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New Details on President's Speech Tonight; Kerry Arrives in Baghdad; Interview with Congressman Mike Rogers of Michigan; NFL Commissioner Under Fire in Ray Rice Case

Aired September 10, 2014 - 08:00   ET

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


KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome once again to NEW DAY, everyone. It's Wednesday, September 10th, 8:00 in the east now. We have breaking new details. CNN has learned President Obama has opened air strikes to take out in Syria.

He will make his case in a nationally televised address tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern here you can watch it on CNN along with outlining his position on entering Syrian air space as part of the anti-ISIS campaign.

The president is also explaining why he's moving forward without approval of Congress. Let's go live to the White House where Jim Acosta is.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Kate, this speech is really designed to show that the president is ready to hammer ISIS, the president will frame the threat posed by the terror group, and during that portion of the speech, the president will offer a big picture of how he views ISIS, how it's become a core national security priority as officials have described it here at the White House, and how ISIS cannot be allowed to secure what they are calling a safe haven in that borderless part of the world. Kate, that's refers to both in Iraq and in Syria now.

Now, second, the president is going to lay out a strategy. This part of the speech is obviously intended to counter that perception that he doesn't have a plan for dealing with ISIS. They say he does over here at the White House.

The strategy as administration officials have specified involves building an international coalition. That's why John Kerry is down in Iraq right now. But also, building air partners in the region, including Iraqi and potentially Syrian rebel combat boots on the ground, but no U.S. combat boots. That's something the president is going to continue to say he is not going to do.

Now, third, I talked to one official who says that the president will lay out a series of new proposals on how he plans to take the fight to ISIS, to degrade and destroy the terror group. Officials say the president, as you said, Kate, is open to airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria, but whether we'll hear he's authorized those airstrikes tonight, that is the big question.

Also, I want to point out this quote from a senior White House official earlier this morning. Let me put this on screen. It's very important. It says, tonight, you're going to hear from the president of the United States on how he will pursue a strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL, including U.S. military action and support for the forces combating ISIL on the ground both in Syria and a new inclusive Iraqi government.

Kate, that's an indication that the president is prepared to arm and assist forces on the ground who are dealing with ISIS, but not put U.S. forces in that position. Air strikes are going to compliment that attack from the air. The question is, just how soon, Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Exactly. And will he announce that this evening, as you well have pointed out?

Jim Acosta at the White House for us -- Jim, thank you so much.

ACOSTA: You bet.

BOLDUAN: Christ?

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: And there's proof of what Jim is saying that the president believes he doesn't need approval from Congress because it seems they are already moving forward at the White House.

How do we know? Well, Secretary of State John Kerry is in Baghdad following the president's lead and delivering his own pitch for tackling ISIS. But his audience is a bit tougher, the people of the Middle East.

Global affairs correspondent Elise Labott is traveling with Kerry and joins us live from Iraq -- Elise.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Chris, while the new Iraqi government is seen as the centerpiece of the U.S. strategy to combating ISIS, as you know, the Sunnis in Iraq really felt marginalized by the former Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, and a lot of them supported ISIS.

And now, Secretary Kerry here to give a boost to the new government of Prime Minister Abadi, hoping he will be more inclusive, bringing Sunnis into the government, bringing them into the national guard, they would be part of fighting ISIS and hoping they feel that they have more of a stake in the future. That's what Secretary Kerry was talking about with the prime minister today.

The prime minister sounding all the right notes, saying he really is going to bring in all of the sects of Iraq and Kerry certainly giving that new government a boost.

From here, Secretary Kerry will go to Jeddah tomorrow, where he will be meeting with Gulf nations, trying to enlist Sunni Arab support for this young government, not only in terms of military campaign but also cracking down on the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria, cracking down on stopping the flow of financing, which is really the life blood of this it group, Chris. CUOMO: Elise, you could argue that the mission that the secretary has

is the key to any success in that region. Be safe and thank you for joining us.

Kate?

BOLDUAN: All right. Let's discuss this all. Let's bring in Congressman Mike Rogers, Republican from Michigan, and, of course, the chairman of the very important House Intelligence Committee.

Congressman, it's great to see you. Thank you for coming in.

REP. MIKE ROGERS (R-MI), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Thanks, Kate. Thanks for having me.

BOLDUAN: Of course.

We heard from Jim Acosta at the White House kind of the three themes the president will be focusing, he's going to be laying out his tragedy. He's going to be discussing the real threats of is. He's also going to be talking about new proposals to take it to ISIS. How the United States is going to lead the charge to defeat the terror organization.

You have been briefed by both the CIA director, the director of national intelligence on the threat of ISIS. What did you learn from them and what did you -- have you heard anything about these new proposals of how to take it to ISIS?

ROGERS: Yes, we haven't seen all the final details, but you have to remember, even a year ago, we had been concerned, the intelligence committee and intelligence community, about this buildup of these radical jihadists in eastern Syria. So, the president's switch, it sounds like, his language, his rhetoric, is a little tougher and under -- it seems to be more understanding of what the threat really is. That's a good -- this to me is a good start. Now, we have to see what the details are. I hope he's not too restrictive tonight about the things that he won't do.

This is a serious threat. We have 3,000 some individuals with Western passports in countries that have something called a visa waiver, meaning they don't have to go through any extra checks to buy a ticket, get on an airplane and come to the United States. Canada, to some excess of 100 or so individuals that we know and believe could have the ability to come back to Canada. And they're just a drive across the bridge into the United States.

So the threat is real. It's getting worse; the longer that they hold territory, the longer that they continue their beheadings and brutality. They attract Westerners to this fight. So, this is -- I think this is a critical speech for the president. And again, I hope he spends time on what we will do and then leaves some room for some maneuverability on things that we may have to do.

We're going to need special capability soldiers in places eastern Syria and Iraq in the course of this, if we're going to be successful. BOLDUAN: So, Mr. Chairman, if the president comes out tonight, as

you'd expect him to, because he's given no indication, and will he said, over and over again, there will be no combat troops on the ground, no American combat troops on the ground -- do you think that's a mistake? Because that will be one of his, we won't go there.

ROGERS: Well, I think it's really a mistake if we get wrapped up into the what is boots on the ground. I think when you talk about boots on the ground, certainly, I'm talking about big military formations, divisions and brigades and battalions and companies and formation moving through and defeating an enemy. That's -- no one is talking about that.

I do believe that we need our intelligence services and our special capability forces to have the opportunity when it makes sense to bolster and leverage Arab League partners, the Peshmerga, the Iraqi military, and I think it would be a serious mistake to take that completely off the table. I hope he doesn't do that tonight. I don't think that he'll do that tonight.

I think there could be a way forward and I think this maybe the first time you could see Republicans and Democrats coming together on something as serous as our national security. I think that would be a good day.

BOLDUAN: A couple points I want to get to. Airstrikes, we heard from Jim and we heard from Elise, who's traveling with the secretary of state, both of them -- they're reporting is that it's possible airstrikes in Syria against ISIS, coming from the White House, but it's not a done deal yet.

Is that good enough for you if that's as far as the president goes this evening?

ROGERS: Yes. See, this is what I worry about. They keep throwing these catches out there. Well, I might be doing, I might not. The president tonight needs to lay the case. He really shouldn't be talking about battlefield tactics tonight and I hope he doesn't talk about battlefield tactics tonight.

He needs to make the case to the American people that this is a real threat. We've known this for a while. This is the president's opportunity to say this is a direct threat to the United States. We are, again, one plane ticket away from a major disaster in the United States.

He needs to make that case. He needs to make the case to Americans why Syria and Iraq, this is -- this is an organization that wants to take Jordan by public statement, wants to take Lebanon, wants to take Israel. They have taken part of Syria and part of Iraq.

This is an army -- excuse me, a terrorist group with an army. We need to treat it that way. So, I hope he makes the case and doesn't say we're going to do X and Y and Z and not the other things.

BOLDUAN: And you talked about how serious the threat is, how important the speech is tonight. It's really quite amazing because if the president wants to conduct airstrikes in Syria, he does not think, as they've said, he does not think that he needs approval from Congress in what he's going to be announcing this evening. So, he's not expected to get a congressional approval for what he's announcing this evening.

But one year ago when he was talking about just that, airstrikes in Syria, he thought he needed approval from Congress. What has changed and why is Congress not stepping up and voting on this?

ROGERS: Well, I completely agree with you. I don't under -- I think this is a mistake if the president goes forward and Congress decides as a whole that they are going to acquiesce and sit on their back sides during this whole event. This is an effort to bring Congress to do what it's constitutionally mandated to do, and I do believe if he's going to have serious action in Syria, he's going to need some level of congressional authorization or approval.

I hope that's what they do. If they just take the easy road, and this is a hard thing. That's why -- in the process of doing a hard thing, Americans can come together on what the threat is and why it's important to stay engaged in these kinds of messes in a small and effective way early so you don't have a big and ugly way later. This is that time to show leadership from Congress and the president.

And I hope we take this opportunity and step up and put the petty politics aside. This is important a national security issue I have seen in a long time, and it's getting worse by the day. So, the more that we standby and find reasons not to have to vote on it or the president not to have to be strong on it, I think this is bad for the United States. It's bad for our world image and it's bad for our national security.

BOLDUAN: You lay it out very well right there.

Mr. Chairman, it's great to see you. Thanks so much for the time this morning.

ROGERS: Hey, thanks, Kate.

BOLDUAN: OK, of course.

And be sure, of course, the president's address is at 9:00 p.m. Eastern this evening. You can watch it here on CNN.

Michaela?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Let's take a look at more of your headlines right now.

Signs of hope in a fragile cease-fire in eastern Ukraine. President Petro Poroshenko says 70 percent of Russian troops in Ukrainian territory have now withdrawn. The Kremlin says Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone and are said to be, quote, "broadly satisfied" with the truce in Eastern Ukraine. Right now, the fourth American to be diagnosed with Ebola is being treated at Emory Hospital's isolation unit. That doctor became infected with the virus in Sierra Leone. In the meantime, a new study by Oxford University researchers found more countries are at risk from the virus which has now killed 2,300 people. That study also projects 15 more countries could be exposed to the outbreak.

New developments for you in the huge Home Depot credit card data breach. Two senators have asked the federal government to investigate. Five states have launched their own investigations. And angry customers also fighting back. An Illinois customer who sued home depot says the company did not do enough to safeguard customer information. Hackers may have accessed more than 60 million credit card numbers.

So, Apple, their next big thing -- actually three things. The company unveiled two new iPhones and the long-awaited Apple watch on Tuesday. The CEO calls the watch the most personal device apple has ever created. The computer on your wrist connects to your iPhone.

Those iPhones, by the way, are getting bigger. The new versions, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6-plus feature bigger screens, more pixels, and the sound effects there, and, of course, Apple Pay system is getting so much of the buzz. Both devices would allow you to sort of tap to pay.

BOLDUAN: It's time to upgrade, though.

PEREIRA: You're excited about that.

BOLDUAN: Well, I have been holding on to the 4S. I know, what's a 4S? I know all of you guys are going to say that.

CUOMO: So did they get you? Did they hook you? So, you're a non- Apple. She's got an iPad.

PEREIRA: I have -- I'm I and not I. I try to diversify my technology portfolio.

BOLDUAN: Pick a team, Michaela.

PEREIRA: Nope.

CUOMO: So, you think these new phones are better than what you have? What do you have the Android?

PEREIRA: I have a new Android and I love it, out of my mind.

CUOMO: You still think you're ahead of the game, on Apple?

PEREIRA: I like my game.

CUOMO: Strong.

PEREIRA: I have one of these --

BOLDUAN: I still have a flip phone if I was allowed to.

CUOMO: What about the watch?

BOLDUAN: With the antenna.

CUOMO: Will you get the watch?

BOLDUAN: Yes, as Brett Larson was saying, if it makes me look more like Dick Tracy, I'm in, because that's cool.

CUOMO: You want the watch? You guys don't wear watches.

BOLDUAN: It clashes.

CUOMO: Anyway. So, NFL commissioner, big in the news. One of the things everyone will agree with is he said he's accountable. You know what? He's right. The question is what's going to happen as a result of how this Ray Rice situation was handled? One prominent sports columnist says he should get gone. She's coming on to tell us why, next.

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CUOMO: The Ray Rice tale is getting even more twisted. The NFL commissioner insists he never saw the graphic elevator video until TMZ posted it. And get this -- he says he didn't even know what was on it. Really? That's being seriously questioned this morning.

Now, meanwhile, the owner of the Baltimore Ravens is taking a different attack. He's apologizing to fans in a letter for their handling of the Rice investigation. And Rice's wife is defending her husband and blasting all of us in the media.

CNN's Miguel Marquez is following all the different trails in this story -- Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A title wave of questions and disbelief on this one. The National Organization of Women now calling for the commissioner's resignation -- while commissioner Goodell and NFL is in full defensive mode.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Under a firestorm of criticism, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaking out for the first time since this shocking video was released on Monday.

In an interview with CBS News, Goodell says the league never saw this video until after it was posted by TMZ sports.

NORAH O'DONNELL, CBS NEWS: Did you know that a second tape existed?

ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: Well, we had not seen any videotape of what occurred in the elevator, we assumed that there was a video, we asked for video. But we were never granted that opportunity.

O'DONNELL: What was ambiguous about her laying unconscious on the floor, being dragged out by her feet?

GOODELL: There was nothing ambiguous about that. That was the result we saw. We did not know what led up to that. We didn't know the details of that. We asked for that on several occasions.

It was unacceptable in and of itself what we saw in the first tape and that's why we took action -- albeit, insufficient action and we acknowledge that. We took responsibility for that. I did personally. And I take responsibility for that now.

MARQUEZ: But Revel Casino, where the attack occurred, said it gave copies of the video to police, prosecutors, the state division of gaming enforcement and to Ray Rice's own attorney.

Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti penning an open letter to fans on Tuesday to apologize, saying in part, "The decision to let Ray Rice go was unanimous. Seeing that video changed everything. We should have seen it earlier. We should have pursued our own investigation more vigorously, we didn't and we were wrong.

O'DONNELL: What does that mean he was suspended indefinitely? Does that mean Ray Rice will never play in the NFL again?

GOODELL: I don't rule that out, but he would have to make sure that we are fully confident that he is addressing this issue.

MARQUEZ: Rice's wife, Janay, breaking her innocence this Instagram post to defend her husband and blast the media. "To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret every day is a horrible thing. To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his expletive of all his life just to gain ratings is horrific.

This is our life. What don't you all get? If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you succeeded on so many levels."

The NFL commissioner insists the buck stops with him.

O'DONNELL: Did the NFL drop the ball? Or was the NFL willfully ignorant about what was on this tape?

GOODELL: Well, we certainly didn't know what was on the tape. But we have been very open and honest and I have, also, from two weeks ago when I acknowledged that we didn't get this right. That's my responsibility and I'm accountable for that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Now, despite the denials they haven't seen the tape, that they couldn't get access to it, the hotel says they couldn't have gotten it. TMZ also reporting that possibly some representatives from the NFL were at the hotel. It's not clear whether they were investigators for them that weren't employed by the NFL.

But there's a great belief, particularly since a lot of people were talking about the second video through the months after this happened, that they did not see it. So, it's a little shocking -- Chris.

CUOMO: They were talking about it from the beginning. The NFL in their statement, Miguel, says we've worked with police from the beginning. They said the New Jersey state police -- the state police aren't even running the investigation. It's the Atlantic City police. It sounds like a small thing, it isn't.

Thank you for the reporting.

Let's dig down on this. We have Ann Killion, sports columnist for "The San Francisco Chronicle", and Chris Stone, managing editor of "Sports Illustrated".

May I get a show of hands, good people, ho believes the commissioner when he says we didn't know what was on the tape?

Hmm, assuming you have hands, there's no show of hands. Why don't you believe it, Chris?

CHRIS STONE, MANAGING EDITOR, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Well, the NFL is when it needs something and wants something, it's a ruthless, fastidious organization. It has the means to get access to crucial information here.

And that's what kind of bothers me most about a statement. The commissioner is saying there was ambiguity here. I mean, the notion that there was ambiguity because he was relying on the word of Ray Rice and his then fiancee now wife.

But this isn't something that just crept up on the NFL. This was a high profile story from the beginning.

CUOMO: Even Ray Rice told them that he punched her, and that she hit her head on the rail.

STONE: And there was the first video. And I'm talking about -- it has the means to go out and get all the information it needed to arrive at an informed decision here, which it didn't. And that's just -- it's just disingenuous.

CUOMO: Why didn't he do it? And, frankly, I point the finger at myself on this, because people like me let them get away with it. Two games, OK, that's fine.

And, you now, Ann, what I'm hearing from a lot of people, and this is why I want your talk and I read your column with great interest and thank you for being here to explain to is.

ANN KILLION, SPORTS COLUMNIST, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: Sure.

CUOMO: They say, come on, this is football, not Congress. There's not even a case against this it guy. Why should they have to punish him? And they are going to ruin his life over this.

You know, why should Goodell have to pay for this? You know, maybe he didn't see the tape. What do you think?

KILLION: Well, I think Goodell should pay for it. I don't expect him to. But I think -- you know, this has all the feel of a cover up and this was a criminal act. Yes, it's football, but it is a $10 billion business. It is part of our corporate and national landscape. It can't play by different rules.

And the NFL has tried to play by different rules for too long and it puts itself up as this great entity that does good. Next month, we'll see all the guys dawning their pink accessories for breast cancer awareness month and show their support for women.

This was a criminal activity. This is a cover up, and I think Goodell is culpable. I think he's responsible. And I don't think anything will happen because he answers to the owners, but I don't think he has any credibility left in the public eye.

CUOMO: Whenever somebody says they are accountable, that almost assures you that they're not going to -- they think nothing is going to happen to them, right? Do you think the owners care, Ann, to football, whether or not this guy handled this situation the right way? Or are they all about bottom line?

KILLION: Well, the owners are all about bottom line, but I think they care. I think they realize how tarnished the game has been in the last few months over this issue. I think that they are very aware or they should be aware of their public image. I mean, you add this situation on to the concussion issue, on to the drug issue.

There's just so many things that have come along that have hurt the NFL and not in anyone is going to destroy the league, but you add them all up and the NFL is becoming -- it has a real image problem right now.

CUOMO: It's got more than an image problem. It's got a practical problem as well, Chris, because what you do with Ray Rice now -- two games, no, he's out indefinitely. Well, the new rule is six games. How do you hold Ray Rice out if the rule is six games?

STONE: Well, they can hold him out.

CUOMO: Longer than six games?

STONE: They can hold him out. But which team is going to pick up Ray Rice at this point? I mean, we're talking about -- Ray Rice, I don't -- I'd be curious to hear Ann's thoughts on the situation. I don't think his career is over. This is 27-year-old player in the prime of his career. I don't think he plays this year. He's possibly not next year.

But, you know -- and I don't want to compare these two cases, but in the case -- you know, with Michael Vick, he ultimately did come back. Ray Rice is from a football standpoint has value to a team. I don't think he's playing this year, but I do think down the road he does come back. CUOMO: How can he not play? The rule is six games. How do you hold

him out?

Especially, Ann, let me come to you to end on this. His wife has forgiven him. His wife says you're hurting me when you hurt him. His wife says give him a second chance. I did. There's no case pending. The rule is six games.

What do you do with Ray Rice?

KILLION: Well, I don't think -- I think Chris is right. I don't think anyone is going to touch him for awhile.

But I'm fortunate enough to never be a victim of domestic violence, so I don't know her mindset is. I really think that in some ways we have to take her out of the equation because what happened was a criminal act. And yes, he got off.

If you look at his record, he doesn't even have a criminal record because he entered a rehabilitation program that expunged the charges. But, you know, he should have gone to jail for this.

And I think everyone has been culpable of protecting a guy because he is a 27-year-old famous running back and lessening the charges, looking the other way, and I don't think team is going to want him this year. How long can you sit out and have a career? I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen with him.

CUOMO: Also, I want to direct people to your article because you talk about other people who are playing this Sunday, who have similar situations like this in their past are hanging over their heads right now, and teams are perfectly fine having them on the roster. So, maybe Ray --

(CROSSTALK)

KILLION: Absolutely.

CUOMO: Ann Killion, thank you for the great reporting, and a perspective here.

Chris Stone, always a pleasure. Thank you for being here.

All right. We're going to have more on the Ray Rice controversy. We're going to talk with a former wife who says the league, it isn't the firs time. They have a history of ignoring domestic violence.

And did you know? Twelve states reporting cases of the scary respiratory illness with a long numbered name. It's been affecting hundreds of children. We're going to tell you what you need to know because of what's trending, coming up.

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