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Syrian Crackdown; Pakistan Troopers Arrested After Video Captures Killing of Unarmed Man; U.S. Cybersecurity

Aired June 10, 2011 - 08:00   ET

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

KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: Welcome to NEWS STREAM, where news and technology meet.

I'm Kristie Lu Stout, in Hong Kong.

As families flee the Syrian town of Jisr-Al-Shugur, the army moves in.

And anger in Pakistan. A video emerges of an unarmed man being killed by paramilitary forces.

Now, thousands of Syrians have streamed across the border into Turkey, and it appears with good reason. Now, according to Syrian state TV, the military has launched an operation to retake the northern town of Jisr-Al- Shugur, near the Turkish border. Residents report seeing black plumes of smoke and hearing tank fire.

The government said earlier this week that armed groups have killed 120 of its officers in the town and surrounding areas, and many of the more than 2,700 refugees who have fled to Turkey have done so in the last couple of days, a head of today's much feared crackdown.

Now, Syria has not allowed us to report from inside the country, so Arwa Damon is watching developments from neighboring Lebanon. She joins us now.

Arwa, I know you're working your contacts. Have you been able to find out more about what is happening in Jisr-Al-Shugur?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the best idea that we have been able to get has been from a network of Syrian activists who have been reporting that columns of tanks have been moving towards Jisr-Al-Shugur, firing at various buildings there. Again, as you mentioned, most people appear to have fled, around 90 percent of the residents that have fled. One individual who we spoke to said that those who had stayed behind did so to try to somehow protect their homes from this military onslaught.

Now, the residents in this area had been for quite some time anticipating this type of a military crackdown. We were trying to get in touch with one resident who we've been speaking to regularly over the last week. His phone has been shut off. Activists, again, saying that this is part of the regime's tactic before they intend on launching a full military crackdown. They do tend to try to shut off the cell phone network to stem the flow of information.

At the same time though, Kristie, while all of this is going on, we have also been receiving word and seeing some images emerging on YouTube. Again, we cannot independently verify their authenticity, but those images appearing to show demonstrations still taking place in other parts of the country, although now we are hearing reports that some of those demonstrations have once again turned bloody -- Kristie.

STOUT: YouTube giving us some critical access to find out what's happening inside Syria.

You're also monitoring Syrian state TV. What is it airing today? And why is it so significant?

DAMON: Well, Kristie, there's been a couple of interesting things that we have noticed in terms of how Syrian state television is in fact covering what is happening. When it comes to the events taking place in Jisr-Al- Shugur, they were the ones that initially announced that this military offensive had begun. They have for quite some time now been saying that the military offensive was going to be taking place at the request of residents claiming that they were being terrorized by these armed gangs. They're saying that this is an offensive to try to restore stability to that area.

They have also, for the first time that we are aware of, been covering the demonstrations taking place inside Syria. However, they are not exactly calling them demonstrations. They've been calling them small and limited gatherings.

We have also been seeing them state that during some of these small and limited gatherings, snipers have been firing both at the protesters and at the Syrian security forces. They're saying that people at these gatherings are being incited by what they're calling deviant groups, and they are trying to portray all of this as being a byproduct of some sort of foreign interference, that there are elements out there that are trying to take advantage of what is happening inside Syria, trying to destabilize the regime.

But it most certainly appears that Syrian state television, at the very least, is taking quite a different tactic in terms of the image that it is trying to portray towards the Syrian people. Again, focusing for the first time on the fact that these gatherings, as they are calling them, are, yes, taking place. However, they are portraying them quite differently than what we're hearing from opposition members.

One quick example, in one Damascus suburb, they were saying that this was a small, limited gathering. Video we saw on YouTube, though, appeared to show a fairly sizeable gathering -- Kristie.

STOUT: All right.

Arwa Damon, monitoring developments for us, live from Beirut.

Thank you, Arwa.

Now, many people had already fled the northern Syrian town of Jisr-Al- Shugur ahead of today's crackdown. Their destination, the border with Turkey. And that is where our Ivan Watson is. He joins us now live.

And Ivan, have you been able to talk to the refugees about what they experienced and what is happening in Jisr-Al-Shugur?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We've been restricted from talking to the refugees by the Turkish authorities, who are really not letting us talk to them at the refugee camps, or even in the hospitals where they're being held. However, some activists have been smuggling themselves across the border, Kristie, to try to get the refugees (ph) out to the outside world. And we talked to one man who shared a really brutal video that he filmed on his cell phone one week ago showing security forces opening fire, rounds of automatic weapons fire, at a column of thousands, apparently, unarmed demonstrators who were peacefully marching, and in protest against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Take a look at this video and at what that activist had to say to us last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: What was going on when you filmed this?

YUSUF MOHAMMAD ALI HASSAN, SYRIAN REFUGEE (through translator): There was a peaceful protest. Security started shooting on people. They opened fire using heavy weapons.

WATSON: Did you see the men who were shooting? Were they in uniforms? Were they soldiers? Were they police? Were they soldiers, were they police?

HASSAN: They were 50 meters away. They were security men with military uniforms. Some of them had beards and they didn't even speak Arabic.

WATSON: The government says the protesters are armed with guns and attacking the army. Is that true?

HASSAN: I challenge anyway who says the protesters had guns or weapons. Nobody even caged (ph) a knife. I am responsible for searching people who are going to demonstrate. Even if they carry a wooden stick, we don't let them carry it.

I want to address every honest person and every person who has a conscience. We want human rights in Syria. This is not a government that governs people. It's all a militia that kills and destroys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: Kristie, more than 2,700 Syrians have fled to Turkey to escape this violence. The Turks expect more to be coming. And a lot of the people coming across the border have bullet and shrapnel wounds -- Kristie.

STOUT: Yes. I want to talk more about the wounds that you've been seeing. Turkish medical teams, they've been treating wounded Syrian refugees for days now.

Are they able to keep up with the nature of these wounds and just the influx of the wounded?

WATSON: I just talked to one of the doctors at one of the main hospitals in Antakya, Turkey. He says that last Saturday was the worst day they've had yet.

More than 30 gunshot victims in a single day coming across the border from Syria. Many of them treated already, getting first-aid in Syria, and then being brought here.

Now, we talked to one of these young men who had been hit in Friday protests two weeks ago in the leg, in the arm. There's a 23-year-old man at another location in northern Syria, and he said that he had to flee the hospital he was in, in Syria, after Syrian security forces raided it.

Basically, these demonstrators, after they get shot -- and they claim to be unarmed when they're shot -- they don't feel safe to stay in their own country, and they have to flee to Turkey for medical care. And, of course, these people are too scared to show their own faces to their own government, which is accused of killing more than 1,100 of its citizens in the last two-and-a-half months -- Kristie.

STOUT: Ivan Watson, joining us live from the Syrian/Turkish border on the refugee crisis, the aftermath of the violence there in Syria as well.

Thank you, Ivan.

Now, in Abu Dhabi, the Libya Contact Group has made good on its promise to boost financial and moral support for the Libyan rebels' transitional government. Now, in Thursday's meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. will give another $26 million to aid war victims. Kuwait is donating $180 million for humanitarian needs. And Italy pledged more than $500 million to build up the Transitional National Council's budget.

Now, we want to turn now to some very upsetting images coming out of Pakistan, a video showing Pakistani paramilitary troopers shooting and killing an unarmed young man at point-blank range. This has sparked outrage across the country after it aired again and again on television.

Our Phil Black is following the story. He joins us now live from the capital city, Islamabad.

And Phil, the video is very disturbing to watch. Walk us through the moments leading up to the shooting.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, these, indeed, disturbing. And it is causing a great deal of outrage here as it is broadcast repeatedly on TV networks across Pakistan. It shows the moments just after the 17-year-old was taken into the custody of paramilitary officers, and leading up to the point where he was shot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACK (voice-over): This video shows Sarfraz Shah being handled roughly. He's quickly surrounded; he's unarmed. He begs not to be shot.

"I am helpless," he cries. "Please do not fire."

Bleeding, screaming, he begs to be taken to hospital. Sarfraz Shah bled to death.

The shooting of this 17-year-old and his funeral have been broadcast across Pakistan's TV networks. "My son was innocent," his mother says. "They killed him." His sister cries repeatedly, "We need our brother."

There is grief and anger here too strong for authorities to ignore. Pakistan's government has promised justice for Shah's family, while also telling the country he was accused of using a handgun to rob people in a park. Police say the gun was confiscated before he was shot.

"He could not do this," his sister cries. Her painful scream is a demand for justice.

Last month, a paramilitary force opened fire on five people in the western city of Quetta. Three women, two men, all from Chechnya, all killed. The security forces then said they were suspected suicide bombers, but none was armed. That incident is still being investigated.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACK: Kristie, there is more to that video than what we have shown you there, and it is even more disturbing. It shows Shah repeatedly falling to the ground, bleeding heavily, pleading for someone to take him to hospital to save him. And the video also shows that there was no urgent effort to save him or any sort of help whatsoever.

At the start of the video, before he falls and before he is shot, you can hear him say, "Please. I am unarmed. I am helpless. Please don't fire."

Kristie.

STOUT: Disturbing to watch. An investigation is indeed under way there in Pakistan.

Phil Black, joining us live from Islamabad.

Thank you for that report.

Now, still ahead here on NEWS STREAM, you have seen the fierce fighting in Libya. Now meet one of the youngest victims. Children caught in the crossfire are paying the price as war drags on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now scientists think that they have finally pinpointed the source of Europe's deadly E. coli outbreak. A German health official says bean sprouts in Germany are responsible for the outbreak that has killed 27 people and left thousands more ill. Now, tests have not actually confirmed that, but authorities say sprouts were the only common denominator among the early victims.

And the financial repercussions from the crisis continue to mount. Farmers are suffering hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.

Now, Sony, Citi and defense contractor Lockheed Martin all fell victim to hackers over the past few weeks, and now the man in line to be the next defense secretary is talking about cybersecurity and protecting ourselves against a knockout blow.

Let's bring in our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Kristie, a lot of companies around the world are seeing these cyberattacks coming. You and I might get annoyed or upset if our e-mail or our Twitter account gets hacked, but the Pentagon is way beyond all of that. Here, the U.S. military is now considering making cyberattacks an act of war and thinking about under what rules they would actually retaliate a country if a cyberattack came from overseas into the United States.

So when Leon Panetta, the CIA director, talked about all of this yesterday at his confirmation hearings to be secretary of defense, it got everyone's attention. Have a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEON PANETTA, CIA DIRECTOR: I've often said that there's a strong likelihood that the next Pearl Harbor that we confront could very well be a cyberattack that cripples our power systems, our grid, our security systems, our financial systems, our governmental systems. This is a real possibility in today's world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Cyberattacks, an act of war. Military retaliation. It sounds pretty interesting, but it might be tougher than you think, because, of course, as we all know, identifying exactly where a cyber attack originates from, even inside another country, is very tough business -- Kristie.

STOUT: Now, Leon Panetta is expected to be confirmed as the next U.S. defense secretary. How will the Pentagon change with him at the helm?

STARR: Well, you know, ever since 9/11, I think the Pentagon has sort of been adding things every year to it's "to do" list -- Iraq, Afghanistan, now the situation in Libya, Syria, across the Middle East, the spending crisis here at the Pentagon, looking for ways to cut up to $400 billion, these are all the things Panetta is facing. But make no mistake, job number one for him is going to be wrapping up the war in Iraq and trying to wind down at least the war in Afghanistan -- Kristie.

STOUT: Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon.

Thank you.

Now, U.S. President Barack Obama met with the president of Gabon at the White House on Thursday, but some say the White House tried to keep media attention to a minimum.

As Brianna Keilar reports, that's because the visit has provoked criticism.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Thursday, President Obama welcomed Gabon's president, Ali Bongo, into the Oval Office for a visit. The White House allowed still photographers to capture the moment but would not let TV cameras in as they often do.

Bongo is a controversial figure. His family has ruled Gabon for decades, at times with an iron fist, and is accused of illegally financing a lavish lifestyle with the country's oil riches while many in Gabon go hungry.

The most recent State Department report on Gabon, released in April shows some improvement in human rights but says corruption was still a problem: "Authorities reportedly routinely monitored private telephone conversations, personal mail and the movement of citizens, and many crimes in Gabon went unprosecuted."

White House spokesman Jay Carney rebuffed questions about whether the meeting was appropriate.

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think that it's a little naive to believe that -- that the president of the United States should not meet with leaders who don't, you know, meet all the standards that we would have for perfect governance. OK? This is an important relationship.

KEILAR: Gabon holds the rotating presidency on the United Nations Security Council, a key vote as the U.S. looks for international support in dealing with Iran and Libya.

And the White House says Gabon has undertaken reforms, reforms touted by President Bongo earlier this week when he addressed the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank.

PRESIDENT ALI BONGO ONDIMBA, GABON: To be conscious of our challenges. You still encourage and support those -- those of us who genuinely respect democratic principles and the rule of law.

KEILAR: But Gabon does not, says Melvin Ayogu, an expert on the region from the Brookings Institute. Asked if Bongo has implemented democratic reforms, here's what he says.

MELVIN AYOGU, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: Not any substantive measure at all, because it's probably not in the best interests of the incumbent to reform what -- reform for what? What are you going to do to -- to him? You know, if the U.S. does not buy Gabon's oil, China will probably buy it.

KEILAR (on camera): But Ayogu also cautions from being too surprised by this visit because there are many countries the U.S. has relations with that have records far worse than Gabon's.

Brianna Keilar, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now, ahead on NEWS STREAM, fighting modern-day slavery. Our iReporters have weighed in. We'll look at some of your advice and innovations like this one, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Now, all this week we've been encouraging you to get involved in the fight to end modern-day slavery with the CNN Freedom Project. Our message, you don't have to be a celebrity like activists Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher to make a difference.

We've given you plenty of inspiration, introducing you to Somali Mom (ph). Now, she was sold into sexual slavery at a young age and has since dedicated her life to liberating and rehabilitating other victims.

And then there are the ordinary people whose actions are anything but average. We met women in Ohio pledging to wear only one dress for six months to raise awareness of others who have had the power to choose taken away from them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STUDENTS: We are Yeong Gwang Girls High School. We're taking a stand to end slavery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: And we have heard from these high school students in South Korea, speaking out against human trafficking and spreading the word to their community.

Now, that story from South Korea, it started with a simple action, a video uploaded to our iReport Web site. And through iReport, we have heard from many more individuals proving that one person can indeed make a difference.

Now, let's start in Nairobi, Kenya.

Now, Bernard Mohia (ph), he didn't know much about the issue until he said he had a dream that he was trafficked, and he decided to learn more. So he wrote a poem to raise awareness. It's called Ka Tonjo (ph), which means "Be Alert" in Swahili. And here's how it starts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNARD MOHIA (ph), CNN IREPORTER: Lost and helpless, her passport taken away, her I.D. taken away, in search of a better way. Paid them to chase the dream life, but ended up paying with her freedom. Lost without friends in a foreign land, her dreams lost to slave masters.

Beaten and abused, raped and they were amused. Left his own country, only to be forced into labor. Paid with lashes, his dreams, burnt down to ashes. His whole life flashes because he would rather die than be forced to live a lie.

Open your eyes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, Mohia (ph) is teaming up with other local poets to host poetry and essay contests in local schools, highlighting the issue of human trafficking.

And in the United States, Andrew Aylett is also targeting schools. And together, with his wife, Aylett recently started a group called End Slavery Today. Now, the goal is to raise awareness in their New Jersey community. Now, they're donating books to schools and also giving students a script about human trafficking to read during morning announcements.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW AYLETT, END SLAVERY TODAY: We realized that, like ourselves, many kids are unaware of the issue of modern-day slavery and how huge the problem is. Many of them learn that it's history, they don't learn that it's a current event. So we decided that one way to educate kids is to get books into schools.

It's really going to be up to our generation and the younger generation to do something about this issue. So we think that educating children is absolutely key to the fight against human trafficking and modern-day slavery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Another great effort there.

Now, it was a trip to Romania several years ago that prompted an American student, Brittany Partridge, to get involved. And while she was there she volunteered with an anti-slavery nonprofit. Then, as a freshman in college, she and her roommates started the Red Thread Movement.

Now, the group sells these bracelets made by girls in Nepal. They've either been rescued from trafficking or at risk to be trafficked. Now, the proceeds support human trafficking prevention and victim rehabilitation in Nepal.

Now, Partridge spoke to us from her dorm room about the group's work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRITTANY PARTRIDGE, RED THREAD MOVEMENT: When I first started, I was also very intimidated by just the pervasiveness and enormity of the problem. But I think someone told me that you don't have to be so overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem, but you just have to focus on where you are and the people that you can influence. And when you start to look at it from a smaller perspective, I think, for one, it gives you a lot more hope and a lot more ability to persevere for what you're working towards.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Some excellent advice there. Even small gestures can make a big difference.

We've been asking you to show your support for efforts to stop modern-day slavery.

Gabriel Fabia (ph) in the Philippines, he sent us this picture. He says he was moved by the story of children kidnapped by gangs and forced to beg on the street.

Now, Anna Kate (ph), she sent us this picture of her 6-month-old daughter. Now, that paper airplane symbolizes a victim's path to freedom. Anna Kate (ph) says she is working to make the world safer for her baby.

And here is another paper airplane. And this one was sent in by Shordashan Konwar (ph) of Nepal. As you can see, he used a poster of Mount Everest to make it. He says he wanted to remind people around the world to hold their heads up high.

And finally, we want to show you a unique take on the paper airplane assignment. Now, Jonx Regas, he made this video in Switzerland. He says the robot arms represent the automation that could replace child slave labor. You can't make out the signs. They say, "I am taking a stand to end slavery."

Now, you can take your very own stand against slavery by clicking on to ireport.com. Just upload pictures or video of you making a paper airplane, passing on the message of hope for victims. And you never know. Your plane could make it on air.

Remember, if you want more information about international organizations working to tackle slavery and human trafficking, head to the CNN Freedom Project blog. In the "How You Can Help" section, you'll find a whole list of charities you can donate to or get involved with, as well as a guide for parents and educators.

It's all at CNN.com/freedom.

Coming up next here on NEWS STREAM, we're taking a look at how war affects the most vulnerable from teenagers believed to have been tortured to death in Syria to a little girl whose leg was blown off in a rocket attack in Libya.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream and these are your world headlines.

Now Turkey has taken in almost 2,800 Syrian refugees. They fled before a government crackdown on the northern town of Disha al Shigur (ph). Now state run media in Syria say the operation is to restore security and arrest militants. Residents tell us that tanks are firing as they approach the t own.

Now this is the reason why thousands of Syrians have fled the country for Turkey. At first, it appears to be a peaceful protest against the Syrian government, but it soon degenerates into life or death chaos. These shots are fired at the protesters. You see men, women, and children scattering, all running for cover. A man from Syria says he shot this video one week ago.

Now Japan says abnormal radiation levels have been found in four new places outside the evacuation zone around the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. Now three of them are in the Reosen Machi (ph) area. It's about 50 kilometers from the earthquake damaged power station.

And scientists say bean sprouts from Germany are the cause of the E. coli outbreak that has killed at least 27 people. Officials say the number of infections is now falling, but the danger is far from over.

I want to go back to one of our top stories today, the continued unrest in Syria, and specifically disturbing footage that is appearing online. Now you may already have heard about Hamza, the 13-year-old boy who activists say was tortured and killed by security forces. And just days after we saw the shocking images of his body a second video has now emerged. Arwa Damon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: "My son. It's my son," a woman wails. "This scar here, I swear it's my son. I stitched the cut on him when he was little."

His name was Tamid (ph). And he was just 15 years old.

His body is carried inside to be washed.

A voice curses the president. There was a physical gunshot wound below the teenager's knee. A voice says, "look at the marks of torture" as the camera moves to show his discolored and seemingly bruised face.

An activist told CNN of marks on the boy's body and said one bullet wound beneath the knee shouldn't have killed him.

CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of this video.

Children led his funeral procession, carrying a banner reading, "the martyr Tamid detained alive, martyred after torture."

Tamid was from the southern village of Zhese (ph) near Daraa, the same village that was home to 13 year old Hamza al Hazib (ph). The image of Hamza's horribly mutilated body prompted international outrage.

Tamid was detained at the same time and at the same demonstration as Hamza according to an activist from Daraa. When residents from outlying villages marched on Daraa at the end of April to break the military siege on the city.

Eyewitnesses at the time describe how security forces indiscriminately opened fire on them. Dozens were killed and wounded. Countless others, including children, detained.

Like Hamza, Tamid was finally delivered, weeks later, to his parents a lifeless corpse.

Two of many Syrian children caught in the cross hairs of a regime grimly determined to hold onto power.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now hundreds of millions of dollars of aid were promised for Libya's rebels on Thursday as the Libya contact group followed through on its pledge to support the opposition's transitional government.

Now Nic Robertson, he was at the meeting in Abu Dhabi. He joins us now.

And Nic, western and Arab countries are there in Abu Dhabi. They have pledged money for the opposition. Now how much money are the rebels collecting? And how will they use it?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they got a little over a billion dollars, $580 million given by the Italians. That in cash, they say, that will be for use for day to day needs -- food, paying government salaries, not for weapons. The French putting up over about $300 million. Kuwait is about $180 million. The Turkish another $100 million and others are contributing too.

But there are some caveats here. Number one is this is money being given that the Libyan government will have to give back in the future. The rebels signed an agreement with the international community that whomever is in power will pay back this money. And these are sort of interim loans.

But what the rebels really want, and what was talked about at the contact group, was freeing up frozen assets, Moammar Gadhafi's frozen assets around the world, billions of dollars that could then go to the rebels to fund them in the coming perhaps weeks or even months ahead. Nobody knows how long it will take before Moammar Gadhafi is out of power.

So this is an interim stop-gap, but really there's more work to be done on the financial side, Kristie.

STOUT: And separately, the chief prosecutor for the ICC said that there was evidence that Gadhafi ordered rape as a weapon of war. Now Nic, you have long reported on these allegations. What are your thoughts on this development and whether Gadhafi will face new charges?

ROBERTSON: Well, the chief prosecutor, Luis Morento-Ocampo who has already issued a request for an arrest warrant for -- against Moammar Gadhafi, some say for Islam al-Gadhafi. And the head of the intelligence Abdullah Senussi on counts of war crimes.

This would be something else. And what we found, and what other journalists have found talking to soldiers in Gadhafi's army who have been captured, or in fact deserted, they say they've seen a systematic attempt by Gadhafi's army to hand out not only stimulants to keep soldiers awake as they go into battles or even just into neighborhoods of Tripoli, but they've been given sexual stimulants. They say Viagra type substances. And they've been told by their commanding officers that when they go into a house, they can own anything in the house they want -- the television set, or the daughters, or the wife.

So there's an effort here that we and other journalists have discovered through our investigations, our own inquiries that points to a systematic use of the military to use rape as a tool, as a weapon of war. And that's what the chief prosecutor is now saying that he has found evidence, perhaps at a higher standard here, from his own investigations and inquiries. So this is a direction he says he'll be moving in against Moammar Gadhafi.

It is yet another indictment, but no -- or intention of another indictment, but it doesn't mean that Gadhafi will eventually end up in the ICC, the international criminal court in The Hague. Of course, somebody would have to deliver him there. He's not going to go voluntarily, Kristie.

STOUT: Nic Robertson joining us live from Abu Dhabi. Thank you, Nic.

Now as Libya's civil war rages on children are all too often caught up in the indiscriminate fighting. Many have died. And others like the young girl you're about to meet have had their lives changed forever.

Sarah Sidner joins us now from Misrata with her special story. And Sarah, tell us more about this five year old girl.

SARAH SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, before we get to that, I just want to give you an idea of how bad some of the shelling has been in Misrata. If you see just behind me, we are very close to the front lines. And you may be able to hear the booms and the bangs. But this used to be a gas station -- bombed apart, I mean, you know.

And one of the things that we really wanted to highlight is you know that bullets, that mortars, they do not discriminate. And children are certainly being hit. And we're now going to show you a little girl, five years old, whose life is changed forever.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: Five year old Malaak is cranky. She just woke up from an afternoon nap.

"I used to be able to play and run around," she says.

For Malaak life will never be the same again.

At the height of the siege of Misrata a rocket, almost certainly fired by pro-Gadhafi forces, blasted through her mother's bedroom wall. It left this massive hole. Malaak, her three year old brother, and one year old sister were asleep inside.

"My moms room, which we were sleeping in, was damaged. And it had toys," she says. The toys are still there, but her brother and sister are gone forever.

SAFFIYA ABDULLAH, MALAAK'S MOTHER (through translator): I lifted them up one after the other. I kept praying god give me patience. And then I found Malaak alive, but Mohammed and Redina (ph) looked dead.

One year old Redina (ph) and three year old Mohammed were dead. They were wrapped in white sheets on the hospital floor as doctors tried to save Malaak.

Her arm was broken, her left leg fractured. But the worst injury was to her right leg, it was ripped to shreds from her ankle to her thigh.

DR. AHMED RADWAN, VASCULAR SURGEON: It was cross (ph). It was nearly totally amputated. It's just -- it was just the skin and some muscles keeping the limb attached to the body.

SIDNER: Dr. Ahmed Radwan made the decision to amputate, but he couldn't go through with it himself.

So this was so disturbing to you that you couldn't actually do the procedure?

RADWAN: Yeah. I couldn't do it for a kid. I did it for young guys and for rebels of the front line, but I couldn't do it to Malaak.

SIDNER: So he asked two other doctors to perform the amputation. They all knew that even when Malaak heals, a hospital doesn't have a prosthesis that would fit a child. Dr. Ahmed is now in touch with a global medical relief fund to try to get her to a country where she could be fitted for one.

For now this once very active little girl who loved to play, climb, slide and giggle is bound to a wheel chair after being bed ridden in the hospital for weeks.

Though she's grown to love the staff there, she is sick and tired of living here.

"I think the hospital is bad. I really want to leave," she says frustrated.

For the month that Malaak has been in the hospital she's been asking again and again to come to the beach. And she's finally getting her wish. But her parents and doctors and nurses have another dream for her. And they are hoping that she'll be able to travel to a country that can give her the absolute best treatment possible so that Malaak can run and play like she used to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: Now, we want to tell you some good news. Malaak was able to leave the hospital for the first time. And she has been able to go home. She only has to come back for outpatient services. But the doctors there, Dr. Ahmed, has been very clear in saying that, you know, she really needs this prosthesis and she needs other treatment. And so hopefully she will be able to do that. That will likely require that she comes to the United States to get that treatment done. He's working very, very hard to try and get the funding to get her there -- Kristie.

STOUT: Well, thank you for reporting this story, because it will no doubt raise international awareness about her story and help will be on the way for that brave little girl.

Now as you said earlier, we can see quite clearly there, Sarah, you are in Misrata. Gadhafi loyalists have launched a new attack there. Just how bad is the shelling in Misrata?

SIDNER: The shelling is not coming into the city. And we do want to make that clear. The city of Misrata is still held by the rebels very clearly. But on the outskirts of town there are lots of loud booms. We're hearing them over and over and over again. Lots of ambulances coming back and forth and we have just been able to get some information from doctors in the main hospital here who say that this is the worst amount of fighting in a month. There are 17 people who have been killed, dozens of people injured. And so this has been a particularly bad day as far as the fighting has been going on.

And we've been listening to this since early, early this morning. It's been going. And it's been going through this afternoon. And you can see some of the weapons being used, because they are still scattered all about.

And as I said before, you know, we're standing very near to the front line. We're probably about 20 kilometers or so from the front line. And it's absolutely being hammered today.

STOUT: All right. Sarah Sidner joining us live from Misrata, a place that has been a perpetual war zone. Thank you very much indeed for your reporting Sarah.

Now you are watching News Stream. We'll be back right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks could be on the verge of winning the NBA title. Alex Thomas has all the highlights from game 5.

ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, they came together to win a title, but if the Miami Heat's big three want to be crowned NBA champions, perhaps a battle against the record books as well as the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat trail 3-2 in the best of seven series. And only seven of 26 finals have been won by the team that lost game 5.

Well that's exactly happened to LeBron and company in Dallas on Thursday. Although James himself played far better than he had on Tuesday night.

This huge first quarter collision didn't help the Heat's cause. Dwayne Wade, hurting a hip, looking in real pain. Although he did eventually return to the action and score 23 points.

Later in the first with Dallas up by 2, here's Mario Chalmers with a buzzer beating three to put the Heat ahead by 1 point going into the second quarter. A great shot. And part of Chalmers' 15 points on the night.

Like the previous four, this game ebbed and flowed. Dallas back up by 1 here until LeBron gets the lay-up to edge Miami back in front.

And King James had to fire up the Heat again in the third quarter. A tough fade away over Dirk Nowitzki ties the scores. LeBron with a triple double on the night.

But the Mavericks kept pulling ahead. And they were up by 3 later in the third until JJ Barea nails this distance shot from the wing. He was 4 for 5 from three point range.

And the Heat are up by 1 in the fourth when Dwayne Wade nails a 3- pointer to increase their advantage to 4 points.

But Dallas had tied the game at 100 each when they took the lead through Dirk Nowitzki, a great baseline move for the slam. The German star top scoring with 29 points.

And his Mavericks team sealed when Jason Terry hits the three over LeBron. Dallas clinching the win, 112-103. The highest scoring game of the finals so far. And the series could be decided by Miami on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIRK NOWITZKI, DALLAS FORWARD: That was a big win for us. Obviously we didn't want to go to Miami and give them basically two shots to close us out. So I kept plugging there in the fourth. So definitely a big win for us.

And now we've got to go down there and basically approach Sunday's game as game 7. You know you don't want to give this great team any hope or anything. So we've got to play more of the same and keep attacking and we'll see what happens Sunday.

LEBRON JAMES, MIAMI FORWARD: As a team, we played good enough to win again. Put ourself in position to win down the stretch and you know everyone -- guys made plays. They just made a few more than we did. You know, that's what it came down to.

DWAYNE WADE, MIAMI GUARD: The thing about life and the good thing about this game, you get another opportunity, another crack at it. So we know what's -- we know what the thing that's going to either lose or win us a championship. And it's -- it comes down to not closing our games or closing it out.

So, you know, we have another game Sunday to be able to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS: Though some are pointing to LeBron James' triple-double as a return to form. His stats against the Mavs still make disappointing reading for his fans. He's scored a combined 11 points in the fourth quarter at an average of 2.2 per game, way below the 8.2 points he averaged for the fourth quarters of the games against the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals.

One glimmer of hope for the Heat, though, the last time a team lost game 5 and won the NBA championship was just last season. The Lakers, losing game 5 in Boston, coming back to L.A. Winning the next two games and taking the title. I'll leave you with that thought. Kristie, back to you in Hong Kong.

STOUT: Thank you, Alex.

And coming up next on News Stream we are at what must be paradise for any self respecting gamer -- E3. We go inside the world's biggest video game event.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back. Now here in Hong Kong we have been experiencing some record high temperatures and the typhoon one signal is up as a storm is approaching. Mari Ramos can you please help us explain what's going on here? She joins us now from the world weather center -- Mari.

MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Well sometimes when you have a storm out at sea that starts getting close to Hong Kong you've got to have that descending air that comes away from the storm, Kristie, and when you have a lot of sunshine like that and little or no clouds over Hong Kong this time of year the temperatures can get hot very, very quickly.

Now as far as the typhoon 1 signal goes, that basically means that a storm is nearby and could affect you in the next few days. We're talking about this weather system right here, the same one that moved across the Philippines. It is a tropical storm now, but as you can see from the satellite image it looks very disorganized.

Now what we're going to start to see, though, is this storm kind of breaking down just a little bit. It is expected to take that turn more to the north. It shouldn't become a typhoon, though. Winds right now, 65 kilometers per hour. You may see it around that strength. Maybe a little bit more, borderline typhoon strength before it makes landfall here in eastern China.

Now we kind of do need the rain right?

Right now it looks like it should be far away from Hong Kong, but the typhoon 3 signal which is the next level will not have to be hoisted. And we shouldn't see much as far as evacuations here, because of the wind from the storm. But the rain can be a concern. You know, even though you have been getting some heavier rain in the last few days from this weather system here to the north, when it comes to the tropical storm it looks like most of the moisture will stay out at sea.

Still some rain in the Philippines and also back over here toward Taiwan.

Hong Kong, believe it or not, according to our computer models Kristie, look at that, staying generally dry overnight tonight and even as we head into tomorrow. So that's pretty important as well.

This part right over here I think is going to be the one that's going to bring more rain into parts of China as opposed to the tropical storm that's here to the south. So watch out for that.

What we're probably seeing is more rainfall totals like the ones that you have right here in excess of 100, 140 millimeters of rain. Particularly like this one. Do you remember? Yueyang that's the area right next to Dongteng (ph) lake, that report that we had from Eunice Yoon last week about how that lake is completely drying out, because of the lack of rainfall. Well, this is the kind of rainfall that they need to be able to fill those lakes and reservoirs again. And we're starting to see a lot more of that activity.

So with our weak tropical storm, we'll see kind of absorbed by this old front right over here. That's going to help enhance the rainfall in some of these areas. And it looks like the heavier rain as we head into the weekend and probably into Sunday might be here across Western parts of Japan. So we'll have to see exactly how this all plays out, but I really don't think that that tropical storm will be too big of a deal for you guys there in Hong Kong.

We do have this other storm here in the Arabian Sea. This one could be a big deal, I think, for India. I think Pakistan, Oman, the rest of you should be OK.

Back to you.

STOUT: All right. Mari Ramos there, thank you and have a good weekend.

Now video game fans, they gathered in Los Angeles this week for the world's biggest gaming expo. And CNN.com's Doug Gross, he sent us this look at the sights, sounds and colorful characters at E3.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DOUG GROSS, CNN.COM: Hey everybody. This is Doug Gross from CNN.com. We're here at E3, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo, that's the world's biggest video game showcase. It happens every year here in Los Angeles. And we want to take you inside with us on the showroom floor. Have a look at some of the video games and systems that are being displayed that are going to be the biggest hits in the coming year.

Hey, we want to take you inside the Nintendo booth. That's where we are now. It's kind of funny to call this a booth, it's more like a small city, really.

Nintendo made one of the biggest splashes of E3 this year with what they're calling the Wii U, that's a new generation of their Wii console game. The old nunchuks you might know from Wii are being replaced with a handheld controller that has its own screen.

Here we are outside Sony's booth. They're digging this week with the Playstation Vita, that's a handheld device. They're going to go after Nintendo's 3DS with that.

The hardware is all well and good. It's all about the games, right? Here's one of the ones that's getting a lot of talk this week. Elder Scolls Skyrim, it's a fantasy type game -- Lord of the Rings fans would really like it. A new Assassin's Creed title is getting a lot of talk. Battlefield 3 is getting a lot of talk.

And of course it's not just about the games and hardware, it's about making good friends here at E3. Go to CNN.com. This is Doug Gross. We're wrapping up for the day here at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Can I go?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Thank you, Doug.

Now it's time now to go over and out there, but please don't look up. That is the plea at a courthouse in Ohio. Now the new building, it cost $105 million, but some women who work there say designers made a bad decision -- glass stairs. You see, well, everything.

Now security guards warn women in dresses about the transparent steps. And Judge Julie Lynch has a theory about how it happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIE LYNCH, JUDGE: Men designed it. That's what I -- oh, they had no women put on this. That's what I thought. How can you open a brand new building and not take in consideration half the population.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Makes complete sense.

Now there's now been a discussion about changing the design.

And that is News Stream. But the news continues at CNN. World Business Today is next.

END