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CNN NEWSROOM
Battle against ISIS; Another NFL Player Won't Play; Hillary's Iowa Debut; ISIS Kills Another Western Hostage; Family Mourns British Hostage David Haines; North Korea Sentences American; Manhunt Continues in Pennsylvania; Interview with Keith Reed
Aired September 14, 2014 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: And hello, everyone, I'm Deborah Feyerick in for Fredricka Whitfield. These stories topping our news hour right now.
Well, Britain and the U.S. vowed to crush ISIS after the terror group beheads a third Western hostage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We have confront this menace. Step by step we must drive back, dismantle and ultimately destroy ISIL and what it stands for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: New details on the coalition's plans to hunt down the ISIS militants who executed British aid worker David Haines.
Plus, the storm over the NFL growing. Just moments ago another NFL player forced to sit out today's game. Is it time for Commissioner Roger Goodell to go? We will have the latest from all the fans.
And she isn't even an official presidential candidate, but Hillary Clinton is sure acting like one. She and Bill about to headline a major political event. We will take you live to Iowa.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And we begin with the message the U.S. and Great Britain are making crystal clear today. Both nations prepared to do whatever it takes to destroy the ISIS terror group and bring to justice the militants who executed British aid worker David Haines.
ISIS posted a video yesterday showing Haines' beheading. It is similar to ones showing the executions of Americans James Foley and Steven Sotloff. And the masked militant sounds like the same man seen in those previous videos. Haines' executioner blamed Haines' death on Great Britain's, quote, "evil alliance with America," unquote. British Prime Minister David Cameron says Haines' death will not cause Britain to waiver, but instead will strengthen the country's resolve to defeat ISIS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMERON: We are a peaceful people. We do not seek out confrontation. But we need to understand, we cannot ignore this threat to our security and that of our allies. There is no option of keeping our heads down that would make us safe. The problem would merely get worse as it has done over recent months, not just for us, but for Europe and for the world. We cannot just walk on by if we are to keep this country safe. We have to confront this menace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: And the Obama administration is also reacting to the beheading of David Haines.
Erin McPike joins us live from the White House. Lt. Col. Rick Francona here with me in New York. Nic Robertson also will be joining us shortly.
Erin, first of all, what are you hearing? What is coming out of the White House in response to this third beheading?
ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Deb, simply the president issued a short statement just last night, but they're largely deferring to the UK. However, what we are hearing from the administration is that they are forging ahead with this fight against ISIS. Secretary of State John Kerry was on CBS this morning and he was asked directly if the U.S. government would work with the Syrian government as it begins a likely campaign of air strikes, and John Kerry said no.
Now that has been an open question, but now he has made clear that they will not coordinate with the Syrian government, and as you know, the U.S. does not support the Syrian government.
He also talked about the international coalition that he has been talking about for the past week, and that he has been working hard over the last few days to build. And to that end, he did not specify which countries are willing to do what, but he said momentum is growing. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have countries in this region, countries outside of this region, in addition to the United States, all of whom are prepared to engage in military assistance and actual strikes if that is what it requires.
Well, we're not looking to put troops on the ground. There are some who have offered to do so, but we are not looking for that at this moment anyway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCPIKE: Now, as to that line in the sand, no U.S. ground troops, at least combat troops, and no ground troops in Syria, that is drawing some skepticism. We've heard that over the last few days, but I want you to listen here to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham who was on FOX this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: For anybody to suggest that we can do this without air power alone or this is like imminent Somali is disingenuous and delusional.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCPIKE: Now as we talked about yesterday, Deb, it's what the public wants to get involved via air strikes but no boots on the ground. Now is that something within those restrictions that the U.S. is going to be able to achieve what it wants in degrading and destroying ISIS, who knows?
FEYERICK: All right. Erin McPike for us there at the White House. We're going to check in with you a little later on. Clearly a lot happening there.
Also, British Prime Minister David Cameron hinted that the UK will join America's plan to destroy ISIS and as we just heard Secretary Kerry say that other countries in the region are willing to conduct strikes as well.
I'm joined now by CNN military analyst Colonel Rick Francona here with me in New York. Also, we're going to be checking in a little later on with our international correspondent Nic Robertson in London.
But, first, Rick, I want to go to you. Look, we are dealing right now with what is a total apocalyptic vision for the future with this group ISIS. They've got upwards of 15,000 fighters. They could double that number.
If the U.S. succeeds in forming a coalition, do they risk being wiped out? Is that one of their great fears? Is that -- is that why they are putting the pressure on these beheadings, on all these propaganda?
LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, I think they're looking for the fight, otherwise they wouldn't be taunting is what they're doing. I mean, they are goading the British into joining the coalition. You know, the British were having this debate on what level at which they were going to participate, and I think that's over. I think that Mr. Cameron was quite specific that they are now going to be part of this coalition.
But the problem will come as -- the secretary says we're not going to be put boots on the ground, we're not looking for troops on the ground, and as Erin reported, the people, the American public wants air strikes, but they don't want troops on the ground. It is almost impossible to do what we need to do against ISIS without boots on the ground. Somebody's boots on the ground.
Now if you're looking at what's going to happen in Iraq, you have the Iraqi army standing back up, you've got the Peshmerga being supported with more weapons and more advisers. That's good. And we could probably stop. We've already stopped the momentum of ISIS in Iraq and start to roll them back. But what happens when you get to Syria? That's the question. You cannot do this from the air alone.
FEYERICK: And because they don't have a structure in place at all. Really.
So I want to go to Nic Robertson. And Nic, one thing that was very interesting, is that when we heard David Haines, the British citizen who was beheaded, the aid worker, we heard him today say -- basically calling out to David Cameron and saying, just as your predecessor Tony Blair did following a trend amongst your British prime ministers who can't find the courage to say no to the Americans.
A very interesting tactic on the part of ISIS to really be speaking directly to David Cameron knowing apparently that he was going to get involved in this.
Nic, what is your response?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've seen David Cameron today really trying to sort of ready the British people to expect a further political push to get MPs lined up behind David Cameron to support the possibility of air strikes. Now he said today Britain supports the -- United States with its strikes in Syria, but the language that he has been using here, this is language that is -- the language that he's been using here is very, very emotive language.
He's been saying that the British people cannot essentially bury their heads in the sand, cannot ignore the ISIS threat at the moment. He says that ISIS has planned and continues to plan attacks against the -- against Britain and for this reason, he says, that, as far as he is concerned, the ISIS itself must be diminished, must be destroyed. So he does seem to be trying to prepare the British people in a way for the fact that they may well get involved in further action. He has been very clear no boots on the ground, but he is also leaving open the possibility of air strikes at the moment -- Deborah.
FEYERICK: And Nic, here in the U.S., there have been very few voices speaking out against really the U.S. proposal to launch air strikes. Is it the same in the UK?
ROBERTSON: Certainly there has been a lack of desire among people here to engage David Cameron, to engage in physical, kinetic action in Syria. There has been support for helping the Kurds, for helping the people on the Sinjar Mountain, these sorts of things. There's support for that, but David Cameron was politically embarrassed in a very, very big way last year when he tried to get parliamentary support for air strikes following the chemical weapons attacks of Bashar al-Assad inside Syria in August last year.
And he failed. It was a big politically embarrassment. He seems to be being more cautious about it at the moment. The British population would be quite hesitant about getting involved in action again in the Middle East. Remember before the occupation in Iraq 2003, there were massive public protests against that action back then and likely there would be similar feelings this time -- Deb. FEYERICK: All right. And clearly, ISIS is still with the propaganda
machine. They brought forth a fourth person at the end of the video as they have in the past three videos.
Nic Robertson, Colonel Rick Francona, we're going to be coming back to you momentarily.
We just heard, however, from David Haines' brother, Michael Haines. He spoke out moments ago on the execution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL HAINES, BROTHER OF DAVID HAINES: My first reaction is one of hatred, but my brother's life wasn't about hatred. It was about love for all men.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: And clearly, grief and disbelief on the part of the family who tried so hard to get him back.
We turn gears now to pro sports, and it was indeed a very bad week from Ray Rice and Roger Goodell to Adrian Peterson, the spotlight on the NFL. And now, yet another player will not be taking the field today.
We're going to have those details coming up straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, it is game day in the NFL but it's also a bittersweet day for some fans. There is still outrage of how the league handles domestic abuse with some of their players.
The Carolina Panthers took some heat for allowing Greg Hardy to play. He was convicted of domestic violence in July. Just a couple of months ago. But just a short time ago they deactivated him for today's game.
CNN's Alexandra Field joins me now.
And Alexandra, why all of the sudden this reversal by the Panthers to take him out?
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a lot of people are surprised to see this coming out, you know, just a couple of hours before the game, because, frankly, Greg Hardy played last week in the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And he was set to start today against the Lions, and then suddenly we see this tweet from the Panthers saying that he is not active for today's game.
You do see him going to the stadium there. Look, there's been a lot of pressure on this team. Again, Hardy played last week against the Buccaneers, but there was some outcry, though. He was convicted of domestic violence in North Carolina. Authorities there say he choked the woman who was his girlfriend at the time. There were death threats that he made against her. He was convicted by a judge during a bench trial, but Hardy says that he is innocent. He's appealing it. This will now go to a jury trial in November.
All of the sudden now, today, we get the tweet that he is not active for this game. This follows the information we got yesterday from the Minnesota Vikings saying that Adrian Peterson had been deactivated from today's home opener in Minnesota against the Patriots.
And we do know now that Adrian Peterson has been indicted by a grand jury, a felony charge. His attorney says it has to do with him using a switch to spank his son.
FEYERICK: Right.
FIELD: And yesterday his attorney came to his defense, putting a statement saying, "Adrian is a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son. He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas."
So, today, Deb, we are talking about two NFL starts who will not play for their teams. The NFL says that they are reviewing the Peterson case under their Personal Conduct Policy. And back when Greg Hardy was arrested last May, the Panthers put out their own statement saying, they're disappointed to learn of the allegations involving Greg and they are concerned for all parties and that they are continuing to investigate that. So both of these teams trying to react quickly to very public situations now.
FEYERICK: And is it clear that NFL -- are they the ones who are putting pressure on the teams now or are the teams taking it upon themselves to basically say, OK, no tolerance for any of this? We're seeing a subtle shift but it could potentially be a significant shift.
FIELD: Look, a lot of pressure frankly coming from the public at this point as well because we've had this very high profile incidents. This is the week when we all saw that video of Ray Rice attacking the woman who's his wife, his former fiancee, inside of that elevator sparking outrage for a lot of people.
FEYERICK: Right.
FIELD: And this is when we saw the NFL come out and really finally take a very strong stand indefinitely suspending Ray Rice. The Ravens removing their star running back from the team. And we're looking at a -- I thought we're going to see some video. We saw Ray Rice just yesterday. He made his first public appearance in New Rochelle.
(CROSSTALK)
FEYERICK: And now it's (INAUDIBLE), too, because he did make that public appearance in New Rochelle. He went to his high school team and the coach really welcomed him and said look, this guy is still a really good player. You know, we should give him the benefit of the doubt, we should take a look, but, you know, it doesn't -- what happened there doesn't take away from his talents as an athlete. It's kind of interesting. We're going to see that sort of swelling up as well, I should think.
FIELD: It's really interesting because it is highlighting the differences of opinion, frankly, that we're seeing. First of all, these are athletes who have tremendous fan base. And they have fans who are frankly continuing to support them, whatever the allegations, whatever the charges, whatever video they've seen. We've seen people turning up to NFL games in Ray Rice jerseys. We're seeing them today wearing their Adrian Peterson jerseys.
We saw his high school coach come out and say he made a mistake. He's got to, you know, repent for that mistake. Then will need to be forgiven. But the high school did take some actions, taking his picture off of the Wall of Fame, removing his jersey saying, look, this was a very serious thing that we saw happened in that elevator. The kids at this school who respect him and look up to him, they need to know that this was a grave situation, something needed to be done.
FEYERICK: Right. All right. Well, Alexandra Field, thank you so much. We're going to continue to keep an eye on it and clearly a lot more discussion, a lot more debate on this whole issue of what's going on.
Well, the question now, will she or won't she? She lost the state in 2008 presidential caucus but Hillary Clinton now back in Iowa. Right now. At this very moment. A look at what really is at stake for Hillary Clinton.
COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, she's not officially a candidate, but she is doing everything that a White House hopeful would normally do. We are talking of course about Hillary Clinton. She's making an appearance in Indianola, Iowa. The big even there today, the Tom Harkin's Steak Fry.
OK. I've never been to a steak fry.
Senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar is there and is following what could well be the beginning of the 2016 presidential race -- Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is an important visit that Hillary Clinton is making here, Deborah, and we've already seen Hillary as well as Bill Clinton this morning. They went to a fundraiser that will benefit Iowa Democrats in this key midterm year. Then they'll be coming to this political event which is also a fundraiser.
And you said it, even though Hillary Clinton has not declared that she is going to run in 2016. In fact, she insists that she is still undecided about whether she'll even throw her hat in the ring. This trip to Iowa, a state that was so inhospitable to her in 2008 is seen as the beginning of a potential campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR (voice-over): Hillary Clinton has been the inevitable candidate before.
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I know. But this time we're in this.
KEILAR: Nowadays, she's laughing along with the joke. At a Friday service for poet Maya Angelou.
ELLIOTT MATTHEW JONES, GRANDSON OF MAYA ANGELOU: Next I'd like to thank the amazing speakers and some dignitaries, first and foremost, Madam Pre -- excuse me.
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
KEILAR: This weekend, Clinton returns to Iowa for the first time since her stunning defeat to Barack Obama and John Edwards in the 2008 caucuses.
CLINTON: We're going to get up tomorrow and keep pushing as hard as we can.
KEILAR: The Harkin Steak Fry, hosted by the state's longtime Democratic senator, is a must on the checklist for any Democrat with presidential aspirations. But for Clinton, Iowa is the state that hobbled her White House ambitions right out of the gate.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: She is as commanding a frontrunner as we've had in the modern primary system. But there are a lot of Democrats who don't want her to take it for granted, and Iowa certainly from 2008 is a reminder of the risks if you do seem to take things for granted. So I think she has to begin to show Democrats that this is not something that she's expecting to be handed to her. That she's going to work for it.
KEILAR: Clinton last spoke at the Steak Fry in 2007, along with the rest of the Democratic presidential field.
CLINTON: What we're doing today is building a new field of dreams for the country we love.
KEILAR: This time she's headlining with her husband, paying homage to Harkin and his final steak fry after three decades in the Senate. Clinton will likely buck up Bruce Braley, the Democrat locked in a tight race to replace Harkin.
Clinton began her reintroduction to public life this summer in a book tour with many stumbles.
CLINTON: We came out of the White House not only dead broke, but in debt.
KEILAR: The missteps provoked observations that Clinton's political skills are still rusty, but a new CNN/ORC poll has her going into Iowa with a huge lead among registered Democrats.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KEILAR: And Deb, we are still now a couple of hours out from Hillary Clinton taking the stage, Bill Clinton as well, they're both headlining this event, but already as we came in, there were folks here who have paid for their tickets to this steak fry, who had lined up really for some time. They just started filing in. We're are expecting a crowd of about 5,000. That is pretty big as far as steak fries go. The Clintons, a major draw here -- Deb.
FEYERICK: All right. Brianna Keilar, thanks so much. We're going to be checking in with you a little later on to find out the reception. How popular she really is by those who you're speaking to and also whether in fact you fry steak at a steak fry.
Thanks so much. We'll check back with you in just a little while.
And we turn to the brutal execution, ISIS killing a third Westerner as the United States promises to destroy the terror group. The response from David Haines' family coming up straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: ISIS terrorists have beheaded a third man, a British aid worker, releasing yet another propaganda video to horrify the world. David Haines was captured in Syria in 2013. A masked terrorist threatens him at the end of the video showing the execution of American journalist Steven Sotloff.
Atika Shubert has more on who Haines was and the family he leaves behind.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): David Haines was a father and a husband. But he was also a hostage of ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Captured in March 2013, working at a Syrian refugee camp for French aid group, ACTED. Haines had more than a decade of experience doing aid work, providing logistics to Handicap International and working as an unarmed peacekeeper with nonviolence peace force.
He grew up in Scotland, proudly wearing a kilt for his wedding. His family has declined to comment, but their plight is clear online. His teenage daughter from his first marriage makes it clear online how much she misses her father by answering just three questions.
What's missing in your life that would make you very happy? My dad being at home, she answers.
As his family waited, David Haines had become a pawn in the game of hostages now played by ISIS.
Atika Shubert, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: David Haines, helping those most in need. Well, British Prime Minister David Cameron now vowing to confront ISIS. This comes just days after it was a little bit unclear as to whether the United Kingdom would join America's plan to strike the terrorists in Syria. Cameron taking a much stronger stance when he spoke earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMERON: Today, the whole country will want to express its deep sympathy for David Haines' family. They have endured the last 18 months of David's captivity with extraordinary courage, and now David has been murdered in the most callous and brutal way imaginable by an organization which is the embodiment of evil. We will hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice no matter how long it takes.
David Haines was an aid worker. He went into harm's way not to harm people, but to help his fellow human beings in the hour of their direst need from the Balkans to the Middle East. His family spoke of the joy he felt when he learned he got his job in Syria. His selflessness, his decency, his burning desire to help others has today cost him life. But the whole country like his grieving family can be incredibly proud of what he did and what he stood for in the humanitarian mission.
David Haines was a British hero. The fact that an aid worker was taken, held, and brutally murdered at the hands of ISIL sums up what this organization stands for. They are killing and slaughtering thousands of people, Muslims, Christians, minorities, across Iraq and Syria. They boast of their brutality. They claim to do this in the name of Islam.
That is nonsense. Islam is a religion of peace. They are not Muslims. They are monsters. They make no secret of their desire to do as much harm, not just in the Middle East, but to any countries or peoples who seek to stand in their way or dare to stand for values that they disagree with.
It was an ISIL fanatic who gunned down four people in a museum in Brussels. So let me be clear, the British people need to know that this is a fanatical organization called ISIL, that has not only murdered a British hostage, they have planned and continued to plan attacks across Europe and in our country.
We are a peaceful people. We do not seek out confrontation. But we need to understand, we cannot ignore this threat to our security and that of our allies. There is no option of keeping our heads down that would make us safe. The problem would merely get worse as it has done over recent months, not just for us, but for Europe and for the world. We cannot just walk on by if we are to keep this country safe. We have to confront this menace.
Step by step, we must drive back, dismantle and ultimately destroy ISIL and what it stands for. We will do so in a calm, deliberate way, but with an iron determination. We will not do so on our own but by working closely with our allies, not just the United States and in Europe, but also in the region. Because this organization poses a massive threat to the entire Middle East. So we will defeat ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counterterrorism strategy. First, we will work with the Iraqi government to ensure it represents
all of its people and is able to tackle this threat effectively. We will support the Kurdish regional government who are holding the front line against ISIL. We will help them to protect their own people and the minorities including Christians that they helped already through our supplies of ammunition and through training.
Second, we will work at the United Nations to mobilize the broadest possible support to bear down on ISIL. Third, the United States is taking direct military action, we support that. British tornadoes and surveillance aircraft have been helping with the intelligence gathering and logistics.
This is not about British combat troops on the ground, it is about working with others to extinguish this terrorist threat. As this strategy intensifies, we are ready to take whatever steps are necessary to deal with this threat and keep our country safe.
Fourth, we will continue to support the enormous humanitarian efforts, including using the RAF to do so to help the literally millions of people who have fled ISIL and are now living in appalling conditions. And fifth and perhaps most important, we will maintain and continue to reinforce our formidable counter terrorist effort here at home to prevent attacks and to hunt down those who are planning them.
People across this country will have been sickened by the fact that it could have been a British citizen. A British citizen who could have carried out this unspeakable act. It is the very opposite of everything our country stands for. It falls to the government and to each and every one of us to drain this poison from our society and to take on this warped ideology that is radicalizing some of our young people.
The murder of David Haines at the hands of ISIL will not leave Britain to shirk our responsibilities with our allies to deal with the threat that this organization poses. It must strengthen our resolve. We must recognize that it will take time to eradicate a threat like this. It will require, as I have described, action at home and abroad. This is not something we can do on our own. We have to work with the rest of the world.
But ultimately, our security as a nation, the way we go about our everyday lives in this free and tolerant society that is Britain, has always depended on our readiness to act against those who stand for hatred and who stand for destruction, and that is exactly what we will do.
Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: And the British government released a statement on behalf of David Haines' heartbroken family, and it gives us a glimpse into the very full and generous life that David Haines lived and that was stolen so quickly and so brutally by ISIS.
It was written by his brother Mike, I want to read it to you now in its entirety. And it begins,
"My name is Mike Haines, I am brother to David Haines, who was recently murdered in cold blood. David was like so very many of us, just another bloke. Born in 1970 to parents who loved us both, our childhood was centered around our family. Holidays in caravans and tents, days away as a family which we remember fondly. David and I were brought up knowing right from wrong, and although we might not with the innocence of youth have always chosen right.
David was a good brother, there when I needed him and absent when I didn't. I hope that he felt the same way about me. He was, in the right mood, the life and soul of the party and on other times the most stubborn irritating pain. He would probably say the same about me. After leaving school he worked with the Royal Mail before joining the RAF as an aircraft engineer," writes his brother.
"He married his childhood sweetheart Louise and in the due process of time had a wee lass Bethany. He was, and no doubt wherever he is, exceptionally proud of Bethany. David served with the U.N. in the Balkans, helping people in real need. There are many accolades from people that have come out to speak on his behalf. He helped whoever needed help, regardless of race, creed or religion. During this time David began to decide that humanitarian work was the field that he wanted to work in.
And David left the RAF and was employed by Scotrail. As with every job, David entered into it with enthusiasm. David met and married his second wife Dragana and they have a 4-year-old daughter Athea.
David was most alive and enthusiastic in his humanitarian roles. His joy and anticipation for the work he went to do in Syria is for myself and family the most important element of this whole sad affair. He was and is loved by all his family and will be missed terribly."
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: American Matthew Todd Miller is now facing prison in North Korea. He was found guilty today of hostile acts by North Korea after being detained there on unspecified charges since April.
CNN's Paula Hancocks explains this bizarre story.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Deb, six years hard labor is the sentence for U.S. citizen -- another U.S. citizen held in North Korea. Matthew Todd Miller had his trial this Sunday, and according to North Korean state media, he was found guilty of hostile acts to the DPRK, the official term for North Korea, while entering the territory under the guise of a tourist last April.
Now it's really very unclear what exactly happened. What we know at this point is directly from the North Korean state media itself. They say that Miller walked into the country and as he walked through, he then ripped up his tourist visa and claimed asylum. Now CNN gained very rare access to Miller when they were in Pyongyang
earlier this month and asked him if that in fact was the case. Miller said that he had dealt with that in a previous interview and he was not there to talk about that.
Now of course bear in mind there were North Korean officials ever present during this interview, as he would have certainly been aware of what he was saying. He did say, though, that he believed that interview was to -- to try and talk to the U.S. government, asked for help. He said he'd called or at least written to U.S. president Barack Obama, but had not had a reply. Again, we don't know if these were in fact his words or was given to him by Pyongyang.
But certainly it is -- it is a case that we have seen in the past. Kenneth Bae, another U.S. citizen, has spent just months shy of two years serving his sentence. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. Again he was accused of hostile acts against the regime. A former missionary.
There is a third U.S. citizen currently in custody as well. Jeffrey Fowle. We know that his days of trial is expected to be fairly soon. And we also know that according to state-run media, he's accused of leaving a bible in a hotel room.
Officials agree that the reason Pyongyang is doing this. And of course allowing those interviews to happen is that they want a high- level official from the United States to visit North Korea, to pay lip service and also to try and secure the release of these U.S. citizens.
It had worked in the past. We've seen the former presidents Bill Clinton and also Jimmy Carter travel to North Korea and secure the release of detainees. The question is, is the U.S. at this point willing to do that again -- Deb.
FEYERICK: Paula Hancocks there for us. Thank you so much.
And day two of a mass manhunt underway in Pennsylvania. Police looking for the person who gunned down two state troopers. One trooper fatally shot, the other is in stable but critical condition.
Our Nick Valencia has details.
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Deb, flags are at half-staff in Northeastern Pennsylvania for the state trooper who was shot and killed. Another remains hospitalized as investigators continue to look for the suspect or suspects who did this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Emergency traffic, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Under fire. We are moving the landing zone to the middle school.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Received. Report, you are under fire.
VALENCIA (voice-over): 911 audio from Pike County in Eastern Pennsylvania.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Route 6 to 402. Front road closure. Nobody is to go down south of 402.
VALENCIA: After two Pennsylvania State Troopers are ambushed just outside of police barracks in Blooming Grove.
FRANK NOONAN, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE COMMISSIONER: This attack was an ambush. Our troopers were leaving the barracks and were shot without warning and really had no chance to defend themselves.
VALENCIA: One trooper, Corporal Brian Dixon, was killed in the Friday night attack. Another trooper, Alex Douglas, is hospitalized in stable but critical condition.
NOONAN: It's a cowardly attack. It's an attack upon all of us in society and the people of Pennsylvania.
VALENCIA: On Sunday a manhunt is underway for the person or persons involved in the attack. And it's not just Pennsylvania officers involved in the search. Hundreds of officers for multiple agencies, including New York and New Jersey are involved in the hunt, on the ground and in the air.
NOONAN: We do not believe any particular person is specifically at risk. This attack was directed specifically at law enforcement.
VALENCIA: So far no arrests have been made, but police say they are interviewing hundreds of people, and there is a $20,000 reward.
NOONAN: We're looking for the cooperation of the public. Whether it's money that would motivate you or just outrage at this terrible act, because I can tell you the Pennsylvania State Police and law enforcement in general will not rest until this individual is apprehended.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALENCIA: On Saturday police did bring in someone for questioning, but he was released. Investigators tell CNN no arrests have been made -- Deb.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, I'm meteorologist Jennifer Gray with a quick tropical update.
We have a major category 4 storm. This is Hurricane Odile. Winds of 130 miles per hour. Gusts up to 160. The storm is moving to the northwest at about 14 miles per hour. And you can see on the current path impacting Cabo San Lucas in the next 24 hours. And you can imagine this could make landfall as a category 4 storm. This will be the biggest hurricane that this area has ever seen.
And so we could see devastating impacts as far as rain goes and as far as we wind goes for the peninsula. This is going to continue to track to the northwest. Beyond that weakening considerably, but it is going to slow down quite a bit. That moisture is still going to be sticking around the entire week and so we could see six-plus inches of rain right around Cabo and points north.
It's also going to be pumping a lot of moisture into the four corners. We could see the desert southwest, Deb, see a repeat of all that flooding we saw just last week. So something to watch and especially if you have friends or family in Cabo. This is not a good time to be there at all.
FEYERICK: All right, Jennifer Gray. Thanks so much for us there.
And now to the NFL and the outrage over how the league is handling players accused of domestic violence and now child abuse. One player who was convicted of domestic violence this summer was deactivated today before his game. Now that begs the question, will more NFL teams follow suit?
Well, Keith Reed joins me now to discuss. He is the former senior editor for "ESPN" the magazine.
Keith, the Panthers deactivated Greg Hardy, but now you've also got Ray McDonald, who is also fighting charges of domestic abuse.
KEITH REED, FORMER SENIOR EDITOR, ESPN MAGAZINE: Sure.
FEYERICK: Why is there such a discrepancy over who plays and who doesn't play ultimately?
REED: Because to this point the league has not had a policy in place and this is one of the places where Roger Goodell, who we know is embattled as commissioner of the NFL, has had a problem not just in domestic violence cases, but in many cases of discipline because the league does not seem to have a hard and fast policy, a start and stop sort of a threshold for when you suspend somebody, when they're not suspended, when they can play, and when they can't play.
And so the league has been making the discipline up as it goes along and we've seen it come back to bite them as in the cases of Ray McDonald, Ray Rice, and Greg Hardy.
FEYERICK: Is there -- you know, we look at it now. Is this just all of a sudden coming to light, the number of cases of domestic abuse, or has this been a problem that has really plagued the NFL, which has been slow to really go full force?
REED: Right.
FEYERICK: In tackling it.
REED: It's actually both. You've seen domestic violence in the NFL before. I mean, there was a horrible, horrible case at Kansas City a couple of years ago where you had a player who actually killed his significant other, and then committed suicide, and then there was still no policy, no formal policy, on domestic violence in the NFL until after the Ray Rice incident. So we've had these things happen in the NFL before. It's just now starting to get a lot more publicity with the Ray Rice case because of the videotape.
FEYERICK: You -- when we think about it, the NFL, obviously, everybody sends a contract. They've got morality clauses in these contracts. But should the NFL be doing more to be having classes, to be having -- to focus on these issues because these guys really are in such a unique position?
REED: Sure. Absolutely. The NFL has to go. It absolutely positively must go beyond just the policy about when you suspend somebody, when a guy can play, when a guy cannot play. It's not just about -- it can't just be about the money, the contract, who is on the field. It's got to be about getting a player help. It's got to be about getting a spouse, a fiancee, a girlfriend, whoever is involved in that player's life, the help that they need. Not just who's on the field and who is not playing.
FEYERICK: Right, because nobody is going to step up and say, you know what, maybe I need sort of a couple of parenting classes, but it's overwhelming.
REED: Sure.
FEYERICK: You're in a position of high visibility, and all of a sudden you're also dealing with these home issues as well. So just offering a little bit of a help.
Roger Goodell, he's trying to make this right, but in the end, has he? Will he be able to make it right?
REED: He'll be able to do some things -- assuming he survives, and at this point there's no -- there's nothing that says that he won't survive this. There have been calls for him to resign. I think he'll survive it.
Can he make it right? What else does he do besides a new domestic violence policy that he has in the NFL? What does he do vis-a-vis the things that we just talked about, getting players help, mandatory counseling, those sorts of things. The kinds of classes that they have about all sorts of things about how to handle your money to how to handle PR. How to handle being a good partner, how to handle being able to be in stressful off-field situations when you are under stress and under the microscope all the time. They've got to do that to make it right.
FEYERICK: Yes. And there's no question about that. Because look, these guys have trained so hard and these personal choices that they're making are stripping everything. Everything they've worked for. So obviously the league has got to work to support that.
All right. Keith Reed, thank you so much. Always a pleasure to see you.
REED: Thank you.
