Return to Transcripts main page
New Day Saturday
U.K. Raises Terror Threat Level To "Severe"; Ebola Spreads To Fifth African Nation; Joan Rivers' Condition "Remains Serious"; U.S.: 1,000 Russian Soldiers Into Ukraine; U.K. Raises Terror Threat Level over ISIS; Uzi Victim's Family Reaches Out to Girl; End Ban on Transgender Troop; 145 mph with Danica Patrick
Aired August 30, 2014 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: We are edging toward the 8:00 hour here on a beautiful Saturday. I hope the sun is shining where you are. I'm Christi Paul.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. This is NEW DAY SATURDAY. It's good to have you with us. We have a lot coming up.
PAUL: Yes, I know, a lot of people enjoying a three-day weekend.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
PAUL: If you are traveling, you may see some ramped up security certainly.
BLACKWELL: Yes, U.S. officials insist that is not necessarily linked to an increased terror threat, but the Obama administration is looking whether to expand airstrikes against ISIS targets into Syria. Even as President Obama continues to take political heat for saying he has not finalized a strategy on dealing with ISIS there.
PAUL: Now across the Atlantic, the U.K. has heightened its terror threat level to severe. This is the second highest level. And British Prime Minister David Cameron says more must be done to stop western Jihadists from returning home from the battlefields of the Middle East to possibly strike on home turf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It is becoming clear that there are some gaps in our armory and we need to strengthen them. We need to do more to stop people traveling and stop those who do go from returning and to deal divisively with those who are already here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: So what might those measures look like? Well, perhaps taking away the passports of suspected terrorists who are trying to slip back into the U.K.
BLACKWELL: We have CNN's Karl Penhaul is following all of this for us. He is in London. Karl, we know the terror alert has been raised in the U.K. Tell us more about why it's been ramped up. KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Prime Minister David Cameron was also urging the British public to do with the dig in for what could be a long fight. He said that this battle against radical Islam could be generational.
He said it could take years. It could take decades. But what he did go on to say was that there was no specific intelligence about any eminent danger. When asked then why the terror threat was raised right now, he said because of the growing concern about what those 500 plus Britons fighting in Syria and Iraq with ISIS.
That they could come back to this country and create havoc. Of course, that is a danger we have known about for months, if not years. And before ISIS, of course, well, the threat of British Jihadists fighting with al Qaeda in Afghanistan. So still a lot of people scratching their heads and saying why now precisely.
PAUL: Karl, do we understand that British prime minister plans to announce a more specific measures on Monday?
PENHAUL: Well, Christi, what we do know is that he is going to go to the British parliament and put to them as suggestions for some majors. Some of them may be simply ramping up measures that already exist.
Others may be proposals for new laws. But what he was talking about in his press conference was about a possibility of pulling or withdrawing the passports from Britons who want to travel to parts of the Middle East or are coming back from conflict zones.
So they simply can't travel anymore and also in other instances putting travel bans on people to stop them from coming and going. But that, of course, will work with those people that are already on intelligence services radars.
But what the police have been telling us is that many of these young Britons ending up in Iraq and Syria fighting with ISIS, were simply not known to police or intelligence services before.
They basically popped up from nowhere. So that will make it very difficult to take measures against those kinds of people -- Christi.
BLACKWELL: Karl, do you feel an intensity there using the word severe, it creates a certain type of environment. The Londoners there on the streets with you, what is the reaction?
PENHAUL: It is most bizarre, Victor. You wake up this morning and look at some of the daily newspapers and these alarming headlines. Britain under threat of Jihadi attack. This is the response on the street. This is the west end of London.
It is a pretty affluent side of London, but certainly no sense of panic here. People are going about their daily business. In other parts of London, the more multi-cultural areas of London where you got Muslim communities living alongside Afro Caribbean communities alongside white communities. There is a sense there may be on the part of the white folks that may be Britain hasn't been doing enough because of political correctness to get to the core of the problem of radical Islam.
And then you might have young British Muslims saying these new measures if they introduce new measures, are they going to use those to discriminate even further or against and making it harder for us to travel and get jobs and get on in life.
So we really have to look at that and see how it impacts the multicultural values -- Victor.
PAUL: All righty, Karl Penhaul, we appreciate the live report there from the U.K. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: Thank you, Karl. The World Health Organization says the number of Ebola cases are rising at the fastest rate since the epidemic began. Now the virus has spread to a fifth country in Africa and a student is in quarantine in Senegal after crossing the border from Guinea.
Now Senegal closed its border to Guinea last week, but officials lost track of the man and somehow he got across the border. Senegal is a major hub for aid work, transportation, and business as well. So far, more than 1,500 people in West Africa have died from Ebola.
PAUL: Back here at home, a rough few days for legendary comedian, Joan Rivers. She is, we know, still in the hospital this morning.
BLACKWELL: Yes, she stopped breathing during throat surgery on Thursday. Things went downhill from there. CNN's Alexandra Field is at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York.
Alexandra, good to have you with us. Her daughter, Melissa Rivers, is updating fans on her condition. What is she saying now?
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor. Melissa has been getting the word out because so many people have been wanting to know about Joan Rivers' condition ever since she came to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
Right now, what we have heard most recently from Melissa Rivers was first, that her mother is resting comfortably and then that her mother's condition still remains serious, but Melissa adds her mother is getting the best care possible.
PAUL: So you know, we understand she is still performing. She was still performing on Wednesday, the day before surgery. What are her fans saying about that performance and how they're describing her?
FIELD: Yes, I think people were just really shocked to hear that Joan Rivers, 81 years old, is in the hospital. Six decades she has been on the stage. As you pointed out, she performed in New York City on Wednesday night.
It was a typical Joan Rivers performance. It did not disappoint the fans. We've spoken to some of them who were in the audience. They said she was full of energy and showed no signs of slowing down. A lot of people probably saw Joan Rivers earlier this week doing a 90- minute special on the E! Network for her "Fashion Police" show.
Where she does sort of her break on her criticism and critiques of fashions from the Emmy awards and from the MTV Video Music Awards. That was recorded on Tuesday. She was in New York on Wednesday performing.
The news that she had this procedure at a clinic near this hospital and then wound up here in critical condition after she stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest during the procedure stunned people that are pulling for her to make a recovery.
BLACKWELL: All right, Alexandra Field there at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York keeping us updated on that. Thank you so much, Alexandra. We have a statement here from Melissa Rivers about her mom. It's a message to the fans. Here it is on your screen. I'll read it. "My mother would be so touched by the tributes and
prayers that we have received from around the world. Her condition remains serious, but she is receiving the best treatment and care possible.
She goes on to say we ask that you continue to keep her in your thoughts as we pray for her recovery. That statement from Melissa Rivers about her mother, Joan Rivers.
We have video here for you. It is from Ukraine. NATO says it's a Russian tank in the region across the border, but Moscow says its forces are not there. Who is right?
PAUL: Plus emotional words from Tony Stewart who finally broke his silence about a deadly fatal accident three weeks ago today. Tony Stewart due to race for the first time since then this weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: A serious escalation of Russian aggression in Ukraine. That is now NATO's secretary-general summed Russia's actions.
PAUL: More than a thousand Russian soldiers came in through the southern part of Ukraine that's where Ukrainian officials say Russian tanks amassed about 12 miles passed the border.
BLACKWELL: The British say that number is up to 4,000 or 5,000 in Ukraine. NATO satellite images seemed to back that claim showing what NATO says are Russian troops engaged in military action inside Ukraine.
William Taylor Jr. is the former ambassador to Ukraine. He is currently the vice president for the Middle East in Africa at the United States Institute of Peace.
Mr. Taylor, good morning to you. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that these images are from a video game. I wonder when we hear from the U.N., from NATO, that what is happening in Ukraine is Russia carrying out direct military operations there, what is anyone doing about this?
The sanctions have been going on for some time. Should we expect? Should there be some obligation to get involved with more than sanctions?
WILLIAM TAYLOR JR., FORMER AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Yes, there should. Sanctions should be increased and the Europeans are considering this right now, today. The United States is also considering expanding sanctions pretty dramatically.
So that should be one of the things, but not the only thing. We also ought to be providing the Ukrainian military assistance. We should provide weapons and defensive weapons and intelligence and providing them training and advice.
This is to compliment the sanctions. In addition, we ought to be supporting the Ukrainian government as it pays pensions and as it provides health care and tries to reform its economy and its governance.
PAUL: As you know, President Putin yesterday basically told all nations back off. Reminding everybody that Russia is a nuclear nation and that they have some very strong capabilities. Do you think he is goading the world? What is his end game here?
TAYLOR: I don't think he is goading the world. I think he is demonstrating desperation. It's actually a demonstration I believe of weakness. For him to remind the world that Russia has nuclear weapons is a dramatic demonstration of the defensive state that he's in.
The people that he's backing in Southeastern Ukraine, backing the separatists and the terrorists, are losing. He has now decided he's going to have to do something different and he is sending his own military in to Russia, from Russia into Ukraine.
His own Russian military is going in. This is a demonstration that his previous tactic of supporting the separatist is not working.
BLACKWELL: Is this not the point in which, you know, when someone is desperate, as you say, their backs against the wall. That is when they do things that are unexpected. This is high stakes for Mr. Putin. If he fails here, then he could lose what he already has in Crimea.
If he wins here, then he probably could use that to try to go after maybe other targets here, right? Imagine that mention of nuclear weapons was not just a threat from a defensive point of view.
TAYLOR: You're right. This is a different Russia that we're now dealing with. This is a Russia that is taking steps, aggressive steps, that is invading a neighboring country. We have not seen this since the end of World War II, invading a country to take over another territory.
He has invaded other countries before. He went into Georgia, but he set up independent nations and states there. This is an invasion into Ukraine to take territory. He already did that in Crimea. This is the second time he's done that.
So a new tactic, a new strategy is necessary to deter Mr. Putin and to contain him. That is going to take a united effort with the Americans and the Europeans and NATO.
PAUL: I want to listen to something, Christi, he wrote from "The Daily Beast." He says we are watching an invasion using subversion, coercion and somewhat limited military action. But it's an invasion nonetheless. When you refuse to call things by their real names, you are not only confusing the people who hear you.
So by not acknowledging what it is, you know, for most people as they look at this, are we enabling things to happen for Putin?
TAYLOR: The important thing is not what we call it. I agree it ought to be called for what it is. It is clearly an invasion. The important thing is what do we do in response to the invasion and incursion or violation of sovereignty? What do we do?
We should increase the sanctions dramatically and provide the military support to the Ukrainians and support the Ukrainian government. That's the important that we need to do.
BLACKWELL: All right, former ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor, thank you so much for joining us this morning.
PAUL: Thank you, sir.
TAYLOR: Glad to be here. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: New information this morning about the Malaysian jet that disappeared in March with 239 people on board. It appears Malaysia Airline staff tried to call the plane's crew by satellite phone after it dropped off radar.
PAUL: We know the call failed, but what it did is it showed that the plane most likely went south earlier than previously thought. The Indian Ocean search zone for the missing aircraft is still the same we're told.
However, the area farther to the south may be of quote, "particular interest." That's according to officials. We will keep you posted on what that search may or may not bring up.
In the meantime, we know that Malaysia Airline has cut 6,000 jobs. This is part of a wide ranging overhaul after the disappearance of MH- 370 and of course, the alleged shoot down of MH-17 over Eastern Ukraine. The airline has reported a $97.5 million loss in the second quarter of this year.
BLACKWELL: All right, for the first time, Tony Stewart is talking about the moment he hit and killed a fellow driver, Kevin Ward Jr. That was three weeks ago today. We're going to play you some of what he said, really emotional words. Coming up after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLACKWELL: One of the two Steubenville High School students convicted of raping a West Virginia teenager in 2012 is now back on the football team.
PAUL: The controversial case divided that small industrial town remember and one organization representing rape survivors says Steubenville doesn't care about the welfare of women, it only cares about football. And there were others who showed up to the season open at this who were more forgiving of Malik Richmond.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He earned the respect back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not? That's what America's about, right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: You see there Steubenville, Ohio, Richmond, who was 16, when he was convicted served nine months in juvenile detention and now he is a senior.
Let's talk about Tony Stewart. He says he is describing actually how it felt and the last three weeks have been since being involved in that deadly accident during a dirt track race.
PAUL: Rashan Ali has more -- this was a pretty emotional statement.
RASHAN ALI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Some that people have been waiting on for so long. After sitting out three races, the three-time NASCAR champion will return to the track tomorrow. It will be Tony Stewart's first race since the tragic incident that killed a fellow driver.
Stewart hit and killed Kevin Ward Jr. during a dirt track race in upstate New York back on August 9th. Tomorrow night, he will race again in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series at the Atlanta motor speedway.
Yesterday, Stewart delivered a tearful statement for the first time since the deadly accident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY STEWART, NASCAR DRIVER: This is something that will definitely affect my life forever. This is a sadness and a pain that I hope no one ever has to experience in their life. That being said, I know that the pain and mourning that Kevin Ward's family and friends are experiencing is something that I can't possibly imagine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALI: NASCAR released a statement saying Stewart was cleared to return to all racing activities. After Ward's death, NASCAR is requiring drivers not to exit their cars while stopped on the track unless they face on fire in the cockpit or other eminent danger. Now the investigation into Ward's death is still ongoing, but detectives say they do not have any evidence to support criminal intent. Tony Stewart does not face any charges. That's where we are.
PAUL: We have to assume he will not based on what they found so far.
BLACKWELL: Yes. I remember the three of us sitting here after it happened. We spoke with Dallas. I can't believe I cannot remember her last name.
ALI: McDade.
BLACKWELL: And the question was how often does this happen where drivers get out of the car?
PAUL: She said it happens all the time, which shocked the heck out of me. We all looked at each other and said what the heck.
ALI: It was like something that happened so much that she didn't even give any remorse to it.
BLACKWELL: The remorse would happen to Kevin Ward Jr., but she wasn't surprised he got out of the vehicle. You spoke with Danica Patrick.
PAUL: I did and she said it happens all the time. And she said it is probably a good thing they are making some safety adjustments here to their races because the moment takes over. You get angry and you go out there. I said I understand them getting out of the car, but to get out and go into traffic. She said it's good that they are making some changes.
ALI: I'm glad.
BLACKWELL: I think a lot of people appreciate that rule change. Rashan, thank you so much.
ALI: You're quite welcome.
PAUL: The woman nicknamed "queen of the barbed one liners" is still in the hospital this morning.
BLACKWELL: Yes. We are talking about Joan Rivers. She's been there since Thursday when she stopped breathing during surgery. We have the latest for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Saturday looks good on you even if are you not out of bed yet. Welcome. I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: It feels good, too. I'm Victor Blackwell. Let's start off with five things you need to know for your NEW DAY.
PAUL: Yes, number one, Joan Rivers' daughter, Melissa, who wants her mom's fan to know that their thoughts and their prayers are so appreciated. The legendary comedian is still at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York this hour.
Apparently, suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest during throat surgery Thursday, but Melissa says her mother is resting comfortably even though she remains in serious condition at this hour.
BLACKWELL: Number two, a rookie Indy Car driver is in serious, but stable condition. This is the result of the multicar crash in Fontana, California. Mikhail Aleshin was airlifted to a hospital and according to "USA Today", the 27-year-old suffered a concussion, a broken right shoulder, broken ribs and injuries to his chest.
Number three, police in Indianapolis have canceled an amber alert for a one-month-old boy. Delano Wilson has been missing since Wednesday. Police canceled the alert because they say it has reached its maximum audience. Wilson's uncle says police should not have called it off. The abduction investigation is ongoing and Wilson's father says he thinks the baby was taken by a white man and a Latino woman.
PAUL: Number four, a key part of an anti-abortion law in Texas has been struck down. A federal judge ruled it unconstitutional to close a number of abortion clinics in the state. The law requires clinics to operate at hospital level standards or shutdown. It was considered one of the strictest in the country and Texas officials say they will appeal.
BLACKWELL: Number five, British Prime Minister David Cameron says the U.K. is raising its terror threat level to its second highest from substantial to severe. That means a terror attack is highly likely although not imminent. He cites the growing threat from ISIS which executed American James Foley as well as from Western jihadists who may try to return to the U.S. -- or the U.K. rather, from battle fields in Iraq and Syria.
PAUL: In the meantime, President Obama has captured a lot of attention this week by this comment that there is no -- the U.S. doesn't have a strategy to fight ISIS in Syria.
BLACKWELL: CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, joins us with more -- Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Christi, Victor -- why on this holiday weekend is London so worried and Washington is not?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: Two leaders with very different public messages on ISIS. British Prime Minister David Cameron announcing the threat level is raised to severe in the U.K.
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is not some foreign conflict thousands of miles from home that we can hope to ignore.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want to put the cart before the horse. We don't have a strategy yet.
STARR: President Obama not ready to commit to fighting ISIS with air strikes in Syria. But Britain, clearly feeling the pressure that ISIS could strike it at home. The new warning means an attack is highly likely.
CAMERON: The ambition to create an extremist caliphate in the heart of Iraq and Syria is a threat to our own security here in the U.K.
STARR: Particularly worried because it was a British voice on the tape showing the murder of American journalist James Foley. An estimated 500 people have traveled from Britain to fight in Syria and Iraq along with hundreds of other Europeans.
U.S. and European security services believe ISIS fighters are back at several locations in Europe but those cells may not be under direct ISIS orders. Officials won't say where the cells are. U.S. officials say they don't believe there is a cell in this country but are tracking about a dozen Americans fighting for ISIS overseas. Just this week, two American ISIS fighters were believed killed in Syria.
MIKE BAKER, FORMER CIA COVERT OPERATIONS OFFICER: I think our European allies feel a greater sense of urgency. I think they feel as if the threat is closer to home right now. And for us, it is more of a distant issue.
STARR: For now, the U.S. plans no changes. The Department of Homeland Security says it's unaware of any specific credible threat from ISIS. Some analysts say, however, this is not the time to sit around and wait for what may be an inevitable attack.
BAKER: We need to understand that this is a threat now to the homeland. And we have to start designing a game plan to defeat them as quickly as possible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials will tell you one of the biggest worries they do have is the so-called "lone wolf" attack. It is one of the most difficult terrorist threats to detect -- Christi, Victor.
PAUL: All right. Barbara Starr, thank you so much.
And Homeland Security Committee chairman Peter King we should point out says he is taking ISIS threats very seriously.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PETER KING (R-NW), HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: There is a real terror threat to the world from ISIS and the U.S. But I don't see a need to raise the threat level right now. Because I can tell you all of our law enforcement and security and intelligence agencies are doing all that they can. They are aware of the danger of ISIS.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: We'll talk more about that coming up in a moment. Also, this 9-year-old girl who lost control of an Uzi, it was at a gun range. She killed her gun instructor -- it was a freak accident and it is all on cell phone camera.
PAUL: Well, now the daughter of the man who died has an emotional message for that little girl.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Think for a minute how you would react if a member of your family, somebody that you loved, died by an accident at a gun show or at a gun range, specifically because we know that accidents happen. Well, this is particularly hard because the person who killed a man is just a nine-year-old girl. And the man's family is reaching out to her now after this freak accident.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Cell phone video. Look at it. It shows the moments just before this fourth grader, fourth grade here. She lost control of this 9-mm submachine gun at a gun range in Arizona. The Mohave County Sheriff's office calls the video, quote, "Ghastly" -- it shows the whole thing. We're not going to show it, of course.
PAUL: Yes. Charles Vacca's ex-wife says their heart just goes out to this little girl. In fact, here is what two of his children, told NBC's "Today" show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wanted to make sure that they didn't spend a big portion of their life surrounding it around this one incident.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the future, I personally hope to probably write a letter just to personally communicate with them. He was a good person but we know they are as well and we just want to make sure that they understand that. We know it was a tragic accident and it's something that we're all going have to live with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: And clinical psychologist, Jeff Gardere, was on with us this morning. He says that there should be more than a letter. These two families should meet and heal together.
CNN's Jean Casarez has the latest on the tragic accident and this ongoing police investigation.
PAUL: Yes, good morning Jean.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN LEGAL CORRESPONDENT: Christi and Victor, from the moment it was called in to authorities, this outdoor gun range shooting was called accidental. No charges will be filed. OSHA is investigating.
But what the country is left with is video. In a day and age where almost everyone can record anything and they do, we have the last seconds of a firearm instructor's life and a little girl who will now have to deal with the fact that she pulled the trigger of a sub machine gun and killed a human being.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CASAREZ: An Arizona outdoor gun range, end of summer, family time together -- a 9-year-old girl learning how to shoot an automatic Uzi by an instructor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Give me one shot. All right. All right, full auto --
CASAREZ: Those fateful last words. "All right. Full auto."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just put the gun on fully auto and he tells her that and his left-hand is holding the bottom of the magazine where it should be somewhere close to the top of the weapon. She looks very uncomfortable holding the weapon. When she pulls the trigger, he loses the grip on the bottom of the magazine and gets muzzle rise and wind up getting shot.
CASAREZ: The sheriff's department says the recoil from the powerful weapon sends the gun out of her control over her head. 39-year-old instructor Charles Vacca, a member of the California's National Guard died later at the hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She probably hit full auto, wasn't expecting the recoil that she got and was completely surprised by it and lost control of the weapon.
CASAREZ: What is it like when the shots come out? Describe it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be like a buzz saw going off in your hands.
CASAREA: The outdoor shooting range, "Bullets & Burgers" advertise on the highway. "Stop in, fire a machine gun and enjoy a meal." And their rules fitting within Arizona law allow children eight years old and up to shoot the guns.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would want to see a little bit more experience from the girl and see that the girl was a little more comfortable handling single shot weapons before giving her a fully automatic weapon.
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office has determined there will be no charges, but other states have decided these accidents could be crimes.
In 2008, in Massachusetts, a nine-year-old boy accidentally shoots himself at a gun show while also firing an Uzi. His father records it all on video. But it is the show organizer, Edward Floury (ph) charged with involuntary manslaughter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You, the jury, find the defendant not guilty.
CASAREZ: Floury was acquitted but as a result, the victim's home state of Connecticut now makes it illegal to give or sell machine guns to anyone under 16.
And just last year in New Jersey, Anthony Sanatori's four-year-old son shot his six-year-old neighbor to death. Now Sanatori has been charged with six counts of child endangerment. He rejected a plea deal which included prison time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could hardly wait to try it out.
CASAREZ: Children and bb guns were once the stuff of Christmas tradition.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I always had a BB gun as a kid.
CASAREZ: But an Uzi?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Uzi was designed by Israeli military industry for the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces.
CASAREZ: A gun made for the battle field in the hands of a child with deadly consequences.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CASAREZ: We have learned the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been called in. But as we said authorities hold firm, there will not be criminal charges, but that does not stop the possibility of civil suits -- Christi, Victor.
PAUL: All right. Jean Casarez, thank you so much.
BLACKWELL: So, it is three years after don't ask, don't tell now. The question is being asked is the military ready for another big change?
PAUL: Some retired generals are calling for an end to the ban on openly transgender service members. One of those generals joins us. That's ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: 13 minutes before the top of the hour now.
Three years since don't ask, don't tell was repealed some former military leaders say they want transgender Americans to serve openly in the armed forces now.
PAUL: Yes, three retired generals, in fact, say it's time to end the ban on transgender service members. They have co-authored a report for the think tank at Palm Center which estimates as many as 15,000 transgender Americans are on active duty right now.
BLACKWELL: Joining us now is one of the co-chairs of the commission that produced that report, retired major general and former acting surgeon general of the army, Gail Pollock. General Pollock, good to have you with us this mornng. RET. MAJ. GEN. GAIL POLLOCK, FORMER ACTING SURGEON GENERAL OF THE
ARMY: Thank you, Christi. Thank you, Victor. I'm delighted to be here.
PAUL: Thank you.
BLACKWELL: So you and two other generals released this statement. I'm going to read a portion of it. "Allowing transgender personnel to serve openly is administratively feasible and will not be burdensome or complicated." That is the major concern. How will it affect the force and their ability to respond to threats? How did you first become interested and involved in this issue?
POLLOCK: Well, I certainly understand discrimination. As a woman and as a nurse, I spent 36 years serving in the military and recognized while I was serving the discrimination that was faced by first women and then the gay and lesbian community.
And when I first started to learn about this transgender group, I really needed to step back and learn about it because I'd only met to my knowledge one person who was transgender. So I started my own independent study course and read research and books that have been out. And then I started to interview active duty serving members. And that's when I decided that yes, I was willing to be engaged with the study.
PAUL: I know back in May, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said that he was open to reviewing the policy on transgender service members. How likely do you think it is that that's going to happen and will it push the process forward in your opinion?
POLLOCK: Well, I don't think we can predict exactly when it will happen. What was very important to us was that we develop a resource, a tool, in the report that the department would be able to use as a reference as it moves forward on this issue.
BLACKWELL: So, here's the question because essentially I think this is the central issue here with opening up military service to those who are openly transgender. The voices that said that letting blacks into the military would weaken the force; that letting women in would weaken the force; those who are openly gay would weaken the force will likely say the same thing about transgender members and whether it is fair or not, the onus is on you because you are pushing for change. Why won't it disrupt the force and will it indeed strengthen the force?
POLLOCK: Well, if I thought that it would disrupt the force, I would not have recommended the change. The military and its success and its future are much too important to me to recommend something that would do them a disservice. The military and our nation are very dear to my heart or I would not have served as long as I did.
The men and women that are in the service now have grown up in communities that are much more accepting. And just as we saw, there was very little issue with the transition for don't ask don't tell. I expect the same will be very true for the opening of the service to the transgender service members.
PAUL: All right. General Pollock, we so appreciate your time this morning. Thank you for being with us.
BLACKWELL: Thank you General.
POLLOCK: Thank you very much.
PAUL: Sure. Take good care.
BLACKWELL: All right. We'll finish up this hour and start the next hour of your new day in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Holy -- I don't know how you do this so much. Oh, my God. How does this thing not flip over?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: How does it not flip over? That is what it felt like. When you are out there on the outer rim of the track, that is obviously Danica Patrick -- that is why it didn't flip over. I had a chance to go around with her on the Atlanta Motor Speedway yesterday at 145 miles per hour. But when you are up on that track a bit, you know, at the wayside by the wall --
BLACKWELL: There's a slope.
PAUL: -- you don't feel that. There's a slope there.
When you are in the center, you feel like the air is going to come on the left side and whoosh, there you're going to go. You know, the nice thing about her was: A, she was doing this for a good cause. She didn't only take me around, she took around some breast cancer survivors, given them a real experience.
She talked about Tony Stewart, who we know is going to be racing for the very first time since that accident where he killed a fellow race car driver. And also about track safety because there has been some developments there as well.
So here you go. More of all of that with Danica Patrick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Ok, so talk to me about why this breast cancer awareness campaign is so personal to you.
DANICA PATRICK, RACE CAR DRIVER: Well, I have been fortunate enough and I really mean that to do this at Atlanta every year where I get to meet a bunch of guys and girls that have been -- either had breast cancer or been affected by it. And they're just such a positive group. It's so amazing how something that is trying to take your life and make you miserable can make them so happy. They really are. They are such a positive group and such a community around them. And this is one example of the things that they do to create community around breast cancer.
PAUL: We know they have these new regulations out that you can't get out of the car anymore after the whole thing with Tony Stewart.
I was shocked. We were on the anchor desk that weekend and we had a gal from radio come on and say that happens all the time. That they get out of the car.
PATRICK: That's true.
PAUL: How is that?
PATRICK: Well, I mean I think that, you know, you get out of the car when the car is stopped and you have time to get out. But you know, Nascar is implementing rules to try to make it -- give the emergency vehicles more time to get there.
PAUL: Have you talked to Tony? How's he doing?
PATRICK: I heard from Tony last weekend. He told me good luck. And that was the first time I'd heard from him. You know, going through what he has had to go through, you know, the incident, the tragic accident was -- would knows how long it takes to digest it, to work through it and I'm sure it will always be honestly something that he will deal with the rest of his life.
PAUL: Do you think this is a good move that they mandated these changes?
PATRICK: I think that anything that's done with our best interest at heart is a good thing for the sport.
Buckle up, baby. Buckle up.
PAUL: All right. Here we go. Oh, lord have mercy. Danica, I am scared to death of speed. You have no idea how --
PATRICK: Are you?
PAUL: Holy crap. I don't know how you do this so much. Oh, my God. Don't do that. Holy crap that wall's close. Danica, my kids -- ok, this is one of my kids. Yes, let's go. Nascar.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: That's what my kids would have been doing. Clearly I wasn't doing it. But one of the things that I really loved about her I have to say is we talked more about the breast cancer survivors. And she says she has actually learned from them to let go of the trivial things. And I said what are those trivial things? She said you know, the stuff. They really put into perspective what you value and what matters. And she said those women and some men, are survivors and they get in the car and they say I never would have had the courage to do this. To sit in this car with you, but I can do it now.
BLACKWELL: It is great they learn something from one another and they learn, especially Danica, from the survivors, that those relationships and experience and the survival itself is something to be so grateful for.
BLACKWELL: All right. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.
PAUL: CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
