Return to Transcripts main page
NEWS STREAM
ISIS Could Be Richest Terrorist Group In World; Leading Woman: Diane von Furstenberg; Parrot Drones Set To Hit U.S. Market In August; OJ Simpson Chase 20 Years Later; Highlights from World Cup Day Five; Iran Contemplates Options For Iraq; U.S. Prepares For Possible Evacuation From Iraq
Aired June 17, 2014 - 8:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.
Now Iraq's army tries to stop the advance of ISIS as the United States moves its firepower to the region.
Plus, rare twin tornadoes -- severe storms carve a path of destruction through the American heartland.
And, after stunning surprises on day five of the World Cup, it's time for host nation Brazil to battle Mexico to lead group A.
Let's get right to our top story, the offensive by the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq. Now militant fighters launched an overnight attack on the
city of Baqubah located just 60 kilometers north of Baghdad. But government forces are pushing back. And Iraqi state TV reports that they
have fended off the attackers in a number of neighborhoods.
Now dozens of American troops have moved in to beef up security at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. And as we speak, U.S. President Barack Obama is
looking at options to help Iraq's government stop the bloody offensive by ISIS.
And as the group closes in on Baghdad, international diplomats are starting to pull out. Canada has already taken its lone diplomat out of
the capital. And the Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australia has soldiers on deck ready to extract its officials there if need be.
And as for the Iraqis caught up in the middle of the sectarian violence. UNICEF says 500,000 have fled since June 6, half are said to be
children.
Let's get to Baghdad now. Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins us live from the Iraqi capital. Nic, first the battle for
Baqubah, what happened? And what's the latest?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as far as we understand, Kristie, the battle there is still going. On according to al
Iraqiya (ph), the state TV channel here, government forces are retaking control of various parts of Baqubah. They also say that the ISIS fighters
attacked the jail there, killing what state TV says were 44 prisoners inside by throwing grenades inside there.
What we are hearing from the police commander in Diyala province, which is where Baqubah is 45 minutes drive northeast of Baghdad, is that 44
people, prisoners inside that jail, were killed by ISIS. We still cannot independently verify that information that this.
But an eyewitness told CNN that ISIS, in fact, advanced, went into the police station inside the city, took the weapons and then retreated from
the police station and that happened earlier this morning.
ISIS took control of the main military base just north of Baqubah over the weekend after Iraqi army troops were ordered to withdraw, taking their
weapons with them. The situation there is fluid. We also heard from prime minister Nuri al-Maliki's adviser talking to us about the meeting the prime
minister had with the U.S. ambassador, Steven Beecroft yesterday saying that it was -- the meeting was productive. They talked about the terrorism
issues in the area.
But principally Nuri al-Maliki asking the Americans for more support at this time, wants them to do more to help combat this ISIS threat,
Kristie.
LU STOUT: We also heard from the United Nations, the UN has condemned the summary executions carried out by ISIS. Nic, what do we know about the
size and scope of these killings/
ROBERTSON: The numbers are hard to verify. ISIS claims it's killed 1,700 people, impossible to verify. The videos that they have reveal far
fewer men being put in front of weapons.
These videos themselves represent propaganda and potential evidence of war crimes being committed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: These new interrogation videos shot up close and personal. But this ISIS militant's message is universal.
Islamic state is here to stay, says a bearded ISIS extremist.
This is the propaganda message he forces his Iraqi captives to repeat. Two of them comply.
The third man, who CNN has identified as 36-year-old Jaafar Mosin Ziki (ph) appears weak, dehydrated, hardly able to react to his captors abuse.
In the following video, Ziki (ph) is dead, his jaw blown off then a declaration of pride for, quote, "killing a Shia."
The bearded militant from Tunisia identified by his Facebook page as Abu Hamza al-Muhamedi (ph) posted these images of the execution on his
account before Facebook deactivated it.
This gruesome slaughtering accompanied by horrifying images of other murdered soldiers posted on jihadi Internet sites and an ISIS twitter
account.
These propaganda videos, just the latest wave of violence following a week of ISIS attacks in Iraq, though CNN cannot independently confirm the
authenticity of the images.
As the Sunni extremist group gains ground, heading toward Baghdad, reports that Iraqi air force is fighting back.
Iraqi state TV reporting Monday that the country's air force destroyed 15 vehicles carrying ISIS fighters en route to the country's second largest
city Mosul.
In a separate wave of air raids, state TV reporting that more than 200 ISIS militants also killed in Saqlawia, northwest of Falluja.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: Now Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has vowed to retake the country from top to bottom. His and Shia clerics' appeals for volunteers
to join the army has been widely picked up by the Shia community here. However, what the prime minister doesn't appear to be doing yet is reaching
out politically across the sectarian and ethnic divide here to do what the international community is urging him to do, and that is make political
compromise, have political conversations rather than launching a heavy military offensive based essentially along sectarian lines, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yeah, a political solution is desperately needed here. Nic Robertson reporting live from Baghdad, thank you, Nic.
And as ISIS militants marched through Iraq, where are they getting the money to fund their insurgency. We'll explore that angle a little bit
later right here on the program.
Now the situation in Iraq is deteriorating so much that longtime foes, the U.S. and Iran, have talked to each other about it.
Now a U.S. State Department spokeswoman says representatives from the two countries held very brief discussions on the sidelines of nuclear talks
in Vienna. Now the UK is also set to start a new chapter in its relationship with Iran. The British foreign secretary William Hague has
just told parliament that the UK will reopen its embassy in Tehran. It's been closed since 2011.
Now let's get more on this from our Reza Sayah. He joins us live from the Iranian capital. And Reza, again, the UK is reopening its embassy
there in Tehran. How significant is this, especially now as ISIS moves across Iraq?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, yeah, Kristie.
I think even if we weren't observing this escalating crisis, this escalating insurgency in Iraq, this British embassy would be opening. This
is something that has been in the works for more than a year now. But with respect to the crisis in Iraq and the insurgency, I think now perhaps you
will have an easier, perhaps more formal and official line of communication.
Remember, these are two countries, the UK and Iran, who share some very compelling interests in Baghdad. Neither of these countries wants the
Baghdad government to fall. And then you look at the UK, they want a broad-based coalition government in Baghdad. And they believe that Iran
can help them achieve that.
We should put out that at this point it's not clear when the embassy will open here in Tehran. And when it does, British foreign secretary
William Hague has made it clear that it's going to be a small, limited presence.
Even so, this is a major development. The UK embassy shutting down here in 2011 when Iranian demonstrators stormed the embassy to protest
increasing sanctions by the west to curb Iran's nuclear program. But ever since Hassan Rouhani, the moderate president, took office relations have
improved. They've had bilateral talks, appointing non-resident charges d'affairs last year. And now you have the big announcement soon, a UK
embassy opening here once again in Tehran, Kristie.
LU STOUT: An Reza, meanwhile, in Vienna, Iranian officials held brief talks with their U.S. counterparts on the crisis in Iraq, what came out of
that?
SAYAH: I think based on the statements that we're hearing from that conversation and statements here in Tehran and Washington were getting a
better idea of what a potential alliance between Washington and Tehran would look like, it is very unlikely now, based on what we've heard, that
we're going to see military cooperation. It's very unlikely that we're going to see a scenario where you have Iranian forces down on the ground in
Iraq and up above you have U.S. drones and U.S. fighter jets.
And that's really no surprise for several reasons. First off, neither Tehran and Washington has made it clear if military aid, if military
action, is the right course. And if they do consider cooperating together militarily, that's not going to be easy. Remember, they haven't had
diplomatic relations for close to 35 years. There's lingering mistrust. To get on the battlefield together is going to take some time.
And also you have Iran's military doctrine. It has long been a strictly defensive doctrine. Never in modern history have they deployed
uniform troops in another sovereign country. And Mr. Rouhani, the president, has pretty much dismissed that idea at this point.
So the most likely scenario would be Iran sharing intelligence with the U.S. just like it did in 2001 when it helped Washington beat the
Taliban in Afghanistan.
LU STOUT: And I'm curious, Reza, right now what is Iran doing to help the Iraqi forces and to prevent the fall of Baghdad?
SAYAH: At this point, their position is we're ready to help, but they maintain that Iraq has not reached out for help. What we do know is that
there's some military officials there, but the Iranian government has long said that they do place Iranian military officials there for guidance, for
strategic -- training so on and so forth. Nothing specifically with the respect to the crisis in Iraq.
But remember, it's widely believed that one of Iran's strategies over the past three decades has been to work with proxies within Iraq, that
could be happening even without the uniformed troops there, according to some analysts.
LU STOUT: All right, CNN's Reza Sayah reporting live from Tehran. Thank you, Reza.
You're watching News Stream. And still to come, Iran and Nigeria give the World Cup tournament's first draw, and a scoreless one at that. But,
in the rest of Group G, it was goals galore.
We'll bring you more on the stunning results from two matches in particular.
And also ahead two tornadoes, it's incredible, side by side, they plowed through the U.S. State of Nebraska, ripping up homes and ripping up
trees. We'll bring you a live update on the ground.
Plus, it has been two decades since the controversial trial of O.J. Simpson. We look back on the rise and fall of the American football
player.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back.
Now day five of the World Cup was an exciting day filled with some stunning goals and quite a few firsts for the tournament.
Now fans of Team USA are still celebrating their big win over Ghana.
Now Ghana and the U.S. are old rivals. They have come face-to-face twice in the past, first, in 2006 and then in 2010. Now both times, Ghana,
also known as the Black Stars, sent the U.S. packing. But this time around, the Americans got their revenge with a dramatic 2-1 win, thrilling
fans the world over.
Lara Baldesarra has the highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARA BALDESARRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The USA couldn't have asked for a better start. Just 29 seconds in and Clint Dempsey opened with
a big goal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the earliest goals in World Cup finals history.
BALDESARRA: A shocking beginning, it was the fifth fastest goal in
World Cup history. The Team USA crowds in the stadium and back home, they simply erupted.
(CHEERS)
CROWD: USA! USA!
BALDESARRA: It was that kind of support inside the stadium that really lifted this team right from the national anthem.
KYLE BECKERMAN, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM PLAYER: Just hearing how loud they were and chanting the whole game. It was just really pushing us on.
BALDESARRA: But it didn't go completely the Americans' away. Ghana was no pushover, making a comeback late in the game. And with the game tied at
1-1, it was the 21-year-old John Brooks playing in his first ever World Cup that found the winning goal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The USA!
BALDESARRA: Before the game, he talked about what it's like being on the American national team.
JOHN BROOKS, TEAM USA PLAYER: It was a big dream to come to this team. It's an honor to wear this jersey.
BALDESARRA: It was a win for the USA that was remarkably hard fought.
MICHAEL BRADLEY, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM PLAYER: The commitment, the determination, the fight, the mentality. Those things carried us through.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Lara Baldesarra there reporting.
Now another highlight from day five was the highly touted showdown between two European titans Germany and Portugal. Now not much suspense in
this one, though, as the Germans trounced their way to a 4-0 victory. German forward Thomas Muller delivered the tournament's first hat trick.
He was named man of the match for his commanding performance.
That showdown may have left the Portuguese team in a vulnerable state going forward, because the team lost one player to a red card and may have
lost another to an injury.
Now Tuesday, we'll see Belgium square off against Algeria and Russia take on South Korea. And of course, host nation Brazil set to battle
Mexico.
Let's get more now from Shasta Darlington who was in Sao Paulo. Shasta, good to see you. And what are people there excited about today?
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it'll be no surprise to hear that what people are looking forward to is the Brazil
against Mexico game. This is obviously a big deal for Brazil. They are the favorites going into this. And they are optimistic. But it's not
going to be a cakewalk. The team knows it and the fans know it.
Brazil has history on its side. They've beat Mexico in every single time they faced off against them in the World Cup. They beat them exactly
a year ago at this very same stadium in Fortaleza, a beach town, during the Confederation's Cup.
But I think the performances we've seen so far this time around do raise questions. Brazil did beat Croatia 3-1, but there was also an own
goal. There was some questionable refereeing that really gave Brazil the upper hand and at the same time, Mexico came out looking very strong when
they beat Cameroon.
So this is going to be an important game to see who really comes out ahead in this group stage. Fans are already packing into Fortaleza.
Obviously lots of Brazilian fans, but also Mexican fans. We've heard lots of anecdotes about the Mexican fans who have been going around serenading
Brazilians with this song Neymar Va a Llorar (ph) talking about the Brazilian striker Neymar who is going to cry, they say.
Well see, of course, at the end of this game who is crying, Kristie.
LU STOUT: We have that and a number of big matches to watch today.
Do you think that the excitement about the World Cup has overshadowed the anger about the cost of the World Cup there?
DARLINGTON: Yeah, I really do think this is finally taken off, Kristie. What really helped is not only having the ball on the pitch,
Brazil playing, but also just seeing all of these international fans pouring into the country.
Brazilians are very gracious hosts. And so having Argentines, people from Africa, people from Europe, all over the country has really brought
out this gracious hospitable side of Brazilians. So you'll see at the fanfest sites at the hotels just on main avenues, Brazilians are really
getting in the mood finally. They're out there rooting for the team, but also showing the rest of the world what it means to be in Brazil for a
World Cup.
And while we do expect more protests pretty much every game in every city, they have been small. And you know I actually think if the police
weren't so heavy-handed they might not be making the headlines that they're making, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Well, it's great to hear that the focus is firmly on the football.
Shasta Darlington there live from Sao Paulo, thank you Shasta.
And don't forget to talk with the World Sport team on Twitter. You just use the hashtag CNN World Cup during the games.
We're also following the debate for you on Facebook and on Instagram like the headbutt that got the world talking. Check out CNN's Facebook
Pulse.
We're also on Flipboard. Find photos and also stories about Brazil 2014.
Just ahead right here on the program, deadly tornadoes tear through parts of the U.S. Midwest devastating towns in their wake. We'll take you
live to the scene as emergency workers start to pick up the pieces.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.
Now a massive storm system sweeping across the Midwestern United States have wrecked havoc in the state of Nebraska. Two people are
confirmed dead. And there was a rare sighting, twin tornadoes. Now some residents are saying that they have not seen anything like this before.
For more now on the storm and the aftermath, meteorologist Indra Petersons joins me now live from the town of Pilger in Nebraska. And
Indra, what have you seen around you in the wake of these deadly tornadoes?
INDRA PETERSONS, METEOROLOGIST: Now that the sunlight is up this morning, Kristie, you're really seeing all the destruction that is out
here.
I do want to reinforce, what is so rare it's not that there were two tornadoes, but two tornadoes of equal magnitude, and a large size. These
tornadoes were so violent, they were on the ground for about an hour.
So two direct hits to this city of Pilger, Nebaska. You can actually see the entire city, about 50 to 75 percent of the city is completely wiped
out this morning. We're hearing the school destroyed. We're talking about the fire department completely gone. And of course 40 to 55 homes
completely leveled down to the ground. And unfortunately this is just one incident. We're talking about many incidents of severe weather, actually
32 reports of damage from tornadoes in between Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin just yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's move, guys.
PETERSONS (voice-over): An incredible outbreak of deadly tornadoes tearing through northeastern Nebraska Monday resulting in a rare and
stunning sight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where has that happened before?
PETERSONS: Storm chasers capturing not one by two massive tornadoes side by side on the ground ripping through the town of Pilger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a town, (EXPLETIVE). That's a water tower.
PETERSONS: The twin tornadoes surprising even the storm chasers who shot the video.
BEN MCMILLAN, STORM CHASER: Two possibly three. I've never seen anything like this. This is just very, very dangerous.
REED TIMMER, STORM CHASER: This is definitely the first time I've seen two tornadoes like that that violent on the same storm.
PETERSONS: They will resume searching through the rubble today, but so far no one is unaccounted for. The governor of Nebraska issuing a state of
emergency, putting the National Guard on standby. The storm carved a path of destruction 25 to 30 miles long, leveling homes, farms and schools over
three counties. The small town of Pilger, the hardest hit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whole blocks of houses are destroyed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got to see something today I wish I never would have seen.
PETERSONS: The funnel clouds spawning (ph) nearly a mile wide, powerfully churning up the ground below.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh look at the little water (INAUDIBLE) in there. That's crazy.
PETERSONS: Tossed around by the sheer force of the winds, estimated up to 200 miles per hour in each tornado. Sirens blaring, warning residents to
get underground as the twister barreled through nearby Wisner.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The kind of storms you need to be underground to survive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep moving fast!
PETERSONS: Another storm chaser caught the same twin tornadoes devastating this farm around Wakefield.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are merging. They are going to merge.
PETERSONS: Before merging into one colossal funnel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PETERSONS: All the residents here were evacuated to a nearby Red Cross shelter in Wisner, Nebraska. This morning, they have not been
allowed back in just yet. They are preparing to do that, but unfortunately, as you can see, now that the daylight has come up, this is
what they're going to see. Shock is going to be setting in.
We're talking about people's homes right here behind me. This was a two story home now completely down to the ground. It looks like a
(inaudible) wooden structure. But farther distance, I'm hearing reports that there's actually a bank, the second story of that being cinder block,
that too now completely beyond repair.
So that's what we're going to have to do. The National Weather Service is going to be coming out today looking at this kind of damage to
determine what the strength of this tornado was. But first things first, and that is the residents do need to pick up the pieces to their lives.
And of course they're actually asking that we get the word out, they do not want anyone coming in to help these residents, not today, they want all
volunteers to stay out of the area for one day. Just let the residents pick up the pieces first, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Indra, can't get over that scene of devastation behind you or that image of the two tornadoes spinning side by side, absolutely
chilling.
Indra Petersons reporting live from Pilger, Nebraska, thank you.
You're watching News Stream. And still to come, Washington weighs its options about what to do in Iraq. We'll go there live for the latest just
ahead.
And the car chase the captivated America -- 20 years since police pursued OJ Simpson down the streets of Los Angeles, we look at the double
murder case and how attitudes about it have changed.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, you're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.
Now Islamic terrorist fighters are moving in on Baghdad, but Iraqi forces are pushing back. State TV says government troops managed to fend
off an overnight attack by ISIS fighters in several areas of Baqubah. The city is located around 60 kilometers north of Baghdad. And from there, it
would be a straight run to the capital.
UK foreign secretary William Hague says Britain will reopen its embassy in Tehran. It has been in the works for awhile and comes amid the
growing prospect of cooperation between Iran and the west over the crisis in Iraq. Now the UK closed its embassy back in 2011 after Iranian
protesters attacked it.
The lawyer for the first mate of the ferry that sank off South Korea is pleading for leniency. He says his client thought the coast guard would
be able to rescue the passengers. Now the first mate is one of four crew members charged with murder for failing to save more than 300 passengers on
board the Sewol, which sank in April. Now a total of 15 crew members are on trial.
An Egyptian judge is set to announce the verdict in the trial of three al Jazeera journalists this coming Monday. They're accused of spreading
false news, harming Egypt's national security and belonging to the outlaw Muslim Brotherhood. And they deny the charges.
And while Iraqi security forces work to contain the movement of Sunni militants, the U.S. is weighing its intervention options as we speak. On
the table, launching air strikes against ISIS and possibly cooperating with longtime foe Iran.
Let's get to Washington now. CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us now.
And Barbara, President Obama has deployed up to 275 troops. What will be their main role?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the bulk of those troops are actually security troops that are already at the U.S.
embassy in Baghdad to reinforce security there as the situation becomes more uncertain, and of course the State Department has already withdrawn
some diplomats from there.
About 100 of those troops are going to other locations in the region on standby just in case a full evacuation of the embassy is ordered and
people cannot get out by commercial air.
So, you know, all the pieces being put in place for potentially evacuating the entire embassy if it comes to that, if Baghdad is at risk --
Kristie.
LU STOUT: And Barbara, what kind of military assets it the Pentagon moving into the region?
STARR: Well, we've seen the carrier George H.W. Bush go in. We've seen an amphibious ship with 550 marines go in, again for potential
evacuation. And there are four ships equipped with Tomahawk missiles.
So this now -- you know, puts all the pieces into place to give President Obama all the options. He has to decide -- he has to decide
whether he wants to go with air strikes potentially, share more intelligence with the Iraqis, press them to do it. It just gives him the
full range of options so everything is ready to go if and when the White House makes a decision.
LU STOUT: All the pieces are coming into place, so what is the latest thinking about a U.S. military air strike against ISIS in Iraq?
STARR: Well, the president met last night in Washington with his top national security team and after that senior officials took great pains to
tell reporters that no decisions had been made. It's everyone's understanding the president has made no decision about what he wants to do,
still weighing the pros and cons, looking at all the options.
As we have discussed, targeting ISIS will be very difficult. This is -- this is a very dispersed target. Its personnel, its people moving
around, they'll have to decide how they want to go after it.
LU STOUT: All right, Barbara Starr reporting live from the Pentagon, thank you.
Now remember, U.S. President Obama was the one who engineered the withdrawal from Iraq, a decision that is now coming under intense scrutiny
and criticism from some.
Now CNN spoke with Paul Wolfowitz just a short time ago. He was the deputy secretary of defense in the administration of George W. Bush. He
says the Obama White House could have done more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL WOLFOWITZ, FRM. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I think we could have A kept substantial, not a huge, American presence, not a combat
presence, but the kind of support that would have kept Maliki better under control, that would have given the Iraqi army better ability to function. I
don't think it was set up well for Obama when he came in, but I don't think he operated off of that base very effectively.
Look, Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953 having campaigned to end the war in Korea, which he did immediately. He did not remove American
troops from Korea. If he had done so, Korea wasn't ready to stand on its own feet for another 10 or 20 years and even then not very well. But today
it's a miracle story.
Look, I think this situation can be recovered. The best way to end the so-called blame game is for the president to pull the chestnuts out of the
fire here and say go blame all you like, I have succeeded. What people say in the end about this is not going to be about what happened five years ago
or ten years ago or 20 years ago. It's going to be about how this situation comes out, and it is an emergency for the United States. It is al Qaeda.
It's not just Sunni and Shia, and we need to do everything we can within reason and that puts some limits on what we can do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: And as for improving the situation, he later said a key group the U.S. has yet to support is moderate Sunni rebels in Syria. He
says that they are the only people actually battling ISIS militants.
Now ISIS militants have been gaining more than a territorial stake in these recent takeovers across Iraq. They've also gotten quite the
financial windfall in the last week alone. And now, some experts are saying that ISIS could be the richest terrorist group in the world.
Randi Kaye has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, ISIS struck gold, literally. They robbed that city's central bank, taking
a large amount of gold and an estimated $430 million. A smash and grab like that, some experts predict, could make them the richest terror
organization in the world.
The Council on Foreign Relations reports most of ISIS's financing comes from smuggling, extortion and other crimes.
ISIS is even cashing in on oil, selling crude from oil fields they took control of in northern Syria right back to the Syrian government.
The New York Times reports ISIS is also selling electricity from captured power plants back to the government too.
JOSH ROGIN, THE DAILY BEAST: They also do a lot of the traditional terrorist fundraising activities -- kidnapping, robbing, thieving, involved
-- they're involved in the drug trade. They have money laundering schemes.
KAYE: In The Daily Beast, Josh Rogin reports that ISIS has also been funded for years by wealthy private donors living in countries the U.S.
considers allies, countries like Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia and that those governments, says Rogin, know it's happening but choose to look away.
ROGIN: The governments could have some plausible deniability and say they weren't funding them directly.
At the very least, they were looking the other way.
KAYE: Now back to the numbers. If you do the math, ISIS may be worth at least $500 million after that last attack on that bank in Mosul. In
2011, the Taliban was said to be worth an estimated $70 million to $400 million. Even al Qaeda can't compete. al Qaeda had an operating budget of
about $30 million a year before the 9/11 attacks.
And all of this cash on hand only allows ISIS to attract more extremist fighters who are drawn to higher salaries. Big money also helps
ISIS finance large-scale prison raids, liberating hundreds of fighters who then join their ranks.
ROGIN: ISIS is a group that can't be negotiated with. The more resources they have the more aggressive they'll be, the more violent
they're going to be.
KAYE: Elevating the risk in the Middle East and potentially around the globe.
Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: ISIS is one of several militant groups seeking to establish an Islamic state in their corner of the world. And right here are
countries from which some other groups are operating.
al Qaeda may be at the root of this ideological tree. It was founded in the late 1980s by Osama bin Laden. Now the Taliban established their
own Islamic state in Afghanistan in the 1990s and sheltered al Qaeda. Its fighters also crossed into neighboring Pakistan.
al Qaeda offshoots have surfaced based out of Yemen and Mali. And the group has also inspired Somalia's al Shabaab fighters.
There's also Boko Haram in Nigeria. They, of course, kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls in April and are still holding them hostage.
al Qaeda militants have been known to fight alongside Chechen separatists in Russia's north Caucuses Region. And here in Asia, there are
groups like Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines and Jamaa Islamiya in Indonesia, the later carried out the deadly bomb attacks in Bali back in 2002.
And there's also a deadly Islamist insurgency in southern Thailand. And Chinese officials have blamed a separatist group called the East
Turkistan Islamic Movement for violent attacks in its Xinjiang region and other parts of the country.
You're watching News Stream. And still to come, we look back at the murder case the polarized America and had millions glued to their TVs for
months.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back.
Now today's Leading Woman has been dubbed the most marketable designer since Coco Chanel -- Diane von Furstenberg. She stumbled upon a big break
in her career some 30 years ago when she created the wrap dress.
And today demand for her demur, yet feminine design, is still going strong.
But as the designer tells Isha Sesay, the rode to fashion stardom has not always been easy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know the name, you know the dress, but do you know the woman behind the fashion empire?
Diane von Furstenberg. Her name has been a mainstay in fashion for more than 40 years.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG, FASHION DESIGNER: It's like music, it goes on. You know, it's one day after the other, one season after the other.
SESAY: Tell me, when did you first realize you wanted to become a designer, wanted to be in the fashion industry?
FURSTENBERG: I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but I knew the kind of woman I wanted to be. When you don't have a real vocation and when
you start young, then it's about -- you know, there are doors that open. And then the door that opened for me was a door in fashion.
SESAY: A native of Belgium, she studied economics at the University of Geneva, then von Furstenberg moved to New York in 1970 and established
Diane von Furstenberg Limited in 1972.
But it was just two years later, with the creation of one dress, that skyrocketed her brand to the top.
FURSTENBERG: I mean, it seemed very odd that this year we celebrate our 40th anniversary of the wrap dress. and that dress I owed everything,
because it was proper and sexy at the same time, because you could go to work in it and have fun in it, because you could seduce the man and not
offend his mother.
SESAY: So was that the moment for you when you realized that you had something special that set you apart?
FURSTENBERG: Well, yes, it was a -- I lived in the American dream at 28, which is an extraordinary thing. Because for years I didn't even
consider myself a designer, even though I was making millions of dresses.
SESAY: The success of the von Furstenberg fashion house wasn't without its challenges. Following her divorce from European aristocrat
Egon von Furstenberg in the 1980s, she moved back to Europe to focus on her children and personal life.
When you moved back to Europe and you left the brand being managed -- and you're managing it from afar, how difficult was it to come back and
regain control?
FURSTENBERG: Well, when I came back I had lost my brand, and then, you know, it was -- it was tough. It was tough, because I realized that
actually my work had become -- was a lot of my identity. And I didn't realize -- so not only I had lost my brand, but I forgot who I was. But
that happens to people, you know.
And then 14 years ago I started again. And I started again with that one little dress again, because I started to see that the hip young girls
were buying it in vintage shops.
SESAY: Now that she's reclaimed her company, DVF is sold in more than 55 countries, including 95 DVF owned stores in the Americas, Europe, the
Middle East and Asia.
FURSTENBERG: The truth is that I have been working for 40 years and I've had some amazing ups and then I've had some, you know, some falls and
-- but it has been an incredible adventure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: You can find out more about other extraordinary women at the top of their field, including one brave adventurer who spent nine
months trekking across the Australian desert. All that and more, CNN.com/leadingwomen.
Now, still to come, we've seen them deliver pizzas, spy on neighbors, and now one company wants to make it easier than ever to put drone in your
hands.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back.
Now it may be hard to believe, but it has been 20 years since this police pursuit captivated America. Now it was broadcast live on major
networks on U.S. TV. And inside the White Bronco, of course American football legend OJ Simpson. He was accused of murdering his ex-wife and a
male friend.
Now Ted Rowlands takes us back to the days leading up to that infamous highway pursuit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID GASCON, LAPD: Approximately 10 minutes after midnight. A witness discovered the body of Nicole Brown Simpson. The presence of a
second body, an individual who is now been identified as Mr. Ronald Goldman 25 years of age.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A brutal double murder -- Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were killed on the night of June
12 with all signs pointing to her ex-husband OJ Simpson.
At 10:15, the estimated time of the murders, Simpson claims he's at home, but at 10:25 limo driver Alan Park, who waited nearly an hour to take
Simpson to the airport says no one answered the downstairs buzzer and Park says he saw a man that looked like OJ walk towards the house at 10:55,
shortly before Simpson eventually emerges to catch a flight to Chicago.
ALAN PARK, SIMPSON LIMO DRIVER: He told me that he overslept and he just got out of the shower.
ROWLANDS: The next morning, detectives looked for Simpson at his house and find what appears to be a match to a bloody glove found at crime
scene. They also find blood on his driveway.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a blood trail from the Bronco right on into the house.
ROWLANDS: When Simpson returns the next day from Chicago, he agrees to talk to detectives and tries to explain the cut on his left hand.
VANNATTER: How did you do it in Chicago?
OJ SIMPSON, FRM. NFL RUNNINGBACK: I broke a glass. I just was -- one of you guys had just called me, and I was in the bathroom, and I just kind
of went bonkers for a little bit.
ROWLANDS: Simpson then hires attorney Robert Shapiro on June 15 and stops talking to police. On June 16, four days after the murders, Simpson
attends the funeral for his ex-wife Nicole.
Ron Goldman is also buried that day by his family.
FRED GOLDMAN, RON GOLDMAN'S FATHER: Any parents that's ever had to do that knows what a painful, horrifying, gut tearing feeling it is.
ROWLANDS: The next day, June 17, at 2:00 p.m. the LAPD announces that OJ Simpson is wanted on charges of double murder.
GASCON: The Los Angeles Police Department right now is actively searching for Mr. Simpson.
ROWLANDS: Simpson was supposed to have turned himself in that morning, but he doesn't show up, and in fact hasn't been seen in public
since the funeral the day before.
District attorney Gil Garcetti puts the pressure on anyone who may be helping OJ.
GIL GARCETTI, LOS ANGELES DISTRICT ATTORNEY: If you assist him in any way, you are committing a felony.
ROWLANDS: At 5:00 p.m. still no sign of Simpson. His own attorneys call a news conference.
ROBERT SHAPIRO, SIMPSON'S ATTORNEY: For the sake of your family, for the sake of your children, please surrender immediately.
ROWLANDS: Attorney Robert Kardashian reads what sounds like a suicide note written by Simpson earlier that day.
ROBERT KARDASHIAN, SIMPSON'S FRIEND: Thanks for making my life special. I hope I helped yours.
ROWLANDS: Then, an hour and 45 minutes later...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I just saw OJ Simpso on the freeway. He's heading north.
ROWLANDS: The pursuit begins, all caught on live television, captivating more than 90 million viewers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, toss the gun. Juice, just toss it.
ROWLANDS: The police managed to get Simpson on the phone. He had a loaded gun and was threatening suicide.
SIMPSON: I've already said good-bye to my kids.
ROWLANDS: More than two hours, the slow speed chase continued. Drivers on the other side of the freeway got out of their cars to catch a
glimpse, some even showed up with signs telling OJ to run for it.
Eventually, at 8:51 the night of June 17, the chase ends in front of OJ Simpson's Los Angeles home. He finally gives up and is arrested on
charges of double murder.
Ted Rowlands, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now a jury found OJ Simpson not guilty of both murders in 1995. The verdict was carried live. It was one of the most watched TV
events in history.
The case also generated a huge debate in America that was often divided along racial lines. In 1994, that vast majority of White Americans
thought Simpson was guilty, but 60 percent of African-Americans thought the charges were not true.
Now fast forward to today and we see a turnaround. A CNN/ORC poll shows a majority of African-Americans, 53 percent, now say that the murder
charges against Simpson are definitely or most likely true.
Now time for your global weather forecast, earlier we showed you terrible devastation in the U.S. state of Nebraska. And let's get more now
on the devastation there and also the incredible image of those two twin spinning tornadoes. Mari Ramos joins us with more on that -- Mari.
MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, the images are truly amazing and terrifying, Kristie.
We're going to get to those pictures in just a moment, but I want to show you the areas that were affected. We're talking about the northern
plains in the U.S., the areas where these tornadoes hit fortunately not densely populated.
But I want to show you this graphic right over here, so you can see there are tornadoes as far north as North Dakota reported in the last 24
hours. There's a Nebraska tornadoes, across Iowa and all the way down into southern parts of Wisconsin.
So this is pretty significant, because it was a widespread area that was affected by the severe weather.
But the most affected is this area right over here across this northern corner of Nebraska. There's the town of Pilger right there. And
you can see how almost there's nothing else around here except a few farm houses until you get to that tiny little town that is less than one square
kilometer. And let's go ahead and look at the images now.
Really amazing when you see it. You know, those images translated from Google onto what you're seeing on the screen now just really puts it
into perspective. There you see those twin twisters spinning right through that entire area.
What's most rare about this -- not that there were two vortexes, because this is something that can be seen -- not as common, but it does
happen across many areas, especially when you have this type of severe weather and this type of weather scenario. However, what was rare about
those storms is how long they were on the ground, approximately about an hour, that's why most of that town was entirely blown off the map, as you
can see there.
And this closeup over here of another -- of the same twister, you can see the kind of damage that it was doing as it was picking up entire houses
and just hurdling them up into the air. It almost looks like special effects from a movie, but what you're looking at is the real thing.
Extremely dangerous tornadoes. And of course, as we heard before, the National Weather Service will be investigating this area later to see
exactly how intense they were. But it is estimated that they may have been -- maybe as much as 200 kilometer per hour winds with this tornado.
You can see on the back there, the other vortex of the other tornado that was right behind it.
Just really amazing pictures here, Kristie, and these storm chasers I really don't know what they're made of, that's really amazing that they
were able to capture these images there of those twin twisters right there.
Just come back over to the weather map. Let me show you something else. Because, again today, we have that risk of severe weather stretching
across the northern plains. And this time, we're moving into more densely populated areas.
Remember that Google Map that I showed you that had, you know, just pretty much farmland across this central and northern plains? Now we're
going to include bigger cities like Minneapolis and Chicago and Detroit into that area with the potential for severe weather. We're talking about
44 million people, almost 45 million people that are under that umbrella today of that potential for severe weather.
And even though the risk is slight, if we do get tornadoes they could actually be intense like the ones that we saw today, the risk for intense
tornadoes is high if they do form across this region. So definitely something we'll be monitoring today.
Back to you.
LU STOUT: All right, Mari Ramos there. Thank you.
Now government's, they use them for surveillance and for military operations. But later this summer, average Americans will be able to have
their own personal drones.
Now a company called Parrot, which makes the unmanned vehicles, is unveiling two mini-models for the American market.
Now CNN Money's Laurie Segall got an up close look and spoke to Parrot's vice president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY: Can you explain a little bit about each of these?
PETER GEORGE, VICE PRESIDENT, PARROT: Sure. So what we've got here is what we're calling our mini-drones.
SEGALL: Where did the idea come from? Why did you guys decide to really kind of hone in on that market?
GEORGE: So we've seen that really that the consumer products is where it's at. And although we've been very successful at $300 price point, for
us we wanted to bring some drones style products to the (inaudible).
This is our mini-drone Rolling Spider. So this is a very simple compact flying helicopter. It's controlled, again, from a smart device,
whether it be an iPhone, or an iOS device, tablet or smartphone.
The other product we have is the Jumping Sumo. This is very, very unique, different to anything else on the market at the moment.
This doesn't fly, it drives, again controlled by a smart device. This one does have a front wide angle camera on it and it will stream live video
at your control device.
But one of the most unique features about this product is it jumps up to two-and-a-half feet.
Primarily to date, people have liked the toy aspect of the drone.
Parrot is really focused on building the consumer space as well as getting more advanced (inaudible) marketplace. And you may see some of
those commercial pictures again come (inaudible). This is cool, because it embeds all of the technology of the larger drones in such a small, compact
and well priced product at $99.
SEGALL: When we look at the technology, is it just that it got cheaper, which enables you guys to bring down the pricepoint?
GEORGE: Yeah, absolutely. Plus, the Bluetooth technology in this is a little bit cheaper than Wi-Fi technology. But as we progress, everything
gets cheaper. So what we can do today compared to four years ago, when we released our first drone, is significantly different. So you can provide a
lot more technology at a much reduced price.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT; I love those jumping drones.
And in case you're wondering, those mini-drones are scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. in August.
And that is News Stream. But the news continues at CNN. World Business Today is next.
END
