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Outspoken Vladimir Putin Critic Boris Nemtsov Gunned Down; Homeland Security Money to Run for Another Seven Days; Race to Find Teens Before They Join ISIS; Police Shot Unarmed Man in the Back; Egyptian Court Declares Hamas a Terrorist Organization; D.C. versus Capitol Hill in Pot Showdown

Aired February 28, 2015 - 13:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And an 11-hour reprieve to keep money flowing to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. But the funding fight is definitely not over.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Hello, again, everyone. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with the developing story. New information in an execution style murder yards from the Kremlin. Boris Nemtsov, an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, was shot several times in the back Friday night as he crossed a bridge. With him at the time was his female companion. She's a Ukrainian model.

Here's what else we know. Investigators say the murder was carefully planned. President Putin promises Nemtsov's mother that her son's killers will be punished. Officials also believe that they found the car thought to be used in the murder.

Nemtsov had been arrested several times for criticizing Putin. The last time in 2011. His life had been threatened recently, even on social media, and a fellow opposition leader says Nemtsov was working on a report of Russian troops in Ukraine. And just weeks ago, Nemtsov said that he feared being killed by President Putin. And last year, he told CNN's Anthony Bourdain that he was aware of the risks of criticizing the Russian government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, "PARTS UNKNOWN": You were supposed to be dining at another restaurant this evening. And when they heard that you would be joining me, we were uninvited.

Should I be concerned about having dinner with you?

BORIS NEMTSOV, OUTSPOKEN PUTIN CRITIC: This is a country of corruption. And if you have business, you are in a very unsafe situation. Everybody can press you and destroy your business. That's it. This is a system.

BORIS NEMTSOV, FMR. DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF RUSSIA: This is a country of corruption. And if you have business, you are in a very unsafe situation. Everybody can press you and destroy your business. That's it. This is a system.

BOURDAIN (voice-over): Meet Boris Nemtsov. He was deputy prime minister under Yeltsin.

(On camera): Critics of the government, critics of Putin. Bad things seem to happen to them.

NEMTSOV: Yes. Unfortunately existing power represent what I say in Russia of 19th century, not of 21st.

BOURDAIN: And here's -- this is a case of the Litvinenko case, a known enemy of Putin, stricken with a bout of radioactive polonium. Aren't you concerned?

NEMTSOV: Me, about myself?

BOURDAIN: Yes. You're a pain in the ass.

NEMTSOV: Tony, I was born here 54 years ago. This is my country. The Russian people are in bit of trouble. Russian court doesn't work. Russian education decline every year. And I believe that Russia has a chance to be free. Has a chance. It's difficult but we must do it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And world leaders have condemned the murder and President Obama is actually calling for an independent investigation into the killing.

Fred Pleitgen has more now from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Gunned down in the heart of Russia's capital. Investigators worked the crime scene where Boris Nemtsov's body lay on one of the main bridges across the Moskva River.

Law enforcement officials say Nemtsov, one of Russia's most prominent opposition figures, was struck in the back by several bullets.

(On camera): The killing happened right next to the Kremlin walls and right in the vicinity of Saint Basel's Cathedral. Boris Nemtsov was walking here with a friend when a car stopped and the assailant immediately opened fire.

(Voice-over): As mourners laid flowers and lit candles, speculation, who did it? Some blamed the government of Vladimir Putin. Others disagree.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a strict message to all of us, hello, you have the guy who works for you, who is against your leader, bam, bam, bam. Who wants -- who will be next? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have some small part of -- in Russia people who

want to break Putin. And maybe they make it to show other people in other countries, government of country, how bad Putin.

PLEITGEN: It's not clear who is behind the killing, but Boris Nemtsov had many enemies. He was Russian's deputy prime minister in the late '90s, but joined the opposition after Vladimir Putin came into power. And was jailed several times for criticizing the government.

Vladimir Putin condemned Nemtsov's killing, and offered the family his condolences. He also launched an investigation into the murder and said it bears all the hallmarks of a contract killing aimed at provoking unrest.

Ilya Yashin is a friend and political ally of Nemtsov's. He was one of the first at the scene of the murder and strongly criticizes Russia's president.

"I don't know who ordered the shooting or who pulled the trigger," he tells me. "But I strongly believe it's Russia's government and personally Vladimir Putin who are responsible for it. Vladimir Putin is responsible for creating the atmosphere of hatred in our country. They have incited hatred for all dissidents and for Boris Nemtsov."

Nemtsov was set to take part in an opposition rally, criticizing Russia's role in the Ukraine conflict this Sunday. Instead, they will now be a march of mourning for one of Russia's most eloquent opposition voices brutally silenced forever.

Fred Pleitgen, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And call it a close one for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security which almost ran out of money. Minutes before the midnight deadline, President Obama signed a bill to extend funding to DHS, but just for another seven days.

Erin McPike is at the White House for us.

So the president got the bill after a tense battle in the House. Now what?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Fred, it's only seven days that they have extended funding for the Department of Homeland Security. So the House has to vote on this again. The Senate may obviously have to, as well. But the Senate on Friday did pass a clean funding bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security for another year. It's the House where they're finding this trouble.

But pressure is beginning to build on House Speaker John Boehner to bring that bill to the floor. I want to play for you something that New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik said on the air earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BERNARD KERIK, FORMER NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: If you have a problem with the immigration issue, take it to court. Do whatever you have to do, but do not hold up funding for the Department of Homeland Security. It's just not -- it's outrageous. It's dangerous. And it puts us in jeopardy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: And there are a number of more moderate Republicans in the House, in the Senate, including the first Department of Homeland Security secretary, Tom Ridge. I spoke to him earlier today. He said, look, Republicans have made their point on immigration. They need to move on. But House Speaker John Boehner is still getting these threats from some conservative congressmen who want to oust him as speaker if he doesn't hold the line on immigration.

And let me read to you a comment that we got just yesterday from Steve Womack, he's a Republican congressman from Arkansas, he is close to the leadership. He said, "It's a hell of a position to be in. I just can't imagine the frustration the speaker must have now," although we should point out that we don't know that conservatives would necessarily have the votes to oust Speaker Boehner. Those threats are still out there -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erin McPike at the White House, thanks so much.

All right, now to the race for 2016. It's still a year out, but later today, conservatives rallying in Washington, D.C. will release their straw poll at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference.

This week, conservatives have been voting from a who's who of potential Republican candidates for president. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has won the last two years of the straw polling.

One of those hoping to kick start another potential bid for the presidency is former Texas governor, Rick Perry. He sat down with our Dana Bash to talk about the presumed Democratic challenger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton. You've talked about some questionable donations to the Clinton Foundation. What exactly do you think is wrong with these donations? Why does it raise questions for you?

GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: I think most Americans realize that a phone call at 3:00 the morning to the president of the United State about an issue that deals with a foreign country that has given maybe tens of millions of dollars to the foundation that she oversees is not right and it's not only the appearance of impropriety, it's also the ethical side of this that I think most Americans really have a problem with.

And I -- I'm really concerned about, not just going forward, but what has been received at the Clinton Foundation over the course of the years and how that affects this individual's judgment.

BASH: When she was secretary of state, so you could argue that she sort of, you know -- that they're going from the pool that she's familiar with, if that makes sense.

PERRY: You can argue that, but I think it falls flat in the face of the American people when it comes to, are you going to trust an individual who has taken that much money from a foreign source. Where is your loyalty?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Again, many conservative Republicans in Washington for the CPAC conference, and that straw polling that we talked about earlier, it will take place at 5:00 Eastern Time today. And, of course, we'll have the results for you on CNN later.

All right, up next, the hunt is on for some missing Canadian students. It is feared that they have gone to Syria to join ISIS. We'll get the latest from Montreal.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: There's an international hunt on to find at least four teens who may have gone to join ISIS. Authorities are concerned the Canadian students are either on their way to the Middle East or are already there.

It's believed they flew from Montreal to Turkey in mid-January. The teens' whereabouts are now a mystery.

Paula Newton has more on the story from Montreal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Smart, kind and normal. That's how many are describing 18-year-old Shayma Senouci, a bright young student now missing in the Middle East and possibly on her way to join ISIS in Syria.

At the Montreal high school she once attended, students say she was well liked and social. Andy Xaio knew Shayma. She was his tutor a couple of years ago.

(On camera): What was your impression of her when she was tutoring you?

ANDY XIAO, STUDENT OF ONE OF MISSING TEENS: I just knew she was really smart. She's a normal girl.

NEWTON: And did you get the impression then that she was very religious?

XIAO: No, not really.

NEWTON: No, and -- XIAO: It was just like normal talk.

NEWTON (voice-over): Normal talk, that's how it seemed to those who knew Shayma until she went missing earlier this year. One of at least four possibly more young people from Montreal whose families fear they have been lured into joining ISIS.

Three of the missing teens attended this community college across town. And at least one attended classes taught by Adil Charkaoui, a Muslim preacher who's been accused by the college of spreading hate speech in the classrooms he used for teaching Arabic and the Quran.

Charkaoui is known to security officials. In 2003 police alleged he was an al Qaeda sleeper agent who received training in Afghanistan. He spent six years being watched by Canadian authorities. But in 2009 courts determined he was not a security threat.

Charkaoui says he only met one of the missing students on a couple of occasions and he says he is just trying to integrate young Muslims, not radicalize them. Still Charkaoui and his classes have been suspended from campus while police try to determine what could have led the teens to possibly join ISIS.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. So where does the search go from here?

I want to bring in Phil Mudd, he is CNN's counterterrorism analyst and he also spent two decades as a counterterrorism official at the CIA.

So, Phil, good to see you.

PHIL MUDD, CNN COUNTERTERRORISM ANALYST: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. So police are saying these teens have likely already made it as far as Turkey and it will be difficult to track them. So what are the mechanisms in which to perhaps even look back, surveillance, to see if they made their way into Turkey and then made their way out into see Syria.

MUDD: Well, Fredricka, I fear that they're lost already here. The reason is we have talked about thousands of youths going from Europe and the United States and Canada over to Syria. There are intermediaries, professionals intermediaries, terrorist organizations used for these kinds of operations. We call them back at the CIA facilitators. People are professionals in moving human beings, providing documents, keeping that movement secure.

I suspect they're in Syria already and we won't hear from them again until, for example, ISIS uses them in some kind of video campaign. So I'm afraid that some children from Canada are lost.

WHITFIELD: And that's part of the problem because it doesn't take long. I mean, you arrive into an Ankara, you know, in Turkey. It's just an hour's -- a matter of a few hours' drive to the Syrian and Iraq border. I've been, you know, to that region covering other things, and it doesn't take that long. And it's easy to kind of disappear, very porous borders.

So in what way can Turkish authorities assist other governments when there is some suspicion of a young person who may be lured by ISIS? It seems as though they've got to make that phone call really immediately because it's so quick to kind of disappear.

MUDD: That's right. I mean, there are a couple aspects you can look at in this case. First, obviously, is looking at Turkish airports to look at unaccompanied youth going through there. But I'm sure these folks were met at the airport. Again, the term we used is facilitated through the airport. So that's the first line of defense you're going to have because people aren't flying, obviously directly into Syria and Iraq.

They're going through other routes to get there. The problem, of course, is if you look at travel figures out of the United States, or Canada or western Europe to places like Jordan or Turkey, places that border Syria, the numbers are awesome. You can't sort through that number of people.

The second issue, of course, is looking at the border itself. The amount of border territory you have to cover, the experience --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: You're talking about the border between Turkey and Syria.

MUDD: Too much space.

WHITFIELD: Or Iraq, all that?

MUDD: Yes. Too much space.

WHITFIELD: So are there big concerns or are the concerns growing in terms of the radicalization of Canadians, just as there is great concern particularly in Europe. We've talked about that in the past few weeks of the thousands who are being recruited from European nations. What about Canada?

MUDD: I think the concerns have to be growing because we've seen a history of it in Canada already. Canada has large immigrant populations that I think are vulnerable. And then you have the classic characteristics of youths who are vulnerable to this kind of recruitment that we're seeing in this case.

A 15-year-old? That's not an adult. That's a child who is vulnerable to an older figure like this professor, who I suspect was a catalyst here, persuaded these girls that what they were doing was appropriate. The last thing I would say is, again, something we've seen consistently in these cases for more than a decade. The speed with which someone can turn a switch on from being a nice kid in school to someone who wants to go over to Syria to travel, that can be as quick as days or weeks.

So security services don't have a lot of time to figure out what nice kid has decided in the course of a week to go over to Turkey to get into Syria. There's just not enough time in that course of radicalization.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it is pretty extraordinary to hear how rapidly the mindset could be influenced and changed.

All right. Phil Mudd, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

MUDD: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still ahead, new questions about the shooting of a Mexican national by police in Washington state. Lawyers for the victim's family say police shot the man in the back. Police insisting that is not the case.

CNN's Rosa Flores joining me now from New York -- Rosa.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred, we have a copy of the autopsy excerpt that the family attorney says proves that this man was indeed shot in the back. I'll take you through the dramatic details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: An investigation is under way in Washington state into the shooting of a Mexican national by police earlier this month. Officers reportedly fired 17 times in the confrontation with Antonio Zambrano Montez. Officials and representatives for the victim's family agree on that much, but different autopsies tell different stories.

CNN's Rosa Flores is following the story for us from New York. So what is the latest here, where is the conflict?

FLORES: You know, there's a lot of controversy here, Fred. There are two independent autopsies by two different independent pathologists, and -- but let me take you through this. Because there are a lot of different moving parts. This is the case of an unarmed man that's shot and killed by police, and it's all caught on tape.

Now you're taking a look at the video on your screen. And what you see is 35-year-old Antonio Zambrano Montez running from police. There is a lot of chaos, there's a lot of traffic and then you see that this man turns around and puts his hands up and shots are fired. Now here is what police say that you don't see in this video. And this is what happened beforehand.

Police say that this man was throwing rocks at cars and at officers, that at least one of those rocks was the size of a softball, that he hit several officers, that the officers gave him verbal commands to stop, and that the man was actually tasered before those even shots -- before those shots were fired.

Now, police do say, like you mentioned, Fred, that 17 shots were fired and that five to six of those shots actually hit Zambrano Montez, and they say that none of them hit him in the back. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. KEN LATTIN, KENNEWICK POLICE: We do know this from the preliminary autopsy report. There were no shots in the back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now here is where the plot thickens because two different autopsy reports from two different family attorneys show that five -- that not five or six shots hit the man. But that six, seven or up to eight shots hit the man, and that at least one of those shots hit him in the back. And we have that autopsy excerpt because this is what attorneys are releasing and they're saying you can take a look at this, and you can see that indeed, one of those shots is in the buttocks, which is in the back of this man.

And so that's where they say, wait a minute, there are discrepancies here. There was excessive use of force, and at least one of these shots hit him in the back. Now the coroner's report has not been finalized yet and of course, Fred, all of this still under investigation.

WHITFIELD: My. And then who is leading this investigation?

FLORES: Well, there is actually a tri-city organization, a special investigative unit, that is in Washington that investigates officer involved shootings that involve Benton and Franklin Counties. Now this is in Franklin County. And so it is not made up by the Pasco Police Department. The Pasco Police Department is actually not involved at all in this investigation. Instead, it's other police agencies, including local and county agencies -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. And the family, of course, has an attorney. They have filed this lawsuit. But what is it that they're asking for specifically?

FLORES: You know, there are two family attorneys. One family attorney is representing the widow in this case, and there is another family attorney that's representing the parents of this man. Now the family attorney that is representing the widow, I just talked to him moments ago. He tells me that there was an -- a prior attorney representing the widow, and this man had filed a claim for $25 million, three days after the death of Zambrano Montez.

Now that this attorney has taken over, he withdrew that claim because the widow didn't know that this attorney -- he said that the widow didn't know that this attorney had filed a $25 million claim, so that claim, Fred, has been withdrawn. The attorney tells me this morning that he plans to investigate thoroughly. Understand the case well before a claim is actually filed.

WHITFIELD: All right. Rosa Flores, thank you so much.

Still ahead --

FLORES: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: Top Democrats will be skipping Israeli prime minister's Netanyahu's speech to Congress next week. Will the issue strain the relationship between the U.S. and Israel? I'll ask a former U.S. ambassador, Edward Walker, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's a look at your mortgage rates.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello, again, and thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

A developing story out of Egypt, where an Egyptian court has listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. In a statement from Gaza, the Islamist group called that decision, quote, "shocking and dangerous," end quote.

CNN's Ian Lee is joining us from Cairo.

So, Ian, what led this court to make this decision?

IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, it seems pretty straight forward. This court declaring Hamas a terrorist organization. But in actuality, it is quite vague. I talked to one -- veteran Egyptian lawyer who explained that this court really didn't have the jurisdiction to make this sort of ruling that -- that this court -- or that it should have gone to the prosecutor general, and then to appeals court. A different avenue to declare Hamas a terrorist organization. This is under a new Egyptian law.

But this doesn't come as a surprise. As the Muslim Brotherhood here in Egypt is considered a terrorist organization. It declared in 2013 Hamas a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. In Egypt, they are seen as one and the same, although it will be difficult for them moving forward. Egypt has been a broker of peace between Israel and Hamas in the past, and it's uncertain now what the status of their representative here in Cairo is.

Could he be detained now and tried as a terrorist -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so, Ian, what's the real motivation here? Why would this court find it necessary to attach this label to Hamas, and why now?

LEE:: Well, relations really soured between Egypt and Hamas after the 2013 overthrow of then President Mohamed Morsi. He came from the Muslim Brotherhood, he was a big supporter of Hamas.

Now Egypt has accused Hamas of the instability in Sinai, saying that they are helping create that instability. They're also accused Hamas of helping criminals or helping prisoners from Egyptian jails releasing them, a jailbreak of sorts, during the 2011 uprising. So the government here is making these cases against Hamas, saying that they are really trying to destabilize the country, and that's kind of where we're seeing this verdict right now.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ian Lee from Cairo, thank you so much. We're going to talk further on this with Edward Walker, who's a former

U.S. ambassador to Israel and Egypt, joining me now from our Washington bureau.

This is quite the surprise that we get a chance to talk with you on this matter, as well, because this is a court ruling that really just happened. So how do you interpret what is happening here. Why would this Egyptian court want to make this ruling, make this designation that Hamas is a terrorist organization after so many years of not doing that?

EDWARD WALKER, FORMER AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT: Well, it has something to do with their relationship with the United States. We consider Hamas a terrorist organization, the Israelis consider it a terrorist organization. And the Egyptians have been facing a very serious problem in the Sinai which affects both their security and the Israel security. So I think it makes a lot of sense.

Now the problem is, of course, that Morsi was part of Hamas, and the former president, Morsi was part of Hamas. And so there's got to be all sorts of accusations against the Israeli regime, Sisi. But it seems to me pretty reasonable that they would then follow through with their basic threats that if you don't support us, you get out of the way.

WHITFIELD: So do you see this as Egypt doing this as an appeasement to the U.S.?

WALKER: No, no, I don't think so. I think this is a totally internal matter. It has to do with the military government that's running Egypt now. It has to do with a long history of Hamas opposing the military. But also the really serious problems they've had in the Sinai in which the Egyptian military has been targeted and their members have been killed. And they need to do something to bring that under control.

WHITFIELD: Would this designation in any way spark some other new matter? Would it be a catalyst in any way for a problem?

WALKER: Well, yes. I mean, it can cause people to come out on the streets again, and Egypt has had a lot of problems with this. It's undercutting the Egyptian economy. It's challenging the authority of the government. So, yes, it can -- it can cause more complications in the future.

WHITFIELD: All right. So we shall see what happens. Meantime, in just a matter of days, three days, as a matter of fact, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be speaking to a Joint Session of Congress here in the United States, without first involving the White House, which is typically protocol.

National Security Adviser Susan Rice actually says the invitation to Netanyahu and the visit to Washington is, in her words, destructive. Listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SUSAN RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: What has happened over the last several weeks by virtue of the invitation that was issued by the speaker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the speaker of the House.

RICE: And the acceptance of it by Prime Minister Netanyahu two weeks in advance of his election is that on both sides there has now been injected a degree of partisanship which is not only unfortunate I think it's -- it's destructive of the fabric of the relationship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And a number of top Democrats, including Vice President Joe Biden, who normally sits behind the podium at Joint Sessions of State of the Union speeches, he will not be attending this speech.

So in your view, is this damage to Netanyahu and his position in Israel or even on the world stage, or is this more so damage to the U.S.? Do you see it straining U.S.-Israeli relations?

WALKER: Look, it's of course straining the relationship between us and between Israel. We have a big serious difference of opinion on how to handle the Iranian account. And that's the basis for this concern on the part of Netanyahu, and both Netanyahu and the president have legitimate reasons to be concerned about that account.

So will this hurt U.S. relationship? Not really. I mean, our relationship is built on a fabric of so many different lines of strong lines between us. Our militaries, our economies and so on. That's not going to change. And we have every interest in trying to work together on the Iranian account, as well. We have the same objectives.

WHITFIELD: So where is the potential gain by Netanyahu addressing Joint Session of Congress, especially if his words on how to address Iran differ from the White House? Who is gaining anything here?

WALKER: Well, I don't see who is gaining, but it wasn't Netanyahu invited him, after all. It was Boehner who invited him. And if anybody is to bear the blame for this, I would start looking at the speaker. Why did he do it? He's been around the block a few times. He knows what this would entail, and it would embarrass both the president and Netanyahu.

WHITFIELD: All right. Former Ambassador Edward Walker, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.

WALKER: You bet.

WHITFIELD: All right. They have legalized pot in the District of Columbia now. We'll tell you why that can create a bit of a headache for law enforcement.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: It is now legal to smoke and grow marijuana in Washington, D.C. The capital of a country that still doesn't even allow that on a federal level. And Washington, D.C. is a federal city. And some on Capitol Hill are not so fired up about it.

Here is CNN's Miguel Marquez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Are you guys happy to be here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Beyond happy.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Happily and legally, smoking up in the nation's capital.

ALEX JEFFREY, DC NORML: For the first time ever recreational marijuana is being smoked without regulation, without taxation in Barack Obama's backyard.

MARQUEZ: No one at this midnight pot party a stranger to using marijuana, but for those who enjoy it, being able to use it legally, a new and nearly emotional experience.

JEFFREY: For the first time, I feel safe and I feel respected and I feel comfortable.

MARQUEZ: Not everyone so satisfied. The chairman of the congressional committee overseeing the District of Columbia insists the city is breaking the law in allowing residents to smoke.

REP. JASON CHAFFETZ (R), OVERSIGHT CHAIRMAN: Free rein on marijuana use? I just don't buy that. I just don't think that's the way they should operate. So states' rights, yes. But Washington, D.C. is not a state.

MARQUEZ: Congress has stopped D.C. from allowing recreational sales but the cultivation, possession and use here now legal for anyone over 21.

(On camera): What is this going to be called?

ADAM EIDINGER, POT ACTIVIST: It's called Capital Hemp.

MARQUEZ: Capital Hemp.

EIDINGER: Yes.

MARQUEZ: When will you open?

EIDINGER: We're hoping to open by April 20th, 4/20.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Adam Eidinger readying for 4/20 friendly D.C. He started the pot legalizing Initiative 71 after his head shop here was raided. He and his staff arrested, the business shut down. (On camera): They raided your old shop?

EIDINGER: Yes. The police raided two stores in the middle of the night, 35 police officers.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Eidinger says it was that very treatment sparking his passion to legalize marijuana here and more.

EIDINGER: We didn't just focus on passing a marijuana initiative. We'll be focused on making sure that politicians were elected, that were going to support us once they got in office.

MARQUEZ: A sort of pot revolution that is happening here in Washington. A simple but powerful message.

JEFFREY: It's better to be able to do this on a camera and know that it's OK.

MARQUEZ: Miguel Marquez, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. So what kinds of legal battles does this set up?

Let me bring in CNN law enforcement analyst and former FBI assistant director Tom Fuentes.

So the political battle aside, what kinds of issues does this bring up for law enforcement? We're talking about a federal city and you've got federal law enforcement and you've got local law enforcement. Is this going to be complicated?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Yes, Fredricka, it's going to be complicated because the District of Columbia is not a state. So the administration, the Obama administration, has, you know, reduced the efforts, let's say, or held back on enforcing some of the federal laws of marijuana into states that have legalized it, but they're states. So, you know, it has that position. But in the case of the District of Columbia, it's not a state. It's more like a colony belonging to Congress.

So you have these members of Congress making threats against the mayor, threatening to put her in jail. You know, threatening to take action. Using a law called the Deficiency Act, which says that they need permission in the District of Columbia to spend the money and -- excuse me, the district was not appropriated to spend money to allow marijuana to be grown or to be used recreationally.

So it's more of a political battle than a law enforcement battle. I don't think -- I think it's going to cause a delay in anybody being arrested, or the legalization to open a shop and sell it. I think all of this is going to kind of end up on hold until they resolve some of these issues. And, of course, you have the unprecedented thing of imagine in this country a politician goes to jail and it's not for political corruption or public corruption. That would be -- that might be a first.

WHITFIELD: Huh. So it's very complicated because while it is not -- this does not allow the selling -- the open selling or even gifting or exchange of marijuana, but people are able to grow it in their homes. So how will this be enforced? Because we're talking about behavior that's kind of behind closed doors in your home, as opposed to, you know, law enforcement, federal or even local, being able to enforce it just on the street.

FUENTES: Well, what happens there is if somebody contacts the police or contacts DEA and says, I was at somebody's home and I saw the plants growing and they have too many, or, you know, they're violating the law, they have more than the few ounces that are being allowed under this law. So there's -- there's a number of ways that that could happen, that the police would be asked to take action.

And, of course, you have members of Congress saying we're going to want to take action against the mayor and against the city officials if they allow this to go forward. And they're going to use the -- basically their right to say District of Columbia is not a state. It's a subsidiary of Congress under their thumb.

WHITFIELD: Very complicated and very fascinating. Nonetheless.

Tom Fuentes, thank you so much.

FUENTES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Still to come, the only man who possibly knew Spock best. William Shatner talks about the loss of his friend and "Star Trek" legend, Leonard Nimoy.

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WHITFIELD: All right. How is this for a tribute to "Star Trek's" Leonard Nimoy. NASA astronaut Terry Virts tweets the Vulcan salute from the International Space Station flying right over Boston where Leonard Nimoy was born.

Nimoy who played Mr. Spock on "Star Trek" died Friday from lung disease. He was 83. His "Star Trek" co-star William Shatner remembers Nimoy and the phrase Mr. Spock turned into sci-fi legend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM SHATNER, ACTOR: It's a wonderful phrase for the Vulcan to have lived long, and I would like to think that the prosper is not just to make some good money, but prosper in evolving yourself as a human being, which is what I think Leonard was trying to do all his life.

Nothing would be the same about Spock if Leonard Nimoy had not played him.

LEONARD NIMOY, ACTOR: That may be correct, Captain. SHATNER: The attempt to restrain the emotion, to not show what's

behind the eyes, to suffer silently, but suffer in Spock's case, to be in two worlds, to be torn, that -- that resonated in a lot of people. He had this two finger thing, which I can't do. The Vulcan salute was made up on the spot. And I thought it was a wonderful creation.

Leonard and I, every so often would make an appearance together, and I think together we were stronger than apart. My great memory of Leonard was not only how strong he was, he was very powerful, he was a swimmer, was his laughter.

Entwined in mine. When we got on stage together, he broke me up all the time. So far back, we may have not been in love from the very beginning, certainly in respect, but as time went on, and I saw the beauty of the man, his morality, his fascinating arm to ideals that he kept close to his heart, I learned to admire, respect, and love him.

Leonard wrote a book saying -- the title which was "I Am Not Spock," and I think what he meant by that was is I'm Spock, but I'm so much more.

NIMOY: I can't stay it strongly enough, thank you, thank you, thank you, and may each and every one of you live long and prosper.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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WHITFIELD: All right. A look at our top stories now.

In Iraq, the prime minister is responding today to the destruction of ancient artifacts in northern Iraq at the hands of ISIS. He calls the vandals barbarians and vowed to hunt them down. The prime minister made those comments while reopening Iraq's national museum which was ransacked during the fall of Baghdad back in 2003.

And in a new development, a U.S. appeals court has ruled the Boston marathon bombing trial will stay in Boston. Jury selection in the death penalty trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is now set to begin next week. Three people were killed and another 250 injured in the April 2013 bombing near the marathon's finish line.

And the missing Oscar dress is back. At least Los Angeles Police are pretty sure the pearl encrusted dress they found in a hotel bathroom is the $150,000 Calvin Klein creation. The dress disappeared from actress Lupita Nyong'o's hotel room after she wore it to the Oscars. L.A. Police say, yes, they received a tip.

Hello, again. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We're following new developments in the fatal shooting of a Russian opposition leader in Moscow. Boris Nemtsov was a longtime critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was shot several times in the back while walking across a bridge just yards from the Kremlin. With Nemtsov at the time was with his female companion, Anna Duritskaya, a Ukrainian model. She is considered a key witness to the crime and told another opposition leader there were several men in the car containing the gunman.

Fredrik Pleitgen is in Moscow for us.

So, Fred, wasn't Nemtsov supposed to give an address on Ukrainian crisis? In fact, this weekend?

PLEITGEN: Yes, absolutely. There's several interesting factors to that, Fredricka. On the one hand, he was supposed to attend a rally tomorrow here in Moscow where the main feature of that rally was going to be Russia's policies in Ukraine. Another thing that he apparently also said was that he had some new information on what exactly was going on in Ukraine. We gather this from opposition sources. However, it's unclear what that information was supposed to be.