Return to Transcripts main page

Wolf

Dow Tries to Recover; Troops Fight Ebola; Mystery Deepens on North Korean Leader's Whereabouts

Aired October 10, 2014 - 13:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, tensions escalate between North and South Korea just as new speculation emerges on the whereabouts of the North Korean elusive leading Kim Jong-Un.

Thick smoke rises into the sky over Kobani as ISIS militants makes moves to chock off the key Syrian border town, blocking any chance for a last-minute escape for innocents trapped there.

And U.S. troops arrive in Monrovia bringing the battle against Ebola to Liberia shores and putting U.S. military personnel on the frontline in this fight against this deadly virus.

Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. It's 1:00 p.m. here in Washington, 5:00 in Monrovia, 8:00 p.m. in Damascus and 2:00 a.m. Saturday in Pyongyang North Korea. Wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very for joining us.

North Korea is where we begin today with bullets, balloons, and a deepening mystery into what is going on there. The mystery over the whereabouts of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. He was a no-show at a major ceremony today and he hasn't been seen in public for more than a month.

To further complicate matters, North and South Korea traded gunfire across the border today in an incident that started with balloons.

Our correspondent Paula Hancocks is following developments from Seoul, South Korea -- Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, machine gunfire rings across the DMZ as the questions gets louder, where is the North Korean leader?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): It started with propaganda balloons sent from South to North Korea. It ended with both Koreas exchanging machine gunfire across that tensed border. Activists launched balloons intended for North Korean residents filled with leaflets denouncing the regime, dollar bills and DVDs and books showing life in the South. North Korea often threatens to respond to these balloons and today they did.

No casualties in the South but there's no way of knowing if that's the case in the North. Fresh violence as the world is still wondering where the 31-year-old North Korean leader is. Kim Jong-Un was seen limping over the summer. State-run media admitted he was suffering discomfort. And that's all we know for sure.

JAMIE METZL, SENIOR FELLOW, ASIA SOCIETY: We get all kinds of queues and suggestions. And it's like the old days of the Soviet Union where there is the Kremlinology and we'd look at the photos and we'd say, you know, this guy is missing, or that guy is missing.

HANCOCKS: Five weeks out of the public eye is a long time for a leader who, up until now, has not been camera shy. Kim did not attend the ceremony for the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party, instead sending flowers to pay respects to his late father Kim Jong-Il and grandfather Kim Il-Sung.

Ankle surgery, stroke, or military coup, some rumors more credible than others. But many experts here say a coup is unlikely with the flurry of recent diplomacy.

PROF. ANDRE LANKOV, KOOKMIN UNIVERSITY: You will not expect a newly established collective leadership, a group of old bureaucrats to be so bold and active.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS: South Korea's Defense minister says that he believes Kim Jong-Un may be near the Bongwha hospital in Pyongyang with his wife and his sister. It's the same hospital where his late father and grandfather had been treated for illnesses before -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Paula, thanks very much.

Paula Hancocks reporting from Seoul, South Korea.

A reclusive regime, a nuclear armed nation, and a leader mysteriously out of the public eye. Those are just some of the factors fueling lots of speculation and concern about what is going on in North Korea.

Let's get some insight from Gordon Chang, he's a "Daily Beast" contributor, he's the author of the book "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World."

Gordon, thanks very much for joining us. How significant is it that Kim Jong-Un hasn't been seen in public now for about five weeks?

GORDON CHANG, DAILY BEAST CONTRIBUTOR: I think this is very significant because this is his longest absence ever and, although the South Korean and American government say this is not a big deal, we've got to put this into context. Because while Kim has been out of sight, we have heard these reports of a lockdown of Pyongyang, the number two official in North Korea got a big promotion and state media warned of a potential rebellion.

Also, we've seen senior leaders in this terrible struggle where there have been executions. Commonsense, if nothing else, says that there is something really wrong in the North Korean regime right now. BLITZER: And it's obviously a big deal, he didn't show up at this

major party event today in North Korea. He almost always should be there, right?

CHANG: Yes. And he didn't show up on Tuesday. And Tuesday was the 17th anniversary of his father becoming the head of the Workers' Party and in a confusion-inspired regime, you know, not to honor your father and your predecessor is a major breach of protocol. So that also was extremely serious and that's why people have to believe that something is terribly wrong.

BLITZER: Well, what if he's just got some kind of ankle injury. Because we saw him in recent photo, he was sort of limping along, he looked like he had gained some weight. What if -- there he is. You can see he's having trouble walking. What if it's just some -- relatively minor ailment and they don't want him to be seen in public showing that kind of distress? Is that possible?

CHANG: Well, it's possible but not very likely and the reason is that Kim would want to connect with his public. You know, this is a cult and he needs to be seen by the people of North Korea. And, you know, what they would do would probably show pictures of him, you know, still photographs, signing letters or talking to people. That's the type of thing that these regimes do when a leader is ill.

But we haven't seen any of that and there's been remarkably little mention of Kim over the last -- since September 3rd when he disappeared. So that's why I think that, yes, it's possible, but I don't think that's likely.

BLITZER: You think that there's a coup under way over there?

CHANG: No, I don't think that there's a coup but I think that over time he has lost influence. Especially when Kim -- Jang Song Theak, his uncle, was executed in December. The global narrative was that he killed his uncle. But I think it's much more likely that he was not able to prevent his uncle from being killed and that his uncle's enemies have now sidelined Kim. That makes much more sense.

And that would also explain why we saw this extraordinary delegation on Saturday going to South Korea. Because these guys have been in charge for a very long time.

BLITZER: What about his younger sister? He's about 31 years old, Kim Jong-Un. He's got a younger sister in her mid-20s. And we've seen her out there. Is it possible she could emerge as the next leader?

CHANG: Again possible but not very likely because Kim Yo Jong, she's 27 years old and she has a disability as far as the North Korean regime is and that's being young and female. So, you know, I think that she could have expanded responsibilities. She certainly is the most capable of Kim Jong-Il's acknowledged children but because of the nature of this regime, I don't think that she's the one in charge.

If you're going to look for people in charge, you should be looking at the generals in their 60s and their 70s. BLITZER: One final question. We see some mixed signals from North

Korea. They send this surprise delegation to South Korea which is obviously something potentially positive but then there has been an exchange of gunfire along the border. What do you make of that?

CHANG: Well, the North Koreans often do this thing. They mix strong and weak signals at the same time. They have had one over-arching goal and that is to annex South Korea and to govern the entire Korean Peninsula. And they mix their tactics all the time. So that's not strange.

You know, the important thing is that they haven't given up their dream of basically governing the entire Korean Peninsula.

BLITZER: All right. Gordon, thanks very much. Gordon Chang reporting, at least helping us better appreciate what's going on. Thank you.

CHANG: Thank you.

BLITZER: Still ahead, we'll move to the Ebola battle, especially in Spain. Now that battle growing more and more difficult for a medical worker who has the virus.

And ISIS fighters make advances in Kobani as reinforcements arrive in that key Syrian city right near the Turkish border.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Reporting that there's greater, even more intense street fighting in the center of the city. This amateur video shows the Free Syrian Army firing heavy machine guns. One resident says food supplies, though, are dwindling. If ISIS does take Kobani it'll control a swath of land about 60 miles, 100 kilometers between its self-declared capital of Raqqa and Turkey.

These developments come as the United States and its allies conducted even more airstrikes in Syria today hitting two ISIS training facilities, plus some vehicles.

Our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon is on the Turkish/Syrian border. She's watching these events as they unfold.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we're hearing the ongoing sounds of what seems to be an intense battle happening in Kobani. According to a Kurdish fighter, ISIS now controlling around 40 percent of the city, trying to push forward across the north. That is very close to the border with Turkey.

Earlier we saw a number of airstrikes in a key area we believe to be where the security buildings are located. Those are buildings that ISIS had managed to push the Kurdish fighting force out of.

The Kurds are fighting alongside an FSA unit, an Arab unit. Earlier we spoke to the commander there and he, too, reiterating that call for additional support. They need weapons. They need ammunition. They are heavily outgunned and outmanned with ISIS reinforcements reportedly arriving from Aleppo and Raqqa.

So even though these airstrikes have helped with certain degree at this stage, those that are taking on ISIS inside Kobani, not entirely clear that they are going to be able to hold on to these various games indefinitely.

We keep hearing those calls for a weapons corridor to be opened up from Turkey and for Turkey and for the U.S. and the coalition to do more even though everyone is saying at this stage the priority is not necessarily to save Kobani -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Arwa Damon on the border there between Iraq -- between Syria and Turkey.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department says Turkey has agreed to support, train and equip Syria's moderate opposition, providing arms to Syrian rebels, has long been a source of contention between the White House and politicians here in Washington up on Capitol Hill, both Democratic politicians and Republican politicians. Many of them fear the weapons eventually will wind up in the hands of ISIS.

Republican Senator Rand Paul spoke out on this issue in an interview with me just a little while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: I think the biggest problem or where I disagree with the president most strenuously is in arming the Syrian rebels. The Syrian rebels don't seem to be able to hang onto the arms. Most of the arms we've given and the Saudis have given and the Qataris have wound up in the hands of ISIS.

So I said a year ago that the irony they will have trouble overcoming is that we will someday be fighting the weapons that we sent into the Middle East. And I think that irony is now. I think we do have to do something about ISIS. And I do agree with military action against ISIS. But I think it's disappointing that we are now fighting against our own weapons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Please be sure to watch the full interview coming up later today in "THE SITUATION ROOM," 5:00 p.m. Eastern.

They're both passionate about children's rights. She's a teenager from Pakistan, a Muslim, who has made waves for her efforts to promote education for young girls. He's 60 years old, from India, a Hindu relatively unknown, yet this year they share the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala Yousafzai, the 17-year-old who was shot in the head by the Taliban, the youngest person ever to win the award. Malala spoke just hours ago after the end of her school day in Birmingham, England, where she now lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MALALA YOUSAFZAI, NOBEL LAUREATE: Through my story, I want to tell other children all around the world that they should stand up for their rights. They should not wait for someone else. And their voices are more powerful, their voices, it would seem that they are weak, but at the time when no one speak, your voice gets so louder that everyone has to listen to it. Everyone has to hear it. It's my message to children all around the world that they should stand up for their rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Malala shares the honor with the Indian human rights activist Kailash Satyarthi. He spent his whole life fighting against child labor. The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says the true winners today are the world's children. We congratulate both of these human rights activists.

Still to come, we're going to bring you up to date information on the Ebola fight from several angles, including the inside of an airplane where a passenger created a major Ebola scare.

And we'll also check the markets here in the United States. This a day after the Dow's biggest drop of the year shook investors and continue some wild rides here in October.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: For U.S. investors, it was frayed nerves, fluttering stomachs as the Dow plummeted 335 points yesterday. It was the biggest drop of the year. Take a look at the wild swings just this past week. The Dow literally going from one of its best days to one of its worst in a span of 24 hours. Alison Kosik has a check of the numbers right now.

What's it looking like today, Alison?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I'll tell you what, Wolf, after the whiplash that we experienced this week, it's definitely calmer, though we are seeing stocks fluctuate quite a bit. You're seeing a mixed bag with the Dow up 27 points. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 in the red. European markets, Asian markets, they sold off, too, following the biggest selloff of the year for the Dow, as you mentioned, yesterday.

But, you know, it's not just stocks that you're seeing this selloff happen. Oil. Oil has really been getting whacked. It's down 6 percent just this week. You look at the price of oil, it's below $90 a barrel. We haven't seen that kind of level in two years. And that's happening because of concerns that a global economic slowdown could cause less demand. On the plus side, though, it could mean lower gas prices, Wolf.

BLITZER: So viewers around the world who are watching us right now on CNN International, when they see this kind of fluctuation in the United States on Wall Street, what's the likely impact on markets around the world?

KOSIK: Well, I mean, obviously, you know, you saw the impact yesterday. When you saw the Dow fall over 300 points, you saw European markets, you know, follow in tandem. You saw Asian markets follow in tandem. They usually take the lead from U.S. markets. So if we - if stocks wind up ending higher today, you could see a better day for overseas markets on Monday, Wolf.

BLITZER: If - are there are fears -- there are fears of a global economic slowdown. I suspect that, at least in part, is spooking the markets right now, is that right?

KOSIK: Yes. And there's an irony in that because, you know, what spooked the market yesterday was the very catalyst that caused the market to rally in the previous session. And here's why. It was from the Federal Reserve. And the red flag came from the Fed expressing its own concern about the economy in its minutes from its latest meeting. It was concerned about the economy in Europe slowing down. And that's why the Fed said it's going to go ahead and take a go slow approach in raising interest rates in the U.S. And then you saw the market rally on Wednesday that the Fed wasn't going to rush into raising interest rates.

So at first glance it seemed like good news to investors. But then when Thursday came around, investors thought, wait a minute, what, in reality, is the Fed really saying? And then they realized, wait a minute, the Fed's really saying that maybe things aren't looking so good after all, at least globally.

BLITZER: Yes, let's not forget, at the height of the recession, what six years ago or so, the Dow had gone down to about 7,000. It's now up to around 17,000. So let's keep all of this in some sort of perspective as we watch what is going on.

KOSIK: Yes.

BLITZER: Alison, thanks very much.

KOSIK: You got it.

BLITZER: Still to come, the latest Ebola developments, including the bizarre story of a passengers on a major U.S. airplane causing a major scare and a major delay. We're going to tell you what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Washington.

Let's bring you up to date on the battle to contain the Ebola outbreak. The World Health Organization announced just a little while ago that the number of deaths attributed to Ebola has now climbed to 4,033. Let me repeat that, 4,033.

Meanwhile, in Macedonia, health officials are continuing to investigate a possible Ebola death. While it's considered unlikely that the virus cased the death of this - of the British man, a hotel where he had been staying has now been closed and the guests have been quarantined. In Spain, 14 people are in a Madrid hospital under observation. A

nurse's assistant, Teresa Romero, is the only confirmed case and her condition is said to be, quote, "worsening."

In the U.K., staff at major airports and the Eurostar rail terminal are now being screened. Passengers are being screened from Ebola- infected countries. Passengers will be questioned about their travel history.

And in the Dominican Republic, a man was escorted off a U.S. Airways jetliner after he allegedly yelled out, and I'm quoting here, "I have Ebola, you're all screwed." The man said he was joking.

And in the United States, five major international airports are said to begin screening arrivals from three West African nations for Ebola this week, JFK, New York, begins this weekend.

Of course, West Africa has been the hardest hit. In Liberia, 90 U.S. troops have arrived to help in the fight. The assistance could not have come soon enough. And as CNN's Nima Elbagir reports, many of the U.S. troops sent to Liberia are happy to help.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'm a military soldier and I love to see military aircraft come in. And so, absolutely, I'm excited. It's a great day.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After weeks of preparation, the sounds of aircraft overhead signals a new phase in Major General Darryl Williams' mission.

MAJ. GEN. DARRYL WILLIAMS, COMMANDER, U.S. ARMY AFRICA: The weather is tough, the terrain is tough, the infrastructure is challenging, and so these tools that you see coming in will give us the ability to operate with confidence and strength.

ELBAGIR: Williams has the unenviable job of leading the fight against an invisible enemy.

WILLIAMS: We're glad you're here, man. Hoorah.

CROWD: Hoorah.

ELBAGIR: Tasked by President Obama to help stop the spread of Ebola. And the clock is ticking.

WILLIAMS: Yes, so this is how you make a hotel into an operational center. And so it's -

ELBAGIR: Today he's conducting what they call a battlefield circulation tour of his joint forces command.

WILLIAMS: This is how we ensure that we stay safe.

ELBAGIR: But this battlefield requires a different kind of vigilance. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Attention.

WILLIAMS: Hey, carry on. How's everybody doing? All right. Take your seats.

ELBAGIR: In a cramped conference room in a Liberian hotel, the operations nerve center, they're about to hit the ground running, fitting in where they can, conscious that delays cost lives.

This will be the sight of the Monrovia medical unit, a facility specifically for health workers to be run by U.S. government health teams. The tent goes up. Another hard-won victory against the elements.