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Russia's Prime Minister Criticizes Recent NATO Policies; Pope Francis Visits Mexico City; Republican Presidential Candidates Campaign in South Carolina; State Department Releases More of Former Secretary Clinton's Emails. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired February 13, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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


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[14:00:00] SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Refocusing today with a new ad directing fire instead at Hillary Clinton.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damn it feels good to be a Clinton. A shameless politician always plays her cards right.

SERFATY: In the spoof of "Office Space."

Many of the candidates are speaking at the conservative Christian Bob Jones University in South Carolina, making a big pitch to woo coveted evangelical voters.

JEB BUSH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do not believe you put your faith if a lock box in public life and say, well, that's only for my private matters. That is just not -- that is totally wrong.

SERFATY: And jockeying over who has the most conservative credentials.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You disagree with people, for example, on the definition of marriage, they call you a hater and bigot. What's the next step?

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SERFATY: Of course all this happening just one week before Republican voters head to the polls here in South Carolina.

Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Greenville, South Carolina.

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FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the next hour of the CNN Newsroom begins right now.

Hello again, everyone. Thanks for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

NATO is pushing back against contentious remarks from Russia's prime minister today. At an international security conference this morning, Dmitry Medvedev the strained relationship between Russia and the west could be described as a new cold war.

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DMITRY MEDVEDEV, RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER (via translator): NATO diplomacy with regard to Russia remains unfriendly and opaque. One could go as far as to say we have slid back to a new cold war. Almost on an everyday basis we are called one of the most terrible threats either to NATO as a whole or to Europe or to the United States. Sometimes I wonder whether it is 2016 we live in, or 1962.

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WHITFIELD: Let's bring in CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joining me from Munich. So tell us more about NATO's response, and should the west see the prime minister's comments as more of a threat rather than a complaint?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think it's being viewed here as Russia's interpretation of how it sees the situation and perhaps more of an indication about what Russia does. That was certainly the opinion when I talked to the supreme allied commander of NATO forces, U.S. four-star General Philip Breedlove. He told me that it is Russia that is trying to not even rewrite the rules but create new rules, crossing international borders into Ukraine, annexing Crimea, developing increasing clusters of missile systems that are designed to target air, road, and sea, potential sea attack, all the way from Kaliningrad in the north close to NATO, St. Petersburg, Crimea, and now in northern Syria. These are sophisticated missile systems, and NATO sees Russia developing and intensifying these clusters. It's a concern.

So when I said to him, what about, when Medvedev says, you, NATO, unfriendly, opaque, and are heading towards a cold war, he said no, that is not the case. That's not how NATO sees it. This is what he said.

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ROBERTSON: Isn't this by definition the cold war, arms buildup?

GEN. PHILIP BREEDLOVE, NATO COMMANDER FOR EUROPE: Well, they are entitled to their understanding of this, and their description of this. We in NATO do not want to see a cold war. We do not talk about it. It is not what we want to happen or anticipate happening. We're a defensive alliance who are arraying ourselves to face a challenge we see. That challenge is a nation that once again decided that it will use force to change internationally recognized borders. And so we take those appropriate actions to be able to assure, defend, and deter.

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ROBERTSON: Now, the Russian prime minister's tone there, rather sort of defensive, if you will, came after a lot of criticism here in Munich, and particularly right after the French prime minister had said NATO has got to stop bombing civilians around Aleppo -- rather, Russia has to stop bombing civilians around Aleppo, that Russia is continuing to back and support Bashar al Assad even though the Russian foreign minister just a couple days ago agreed to a cessation of hostilities in Syria in less than a week's time now. So that's why I think we're hearing the Russian prime minister is getting a little hot under the collar about the pressure he's taking here.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nic Robertson, thank you so much, joining us from Munich.

I want to bring in CNN global affairs analyst Kimberly Dozier. So Kim, you just heard the NATO commander's response. Should NATO and the White House take this cold war rhetoric very seriously?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I think they understand that it is rhetoric. Russia watchers say they're less in a cold war than a hot peace.

[14:05:00] You don't have both powers pointing nuclear weapons at each other as they once did in the cold war. What you have instead is Russia using force to protect its client states or its client communities on the ground, and the U.S. and NATO pushing back. Only today Secretary of State John Kerry again called Russia aggressive. So when you have that kind of language, you have to expect it to come back from the other side. Yet in the background there's still working quietly ahead on things, as you mentioned, on the Syrian fighting, but also on nuclear deterrence. That new 2011 START treaty, where each side reports to each other, how many nuclear missiles it has, that's still holding. If stuff like that starts falling apart, that's when you really get worried.

WHITFIELD: And then how might this impact what is taking place in Syria as it pertains to any commitments the west wants to make, what Russia is or is not doing in Syria?

DOZIER: Well, it's as if each side is messaging its audience that it's doing all it can to stop the fighting. But that Russia has said it's very skeptical even a cessation of hostilities will hold and is continuing to back its state, Assad, Syrian forces. And those forces are continuing to press forward encircling Aleppo. And Russia says it will keep, quote-unquote, "targeting terrorist forces." The U.S. say you're not targeting terrorists. You're targeting U.S.-backed rebels who are legitimate opposition forces on the ground. So you see the war of words still playing itself out on the ground. It's hard to see that stopping anytime soon.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kim Dozier, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

All right, still ahead, the six remaining Republican candidates facing off tonight in South Carolina. What will tonight's debate look like? We'll talk about it, next, in the Newsroom.

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[14:10:45] WHITFIELD: The six remaining Republican presidential candidates will face-off on the debate stage in South Carolina tonight exactly one week before the nation's second primary. Let's go to CNN's Ryan Nobles who is in Greenville, the site of tonight's debate. So Ryan, South Carolina has seen a recent flood of attack ads among the Republicans. How influential might that be?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think we probably will see a pretty testy debate here tonight, Fred. And in fact, Dr. Ben Carson just made a tour of the spin room, and he told reporters here that he's ready to interrupt to make his voice heard if need be. If Ben Carson is willing to mix things up that gives an idea how ugly things could get.

Of course, the big battle will be between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. These two men right now running first and second in the polls here in South Carolina. Both have attacked each other on the campaign trail quite a bit, but it seems as though every time they get on the debate stage they tend to play nice. Ted Cruz, though, has said he is not going to throw personal things against Trump and instead he's going to talk about his record and point out the fact that Donald Trump is not as conservative as he seems. Meanwhile, Trump continues to talk about Trump's (ph) Canadian birthplace. He's even suggesting that he may file a lawsuit to settle this issue once and for all.

No doubt, though, Fred, things are, there is a lot at stake here tonight in South Carolina. Of course, we are just one week away from voters going to the polls in this first in the south primary.

WHITFIELD: Right. So this first in the south primary, you know, do we know whether these candidates will either go out of their way or they're counting on questions that will take them to the issues that may be top of mind, you know, in the south, like religion, race?

NOBLES: Yes, well, what they're saying on the stump is any indication of what could come up here tonight at the debate, we should expect that, especially a play made to socially conservative voters in South Carolina. They make up a very important part of the voting bloc here in this state. And Ted Cruz in particular is really honing in on that message. He played very well with that group in Iowa. That was part of the coalition that delivered him that Iowa caucus win. And that's one of the big distinctions that he is making with Donald Trump, that he is a true social conservative and Donald Trump is not.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ryan Nobles, thank you so much in Greenville, South Carolina.

All right, CNN, of course, has special coverage of tonight's GOP debate. Tune in immediately following the debate with CNN's Erin Burnett. That should be around 11:00 p.m. eastern tonight.

And up next, the U.S. State Department just released a new batch of e- mails from Hillary Clinton's private server, this as pundits say she should not be overly confident about winning the upcoming Nevada caucuses. We'll go live to Nevada, next.

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[14:17:27] WHITFIELD: Hillary Clinton is in Nevada right now. We're expecting a rally to begin soon in Henderson. In 2008, Clinton picked up the popular vote in Nevada over Obama. He got most of the delegates, but according to "Politico," by mid-January Sanders had hired twice the number of staffers on the ground there.

Let's talk more about this with CNN senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns who is in Henderson. So Joe, give us an idea of the mood there, whether there is a feeling that Clinton has to work hard for support, or if she can feel fairly comfortable in that state?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me tell you, we are, Fred, at an event for organized labor. It's a get out the vote event in Henderson, North Carolina. We just got through hearing from Randy Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers. Organized labor so important to both of these Democratic candidates in the state of Nevada, so much so that the culinary union, which is probably the largest and most powerful union here in this area, decided not to endorse anyone, at least at this stage, focus on the general election.

So that's an indication that there could be a fight ahead for the caucuses just seven days from today right here in Nevada. Hillary Clinton, also, today, putting out a fundraising letter, telling people that she was outraised during the month of January by $5 million, asking supporters to send her money to get ready for Super Tuesday in March, which is also not very far away. So everybody here is girding for a fight, and most people expect things could get a lot closer. Fred?

WHITFIELD: And then what about this U.S. State Department release of a new batch of e-mails from Clinton's private server today? The timing cannot be worse for her. Our political teams are combing through them. Do we know anything so far that's been gleaned from these e-mails?

JOHNS: Well, we know the number is about 550 e-mails or so, roughly 1,000 pages. Nothing explosive that we've seen so far, but this is all part of the drip, drip, drip that's been a big problem for the Hillary campaign as she tries to say to people that she's an honest and forthright candidate. And every time you get another group of these e-mails, it just raises that issue once again. So you're right, it couldn't come at a worse time with the Nevada caucuses a week away and the South Carolina primary two weeks away.

[14:20:09] WHITFIELD: All right, Joe Johns, thank you so much, there in Henderson, Nevada.

All right, so former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright is now apologizing for comments she made a week ago at a Clinton campaign event in New Hampshire. Albright used one of her most well-known quotes when voicing support for Clinton.

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MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: We can tell our story about how we climbed the ladder, and a lot of you younger women don't think you have to -- it's been done. It's not done, and you have to help Hillary Clinton. She'll always be there for you. And just remember, there's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other.

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WHITFIELD: But those comments didn't sit well with many female voters, and a conversation about which candidate best represented women erupted on the campaign trail. So in today's "New York Times," Albright writes, quote, "I absolutely believe what I said, that women should help one another, but this was the wrong context and the wrong time to use that line. I did not mean to argue that women should support a particular candidate based solely on gender, but I understand that I came across at condemning those who disagree with my political preferences. If heaven were open only to those who agree on politics, I imagine it would be largely unoccupied."

All right, the Pope is relentless in his message to Mexico's leaders today -- be courageous and fight the cartels.

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[14:25:49] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Pope Francis' first full day in Mexico has been a very busy one. Beyond greeting the large, adoring crowds who have waiting for him for hours, the Pope also spoke to the country's leaders about the serious problem of drug violence and organized crime. CNN correspondent Shasta Darlington is in Mexico City. Shasta?

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. We're outside the Vatican residence with many people lining up holding signs like this, "I love Paquito," and they're thrilled of course because the Pope just drove by for his lunch right here at the residence. A lot of cheering going on, the organizers are expecting up to a million people to turn out along the papal route during the day. He's got a lot on his place.

Where he was coming from was that meeting with bishops. And he first had some tough words for the president where he talked about how a society which benefits a few can really lay the ground for things like drug trafficking. When he talked to the bishops, he also told them, they had to be courageous in the face of these dangers. Take a listen.

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POPE FRANCIS, (via translator): I urge you not to underestimate the moral and antisocial challenge which the drug trade represents for Mexican society as a whole, including the church.

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DARLINGTON: Now, he's going to have a lot of this sort of tough love for Mexico's establishment over the coming days, and a lot of love and faith and outpourings of these popular supporters as well. From here he goes to celebrate a mass at the Basilica of Virgin of Guadeloupe and then begins some of the tougher parts of his journey. He's going to visit some of the poorest and really most violent corners of the country, Fredricka. WHITFIELD: And then on immigration, how is the Pope expected to talk

about that?

DARLINGTON: Well, Fredricka, he has already started talking about it. He says that it's one of the ills that current society has to grapple with. And he's going to try and illustrate that with his visit. He's going to -- the state of Chiapas along the southern border where thousands and thousands of Central American immigrants pour into Mexico trying to get to the United States, and he's going to trace their route really across the country, ending in Juarez, which is just across the border from El Paso, Texas, where we really expect some of the emotional high points. They'll celebrate a mass, a cross border mass. He'll take the Pope-mobile along the fence. No doubt this will make a few authorities on the U.S. side a little uncomfortable because, as we know, immigration is something that he worries about. He worries about immigrants and he doesn't smile on a lot of the immigration policy that we see coming out of the United States, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Shasta Darlington, thank you so much Mexico City with the Pope there.

All right, let's take a look at our top stories now. The entire northeast is dealing with record low temperatures today. Very cold wind-chills in some areas of New England dropping to 40 to 50 below zero. Officials in New York City are warning people to stay indoors or to bundle up if heading out into the brutal and possibly life- threatening cold.

And Hawaii is launching a pre-emptive strike against the Zika virus. State leaders now mobilizing resources, expecting mosquitos carrying the virus to reach the island. The governor signed an emergency proclamation on Friday.

And in southern California, an enormous natural gas leak has finally been stopped. That means thousands of residents in the community of Porter Ranch will soon be allowed to return to their homes. Engineers are now preparing to fill the well with concrete to permanently seal it.

Thanks so much for being with me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Much more straight ahead in the Newsroom at the top of the hour. Right now, time for "Vital Signs with Dr. Sanjay Gupta."