Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

ISIS: Local Student Carried Out Tunisia Attack; ISIS Claims Responsibility For Kuwait Mosque Blast; Terror Attacks On Three Continents Leave Dozens Dead; Escaped Killer Shot Dead, Second Killer On The Run; Obama Delivers Moving Eulogy In Charleston. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired June 26, 2015 - 03:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Triple terror attacks leave dozens dead in Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East. ISIS says it is responsible for the murderous rampage at a Tunisian hotel and the suicide bombing in Kuwait.

Also New York police believe they are closing in on escaped murderer, David Sweat. The other fugitive, Richard Matt has been shot dead.

Cheers and hugs on one side, outrage on the other. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to legalize same-sex marriage.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. Those stories coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, but first let's go to my colleague, Becky Anderson who is in Tunisia with more on the horrific terror attacks -- Becky.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Michael. Dozens of people are dead and hundreds more are wounded after terrorists strike three countries. ISIS says it was behind Friday's assaults in Kuwait and here in Tunisia. France also rocked by violence.

A mosque, a factory and hotel were the targets. A gunman opened fire, killing at least 38 people at this seaside resort in Sousse, Tunisia. ISIS says the attacker was a local engineering student.

Kuwait has declared today a national day of mourning in the wake of a suicide bomb attack at a Shiite mosque in the capital there killing at least 27 people and wounding hundreds.

And a man on France's terror watch list is believed to have triggered an explosion at a U.S. owned factory near Lyon. He is also accused of leaving a severed head on a fence outside of that factory.

The scene at this hotel here in Tunisia was a chaotic scene. ISIS claims the gunman was an engineering student who is from a nearby town. The prime minister said his targets were all around him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HABIB ESSID, TUNISIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The terrorists moved into the Imperial Hotel in Sousse and he entered carrying a weapon inside an umbrella. He then got in to the Imperial Beach, pulled out his gun and started shooting randomly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: At least one witness said the gunman fired steadily for at least 30 seconds. British tourist describes what she saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was on the beach and about 50, 100 meters from the resort. Within, I don't know, space of two minutes, a guy walked on to the beach and dropped what I seen was an umbrella. It was a massive gun of some sort like in the army. He was firing and I got quick possible look to my right and seen this and shouted run, there's a gun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Outside here on a busy morning outside of here. What do we know about what's going on inside of that hotel?

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What we are seeing, Becky and we are seeing it all around us is an exodus, buses. I have lost count of how many, filled with tourists, not just from this hotel although they are stopping in here as well, but from all of the hotels in the region.

Clearly filled with tourists who have decided as a result of the events here to end their holidays early and head home perhaps understandably inside the place is shut down. More security police come and go and also a military presence here this morning.

ANDERSON: What do we know of the details of the attack yesterday?

BLACK: What we are hearing from the interior ministry is that as we have heard from witnesses it started on the beach. You can imagine the scene, families, hundreds of people along the long stretch of coastline enjoying their holiday when suddenly this man started shooting.

All of the witnesses say they thought it was fireworks. They didn't know what they were hearing then came the panic, the fleeing for their lives literally. And what the interior ministry said they didn't stop, but made his way to the swimming pool, in to the lobby and car park behind us here. This is where he was eventually stopped.

ANDERSON: This is absolutely terrifying. Our viewers will be well aware of area like this is absolutely full of hotels here, some 100 hotels just in this area alone. Tourism is so important to this country. You were in Tunisia three months ago when gunmen attacked the museum in Tunis. This is a soft target, isn't it, as that was.

[03:05:10] BLACK: Indeed. I mean, tourism is so important, basically, the number one industry in this country really. After that attack, a lot of people around the world there was concern what it would do to the industry, the country and political stability and that sort of thing. A lot of people said we are still with you, but now here we are again, less than four months later, western tourists have been massacred here again in another holiday setting.

This has to do damage. Not just in perception, but the reality of tourism, the economic strength and perhaps the political stability of this country, as well.

ANDERSON: Phil, thank you. Thirty eight dead at the hotel behind me. Now to Kuwait, a country that hasn't seen a terror attack on its soil in over two decades. Sadly that's no longer the case. ISIS is claiming its behind the explosion that ripped through a Shiite mosque in Kuwait City during Friday prayer.

The group is calling it a suicide bombing. That blast reportedly killed at least 27 worshipers and left 200 more wounded. This video shows the aftermath inside the mosque rubble and blood seen scattered across the carpet.

Saturday is declared a day of mourning there in Kuwait for the victims. For the latest, I want to bring in CNN correspondent joining Jomana Karadsheh joining me live from Amman in Jordan. Jomana, what is the reaction been from authorities there?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, what we are hearing from the Kuwaiti state news agency saying that the interior ministry is interrogating a number of people suspected of involvement in the attack on the (inaudible) Shiite mosque in Kuwait City yesterday.

And as you mentioned, of course, the death toll reaching at least 27 people killed and more than 200 wounded, a really devastating attack for a country that has pretty much been immune to the kind of violence, sectarian violence that we have seen in countries like neighboring Iraq for example for the Shia minority there.

It's a shock for the entire nation as we have heard from people yesterday, from witnesses. Also the government there saying that this is not going to impact that solidarity an national unity that they see in their country.

Of course, Becky, it is a classic kind of tactic by ISIS. They are trying to stoke those sectarian divisions, trying to inflame the sectarian tensions that we have seen in this region. Really spreading and really translating in to bloodshed, like we have seen in places like Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Becky, very similar attacks we have seen taking place in Saudi Arabia in the eastern part of the country where there's a Shia minority there targeting Shia mosques there.

Real concern now that this is a real message from ISIS saying that they are able to strike even countries that thought they were relatively immune from this sort of violence -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Warning from the militants group that those countries who have been involved in this international coalition fighting them across Syria and Iraq would be in focus and targets for them. Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi, the UAE for example. What happens next?

KARADSHEH: Well, of course, these countries, Becky, have been concerned about this situation. There is the concern about this -- about the group's ability to strike within these countries, whether it is people inside these countries or attacks carried out from those returning who may have taken part in fighting with Syria or Iraq.

We would expect the countries would be on high alert a message from ISIS that it is able to strike at anytime, anywhere whether it is a coordinated attacks or attacks inspired by this extremist group.

We are seeing this new kind of terror attack taking place across the world. Of course, concern for these countries, Becky. But again, real reminder here, that to defeat and fight group it is not only the military solution we are seeing take place in Iraq or Syria.

More needs to be done on the ideological front and fighting the group's ideology and ability to recruit so many and carry out attacks like this.

ANDERSON: Jomana, thank you. Jomana Karadsheh is in Amman in Jordan today.

Let's bring in Fawaz Gerges live from our London bureau. He is an author and professor of Middle Eastern Politics at the London School of Economics and regular guest on CNN.

[03:10:00] There seems to be no evidence of tactical coordination between these attacks in Tunisia here, in France and in Kuwait, but certainly a common thread. Your analysis?

FAWAZ GERGES, AUTHOR, PROFESSOR, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: You are absolutely correct, Becky. There's no -- we don't know. No seemingly coordination between the three attacks, but I think there is a threat running through the three attacks yesterday. It is a traveling ideology. It is a spreading ideology. It's a mutating ideology and that's the ideology that the global jihadist movement.

So you have different parts now of militants. You have the Islamic State that basically most probably carried out the attacks in Kuwait, a classical suicide bombing against a Shia community.

We have seen multiple attacks against Shia mosques in Saudi Arabia, in Yemen, and now in Kuwait. The attack in Tunisia, Becky, is the most alarming and most strategic as opposed to tactical.

There is a strategic pattern emerging in the last few months to attack the nerve center of the country, to paralyze the government, to bleed the economy, to basically derail the transitional process. Tunisia is one of the most promising countries in the Arab world.

By targeting the economy and as your correspondent has made it very clear, the economy, the tourism sector is the nerve center of the economy. It employs 500,000 Tunisians, 500,000 Tunisians and employment in Tunisia is almost 40 percent. In March and now it seems to me these networks, extremists are really targeting the strategic nerve center of Tunisia and successfully and that's why it is very alarming.

ANDERSON: Tunisian authorities haven't named the young engineering student that ISIS says was responsible for the attack on the hotel behind me in which 38 people were killed. We don't know, for example, whether this young man was trained in Libya.

One source telling me that the Libyan ISIS, those militants associated with ISIS in Libya seem to have a strategy of focusing on training sympathizers in countries, neighboring countries like here in Tunisia and in Egypt.

Perhaps with the intention of drawing these two countries and for example NATO interwar internally, and I think when you talk about the Kuwait attack as well, what we are seeing here is as much the militant group ISIS doing internal issues and aggravation within these countries as it is actually targeting westerners and others at these mosques and hotels.

GERGES: Well, Becky, yes, we don't have the information yet. We know that what happened yesterday is a strategic target. We know what happened in March in Tunis was a strategic target. So this particular attack is strategic, not tactical.

We also know that Libya has emerged as a major source of supplies, of weapons, of training and fighters vis-a-vis Tunisia, Algeria and West Africa, and even though I don't have the information, it seems to me that the message, the networks, the militant networks, whether it's al Qaeda or whether it's the so-called Islamic State basically is really trying to paralyze the Tunisian economy to break down, to bring down the government.

And again, the targets are really too prong. First you are attacking the nerve center of the government and secondly, Becky, you are punishing western citizens, who are part of the so-called U.S.-led campaign against ISIS.

So you are hitting two targets. You are hitting the fragile Tunisian government that has social and economic problems on its hands and also you're attacking westerners, who believe they are part of this particular coalition against you.

That's why even though we don't know yet the identity, the ideological identity of the attacker, we know that the goal is strategic and we know the strategic pattern has emerged even though we don't say anything about the attacks in Lyons.

The attacks in Lyon, Becky, seem to be what we call inspiration and motivation. You have certain individuals who take Jihad or Jihadism into their own hands and basically carry out attacks.

In the last few months in particular, the top leaders of ISIS have made it clear that if you don't join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria you must take action in to your own hands. [03:15:13] You must carry out the so-called individual Jihad. As you said earlier we have separate parts now of militancy organized networks. Separate inspiration and motivation and of course, classical ISIS attacks in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and Yemen attacking basically places of worships in particular during the months of Ramadan, the holiest month in Islam. This tells you about the insidious nature of this ideology and this particular group.

ANDERSON: Fawaz Gerges with his analysis. Viewers, stay with CNN. We will have more on the terror attacks later this hour. For more news let's get back to Michael Holmes in Atlanta, Georgia -- Mike.

HOLMES: All right, Becky, we will check in with you a little bit later in the program.

Now to a landmark ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has legalized same- sex marriage in all 50 states. It was a split decision. Five judges voting in favor, four conservative judges against. Gay rights supporters welcoming the historic decision outside of the nation's top court.

Several same-sex couples have presented cases challenging state laws that limited their rights as married couples. U.S. President Barack Obama is quickly hailing it as a civil rights victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This morning the Supreme Court recognized that the constitution guarantees marriage equality. In doing so, they have reaffirmed that all Americans are entitled to the equal protection of the law. People should be treated equally regardless of who they are or who they love.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Not everyone's celebrating. We will show you anti-gay marriage protesters outside of the Supreme Court on Friday. Many other Americans believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the dissenting opinion saying the court redefined the view of marriage that had been accepted throughout history. The governor of Alabama traditionally a conservative state is making the same argument to CNN affiliate WBIC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT BENTLEY, ALABAMA GOVERNOR: We have to go obviously by what the courts say, but I certainly can disagree with them and I do. I think this is an incorrect ruling. I think it should be left up to the states if government should be involved in marriage at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Authorities in hot pursuit of the last remaining escapee from a prison in New York. After officers shot and killed his accomplice, the man on the left. We will tell you how police got the big break in this case.

Also when we come back, the devastating effects of a deadly heat wave in Pakistan is having on some of the poorest people in the country. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back, everyone. To the U.S. state of New York now where we are following developments this manhunt for those two escaped killers. Law enforcement sources say police may be closing in on convicted murderer, David Sweat.

Sweat's accomplice, Richard Matt, was killed in a shootout with a border patrol tactical team on Friday. Authorities set up a perimeter in the area, but they say they don't actually have eyes on Sweat at the moment. Polo Sandoval has more now on how police are trying to track him down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The search for the remaining fugitive, David Sweat, is only expected to intensify throughout the night. Investigators are focusing much of their efforts here in Franklin County, New York. We are not far from the Canadian border.

Investigators have said from the beginning if a major crack in the case happened it would be with the help of the eyes and ears of the public. That's exactly how investigators were led to an area not far from where I am standing here. A tactical team that essentially comprised of federal agents faced off with one of the suspects, Richard Matt.

Officials telling us here that he was armed with a shotgun. They confronted him Friday afternoon. That when shots were fired. Officers forced to shoot and kill this convicted killer. Now the main search is now trying to track down this remaining fugitive.

As for the people who live in a few homes along this very rugged remote landscape, many people not spending the night here anymore. Folks are trying to stay with some friends here, really going with what investigators and authorities have been asking the folks that are choosing to stay behind.

They are locking the doors right now as investigators continue to track down this man who was serving time for shooting and killing a sheriff's deputy in 2002. So investigators are taking no chances tonight. They are heavily armed as they continue scouring the woods here in upstate New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, as the hours drag on David Sweat, a convicted cop killer is likely growing more desperate and may not go down without a fight. Earlier, we spoke with CNN contributor, Lawrence Kobilinsky, about the likelihood that Sweat will come out of this alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE KOBILINSKY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: There's no question about it. These were two very dangerous people. David Sweat fired and shot a deputy sheriff 22 times. I mean, these were people. These two individuals were clearly murderers and had nothing to lose.

The fact that nobody else, no civilian was hurt is absolutely miraculous. The key now is to bring Sweat in alive. Whether or not that's possible, I don't know.

We're hearing that he is very dehydrated. He is probably suffering from dysentery. I think he is probably very fearful right now. He knows that Matt has been shot.

[03:25:05] He's got no place to go. It's only a matter of time. So if he was smart, he would just put his hands up and walk in to the open where he would then be arrested.

He -- to go back to a prison under these circumstances is probably not an easy thing, but it's far better to do that than being shot to death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Police say they are looking in to several leads on David Sweat's whereabouts and have over 1,000 officers in the area to try to smoke him out.

Well, the extreme heat easing a bit in Karachi, Pakistan. The temperature on Friday reaching only 37 degrees Celsius, that's around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That's down from a high of 44. The heat wave claiming more than 1,100 lives so far. Hospitals overflowing with patients suffering from extreme dehydration. The elderly and the young are the most affected.

We are following breaking news, of course, those terror attacks on three continents. Up next, we will head back to Tunisia, live with Becky Anderson for more on the mass shooting at a luxury resort there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson in Tunisia for you. An update on the top stories we are following this hour. Dozens of people are dead and hundreds wounded after terror attacks in France, Kuwait and here in Tunisia.

ISIS has claimed responsibility to the murders at this Tunisian resort and a Kuwait mosque. French authorities say a man on its terror watch list was behind the explosion at a U.S.-owned factory. Two people were wounded and a decapitated body was found.

[03:30:10] Law enforcement sources say officers in upstate New York may be closing in on escaped killer, David Sweat. A massive search is underway for the fugitive after his accomplice. Richard Matt was killed in a shootout with authorities on Friday. Both men broke out of a maximum security prison three weeks ago. And gay rights supporters U.S. Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage across all 50 states. Supporters welcome the historic decision outside of the nation's top court. The nine justices split 5-4 in a ruling.

The government in the attack here at the hotel behind me is said to be an engineering student from a nearby town. A spokesman for the interior ministry said he was in his 20s and specialized in electronics for his master's degree.

He wasn't having terror connections and his parents are being detained. It is also believed he worked in the tourism industry and may be how he knew the hotel's layout. There is no indication of foreign travel on his passport.

ISIS claims it is behind the attack. Two U.S. officials think the terror group inspired the student, but didn't dispatch him. Let's bring in our senior international correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, who joins me now. I know, Nick, this hotel is closed. A couple of hours ago it was still and you had a chance to go in. What did you see?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you can walk from her straight through the lobby right down to the beach, the scene of the massacre. Last night, in the dark, you could see military Humvee parked there, the minimum police presence.

I mean, quite remarkable giving the global attention it is getting. We still see not that many police officers around the hotel itself. The access one could get from walking straight in there was quite open as well.

A lot of guests at the hotel still in the lobby there, think about this, they are at the scene of the crime they have witnessed and had to wait hours to leave. The tourists with nowhere else to go, they can't simply go home. They had to wait to get out.

There were fears of more than one gunman and people are coming to terms with what they have seen and their own losses and I'm afraid to say the gruesome detail, but they are still washing with the blood of the victims away from the car park behind us.

ANDERSON: What do we know of the details of this attack? At one stage, there it was thought there was more than one attacker, for example.

WALSH: It is still possible there was more than one individual involved in this. They say there is one gunman. In fact, it appears the gunman wasn't targeting Tunisians, more focusing on foreigners. We know from what we can see on the video that he seemed to make his first approach along the beach front to the hotel.

That's where the shooting began. He moved up from there through the pool side, a large pool area, typical to many hotels after the beach and then the lobby here. More tourists and guests of the hotel were shot in this car park area. He appears to have tried to run to the right side where he ran in to security forces, but minimum information at this stage. There's a name which we are not releasing until we are absolutely sure about it. But a 24-year-old man who is said to have a good attendance record at school perhaps hung out with the pot smoking crowd.

So that fits in the behavior you have seen in the attacks. They have a history maybe finding radicalism that emboldens their life strategy.

ANDERSON: It doesn't seem that he had any evidence of foreign travel, some talk he may have been before that piece of information came out, may have been trained in Libya, most likely a sympathizer to those who are working the ISIS feat.

This tourism industry is so important to this economy. There is something like 100 hotels an here. We have seen buses all morning taking tourists away. How important are these soft targets to a group like ISIS?

WALSH: Look at the response in this town. It is struggling to understand what to do. This is a place where giving out -- has been the major trade not worrying if there is an ISIS attack on the hotel. You can imagine the impossible task of militarizing a place like this for the possible of one lone gunman.

There is nothing on his passport that he went abroad, but a massive border between here and Libya. A lot of people sympathizing with ISIS in Tunisia, in fact, some say around here as well.

[03:35:13] So plenty of (inaudible) for him to receive the equipment and training, the influences he would have required to do this and then the task of how does a country dependent on tourism. You don't want to come to a place where you have to walk past armed men to go to beach.

How do you deal with that issue particularly what is happening across the border now in Libya which is a civil conflict compounded by ISIS as they always do finding a space in that vacuum of power to establish their own.

ANDERSON: Thank you very much indeed. Nick Paton Walsh reporting for you. As Nick was talking, did actually see a police van behind me. As Nick rightly points out very little security presence here given the weight of this story.

I want to get you to Kuwait now which is waking up to the aftermath of the first terror attack in that country in more than two decades. An explosion at a Shiite mosque killed 27 people and wounded 200 others. It happened during Friday prayers, traditionally the busiest time of the week.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for its calling a suicide bombing. Today has been declared a day of mourning for the victims. Ben Wedeman has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cell phone video shows worshipers walking and stumbling through a dust and rubble filled interior, many with their white robes splattered in blood.

The mosque had been full of worshipers there for Friday prayers during the whole month of Ramadan when the suicide bomber detonated his explosives. A CNN producer went to the hospital where most of the injured were taken.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We saw people crying and screaming. The whole country is in shock.

BOB BAER, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: I think what we are seeing is part of an ISIS, Ramadan offensive. Ramadan started last week. Traditionally these acts occur during this month.

WEDEMAN: Kuwait has not seen attacks of this kind, despite its proximity to Iraq. Some analysts see the attack as an intent to further stoke sectarian conflict in the region.

MAAJID NAWAZ, CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, QUILLIAM FOUNDATION: It is unfortunate that the Jihadist terrorists in this case ISIS stand to gain from exacerbating the sectarian tension between the Shiites and the Sunnis in the region.

WEDEMAN: The attack was reminiscent of two other bombings in neighboring Saudi Arabia also on Fridays and also claimed by ISIS. On May 29th, the suicide bomber dressed in female clothing was stopped outside of a Shia mosque. The bomber set off explosives killing himself and three worshipers. A week earlier, a suicide bomber detonated himself at a different Shia mosque killing 21 worshipers. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Amman.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, French authorities are investigating the motive by the terror attack on a gas factory on Friday. A man set off a blast injuring two people. Authorities then found a severed head hanging from a fence at the factory with Islamic writing nearby. Officers found a decapitated body who authorities say is the suspect's body. They later took that suspect in to custody.

Michael, you can see there's a lot of activity here now behind me. The hotel where 38 people lost their lives yesterday here in Tunisia, the hotel is now closed. We see buses going in all morning. A lot of activity, another bus coming out now, taking tourists away from what was a murder site, a really, very frightening experience for everybody involved -- Michael.

HOLMES: I'm curious, Becky, before I let you go, I was there, I think 2011, and you know, it was then real oasis in many ways in the region for European tourists. There were thousands and thousands of tourists who loved to go there for the beaches and the atmosphere and the comparative stability. What have you been feeling there? What's your sense among people that you have been able to talk to? ANDERSON: Yes. You talk to the taxi drivers and people working in the hotels here and when we got up this morning -- it's now, what, quarter to 9:00 in the morning. When we got up half past 5:00, we got up late last night. It was very quiet, it would be at that time, but now when the street would be bustling with tourists walking from the hotel to the shops just beyond me here, nobody around apart from the media. The hotel closed.

[03:40:07] You are absolutely right. The impact that an attack like this will have on a small town like this -- there are 100 hotels, I'm told, just on this strip alone. This is a strip of about 15, 20 minutes. Probably take a half hour, 40 minutes to drive the main drag here, clearly an enormous impact on things here.

Look, this is a government that's struggling any way, under the weight of an economy that is really, really struggling, a lot of poverty and a lot of unemployment.

When I spoke to one taxi driver this morning, he's actually the head of the union of taxi drivers here in this region. He said, look these youngsters are unemployed and a lot of poverty in the region despite there is a big tourist industry here.

They get influenced. They said it is up to the parents, he said to keep their kids around them and stop them from being influenced by this sort of extremist ideology. When you have problems this country has, clearly these kids are looking to the wrong sort of information at this point.

But, yes, this is -- this was a country post 2011, of course, which looked like it might be the successful story so far is a democratic feature is concerned it is trying but struggling, and this is a soft target.

HOLMES: Yes, it is. Still one of the healthier economies in Africa, of course, but with tourism around 20 percent of GDP this will have an impact. Becky, we'll check in with you later. Thank you so much. Becky Anderson there in Tunisia. We're going to take a short break and we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. Now to Greece where the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has called a referendum on whether to accept a new bailout proposal from the euro group. The country votes July 5th, but the existing agreement expires next Tuesday. Tsipras calls the current proposal a, quote, "blackmailing ultimatum" and he is urging people to vote no.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXIS TSIPRAS, GREEK PRIME MINISTER (through translator): It was asked of the Greek government to accept a proposal that puts new heavy burdens on the Greek people. It undermines the growth of Greek society and its economy that not only maintains uncertainty, but also increases the social inequalities. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now if Greece does not make the $1.5 billion payment by Tuesday, it would become the first developed economy to default on the IMF.

History made in the U.S. same-sex marriage becomes legal across the country. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Friday that the states can no longer ban marriage between gay and lesbian couples. The nine justices were split 5-4 in that decision.

We'll show you now the colors of pride. The rainbow there splashed across the White House in Washington, a tribute to the court's historic decision. CNN's justice correspondent, Pamela Brown with more now from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Celebrations erupted on the steps of the Supreme Court. Right after the decision was handed down. A men's choir led the massive crowds singing the national anthem. The Supreme Court was divided on the issue in 5-4 split decision.

Right leaning Justice Anthony Kennedy broke the majority opinion saying, quote, "No union is more profound than marriage. It embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family." Saying gay couples ask for equal dignities in the eyes of law. The constitution grants them that right.

The lead plaintiff and face of the historic case fought on behalf of his marriage to his now deceased husband, John.

JIM OBERGEFELL, LEAD PLAINTIFF: It is my hope the term gay marriage will be a thing of the past. That from this day forward it will be simply marriage. I love you, this is for you, John.

BROWN: And in an incredible moment, Obergefell received a phone call from the president while live on CNN.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (via telephone): I want to say congratulations.

OBERGEFELL: Thank you so much, sir. I think it was your wishes.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Your leadership on this has changed the country.

OBERGEFELL: I really appreciate that, Mr. President.

BROWN: The U.S. is now the 21st country in the world to recognize same-sex marriage nationwide.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: This ruling will strengthen all of our communities by offering to all loving same-sex couples the dignity of marriage across this great land. BROWN: The opposition to the decision was strong. Reading from the bench, Chief Justice John Roberts said, quote, "Do not celebrate the constitution. It has nothing to do with it."

And Justice Clarence Thomas said, quote, "The court's decision is at odds not only with the constitution, but with the principles on which our nation was built."

Today history was made on behalf of all Americans, who argue that marriage is a fundamental right for everyone.

OBERGEFELL: Today's ruling from the Supreme Court affirms what millions across this country already know to be true in our hearts, our love is equal.

BROWN: Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And now back to the latest developments in the manhunt for two escaped fugitives in the U.S. state of New York. After three weeks on the run, one of the convicted murders, Richard Matt on the left there was killed on Friday in a shootout with border patrol tactical team.

Authority is now in hot pursuit of the other escapee, David Sweat. Police say they are looking in to several leads on his whereabouts but still have not at this point located him.

He was a revered pastor and lawmaker. Clementa Pinckney was remembered on Friday by thousands including the U.S. president, more on that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: U.S. President Barack Obama delivering a moving eulogy and political message on race in America at the funeral for this man on your screen, Reverend Clementa Pinckney. He was the pastor who was gunned down along with eight other people during last week's massacre at a historically black church. CNN's Martin Savidge with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Charleston arena became a sanctuary and a crowd of 5,500 its congregation. Remembering those gunned down in a racially motivated massacre in one of the nation's oldest black churches.

The service was more celebration than somber. Noting the gunman's intent to divide people by race had done just the opposite.

REVEREND JOHN RICHARD BRYANT, SENIOR BISHOP, AME CHURCH: Someone should have told the young man. He wanted to start a race war, but he came to the wrong place.

SAVIDGE: For the president it was personal. Reverend and State Senator Clementa Pinckney had helped Obama's 2008 campaign.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: He embodied the idea that our Christian faith demands needs, not just words.

SAVIDGE: The president's eulogy quickly went beyond the victims to challenging a nation to confront the issues of race, guns and even the confederate flag.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Removing the flag from this state's capital would not be an act of political correctness. It would not be an insult to the valor of confederate soldiers.

[03:55:05] It would simply be an acknowledgment that the cause for which they fought, the cause of slavery was wrong.

SAVIDGE: But the nation's first African-American president didn't stop there. He brought up the issues of voter rights and hiring practices, all seen anew in the aftermath of the killings.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Maybe we now realize the way racial bias can affect us, even when we don't realize it. So then we are regarding not just against racial slurs, but also the subtle impulse to call Johnny back for a job interview but not Jamal.

SAVIDGE: Also in the audience was a bipartisan group of federal and state lawmakers and at least two presidential candidates and the president seemed to speak to them, warning that America cannot forget.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: There would be a betrayal of everything Reverend Pinckney stood for, I believe, if we allow ourselves to slip in to a comfortable silence again.

SAVIDGE: The president ended by noting how the people of Charleston had risen above hate. How the victims' families had forgiven the killer, all showing grace and "Amazing Grace" -- Martin Savidge, Charleston, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Thanks for watching, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes. Becky Anderson will join me shortly for another round of CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)