Transcripts For WHYY PBS NewsHour 20140610 : vimarsana.com

Place, of what Shenandoah National park is. Woodruff those are just some of the stories were covering on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by at bae systems, our pride and dedication show in everything we do; from Electronics Systems to intelligence analysis and cyber operations; from combat vehicles and weapons to the maintenance and modernization of ships, aircraft, and critical infrastructure. Knowing our work makes a difference inspires us everyday. Thats bae systems. Thats inspired work. Ive been around long enough to recognize the people who are out there owning it. The ones getting involved, staying engaged. They are not afraid to question the path theyre on. Because the one question they never want to ask is, how did i end up here . I started schwab with those people. People who want to take ownership of their investments, like they do in every other aspect of their lives. United healthcare, online at uhc. Com. And the william and flora hewlett foundation, helping people build immeasurably better lives. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Woodruff the International Coalition in afghanistan launched an investigation today after five u. S. Special operations soldiers were killed, apparently by friendly fire. It happened in Zabul Province in the south, and may be one of the worst such incidents in almost 14 years of the afghan war. For more, i spoke earlier with n. P. R. Reporter sean carberry, whos in kabul. Sean carberry, thank you so much for talking with us. What is known exactly about what happened . Well, u. S. Special Operations Forces and Afghan Forces were carrying out a clearing operation in Zabul Province which is one of the more unsecured provinces in the country and, according to afghan officials, when the troops were on their way back to the base from this operation, it came under attack by taliban militants. At that point, they called in for air support, and the air strike apparently hit the friendly forces, killing five u. S. Troops and one afghan force. Nato and u. S. Officials have not officially confirmed that it was a friendly fire incident. They have indicated theyre investigating that. However, afghan officials said the air strike hit the friendly forces, again, killing five u. S. And one afghan troops. Woodruff so its not confirmed but sounds like the evidence points to friendly fire. Is it known what type aircraft . Reports are that it was a b1 bomber, so this is not an apache helecopter or gunship or Something Like that. This is most likely heavy munitions, a heavy bomb that would have been dropped in this instance. Woodruff sean, were just a few days away from the president ial election runoff there in afghanistan. Whawhat is it security situation there . Youre in kabul. Its increasing in checkpoints around the city. Officials said theyre on high alert going into the elections. In terms of the security incidents, there havent been as many as people have been expected. There have been fewer attacks than there were in the run up to the first round offvoting in april. However, last weekend, militants did carry out a Suicide Attack against president ial candidate abdullah abdullah. He and his entourage survived. But thats the most highprofile attack weve seen, but officials are expecting more violence for election day this year because its coming in peak fighting season, whereas the first round was at the tail end of spring and, at that point, the fall hadnt happened, fighters werent as active at that point. Woodruff sean carberry, thank you very much, talking to us from kabul. Youre welcome, usedy. Woodruff u. S. Officials in washington declined comment on the incident, saying they are waiting for the investigation. Ifill gunmen in pakistan attacked a Police Training facility today near the karachi airport. It followed sunday nights taliban assault that killed 26 people at the airport itself. Todays incident forced a temporary suspension of flights and triggered a brief shootout with security forces. But airport officials downplayed its severity. translated the wrong word was used, that there was an attack. There was no such situation. There was a firing incident, which was within our capability to manage. However, the word attack was used by the media, which created panic. You saw the response. Police, rangers, army, everyone was immediately here. Ifill the taliban said it was also behind todays attack and warned of more violence to come. Woodruff in syria, in fighting between an alqaeda linked group and other rebel factions has taken a heavy toll in recent weeks. The syrian observatory for human rights reported today more than 630 people have been killed in the east, near the iraqi border, since the end of april. At least 130,000 others have fled the region. Ifill there was more fallout in Congress Today over the prisoner swap that freed Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl in afghanistan. The senates number two democrat, dick durbin of illinois, said there was no time to notify lawmakers in advance, because the deal to free five guantanamo detainees in exchange for bergdahl was finalized just one day before it happened. But republican Jeff Sessions rejected that reasoning after a closed briefing by defense officials. Im not satisfied in any way that congress should not have been consulted in this matter. Just as a matter of courtesy, whether it was in law or not, a matter of this importance should have been discussed with at least key leaders in the congress. Ifill democratic senator carl levin of michigan came out of that same briefing, saying military leaders supported the prisoner swap. What the media has not carried, i think, is the critical question do our top military uniformed leaders support this agreement, did they, were they involved in it, they assured me they were, and did they support it, they assured me they strongly support it because of the ethos of getting our people back. Ifill the house begins hearings on the bergdahl release tomorrow. Defense secretary chuck hagel will testify before the Armed Services committee. Woodruff the house has voted unanimously to make it easier for veterans to get in to see doctors. The bill that passed today would pay for vets to get care outside the Veterans Affairs system, if theyve had long waits or live more than 40 miles from a v. A. Hospital. A similar bill is pending in the senate. Ifill crew members of the south korea ferry that sank in april appeared in court today, at an emotional hearing. Relatives of the more than 300 who died in the sinking, wrestled with officials and packed the court room. Some shouted murderer when the captain entered. The 15 crew members face charges ranging from negligence to homicide for abandoning the ship. Woodruff this is primary election day for six more states. Republican senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and House Majority leader eric cantor of virginia are expected to hold off tea party challengers. Primaries are also scheduled in maine, nevada, and north dakota; and arkansas is holding a series of runoffs. Ifill wall street had a relatively quiet day. The Dow Jones Industrial average gained not quite three points to close near 16,946. The nasdaq rose more than one point to close at 4,338. And the sandp 500 slipped half a point to end at 1,950. Ifill still to come on the newshour. Sunni militants force iraqs army out of a key city; could Hillary Clintons new book foreshadow a second president ial bid . The fight in the states over Medicaid Expansion; a judge strikes down tenure protections for californias Public Schoolteachers; and connecting the next generation to cherished historic places. Woodruff in a major blow to the government of iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Almaliki, and to that country stability, sunni militants have taken over iraqs second largest city. Woodruff fighters from the Islamic State of iraq and the levant pushed Iraqi Army Units from parts of mosul overnight after days of fighting. The largely sunnimuslim city in the north is a strategic hub for iraqs oil industry, as well as a gateway to syria. The militants, also known as isis or isil, captured military depots, equipment and weapons in mosul. They also seized provincial government headquarters and freed more than a thousand prisoners. Thousands of residents fled north toward the kurdish autonomous region, jamming roads. Some were iraqi soldiers, who left their uniforms in the streets. In baghdad, newlyreelected Prime Minister Nouri Almaliki addressed the mostserious challenge yet in his eight year tenure. translated i call upon the parliament to live up to its responsibility to declare a state of emergency and general mobilization. We have to declare a comprehensive mobilization and the utmost alert in political, financial and popular capabilities to defeat terrorism and bring life to normal in all areas occupied by terrorists, either in mosul or any other city. Woodruff but malikis shiiteled government has largely failed in reconciling with iraqs sunni population. The Islamic State has taken advantage of the breach. The sunni Extremist Group previously took over fallujah and rts of ramadi in western and central iraq. Its also a principal combatant in syrias civil war, but has fought against other rebel groups as fiercely as many of its units have fought against the army of president assad. The groups ambitions there have led to a rupture with al qaidas core organization, which sides with the syrian rebellion. The attack on mosul now threatens to draw nearby Kurdish Forces into the fighting as well. That drew this reaction from the u. S. State department today. The threat i. S. I. L. Is presenting is not just threat to iraq, but is a threat to region. This growing menace exemplifies the importance of iraqis from all communities working to confront this common enemy. Woodruff Iraqs Parliament has announced it will meet thursday to decide on a state of emergency. Woodruff for more on what the takeover means for iraq, the region and beyond. Im joined by laith kubba, senior director for the middle east and north africa at the National Endowment for democracy and kimberly kagan, president of the institute for the study of war. We welcome you both. So, kimberly kagan, let me start with you. We know these insurgents have been creating havoc for some time, launching attacks. How important is this particular attack taking over the city of mosul . This attack, the Islamic State of iraq and the levant and the levant has launched on muslims is incredibly important because it is the begin of a campaign and a push beyond mosul into the areas toward baghdad that the Islamic State of iraq wants to govern. It seeks to establish an emirate and state to govern inside iraq as well as inside syria where it has announced the beginning of its emirate. I think mosul will be its new capital. Woodruff laith kubba, how do you see it . And why is this happening now . How is it that this Insurgent Group has got ton this level where they can wreak this kind of chaos in the country . Over the last two years, i think they have been growing steadily. All the signs were there, nobody wanted to read them. They moved from being an offshoot terrorist group, and their people might think we can live with terrorist groups and the skirmishes they create but this has become an army of 10,000 to 15,000, very well equipped with rocket launchers, some air missiles, and they are so coordinated, i think theyve become a magnet for more soldiers to join them. This latest attack not only one attack, its a coordinated attacks on five cities in iraq, has given them immense momentum and credibility, and theyre going to become a serious threat to the region. Im not really sure if they can hold territory for long, but certainly theyve achieved their objective in saying were a force and i think hundreds will join them, and this is going to become a regional problem. Woodruff kimberly kagan, how did they get to have this capability . Because it was opportunity case when the u. S. Pulled out of iraq. The Islamic State of iraq is no longer a terrorist group. It is an army. It is an insurgency, and it has grown in its capabilities inside of iraq by really fielding an army, by freeing prisoners that were held in iraqi prisons, by testing the Iraqi Security forces, by taking control piecemeal. And if we tried to confront it as a terrorist organization, we will misunderstand its nature. Its an insurgency, it is fighting for terrain, and it has really come of importance as Prime Minister almaliki tried to exclude sunnies from his government and create resentment among the sunni population in iraq. Woodruff what is the role of the ma licksy government in that this is happening under their noses . The i emergence of i. S. I. L. Is very much a product of what is going on in syria, but i think the failure of politics in baghdad and the failure certainly of the iraqi army is a direct result of whats going on in baghdad. Bear in mind the Prime Minister is the commanderinchief, hes been Prime Minister eight years, iraq is an old country and it could not stand its ground in front of hundreds of attackers. A country that kept iran in check for eight years is now not capable of keeping an insurgency in check. I think for iraqis, this is evidence that something is fundamentally wrong in the way their country is governed. Even the electoral process that is repeated over and over again is not producing a good government. Woodruff kimberly kagan, whats to stop them, i. S. I. L. From just doing what they want and taking over any territory they want . I think that the organization has momentum, the organization has aimed for years to dissolve the Iraqi Security forces and named a campaign, the soldiers hardest campaign that its been conducted for a year for that goal. I think the Iraqi Security forces are breaking and will continue to even though Prime Minister almaliki has declared a state of emergency. And are they even able to defend baghdad and its environs and will they be able to mobilize, as they already have, sheer militants grouped, backed by iran and strained by hezbollah that fought in syria in order to defend the shia areas of baghdad and south. Woodruff are we looking for a showdown around baghdad . Just to emphasize the point, iraqis expect a state with an army, not militias that are sponsored or sent to syria to fight or called upon to defend its city. Iraq should have an army and i think its a sign of how far things have gone to see militias, roaming trying to defend cities. Woodruff to laith kubba first, why does this madd matter in the broader region . You have the civil war going on next door in syria, the effect on countries in the area . The fact that this army now controls territory so well equipped and so capable and with momemtum, i would worry about jordan because thats a very soft front, they can push there anytime, and this group now is increasing in numbers and sophistication. Theyre going to be there for a long time. Woodruff and the same question i asked a minute ago, whats to stop them from marching and going where they want . I certainly hope that the Iraqi Security forces can stop them, but realistically, what we see now is a safe haven that has developed in iraq and syria from which islam militants can both launch attacks and train foreign fighters and send them out and also govern terrain and oppressed people. That is precisely the kind of safe haven this administration and its predecessor have stated that the United States will not tolerate in the region. Woodruff and that raises questions that we will be continuing to lookxd at and want to ask about the in days to come. Kimberly kagan and laith kubba, we thank you both. Thank you. Ifill former secretary of state Hillary Clinton headed back out on the trail today, not for a political campaign, but to support her new memoir. With a hopscotch schedule of media appearances, political observers are scanning the book, and her interviews, for 2016 tea leaves. Ifill the book tour formally began this morning, with the author arriving at a barnes and noble in new york, to applause and an army of cameras. But the buildup started weeks ago. Its about the hard choices everybody has to make in life. Ifill after days of leaks and secretly purchased advance copies, her second memoir, hard choices, is now officially on the bookshelves. In new york today, book buyers lined up to meet the former first lady, senator and secretary of state. The carefullyorchestrated roll out only stokes speculation that she is launching a 2016 president ial practice run. Shes on the cover of people magazine. Shes made highprofile appearances at a number of recent forums. And shes sitting down for a slew of television interviews, starting last night with a. B. C. News diane sawyer. When are you going to decide whether youre running for president . You know, im going to decide when it feels right for me to decide because still by the end of this year . Well, you know, certainl