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Lawmakers Concerned About Pope's Address to Congress; Pope Francis; Historic Role as Jesuit Pope; Russia Moving Weapons, IAEA Receives Soil Samples from Iran; Troops to Syria; Interview With Sen. Angus King; North Korean Orphan Now Working to Help Others. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired September 21, 2015 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:30:00] MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: That is a message that a lot of the Republicans are saying, but they are using his visit to the political advantage as well. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, is putting on the floor this week a bill of banning abortions after 20 weeks as a larger fight to keep the government open at the end of the month.
So clearly, they will see an advantage to use the church's views on abortion, and they hope to use that to their advantage. And also, a huge number of issues that they disagree with the pope on, they hope he strays away from those, and we will see if he does that.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: What are you hearing from Democrats, Manu, about the pope's opposition to abortion rights for women, opposition to gay marriage, gay rights, if you will, in general? What do they say?
RAJU: Well, they feel that the pope will stay away from those matters, and we will see if he does, and particularly on the issue of gay rights. And this pope has been a little bit more progressive on the issue of gay rights than his predecessor, and I'm not sure how much he will decide to get into that or the abortion question. But as the folks are saying that perhaps what he'll touch on are things that put both parties in a little bit of an uncomfortable position -- Wolf?
BLITZER: Yes, that is what the Archbishop Timothy Dolan said, that both parties could be conflicted or feeling uncomfortable as he addresses both sessions of Congress.
All right, Manu, thanks very, very much.
Pope Francis is the fourth pope to visit the United States. What is the significance of the pope's visit, and how does his historic role as the first Jesuit Catholic leader make a difference? We will discuss this when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:35:59] BLITZER: The pope's visit to United States includes a broad spectrum of events, everything from meeting President Obama at the White House to visiting inmates at a Philadelphia prison. He is going to arrive tomorrow afternoon in Washington and addresses a joint meeting of the United States Congress Wednesday morning. On Thursday morning, the pope's itinerary will stop in New York City where he is going to be speaking at the United Nations General Assembly and, in Philadelphia, he'll then attend the World Meeting of Families.
We will bring in Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest, author and contributing editor at "America, a national magazine for Catholics.
Father Martin, thanks very much for joining us.
And this is the pope's first ever visit to the United States, and briefly, Father, how significant is this trip?
FATHER JAMES MARTIN, AUTHOR & CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, AMERICA MAGAZINE: Well, very significant, as you said, it is the first visit, but it is also a chance to have him talk about the things that are near and dear to the heart, the poor, the income inequalities, and refugees and migrants. It is important time.
BLITZER: And this is the first visit of the Jesuit pope, and please explain why this is going to provide a certain key to understanding who this pope is.
MARTIN: Well, I know that I am biased as a Jesuit myself, but we have a certain spirituality that says we have to find god in all thing, and it is a broad-minded spirituality, but it is the first pope since the 19th century who has taken a vow of poverty, and so when he entered the Jesuits is the vow of poverty, and so it is something that we are seeing, and something that people are responding to.
BLITZER: After some of the scandals within the Catholic Church here in the United States and, indeed, around the world, some Catholics left the faith, and do you believe that the pope's visit here to the United States will bring some of the Catholics back to the church?
MARTIN: I believe it is, and it has. And I give a lot of parish talk, and people by the dozen says that I have left the church, and I feel reconnected because of Francis, and so he is making more people feel welcomed in the church.
BLITZER: Is he going to be speaking of the controversial issues that sort of alienate the Republicans in issues such as poverty and the climate change, and the issues that may alienate the Democrats' issues for abortion rights for women, and the same-sex issues, and do you anticipate that he will?
MARTIN: Well, he is a pope of surprises, but he would address the poor and income inequality, and he will address some of those issues, and the environment, and he is going to be an equal opportunity disturber, but that is his role.
BLITZER: Tell us why that is his role?
MARTIN: Well, the Catholic Church transcends the narrow liberal and conservative, and the role of the Christian is to comfort the afflict and to afflict the comfortable, and we have people who need to be afflicted a little bit particularly in their outlook toward the poor and the marginalized.
BLITZER: You think that he is going to be discussing snag Bernie Sanders the U.S. presidential candidate and others who talk about the income inequality in the United States which is a subject close to the pontiff's heart as well?
MARTIN: Yes, interesting that Pope Benedict talked about it as well, and it does not get as much play as well, and he talked about the income redistribution, and certainly with the vast income inequality in the world, a and he is going to address that, and that is something that he wants to speak to us about, but as Cardinal Dolan said, it is a speech where he praises all of the good things about the United States.
BLITZER: And the trip is going to be running the gamut of meeting the president to going to the prison, and what is the message there?
MARTIN: That the poor is important to him, and in New York he is visiting a poor school, and in Philadelphia a prison is, and in D.C., a school for the Catholic charities, and he is going to spread the message that Jesus asked for us to care for the poor, and he is doing it by word and by deed.
[13:40:08] BLITZER: And, Father Martin, is editor-at-large of "America" magazine.
Father Martin, we thank you for joining us, and we will continue the conversations in the days to come.
MARTIN: My pleasure.
BLITZER: CNN will have special coverage of the pope's visit. Watch our report, "The People's Pope," tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. eastern and Pacific here on CNN.
Other new that we are following on CNN, what is Russia up to? They are sending tanks, air craft and troops to the war-torn country in Syria. And I will speak to Angus King and ask him if he knows what Russia is doing in Syria right now, and what that could mean for the Middle East.
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[13:45:13] BLITZER: Two Americans held hostage in Yemen are now free. They were released by Houthi rebels and flown to Oman on Saturday. U.S. officials have identified one hostage as Sam Haran (ph) and the second is Scott Darden, a 45-year-old shipping company employee. The two men were trying to flee Yemen when they were taken captive. Several others were also released, including a British national. Officials say a third American is still being held in Yemen.
And in Russia, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with Vladimir Putin in Russia to discuss Syria and stability in the Middle East. And all this coming after U.S. officials also spoke with their Russians counterparts about Russia's military support to Syria. And joining us is the Maine Independent Senator Angus King, who sits
on the Senate Armed Service Committee as well as the Intelligence Committee.
Senator, thanks very much for joining us.
First of all, you are privy to the information, and now information that Russia is flying drone operations there to bolster the regime of the Bashar al Assad and what is going on?
SEN. ANGUS KING, (I), MAINE: Well, Wolf, it is not good news, Wolf. Not only drones but fighter jets, tanks, gunships and helicopters, troop-carrying helicopters. They are establishing Syrian's base in northwestern Syria. And it complicates an unbelievably complicated situation. On the other hand, it indicates how concerned they are about the rise of al Nusra and ISIS, these jihadist radical group, which that is where our interest and Russia's are aligning somewhat. And hopefully, these conversations between Ash Carter and his counterpart in Russia might lead to larger conversations about how to find a commonality of interest to slide Assad aside, because he is the irritant that is causing this civil war to keep going.
BLITZER: And so Ash Carter is the U.S. defense secretary. Is it good that the Russians are now there, attacking al Nusra, an al Qaeda affiliate, attack ISIS, even it means bolstering the regime of Bashar al Assad?
KING: Well, it is not good, because if they keep him in power, it is going to continue, and there will be a rise in the refugees and rise of the groups. And so as a precursor, it would be good news in that sense, but right now, it is just further exacerbates an already incredibly volatile situation.
BLITZER: So what you are hearing and seeing based to information is that the rush shall be military is willing to put some boots on the ground in Syria right now?
KING: They are doing it, and feeling that Assad is weakening, and he is in danger. They have a foothold in western Syria near the Mediterranean that they want to keep in intact, and they have been. And they and Iran have been the major protectors over the past four years.
BLITZER: Any preliminary numbers of how many Russian troops have been deployed to Syria?
KING: Well, I have not heard specific numbers, but if you have tankers and tanks and, and helicopters, you have troops.
BLITZER: And now, there is to be some troops to deal with Bashar al Assad, and $400 million for that group --
(CROSSTALK)
KING: And it is not working. BLITZER: And Lloyd Austin says, you know, how many pro U.S. rebels
are actually trained and operating? Four or five or six for a half a billion dollars.
KING: I was in that hearing, Wolf, and it is shocking, that everybody, and you could hear the intake of breath. Now, there is a lot that we are doing in Syria, in terms of the humanitarian aid and nonlethal aid, but this train and equip program was a long shot to begin with, and part of the leadership is backing up, and saying, hey, if it is not working, you have to change the tactics and play the hand that is dealt with you, and it is the first phase just starting but they were hoping to have 5,000 in the field by the end of the year, but it is not going to be close.
BLITZER: And $500 million, and when you think about the education, and health care, and you know -- that is money that could be really doing productive things as opposed to totally wasted training four or five or six pro-U.S. rebels in Syria.
[13:50:00] KING: Well, it is not fair to say that you divide by five by $500 million, because you are setting up what --
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: But it's been a disaster.
KING: It's just hasn't been successful by any measure. The question is who is going to fight ISIS in Syria? In Iraq there's a ready made army. You have the Iraqis. In Syria, there are no boots on the ground. Some Kurds, but they aren't there. You can't win a war with air power.
BLITZER: I want to pick your brain quickly.
The IAEA have just said that it the first phase of going into "explore" this Iranian facility, whether or not they did engage in a nuclear capability. And it has been achieved thanks to the Iranians who provided soil samples to the IAEA and they say that's good enough. You trust the Iranians to provide the right soil samples to the IAEA as opposed to international inspectors going in and collecting samples?
KING: That's like having athletes provide their own urine samples. I don't think that makes sense. On the other hand, I have been in briefings and it's not quite as simple as that. They do have verification techniques to assure them that there is integrity to the samples. It's not as simple as they are going to collect the samples and show them to the IAEA, but I'm not at liberty to convey what I have been told.
BLITZER: The A.P. has the story, says that some of the -- they have outside GPS or video cameras or stuff looking at the Iranians who collect the samples and that seems to reassure the IAEA. But they also say, at least according to this story, this is the first time ever the IAEA has been allowed a host country to collect this kind of material to make sure that there wasn't some sort of nuclear capability.
KING: I think this was some kind of negotiated compromise. But it's important to realize this isn't the ongoing inspection regime. This is the history. This it goes back to pre 2004. And the Iranians have sanitized the site. It's been down for 11 years. But they ought to have more full access, but I think it's important to understand that this isn't part of the future of this agreement because they are going to have full access.
BLITZER: Senator King, thank you for joining us.
KING: Thank you.
BLITZER: Good work.
Few children face as many obstacles as orphans in North Korea, but a woman who understands their plight better than most is now trying to give them a better future. We have a report coming up next.
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[13:57:04] BLITZER: North Korea invited CNN's Will Ripley back to their country after Ripley requested to meet people outside of the country's capitol. Government officials took him to meet a 20-year- old woman who the regime says is a shining product of the North Korean collective society. Orphaned in the famine during the '90s, she was adopted, and now has dedicated her life to adopting those who have lost parents, while also holding down a full-time job working for the state.
Will Ripley has her story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Koreans born during the great famine are too young to remember when hundreds of thousands died from starvation.
Jong Jong Kwi (ph) doesn't remember the mother and father she lost.
"My parents died a long time ago. I was so young," she says.
The 20-year-old is part of a generation of orphans now young adults born during the 1990s humanitarian crisis North Korea called the Arduous March.
A family with three children of their own took her in.
"My adoptive mother was so kind to me," she says.
A kindness she's trying to repay by serving the state caring for a house full of orphans while also working full-time.
Jong (ph) gets help from family, friends and neighbors. She began taking in orphans when she was 18, just out of secondary school. Now she's caring for seven of them. (on camera): There's the leader. Where are you?
Right there.
(voice-over): An achievement recognized by North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Hong-Un. She shows us laptops sent by the state for the kids to study with, but she doesn't have batteries to turn them on.
The family, including all seven orphans, live in standard government housing, sharing a one-bathroom apartment in a working class neighborhood 45 minutes west of Pyongyang.
The oldest orphan is 16. Her parents died working in a state-owned steel mill. The other workers took turns caring for her, her brother and sister until Jong (ph) brought them home.
"At first she was like my older sister because she's only four years older than me, but now I call her my mother," she says.
She and her sisters say they want to join the army to serve Kim Jong- Un.
(on camera): Give me a high five.
(voice-over): And their younger brother wants to play soccer.
"When I grow up, I'm going to be a very good football player to please our leader," he says.
All tell me they consider their leader their father, something we hear everywhere in North Korea.
Jong (ph) says she hopes these kids will grow strong to serve the nation.
"Our country is one huge family," she says.
And here, country always comes first.
Will Ripley, CNN, North Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Thank you, Will.
That's it for me. The news continues next on CNN.
