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Kenya Warned of an Attack?; Obama Faces Tough Sell to Congress on Iran Deal; Rahm Emanuel in Hotly Contested Mayoral Race; World War I Graffiti Found Deep in Tunnels. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired April 06, 2015 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:30:03] CHRISTIAN PUREFOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: While you were hiding, what did you hear?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Shootings. They were shooting everywhere. I had closed my eyes. I didn't want to open my eyes. I was just closing my eyes that time.

PUREFOY: How did you feel when you were rescued?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know at first I didn't believe it. I was thinking that maybe this was the al-Shabaab. So I said how do I know that you're the Kenyan police? And then they bring -- they brought our professor, the principal. And then they showed us this is your teacher now, so you are safe by now.

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BRIANNA KEILAR CNN ANCHOR: Kenyan officials say that this man, Mohamed Mohamud, was the mastermind behind the attack. They're now offering a $215,000 reward for his capture.

Peter Pham is the director of the Africa Center at the Atlanta Council, he's joining us now.

Peter, it's baffling in a way when you learn that Kenyan authorities had this intel that a university in Garissa could be attacked, and yet you had the rapid response team, their anti-terror squad, 230 miles away in Nairobi. Is this a gigantic mess-up?

J. PETER PHAM, DIRECTOR, AFRICA CENTER, ATLANTA COUNCIL: Well, it's a symptom of several things, Brianna. Primarily in recent years, the United States, the European Union, the international community have assisted in building our military capacity to beat Shabaab on the battlefield as an insurgent group. We haven't paid as much attention to building up police capacities, intelligence capabilities to beat Shabaab as a terrorist organization.

And this attack is a wake-up call. We may have won battle against the insurgents. But the same group is morphing more and more into a transnational regional terrorist organization. And we need to up the game. It's shifted tactics but it's not completely done yet. KEILAR: OK. So we're seeing -- obviously this is -- this is an

outlier for al-Shabaab and this is just -- the terror of it, the sheer terror of it. It makes you wonder what is this, a competition that al-Shabaab is having with ISIS, with Boko Haram, with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula for attention or to just be the scariest terrorist group out there?

PHAM: Well, two things, Brianna, and you hit on one of them. One of them is, in the world of jihadist terrorism, of this violent extremist ideology, one has to constantly up or out. They have to constantly get attention or else they become second, third string. Resources don't over them. Recruits don't go to them and they become irrelevant. And in recent weeks and months, the -- the so-called Islamic State, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and even Boko Haram have been front page. And Shabaab has been forgotten.

So this is their attempt to reassert their relevance. The other thing is, this is not an isolated incident. Shabaab has been rapidly, as it's degraded militarily, been turning to terrorism. A year and a half ago, we had the attacks on the Westgate Mall. Last year we had two attacks in Kenya. One on a quarry, one on a bus where they separated the bus passengers between Christians and non-Christians and killed the Christians.

So they've been building up to this. This was coming. And unfortunately we might expect more of this.

KEILAR: We might expect more of this. What about -- you say as they are shifting tactics, the country has to shift tactics to build up more law enforcement and to change its response to al Shabaab. What is the role of Washington in trying to stop this terror network?

PHAM: Twofold, Brianna. First the United States and other allies have to help Kenya and other states on the front lines facing Shabaab. We've helped them very effectively on the counter insurgency part, the military support, now we need to help them on the terrorists, policing and intelligence part.

Secondly, unlike other groups, al-Shabaab has demonstrated an ability to reach into the American homeland. We've had recruits come from the United States to join Shabaab. We've had people arrested, prosecuted by the Department of Justice for supporting Shabaab materially. So although these sympathizers represent a very, very small minority within the Somali Diaspora in the United States, the fact is they do exist.

And unlike other terrorist groups who might have self-radicalized, lone wolves, there is a network of support for Shabaab, however small, that we need to be watchful for in our own homeland.

KEILAR: Certainly do. And this story will continue. We hope you are wrong that there could be more of this but of course this is definitely a wake-up call as well.

Peter Pham, thanks to much. Appreciate the insight. [14:35:02] Next, President Obama calls it a once in a lifetime

opportunity. But could a nuclear deal with Iran implode at the hands of U.S. Congress?

And while Secretary Kerry drew much of the spotlight during those negotiations we'll discuss the American who proved to be a key player behind the scenes. That's him to the left.

Plus, off the rails. The incredible effort that subway commuters went through to rescue a fellow passenger who was trapped. We have that next.

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KEILAR: President Obama is facing an uphill battle this week convincing Congress not to block last week's Iran nuclear framework deal. He's also trying to convince Israelis addressing their concerns in an interview with the "New York Times'" Thomas Friedman.

[14:40:00]

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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I would say to the Israeli people is, however, that there is no formula, there's no option to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon that will be more effective than the diplomatic initiative and framework that we've put forward.

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KEILAR: Now that is not enough for the deal's foremost critic, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While Obama tries to sell the deal to U.S. lawmakers, Netanyahu is asking them to reject it, telling CNN he's spoken to two-thirds of Congress. But Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz says this deal is the best option.

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ERNEST MONIZ, ENERGY SECRETARY: In the end these are all the pathways to a bomb. There are multiple pathways. Uranium pathways, plutonium pathways, covert pathways. What we have agreed to, we are very confident will let us to see any violation quickly, give us plenty of time to respond, and effectively close off those pathways. We are much better off with this deal than we would be without it.

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KEILAR: CNN political analyst Josh Rogin joining me now to talk more about this.

Josh, good to have you with us. And you know, last week, it was President Obama and Secretary Kerry who got so much of the attention. But Moniz was really a key player in these negotiations. Just how critical was his role? JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well,. he gives credibility to the

idea that this deal will prevent Iran from getting a bomb or at least increase the breakout time for the duration of the bill, which should be at least 10 years at least. So he's a new face, he a new voice for many congressmen. They've talked with Secretary of State John Kerry and White House staff about this a lot. So to add his expertise and his heft to this debate will help the administration sell this to Congress.

But I've been talking with lawmakers all week, especially Republican lawmakers, and they are still not convinced. They have a lot of questions about the deal. They want to know what's going to happen with the stockpiles of enriched uranium that Iran already has. They want to know what exactly is the schedule for sanctions relief. And they want to know what role the Obama administration will allow them to have in overseeing this deal.

In his "New York Times" interview, the president said he was willing to work with Congress on this but that he would veto the bill currently led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob -- Chairman Bob Corker. So there's still a gap there and the administration still has a lot of work to do if they want to sell this to lawmakers.

KEILAR: Yes. They're still not sold as you talk to them on the Hill, important to note. What about the future of this agreement if it is to go through? For instance, you have Rick Perry, whose staff says that if he's elected president he would kill the Iran deal immediately. You have so many candidates who are saying, you know, Jeb Bush, for instance, who has said that this is a flawed agreement. Riddled with concessions is what Perry said. Marco Rubio calls this a colossal mistake.

The future with the next president, especially and perhaps only if it's a Republican, would be very uncertain.

ROGIN: Exactly. What we see here is that 2016 politics are already factoring in. All of the Republican presidential candidates or prospective candidates have come out against the deal except for Rand Paul who has not commented at all. What we see here is an effort by these candidates along with many Republicans in the Senate to try to do what they can to stop the deal before it gets finalized at the end of June.

One of the ways they try is by saying that this deal won't last. Perry was simply endorsing the idea put forward by Senator Tom Cotton last month that Congress could always reverse the deal. That's debatable. But in the end here, you have two types of Republicans, you have the candidates and many Republicans who just want to kill the bill and then you have some like Corker who want to actually influence the deal and make it better, and maybe work with the administration.

So you have tension not just between Republicans and the administration but also within the Republican Party itself.

KEILAR: Yes. Corker who wants to say look, the Senate gets a say on this. So we'll see where that goes as well. Josh Rogin, thanks so much.

ROGIN: Any time.

KEILAR: This is some incredible new video. A true testament to power in numbers. Take a look as complete strangers save an elderly woman during a subway commute.

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KEILAR (voice-over): Security cameras in Moscow subway captures a terrifying moment that ended up turning into an act of kindness. A 70-year-old woman loses her footing while exiting the train. Her leg slips between the platform and subway car. A fellow passenger immediately alerts the conductor and then this group of strangers bands together. In just 15 seconds, the woman is free. An ambulance took her to the hospital.

The Russian passengers used the same rescue strategy we saw in this viral video out of Perth, just eight months ago a morning commuter slipped into the gap. Metro staff asked all passengers to exit the train and help rock the car back and forth. This too freed the passenger's leg, and he walked away unharmed. He later told a Perth TV station he had no idea how many helped him that day.

[14:45:06] Both incidents providing video evidence of the kindness of strangers and reminding subway passengers everywhere to mind the gap.

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KEILAR: Both important lessons.

And next a heated contest in the race to be mayor of Chicago. It ends with tomorrow's runoff election. A relatively unknown politician known as Chuy Garcia. He's giving former White House chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel a run for his money.

Plus graffiti from World War I found deep in an underground tunnel. What the soldiers wrote? What it can tell us about that war. Stay with us.

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KEILAR: He's a largely unknown politician who's now giving Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel a run for his money in a neck-and-neck mayoral runoff. But will the man known as Chuy be able to topple the former White House chief of staff become Mayor Chuy?

Here's CNN's Ryan Young.

[14:50:12]

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RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a political fight that Chicago has never seen. (CROSSTALK)

YOUNG: First-term mayor, Rahm Emanuel, is fighting to stay in office for a second term. With his political connections to President Obama and the White House, many thought Mayor Emanuel would galvanize Chicago.

MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL (D), CHICAGO: Thank you, Chicago, for this humbling victory. All I can say, you sure know how to make a guy feel at home.

YOUNG: But there's a big turnaround in how the former White House chief of staff is viewed now. Longtime city political watchers tell us the mayor has made plenty of enemies in his first term.

JOHN KISS, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Locally on the ground he's a guy without a real constituency, who's rather unlikable. And the fact that he's even in the runoff with $30 million in his pocket tells you something.

YOUNG: Early on, some of his hard edged and colorful language rubbed some community members the wrong way. It's something even the mayor is aware of.

EMANUEL: They say your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness. I'm living proof of that. I can rub people the wrong way or talk when I should listen. I own that.

YOUNG: Many African-American community members and teachers have stood together in opposing Emanuel after a contentious 2012 teacher strike and his push to close more than 50 of Chicago's worst performing schools.

KAREN LEWIS, CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION: We will register 250,000 people who will not be voting for that mayor.

YOUNG: The take of the tape now shows two contestants with the mayor and a battle against a county commissioner known as Chuy, a man many had never heard of before this collection.

JESUS "CHUY" GARCIA (D), CHICAGO MAYORAL CANDIDATE: There's a mood for change in the city of Chicago. And people have gotten experience for the past four years, then I don't think they're very happy with.

YOUNG: When the first-term mayor failed to get 50 percent of the vote, some believe his approach to politics had taken its toll and led to sharp attack ads like this.

GARCIA: The big money guys already have a mayor who listen to them. I'll be a mayor who listen to you.

YOUNG: Jesus "Chuy" Garcia captured about 34 percent of the vote, becoming the biggest threat to Emanuel staying in office. He is banking on Hispanic and black support but in the final days leading up to the election, many are asking about Garcia's lack of concrete financial planning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In his one executive position, Chuy mismanaged a small budget. So how would he handle Chicago's?

YOUNG (on camera): And in the final hours before this election, both candidates are out there working the streets trying to get the last minute votes they can.

Ryan Young, CNN, Chicago.

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KEILAR: Next, in an underground tunnel, graffiti nearly 100 years old scrawled on the walls by soldiers during World War I. What that graffiti can tell us about the war and those who fought in it.

And also poisoned in paradise. Two boys are right now in a coma. Their dad cannot move or walk after a vacation at a resort in the Caribbean. Hear what went wrong. Stay with us.

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[14:57:22] KEILAR: An incredible discovery has just been made in a dark tunnel 150 feet underneath a field in France. You are looking at graffiti left behind by a soldier during World War I. This is just one of the thousands of inscriptions made in the trenches nearly a century ago.

And joining me now to explain some of these is Todd Leopold, a producer for CNN.com.

Todd, this is fascinating. How is this found? And tell us about this inscription.

TODD LEOPOLD, CNN DIGITAL PRODUCER: It really is amazing. They apparently have been frozen in time. Even though these were known to the villagers, no one has really gone in and done a chronicle of all the material here. And there are artifacts and graffiti from thousands of men dating from about 1916, 1917. There's an American doctor and photographer who was allowed in. And he has taken photographs and has put it on the portfolio on the Web.

KEILAR: So what does this tell us? I feel -- it looks like it says Ninth Battalion. It looks like it says Australian -- is that right?

LEOPOLD: Yes.

KEILAR: What does this tell us about who these soldiers were?

LEOPOLD: Most of these soldiers -- Gusky has found about 1800 names, and about 40 percent of those were Australians. Another number were British. The Americans didn't enter the war. Today is actually the 98th anniversary of us declaring war and entering World War I. So there were very few Americans. But basically these were men who were saying, I was here. I mean, World War I was a meat grinder.

The Battle of the Somme took place about 50 miles away, it was probably one of the bloodiest battles in human history. And this was a way they were kind of slightly sheltered but you just never knew what the next day was going to bring.

KEILAR: Yes. So this was their refuge from being above ground obviously. Right? It was for safety.

LEOPOLD: Right, exactly. And they turned it into practically -- well, residential is probably stretching it a bit much. But it was certainly protected.

KEILAR: Yes. It looks a little like that, now it's a bit of a time capsule. Fascinating.

Todd Leopold, thank you for that.

LEOPOLD: Thank you.

KEILAR: Top of the hour now. I'm Brianna Keilar in for Brooke Baldwin.

Closing arguments in the Boston marathon bombing trial now underway. We've already heard from the prosecution which has charged defendant Dzhokhar Tsarnaev with 30 federal counts. That includes 17 that could earn him the death penalty. These charges include setting off weapons of mass destruction, acts of terrorism, conspiracy, aiding and abetting the attack and murder.

Now the defense is up. And Tsarnaev's attorney Judy Clarke has already told the jury that, quote, "We have come face-to-face with tragedy, suffering and grief. There is no excuse. No one is trying to make one."

[15:00:00] CNN's Alexandra Field is in Boston. She's been following this trial.

Any surprises in Clarke's remarks, Alex? Because we know she's not trying to say that Tsarnaev didn't do it. In fact she's fully admitting that.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Brianna.

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