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Erin Burnett Outfront
Al Qaeda to Blame For Benghazi Attack; American Held Captive In North Korea; Massive Wildfires Rage North of Los Angeles; Missing Woman Found Alive 11 Years Later; Human Trafficking at Saudi Diplomat's Home?
Aired May 02, 2013 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT, next after eight months, U.S. officials say they know who attacked the American consulate in Libya.
Plus, who is the American sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea and how did he end up there?
And a woman declared dead, mourned by her family for a decade and then out of the blue appears. Let's go OUTFRONT.
Good evening, everyone. I'm Erin Burnett. We begin with breaking news. We have new details about al Qaeda's role in the deadly Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans. According to a senior U.S. law enforcement official, three or four Yemeni men from al Qaeda took part in the terrorist attack on the American consulate in Benghazi last September.
U.S. officials knew it was a terrorist attack within 24 hours and that the terrorists were linked to al Qaeda. But it is only now, nearly eight months after the deadly assault, that we're finally learning some details.
CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is OUTFRONT with the latest. Obviously, Barbara, specifics here that there are three or four men, how they were related, what they were doing with al Qaeda. Why are we just learning this now?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, to be very blunt, Erin, it's because CNN keeps asking the questions, our national security team, our executive editor, Tim Lister, keeping on this week after week, month after month. And what we now know is that law enforcement indeed has identified what they believe are three or four men that may have been involved in this.
Not just al Qaeda, as you just pointed out, quite correctly, but al Qaeda from the Arabian Peninsula. That's al Qaeda in Yemen, one of the most dangerous al Qaeda affiliates. Nobody can tell us yet whether these men were already in Libya for some period of time when the Benghazi attack unfolded or whether they were sent in particularly to conduct this attack.
But it's an indicator, al Qaeda under pressure, al Qaeda looking for targets, but al Qaeda still able to move men around great distances, has planning and communications capability. It's something that should worry everybody -- Erin.
BURNETT: Absolutely, Barbara. As everyone's tried to figure out, you know, where these men came from, according to the source that you and Tim have been speaking to, these men were traced back, at least part of their trip to Northern Mali where I understand the trail went cold. What do they know about these guys? Who are they?
STARR: Right. I mean, they don't know -- they don't -- we don't believe they know where they are right now, but let's go back to what you were saying, Mali, of course, where you traveled just a few months ago, one of the first to look at the al Qaeda threat in North Africa. Viewers should remember that you were pointing out a good deal of this, one of the key al Qaeda-related jihadist leaders in Mali, it's believed these men in the Benghazi attack may have communicated with him.
That goes back to the central point, Erin, you now have al Qaeda network spread not just across North Africa, but with possible connections back to Yemen, back to Pakistan, really, you know, this network still up and running and very much a matter of concern as they still try to make some arrests and solve the Benghazi attack -- Erin.
BURNETT: Barbara, thank you very much. Barbara Starr reporting there on that significant development on the Benghazi attacks.
Now our second story OUTFRONT, an American sentenced to 15 years in a North Korean labor camp. The United States is asking the communist country to free 44-year-old Kenneth Bae of Linwood, Washington, after sentencing him to 15 years of hard labor this week. Now, Bae operates tours in North Korea, and you see him there. He's been detained since November.
North Koreans charged him with committing quote/unquote, "hostile acts against the state." Bae says he was in the country legally, though. And the timing of the sentencing raises serious questions about North Korea's motives. The United States, of course, locked in a standoff with Kim Jong-Un over his nuclear ambitions, and the regime there has a history of using detained Americans as a bargaining chip.
OUTFRONT tonight, CNN's Dan Rivers in Seoul with the latest on the situation. Dan, what can you tell us about Kenneth Bae?
DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he is a naturalized U.S. citizen. He has been running tours into North Korea from neighboring China for several years. He's never had any problems. We know he was there with a valid tourist visa. He went to the University of Oregon. That's where he then became a naturalized citizen living in Washington State.
For a while his mother lives in Linwood, Washington State. His father still lives here in South Korea. It's really a mystery, though, exactly why he's being charged with this attempt to topple the regime, as they're telling us. The whole trial took place very quickly in two days. He was sentenced to 15 years on the same day, and now officials in the United States are struggling to find out exactly what he's done and how they can get him free. BURNETT: Dan, I know in 2009, the North Koreans did something similar, taking two American journalists, one of whom is going to be with me in just a moment, captive, former President Bill Clinton was the one who ended up traveling to North Korea. And without him, they would have been in a labor camp now. Is Kim Jong-Un trying to take a page out of his father's playbook? Do exactly what his father did then?
RIVERS: Exactly. I think all the analysts we've spoken to have suggested exactly that. This is all part of a grand strategy by the new young leader, Kim Jong-Un, to try and force the hand of the Americans to get into some sort of direct sort of negotiation with them, even if that's through a former president like Bill Clinton, possibly Jimmy Carter as well.
He was involved with the release of another American in 2010, although his people telling me in the last 24 hours that he is not planning to go to North Korea for this case. He's not been invited. It opens up the question, well, who is going to go in and sort this out and make sure Kenneth Bae is free?
BURNETT: A crucial question. And if no one does, what happens, 15 years of hard labor? If anyone knows what it is like to be held captive by North Korea, it is Euna Lee. She was in the communist nation for 140 days in 2009 after being detained with fellow journalist Laura Ling. The two were together working on a story about human trafficking between China and North Korea when they were taken in custody.
Lee was kept in isolation, repeatedly interrogated and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegally entering the country and once again for quote/unquote, "hostile acts." She was released after 4 1/2 months after former President Clinton negotiated her freedom.
Euna Lee has written a book about her ordeal called "The World Is Bigger Now," an American journalist released from captivity in North Korea, and she is OUTFRONT tonight. And thank you very much. Just even hearing that and reliving it.
Apparently there are, according to the State Department, 130,000 people who are political prisoners, you know, Google Earth has shown us a sense of North Korea and where some of these camps might be. You came really close to going to one of these. What will happen to Kenneth Bae if he goes to a labor camp?
EUNA LEE, HELD CAPTIVE IN NORTH KOREA IN 140 DAYS: According to -- from my research, it would be very hard for him. I remember how I had all these feelings, anger and frustration and humiliation that I was going through. And when I heard the verdict for 12 years, I was just crashing in front of the judges. And I just can't -- you know, you can just imagine being separated from your family.
BURNETT: You have a daughter.
LEE: Yes, my daughter was 4. And back then I could not believe I wouldn't see her until she turned 16. I'm sure it must be really hard for him to be separated from family and cannot have any communications. He's alone, by himself. All the people who act as guards probably are interrogators.
BURNETT: You know, we don't have many details about these camps. People like you who have gotten close to them or the people who have experienced it other than from satellites, some as large apparently as 200 square miles. And we went to look at Camp 25, one of the ones we're apparently able to look at from the images.
We've labeled these, viewers, but I'm just going to highlight some of them, gallows, reported crematory, prisoner housing. This makes it sound like a Nazi concentration camp when you look at it. And then another image of this Camp 25, a close-up of the prison wall, where you can see the shadow of the barbed wire.
There's no way you could have been prepared to do this. I mean, I know you're thinking 12 years, and you and Laura were separated. It's not like you had each other.
LEE: No. Yes, we did not see each other until the day before we came home. Just being -- having no news from the outside and you don't know what's going on with your status. It's just fearful. It just gives you fear. I remember only resources, the only news I received was from letters from friends and family even strangers who supported us.
And that was so encouraging me to go one more day. And I hope people -- you know, I don't know how much we can do for him at this moment, but I hope people can write to him and encourage him and hope that he can come home. And also, I hope that the leader of the PRK will have it in his heart to free this man and pardon him on humanitarian grounds.
BURNETT: As we said, his job was to lead tours to North Korea, which he had done before. Obviously, he could be going to these camps apparently now within ten days of his sentencing. They may move him quickly. They may not. It's unclear. What were your conditions like? I know you didn't end up going to the camp, but what were the conditions like? How did they take care of you in North Korea?
LEE: I wasn't mistreated physically, but my mental, like emotional status, was very unstable because you don't know tomorrow. I wasn't sure when I was going to go somewhere.
BURNETT: So every day you thought, I could --
LEE: Right. And they were discussing to move us, locate us to somewhere. I wasn't sure if it would be a labor camp or somewhere else and worse than where I was detained. So I was just hoping that, please, do not relocate me anywhere else. If I leave this place, it will be home. That was my only hope.
BURNETT: And now you're home.
LEE: Yes.
BURNETT: With your daughter. And we hope Kenneth will have the blessing of that, too.
LEE: I hope so, too.
BURNETT: Euna, thank you very much.
LEE: Thank you for having me.
BURNETT: For sharing your story.
And still OUTFRONT, investigators are looking into a possible human trafficking ring being run out of Washington, D.C.
And then should guns be marketed to kids younger than 10 years old? Because guess what? They are.
Plus, what if you thought your mother died a decade ago, and then suddenly she reappeared? A truly confounding and true story.
And up next, live to the scene of a wildfire raging in California. Homes and lives in its path. This is -- it's pretty incredible when you're able to see where our Paul Vercammen that is when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: And breaking news tonight on massive wildfires. They're burning right now in the Los Angeles area. And just five hours today, this wildfire went from -- just take a pause here and listen to these numbers -- 10 acres to 6,500 acres. Whole neighborhoods are still being threatened by the flames. Hundreds of firefighters are now scrambling to put them out, 10 acres to 6,500 acres in five hours.
Paul Vercammen is OUTFRONT in one of the main locations here, Newbury Park. Paul, what can you tell us? I mean, it is impossible to even imagine the speed with which that fire spread.
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Erin, you're absolutely right because we were in the middle of it. It was just a firestorm, and it came blazing through Newbury Park. Look up over here, and you can see these are very upscale homes. You can see some smoke back there, fire burning. But they used fire to fight fire, and they cut off the advance by burning that hillside.
If we wheel over here, you can see another massive plume of smoke right there, and you can see fire cresting up this hill. They plan to also attack fire with fire and burn right up that hillside. Fire burns very quickly uphill. That's the strategy that's going to happen soon. These are $1 million homes, $2 million homes.
As you know from your business reporting, Erin, Amgen is headquartered in Newbury Park, great neighborhood. A lot of white- dollar jobs provided by Amgen. Right now they're breathing a sigh of relief in this neighborhood because it was absolutely so horrific and so intense. And from what we understand, yes, some houses might have been slightly scorched, but they have not lost any houses on this massive fire. And right now still zero percent containment. And you can tell, because you can see a huge dark plume in there, and any time you see that dark smoke, that means fuel and brush is burning.
That direction is the Pacific Ocean and I can tell you that's mainly chaparral and brush so no homes threatened right there. But they are going to have to cut off that advance at some point.
BURNETT: Paul, you talk about zero percent containment and a fire that spread in five hours about 6,500 percent. Earlier today, a little bit ago, you were in the midst of some incredible smoke. How bad was it being in the middle of it and how much worse could it get given how quickly it's spread so far?
VERCAMMEN: Well, first off, it was just horrific when that fire burned near us because there are a lot of cul-de-sacs that are just like this in Newbury Park. And what would happen is, they would fight it with fire and another means, and then the fire would just ring the neighborhood, and it would get so dark in there, you couldn't see further than 15 feet, and you have to be extremely careful because of the embers.
We were wearing goggles and whatnot, and that saved us. Now, how worse can it get? This is what all fire officials are telling me that they fear. It's only early May. For them, this is supposed to be late summer or fall weather.
BURNETT: Right.
VERCAMMEN: We have had two years in a row in California of absolutely dry conditions, 25 percent of average rainfall. So they're concerned because everything is just so horrendously dry here -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right, well, Paul, thank you very much. We appreciate it. As you can see, that smoke that he was in the middle of just gives you a sense of the power and speed with which this wildfire is spreading.
Well, tonight a family is trying to come to terms with the fact that the mother and former wife that they thought had died more than 10 years ago has been alive the whole time. She's back. Brenda Heist vanished in 2002. That's how she looked then.
She dropped her two children off at school in Central Pennsylvania. She was going through a tough time. She was going through a divorce and she disappeared. Police in her hometown were baffled by her disappearance. Her family eventually declared her dead as her former husband told CNN today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEE HEIST, EX-HUSBAND OF MISSING WOMAN (via telephone): We felt that perhaps she had been carjacked because of where the car was found. We never knew for sure, but I really did think that she had died.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: The now 53-year-old turned up though in Key Largo, Florida, this week. Turned herself in looking frail, as you can see, with beach blonde hair. Police say she turned herself in, confessing to officers that she traveled there on a whim, on that day meeting a group of homeless hitchhikers in a park.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DETECTIVE SGT. JOHN SCHOFIELD, LITTLE BOROUGH POLICE, PENNSYLVANIA: She was pretty much at the end of her rope down there, living on the streets. I mean, I think she just has had it. Her health wasn't good and she was just tired of running.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Heist had two children who that day never thought they'd see their mother again. The children say they're shocked and angry to learn that their mother is alive. They've told their mother they are not ready to speak with her. Heist's daughter tweeted, "I don't think anyone could understand my pain for the past 11 years, but I'm strong. And nothing, like Brenda C. Heist, will take me down."
It's a tragedy that seems to get worse. Heist's former husband who police even considered a suspect for a while in her disappearance told CNN he has no plans to speak to his ex-wife. As for Brenda Heist, police say she's expected to stay with her brother in Florida and then move in with her mother in Texas.
Still OUTFRONT, the very latest on the Boston bombings. We have significant new developments tonight. What the bombers were really planning. Apparently for something that could have killed a lot more people.
And Tamerlan Tsarnaev's body claimed tonight.
Plus accusations that a diplomat in Washington is running a human trafficking ring.
And later, why did Reese Witherspoon lie?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Our third story, OUTFRONT, questions about slavery in a Saudi diplomat's home. Two women have now been taken from the Saudi defense attache's multimillion-dollar home in suburban Washington, D.C. and federal authorities have launched an investigation into possible human trafficking. Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this $3 million guarded compound, federal officials say a Saudi diplomat stands accused by two Filipino women of holding them against their will, taking their passports and forcing them to work long hours without pay. The women, domestic workers, were removed by U.S. officials who are now investigating in a stunned neighborhood.
FRANCES ROLLER, NEIGHBOR: That is so sad to think that somebody had to cry for help in some way.
FOREMAN: Saudi officials aren't talking, but the U.S. State Department has long had human trafficking issues with Saudi Arabia, one of the richest countries in the world. U.S. officials say in typical cases, wealthy families recruit low-wage domestic workers from places like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria with promises of good jobs.
But they subsequently face conditions of involuntary servitude including restrictions on movement, withholding of passports, threats, physical or sexual abuse, and non-payment of wages. And when those families come to the U.S., it gets trickier. Tiffany Williams handles human trafficking issues for the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
TIFFANY WILLIAMS, NATIONAL DOMESTIC WORKERS ALLIANCE: On the surface, it's an excellent opportunity for domestic workers and women to be able to travel to the United States to support their families.
FOREMAN (on camera): Some wealthy family says we need your help, we'll pay you.
WILLIAMS: Absolutely. It could be great. The problem is when it's not great. It tends to be really bad.
FOREMAN (voice-over): For example in Colorado in 2006, a Saudi man was convicted of sexually assaulting his Indonesian housekeeper and enslaving her for four years. In Florida in 2001, a Saudi princess was accused of pushing her maid down a flight of stairs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm so afraid. I don't know what to do.
FOREMAN: The princess left the country, pled no contest, and was fined $1,000.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: Prosecuting such cases can be remarkably hard. Sometimes the accused have diplomatic immunity, and sometimes the accusers, the victims, are so isolated, no one even knows they are in trouble -- Erin.
BURNETT: Tom Foreman, thank you very much, a story that we are going to continue covering on this show.
OUTFRONT next, who claimed the body of Tamerlan Tsarnaev? It was claimed late today, and some late-breaking details on the investigation including a piece of evidence the FBI says was hidden from them and where exactly the bombs were made.
Plus, a big development in the case of ricin sent to the president of the United States. A wrongly accused Elvis impersonator, another person arrested, and yes, it has gotten stranger. There are more charges tonight.
And tonight's shout-out, a giant rubber duck . We wanted to show this to you for scale. That's Hong Kong Harbor. Those boats are all huge. This boat -- I'm sorry, bird is a 54 foot tall bright yellow inflatable duck. It appeared today with those adorable children in Victoria Harbor.
Now, it's an oversized bath toy, but it arrived in Hong Kong as part of a free public art exhibit that ends on June 9th. The duck sure beats the other inflatable art exhibit in Hong Kong. That art -- no, at least the rubber duck is headed to the United States soon to a location to be determined.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Fourth story OUTFRONT: we have breaking news coming in the past few moments. A U.S. law enforcement official tells CNN the bombs detonated at the Boston marathon were built in the apartment, a small apartment, where Tamerlan Tsarnaev lived with his wife and child. And that the initial plan was to carry out the attack on July 4th.
Let's get right to Deb Feyerick in Boston.
And, Deb, why did they move up the attack date?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, what's so interesting, CNN's Susan Candiotti has learned from a law enforcement official that in fact one of the reasons they moved up attack dates is simply that the bomb was ready, and that information is apparently coming through questioning of the younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. And so, he said that the bombs were meant to be ready for July 4th, but because they were ready sooner, they decided to step up their attack.
It's always been sort of a question as to where they built these devices. But now that U.S. law enforcement official telling Susan Candiotti that in fact they were built in this apartment. And it was a small apartment where both the -- where Tamerlan and his brother, Dzhokhar, both of them lived with the wife and the child. And so, all of that looking -- being looked at very closely, Erin.
BURNETT: Obviously, raising a lot of questions. We're going to talk to Erin McPike in a moment about the wife and what she may or may not have known given this new information.
But, you know, Deb, the body of the bombing suspect, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, everyone was wondering would he actually be claimed? The body, finally, it was today from the Massachusetts medical examiner's office two weeks after he died following that shootout with police. Our Boston affiliate WCVB is reporting that this is the funeral home van. You can see there in which Tsarnaev's body was taken.
Our crew witnessed a police escort at the entryway as the van left. And we've reached out to the funeral home. They have so far refused comment.
But, Deb, what more do we know about the body and who actually claimed it?
FEYERICK: Well, we actually don't know who claimed it. What's interesting is that Katherine Russell, the widow, has said she didn't want the body. She wanted the body to be returned to the family. And we reached out to several family members. We know that he's got an uncle in Maryland, a sister in New Jersey, another one in Boston, an aunt in Toronto.
Of course, the body could potentially be flown overseas where his parents are right now. But the funeral home not releasing any indication as to who picked up the body or where it's going next.
We do know that the death certificate is going to be filed likely tomorrow on Friday and at that time we'll know what the cause of death is.
You have to remember he died following a brutal shootout with police officers who found him not long after he killed -- allegedly killed a Massachusetts police officer. So, right now, we are looking into who has the body, but it doesn't appear that it's his widow, Katherine Russell -- Erin.
BURNETT: Thank you very much, Deb Feyerick.
And his widow, Katherine Russell, now obviously a crucial player here. As we have the breaking news Deb was just reporting, that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has now told investigators, according to our Susan Candiotti, that that bomb was built in that small Cambridge apartment in which Tamerlan lived with his widow, Katherine Russell, and their young daughter.
It was a small apartment. The bombs were built there. Did she know anything about the bombings before or after the fact?
Erin McPike has been following every step Katie Russell has been taking at her home in Rhode Island.
And, Erin, given this new news about where the bombs were built in this small apartment, do authorities know if Katie Russell knew anything about that?
ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, as you know, they continue to meet with her. Investigators were at her attorney's office this morning. And Katie Russell was at her attorney's office until about 10:30 this morning.
Now, Erin, I can also tell you that Katie Russell's attorney told CNN today that they still don't have any answers yet about whether that DNA, that female DNA, that was found on the bombs in Boston matches Katie Russell's DNA. He did, however, say that if it was her DNA, it wouldn't necessarily incriminate her -- or it wouldn't incriminate her, really, because of course if you're married to someone, your DNA is all over their workplace, too, Erin But still no answers from her, and they continue to meet with her, Erin.
BURNETT: And, Erin, at this point, I mean, do you have any sense of, you know, where she's been going? Our understanding is obviously she didn't claim the body, but do you have any understanding of whether she's had any contact with anyone else and the Tsarnaev family or not?
MCPIKE: Well, Erin, on Tuesday afternoon, one of the Tsarnaev brothers' uncles, his uncle from Maryland, was at her attorney's house.
Now, I don't know if that uncle actually spoke to Katherine, but he was here in Rhode Island where he does not live. I do know, Erin, that Katie, after she left her attorney's office today around 10:30, she didn't come back to her house until about 3:00 this afternoon. And, usually, there's a good idea where she's going because she's constantly being monitored by federal agents. But there is a big gap in her day today, Erin, so we're not sure just yet.
But as Deb mentioned, she did make clear on Tuesday that she wants the remains released to the Tsarnaev family and not to her.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Erin McPike, reporting from Rhode Island on Katherine Russell.
Well, today, we also learned an important piece of evidence in the case is now in FBI custody. And that is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's laptop. This was given to investigators by one of Tsarnaev's three friends. They were arrested yesterday.
And we're learning more about those friends and their friendship with Dzhokhar.
Brian Todd spent the day today in north Dartmouth where two of the suspects lived and where all three attended school at one point with Dzhokhar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They could relate to one another from the start -- Russian speakers, immigrants trying to assimilate into American life. But one of them had been at it longer, and the other two gravitated toward him.
(on camera): Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's friends and acquaintances say was fully Americanized, could move easily in different circles. But the Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov from Kazakhstan struggled with English and with school here at UMass Dartmouth.
(voice-over): Kadyrbayev's lawyer says he befriended Dzhokhar Tsarnaev because Tsarnaev had been in the U.S. for a long time, spoke English well and knew the ropes.
But Raja Nageswaran, a fellow student at UMass Dartmouth, says despite their dependence on Dzhokhar, the two Kazakh students could still create a stir on their own.
(on camera): They liked to get noticed?
RAJA NAGESWARAN, FRIEND OF KAZAKH STUDENTS: Yes. I mean, they had a black car, and I saw their car multiple times last semester. And it was very noticeable because they played loud music in their cars. And they used to screech their tires all the time. I felt that they wanted to be noticed.
TODD (voice-over): Nageswaran didn't know suspect Robel Phillipos, but says he knew Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from parties they all went to.
(on camera): What were they like socially?
NAGESWARAN: They were social animals. They used to dance. They used to drink. They used to like to play games together with other people.
TODD: What kind of games?
NAGESWARAN: Like FIFA.
TODD: Video games?
NAGESWARAN: Yes, video games.
TODD (voice-over): The criminal complaint says Dias Kadyrbayev was close enough to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev that he repeatedly visited Tsarnaev's home and met his family members. Court papers say Azamat Tazhayakov once set off fireworks on the banks of the Charles River with Tsarnaev and that Tsarnaev told the two Kazakhs a month before the marathon attack that he knew how to make a bomb.
But there's no indication that any of the three arrested students knew about the marathon plot. Before he was accused of obstruction, Azamat Tazhayakov's father said he couldn't be involved.
AMIR ISMAGOULOV, AZAMAT TAZHAYAKOV'S FATHER (through translator): We were shocked. Everyone knows my son. He's never fought anyone. He's never been in touch with any radicals.
TODD: Phillipos and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were in the class of 2011 at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School. All four young men enrolled at UMass-Dartmouth later that year.
In a video we believe he posted on YouTube, Robel Phillipos describes his background in Cambridge.
ROBEL PHILLIPOS, FRIEND OF BOMBING SUSPECT: I grew up in a very mild-mannered way of living. I wasn't too poor, wasn't too rich, just, you know, average guy.
TODD: Now, friends are trying to piece together how three average guys got caught up in the marathon bombing investigation and may wind up in prison. Was it a calculated attempt to deceive investigators? Nageswaran thinks it may have been just a clumsy effort to help a friend.
NAGESWARAN: They might have been scared initially because they're international students. They may have panicked.
TODD (on camera): And their arrest has unsettled this small college once again, less than two weeks after law enforcement agencies swarmed this campus and evacuated it right around the time of Dzhokhar's capture -- Erin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: Thanks very much to you, Brian.
And now, OUTFRONT, a 5-year-old boy shot accidentally and killed his 2-year-old sister. Meanwhile, guns are marketed to kids in this country, including this one dubbed "My First Rifle." Should those ads be banned?
Plus, tonight's "Outtake," Reese Witherspoon pleads no contest and apologizes for her tirade. But does it add up?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: We're back with an OUTFRONT update.
James Everett Dutschke, the man accused of sending ricin-laced letters to President Obama waived the detention hearing today. Not means that Dutschke is going to remain in jail without an opportunity for bail. It was also ruled that a federal grand jury will now determine what charges he'll face.
Authorities initially arrested an Elvis impersonator who is an acquaintance of Dutschke. In a separate case, Dutschke is also facing child molestation charges. Even if those charges aren't presented to the jury in the ricin case, Paul Callan, our legal analyst, tells us that the charges given the publicity could end up hurting him significantly.
And an update on another story we've been following. CNN has learned the Walt Disney Company has stopped production of its merchandise in Bangladesh. Now, its decision was actually not a response to last week's devastating building collapse, but to a series of factory fires in the country last fall, which we reported on at the time.
Disney sent a letter to vendors in March telling them to discontinue production in, quote-unquote, "high-risk countries" of which Bangladesh is one. Other companies are reacting as well.
But the problem is this: safety doesn't trickle down to subcontractors. And historically, they have not. It will be business as usual. So, you may think you're buying a well-produced piece of clothing that wasn't built in a horrible place under -- for no money by children, but you'd be wrong. According to one human rights group, Bangladeshi garment workers are the most exploited in the world, earning the lowest wages on Earth.
And now to tonight's "Outer Circle", where we reach out to sources around the world. Tonight I want to go to Syria where a top government official is denying using chemical weapons against its people. A declaration comes the same day that the U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the United States is rethinking its policy to not arm the Syrian opposition.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen sat down with Syria's information minister and I asked Fred what he had to say about the violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Erin, there's more and more fighting going on in and around the Damascus area, but also in other parts of Syria. And the Syrian military says it's making strategic gains. At the same time, of course, there are still those allegations of chemical weapons use.
Today, I was able to speak to Syria's information minister, and he said his government did not use chemical weapons. He blames Islamist militias fighting with the opposition for using them and he says that countries like the United States and Turkey are responsible for those weapons getting into Syria -- Erin.
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BURNETT: Thank you, Fred.
And I want to check in with Anderson Cooper now with a look at what's coming up on "A.C. 360." Hi, Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Erin.
We're going to be reporting more on the breaking news that the bombers planned to set off their devices on July 4th, according to the source. We're going to speak to Susan Candiotti who broke the news for CNN.
Also ahead, imagine your mother just disappeared, vanished, got up and left. Years later, 11 years later, after she's declared legally dead, she reappears homeless in the streets of Florida. I'll talk with Lee Heitz (ph) whose mother did just that. Brenda Heitz, that was his mother on the left 11 years ago, and that's what she looks like today, walked way from their home outside Philadelphia, turned up 11 years later in the Florida Keys.
It's an incredible, bizarre story. The question is, would you be able to forgive your mother if she did that? I'll ask Lee about that.
Also, my exclusive interview with the sister of a man sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea. The American citizen, we'll ask her about her brother and whether she thinks he's being used as a bargaining chip by North Korea.
Those stories and the wind-fueled firestorm sweeping through California communities, dramatic pictures. We'll show us just hours from Los Angeles. Whole neighborhoods are being evacuated.
A lot more at the top of the hour, Erin.
BURNETT: Those pictures are just incredible. All right. Looking forward to all of that, Anderson. We'll see you in a few moments.
And now, our fifth story OUTFRONT: arming America's youth. And I want to emphasize the word "youth". The tragic shooting death of a 2- year-old little girl by her 5-year-old brother who used his own gun this week was brought to attention. The gun industry's growing focus on young children as the next generation of customers.
For example, take the company crickett.com. Its slogan, "My first rifle." I don't know if they're making a play on the children's magazine or not.
But, anyway, under the kids' corner section, you can see kids holding rifles. They come in a variety of colors, including pink. If you're little girls into that color.
This week, shooting was the fourth in this month in which a child fired a gun at a sibling or a parent. It all raises the question of whether guns should be marketed towards and be put in the hands of children.
OUTFRONT tonight, Gayle Trotter, from the Independent Women's Forum, and radio show host Stephanie Miller.
All right. Great to have you with us.
Stephanie, let me start with you. The gun that was used in this week's shooting can be bought online or at outdoor retailers like Cabela's, Gander Mountain. Is this outrageous, or is this simply a cultural reality in some parts of the country?
STEPHANIE MILLER, RADIO HOST: In what -- do we want to live in a country where it's a cultural reality, Erin, that that's an appropriate gift for your 5-year-old to have loaded around a 2-year- old? Really? I mean, that Web site, what is that, baby's first rifle? Do we have baby's first foundry, baby's first combine?
Really? Have we lost our minds collectively?
You can lose a dog, Erin. I'm a dog rescue person. If you treat a dog inappropriately, it can be taken from your home. In what way is this appropriate parenting? Let's start with that.
BURNETT: Well, Gail, what's the answer to that? I mean, you know, you are teaching children who are hopefully going to grow up to use guns responsibly. So, some parents might say this is how you teach.
GAYLE TROTTER, INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S FORUM: No, absolutely not how you teach. But the cultural reality is that the number one marketer of guns to minors is Hollywood. And the creators of violent video games, they're the number two marketer to children.
And so, we really need as a culture to be looking at the influence of our media, our Hollywood, the video games that we have and what influence that has in attracting children to guns. We need to address that.
This advertisement and this company, this is a flea bite on this issue.
MILLER: What does that have to do with this? What does that have to do with this? You think it's wise to arm a 5-year-old? Do you think it's wise to market guns to 5-year-olds?
TROTTER: No, I don't. And I think --
(CROSSTALK)
TROTTER: James Bond, all these movies, "The Terminator", these movies that the kids are watching and the video games that teach them how to rapidly reload --
MILLER: Again, what do video games have to do with this?
TROTTER: It has everything to do with it. You're talking about the culture. This little company that no one has ever heard of that has a little advertisement in some, you know, small gun enthusiast magazine has nothing to do with the culture of violence that America is facing right now. And we need to look deep into ourselves to figure out --
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Let me pose a question to both of you. You know, 5- year-olds, it's very difficult for anyone to understand. You know, though, I have to say, when I was growing up, I knew a lot of boys at 10 and 11 who went hunting with their fathers. And you teach that to young children and they know how to use guns responsibly. Now, that may be crazy in some places, to others, it isn't.
And, Stephanie, let me ask you about this. Some people will say to your point of view if you're talking about accidental death for children, according to the latest government statistics, which is from 2007, that's the latest we have, nearly 7,000 children died in motor vehicle accidents, 1,000 by drowning, and 1,263 by suffocation, and by gun, 138.
MILLER: Well, is that OK for those 138 families? I mean, that's the thing I don't get. When you vote against, let's say, you know, background checks that 90 percent of the American people are for because you say, oh, that specifically wouldn't have helped Newtown. Well, it would have helped specifically a lot of other recent massacres like Virginia Tech and others.
(CROSSTALK)
TROTTER: No one would suggest standing advertising on residential swimming pools. And young children have 100 times greater risk of dying in a residential swimming pool than they do when there's a gun in the home. And no one would suggest banning advertising for residential swimming pools. And the 90 percent figure, that's just ridiculous. Because you can't take a complex issue like background checks and put it into a couple of questions on a poll.
MILLER: We have 10,000 gun deaths, Gayle, we have more gun deaths than any country in the world.
TROTTER: And we have 2.5 million defensive gun uses every year, so that statistically about almost 7,000 defensive gun uses a day.
(CROSSTALK)
MILLER: Gayle, that's not correct. You are 43 times more likely to kill a friend or family member. That's crazy.
TROTTER: That study is by Arthur Kellerman.
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Hold on. You're talking over each other. I love the tension, but let me ask you this question. At what age would you allow a child to have a gun?
TROTTER: Are you asking me or Stephanie?
BURNETT: I'm asking Stephanie first.
MILLER: I'm sorry, Erin. What was that?
BURNETT: What age would you allow a child to have a gun or would you say no one should have one at any point?
MILLER: I'm not saying no one should ever have a gun, Erin, but what sane person thinks it's OK to market to 5-year-olds and sell guns to 5-year-olds? In the NRA, every time they talk, the only solution is more guns. What, only if the 2-year-old were armed, would that have been the better solution so she could defend herself? I mean, this is crazy.
BURNETT: All right.
MILLER: This is just crazy.
TROTTER: All right. Absolutely not. The key issue is Hollywood and the violent video game makers and it's easy for Obama and his friends to get big contributions from Hollywood to look the other way at the true marketer of guns to minors.
BURNETT: All right. Thanks very much to both of you. Appreciate it. Obviously a conversation that will continue.
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BURNETT: Every night, we take a look outside the day's top stories for something we call the OUTFRONT outtake.
Well, tonight, Reese Witherspoon found herself in trouble. It was a very unpleasant incident that ensued. She was arrested for disorderly conduct after verbally attacking the arresting officer, including saying, do you know who I am? And saying that she was pregnant when she wasn't to try to get him out of being trouble.
This morning, she made her first public statement about the incident on "Good Morning America."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REESE WITHERSPOON, ACTRESS: It's one of those nights, you know, we went out to dinner in Atlanta and we had one too many glasses of wine, we thought we were fine to drive and we absolutely were not and we are so sorry and embarrassed.
I saw him arresting my husband and I literally panicked. I am so sorry. I was so disrespectful to him. And we are taking responsibility and doing everything in our power to make it right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Now, that is an apology. Look, you can't defend her behavior, but that is the way an apology should be. You've made a bad decision, take responsibility, reach out to the people you've wronged. Everyone needs to say, I'm sorry, I can learn something from Reese, including, perhaps, these people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I have asked all for their forgiveness.
TIGER WOODS, PRO GOLFER: For all that I have done, I am so sorry.
CHRIS BROWN, SINGER: I thought it was time you heard directly from me that I am sorry.
KOBE BRYANT, NBA PLAYER: Disgusted at myself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wanted to apologize.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very, very sorry.
MICHAEL VICK, NFL PLAYER: First, I want to apologize.
MARK SANFORD (R), FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR: And all I can say is that I apologize.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: What an ending. What did you think of Reese's apology? And who do you think still owes America real apology? Let us know at Twitter @ErinBurnett or @OutFrontCNN. All right. Well, still to come, a soup kitchen that will only serve people with citizenship. The essay is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: For almost a year we've been telling you about the rise of fascism growth in Greece. When the Greek economy failed, desperate voters turned to the neo-fascist political party called Golden Dawn. During last year's election, Golden Dawn turned in the fifth best numbers, 6 percent support. Not much, right?
But things have gotten worse in Greece and Golden Dawn is now in third place. With some polls saying support has doubled to 13 percent.
Now, you see that is a big problem considering Golden Dawn's history of xenophobia. This morning, Golden Dawn party officials say, hey, we're going to distribute free food to the poor in Greece. But just one catch, you have to be a legal citizen to get it. This caused violence, police brought in using pepper spray to try to break up the violence.
You probably hear about the austerity measures in Greece and protests and violence and you become numb to it, you assume it doesn't apply to you. But consider this, 27 percent of Greeks are currently unemployed, 1932, the year before Adolf Hitler took power, Germany's unemployment was 30 percent and Nazi party started with a lot lower poll numbers than Golden Dawn.
"A.C. 360" starts right now.
