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New Day Saturday

Iraq's Anbar Province: We Need U.S. Troops Now; U.S. Airport Ebola Screening Intensifies; Protests Today Demand Justice for Brown; Japan Braes for Typhoon Vongfong; Where is Kim Jong Un?

Aired October 11, 2014 - 07:00   ET

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

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: New front in the fight against ISIS. Fresh fears this morning that the terror group is closing in on Baghdad, a critical game that has Washington worried.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM FRIEDEN, CDC DIRECTOR: We're stepping up protection for people coming into this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Screening for Ebola here in America. A major U.S. airport starts the process today, but is this really going to help, or is it just hype?

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

PAUL: Tension mounting in Missouri overnight, as Ferguson police gear up for a weekend of resistance.

Good morning, everyone. So glad to have your company as always. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. A pleasure to be with you. It is 7:00 here on the East Coast.

PAUL: Yes. And we have breaking news this morning, a desperate appeal as time is running out, it seems for Anbar province, just 10 miles from the Iraqi capital. The fighting is fuelling new fears that Baghdad could be next.

Now, take a look at this map. Anbar province council -- the provincial council is calling for the U.S. forces to step in immediately and save Anbar from advancing ISIS militants. Fears are growing that Iraqi troops can't hold off ISIS on their own. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says Anbar is in trouble.

We got this covered from all angles. CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Baghdad. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is at the Turkish-Syrian border. And CNN military analyst, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona in New York.

Thank you, gentlemen, for being with us.

Ben, I want to go to you first. We said Anbar officials want U.S. forces to intervene immediately. Do you believe that there are ISIS militants already infiltrated in Baghdad? And what is the mood there like this morning?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's no secret, Christi, that, in fact, there are ISIS elements within Baghdad. There have been almost daily car bombings here, which are rightly believed to be the work of ISIS. And there are neighborhoods with Sunni majorities in Baghdad, which do simplify, or many people within them, do sympathize with ISIS. And that continues to be a serious concern among the Iraqi police and army officials.

But it appears that the real focus of ISIS is efforts in Anbar province are in the major towns and cities along the Euphrates. Like Ramadi, like Haditha. They controlled Fallujah now, for months. We understand today they made a move on the town of Haditha, which is a critical town nearby which there's a dam on the Euphrates that the United States has tried to defend or help Iraqi air forces to defend with airstrikes.

But as you said, we've spoken with officials from Anbar provincial council who said they have made an urgent appeal to Baghdad to allow U.S. ground troops to come and try to stop the advance of ISIS. But we know that Iraqi government has categorically refused that in the past. And in the United States, the Obama administration has said time and time again, there will be no combat troops in Iraq.

But the officials in Anbar are particularly concerned. One of them, the head of that provincial council telling me that they believe in, of course, we cannot confirm these claims, that there may be as many as 10,000 ISIS fighters who have been recently dispatched to Anbar from Syria and northern Iraq.

PAUL: All right. So, Lieutenant Colonel Francona, hearing that, and knowing that 80 percent of Anbar is reported is under ISIS control. Is there any likelihood U.S. troops would go in via ground?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, that's a big political question, a big political decision for the United States. Of course, if you take the United States at its word, they're not going to introduce any combat forces. The problem is, the Iraqi military is incapable of dislodging ISIS.

And it appears, given the reporting that we see from Ben, that they can't even stop the advance of ISIS. They want to take all of those towns along the Euphrates Valley, they've done a very good job of it. You know, ISIS has really conducted themselves quite effectively militarily.

So given the capability or lack of capability of the Iraqi army, somebody is going to have to bolster those defenses. And, of course, they want the United States to do it. It may end up being some coalition. But as it stands right now, it does not appear that the Iraqi military and the Iraqi security forces are capable of defending Anbar province.

PAUL: Colonel, if ISIS does surge on Baghdad, is that a game changer in this fight?

FRANCONA: You know, I'm not quite sure -- you know, Baghdad is a large a Shia town, there are Sunni areas in it. But that would be a major offensive and a big jump for ISIS. I'm not sure they have the capability right now.

But you can see what they're trying to do. I mean, they're moving a little bit to the north. They're moving down around the south. They were in the southwest areas between Baghdad and Karbala in the past. So, you can see they're trying to encircle it.

But, eventually, of course, they want Baghdad. But I just don't see it happened in the near future. I think they're going to consolidate their gains up along that Euphrates Valley.

PAUL: But don't you think they could take Baghdad if they take time to consolidate?

FRANCONA: That would be a huge stretch right now. I just don't think they have the capability.

If you look at the way the Iraqis have kept their army in reserve, their best units are in Baghdad. You've also got the Americans at Baghdad International Airport. So I'm cautiously optimistic that the Iraqis can defend Baghdad right now.

PAUL: OK. I want to go to Nick Paton Walsh, who's at the Turkish/Syrian border.

The other big concern today: U.N. envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is warning of a potential massacre in Kobani, which is just across the border from where Nick is at this hour.

Nick, what do we know about that situation this morning?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the sandstorm has been lifted this morning to the wind that we've just been seeing. And it's giving a faint picture, but you can hear what Kurdish fighters on the ground are telling us is their major problem, and that's the artillery being fired from the east of the city by ISIS as they advance.

Now, ISIS is moving one way this way, and also from the south towards where I'm standing. Pushing those remaining Kurdish fighters into effectively the northwestern corner of the city. Now, suggestions, too, from those Kurdish fighters are, and this is the most troubling bit that ISIS, may have gotten pretty close to the main crossing point into Turkey.

Now, that's vital because Staffan de Mistura, the U.S. enjoy to the Syrian conflict, was warning that there could be over 10,000 civilians trapped, just across the border. He isn't quite clear in the map he showed precisely where they are. But he invoked the ghost of the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia in the '90s where 7,700 people were killed, saying the world didn't act then, it has to act now to save these people. He went on to say, yes, there are 500 to 700 of the infirm, the elderly, caught in the city center where the most intense fighting has happened, but it's not suggestion of over 10,000 potentially at risk that has most people concerned here.

We've heard jets in the sky this morning invisible because of that sand storm coming in but fighters on the ground, too, say they're in a very bad situation indeed. Civilians terrified, we're told of the potential to be beheaded. And they say four airstrikes since last night so far. We haven't seen those planes, but we can hear them.

PAUL: All right. Ben Wedeman, Nick Paton Walsh, Colonel Rick Francona, gentlemen, we appreciate your insights. Thank you so much for taking time for us.

BLACKWELL: The other major story we're following for this weekend, health officials now say more than 4,000 people have been killed by Ebola since the start of this current outbreak. And now, five major U.S. airports will start the enhanced screening for the virus. What to expect if you're planning to travel.

Also, after another fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white officer, a weekend of resistance in St. Louis and Ferguson, Missouri. How police responded, and what the protesters want.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Well, the World Health Organization now says more than 4,000 people have been killed by the Ebola virus since its outbreak this year. And so far, more than 8,000 cases have been reported in seven different countries. And, of course, that includes the U.S.

BLACKWELL: And this morning, the nephew of the Ebola patient, Thomas Duncan who died Wednesday, claims Duncan was not given the best quality of care because of his race. The Dallas hospital where Duncan was treated says those claims are wrong.

PAUL: Meanwhile, U.S. officials are stepping up the fight against Ebola here in America. Emergency rooms are preparing for possible indications as fears over the virus spreads. And airport, Ebola screenings begin today at JFK International.

BLACKWELL: We're following the story with full team coverage, including CNN's Alison Kosik, who's at JFK International, and CNN's Erin McPike, at the White House.

Let's start with Alison. She's at JFK. And that's the first airport to unveil the screening.

What should people expect to see there, Alison?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. So, what's going to happen today, Victor, today is the first day that that additional screening for Ebola will happen for passengers who are on flights that have originated from three West African countries that have been stricken with Ebola. I'm talking about Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The idea with this, Victor, is to catch people who show warning signs of having the virus, catch them or stop them from going -- from leaving the airport basically and going out into the general public. So, what will essentially happen is, when those flights come in here, those passengers will go to a designated area where officials with the CDC and border protection will go ahead and take their temperatures with an infrared thermometer that's placed close to their forehead.

Now, if they show signs of having a fever, they will be moved on to a CDC official who is here at the airport to have further evaluation. If no red flags are spotted, what will happen, those passengers will be asked to give their contact information. They'll also be asked to keep a log for 21 days of their fever after they get help -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: What's the degree of confidence here that this will be more than just a show to make people feel better, their degree of confidence that this will work?

KOSIK: You know, even the CDC officials say this is not a magic solution. You know, you look at the fact that Ebola itself, you know, you don't show that you necessarily have the virus. You could take up to 21 days -- so, let's say someone could get off the flight and feel great. And once they get home, they may not feel great. So, there's that kind of -- that loophole right there.

But one thing to keep in mind -- the CDC does say they're continuously re-evaluating what they're doing. But they also they really can't make that risk level at zero because of how interconnected the world is -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. Alison Kosik at JFK for us, thank you, Alison.

PAUL: Now, although U.S. authorities are screening people entering the country via those five major airports you just saw on your screen, there are thousands of others coming in via other entry points obviously, and U.S. lawmakers are asking whether the government is doing anything to monitor them.

CNN's Erin McPike has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Holding a special hearing not far from where Thomas Eric Duncan died in Dallas, after doctors at first failed to recognize he had Ebola, the House homeland security chairman he wants to make sure it doesn't happen again.

REP. MIKE MCCAUL (R-TX), HOMELAND SECURITY CHAIRMAN: We must learn from the missteps and ensure that proper procedures are established and followed should another case arise in the United States.

MCPIKE: And McCaul and others members of Congress from Texas, Republicans and Democrats, calling on President Obama to add Dallas- Ft. Worth and Houston to the list of airports where the CDC will conduct enhanced passenger screening.

MCCAUL: The American people are rightfully concerned. They are concerned because the Ebola virus is an unseen threat. And it's only a plane flight away from our shores.

MCPIKE: Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Republican Senator Rand Paul also said the administration needs to do more.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: I understand people in government not wanting to create panic. And I don't want to create panic either. But I think it's also a mistake on the other side of the coin to underplay the risk of this.

MCPIKE: And he renewed his call for the administration to consider suspending flights to and from the Ebola hot zones in Africa.

PAUL: I mean, if you want to visit your son or daughter and you're coming from Liberia, couldn't you wait a couple months? I don't think that that is something so -- such an immediate necessity that the chance for worldwide contagion, I think it's not unreasonable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: So, Erin joins us live from the White House now.

Beyond the enhance passenger screening, Erin, what is the government doing?

MCPIKE: Christi, President Obama addressed this a little bit at a fundraiser last night. And he said that the U.S. government is robustly helping the people of Liberia and Sierra Leone. And that means that they are sending troops -- thousands of troops to that region, to help those countries set up a better health infrastructure.

But the White House and other officials within the administration are also meeting with experts to test new ways to test Ebola, as well as treatment measure, Christi.

PAUL: All righty. Erin McPike, we appreciate it. Thank you very much.

BLACKWELL: Police and protesters again, face-to-face again outside St. Louis after another fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white officer. This community is bracing for a weekend of resistance. We'll take you there live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PROTESTORS: Hands up, don't shoot! Hands up, don't shoot! Hands up, don't shoot! Hands up, don't shoot! Hands up, don't shoot!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: "Hands up, don't shoot", that's what they're chanting there. Still, two months after Michael Brown was killed, that is the rallying cry in Ferguson, Missouri. Hundreds of people gathered in the rain. More protests due to start really in just a few hours here and what's being billed as, quote, "Weekend of Resistance." It comes just days after another police officer in nearby St. Louis

fatally shot a black teenager.

Stephanie Elam is in St. Louis.

So, Stephanie, we know protests earlier this week, they did become a bit violent. How is the mood so far this weekend?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the good news, Christi, is that last night, there were protests, there were demonstrations, but there were zero arrests. So, while things may have looked tense at some point, they did not escalate into any arrests. And, obviously, that's what people want to see more of.

We've heard from the family of Mike Brown saying, we know that people are coming here to protest throughout this weekend, we understand that you go have a right to speak your mind, but we're asking that you do it peacefully. So far last night, that did occur.

But as we've seen several nights here in St. Louis and Ferguson as well, it can change on a dime. I've spent a lot of time here and I've seen that happen, Christi.

PAUL: So, what do we know about the latest shooting of 18-year-old Vonderrit Myers? Is there anything here that really mirrors what happened to Michael Brown?

ELAM: It does sound like it is a somewhat different set of circumstances how this happened. The family of Vonderrit Myers did speak with our Jason Carroll, and the mother, obviously, grieving. Take a listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SYREETA MYERS, MOTHER OF VONDERRIT MYERS: I'll never get to see him again. Talk to him. See his big smile. Get his big tight hugs. I'll never get to feel him again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: Now, the family and their attorney say that they do not believe that Vonderrit Myers was armed. The police are saying that he was armed, in fact, that he seemed to be doing something suspicious, they allege. The police do. And that's why the police officer took pursuit after him.

But all of this just goes to show that there's a fragile relationship between the community here and the police officers. And this is what a lot of people are keeping their eyes on. A lot of people calling for the arrest of Darren Wilson, the officer that shot and killed Mike Brown in early august. That's the reason for a lot of these protests.

And where I'm standing right now, there say protest scheduled to start here at 10:00 a.m. local time, and head down towards the St. Louis arch -- the gateway to the west there, not far from here. So, more protests today. But again, a lot of people calling for the tension to stay low, and for they're not to be any more arrests or confrontations with police officers today, Christi.

PAUL: All right. Well, Stephanie Elam, thank you so much, there for us live in St. Louis.

Victor?

BLACKWELL: Well, one of the groups promoting this weekend's protest is a civil rights organization colorofchange.org. Executive director Rashad Robinson joins me from New York.

Rashad, good to have you with us this morning.

RASHAD ROBINSON, COLOROFCHANGE.ORG: Great to be with you.

BLACKWELL: So, what do you hope will be the fruit of this weekend?

ROBINSON: Well, this san opportunity for people all around the country who have been watching this on television or newspapers to get involved. To get involved by going to Ferguson like myself and many of my staff and our members through Color for Change or to get involved in social media or Twitter or Facebook to make their voices heard.

There's a lot of work that needs to be done, both in terms of holding officials in St. Louis accountable for charging Darren Wilson and ensuring that we get justice there. For holding the governor accountable for the way he's sat back and sort of shammed the prosecution to help from our perspective and not to sort of get involved especially a Democratic governor who was elected with black votes, and to bring our demands nationally. There are Fergusons all around this country.

And for people who are traveling from Ferguson right now, they're often times coming from communities that are also dealing with this type of fragile relationship between law enforcement and police officers. Our relationship that does not help us solve crime or keep our community safe. There's a lot of work to do with people all around the country looking for ways to get involved, and this is this one of them.

BLACKWELL: You know, when I was in Ferguson, a few weeks back, there was a lot percentage of people they were not happy that people outside the community were coming into Ferguson. They say that were the troublemakers.

What would you say to those people who live there in Ferguson who live there who really don't want all the protesters from around the country flooding in. They may not be the majority, but there are some how want to just keep this to their community.

ROBINSON: Well, I think the folks who don't want all these folks coming in actually have a real opportunity here, an opportunity to hold their political leaders accountable for the fact that justice is not being served. You know, for the folks that don't want the national attention on Ferguson, their questions and demand need to be at their political leaders about why Darren Wilson has not been arrested. Why we've seen this sort of sham of the prosecution where prosecutor has made statements defending the police, when he's supposed to be the person trying this case. He has not put charges before the grand jury, but sort of give them a law book basically and said, hey, figure out whether it's murder one or murder two.

You know, the folks, people of good faith in Ferguson who don't like the attention that's being shined on their community right now, have an opportunity politically to ask their leaders why have you put us in this situation?

Justice needs to be served. And we have a history of this country, a civil rights history in this country of people of good faith, all around the country, going to places and raising their voices. And I think that this is very much in this tradition, the tradition of people who may be seen as rebel rousers today. But history, history will view them in a very different light.

BLACKWELL: All right. Rashad Robinson with colorofchange.org, thank you so much.

ROBINSON: Thanks for having me.

BLACKWELL: Christi?

PAUL: Boy, Victor, Japan is really bracing itself for some very bad weather. A monster storm is heading their way. We're going to tell you what people are doing to try and just keep themselves safe at this point.

Also, a judge exonerates a woman from prison after 17 years. What set her free? Up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Mortgage rates dropped this week. Here's your look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: It is the bottom of the hour, just in case you have not checked, you know, your clock, we want to help you out there. I'm Christi Paul.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell.

Five things you need to know for your NEW DAY.

PAUL: Yes, first of all, the war on ISIS. Breaking news this morning, the provincial council in Anbar, Iraq, is calling for urgent intervention by the U.S. to save Anbar from ISIS. The fighting is intensifying apparently on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border as well.

A top U.S. official warns Iraqi forces are, quote, "up against the wall in Anbar province." That's just west of the capital of Baghdad. Now, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says there's a lot of uncertainty right now. Much more on this throughout the morning. BLACKWELL: Lots of same sex newly weds in Idaho this morning. The state becomes the 27 to allow couples to legally, not the state officials wanted it that way. Federal appeals court declared bans on marriages in Idaho and Nevada unconstitutional on Tuesday. Idaho then asked the Supreme Court to delay marriages, but it declined.

PAUL: A California woman is waking up free this morning after 17 years in prison. A judge threw a case calls the case a failure of the criminal justice system. He also said the testimony of, quote, "a habitual liar" was the only evidence against Susan Melon (ph) during her 1998 trial. That witness claimed Melon had confessed her involvement in killing of former boyfriend.

BLACKWELL: Number four, now they served on the Supreme Court, but back when Elena Kagan was working on the White House counsel office, she recommended Roberts to defend then-President Bill Clinton against claims by Paula Jones. Roberts, now chief justice, was in private law practice at the time. This tidbit was mined from about 10,000 documents. A trove of Clinton era documents just released to the public.

PAUL: And number five, in weather -- Japan is getting ready for one heck of a storm heading towards the nation. Another one is barreling towards eastern India.

I want to bring in CNN meteorologist Alexandra Steele.

Alexandra, let's talk about typhoon Vongfong, first.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, certainly. Good morning to you, Christi. But it's certainly not a good evening in Okinawa, in Japan.

Now, here it is, this typhoon Vongfong, it was a super typhoon Wednesday with sustained winds 185 miles per hour. They are down to 100, but it is still quite a serious and potent storm.

Here's Okinawa. This is, of course, China, Japan, give you a little perspective.

This is Japan's Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, which is actually home to about 80,000 Americans -- 50,000 about balance of them on military bases.

Here's the precip test, really the worst that's happening at this very moment. This right here is the eye wall with the heaviest rain and the strongest winds. You can see that moving through, but the eye with this is so massive, it's about 50 miles wide. And it's quite clear in there. So, that's a big time break, but on the southern side of the eye wall, there's not nearly the rain as on the north.

I think the calling card with us will certainly be the wind. You can see wind gust here in Okinawa, watch them calm, but watch them again pick up into the 50s and 60s. Now this storm will move north and east, affect Tokyo by Tuesday. With a lot less rain, maybe three to six inches, around Okinawa, maybe 8 to 10 inches and then we're going to watch it quickly move away.

PAUL: All righty. Alexandra Steele, thank you.

BLACKWELL: Starting today at New York's JFK International Airport, a new way to keep passengers out of the United States. Passengers arriving from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, countries hard hit by the deadly virus, will be checked for fever, which is a symptom of the disease. But how effective will it really be and how much of an impact will it have on airport operations.

Let's talk about it with CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem.

Juliette, good to have you this morning.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Are these tests actually going to better protect Americans from the virus or just make them feel or think they're better protected?

KAYYEM: Well, probably, much more of the latter -- the feeling there's a sense at least we're doing some surveillance or some, you know, sort of procedures to protect themselves. But let's just put this in perspective. There are only a couple hundred passengers every week coming from these direct flights, so even if this screening were perfect, it's just touching so few people that really the big issue is what's going on in Africa, migration throughout Africa into Europe. And the potential that more people will get here through other means.

So, no one should think that this is anything but another layer to protect ourselves, but certainly not foolproof.

BLACKWELL: What's the precedent here? Is there one?

KAYYEM: There is. I mean, we've attempted this before with SARS and Canada certainly did. They're pretty unsuccessful. And Ebola is different, because of the delay in the -- the delay when people start to show signs. I mean, someone who could not have a temperature today and then show signs for Ebola the next day.

So, most people believe that these kinds of measures are just a layer. They're not foolproof. And that there are better means, which is in particular, the fight against Ebola in Africa, education in Africa, and education here as we saw in Texas, and what unfolded in the Texas hospital, which seemed sort of unable to realize that it was Ebola that they were facing.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about the fight on that end of the fight, leaving those three Ebola-stricken countries. We have a guest coming up later on in the show that thinks a finger prick test at the airports in Guinea, in Sierra Leone, in Liberia would be a better approach. Do you think that's plausible?

KAYYEM: I think given the migration of people right now that no approach is going to be perfect. So stopping travel in those three countries, actually, most people believe will have very little impact, just given the ability of people to migrate to other countries.

And one of the issues is the poverty levels in those three countries would mean that very rich Africans could get to other nations and then be able to travel. They may still have Ebola. And very poor people would be isolated in their own -- in their country.

So, fighting Ebola is essentially person and patient by patient. So, a variety of different layers are going to work and no one should think that they're foolproof. For the U.S., it's going to be the front line public health officials identifying potential Ebola patients that are showing signs. It's going to be having a resilient nation that is prepared for not just Ebola, but obviously, these worried well that are going to come forward not just Ebola but (AUDIO GAP) worried well during the flu season with fevers and keeping the temperature down.

You remember, there's only been one patient here and only a couple hundred people come over on these flights. So, these flights are not going to have a major dent on the migration that we see throughout Africa, Europe, and then, of course, the United States.

BLACKWELL: And then we have to figure out how much will this affect airport operations because everybody's OK until you make them late for anything.

Juliet Kayyem, thank you so much.

KAYYEM: Yes, thank you.

PAUL: Well, North Korea's leader, we haven't seen him in a while, have we? And that's given rise to all kinds of conspiracy theories, where can he be? What kind of condition is he in? We'll tell you what we know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public for more than a month. He was even a no-show at a major political event this week.

PAUL: Yes, his conspicuous absence is fueling conspiracy theories about who is in charge of North Korea?

David McKenzie has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: On state TV, North Korean dictators are always in charge, always surrounded by adoring fans.

So, a visibly heavy and limping Kim Jong-un in late July went noticeably off script. Now, he's vanished. America's top North Korean diplomat recently said he simply didn't know where he was.

GLYN DAVIES, U.S. SPECIAL REPRESENTATION, N.K. POLICY: Forgive me from trying to stay away from this game where in the world is Kim Jong-un and why has he not been seen in public?

MCKENZIE (on camera): That game has been played around the world, but especially here in China, because China is long North Korea's most powerful ally, but things are changing.

(voice-over): The youthful Kim Jong-un is widely ridiculed in China with jokes like this one cropping up all the time on Chinese social media. Chinese have been even given a nickname, chubby Kim 3. Though many see him as a political lightweight, compared to Chinese President Xi Jinping who spends decades rising through the communist party ranks.

Kim infuriated China by continuing this nuclear push against their wishes. And though China's leaders wined and dined Kim's father and grandfather, Xi has yet to meet the young ruler. He's instead developing a closer relationship to Kim's archenemies in South Korea.

But that doesn't mean that China wants Kim out of power. Any sign of Kim losing control is deeply troubling in Beijing, because China wants a stable North Korea above all else. It helps them counter U.S. influence in the region, keeping more than 20,000 U.S. troops at bay and prevents a flood of North Korean refugees.

In China, the status quo is the safest option.

David McKenzie, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: We'll talk about this with an expert a little later in the show.

Also, consider this, this family -- they're praying for their son held by ISIS. The mother of former U.S. Army Ranger makes a holy plea for his safe release. She also has appealed to personally to ISIS leaders. Does she really expect an answer? Or is this a coping mechanism?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Well, the mother of an American being health hostage by ISIS met last night with members of Muslim community in Indianapolis to pray for her son.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA KASSIG, MOTHER OF AMERICAN ISIS HOSTAGE: I have faith that he will feel the strength of these prayers and receive blessings from them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Paula Kassig is turning and taking to wearing a traditional health scarf as she holds out for the safe return of her son Abdul Rahman, a former Army Ranger whose given him is Peter, by the way. She's also reached out to ISIS, first on YouTube, and again this week on Twitter. The latest appeal came as parents of American journalist James Foley said the U.S. government eventually will have to negotiate with the terror group. That is heir opinion.

Joining us now, Dr. Gail Saltz. She's a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst and author of a book "Anatomy of a Secret Life."

Dr. Saltz, thank you so much.

I want to read you the tweet that Paula Kassig sent to ISIS. She wrote, "My husband and I are on our own with no help from the government. We would like to talk to you. How can we reach you?"

And it made a lot of people I think wondered. Did she really believe that ISIS would respond to her and free her son? I think as a mother, I might be doing the exact same thing.

What do you think?

DR. GAIL SALTZ, PSYCHIATRIST & PSYCHOANALYST: I think a lot of us as mothers might be doing the same thing, is this a defense mechanism? Yes, because she has no control, and this is an attempt to obviously gain some control and try to be active, to do something.

Will this work? You know, I think there's obviously no way to say. But given that she has this information that previous families said, you know, the government didn't intervene or help them in some way, the feeling that she could take this on herself and that she could appear at least to be joining them, you know, to be understanding them, to be on their side in a way, is an understandable appeal.

PAUL: Well, and that speaks to what I want to talk about next. We're seeing her again and again wearing a traditional Muslim head scarf now, which of course has a lot of us remembering the former POW Bowe Bergdahl's dad. He grew facial hair. He learned all he could about the Muslim faith, trying to reach out to his son's Taliban captors.

What do these acts tell you how these parents are coping? Do they cope by trying to learn more about the people who were holding their children?

SALTZ: I think the attempt to identify with their son's captors is an understandable defense mechanism, to try to sort of get in their head and therefore feel like they have control over appealing to them, over swaying their beliefs or their thoughts about what they are going to do with her son.

And you know, reaching out on social media, you might say -- well, I mean, what is a tweet going to do? But the truth is that we've been hearing at least, that many of them are communicating in this way, using social media to communicate, to recruit. So, it doesn't seem so farfetched to think that they are going to reach them that way.

PAUL: Well, Bowe Bergdahl came home. I mean, let's be honest. He came home.

SALTZ: Exactly. And by appealing, I think they are trying to pick the family that's, you know, that did the thing that brought their son home and reach the closest that they can to that.

PAUL: Sure. We know James Foley's family, he, of course, was beheaded by ISIS, said the U.S. government threatened to prosecute them if they tried to raise money for a ransom. The captives have said they are not getting any help from the government at all.

But I'm wondering from a psychological standpoint, how much harder is it to try to deal with this, knowing that there could be a threat of prosecution against you just for trying to get your son back?

SALTZ: Well, you know, you could say that -- I mean, obviously, that puts them psychologically in a more difficult position because it's the feeling of not only not being supported but being potentially blocked, on the one hand. On the other hand, I would say as a parent that might not rate. You know, that just might not rate compared to the kind of desperation you would feel to keep your child alive and bring them home. So, it's hard to say how much that's really altering let's say their behavior or what they feel they need to do.

PAUL: Yes, Dr. Gail Saltz, author of the book "Anatomy of a Secret Life" -- we appreciate you being here. Thank you.

SALTZ: My pleasure.

PAUL: Victor?

BLACKWELL: More on ISIS' advance in Syria and Iraq. Of course, the breaking news this morning that the provincial head in al Anbar asking the U.S. to send in U.S. troops to help save Anbar right outside of Baghdad. Live report from the Turkey-Syrian border.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: All right. You guys ready for good stuff?

BLACKWELL: Yes!

PAUL: Yes, please?

BLACKWELL: Let's get to it. Check out this viral video of magician Rob Anderson, is ripping up a homeless veteran sign there. But look at this. He turns it into -- cash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB ANDERSON, MAGICIAN: Hey there. Sir, how are you? Hey.

VETERAN: Very well.

ANDERSON: I saw you when I walked by. I saw your sign there. Says anything helps.

I wanted to help you out but I need to see your sign though. Can I take a look at it? Can I hold it? This is going to make sense.

Anything helps? Let me help you out. Here. Check it out. I drew some dollar signs on it. Does that help? No? It says anything helps. So how about that? Does that help?

VETERAN: Two halves, I don't think so.

ANDERSON: Well, see, I'm going by the sign, I saw your sign says like anything helps, so I figured anything should help.

VETERAN: Can I keep the magic marker to make another sign?

ANDERSON: Maybe. Yes. I'll give you the magic marker. Why not?

VETERAN: That will help.

ANDERSON: It says anything helps. So, a magic marker should help. I figure that this would help, though. It seems kind of weird to do that, right.

VETERAN: Are you one of those street musicians that turns that into a wad of money?

ANDERSON: Seriously. I have a wad of money.

VETERAN: How did you do that?

ANDERSON: How did you know? All that cash is yours, man. I got like --

VETERAN: Serious?

ANDERSON: Yes.

VETERAN: Check it out. The cash, the sign, it's all for you. There you go. I'm Rob.

ANDERSON: That's cool, man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Good for you, Rob. It was so fast, wasn't it?

BLACKWELL: The first was so sad, but the payoff was worth it.

PAUL: By the way, a new Go Fund Me page has raised more than $30,000 for the homeless veteran. I love that.

BLACKWELL: Ripping up the sign. How does this help?

PAUL: I don't have anything and now, you're taking my sign.

BLACKWELL: Well, I'm glad.

PAUL: Good news.

BLACKWELL: It was sad but paid off. We've got a busy morning of news, though.

PAUL: Yes, the next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now. (MUSIC)

PAUL: We are so grateful for your company as always. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell, 8:00 on the East Coast, coming up on it.

This morning, there are new fears for the fate of Iraq's capital.

PAUL: Yes, and a desperate appeal for U.S. boots to get on the ground now. ISIS militants are closing in on Baghdad, just west of the capital, really, Iraq's Anbar province. That's what is under siege. Leaders there are calling for U.S. forces to come in and stop the ISIS onslaught. They want, quote, urgent and immediate intervention.

BLACKWELL: Now, across the border in northern Syria, the situation is just as bad. A fighter in the besieged town of Kobani says ISIS has them outnumbered and overmatched.