Transcripts For CNNW The Situation Room 20150722 : vimarsana

CNNW The Situation Room July 22, 2015

Plotting an attack. Hate crime charges. The Charleston Church gunman is hit with a federal indictment. What does it mean for the case . And for his possible punishment . Trumps tone. Could he rein in his impulse to bash critics if he was elected president. Andersen cooper presses trump about that and the feud that forced Lindsey Graham to destroy his cell phone. Lindsey graham called me a jackass. You have to fight back. Aggressive arrest. The confrontation between a texas state trooper and the woman who later died in her jail cell. Tonight we are learning about a key admission by sandra bland before she died. We want to welcome viewers in the United States and around the world. Wolf blitzer is on assignment. Youre in the situation room. Tonight we are tracking concerns about a possible terrorist attack pegged on president obamas travels, on the eve of his trip to africa about a slaughter at a Shopping Mall and brutal acts of violence. Were the killers unintentionally tipped off about the president s comings and goings. I will ask, marie harf about the possible risk to the president and much more. Our correspondents and analysts also are standing by to cover all of the news that is breaking now. First we go to our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. White house and pentagon officials insist insist there is no risk to the president and he will be absolutely safe during his trip to africa. But now already details about the movements of air force one have been released. Kenyan authorities are have published apparently details about when air force one will be both arriving and departing the airport in nairobi, kenya, when airspace will be closed there, not clear how this appeared publicly. But the white house says it is no risk to the president. That said u. S. Officials are telling us there has been increased chatter in recent days by the al qaeda affiliate home based in next door somalia, but a group conducted multiple attacks in kenya, attacks against Shopping Malls, attacks against universities wreaking havoc where they go. Right now the assessment is that al shabab would not attack the president of the United States. What they would do instead is look for the more vulnerable those softer targets like you will like Shopping Malls and schools. What they want to do is create havoc attention away from the president s visit, try and demonstrate to the people of kenya, cause a divide so the people there think their government cannot keep them safe. Plenty of worry. Plenty of trouble about it but once again the white house, the pentagon saying that they are certain the president will be safe on this trip. Brianna. Barbara starr at the pentagon. Thank you. The Charleston Church gunman is facing federal hate crime charges in addition to the murder counts against him in South Carolina. The attorney general announcing this indictment a short time ago, calling racially motivated violence the original domestic terrorism. Want to bring in cnn senior washington correspondent joe johns. Those were strong word from loretta lynch. Strong word for sure. They have thrown the book at this guy, this is a 33count indictment that gives the attorney general the option of seeking life in prison or the Death Penalty. She has not decided which way to go if he is convicted. Dylann roof facing 12 hate crime charges for targeting of victims because of their race,c 12 more charges for obstructing the exercise of religion remaining counts have to do with the use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. The indictment and the attorney general say roof allegedly selected the emanuel ame because of its prominence because of its significance to the people of charleston and the nation. Normally now it is state prosecutors who take the lead on notorious murder cases like this. But South Carolina is one of only a handful of states that doesnt have a hate crimes law. We have here a defendant who is alleged to have harbored discriminatory views towards africanamericans to have sought out an africanamerican house of worship one that was particularly noted because of age and significance and he also sought out africanamerican worshippers at worship. Racially motivated violence such as this is the original domestic terrorism. The attorney general said roof planned the attack on the church several months in advance. The indictment references roofs widely cited racist manifesto found on the internet. The process to determine whether to seek the federal Death Penalty can be complicated. A Committee Puts together a recommendation. The attorney general gets the final say on whether to seek it out once it reaches the penalty phase in the trial. The Death Penalty is legal in the state of South Carolina. Roof is also facing a slew of state charges relating to the case. As you said throwing the book at him. Joe johns, thank you so much for your report. Lets talk about the Iran Nuclear Deal and tough push back by republicans each democrats on capitol hill tonight. This as the the family of american held captive in iran is speaking out making a new appeal for his release. Global Affairs Correspondent elise lavat has been following the wrangling over what is in and not in this Nuclear Agreement. Catch us up, elise. Secretary of state john kerry briefing lawmakers behind closed doors right now. The Obama Administration maintained tying the fate of the four americans being held in iran to the Nuclear Negotiations would not help bring them home. Now the deal is done the families say it is time for the u. S. To step up the pressure. Sequestercretary of state john kerry on capitol hill for a closed door high stakes briefing trying to sell the Iran Nuclear Deal to a skeptical congress. It will make the region our friends and allies safer, it will make the world safer. Reporter but that may not be enough. A bad deal threatens the security of at american people. We are going to do Everything Possible to stop it. Reporter skeptical lawmakers worry the deal will embolden iran in the middle east and angry four americans are being left behind. Includeing including, a Washington Post reporter. Its ben one year since he was arrested on spy charges and thrown in irans notorious avin prison. He is innocent. Today his family and employers at the Washington Post made another plea for his release. This time calling on the United Nations to step in. No evidence has been produced of espionage or any other offense. He feels his brothers case got caught up in the nuclear talks. Now that the deal is done he hopes the iranians will send his brother home. Certainly i think the right thing to do would have been to release him long ago. The right thing to do is release him now. He is innocent. Reporter president obama under fire for striking the deal while the reporter and two other americans are still being held. A fourth american missing. And this week once again promised to spare no effort. We are not going to relent until we bring home our unamericans ununam our americans detained in iran. One adviser to the family tells me that he believes secretary kerry may have missed a window opportunity to secure the americans released before the deal was anounced. Now the hope is that the iranians will let them go before the u. N. General assembly in september to improve their image on the word stage and make sure this is not an irritant at the u. N. Elise labott. Thank you. Joining me Senior State Department adviser, marie harvin. I first want to talk to you about the trip president obama is taking to kenya. And the fact that the state department has sort of raised warning about possible terrorist activity there, possible al shabab attack being specific concern. Is it safe for the president to go on the trip . Absolutely. I know you heard the white house speak to this t look fork ward to this. Looking forward to the trip. We have a duty when it come to kenya and places to warn of possible violence. When it comes to the president s trip. He will be safe. We will talk more in a moment. We will get a quick break in. And talking iran with Senior Adviser to the state Department Marie Harf in just a moment. Youve always wanted. But you better get here fast. Yay, daddys here here you go, honey. Thank you. Because a good thing like this wont last forever. See your authorized dealer for an incredible offer on the exhilarating c300 sport sedan. But hurry, offers end soon. Share your summer moments in your mercedesbenz with us. music imagine these kids wont have to remember passwords or obsess about security. For them, every screen is meant to be touched. And web pages are meant to be scribbled on, and shared. Theyll expect their devices to listen to them. And talk. And sing. And tell a funny joke. And as they grow, and get better at things their technology will too. Theyll do things their parents never even dreamed of. Because these kids will grow up with windows 10. The future starts now, for all of us. Get started today. Windows 10. A more human way to do. Were back now with state department Senior Adviser marie harf in vienna during the long tense talks that led to the nuclear deal with iran. I want to ask you about something that we are hearing out of iran from the iranian Supreme Leader ayatollah khomeini. He said policy toward the arrogant u. S. Will not change. Your boss secretary kerry responded to that. Lets listen. I dont know how to interpret it at this point in time except to take it at face value that is his policy. But i do know that often comments are made publicly and things can evolve that are different. If it is the policy its very disturbing. Its very troubling. Well have to wait and see. He says wait and see. Marie, wait and see for what . Well when it comes to the Nuclear Agreement. He is right. We are going to hear many things said over the course of the weeks and months. Some of which will sound lechike that and be disturbing to us. What we are focused on is whether iran lives up to the agreement. We have now a framework and a whole agreement with a bunch of nuclear steps they have to take. The test will be whether or not day take them. So if that is posturing as you see it by the ayatollah, but the steps are taken in conjunction with the Nuclear Agreement then that is a sa theiry that scenario the u. S. Is okay with . We are not okay with some of the things ayatollah says about us and the deal. If the Nuclear Agreement is really the measure. The measure for the Nuclear Agreement whether or not iran takes the steps it has to take. The measure for us was whether it cuts off their pathways to a Nuclear Weapons and pushes out their breakout time to a year. We have done that. So we will hear a lot. We expect to hear a lot publicly. What matters for the agreement is whether or not they do what they committed to do. Secretary kerry on the hill talking to members of Congress Briefing them. We understand from reporting that there were some gop members of congress who asked the secretary about possible side deals that are going on between iran and the iaea. They didnt feel that they got really a satisfactory answer. Look a yes or no. Are there any deals . Are there any parts of the deal that have not been put before members of congress at this point . There is a couple pieces here. To be very clear there are no secret deals that the members of the p 5 plus 1 including the u. S. Dont have the details of. The ieae in the course of normal business, technical agreements are not made public for good reason. Since the issues are so important. The p5 plus 1 has been briefed on details of the agreements and can brief them to congress in classified settings which its what secretary kerry did today. So there is no secret deal. Nothing we are not aware of. Everything we have congress has. He has put everything before congress . Absolutely. You have heard obviously from for instance the family of the journalist, other americans, couple other americans held in iran. There is this question of whether iran may release them ahead of september to look better in the eyes of the international community. Do you get the sense that iran is amenable to releasing the priz prisoners . We believe they should have been released. We are pushing it in every single meeting. Secretary kerry raises it. Wendy sherman raises it. Are they giving any signal this may be any reason to be optimistic . Especially for these families on this anniversary, this oneyear anniversary of the detention of Washington Post bureau chief . We are not going to be optimistic. I would never use that word until the americans are home with their families. I remember personally jason, last july being in vienna covering the iran talks for the Washington Post. Not having him there this year everyone certainly felt that. Secretary kerry raises it. We are pushing every way we can. We will continue to do so until theyre home. Would it help for the administration in making its case to congress if iran were to release these detainees . Well we believe that congress should judge the nuclear deal based on the facts that are in the nuclear deal. Thats what they should look at. But separately we are being very clear with congress. Sure it came up today. Sure it will come up on the hill tomorrow. We are using every single opportunity to press the iranians to bring them home. To allow them to come home. There is no doubt some members of congress would be more amenable if they could see this gesture of goodwill from iran. I understand you are trying to decouple these things. Certainly it would help wouldnt it . Well again, we believe iran should release these americans so they can be home with their families regardless of what that might mean for congressional approval or not, regardless if anything that happened with the nuclear deal thats why we keep pushing it. The secretary has been clear to congress, many members of Congress Care deeply about this issue. He has been clear we are doing everything we can and will not rest until theyre home. Awe mau marie harf. Thank you for joining us. Happy to be here. Sandra blands family is demanding answers after dash cam video showing her arrest days before she dieden a enin a jail cell. Murder or suicide . New evidence tonight could be key. And would President Trump call his political opponents or foes idiots . Anderson cooper presses trump. Its a golden opportunity to elevate each moment. Hit every mark. Thread every needle. Turn every ride into a thrill ride. Come in to the lexus golden opportunity sales event, where youll find some of the best offers of the year on our most exhilarating models. Lease the 2015 rc 350 for 449 a month for 36 months and will make your first months payment. See your lexus dealer. Tonight more controversy surrounding the hanging death of a woman in a text tech jail after the release of dash cam video of her traffic stop. Questions are swirling about whether sandra bland committed suicide or whether she was murdered. Were getting new information related to that. Cnns reporter is in texas with the very latest on this. Ed. We were given the medical intake perform that referred to sandra bland. Couple significant portions i will read off. She is asked have you ever been depressed . Yes. Do you fooleel this way . Yes. Have you ever had thoughts of killing yourself in the last year . Yes. Thinking of killing yourself today . No. Ever attempted suicide . Yes. 2014. The reason why she had lost a baby. And was using pills. This the latest twist in a situation that has become very riled by mistrust and it is casting a large shadow over the case of sandra bland. Do you mind putting out your cigarette please . Im in my car, why do i have to put out my cigarette . You can step out now . I dont have to stop out. Step out of the car. From there the traffic stop of sandra bland escalates into a heated showdown for ten minutes. The texas state trooper tries to pull bland from the car. I am going to yank you out of here. I will light you up. Get out. Now wow. Wow. For failure to signal. Tensions rise as a bystander, captures images of holding bland to the ground. The dash cam caught what bland is saying . You are a real man. Knocked my head in the ground. I have epilepsy. Good. Good. Bland would spend the next three days in the jail cell. Waller county Officials Say bland tried several times to call family and friends from the jail, but she couldnt get help to post the bond which was over 500. She had so many problems that the jailers allowed her, they would take her out of the cell and bring her to the booking desk. And allow her to use the desk phone and make free phone calls. That happened at least twice. The arrest video does not shed light on blands death. But a nearly threehour video recorded inside the jail the morning bland was found dead shows no unusual activity around her cell in the hours leading up to her death. Sandra blands family spoke out again wednesday afternoon, saying the 28yearold was not diagnosed with depression and not taking medications. Why it is a 2yearold woman who had received two job offers would fake her own life. What it does is raises questions. Raises questions why a 28yearold woman would call her mother in excitement about those two jobs and then take her life. Reporter the dps trooper who made the arrest has been pulled from patrol duty. Officials say he did not handle the arrest professionally. The sandra bland case is buried under intense levels of mistrust. Bland family members dont believe she committed suicide. The release of the arrest video d

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