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U.S. Air Strikes Hit Iran-Backed Militias In Syria; Biden Calls Saudi King Before Release Of Khashoggi Report; Biden Ends Support For Saudi-Backed Coalition In Yemen; EU Lawmakers Try To Hold Vaccine Producers Accountable; CNN Interviews Leader Of Far Right "Proud Boys" Group; North Korea Sealed Off Its Border At Start Of Outbreak. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired February 26, 2021 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNNI HOST: Well, it sends a message it seems to the world that at least the U.S. won't hesitate to use its military might to deter
threats and protect allies. Well, the U.S. rein importance on Iranian backed militants operating in Eastern Syria.
A U.S. official says it was a site believed to be used for weapons smuggling, the reason to stop attacks on the U.S. and its coalition allies
in Iraq, among them this rocket attack by an Iran backed militia in Erbil, that has prompted this latest retaliation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: We're confident and I have a target that we would after we know what we did. And we're confident that that
target was being used by the same Shia militia that conducted the strikes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, let's look at the big picture here, Mr. Biden, it seems trying to reinforce America's role as a superpower not afraid to get his
hands dirty to deter potential threats CNN's Oren Liebermann at the Pentagon now connecting us to the strikes and what it could mean for the
delicate dance between the U.S. and Iran?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The airstrike against the site in Eastern Syria along the Iraq/Syria border is the first known military
action under President Joe Biden. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said it was his recommendation and then Biden gave the final authorization for the
strikes on Thursday morning.
A U.S. official familiar with the strikes said up to a handful of militants was killed in that airstrike. And they come after a series of rocket
attacks against U.S. and coalition forces operating in Iraq first in Erbil about a week and a half ago then in Ballad Air Force Base, just north of
the City of Baghdad and then the green zone in Baghdad itself.
Austin said that part of the messaging here and Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby back this up was first that there will be a response to these rocket
attacks and second to deter future rocket attacks. Austin made it clear that they're confident, that was Iranian backed Shia militias that were
operating in these sites that were struck by the U.S. Air Force. And it was those same militias responsible for the rocket attacks.
Up until now, the U.S. hadn't attributed the rocket attacks to anyone, but now pinpointing it on Iranian backed Shia militias and more broadly holding
Iran responsible for the actions of its proxies in Syria and in Iraq.
This comes at a crucial time for the Biden Administration when it comes to Iran as it tries to figure out what to do and how to work diplomatically
about Iran's nuclear program, also signaling that it wants to broaden out the agreement to include Iran's ballistic missiles and Iran's actions in
the region. Oren Lieberman, CNN, at the Pentagon.
ANDERSON: Well, let's get you to Iraq then for reaction to the airstrikes. Arwa Damon is in Baghdad Ben Wedeman is in Erbil, where that first rocket
attack happened. We couldn't be better served, let's start with you Arwa. What do we know specifically about the location of these strikes?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Becky, it was in Syria, very close to the border with Iraq, and what the U.S. is saying is
that this particular location was being used by these Iranian backed Shia militias. And this one in particular was being used as a weapon smuggling
hub.
It is worth noting, the U.S. has choice of carrying out this kind of a strike inside Syria versus carrying out against any number of potential
strikes that do actually exist inside Iraq. Now, the U.S. has said that they did this in coordination and cooperation with the Iraqi government.
This is something though, that the Iraqi government is denying saying that they only cooperate with the U.S. on anti-ISIS operations. Iraq is as we
know quite well and an extraordinarily sensitive position. This country has long been the proxy battlefield between the U.S. and Iran, and
understandably, the government would want to distance itself from this sort of strike.
Now, this strike, though, even though it is the Biden Administration's first significant public, overseas military targeting is not an escalation
of the situation, though it is much more Becky, a preservation of what has become the status quo.
ANDERSON: Yes, that news that Iraq denies providing intelligence info to the U.S. over these strikes. So coming just in the past couple of minutes,
the U.S. Secretary of Defense had, of course suggested that that was the case. I just wonder whether you will explain a little more the significance
of that denial, if you will.
DAMON: What, look, Iraq has a very complicated relationship with Iran. On the one hand, they share a lot of economic ties; there are cultural ties
that exist as well. But at the same time, the impact of these Iranian backed militias and their tentacles that extend within the Iraqi
government, within the various paramilitary forces that are on the ground here are quite detrimental in many ways to the stability in Iraq.
[11:05:00]
DAMON: But right now the country is facing something of an impossible situation because on the one hand they don't have the capability or even
the ability to be able to fully eradicate these various different paramilitary forces, the vast majority of which are yes, backed by Iran.
So they have to play a very sensitive and delicate game, they have to try to dance around these various different issues, because there is no quick
military solution to them. And that is really at the crux of why Iraq would want to distance itself, it would not want to be in a position where it is
being seen as fully allying itself with the U.S. against Iran.
ANDERSON: Arwa is in Baghdad, and Ben, you're in Erbil where those attacks on coalition forces happened recently, of course, killing a U.S.
contractor. What do you - given I mean, you usually experienced in this region. What do you see as the message here being sent from Washington and
how do you imagine this is being received locally in region?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Some people are taking a positive impression, or having a positive reaction to this strike as
sending a message to the Iranians that the United States will no longer will not tolerate these strikes on U.S. targets in whether it's the green
zone, or a military base, or the U.S. base, which is on the grounds of the Erbil International Airport.
But really, it is a continuation as Arwa very rightly pointed out of a tactic that the United States is been using for quite some time. Keep in
mind; this is the fifth U.S. administration in a row that is carried out airstrikes or worse war in the Middle East.
And I think the sum total you can conclude from that is that something is not working that the United States has, over the years increasingly relied
on its military force. And we've seen diplomacy play an ever smaller role in for the United States and trying to get anything achieved.
And you know, in the news business, we tend to focus on what happened last night, what happened yesterday. But the situation the U.S. finds itself in,
stuck in these complicated conflicts, where you have Iran on the one hand and Iranian backed militias in a hostile situation with an Iraqi government
that also has pro-Iranian elements within it.
And the United States strikes on Iraqi militia that's in Syria. It's so wildly complicated, but this is really the sum total of decades of fairly
clumsy American actions in the region where we've got to the point where they, as a knee jerk reaction, airstrikes after airstrikes.
Keep in mind, for instance, that Israel since the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, has conducted hundreds of airstrikes on targets within Syria,
perhaps serving its particular strategic interests. But the United States is on the other side of the world.
Iran, on the other hand, is just a bus ride away from here. It's in a sense, even though the United States has far superior military
capabilities. Iran has an advantage that it's not going anywhere, it will always be a neighbor of Iraq, and the United States is always going to be
spending at this rate, billions if not trillions of dollars, trying to achieve some pipe dream of stability in an area where that simply is under
these circumstances elusive, Becky.
ANDERSON: Ben, it's always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed for joining us Ben Wedeman in Erbil, Arwa Damon, thank you out of Baghdad. And
just to close this out Syria's foreign ministry, condemning the strike saying, "This aggression constitutes a negative indication of the policies
of the new U.S. administration, which is supposed to adhere to international legitimacy not to the law of the jungle which the previous
U.S. administration used to pursue to deal with regional and international crises in the world"
Make of that what you will. Well, tensions with Iran looming over President Biden's phone call with Saudi Arabia's King Salmaan. On Thursday, the White
House made a point of saying that Mr. Biden would only speak with the King and not with the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a Saudi readout of
the call saint media say both men stress the importance of strengthening the partnership between the two countries.
[11:10:00]
ANDERSON: A relationship that is seriously complicated more insight now from CNN's, Nic Robertson, in London and this was a highly anticipated call
coming as it does quite late, given the calls that we made to other leaders around the world. Nic, what came out of it?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. And it's interesting as well, Becky, when you think that some of the sort of
strongest points of foreign policy change that President Biden has put in place came weeks ago, and his big foreign policy announcement at the
beginning of February.
And way before him speaking to King Salman, and they those statements really affected that relationship and shows you the sort of complicated
nature of it. You know, on the one hand, he was saying to Saudi Arabia, we're going to take the weapon systems away from you that we've been
supplying you to fight the war in Yemen.
Yet on the other hand, we'll give you the defensive bits of equipment to defend you against regional enemies like Iran, who were attacking you
through proxies, such as the Houthis, who are based in Yemen, who you're fighting against.
Yes, it's hugely, hugely complicated. From a Saudi perspective yes Iran, is there a big fear in the region, Trump was tough on Iran, Biden has kind of
doubled down on his messaging there that will say, the United States will support Saudi Arabia, and you know, in the face of Iranian aggression in
the region, and then a few hours later, those strikes.
So it's sort of saying one thing, and doing the same thing that will be very reassuring for the Saudis, but this recalibration of the relationship.
The reality is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Salman, the son of the King really runs the country day to day.
So although Biden was speaking with the king, you know, I don't I think we would fool ourselves to think that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, isn't
there behind the scenes, because he's the one making the day to day decisions on Yemen on following the United States now stated policy of
diplomacy in Yemen, which both sides which the King and Biden talked about, and both said that they were agreed on that on that policy of going forward
so yes, hugely complicated, Becky.
ANDERSON: There are those who are suggesting a slightly, you know, auto emission from this call, certainly, according to the readouts from both the
White House and the Saudis themselves, the omission of any discussion, it seems of Jamal Khashoggi, despite Washington's intent to release a report
imminently detailing how he was murdered, what do you make of that omission of notes as it were?
ROBERTSON: It's a hugely sensitive issue between the pair and the King has chosen his son to run the country in the more than two years now since
Jamal Khashoggi's murder. You know, most Saudi officials will accept that the Kingdom or in particular, the Crown Prince's reputation has been
tarnished, but he's still leading the country, his father still begs him to leave the country and take over when he's gone.
And that's a reality for President Biden. So if President Biden is giving the King without it being made public, a foreshadowing and an understanding
of what this new report expected to land publicly, later today, contains we know that it's already been hard hitting for the CIA over two years ago
saying that their strong belief and understanding is that the Crown Prince, in most likelihood did direct the killing, despite the fact that, you know,
Saudi officials say that didn't happen.
You know, there will have been things that will have been said in that meeting that are going to be made public, that's just the way that
diplomacy is done. So the language that Biden will have used to talk about this with the King, the recalibration of the relationship that he - the
language he will have used around that and will of course be sensitive and will be dissected by both sides.
But it is a very difficult issue for the president to say to the King, we have the evidence that your son was responsible for this killing of we hold
human rights in high esteem. That is something was on the record to human rights, Biden dead praise, the Saudis for releasing some human rights
activists recently, but he did talk about the need for transparency in the relationship going forward, which we know from the State Department, they
believe leads to accountability.
But yes, Becky, I think no surprise, who for people who watch this would like me to watch this closely, that the Khashoggi issue didn't make the
lines out of the publicly declared part of the meeting.
ANDERSON: Nic Robertson is in London, I've been working as sources hard over the last 24 hours, Nic, thank you for that. So we're going to have
more on Joe Biden's foreign file is it way he's made some big shifts, but do they far enough, we will pose that question to the IRC's David Miliband.
He thinks more should be done on the humanitarian front.
[11:15:00]
ANDERSON: And European officials try to hold vaccine producers accountable. We'll speak with the Head of the new EU Task Force for Vaccine Production
Thierry Breton.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Returning to our top story this hour U.S. President Joe Biden has already been making sweeping changes since he has taken office both
domestically and on foreign grounds. He has rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement.
He's told Iran that Washington is willing to negotiate the international nuclear deal and most recently authorized his first known military strike
on foreign soil targeting Iran backed militants in Syria.
Clearly, there are many other challenges for the U.S. President. David Miliband and Nazanin Ash of the International Rescue Committee Co-Wrote a
CNN op-ed and said, and I quote partly, it is tempting to say that America is more than enough on its plate on the home front. But there is no escape
from pressing international events neglect them, and we magnify the problems on the home front.
David Miliband joining us now from New York, it's good to have you with us. I trust you and your family are well, you went on to say in your article,
David, that almost 60 years ago, President Kennedy outlined the need for a declaration of interdependence urging Americans to think intercontinental
and you say it is way past time to heed this call. And how do you envision that happening practically, if at all?
DAVID MILIBAND, PRESIDENT & CEO, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE: Thanks very much, Becky. President Biden has inherited a world on fire, not just
an America consumed with COVID. And we published our emergency watch list of countries where we expect the humanitarian crisis to get worse, in the
next year.
20 countries, they consumed 10 percent of the world's population, but 88 percent of those in humanitarian needs so 200 million people. That's a 40
percent increase on last year. And so the moves that the Biden Administration have made, for example, to hold support for offensive
operations in Yemen, which is the world's largest humanitarian crisis is very important.
But our message to them is that from COVID, to the support of refugee hosting states to the tackling of the acute asylum emergency south of the
U.S. border, to the need for diplomacy in Ethiopia, there's no holiday from history here. There's no chance for America to focus on the home front and
then come back to the global issues in five or 10 years time those global issues are going to crowd in.
And there needs to be some part of the U.S. system that need be significant parts of the U.S. system as well as some parts of the U.S. budget that are
dedicated to those humanitarian issues because if they're not addressed It's not just a moral scar, it will actually destabilize the global system
in a very, very dangerous way.
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: I want to talk Yemen and I want to talk Covax. And I want to talk refugee policy, not least in the U.S., and let's get to all of those.
Before I do that, I just do want to get your thoughts on the most recent action, which is by President Biden, which is a familiar action by the past
five presidents of the U.S. and that is military strikes in the Middle East where I am President Biden authorizing the first known U.S. military
strikers president in Syria, drawing criticism from some Democrats in Washington.
One of them is Representative Ro Khanna, who serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee, you said and I quote, there is absolutely no justification for a
president to authorize a military strike that is not in self defense against an imminent threat, without congressional authorization we need to
extricate from the Middle East, not escalate, your thoughts?
MILIBAND: Well, I think that the strike was in reference or in response to an attack on U.S. forces in Iraq. And so you're right, Becky, to see this
in the regional context, not just in the local context of Syria, I am not going to enter into the debate between Congress and the executive in the
United States about where power should lie.
What I would say very, very strongly, is that for the last four years, the decisions about military action, especially in Syria, have not been made
with proper cognizance of the humanitarian consequences. That was significantly the case when the Turks were invited to come in from the
north in the northeast of the country.
It's certainly the case, in respect of the northwest of the country where three and a half million people are sheltering from the Russian, as
supported President Assad's bombing campaign. And as the representative of the humanitarian organization my responsibility is to say that there are
civilians on the ground, that if they become targeted, that is a crime against international law, but also that untended humanitarian crisis will
beget political crisis.
And so the peacemaking is absolutely essential, because none of these conflicts have a military solution. We've learned if we've learned anything
in the last 20 years, it should be that right.
ANDERSON: So let's talk Yemen. It's been three weeks since the Biden Administration announced it would end U.S. support for the Saudi led war in
Yemen, not much though has changed on the ground. According to my sources, the U.S., David might believe it has ended its complicity in this war.
But that is very different from ensuring an end to the conflict and supporting all stakeholders to ensure that that happens in a few days, you
will make remarks at a Yemen donor pledging conference. What will your message be?
MILIBAND: Well, you're absolutely right, Becky to say that the decision was taken so far, which is a support - to end support for offensive operations
and to stop the designation of the Houthi rebel movement as a global terrorist organization. They control 80 percent of Yemen.
Those two decisions have a start not the end of the Yemen nightmare. The three vital steps that we need now are first a nationwide ceasefire,
because unless there is an effective ceasefire is impossible to get AIDS the 18 million Yemenis who depend on international aid.
Secondly, that eight needs to be properly funded the UN appeal is half - has got half the funding of last year. And the threat of famine, as
described by Mark Lowcock the UN Aid Coordinator is now real, it's a real and present danger in Yemen. So there's a funding need.
But thirdly, precisely as I was saying in response to your last question, the humanitarian effort and the political effort need to be linked and
there is a Special Envoy Martin Griffiths his job is to nurture to cultivate a political dialogue.
It's essential that there is backing preferably from a new UN Security Council resolution that sets out the need the united need of the global
community for effective political settlement in Yemen, because it's only getting worse on humanitarian terms, but also on geopolitical grounds.
ANDERSON: I could - we could talk for hours on Yemen. But I want to move on. Thank you, though, for your comments, and they are extremely important.
I know your organization is keen on seeing some aspects of the U.S. refugee policies improve.
President Biden vowing to increase the U.S. refugee cap and sweeping immigration reforms that will make it easier for refugees to become U.S.
citizens I wonder if you think that is enough, though, in your mind.
MILIBAND: Well, this is very significant indeed. Becky, the International Rescue Committee was founded by Albert Einstein, one of the 20th century's
most famous refugees in the 1930s, to encourage the United States to welcome refugees here.
[11:25:00]
MILIBAND: The fact that President Trump took down to 15,000, the number of refugees allowed in was a symbol of America's retreat from its
international responsibilities. And so President Biden's decision that 125,000 refugees should be allowed in next year into next fiscal year into
the United States is a major step forward 62,000 this year.
And what we want to see is first other countries follow suit was for the most vulnerable of the world's refugees of 30 million refugees around the
world, for the most vulnerable, starting a new life in a third country is absolutely essential.
Secondly, there's a related set of issues around asylum processing and the treatment of asylum seekers, because those who have a claim need to be able
to have it handled efficiently and fairly, because that's the only way in which to keep the integrity of the system. And that's a major challenge,
because at the moment, it takes three or four years for an asylum claim in America to get properly handled.
Finally, there's a link back to overseas aid here. One of the problems, for example of Central America is unintended. In fact, there have been aid cuts
in that area. It says recently, you're going to have a more of an outflow and that destabilization south of American border is going to end up as
America's problem and that doesn't serve anyone's interests. So I think there are a regional aspect to this, as well as a global aspect.
ANDERSON: I've got 60 seconds; I do want to get your thoughts on what more needs to be done to combat what is this vaccine inequality? There is
funding out there, we've seen 4 billion from Joe Biden into the Covax mechanism. But that's off times these funds being throttled by supply
issues at this point. David?
MILIBAND: Well, I think that the key here is pretty simple. Countries like the United States have got to three or four times as many vaccines as they
need on order. And so in the UK, and I think in the European Union as well, they pledge that excess vaccines will be distributed globally. And the
sooner that happens, the better.
In the United States, 600 million vaccines have been ordered for a population of 350 million. We need to make sure that those excess vaccines
get properly distributed, because until everyone is vaccinated, that was going to be free of this virus.
ANDERSON: David Miliband always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed for joining us a wide ranging discussion there with the Head of the IRC. Ahead
on the show how realistic is Europe's goal of 70 percent of adults vaccinated by the summer? We'll pose that question Thierry Breton on the
Head of the Bronx New Task Force for Vaccine Production.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: Well, the President of the European Council Charles Michel says Europe's vaccine rollout could continue to be difficult. In the next few
weeks, the EU says more than 50 million doses have been delivered to the bloc, but only 8 percent of the adult population has received one. And that
seems a very long way away from the EU's goal of 70 percent vaccinated quote by the summer. Here's what Michel told at an EU Summit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES MICHEL, EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT: Our top priority now is speeding up the prediction and delivery of vaccines and vaccinations across
the European Union. And it's why we support the commission's efforts to work with industry to identify bottlenecks during key supply chains, and
scale up production.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, joining me now from our Paris Bureaus, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton on three weeks ago, he
was put in charge of a new EU Task Force to eliminate bottlenecks in vaccine production plants and adjust the output to new variants sir, thank
you for joining us.
Let's begin with a very simple question. Do you can see that to date, the European Union's vaccine rollout has been deficient, some will say an
unmitigated disaster?
THIERRY BRETON, EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR THE INTERNAL MARKET: No, you know, I really don't agree with that. As you know, we started our
vaccination campaign, just four weeks after the U.S., just because for our own regulation, we have to be extremely, extremely careful with the
vaccines, and we got to pay for our vaccines.
At the end of December, when in the U.S., it has been at the beginning of December. So let's say that we have, let's say four week difference, but
you know this is a long race. And if I want to tell you the figures, because this is at the end of the day, what it is about because behind the
figures of those as we save lives and this is again, what we are doing now here in Europe.
Last week in the U.S. $50 million, I've been, let's say, proposed for the patients. And, and this week now in Europe, we are also at 50 million. So
we are really at the same pace now I should tell you that.
ANDERSON: But sir you know, the numbers are very low still. And there will be Europeans watching this in countries where they simply feel like they
haven't even got a start on this, let alone a really good headwind behind them when you compare to the UK, and really we shouldn't, you know,
stacking up against other countries is really the wrong way to go.
There is a responsibility on the EU to get this right, sir. So what are you going to do to improve what is a deficient system at the moment?
BRETON: Again, you need to understand that we are in Europe or continent, like, by the way, North America thing, let's say, and for us, of course,
it's important, and it's my job, it's my mission, to make sure that our is a contract that we have signed with the pharmaceutical industry will be
delivered on time.
And it is true that for us in the U.S. everywhere in the planet, ramping up in such period of time, which was extremely short, is something which never
happened. And of course, at the beginning of the prediction, I have been a CEO myself. So I could tell you that I never saw in my life such
mobilization in order to make sure that all the factories will be able to add to an unbelievable speed, usually, to ramp up a line of vaccine, it
takes two to three years.
Now we are doing this in five to six months, by the way, in Europe and in the U.S. And this is why again my mission is to make sure that we will be
able to help to support companies in this task. When I say support is let's say two things mainly.
First, making sure that it will be no bottlenecks in other words, we have huge supply chains in order to make sure that the vaccines will be
fabricated on time. And these supply chains, of course, are spread all over Europe, but also a lot with the connections with U.S. and vice versa.
And the second thing would be to make sure that if let's say a pharmaceutical company has some bottleneck here are their as they could use
also some lines from another one, let's say to make sure that for example for the fit and finish which is the last phase of the prediction of device
signs, will be able to speed up their process.
[11:35:00]
BRETON: And you know, I am confident today, of course, it's a race, of course, it's difficult, but I am confident we will make it.
ANDERSON: European lawmakers grilling pharmaceutical companies, over the delays in receiving vaccines, I just want our viewers to take a listen to
the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: We want to see who is exporting where? And I was very clear from the very start on that is not
directed against any kind of country. But it is focused on the question; does the company that is exporting vaccines that are being produced in
Europe honor their contract with the European Union?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You know there seems to be a blame game going on here. And you have stated that you don't like blaming companies? Because it's a pretty
complex process, you say, but the majority of your colleagues do seem to disagree and your response?
BRETON: No, but you know, I wouldn't - we are in a very special priority for us, let's say under planet, and you have seen that President Biden put
an executive order, saying that he would like to control everything. And we understand that and believe me into their old house or production,
including vaccines.
And I understand this is absolutely normal. So when you're - we don't do this, of course, for any company, like it's done in the U.S., we just do
for the final product, because we believe it is absolutely normal in these various circumstances, not to block of course, but to understand what's
happening.
You know why? Because we in Europe will be the first continent and at the end of the year, are producing vaccines, we believe that the production in
Europe will be probably between 2 to 3 billion doses capacity. So we have a duty we have a responsibility, of course for the rest of the world next to
U.S., by the way.
And we believe that of course, it is our duty to make sure that we know where the vaccines will go. But first, of course, you will understand that
we have to take care of our people.
ANDERSON: Only 8 percent of the adult population has received a job in the EU that seems a very long way away from the block's goal of 70 percent
vaccinated by the summer at this current pace. Is that 70 percent vaccinated by the summer realistic, sir?
BRETON: No you know, I told you guys things that we started, again, our vaccination campaign, three to four weeks after the U.S. for the reason I
told you, because we have again, our own rules, very strict. And by the way, you need to know also that here in Europe, we had to - with some
resistance, let's say, from some of our European fellow citizens, being maybe sometimes a little bit afraid of the vaccines.
And of course, we need to advocate and I need to advocate or so to say that if you go through the authorization from our European agency, it means that
you have no problem. But still, we had some resistance. Now it's five - and this is why by the way, it took us four more weeks to do this. This is why
we have one week; probably one month delay versus what happened is U.S.
But you know with what I see now underground, we have 21 factories now making vaccines all over Europe again, of course it is in the ramping up
phase. But for all my interactions with all these companies, I am confident that we will be able to scale up in order to make sure that yes this target
at the end of the summer, beginning of fall of 70 percent of the European population in the age to be vaccinated will be yes, I'm confident.
ANDERSON: You are confident that 70 percent of Europeans will be vaccinated by the summer correct?
BRETON: Yes. I say at the end of the summer, beginning of fall, because you know why we want to be prepared for the winter season. And by the way, our
winter time, I should say and by the way our main focus also is to make sure that now we are working also under variants and this is why we are
increasing so quickly.
Our capacity in Europe and that we believe we should do this end to end with our U.S. friends because at the end of the day, when we're looking at
our production capacity today. It's basically the same in the U.S. and in Europe, between two to $3 billion doses capacity from both sides of the
Atlantic Ocean.
[11:40:00]
BRETON: We know that it is in our hands, both Europe and the U.S.; we know that we will have to work and two hands in order to be able to make sure
that we are able to provide enough doses, of course, for fellow citizens, but also for the planet.
We know also, that we need to start working also under variants. And this is what we are doing in Europe. And I know this is what also the
administration of Biden is doing now.
ANDERSON: Thierry Breton, it's a pleasure having you on sir thank you very much indeed for joining us. Well, the Head of "The Proud Boys" speaks
exclusively next with CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ENRIQUE TARRIO, CHAIRMAN, PROUD BOYS: I'm not going to cry about a group of people that don't give a crap about their constituents. I'm not going to -
I'm not going to sympathize with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Coming up, he reveals new details about himself his violent extremist group and what they were doing on the day rioters attacked the
U.S. Capitol?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the Acting Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police has a frightening warning; extremist groups want to blow up the U.S. Capitol
during the State of the Union Address. The revelation came during Thursday's hearing into the January the sixth riots. In the middle of the
riots is one of the most violent of those right wing extremist groups known as "The Proud Boys".
The head of that group spoke to our Sara Sidner. He says he has no sympathy for the lawmakers in the Capitol that day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TARRIO: I'm not going to cry about a group of people that don't give a crap about their constituents. I'm not going to - I'm not going to sympathize
with them.
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The leader of "The Proud Boys" is talking about the members of Congress who feared for their lives on
January 6th as a mob attacked the Capitol.
TARRIO: They shouldn't have reached a Capitol with violence.
SIDNER (voice over): He says that now. But the day after the violent breach, Enrique Tarrio posted this a picture on social media of members of
Congress trying to hide as the attackers began their siege.
SIDNER: You were right when the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people there is liberty. Doesn't
that show that you are celebrating terrorizing people?
TARRIO: I was celebrating and I'll tell you I'll celebrate the moment that the government does fear that people at that point again, and I didn't have
all the information that came in why they were cowering or anything like that?
SIDNER: Do you think that you didn't do that, now that you know?
TARRIO: No, I don't want another thing is I will never regret something that I said.
SIDNER (voice over): They are doing the job that the people put them there to do and if they don't like it, they can vote them out. They are still
Americans. They are still human beings who felt that their lives were in danger.
[11:45:00]
SIDNER: How can you not feel any sympathy or any empathy towards them like that?
TARRIO: I'm not going to worry about people that their only worry in life is to be reelected.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got a whole boatload of Proud Boys walking through here.
SIDNER (voice over): Tarrio was not there on January 6th, he was arrested in D.C. two days before from burning a Black Lives Matter flag stolen from
a church and having empty weapons magazines that are illegal in D.C.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're locked in with "The Proud Boys" at the state Capitol.
SIDNER (voice over): But a group of Proud Boys was there. The far right group is known across the country for brawling with members of ANTIFA a
left wing anti-fascist movement. They are also known for throwing their support behind Donald Trump, whose words to them in a September
presidential debate exploded their popularity.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Proud Boys stand back and standby.
TARRIO: I think we've doubled in numbers since the debate.
SIDNER (voice over): Tarrio has close ties with one of Trump's longest serving advisors and friends Roger Stone. Stone was in D.C. on January 6th,
as people rallied against the election results that showed Trump last, Stone did not march to the Capitol and then wasn't charged with a crime.
Instead, Stone was seen with members of extremist groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys who have now become a central focus of law
enforcement in the Capitol attack investigation. Tarrio had such a close relationship with Roger Stone, he revealed this.
SIDNER: You have access to Roger Stone's phone?
TARRIO: For a couple times when I went to go see him, you know, I'd help him with like his social media posts and things like that.
SIDNER (voice over): Tarrio's access to that phone landed him in front of a federal grand jury, a detailed not revealed until now. At the time, Stone
was facing seven charges in the Russia probe, including lying to Congress and witness tampering. Trump pardoned him after he was convicted on all
seven charges.
During his trial Stone was accused of threatening the judge in the case with a social media post an image of the judge and what appear to be a
target behind her head.
TARRIO: I actually testified in front of the grand jury. But no, there was no - that picture was brought up on a Google search, right? So you used to
be able to search not now, obviously, because--
SIDNER: I just heard they just said what you said. Did you just say you were on a grand jury panel? You did.
TARRIO: I did.
SIDNER: It's too late to take it back now.
TARRIO: Well, yes, that's I mean, that's the story. It's not a secret. That's the story that came out that you know that they wanted to see if who
was - it that posted it at that point. The actual crosshairs isn't really a crosshair its logo of the organization that wrote the article, so it was
just like a graphic. And then that was posted. I have no idea who actually posted it, but I know that I had nothing to do with it.
SIDNER (voice over): Stone is one of the architects of the "Stop the Steel" rallying cry, but Tarrio does not buy into the lie that the election was
stolen. He says he just wants more transparency.
SIDNER: Do you believe that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump?
TARRIO: No, no, I don't believe that the election was stolen.
SIDNER (voice over): And yet, he encouraged his Proud Boys to show up on January 6th, in record numbers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here are all the Proud Boys guys.
SIDNER (voice over): A group of them did show up here they are marching together towards the Capitol. At least eight Proud Boys Tarrio knows have
been charged in the Capitol siege. This is one of them using a police officers' shield to bust out a window in the Capitol allowing people to
flood in.
TARRIO: I condemn the actions. I don't think that he should have done that. I think it was completely wrong. But the other seven individuals were
trespassing. I think that they got caught up with the entire - with like the entire crowd. And they made a poor decision to go in there.
SIDNER (on camera): Members of the Proud Boys didn't appear to just be getting caught up in this. Some of them were leading this attack. You had
people removing barriers who were Proud Boys; you had someone threatening an officer breaking the Capitol window. They weren't just following in this
insurrection. It appears that some of them were leading the charge.
TARRIO: Now those three accusations--
SIDNER: Yes.
TARRIO: --I do want to touch on those the breaking of the window. We've already hit. The threat - yes, definitely unequivocally I think that's
wrong, but the threatening of police officers. I didn't see that.
SIDNER: The feds have they have video of William yelling, you shoot and I'll take your - out.
TARRIO: As of right now I can't tell you about - because I can't locate who he is affiliated with like, if he's even a Proud Boy?
[11:50:00]
SIDNER (voice over): Crispin's defense attorney said he was just following Trump's orders that day. But Tarrio says some of his Proud Boys who did
breach the Capitol are unfairly being charged with conspiracy.
SIDNER: Did the Proud Boys have a plan to go into the Capitol?
TARRIO: Absolutely not.
SIDNER (voice over): Tarrio put some of the blame for what happened on January 6th, on police for being unprepared to thwart the mob. And he
claims some of the Proud Boys simply walked in to record history.
TARRIO: There's nobody that told him that stopped him from going in. You feel like it's something that's wrong that you shouldn't do.
SIDNER: But are you blaming the police for telling people not to break the law?
TARRIO: No, I'm not blaming the cops at all.
SIDNER: So what do you say?
TARRIO: No, I can blame - I can blame the police officers and the feds for their inability to respond to this. So was it a mistake to even go into the
Capitol?
SIDNER: Was it?
TARRIO: Yes.
SIDNER: Do you condemn those people? Can you say that right now?
TARRIO: OK, I can't say that, because I think condemn is a very strong word. And I think it's a little bit too strong.
SIDNER (voice over): He thinks the FBI is trying to make an example of the Proud Boys but Tarrio also has a history with the FBI after being sentenced
to federal prison for fraud in 2012.
SIDNER: Were you ever an informant for the FBI?
TARRIO: I was. To put it simply, I was put in a very tough situation where the federal government had wanted me to testify against my brother's.
SIDNER (voice over): He said he refused and instead, his defense attorney said Tarrio cooperated with the FBI and other law enforcement on many
cases, one involving prescription drugs, another marijuana raid, an illegal gambling, bust and more. But Tarrio would only admit to cooperating on one
case.
TARRIO: The only thing that I actually gave them was the human trafficking ring. And again, I'm not going to apologize for.
SIDNER (voice over): What is next for the Proud Boys and the country? Tarrio has already made a plan.
TARRIO: I think right now is the time to go ahead and overthrow the government by becoming the new government and running for office.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER (on camera): Henry Enrique Tarrio says that he himself is looking at potentially running for office. He says he may even step down as Chairman
of "The Proud Boys" to concentrate on that and help others with like minds do the same.
ANDERSON: That was Sara Sidner reporting there we will be right back after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: As we've been looking at this show, while many countries are quite frankly figuring out vaccine distribution, North Korea's borders
going more along the hermetically sealed route closing themselves off since the beginning of the pandemic, a group of Russian diplomats needed to get
out so they did it the old fashioned way CNN's Will Ripley with this report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Leaving North Korea in the age of COVID-19, a group of Russian diplomats and their
families push a trolley full of their belongings. This is the final leg of their journey after 32 hours on a train two more in a bus, they cross
alone, traveling one kilometer more than half a mile, creeping across the barren border back home to Russia.
[11:55:00]
CHAD O'CARROLL, CEO AND FOUNDER, KOREA RISK GROUP: A Russian man who was very sick was required to cross on the same kind of trolley. And it's just
a really extreme way to get people from one of North Korea's friendliest allies out.
RIPLEY: If this is how you treat your friends. What does that say about North Korea's view about COVID?
O'CARROLL: It says that they take no exception.
RIPLEY (voice over): North Korea sealed off its borders at the start of the pandemic more than a year ago. It claims not to have a single confirmed
case. Longtime North Korea Watcher Chad O'Carroll says Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un views the virus as an existential threat, fearful of foreigners
trying to sneak Coronavirus into his country.
O'CARROLL: As if the virus comes in, it's very likely to create huge havoc. North Korea has a very dilapidated health infrastructure.
RIPLEY (voice over): Only a handful of foreign diplomats and aid workers remain in Pyongyang essentially nothing is allowed in cutting off cash flow
and supplies. This week, the UN World Food Program warned it may have to end its work in North Korea this year.
Stoking fears of another deadly famine, like the one that ravaged the hunger stricken country more than 25 years ago. On a visit in 2017, I asked
a North Korean family how they survived.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We ate tree bark after going up to the mountain for food and wonder just how long we'll have to do this.
RIPLEY (voice over): North Korea's still relies on foreign aid to feed many of its people. They remain highly vulnerable to shortages of food and
medicine.
ZOE STEPHENS, NORTH KOREA TOUR GUIDE, KORYO TOURS: All of the aid if that you know comes to a halt, it will have an impact on everyone's life whether
it be people in the countryside or those more well off in Pyongyang.
RIPLEY (voice over): North Korea Tour Guide Zoe Stephens speaks to me from Tonga, one of just a dozen or so places in the world without a single
confirmed COVID case. She understands the extreme measures North Korea is taking to keep the virus out even if it means treating friends like this.
Will Ripley, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What an incredible journey. Wherever you are headed next stay safe on yours and stay well. It's a very good evening from Abu Dhabi.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:00]
END
