolve they can make between the U.K., the U.S., and all the other NATO members.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Let's focus on one issue on the agenda for many of the NATO leaders, the threat of ISIS.

Let's continue that discussion with Florida Senator Bill Nelson, senior member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

Senator, it's great to see you. Thanks so much for coming in.

SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: Good morning.

BOLDUAN: Good morning to you. A lot on the table for NATO leaders. One of the big issues, as I

said, is the threat against ISIS. And you are calling for a vote to make clear any question of the legal authority that the president would have to strike ISIS in Syria.

The president has, though, Senator, has not yet said that he wants to strike ISIS in Syria quite yet. Why call for a vote before the president lays out that strategy?

NELSON: Well, I believe that the president has the constitutional authority to strike in Syria, to protect America and our national security.

But this is not going to be a one or two-day strike. This is going to be a long-term affair and as a result, we may as well have the Constitution followed, which is that the Congress declares war.

Now, as you know, the president has the authority from a previous law to protect American interests in Iraq. And thus far, he has been very successful in employing airstrikes along with ground troops of either the Kurds or the Iraqi army.

To go into Syria, legal scholars will debate as to whether or not he needs that by Congress declaring it. And that's why I'm proposing this, and let's just get the question settled once and for all. If we don't deal with ISIS now, we are certainly going to have to deal with them in the future.

BOLDUAN: And I think it's important when you point out the fact that it's not going to be a short-term engagement. And that's why you think the Constitution should be followed and a vote should be had.

Because I spoke with a Republican member of the House earlier in the show, and he said that he doesn't think the president necessarily needs any additional authority. Are you hearing the same from your colleagues, because many are wondering if you're going to get the vote at all?

NELSON: Well, my personal feeling is that the president can strike to protect American interests.

BOLDUAN: Right.

NELSON: He's already, for example, put boots on the ground in Syria, when they tried to rescue the journalists with a special operations team.

But we're talking about a threat to America where they say, they will not stop until the black flag of ISIS is hanging over the White House.

So, we're in this for the long haul. Notice: the president's already taken action. August the 25th, he started the surveillance flights over Syria.

So, the planning is underway, the Pentagon is on full alert. Now, the question is, let's give the go from the Congress so that there is no question as to the legal authority.

BOLDUAN: Are you confident you will get this vote on this legislation?

NELSON: Well, sooner or later, we will, because this, again, is not going to be a short-term affair.

BOLDUAN: Do you think you'll get it before midterm? Because everyone, of course, wonders how the political calendar plays into the decision that, you know, might put some of your colleagues in a tough spot, some would say.

NELSON: Well, I can't imagine our senators running for re-election, that their constituents are not saying, with these beheadings, with ISIS having so much American equipment, having captured it from the Iraqi army in Mosul, most of that equipment back in Syria, having taken over the banks, now not only that cash, but producing income from all the oil wells that they have -- this is a real threat to America, to our allies, to the freedom-loving peoples of the world.

And how many more beheadings is it going to take to get people to realize what we're dealing with? That's why I think we'll have the success in a vote.

BOLDUAN: Do you think, in the end -- you talked about boots on the ground in Syria in terms of that Special Operations to rescue the American journalist. Do you think boots on the ground is inevitable?

I ask you this, because the deputy national security adviser, Tony Blinken, was on earlier in the show, speaking to Chris. And he said over and over again, we're not having combat boots on the ground. We will not go back to the way it was when we were in Iraq, that's not in the cards.

However, Secretary Hagel speaking to our Jim Sciutto, also made the point, he said this, "To your larger point about just airstrikes -- no, just air strikes alone won't fulfill or accomplish what the mission is."

Do you think boots on the ground is an inevitability in order to destroy ISIS?

NELSON: When you do a major military operation, you leave opportunities for all kinds of contingencies. It is clearly the intention of the United States that we are not going to put a land army in Syria. But to achieve an objective, you have to give yourself the flexibility to achieve that goal that you're trying.

Now, right now, we're being very successful in Iraq, by the employment of boots on the ground, by the Iraqi forces and the Kurds, with our airstrikes. What we find in Syria, we'll have to deal with at the time. And so, if the objective is to cut off the head of the snake, the ISIS snake in Syria, then that's what we're going to have to do.

BOLDUAN: Do you think the president, to this point, though, has kind of talked himself, if you will, into a corner, by being so adamant about what the administration will not do, in terms of boots on the ground?

NELSON: No, I don't. I think the president has been very deliberative. He's been cool under pressure. He started the surveillance flights. He's working a coalition. It's a coalition not just with somebody like the Free Syrian Army, which is on the ground, fighting ISIS in Syria right now, but he's working it with all our coalition partners in NATO, as we speak this minute.

And so, I think he's preparing us in the way that a commander-in-chief ought to.

BOLDUAN: Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, Senator, it's always great to have you on. We'll be looking forward to see what happens when you and your fellow lawmakers return to Washington, if that vote will be happening maybe in the near future. Thank you so much for your time this morning.

NELSON: Thank you, ma'am. Have a great day.

BOLDUAN: Thanks so much.

As we were speaking, you could see live pictures of President Obama arriving, standing right next to British Prime Minister David Cameron. The NATO summit getting underway as we speak.

CUOMO: A lot of work to do.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: So much for them to work through, for sure. And I'm sure they're thinking about Steven Sotloff.

That's what we begin our coverage of your headlines right now. A few stories, Steven Sotloff's grieving family breaking their silence, remembering him, as quoting, "a mere man trying to find good." In a family statement, the leader of ISIS violating Islam by beheading him.

This morning, we're also learning more about this murder American's background. Sotloff was Jewish and held Israeli citizenship.

New today, Dutch investigators say they'll release a preliminary reporter into the Malaysia Air Flight 17 air crash. It will be based on satellite imagery and radar, as well as data from the plane's flight recorders. MH17 was shot down over Eastern Ukraine near the Russian border July 17th. All 298 people on board were killed. The Dutch safety board says further investigation will be need before it can release a final report.

Political shocker in Kansas, Democrat Chad Taylor dropped out of the race against incumbent Republican Senator Pat Roberts. Taylor isn't saying exactly why he decided to end his campaign, but this serves as a big boost to the chances of independent candidate Greg Orman, who will now face off with Roberts in November.

Fourteen minutes past the hour. Those are your headlines.

BOLDUAN: The midterms, the midterms.

CUOMO: That's right.

BOLDUAN: I don't know what I sing. I like to sing it because I get excited about politics.

CUOMO: Needs a better tune.

BOLDUAN: I'll work on it.

CUOMO: All right. How about in a break?

BOLDUAN: Yes, please?

CUOMO: All right. And a pressing question to consider: Michael Brown's juvenile record, should it be released? What's in there? Is there a legitimate interest in knowing? Knowing who this young man was and what he may have been predisposed to, or is this media fishing for damaging details on someone who's a victim and not on trial?

We're going to speak with an attorney for Michael Brown's family. This is a question that's being decided by a judge right now.

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CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

Today, the Justice Department is launching a broad civil rights investigation into the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department. That's where unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer. The investigation is going to look into whether or not the practices of the Ferguson PD violate federal law. This comes as two media outlets are suing to unseal Michael Brown's juvenile record.

Now, the state is arguing Brown had no serious felony convictions, so there is no legitimate interest in the information. Members of the media say, with so much unknown, his past is relevant.

Attorney for Michael Brown's family, Daryl Parks, joins us now from Florida on this situation.

Counsel, very good to have you, as always.

DARYL PARKS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL BROWN'S FAMILY: Good morning.

CUOMO: Let me ask you first about the investigation by the DOJ. We had heard the attorney general say, we're going to take a look at the shooting specifically. See what was done and what not.

Now, this is a second layer looking at Ferguson and surrounding police departments. Is this something that the family wanted?

PARKS: Well, certainly, they wanted -- I mean, Chris, you may or may not know, but in the area of Ferguson, there have been several police departments close by that have had serious issues. For example, Jennings, Missouri, which is contiguous with Ferguson, Missouri, here. So, there have been serious issues in this area before. We were not

surprised by the fact that when the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division put these 40 agents on the ground, you hear the number, 200 people had been interviewed. Obviously, not all of them had things to say about the Michael Brown situation, I'm sure some of them had other things to say.

Part of what we have seen in our investigation on the ground there, as we do continue to get complaints about other situations that have happened there in Ferguson and in surrounding areas, so I'm sure, as they did their investigation, they, too, began to get a lot of things about different situations that probably caused them to want to take a closer, wider look at the Ferguson police department.

CUOMO: And the reach will be pretty sweeping. It won't be just issues of race. This investigation authorizes to look at patterns of conduct that involve any type of negative preference. It could be on the base of socioeconomics, anything. But, obviously, race is a motivator here.

So then you have a second big issue. And counsel, let's do this the easy way for the audience. You make the case for why releasing the juvenile record is wrong, and I'll take the side that the media is advancing in this litigation, though we are not party to it.

Why is it wrong to release the record here?

PARKS: Well, Chris, I think it was about a couple weeks ago, y'all asked me about his criminal history. And one of the issues that was rather clear, even the police department had made it clear, that there's no significant criminal history here. Yesterday was important, because even as the judge gets ready to rule, the attorneys for the juvenile area there in Missouri indicated that there was no significant juvenile history in Mike Brown's past.

CUOMO: OK. So, we do know this. If Michael Brown had been convicted as a juvenile of a serious felony, you know, behavior that would be a felony as an adult, it would already be public. It would not be protected by the juvenile law. So, we know there can't be a conviction for that.

But, we don't know certain things. And why can't the media judge for itself what's in there and whether it's relevant to showing that predisposition that Michael Brown may have had when encountering this officer? An intention of being violent, that he may have been someone who may have been trying to threaten the officer?

PARKS: Well, first of all, Michael brown is a victim in this situation, and I think we have to be very careful about how we try to portray the victim. And he did not shoot anyone.

Number two, it's rather clear that the laws in the state of Missouri certainly have leaned toward protecting children and things that happen while they are younger. So, we get to the point where, why does this become important? Well, we believe, number one, that those folks who have asked for

these records are participating as part of a character assassination of Michael Brown and his death. We believe that it is shameful that they would want to continue to go down this road, knowing, number one, that Michael Brown was not the perpetrator. Number two, knowing that he did not have any significant record. And three, where some have been so egregious to put out there that he had been part of some, or maybe had a pending murder charge of some type, which now we know is totally untrue.

So those people who continue to participate in gross untruths really should stop and give great respect to Michael Brown, who is deceased.

CUOMO: To your best knowledge, you say the allegations that there was some type of homicide investigation going on, or some type of charge, to your knowledge, is there any serious behavior that was being examined by any aspect of the court system involving Michael Brown?

PARKS: Nothing serious whatsoever. I think if nothing else, maybe, probably may have possibly had a juvenile situation, maybe at worst, maybe a truancy situation. But nothing of any type of serious nature where a person in his situation, and his being a victim, and being shot in broad daylight by an officer would come into play.

CUOMO: Now, this is insensitive. There's no question about it. However, it may be legal.

You paused when you said that the law is designed to protect kids. You said, you know, while they're young.

I'll fill in the pause a different way. It's designed to protect kids while they're alive. And Michael Brown, right or wrong, is no longer alive.

And I think most people would agree, you lose a life and it's wrong, but he's not alive anymore. So, there's nothing -- there's no one to protect. So we should release the record?

PARKS: Well, I don't -- you know, I haven't seen the law in particular, but I saw someone interpret the law, to say that that right or protection died with his death. I'm not quite sure if that's what the law actually says.

I think, if nothing else, we should take the spirit of the law in the situation, that is rather clear that the law is designed to protect the juvenile rights of a person. I think the law, if it doesn't, should go to the point where especially in his death, that it shouldn't be used against him, particularly given the fact that he is not the person that took a life in this situation.

CUOMO: And many people have reached out with questions about this saying, would it be allowed as evidence at trial. And what they're forgetting is the point you're making, Michael Brown would not be on trial in this situation. It would be about the shooting, and if anything, that would be involving what the officer did, not what Michael Brown did. Not at this point, anyway. Counsel, always good to get the information and perspective directly

from you. Thank you for joining us on NEW DAY.

PARKS: Thank you.

CUOMO: We're following this story. But we also are watching for you the NATO summit, because it's getting underway in Wales right now. President Obama just got there, the world leaders are there, and they're looking to build a united front against ISIS. Now, this comes as more and more Americans are becoming radicalized.

We're going to speak to a Muslim member of Congress whose state is actually battling the problem right now.

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