Return to Transcripts main page

CNN NEWSROOM

Captured Americans On Their Way Home From Iran; New National Poll Puts Hillary Clinton With Solid Lead Over Bernie Sanders; Iran Sanctions Lifted, Prisoners Swapped; Soon: Freed Americans To Arrive At U.S. Base In Germany; Kildee Traveling With Hekmati's Family To Germany; Cruz's Battle With Trump And "New York Values". Aired 2-3p ET

Aired January 17, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:00:16] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Happening right now in the NEWSROOM.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Several Americans unjustly detained by Iran, finally coming home.

WHITFIELD: President Obama calling it a good day as five citizens freed by Iran are now on their way home.

NEWSROOM starts now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Hello, everyone. And thanks for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Take a look. Live pictures right now Ramstein air base in Germany where very soon three of the American prisoners released from Iran will arrive in U.S. custody. This is likely the plane right there that carried them from Tehran Iran. They stopped off in Geneva Switzerland earlier today. And this morning President Obama from the White House applauding their safe return. He said by holding talks with Iran on the nuclear deal, the U.S. was better able to negotiate their freedom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OBAMA: Jason Rezaian is coming home. The courageous journalist for "the Washington Post" who wrote about the daily lives and hopes of the Iranian people. He has been held for a year and a half. He embodies the brave spirit that gives life to the freedom of the press. Jason has already been reunited with his wife and mom.

Pastor Saeed Abedini (ph) is coming home, held for three-and-a-half years. His unyielding faith has inspired people around the world in the global fight to uphold freedom of religion. And now pastor Abedini (ph) will return to his church and community in Idaho.

Amir Hekmati is coming home, a former sergeant in the Marine Corps. He's been held for four-and-a-half years. Today his parents and sisters are giving thanks in Michigan.

Two other Americans unjustly detained by Iran have also been released. Nosratoliah Khoshavi (ph) and Matthew Trevithick, an Iranian who was in Iran as a student. Their cases were largely unknown to the world but when Americans are reunited with their families that's something we can all celebrate.

Today we're united in welcoming home sons and husbands and brothers who in lonely prison cells have endured an absolute nightmare. But they never gave in and never gave up. At long last they can stand tall and breathe deep the fresh air of freedom.

As a nation, we face real challenges around the world and here at home. They may not be resolved quickly or easily, but today's progress, Americans coming home, an Iran that has rolled back its nuclear program and accepted an unprecedented monitoring of that programming, these things are what we can achieve when we lead with strength and wisdom.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. That was the president this morning.

Let's get to CNN investigations correspondent Chris Frates at the White House.

So, Chris, we know that in exchange seven Iranian prisoners were released from American custody. What do we know about the president's explanation for going ahead with this swap?

CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. Well, the president made the point these Iranians who were released, they didn't do anything violent. They weren't charged with any violent crimes. They weren't part of any kind of terrorist network or charged with terrorism-related charges. These were Iranians who were charged with violating the sanctions that have now been lifted after the nuclear deal and with the trade embargo. And the president made the point that because these channels were open with the nuclear deal they were able to do a deal with the detained Americans and bring them home.

And we were talking to senior White House officials as well who made the point and pushed back against the criticism that we're hearing particularly from Republicans in the primary field who believe this was a bad deal, and they say if there's anybody out there who wouldn't have brought these Americans home, they should say so because this was our opportunity to bring them home. And if we hadn't done that, we would have an endless cycle of violence.

And the president points that if weren't talking to Iran, he looks at it and says it would be world where Iran would be close to a nuke where there is U.S. sailors who were detained last week would have probably still been held. And these Americans would still be in Iranian prisons if not for his brand of diplomacy -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then Chris, you know, how does this deal influence the relationship between the U.S. and Iran moving forward?

FRATES: Well, certainly the president says that the channels that were opened during their talks are ones that will stay open. He makes the point that he pushed for the release of the Iranians with President Rouhani. When he talked to him, he said Secretary Kerry, every chance he had when talking with his Iranian counterpart, pushed to make sure those Americans were released and that he says this broadens America's role in the world.

And here is how he summed up -- in fact, before I get to, that I just want to make the point he also addressed Iranians specifically. He talked to young Iranians and said this is your chance to engage in a wider world, essentially challenging them to open up to the world and bring that bigger dialogue. And here's how he summed up the achievements that his administration saw this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:05:34] OBAMA: Today's progress, Americans coming home, an Iran that has rolled back its nuclear program and accepted unprecedented monitoring of that program, these things are a reminder of what we can achieve when we leave with strength and with wisdom. With courage and resolve and patience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: So Obama taking a bit of a victory lap there. But he also was quick to point out there's still tensions between these two countries. It's not as if everything is rosy. In fact, just today the United States slapped more sanctions on the ballistic missile program in Iran and the president saying there are still sanctions for human rights and that the United States will continue to be tough with Iran when they need to and engage in diplomacy when that's need as well, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Chris Frates, thanks so much from the White House. Appreciate it.

So from Geneva now, the freed Americans will fly to a U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany for full medical checkups. It is also where they will be reunited with their families and be allowed some private time.

Our Fred Pleitgen is outside the U.S. air base in Germany.

And so, Fred, give me an idea what is being prepared there for their arrival.

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there certainly has been preparations going on here pretty much for the better part of the day, Fredricka. We spoke to some folks here on the base and they said the word that they were getting is this is definitely going to go down at some point today.

The flight from Geneva here to the Ramstein military base only takes about 30 to 40 minutes. And once they reach the military base here almost immediately they will get picked up off the flight line and be taken to the Landstuhl medical facility which I would say it is about one-and-a-half to maybe two miles away from here. And that's where they are going to get that state-of-the-art medical care that of course is important after that long time that they spent in detention. Remember, there were a lot of concerns, especially about the health of Jason Rezaian, that he had lost a lot of weight.

We saw I would say about an hour ago an American diplomatic vehicle also enter the Ramstein military base. It's unclear whether or not that is related to the fact that these three Americans are going to be arriving here, most probably in the next couple of hours. But there certainly have been preparations going on. This is a facility that of course is very well versed in dealing with situations like this. The last time something like this, something similar happened is when Bowe Bergdahl went through and came back to America.

WHITFIELD: And then Fred, give us an idea of what we know about the status of all the Americans, five Americans that were freed, but we understand four were on the plane including, you know, along with Jason Rezaian was his mom and his wife. Now, what about the fifth person? What do we know about that departure from Iran or even later, you know, arrival in Geneva?

PLEITGEN: Yes. Exactly. I mean, the whole situation was when not all of them departed Iran at the same time. You had Matthew Trevithick, who was, of course, released by the Iranians, that was not part of that prisoner swap officially. He went out of Iran apparently on his own. So you had four Americans who were then left to then evacuate out of Iran. One of them chose not to go on this flight. And that's Nosratoliah Khoshavi (ph) who apparently decided not to go on this flight. It's unclear whether or not he'll leave Iran at some later date.

Now, the Swiss who were conducting that flight from Tehran to Geneva have put out a statement saying it was five people in total who were transported in Tehran to Geneva. It was Jason Rezaian, Amir Hekmati, Saeed Abedini, and Jason Rezaian's wife and his mother were the five passengers that were brought to Geneva and will also be the five passengers who are going to be brought to the Ramstein medical facility and then of course reunited with their loved ones once they get to Landstuhl.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fred Pleitgen, thanks so much. Keep us posted. Appreciate that.

All right. "Washington Post" journalist Jason Rezaian is among those on board the plane as you heard from Fred that left Iran earlier today. The newspaper says they are relieved the 545-day nightmare for Jason and his family is finally over. Two of the paper's editors spoke with our Brian Stelter in their first interview since their colleague was released.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Marty Baron, the executive editor of the "Washington Post," and Doug Jehl, the foreign editor, join me now on the phone from Germany. Marty, you are in Germany. Are you awaiting Jason Rezaian's arrival

at your location?

MARTY BARON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, THE WASHINGTON POST (on the phone): Yes, we are.

[14:10:02] STELTER: And you've been there standing by since Friday. When did you have a sense that this swap would actually happen?

BARON: Well, actually, first we went to Geneva and then we came to Germany. As to when we had a sense as to when this might happen, you know, several days ago we were hearing from our reporter who's been covering this that something might happen soon. And we also heard from certain contacts within Iran itself that there might be something imminent.

STELTER: So it wasn't the U.S. government tipping you off, telling you to get ready. It was one of your own reporters?

BARON: It was not the U.S. government telling us to get ready. It was our reporter doing her job covering national security and diplomatic relations who told us that the word that she was getting was something might happen soon.

STELTER: Doug, what are your emotions right now as you wait to see Jason Rezaian for the first time in over a year and a half?

DOUG JEHL, FOREIGN EDITOR, THE WASHINGTON POST (on the phone): I'm relieved, but I'm also elated. I remember the morning a year-and-a- half ago when a sketchy cell phone call told me Jason and his wife had been taken from their apartment the night before. We never could have believed that this nightmare would go on so long. But I'm just overjoyed that it's about to be over.

STELTER: Marty, I wonder if you ever had a sense, you ever had a fear that after 545 days maybe Jason would never be freed.

BARON: Well, I always held out hope that he would. I almost never say never. But I was certainly concerned that it would last a very long time. That was my primary concern. I always felt that he would be released eventually, but I was concerned that it could be many years.

STELTER: Doug, as a foreign editor, will any of your internal protocols change with regards to sending staffers to countries where something like this could happen? Will you send any correspondents to Iran in the future?

JEHL: I think we will have to take stock and discuss that as we learn from the lessons of Jason's experience and review what's happened. Clearly, the world has become more dangerous for foreign correspondents operating in places like Iraq and Syria where the threat tends to be from nongovernmental groups and operating in places like Iran and Egypt, where governments have acted with impunity and punishing journalists. We have taken steps to make sure we are protecting the security of our people and reassess those at all times. But whether we'll send a reporter to Iran, we just don't want to say.

STELTER: Marty, I know "the Washington Post" is having a big celebration at the end of this month, big newsroom opening. Jeff Bezos, the owner, will be there, many other dignitaries will be there. Is there any possibility Jason could join you all for that occasion?

BARON: Well, we don't know. It would be great if he could. But the most important thing now is to make sure that Jason's health is good. That's going to take some time to evaluate. And then we want to know what he wants to do. We are not making arrangements for him. He is now a free man, thankfully. And he can make arrangements for himself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARON: You know, foreign editor like Marty Baron, there's nothing tougher than having a reporter out overseas on assignment then having that person stuck in prison for this amount of time. That's why they are overjoyed that he is free today.

Fred, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Brian.

So straight ahead, we're hearing from family, friends, and a lawmaker who has fought for years for the release of U.S. marine veteran Amir Hekmati.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:17:44] WHITFIELD: A new national poll shows Hillary Clinton with a solid lead over Bernie Sanders. Despite a neck and neck race in Iowa, a new poll from NBC and "the Wall Street Journal" shows Clinton opening up a 25-point national lead over senator Bernie Sanders. Both were on "THE STATE OF THE UNION" today. And Clinton again hammered Sanders on guns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm very pleased that he flip-flopped on the immunity legislation. Now, I hope he will flip- flop on what we call the Charleston loophole and join legislation to close that because it's been a key argument of my campaign that we Democrats, in fact, Americans need to stand up to the gun lobby and pass comprehensive commonsense gun measures that will make America safer. And that's what I intend to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. So let's talk more about this and perhaps the strategy behind Hillary Clinton. With me now from the scene of tonight's Democratic debate in Charleston, Karen Finney, who is a senior adviser and senior spokesperson for the Clinton campaign.

Good to see you.

KAREN FINNEY, SENIOR SPOKESWOMAN, HILLARY FOR AMERICA: Good to see you, too, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK. So tonight is another big chance for Clinton to fend off Sanders in Iowa and New Hampshire even though we are talking about, you know, the South Carolina as the stage and South Carolina the place where already, according to the most recent polling in December, she continues to be out in front.

So how is she doing that? How is she trying to, you know, make up for some lost support in New Hampshire and Iowa yet at the same time as she puts it defend South Carolina and her positioning there?

FINNEY: You know, I have to tell you, Fredricka, our strategy is basically the same regardless of what the polls say, whether they say we are up or we are down or we are even. And that is to continue to do the work. We spent a lot of time with thousands of volunteers building a really strong grassroots organization both in Iowa and New Hampshire, here in South Carolina and Nevada. And this is one that really matters because, you know, at the end of the day it's about getting your folks out to caucus or getting them to vote, and that's not something the polls can measure. So we are going to just keep working hard every day between now and February 1st and beyond to make sure that voters in all of these states know where Hillary Clinton stands on the issues that they care about and what's at stake in this collection.

[14:20:05] WHITFIELD: And current events will always find its way into the debates, tonight coming on the heels of the release of the Americans who were held prisoner in Iran. She and Bernie Sanders seemed to have the same point of view on this. Presumably he is quoted as saying, you know, it's a good thing. Hillary Clinton's position on this, does she feel like she has to distinguish herself while also trying to separate herself to a degree from the Obama administration?

FINNEY: Well, look, she was part of -- she talked about earlier today, she was part of actually bringing the Iranians to the table to get to the point of having this historic agreement which we're now seeing, you know, that move forward. I do think, though, part of what that reminds us and will remind voters is that we need a president. One of the jobs. One of the top jobs of our president is commander in-chief. So as voters are looking at their options, who is the person who you think can go toe to toe with the Russians, toe to toe with the Iranians? We already know that Hillary Clinton has been able to bring them to the table once. So I think part of what this does is it reminds people this is an important part of the job and making sure that the person who walks into the oval office in January of 2017 is absolutely prepared is critical.

WHITFIELD: You hear from the Bernie Sanders campaign and they say it's clear that Hillary Clinton and her camp are nervous. So are you nervous?

FINNEY: No, not nervous. I mean, again, I feel -- you know, I have the benefit of having known Hillary Clinton for more than 20 years so I know she would be an excellent president. I know -- I believe in where she stands, you know. Look, I think she's going to do very well tonight. And I have to say I find it very interesting that senator Sanders is, you know, kind of -- he's sort of come around when it comes to the immunity issue. But we are here in Charleston, South Carolina, where a vicious act took place in the murder of people at bible study. And why it is that he can't say he would support the Charleston loophole I think is very surprising.

So I think tonight we're going to hear from both of the candidates about where they stand on issues. You know, Bernie has a few things they need to answer for. We'll see if he changes his tune and decides to have another conversion, this time the day of the debate. So we'll see.

WHITFIELD: So Clinton reminded viewers on morning television today that she's always been willing to stand up to the NRA. She even called Bernie Sanders a flip-flopper on this. Let's listen to what most recently is being said about the gun debate and these two candidates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I resent very much Clinton camp saying I'm in the NRA lobby. I have a D-minus, that's a D, like in David, D-minus voting record from the NRA. I likely lost an election, statewide election in 1988, because I was the only candidate running for Congress who said, you know what, military style assault weapons should not be sold in America. I have always believed in a strong background check and doing away with the gun show loophole.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, Karen, just this morning Hillary Clinton called him a flip-flopper. Here he is saying I want to set the record straight. So what do you expect will happen tonight at this debate? It's likely to be a very contentious issue between the two.

FINNEY: I think we will certainly hear some questions about the change. I mean, he may not be comfortable with the phrase "flip- flop," which I understand. That's not part of the way he's talked about himself and his campaign. But the truth is he was asked at the beginning of this week if that vote on the gun manufacturer's liability in 2005 would a mistake and he said no, and at that point he said, well, I want to take a look at it.

Now, his tone and his verbiage sort of changed throughout the week to just last night where he started to say, yes, I would support a piece of legislation that deals with the gun manufacturers' liability. So, and you know, he may couch the fact he has a D-plus record, but what he didn't tell you was that it was the NRA that said that that vote on that 2005 piece of legislation was their highest priority. So it is true he voted in a way that the NRA was hoping people would vote, that he voted in line with what they wanted. That is true. He can't get around that. So it will be interesting to see how -- maybe he defines a flip-flop a little differently, but it sure looks like a change in position to me.

WHITFIELD: All right. We know tonight they are going to best, both of them, try to iron it all out.

All right. Karen Finney, good to see you. Thanks so much, from Charleston, South Carolina, place of tonight's debate.

FINNEY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And then coming up in the next hour right here in the NEWSROOM, I will be talking to a campaign adviser for senator Bernie Sanders about what he is doing ahead of tonight's debate.

And don't miss CNN's special coverage after the debate. Our political team will break it all down and analyze how the candidates did starting at 11:00 p.m. eastern time with Wolf Blitzer. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:28:19] WHITFIELD: As Rezaian and the other Americans get closer to coming home, we are learning more about the Iranian that were released from American custody in this prisoner swap. We should note that the U.S. is not commenting on the names of these men until after the American prisoners are in U.S. custody. But Iranian state-run media is reporting their names. All were previously convicted of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. These offenses were nonviolence and were mostly crimes of conspiracy or illegal exports.

So to name a few, one man was arrested in Maryland for conspiring to illegally provide satellite services to Iran. Another person in California attempted to purchase marine navigation equipment and illegally export it to Iran. And three men in Texas tried to illegally export high-tech microelectronics.

Let's talk more about the Americans released in Iran in this prisoner swap with Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour, a senior associate at the Carnegie endowment. Good to see you.

KARIM SADJADPOUR, SENIOR ASSOCIATE CARNEIGE ENDOWMENT: Thanks, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So how significantly will this impact, in your view, the relation going forward between the U.S. and Iran?

SADJADPOUR: Well, Fred, we have long had a situation in which the vast majority of the Iranian people would like to have better relations with the United States, but the hard line forces who really control power in Tehran, the supreme leader and the revolutionary guards, have been opposed to that. And I think that joust will really continue in the coming months and years. While we shouldn't underestimate - the will of the Iranian people, we should also not underestimate these forces of darkness in Iran that want to see the status quo continue.

WHITFIELD: So, then, when we look at the release of these Americans and while this administration wants to celebrate that and say that, you know, this is good day. At the same time, do you see that this kind of diplomacy working toward the release of prisoners could also backfire?

[14:30:05] SADJADPOUR: I doubt this is the last time that the Iranian government has imprisoned U.S. citizens. If I were to fly to Tehran tomorrow, I have no doubt that I would also be thrown in prison.

We should also note there remains an Iranian in the prison, a guy called (inaudible), who is a friend of mine who's been in prison for three months, someone very well-known to major international companies that are interested in investing in Iran.

So while I think, you know, I'm thrilled for the families of people like Jason Rezaian and others, I think we should put into some perspective the fact that the relationship between the United States and Iran will likely remain difficult for the coming months and years.

WHITFIELD: But you do think that this perhaps lays the groundwork for continued diplomacy that may ultimately bring the release of others?

SADJADPOUR: At some point they will have to release (inaudible) and after him, there are still many dozens of political prisoners in Iran. Again, I think there are hardline forces in Iran who see dual nationals, Iranian-Americans, as basically, you know, items that they can take and use for bartering.

I would tell, you know, many Iranian-Americans that they should be careful about visiting Iran these day, even folks who are not really politically active can be caught up in the relationship between the two countries.

WHITFIELD: Do you see that potentially the U.S. can leverage this now open door of diplomacy with Iran to perhaps assist in the global fight and the global struggle over Syria?

SADJADPOUR: Up until now, despite the fact that Secretary of State Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, by all accounts have a very close working relationship. We haven't seen common ground in Syria.

I think frankly, Fredricka, today is really deservedly a day of relief for Iranians who, after almost the last decade, are no longer under the yoke of economic sanctions.

But I think for many Syrians a day of mourning, a time in which they're concerned now Iran is going to have a financial windfall to continue supporting Syrian dictator, Bashar Assad and Hezbollah.

So up until now I haven't seen signs that Iran is really ready to reconsider its support for the Assad regime in Syria.

WHITFIELD: All right, Karim Sadjadpour, thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it.

SADJADPOUR: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, the U.S. and Iranian presidents both hailing this as a huge victory. Iran's landmark nuclear deal officially takes effect and the years of crippling sanctions. But will Iran continue to keep its end of the bargain? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, breaking news, a plane carry three-game of the five Americans freed by Iran is expected to arrive at this U.S. military air base in Germany very soon. These are live pictures from Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The group was released as part of a prisoner swap. It happened just as the nuclear deal between the U.S., Iran, and five other powers took effect with Iran meeting the first requirements of that agreement.

CNN international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, is live for us now from Vienna where that landmark nuclear deal was reached this past summer.

So Nic, what have you learned about how this swap was worked out in the thick of those nuclear negotiations?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: We've heard, Fredricka, President Obama saying today that during the meetings there were separate meetings that were going on. And after the nuclear deal was struck last July, he says that's when the pace of these meetings accelerated.

So it was something that was going on, if you will, at every opportunity. He said at every meeting that the State Department led by Secretary Kerry would have, they would raise this issue but raise it at sort of a parallel meeting.

So what we are learning is that every step of the way that this nuclear deal was sort of being brought along the track unknown to us who were standing outside where that deal was being hammered out in the hotel behind me.

Unknown to us, that each meeting Secretary Kerry would have, he would raise the issue of the prisoners and that they were inching towards some progress.

But after the deal was hammered out here in July, that's when this process really began to accelerate and come to fruition, timing very clearly, timing with the next phase of Iran having its compliance so far authorized by the U.N.'s nuclear watch dog -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nic Robertson, thank you so much for that update. We'll check back with you.

President Barack Obama says the world has reached a milestone in ensuring Iran does not develop a nuclear bomb.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Now that Iran's actions have been verified, it can begin to receive relief from certain nuclear sanctions and gain access to its own money that had been frozen. And perhaps most important of all, we've achieved this historic progress through diplomacy without resorting to another war in the Middle East.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: International inspectors announcing yesterday that Iran met the steps required under the nuclear deal, meaning crippling economic sanctions are now lifted.

President Hassan Rouhani hailed it as a historic day for his country, tweeting this, "While we always remain ready to defend Iran, we bear the message of peace, stability, and security for our region and the world," end quote.

[14:40:11]Joining me right now to discuss this, Jim Walsh, an international security analyst who has traveled to Iran and testified before the Senate on Iran's nuclear program. Good to see you, Jim.

JIM WALSH, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good to see you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So in your view, how significant is it that Iran is already a lot less able to put together a nuclear bomb?

WALSH: I think it's a major victory for international peace and security, for our national security, and for our allies. This is the first time in ten years that Iran has not had enough nuclear material on its territory that if it had wanted to enrich it could have produced a nuclear weapon.

So this is a real turnabout. And I think what's noteworthy about this agreement, most agreements are structured reciprocally. You do something, I do something, you do something, you do something.

In this one, they did it all up front. They had to fulfill all their obligations on the nuclear side before they got sanctions relief. So I think it's really worked out quite well.

WHITFIELD: And to see that tweet and hear the comments in an earlier press conference from Rouhani, and you are hearing words like stability and peace, in your view, is it a new day for Iran? How much do you trust that this will last?

WALSH: Well, I think agreements last because both sides get benefits. You don't get buy-in, no agreement will be sustainable. I think this is an agreement in which all parties got something they wanted.

So I think it's likely to continue, and moreover we have the International Atomic Energy Agency on the ground 24/7, full-time monitoring of its sensitive nuclear financial statements.

So even if it had a change of heart, we would know about it very quickly and we could go back and get snap back sanctions. I think the fundamental issue, Fredricka, is not what Rouhani wants to do. I think we're in pretty good shape there.

The question is the future leadership, the future politics in Iran and, you know, the, you know, next president of the United States, will they sustain this process? I hope they will.

Iran has important elections in February to elect the assembly of experts, which is the group that selects the supreme leader. So that's going to be a critical election.

I think that's why Rouhani and Iran move so quickly to implement the agreement far faster than people anticipated because they wanted this victory in their hands going into the February elections.

WHITFIELD: You heard Rouhani say this is what the Iranian people want. They want an openness. They wanted this kind of change in their company, in their country, and they wanted to be able to, you know, compete on the world stage.

So what do you see as next in terms of access, whether it be the IAEA or any other authority to see whether Iran does, indeed, uphold its end of the deal?

WALSH: Well, I think it's already happened. You know, that IAEA report essentially certified that Iran did what it was supposed to do, and that includes now being under a much more intrusive inspection system.

This is the most intrusive verification inspection system in the nonproliferation regime internationally. There's no country that is submitting to this level of transparency. So that's why I have some confidence --

WHITFIELD: The next check would be?

WALSH: Pardon me?

WHITFIELD: The next check or observations would be?

WALSH: Well, the enrichment facilities are under 24/7, and then some of the other facilities it will be monthly or biweekly or quarterly, something like that. But at the most sensitive facilities, it is 24/7 because they have electronic monitoring and video and data coming in all the time. So we're in pretty good shape on that.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fascinating. Thank you so much, Jim Walsh. Always good to see you. Thanks so much.

WALSH: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:47:46]

WHITFIELD: All right. Soon a plane carrying "Washington Post" journalist, Jason Rezaian, and two other Americans freed from Iranian prisons is expected to land in Germany. Rezaian and his wife were arrested at their home in Iran July 2014. She was released, but Rezaian spent 545 days in jail. His childhood friend calls the ordeal harrowing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I just can't wait to see him again. I mean, as soon as I can I will. I posted every single day on Facebook and Twitter. I couldn't live my life every day knowing that that was happening to him. I had to do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: His friend says he launched online petitions and social media campaigns in hopes of getting Rezaian released. Family and friends of the other Americans released from Iran are also celebrating today.

One of them is Congressman Dan Kildee of Flint, Michigan. He tirelessly fought for Amir Hekmati's release, and he will be traveling to Germany with the Marine veteran's family to greet him.

Our Sara Ganim is live in Flint, Michigan. Sara, you sat down with the congressman earlier. How did the family find out about Hekmati's release?

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Fred. Yes, the sister got a call yesterday morning from the State Department saying your brother is with the Swiss Embassy in Iran, and that's how she knew that he had been released.

This 4 1/2-year wait with plenty of false hopes, plenty of times they thought he might be released but he wasn't, that had come to an end. Of course, they were still full of anxiety until they actually found out this morning that he was out of Iranian air space.

But as you mentioned, Congressman Dan Kildee, who is a family friend, he was with them yesterday. He told me this homecoming is especially important because Amir's father has terminal brain cancer and they had been hoping this homecoming would happen before it was too late. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPRESENTATIVE DAN KILDEE (D), MICHIGAN: Really a big relief in a sense that, you know, there was some fear that Amir might not be able to make it back to see his father, and he will. We are reminded that it's a sad situation in many ways when Amir left, his father was a strong and robust guy.

[14:50:08]He was a college professor and now he's having some significant health struggles, but he'll be happy to see his son, and I know Amir will be happy to see him.

Every time I've spoken to Dr. Hekmati, he said he just looks forward to putting his arms around his son, kissing him on the face, being with him. So that's going to be a pretty special moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP) GANIM: The family is hoping that moment comes in a few days. The people here in Flint where Amir grew up say he was a patriot, he was proud, he was strong. He actually wrote a letter a few years ago to Secretary John Kerry saying he did not want to be released as a part of any kind of prisoner swap or political deal.

That's who people here say that he was. He was proud of his time in the Marines. Take a listen to what a family friend whose son served alongside Amir had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK YONAN, HEKMATI FAMILY FRIEND: Well, I mean, I don't think any less than any Marine, but there is something special to immigrants. These are first-generation American, and although he wasn't born in Iran, he knows the stories, he knows and appreciates the freedom this country offers more than most.

And so that regard, I mean, really appreciated the opportunity to be part of this country in defense of its freedom and appreciate it more than some of us do that don't know otherwise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GANIM: Now, the great news today, Fred, is that as we speak that family is on their way to Detroit to the airport. They're getting on an airplane. They're headed to Germany where they're going to meet their brother who they haven't seen in 4-1/2 years while he was imprisoned in one of the worst prisons in the world -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: I know they can't wait. Thanks so much. Sara Ganim, appreciate it, from Flint, Michigan.

All right, on the road to politics, the road to the White House. Ted Cruz's controversial comments on New York are sparking major backlash. How the big apple is fighting back and what Cruz has to say about it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:55:14]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think most people know exactly what New York values are. Frankly, they're not the same as the rest of the country's values. Instead of celebrating Christmas, New Yorkers celebrate Festivus. In New York, people don't say hi to their neighbors. They say, hello, Newman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sounds like you're describing the TV show "Seinfeld." Is that what you mean by New York values?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Believe me, if I could say liberal Jews, I would.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: Boy, so that was "Saturday Night Live" taking aim at the Republican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, last night for his remarks on New York values. Cruz's comments on Donald Trump and New Yorkers have sparked major backlash.

"The New York Daily News" made Cruz the subject of their front page on Friday. See it right there, "Drop Dead, Ted." this morning Cruz continued his attack on Donald Trump, doubling down, in fact, on his controversial comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He explained that his views were that he was very pro-choice, he supported partial birth abortion, he was open to gay marriage, and his explanation for all of that, he said, I'm a New Yorker, I'm from Manhattan.

Those are the views of New York. Those are what New York values are. They're not Iowa values, but that's New York values. So that was Donald's own explanation of what New York values are.

It's how he articulated it and it strikes me as curious now that he is displaying such outrage that anyone would even acknowledge that there is a particular political view.

And I would point out it's a view echoed by far-left liberal democratic politicians like Andrew Cuomo, like Bill De Blasio, like Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump has supported those candidates and their positions on a lot of issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk more about this with Ted Cruz's foreign policy adviser, Victoria Coates. Good to see you. OK, so Senator Cruz is now explaining that's what he meant by New York values, but did he expect that that would be the interpretation when he said that on that debate stage up against Donald Trump?

VICTORIA COATES, SENIOR FOREIGN POLIC ADVISER FOR SENATOR TED CRUZ: Well, I think, Fredricka, what Senator Cruz was saying was really just using Mr. Trump's own words from that 1999 interview with Tim Russert in which he explained that his views on things like abortion and marriage were informed by the fact that he was from New York, and he said this is different from how they feel in Iowa.

So I think what Senator Cruz is tapping into is that sense of disconnect between the coasts and what a lot of people call flyover country.

WHITFIELD: So why do you suppose Senator Cruz would think that would resonate with the rest of the country? If he was, you know, insulting Donald Trump or insulting New Yorkers as a whole, was there a feeling that he thought the rest of the country would think that's OK?

COATES: Well, no. He says repeatedly he has no interest in insulting New York. Heck, I'm from Philadelphia. One does -- WHITFIELD: Isn't that how many interpreted it, even Donald Trump?

COATES: Well, I mean, I let Mr. Trump speak for himself in terms of his interpretation, but as the senator said this morning he has great admiration for the people of New York and really feels that it's the liberal politicians who have betrayed them.

WHITFIELD: So is this the kind of staying power you suppose Senator Cruz was hoping for with this comment or did he think it would go away?

COATES: No. I mean, he's happy to have the conversation, and as he said repeatedly, it's based on Mr. Trump's own formulation. And so if we want to talk about Mr. Trump's history, I think that's something Senator Cruz is very happy to do.

WHITFIELD: So this morning Donald Trump sat down with our own Jake Tapper and slammed Senator Cruz for failing to report not on that but to federal elections officials about taking two loans from Citi bank and Goldman Sachs for his Senate campaign. This is what was said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ted Cruz, he's got a lot of people putting big money in, probably baby Goldman Sachs. They loaned him a million dollars so they certainly have control over him.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Do you think Ted Cruz and all the other people you mentioned are more likely to be to do the bidding of their donors because they got money from them?

TRUMP: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So does Senator Cruz feel like this is a distraction because he has to recover from moments like that?

COATES: No, and I mean, what that statement was actually inaccurate. The loan from Goldman Sachs was in no way a contribution. It was a loan that Ted and Heidi Cruz took out against their own assets to assist his Senate campaign.

And if the campaign had not been successful of course they would have had to have liquidated those assets. So that was in no way a contribution from Goldman Sachs. And I think the senator welcomes the opportunity to clear this situation up.

WHITFIELD: All right. Victoria Coates, thanks for being with us. Appreciate it.

COATES: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, so much more straight ahead in the NEWSROOM right now.