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Iran Calls GOP Letter 'Propaganda Ploy'; Iraqi Forces on Verge of Retaking Tikrit; Racist Fraternity Chant Video Fallout

Aired March 10, 2015 - 07:00   ET

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

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now, listen to President Obama's tone in the Oval Office as he slams this move by Republicans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's somewhat ironic to see some members of Congress wanting to make common cause with the hard-liners of Iran. It's an unusual coalition. I think what we're going to focus on right now is actually seeing whether we can get a deal or not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Now, the freshman Senator Tom Cotton who organized this letter, he notably got 46 other Republican senators to sign onto this deal, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He says he believes that the contours of what they're hearing about this deal coming together are unacceptable, and they're trying to push forward not to get a bad deal -- Chris.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: I'll take it here, Sunlen. You're so right: the president's tone there was noteworthy. Thanks for that report.

Well, Iran's foreign minister calls this letter a, quote, "propaganda ploy" and suggests that the senators who signed it need a lesson in international law. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen joins us live from Tehran -- Fred.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Alisyn, from a very snowy Tehran this morning, where a lot of people and especially the government here found the letter from those GOP senators quite condescending. They say especially the part where the GOP senators write that perhaps the Iranian government is not familiar with the U.S.' constitutional process.

Now the Iranian foreign minister, in an answer to all this that he did send to CNN here in Tehran said that he believed that the senators themselves needed a lesson in constitutional process. And as you said, also said that he thought all of this was, quote, a P.R. ploy.

I want to read you more from his response. He said, "In our view this letter has no legal value and is mostly a propaganda ploy. The world is not the United States, and the conduct of interstate relations is governed by international law and not by U.S. domestic law."

So certainly, the Iranians there taking offense to this letter somewhat. However, Javad Zarif also said in his response that he believes that this letter will have no impact whatsoever on the ongoing negotiations.

Of course, the Iranians themselves here are facing some backlash internally, as well. There are, indeed, some religious hardliners here in this country who feel that Iran should walk away from the negotiating table. There are some who even believe that Iran is thriving under sanctions.

However, if you ask the majority of the population here in this country, they want a deal, and they certainly want the sanctions to go as fast as possible, Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Fred, so valuable to have you on the ground there and find out from the people where their minds are. Thank you for the reporting. We'll check back with you.

So 47 Republicans signed onto this letter. But one man drafted it and appears first. He is freshman Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and he joins us now.

Senator, thank you very much for joining us. Please tell us how you think this letter helps the situation.

SEN. TOM COTTON (R), ARKANSAS: Well, many of Iran's leaders, if you listen to Iran experts, don't understand the U.S. Constitution. The president may negotiate deals, but Congress has to approve deals for them to have lasting effect. And if Congress doesn't approve this nuclear deal, Congress won't accept this deal now or in the future. And this is ultimately about stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon today, tomorrow, ten years from now, 15 years from now.

CUOMO: Is this letter really about explaining the Constitution, or is it an overt move to undermine the president?

COTTON: No, this letter is about stopping Iran from getting a nuclear deal. Iran's leaders need to understand that, under our Constitution, Congress plays a critical role in approving international agreements. If Congress does not approve an agreement, the agreement will not necessarily have lasting effect. Future Congresses or, for that matter, a future president can change them.

And the deal that is emerging would allow Iran to develop a path towards a nuclear weapon, and that's not acceptable, because it's too dangerous to the United States and too dangerous to the world.

CUOMO: Putting the politics aside for one second, you say this letter is about the Constitution. There is an error in this letter that goes to the larger point about the president being the person who really drives the ball when had it comes to foreign deals. You say in here that the Congress needs to ratify by a two-thirds

vote. On your own Senate website it recognizes the constitutional reality that, in fact, the Congress does not ratify treaties. It gives advice and consent to the president through the votes, which you know how they work, two-thirds; certain deals it's a majority. And the president ratifies or chooses not to ratify treaties.

Now this isn't a constitutional law class. This is about who drives the game, and it is the president. And by sending this letter, instead of sending it to him, you are undermining his authority. Isn't that the truth?

COTTON: No, we're actually giving the negotiators more authority, because the Iranian leaders need to know that any deal has to be approved by Congress if it's going to have lasting effect. And if it's not, it won't be accepted by Congress.

So we are the constitutional backstop that our Founding Fathers created to ensure just this -- this -- just this situation, that you wouldn't have single president committing the United States to a binding, lasting deal with the world's leading sponsor of state terrorism to get nuclear weapons. A regime that has been killing Americans for 35 years and extending its regional dominance to five capitals in the Middle East, all without a nuclear weapon. So imagine what they would do with a nuclear weapon.

CUOMO: And I think that's the right fear and concern. The question is how do we achieve the goal of not having Iran have a nuclear weapon?

You talk about precedent. Ninety percent of all agreements done with foreign entities since 1939 have been executive agreements. The history is long. The power of the president in foreign affairs is clear.

Let me ask you this: you're a decorated veteran. You know the realities of war. If you don't negotiate and get a deal done right now, what is Plan B? What is your alternative?

COTTON: As Benjamin Netanyahu said last week, the alternative to a bad deal is a better deal. And one way to make sure that we get a better deal is to stand strong to keep the credible use of force on the table, and to drive a harder bargain.

CUOMO: To drive a harder bargain. But that's what's going on right now. And I'm sure, as you well know, they're -- and are learning in the halls of the Senate and Congress, when a deal is ongoing, having somebody step in and say, "By the way, the guy you're negotiating with, he doesn't have the power; we do." Not only is that not true but how does that help the negotiating? How does this do anything but hinder the efforts that we all agree are vital to U.S. security interests?

COTTON: Well, it is true. The simple matter of constitutional law, that the Congress only has the power to approve international agreements to make them having lasting and binding effect. President Obama himself has overturned executive agreements that

his predecessors made with other foreign leaders. And certainly -- certainly, there should be congressional approval when you're talking about a nuclear weapons deal with the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.

CUOMO: Understood. But as we have discussed earlier and, again, this isn't a gotcha session, Senator. This is very important stuff. This letter was an unprecedented move in this context. The Senate doesn't ratify treaties. The president does. He's the one holding the power.

You also suggest in this letter, "Hey, this deal would only be an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei," which is a loaded statement and also somewhat inaccurate, because you have the P-5 plus one signing on. This is among major powers in the world. It's not just about the U.S. and Iran. Do you believe you're playing politics here with a situation that really doesn't benefit from it?

COTTON: No, nor do I believe this letter is unprecedented. The only thing unprecedented is an American president negotiating a nuclear weapons deal with the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism without seeking congressional approval at the end of that deal.

CUOMO: There is -- there is no question that what you're talking about going on with Iran is unusual, because usually, it would be the focus of a treaty. But deals with Iran have a lot of precedence, have never involved Congress, and I can't find another letter like this ever.

Members of Congress often visit foreign nations that are controversial, sometimes with, sometimes without the White House consent, but not a letter like this.

And that takes me to you, Senator. You're a decorated veteran, but you're a freshman there. Why are you the one drafting this letter? What do you think of the idea that you're kind of being set up in this situation to take the fall?

COTTON: Well, I'm simply speaking out for the people I represent in Arkansas and for 70 percent of Americans, who don't believe that the deal that the president is negotiating is going to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

I'm very pleased that I have so many of my colleagues join me of all different tenures, and we welcome more people to join us, Republicans and Democrats alike. For that matter, I'd welcome the presidential candidates to join us. We have four potential candidates in the U.S. Senate on the letter. I'd welcome even Hillary Clinton to join us. Because I suspect she might have reservations about this ill-fated nuclear deal with Iran, as well.

CUOMO: But you -- look, how does this help the bipartisan situation? You know the politics that are playing out around you. You didn't get seven of your own senators. One of those you didn't get is Bob Corker. He's the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This isn't authored by Mitch McConnell for a reason. They're trying to work to form a coalition. This does nothing but blow up efforts toward a coalition. That's why Democrats wouldn't sign on.

So how do you see this as progress? It's not going to help you with the Democrats. It's not going to help make a deal with Iran, and it only hurts the president. Where's the benefit?

COTTON: Well, 47 senators of all tenures in the U.S. Senate recognize that we can the not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon and that it is critical that Congress approve any deal and that they will not accept any deal that Congress doesn't approve.

Again, it's an open letter. I welcome others to join us. Many have expressed the exact sentiments that we wrote in that letter that Congress must approve any deal, even if they didn't want to sign it for whatever reason.

CUOMO: But you do realize that Congress does not have to approve the deal. The president can do it himself. There's plenty of precedent for that.

And the deal on the table is one clear goal. How long can we keep Iran from getting a nuclear weapon? What's the best we can do to stop it?

COTTON: Well, the deal...

CUOMO: Do you not see the goal of the negotiations as being just that?

COTTON: No. The deal on the table, as the president himself has announced, would pave the path to a bomb. The president himself last week said the deal would have a sunset clause for as little as ten years. His national security adviser said Iran would be allowed to have massive uranium enrichment programs, which is a critical component to a nuclear weapons program.

We're not talking about just stopping Iran from getting a bomb today or tomorrow but ten years and 15 years from now. Whatever the final terms of the deal, those two terms alone are too dangerous for the world to accept, which is why Congress would not approve those terms of any deal.

CUOMO: Senator Cotton, we'll see what the impact of this letter is. So far it hasn't proved helpful for the president or with the Iranians, based on their immediate response, but we'll be following this very closely. Thank you for coming on NEW DAY and answering for this. Appreciate it.

COTTON: Thank you.

CUOMO: Alisyn. CAMEROTA: OK, Chris, over to Iraq now. Iraqi forces confident

they can crush ISIS, saying they're making decisive gains against the terror group. They expect to reclaim Tikrit within days.

CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman joins us from Baghdad with the latest -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The offensive to retake Tikrit from ISIS is now in its eighth day. The latest we've heard is that Iraqi forces have retaken the town of al- Alam (ph), which is just outside of Tikrit.

Now, we did see rockets being fired into Tikrit, and we watched as Iraqi forces moved out in the direction of the city. However, they don't seem to have entered the town just yet.

We spoke with the head of the Hashdashabi (ph). He, Hadi al- Amedy (ph), told us that we don't need and he we won't need the help of the U.S.-led coalition. He said the Iraqis by themselves will liberate the country from ISIS.

This despite the fact that the U.S. chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Dempsey, was in Baghdad yesterday. He met with the Iraqi prime minister, the Iraqi defense minister, and stressed the role of the U.S.-led coalition in the fight against ISIS.

At this point, that coalition has hit more than 2,000 targets in Iraq and Syria. They've trained more than 5,000 Iraqi soldiers in addition to Peshmerga fighters in the north of the country.

But the attitude we heard on the frontlines from members of the Shia-led militias was that "We don't need the U.S." One officer told me that it's better to have four Iranian advisers on the frontline than 400 American advisers sitting in the Green Zone.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Ben Wedeman there reporting. A key time in Tikrit. Thank you for that.

More fallout now from the racist fraternity video that is rocking the University of Oklahoma. Members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon have been ordered to vacate their frat house by midnight tonight following that racist chant. The president calling the students involved a disgrace.

CNN's Nick Valencia is tracking all the developments for us. He's live in Norman, Oklahoma. Good morning to you again, Nick.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Michaela.

Some students here on campus don't think that the penalties against Sigma Alpha Epsilon went far enough. But the university president here says he's severing all ties with the fraternity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can hang them from a tree, but they'll never sign with me. There will never be a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) at SAE. VALENCIA (voice-over): That highly offensive racist chant,

belted out by fraternity members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, is sending shivers through the University of Oklahoma, prompting the Oklahoma football team, the Sooners, to march in solidarity. The moment taking precedence over practice.

But outrage over the viral video elicited a more guttural response from the team's linebacker, Eric Striker, lashing out in this emotional rebuttal on social media.

ERIC STRIKER, LINEBACKER, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL TEAM: The same (EXPLETIVE DELETED) talking about racism don't exist be the same (EXPLETIVE DELETED) shaking our hand, giving us hugs, telling them how you really love us.

VALENCIA: He spoke with CNN's Don Lemon Monday night.

STRIKER: We shouldn't tolerate that type of behavior here. It was such a bad reflection on the people here.

VALENCIA: Overnight the fraternity's national president issuing another apology via Facebook, writing, "To those that were hurt and offended by these actions, especially the African-American community and our many African-American brothers, I apologize on behalf of our now-closed chapter and its members who will be expelled."

Backlash from the video already has a top high school recruit backing out of his early commitment to play for the Oklahoma Sooners.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was just very disturbing to he me. I don't like it.

DAVID BOREN, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESIDENT: Real Sooners are not bigots.

VALENCIA: The university's president taking swift action, severing all ties with SAE, demanding all members remove their belongings from campus, saying students could be expelled.

BOREN: We have zero tolerance for racism. As I said, I have a message for those that misuse their free speech to use racial slurs. You're a disgrace to this university.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: And one African-American student that I spoke to says that she was surprised that it was SAE that was caught on camera saying this racist chant, because she says that there are fraternities here at the University of Oklahoma that are much worse offenders. They're calling for an investigation of the entire Greek system -- Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right, Nick. We'll be watching that. In fact, in our next hour, we're going to speak with the president of Oklahoma, David Boren, about the next steps for his school. CUOMO: Breaking overnight, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea

released from the hospital but still recovering from last week's knife attack. Mark Lippert is the man, sporting a big bandage; says he's doing well, plans to return to work soon. He had more than 80 stitches removed from his face. The ambassador is still experiencing pain in the wrist and arm. He was also stabbed in those places. Lippert's attacker now faces attempted murder charges. And we remember the amazing poise he showed during that.

CAMEROTA: Well, the U.S. declaring Venezuela national security threat and imposing sanctions against seven top officials. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro rejecting President Obama's executive order and appointing one of those sanctioned officials as the country's new interior minister. This is the worst dispute between the two countries since Maduro took office in 2013.

PEREIRA: An embattled judge in Ferguson resigning. This action comes after a scathing report accusing Judge Ronald Brockmeyer of using his court to fund the city on the back of poor minorities. Judge Roy L. Richter now will replace him. Besides hearing pending and future cases, Richter is also being tasked with turning Ferguson's justice system around in order to restore public trust and confidence. He certainly has his work cut out for him.

CAMEROTA: Isn't it amazing to see the ripple effect from one terrible event, one day, and then all of the things that have happened to that town and the officials since then?

PEREIRA: Yes.

CUOMO: And very important for them to be kept separate. Because the outcome, you know, one of the big problems with that case was that it was marked by this culture that surrounded it. And when people were saying "hands up, don't shoot," yes, it was about what they thought happened with Michael Brown that the grand jury didn't agree with, but it was also about the culture that they had been dealing with.

PEREIRA: Absolutely. And the system, too.

CUOMO: And now the truth about that is out.

CAMEROTA: And it's changing.

Meanwhile, jurors in the Boston Marathon bombing trial seeing new video showing the defendant, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, at the scene. You will not believe what cameras capture him doing after the blast.

CUOMO: And American hero John Lewis marched hand-in-hand with Martin Luther King from Selma to Montgomery 50 years ago. So what does he have to say about how far we have come and how far we need to go? We'll ask him next.

Good to see you, sir.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PEREIRA: Demonstrators taking to the streets over two separate

race-related issues. In Oklahoma students protesting a fraternity singing a racist video -- chant, all caught on video. In Wisconsin a walkout and a march following the shooting death of a biracial teenager at the hands of a white police officer.

This is all a very stark reminder that, even 50 years after Bloody Sunday in Selma, race relations in our nation remain a challenge.

Joining us Congressman John Lewis, who marched in Selma 50 years ago. He documented his involvement in the civil rights movement in the book series "March." We will talk about that with him.

Congressman, first of all, very good to have you here with us this morning.

REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: Thank you very much are for having me. Delighted and very pleased to be here.

PEREIRA: I can't help but watch that video of the protests that are happening over the weekend, the demonstrations, the fact that an unarmed teenager, a biracial teenager, lost his life at the hands of a police officer. We see that racist video that surfaces. This is the same weekend that world leaders and national leaders, mostly, gathered to walk across Edmund Pettus Bridge. It's significant; it's disturbing. I wonder what your thoughts and reactions are to that.

LEWIS: Well, we've come a distance. We've made a lot of progress, but we still have a great distance to go. The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in American society. We have not yet created what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would call the Beloved Community, a post-racial society. And we must still work and work.

One of the reasons for writing these books: to help educate, to help inspire another generation to get out there and push and bring down those walls of separation and division. To teach our children, our young people.

CAMEROTA: It's a great way to teach them, in the graphic novel form, and we'll get to that in a second. But I'm wondering what was it like for you, 50 years later, to walk back across the Pettus Bridge, you know, the very bridge where you were knocked unconscious by a police nightstick?

LEWIS: Well, it was very moving just to be back on the bridge: to stand there 50 years later, to realize that I'm still here. Fifty years ago, I gave a little blood on that bridge. I thought I was going to die. I thought I saw death. I thought it was the last nonviolent protest. And to be standing there with the president of the United States, almost 100 members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, was very meaningful.

CUOMO: Where are the John Lewises of the next generation? Is that one of your concerns in putting these books together? And thank you very much. I can't wait to have my kids read them. But that idea of the next generation of leadership, the president talked about it. We've heard about it from men like you and Harry Belafonte, who was pivotal down there with you all, as well. Do you see that next generation?

LEWIS: Well, I do see the next generation. I see young people. I see young black, white, Latino, Asian-American, Native American, playing a role, engaging in role-playing, studying the way of peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence.

I visit schools, and I see kids putting on their backpacks and their trench coat, playing me. And when I saw the movie "Selma," I went on the set, and a young man had on a backpack and a trench coat, looking like me. I said, "Boy, give me my trench coat. I want my backpack back."

But the people then just needed some help, some assistance. That's what we received. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired me. Rosa Parks inspired me.

When I was growing up in 1957 at the age of 17, I heard of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. I met Rosa Parks when I was 17; met Dr. King when I was 18. And after reading a little comic book called "Martin Luther King Jr. and the Montgomery Story." And that book set me on a path.

And it's my hope that these books will set another generation of young people on a path committed to peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence, and they will find a way to get in the way, to get in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.

PEREIRA: I want to talk to you about that good trouble and nonviolence. Because that is something that some of our young people have struggled with in reaction to Ferguson, for example. We saw a lot of people, leaders come out with love and questioning and frustration, warranted frustration.

But there are some among us that the violence comes -- the frustration comes out in the form of violence. Help us understand how, when someone has a foot on their neck, how they can respond with love and not with violence, because that's an important message.

LEWIS: I saw it in the '60s. I saw it in Selma. I saw it in Nashville, in Mississippi, in other places around the South. But people went through training. We just didn't wake up one morning and said, "We're going to protest. We're going to march. We're going to sit in. We're going on a freedom ride."

PEREIRA: You trained.

LEWIS: We trained. We prepared ourselves. So when someone would be spitting on us, pouring hot water on us, putting a lighted cigarette out in our hair or down on our backs, we didn't strike back. Dr. King used to say from time to time, "Just love everybody. Just love the hell out of everybody. Just love everybody. Love is a better way." PEREIRA: It always is.

CAMEROTA: Congressman, what did you think? Have you seen the video out of the University of Oklahoma?

LEWIS: I have seen it. It's unreal. It's unbelievable in this day and age on a college campus. I think the president -- I know this president. He has served in the United States Senate. His son served in the House with me. And I think he's taking the necessary steps.

CUOMO: Do they have to be expelled?

LEWIS: Well, I think it's not a place on a college or university campus for young people or any group to be acting the way they're acting.

CAMEROTA: They should be gone?

LEWIS: They should be gone.

PEREIRA: And, too, one of the conversations we've been having a lot, and we don't have a lot of time left, but I do want to talk about the lessons that we can learn from this and how we move forward. When we look at the efforts in our communities to better relationships between law enforcement and the communities, what is the key there? Because love is important, but how does the conversation and the dialogue begin?

LEWIS: We should bring law enforcement individuals and community individuals, leaders, students, young people together. We all should have a little nonviolent training. Police officers, the community, even in the Congress I feel sometimes, should learn how to just be a little more peaceful, respectful, and be a sense of community.

PEREIRA: Great messages in both of these books. In fact, I hope you're giving them to your colleagues in Congress.

LEWIS: Well, we're making them available to all members of Congress.

CUOMO: Tell them there are lots of pictures in the book. They'll be able to get through it.

LEWIS: Yes, we will.

PEREIRA: These are two fantastic novels, "March" book one, book two; and we're told book three is coming out in a matter of months. Congressman John Lewis, a real honor to have you here with us today. Thank you for sharing. It's important.

LEWIS: Well, thank you very much for having me. Thank you so much.

CAMEROTA: Such a pleasure talking to you.

LEWIS: Thank you. CAMEROTA: Thanks, Congressman.

LEWIS: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Well, more gripping testimony at the trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and stunning new surveillance video showing the defendant before and after the attack. What was he doing?

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