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Lord Sewel to Leave UK Parliament; NATO Meets on Turkey-ISIS Issue; President Obama to Address African Union Today; Human Trafficking Report Released; President Obama Strikes Back at Critics in GOP Election Field. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired July 27, 2015 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:00:07] ZAIN ASHER, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: Lord Sewel is leaving the British Parliament after being caught in a tabloid video, allegedly snorting cocaine at a sex party.
ERROL BARNETT, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: Plus, a rare move from NATO in response to recent violence along the Turkey -- along Turkey's border with Syria.
ASHER: And the U.S. President Barack Obama takes aim at controversial comments made by some of the Republicans, hoping to replace him.
BARNETT: Hello there, and a warm welcome to our viewers in the U.S. and all around the world. I'm Errol Barnett.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. I'm glad to be with you. This is CNN Newsroom
I want to begin with breaking news out of London, where a top British politician embroiled in a sex and prostitution scandal has now resigned.
BARNETT: Yeah, this has been such an embarrassing course of events. Lord Sewel was once the head of the Conduct Committee for Britain's House of Lords. And now, as we've just learned in the past few minutes, he is leaving in disgrace.
We're going to show you Max Foster's report on this. Put a heads up, it was filed before we learned of Sewel's resignation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So you want to get some coke?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I mean, if people would enjoy a little.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The man appearing to enjoy himself is Lord Sewel, the Deputy Speaker of Britain's House of Lords, also in charge of upholding standards in Westminster. The video in sordid still (ph) pictures were published by the tabloids Sun on Sunday newspaper. He's seen allegedly snorting cocaine with two women. And what the paper says is a sex party in Central London. Each woman allegedly paid 200 pounds.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 200 a day? What -- how -- that is...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's 200 a day to buy lunch?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not lunch, lovie darling. It's paying for this.
FOSTER: The paper says the party took place here in Dolphin Square last week, only a short-walk from the grandeur of Britain's at the House of Parliaments.
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: These are very serious allegations. So, I think it's right that he stood down from his committee posts. So I'm sure further questions will be ask about whether it is appropriate to have someone legislating and acting in the House Of Lords if they have genuinely behaved in this way.
Lord Sewel had choice words for the Prime Minister, David Cameron, on the undercover video, calling him the most facile, superficial prime minister there's ever been.
The office...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: We're jumping out of that report to make sure we bring you the most recent information, Lord Sewel having a much different tone now.
Recapping our breaking news, he has resigned as he issues this following statement, "As a subordinate, second chamber in the House Of Lords is an effective, vital but undervalued part of our political system. I hope my decision will limit and help repair the damage I have done to an institution I hold dear. Finally, I want to apologize for the pain and embarrassment I have caused." So Lord Sewel, our breaking news, has resigned under a real shame and embarrassment.
ASHER: Yeah, certainly very embarrassing for him, especially in the context of what he said about other politicians in British Parliament as well, OK.
I want to turn now to some other stories. We are following about two hours from now, Turkish officials were set to hold emergency talks of NATO to discuss the growing security threat from ISIS and Kurdish militants as well. This is after Turkey launched air strikes against ISIS in Syria for the very first time.
BARNETT: And the U.S. calls the offensive a game changer. And the two countries are separately working on a plan to create the ISIS-Free Safe Zone on the volatile Turkish-Syrian border.
ASHER: Our Jomana Karadsheh has been following these developments from Amman in Jordan. She joins me live now with the latest.
So Jomana, what is Turkey's goal here? What do they hope will come out of these meetings with NATO?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Zain, we have to look at how Turkey called for this meeting. It was under Article Four of NATO- Washington treaty. And this usually happens when a NATO member feels that its territorial integrity or its security is threatened. And in most cases, it's for consultations with other NATO members, also to brief them on what action it's taking.
And now, five meetings have been held under Article Four in the history of NATO, and four of them have been called for in the past by Turkey.
We don't expect to see any sort of military action coming out of this. It's more likely, Turkey here is seeking the backing, the support of other NATO members when it comes to this aggressive action, this military action.
[03:05:00] We're seeing Turkey take over the past week, not just against ISIS, but also against Kurdish militants, against the PKK.
So really no surprise, Zain, considering what events have been taking place in Turkey over the past few days in this real drastic change in the Turkish position when it comes to ISIS, that it would be calling for a NATO meeting, that it would want to discuss this with other NATO allies. And something else that might come up during these meetings is what with Turkey has been calling for that safe zone along the Syrian border, Zain.
ASHER: And Jomana, do you want to talk about that safe zone more specifically because Turkey is planning to create this, I guess, ISIS- free zone, a safe zone. It sounds -- sort of strike me as pretty ambitious.
What details do we have on that in terms of how it's going to work? And also, what areas specifically are going to be included in that area?
KARADSHEH: Well, Zain, this is a very good question. Turkey has been calling for this so-called safe zone or ISIS-Free zones as some officials have called it for some time. It would be along in Northern Syria, along the Turkish border. It's a 90-kilometer stretch that is still controlled by ISIS in these areas.
What Turkey aims to do with this creation of a safe zone is, one, most importantly for them is creating a buffer zone to protect Turkey from ISIS and other militant groups. And at the same time, they also want to create a zone where refugees, Syrian refugees fleeing, either the Assad Regime or ISIS can use it as a safe haven.
But as you mentioned, it is quite ambitious. We've heard that Turkey and the U.S. have been discussing this ISIS-Free area, but it's not really clear how this is going to be implemented.
While coalition aircraft will be providing the air power to oversee this area, to provide protection there, they're going to need ground forces. And it's not clear what ground forces are going to be used. There's no real one theory and coalition from moderate opposition that is there that can be use to patrol these areas to provide safety.
Of course, other questions about how deep into Northern Syria will this safe zone stretch? And of course, also the issue of the Kurds versus Turkey here while the Kurds have been a very key -- like a key partner in the fight against ISIS with the support of the coalition.
Turkey here -- while they have a common enemy, Turkey and the Kurds, in this case, they don't necessarily want to be friends. They don't want to really work together. We know there are issues there. So lots of complexities when it comes to that.
And also, another question that has come up is what happens if the Syrian regime, in this case, Zain, is going after targets in this safe zone? What happens? Who response?
So lots of questions, lots of challenges when it comes to the implementation of the safe zone.
ASHER: Right and Jomana -- and, you know, as you mentioned, it is certainly very complicated. I'm curious how the U.S. is going to ensure that Turkey going after ISIS, sort of translate into Turkey using that as an excuse to focus all of its attention on going after the PKK?
KARADSHEH: Well, of course, critics of the Turkish government, Zain, accuses saying that they are using this fight against the ISIS as a pretext to go after the Kurds here, in this case, whether it's the PKK or others. Of course, Turkey denies that saying they're only target is the PKK and this is only happening after several attacks have taken place on Turkish soil against the Turkish Security Forces. And this is their main aim. But, of course, critics say that Turkey is really concerned about the Kurdish autonomy here, what might be seeming like their ambitions to create a Kurdish states, that Turkey will be using this to crack down on the various Kurdish groups.
It's going to be very difficult for the U.S., as you mentioned here, how does it guarantee that this is not going to happen. While the U.S. is calling for calm, they're also supporting the -- they do agree with Turkey's approach when it comes to the PKK. The PKK is considered to be a terrorist organization by the United States, as well as Turkey.
But really, a very complex situation when you look at it here because the Kurds, as we mentioned, have been a key partner in the fight against ISIS on the ground. We have seen them making lots of progress on the grounds in Northern Syria specifically, Zain.
ASHER: Yeah. And when you think about that relationship between ISIS, the PKK, and Turkey as well, it just sort of emphasizes that old adage, "The enemy of my enemy," and certainly, especially in this case, "Is not my Friend." OK, Jomana Kadasheh, live for us now. We appreciate that. Thank you, Jomana. Errol?
[03:10:07] BARNETT: Well, Zain, it's just after 10:00 a.m. in Ethiopia, where U.S. President, Barack Obama is beginning the final day of his African tour. In about three hours, he will speak before the African Union becoming the first U.S. president -- first sitting U.S. president to address the group.
Monday night, he attended a state dinner in Addis Ababa, recapping the day of events including a meeting and a news conference with the Ethiopian prime minister.
But what can we expect today? Let's bring in CNN Correspondent Robyn Kriel for more details. She is following the president's trip there in Addis.
And Robyn, today, the African Union, for the first time will hear and address by a sitting U.S. president. And what we've seen is that terror networks, human rights, and Africa's potential have been the themes for the U.S. president over the past few days. So, what do we expect him to say today at the A.U.?
ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Errol, two key points that everyone expects the president to raise, the issue of terrorism, counter-terrorism efforts, and really what's become a model for that peace enforcement, we could call it, against terror group Al-Shabaab in Somalia. The African Union is joining together with several different troop contributing countries to fight Somalian surging group Al-Shabaab.
And then the other issue is democracy. What would he have to say about, say, Al Burundi and President Nkurunziza's third-term win there despite the fact that the African Union refused to send exhibits and refused to, say, that it could -- that refused to allow it to happen, it is -- in essence, it still went ahead. And the president was reelected in a very controversial third-term bid.
So the question will be just how much teeth does the African Union holds? Will it be able to put together, say, an intervention brigade sort of a force intervention brigade that we've seen as the U.N. mission going on in the DRC. Right now, we'll be able to put together a fast reaction quick brigades for, say, civil wars that are breaking out in, for example, the Central African Republic to be able to quell insurgencies, civil wars, rebels, those sorts of things and, of course, the issue of South Sudan as well. Hundreds of thousands of refugees seeking a shelter in Kenya and Ethiopia right here. President Barack Obama talked -- Barack Obama talks a lot about that as well.
BARNETT: And Robyn, as you know, besides the question of how much can the A.U. accomplish, you have the issue of how much influence can the U.S. wield on the A.U. these days at a time when really it's playing catch up in so many African nations to China in its aggressive investment and long term in infrastructure planning in so many African nations. What's the view on the U.S. really being a bit late on what -- even though Barack Obama is popular, his message is a bit late. KRIEL: Yes. So, America is being described as being massively behind the curve when it comes to interest in Africa. You've seen Chinese roads, railways systems in Kenya and here in Ethiopia, many of the buildings including the African Union that Barack Obama will be speaking in, built by the Chinese. So how -- just how late to the party is the United States and how much can they regain if they want to do so in Africa?
It definitely does seem, given the message that's coming through from the White House, trade not aid. That's what they're more interested in and not the policy that they want to take. Specifically here in East Africa, trade not aid being heard in many speeches, of course, as well as the issues of human rights and just how involved can the United States get with countries that do have human rights violations such as, Ethiopia, just how much do they want to become involved in issues of freedom of speech and do deals with countries who, perhaps, lock up journalist, call them terrorists, those sorts of things.
So, that's really going to be a key issue they leave on the table for President Barack Obama as he goes forth and addresses the African Union and the commission later this afternoon.
BARNETT: All right, we'll be looking forward to those comments. And, of course, as you discussed last hour, the symbolism won't be lost on any of us. The African Union headquarters built by China, so certainly that will be something to consider.
Robyn Kriel live for us in Addis this morning.
Also, on Monday, the U.S. president responded to comments made by Republican presidential candidates. In an interview over the weekend, Mike Huckabee voiced his disapproval of Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, linking it to the holocaust. Mr. Obama fights back, suggesting that Huckabee was playing politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, U.S. PRESIDENT: The particular comments of Mr. Huckabee are, I think, part of just a general pattern we have seen that is -- would be considered ridiculous if it weren't so sad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:15:02] BARNETT: He also weighed in on Donald Trump. Trump recently said Senator John McCain, who spent five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam was not a war hero.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: When you look at what's happened with Mr. Trump, when he's made some of the remarks that, for example, challenged the heroism of Mr. McCain, somebody who endured torture and conducted himself with exemplary patriotism, the Republican Party is shocked.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ASHER: And now, a lot of people believe that Donald Trump is, of course, sucking all of the oxygen out of the runs, and especially when it comes to taking away air time from other candidates. And some believe that Republican candidates are now making outrageous comments to upstage Donald Trump
But as he continues to rise in visibility in the polls, we are learning that some of his views on election issues have changed dramatically. Here's our Tom Foreman with more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He has big money, a big mouth.
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I wonder if the Mexican Government sent them over here.
FOREMAN: And big numbers. He leads the latest CNN ORC Poll with 52 percent of Republicans, saying they want Donald Trump to stay in the race. Only 33 percent want him out, despite sharp attacks from Republican opponents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to be associated with the kind of betrayal that he is speaking out these days.
FOREMAN: The Trump train is driven by fans who like the way he tells it like it is. The Trump's beliefs are hard to pin down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: I know you're opposed to abortion.
TRUMP: Right, I'm pro-choice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: You're pro-choice or pro-life.
TRUMP: I'm pro-life, I'm sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Pro-life.
FOREMAN: On health care, for example, Trump in '99.
TRUMP: So I'm very liberal when it comes to health care. I believe in universal health care.
FOREMAN: The next year, he pushed the idea of government funding, writing, "We need, as a nation, to reexamine the single-payer plan." But now...
TRUMP: We have a disaster called the big lie, Obamacare.
FOREMAN: On illegal immigration, the turns took less time. Trump in mid June.
TRUMP: I will build a great, great wall on our southern border and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. I actually heard...
FOREMAN: Trump by June's end. TRUMP: You have to give them a path, and you have to make it possible
for them to succeed.
FOREMAN: And now...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you still in favor of a wall?
TRUMP: Oh yeah. In certain sections, you have to have a wall, absolutely.
FOREMAN: And sometimes, the apparent contradictions may be a matter of nuance. Other times, listen to Trump on possible Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2007.
TRUMP: And I think Hillary is very, very capable.
FOREMAN: And now...
TRUMP: Look, easily, she's the worst secretary of state in the history of our country.
FOREMAN: Even his party affiliation is hard to pin down. Back in the '90s, Trump was a Republican. Then, he jumps to the Reform Party. Then, he shifted again.
TRUMP: Well, you'd be shocked if I said that, in many cases, I probably identify more as a Democrat?
FOREMAN: And now...
TRUMP: Look, I'm a Republican. I'm a Conservative.
FOREMAN: He might sum it all up in a phrase.
TRUMP: But at least I'm consistent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Yeah.
FOREMAN: Voters who love Trump insist he is consistent. He consistently shares the broad public contempt for Washington and consistently says plainly what he thinks with little worry about the fallout, but that is also precisely the trait that makes it easy to find inconsistencies that in the long run can tear even a popular candidate to pieces.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: Next...
ASHER: Little -- that's something makes it quite entertaining.
BARNETT: Well, I'm going to say and it's all about the long run really when it's about a presidential race. Will Trump make it?
ASHER: Yes, exactly. He'll make it to the debate stage so we'll see what happens there.
BARNETT: Yeah. Fireworks for sure. Still to come here on CNN, the Boy Scouts of America makes a major decision regarding gay rights in its organization, details coming up.
ASHER: Plus, the U.S. issues, a report on the tragedy of human trafficking and then some controversy of how Washington is raising two countries in Southeast Asia, that's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:23:17] ASHER: Chinese stocks have tumbled dramatically over the past two months and the downward spiral apparently isn't over yet, although it is not quite as bad as what we saw on Monday. Take a look here. The Shanghai Composite is only down about 1.5 percent. The Shenzhen is down about 2.5 percent.
And we've seen so much volatility in this -- in the stock market, despite the government sort of taking measures to stabilize it.
BARNETT: That's right.
ASHER: It hasn't really made that much of a difference.
BARNETT: On Monday, for example, China stocks took a surprisingly deep tumble. The Shanghai Composite Index sunk 8.5 percent, that's its worst performance in eight years. The Shenzhen's (inaudible) lost seven percent. Chinese stocks have fallen dramatically over the past two months. The Shanghai Composite losing 32 percent of its value in just 18 trading sessions.
And the Boy Scouts of America is lifting its ban on gays in leadership roles, and the decision sparks differing responses from organizations with close ties to the group.
The National Executive Board ratified the move on Monday, saying this was the best decision for the group. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ROBERT M. GATES, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, NATIONAL PRESIDENT: The best way to allow BSA to continue to focus on its mission and preserve its core values was to address the issue and set our own course. And that's what we've done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Some LGBT advocacy groups said that the announcement is a welcome change but doesn't go far enough. The president of the human rights campaign released a statement which says in part -- I'm just going to read it to you here, "Today's vote is a welcome step towards erasing a stain on this important organization. But including an exemption for troops sponsored by religious organizations undermines and diminishes the historic nature of today's decision. Discrimination should have no place in the Boy Scouts, period."
[03:25:06] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says that it is reevaluating its relationship with the scouts.
BARNETT: Millions of people around the world are being denied their basic human rights and they're being used as modern-day slaves.
ASHER: And it's heartbreaking. But in the meantime, the U.S. is trying to root out that injustice through its annual report on the state of global human trafficking.
Here's our Elise Labott with more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: There are between 20 and 36 million slaves in the world today right now, in 2015. And human trafficking generates more than $150 billion in illegal profits each year.
The U.S. state department's annual Trafficking in Persons, or TIP report rates countries on their efforts to bring those numbers down and to ultimately eradicate modern day slavery.
JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This report is important because it really is one of the best means that we have as individuals to speak up for adults and children who lack any effective platform or whatsoever through which they are able to speak for themselves.
LABOTT: The 2015 report shows 18 countries, including Cuba, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia, have made big improvements. However, 18 others like Egypt and Bulgaria have been downgraded.
Among the biggest controversies, evaluations for Malaysia and Thailand. Last year, the two countries were rated tier three, the worst rating possible. They're both part of a widely used people smuggling route for Rohingya Muslims, a minority group fleeing persecution in Myanmar.
Mass graves filled with the bodies of dozens of migrants were found in Malaysia earlier this year after the report's cut off date.
Similar, macabre scenes were discovered in Thailand. The report citing Malaysia's, "Significant effort towards meeting minimum standards," upgraded that country to the tier two watch list.
Thailand, on the other hand, remains at tier three.
KERRY: Today, we recognize your steadfast efforts.
LABOTT: The U.S. state department also recognized eight champions to the cause, people who have made substantial contributions to ending modern-day slavery, among them CNN International's Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Tony Maddox.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does this mean to you, Tony?
LABOTT: That spearheaded CNN's Freedom Project aimed at raising awareness of human slavery by telling victim stories. TONY MADDOX, CNN INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, MANAGING DIRECTOR: And I'm very proud of how across the news organization, we've embraced this cause and we've highlighted these stories. And we will continue to do so.
LABOTT: Overall, the 2015 report highlights great accomplishments towards eliminating modern-day slavery. But it makes it clear there is substantial works still to be done.
Elise Labott, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: And this effort, of course, continues. To learn more about how people around the world are making a difference in the fight against modern-day slavery, just head to our website, many resources, stories, pictures and video there for you to look through, the address cnn.com/freedom. We'll be right back.
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[03:32:10] ZAIN ASHER, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: You are watching CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm glad to be with you for the next 30 minutes. I'm Zain Asher.
ERROL BARNETT, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: And I'm Errol Barnett.
In the last half hour today, with the two of us, I like to make it count.
Here are our headlines.
The top British politician embroiled in a drugs and prostitution scandal has just resigned.
Lord Sewel was once the head of the Conduct Committee for Britain's House of Lords. Now, he's leaving in disgrace after a British tabloid published pictures and a video that appeared to show him snorting cocaine with two women in what the tabloid called a sex party.
ASHER: The U.S. President, Barack Obama, wraps up his African talk in Ethiopia today. He is expected to speak to an assembly of the African Union before he leaves, and head back to Washington. It will be the first time the U.S. President has addressed the group.
BARNETT: The Turkish officials expect to hold emergency talks with NATO in about 90 minutes as they fight back against ISIS and Kurdish rebels.
Separately, Turkey and the U.S. are working on a plan to create an ISIS-Free Safe Zone along the Turkish-Syrian border.
ASHER: This all follows Turkey's decision, just last week, to launch air strikes against ISIS and Kurdish militants as well.
Here's our Arwa Damon with more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The sidelines are no longer an option.
Turkey cannot afford to maintain its controversial, albeit cautious approach to the Syrian war raging next door.
SINAN ULGEN, CARNEGIE EUROPE: There has been a reassessment in Ankara that this policy cannot continue. And in order for Turkey to be able to persevere and to maintain its own regional influence, it had to be part in a much more visible concrete way in the entire ISIS coalition.
DAMON: Turkey is now bombing ISIS targets. And after lengthy negotiations with Washington, conceded on some of its positions such as, demanding strikes on the Assad regime and agreed to open Turkish bases and air space to the U.S. aircraft to create, not a no-fly zone, but a so-called ISIS-Free Zone.
ULGEN: And the weakness of the span is essentially about who is going to be on the ground to protect us, this zone of the zone free of ISIS.
DAMON: And can Turkey protect its own population against ISIS retaliation?
Some people even stopped taking the Istanbul metro, after unsubstantiated reports that certain stations would be targeted.
Turkey also reopened the front with its domestic battle against the PKK, the Kurdistan workers party, which it deems a terrorist organization, a move that severely heightened tensions between the Turks and Kurds, tensions that, in the past three decades, have claimed some 40,000 lives.
Turkey needs to ensure that it has the capital to launch this multi- pronged contentious anti-terrorism campaign, calling on fellow NATO members to convene, a special meeting of the Alliance on Tuesday.
[03:35:02] ULGEN: What turkey wants to do with this is essentially two things.
One is to communicate to its allies, the new security environment, its new threat assessment, after its decision to become a much more visible and active player in the anti-ISIS coalition.
And secondly, it wants to get the political backing within NATO, for what it's called its campaign against terrorism, which on the one hand includes ISIS and, on the other hand, the PKK.
DAMON: These are all very intricate maneuvers when it comes to the regional game of chess. One that may not lead to the defeat of ISIS, but could help diminished its capabilities.
These moves not necessarily a game changer, but they are changing how Turkey is playing the game.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.
BARNETT: Right now to this, the U.S. President, Barack Obama, is firing back against the number of Republican critics who also happen to be leading candidates to take his job.
ASHER: His remarks came Monday during his visit to Ethiopia.
CNN's Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: In his first real dive into the 2016 race for the White House, President Obama blasted one of the Republican field's top candidates, former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee, who said the nuclear deal with Iran threatened another holocaust.
BARACK OBAMA, U.S. PRESIDENT: The particular comments of Mr. Huckabee are, I think part of just a general pattern that we've seen that would be considered ridiculous if it weren't so sad.
ACOSTA: Huckabee ignited the uproar when he told Breitbart News the president was ignoring past Iranian threats of wiping Israel off the map.
MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He is so naive. He would trust the Iranians. And he would take the Israelis and basically march them to the door of the oven.
ACOSTA: Responding in a news conference in Ethiopia, the president sounded disgusted, accusing Huckabee of desperately trying to play catch up with the more sensational Donald Trump.
OBAMA: Maybe it gets attention and maybe this is just never to push Mr. Trump out of the headlines.
ACOSTA: But there was more, as the president aggressively denounced Trump.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's not a war hero.
ACOSTA: For his comments on John McCain.
OBAMA: That arises out of a culture where, you know, those kinds of outrageous attacks would become far too common place and get circulated nonstop through the internet and talk radio and news outlets.
ACOSTA: The president painted the GOP as being in a race to the bottom, slamming Senator Tom Cotton for describing Secretary of State, John Kerry, role in the Iran deal as Pontius Pilate, and Senator Ted Cruz, for saying the nuclear agreement would make the White House a leading financier of terrorism.
OBAMA: I mean we've had a sitting senator called John Kerry, Pontius Pilate. We've had a sitting senator, who also happens to be running for president, suggest that I'm the leading state sponsor of terrorism. These are leaders in the Republican Party.
ACOSTA: And refusing to back down, Huckabee jabbed back at the president in a statement saying, "What's ridiculous and sad is that President Obama does not take Iran's repeated threats seriously."
The president signaled this is hardly his last comment on the campaign.
OBAMA: I want to make sure I'm turning over the keys to somebody who is serious about the serious problems that the country faces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: The president's comments in Ethiopia signal, he is taking on a greater role on the campaign as Democratic surrogate and chief, but one White House official said it's also about the nuclear deal with Iran and the president wants to debate to be on the facts.
Jim Acosta, CNN, traveling with the president in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
BARNETT: Joining us now to talk about this is CNN Political Commentator Ryan Lizza, he's also the Washington Correspondent for the New Yorker.
Ryan, thanks so much for your time today.
We just saw that Jim Acosta piece. What's interesting about President Obama's comments is that he seems to suggest Governor Huckabee is only being bombastic to get attention in a Trump-filled world.
So to consider Huckabee's recent oven comments with what he said about dealing with Iran back in 2007, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Another way to contain Iran is through diplomacy, but I'll never taking the military option off the table.
We have to be as diplomatically aggressive as we have been militarily aggressive since 9/11.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: Now this deal is diplomacy. So why this new odd comparison from Huckabee, do you think?
RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it's really interesting of several Republican candidates who, in the last few years, had sounded a slightly more -- had sounded notes that focus more on diplomacy than using military options have really changed their tune with this latest deal.
[03:40:09] Huckabee is not alone. Rand Paul has also come out against this deal. And Rand Paul, in 2007, even said that it would be OK, if Iran got a nuclear weapon because you could just use traditional containment.
So I think what you have seen is a shift in the Republican Party on foreign policy, for two reasons.
One, the rise of ISIS has really brought out a lot of the more bellicose voices in the Republican Party, even though ISIS has little to do with Iran policy.
And two, if Obama is for something, the truth of the matter is Republicans are against it.
BARNETT: And if we take what you've just laid out and then add on top of that the Trump factor.
LIZZA: Yeah.
BARNETT: Of this, you know, billionaire who has come out saying, you know, direct personal insults to his Republican competitors has only helped him in the polls. And so other Republicans certain want to fill some of the air waves. We're going to see them go head-to-head here very soon, the first Republican debate, August 4th.
How much do you expect that to change things when candidates standoff face-to-face and have to give substantive answers?
LIZZA: I mean not to be too flipped about it. But when you have 16 candidates in the field, and look these are governors and senators, aside from Donald Trump, who really didn't work his way up in Republican politics, you have a fairly qualified field like, you know, frankly, there's more experience in this Republican field than many recent primaries.
And so to make a name for yourself in the Republican field, frankly you have to say something slightly outrageous. I don't know what else a Republican -- how much further a Republican candidate can go.
You have Lindsey Graham doing YouTube videos, where he's destroying his cellphone. You have Rand Paul literally lighting on fire the U.S. tax code.
So it's just this sort of almost desperate effort to get attention on behalf of these candidates when you're competing with 16 people.
BARNETT: And what do you make of President Obama actually chiming in with his views on the race, typically sitting presidents' kind of sit above all of that, acting very presidential? He, of course, wants to sell his Iran deal. But what do you make of him speaking out?
LIZZA: I think you're right about that. He wants to sell the Iran deal, so he is responding to all critics.
If you remember his press conference recently, he even challenge the reporters, please bring to me every argument against this deal because I want to knock them all down.
And I think with this Huckabee comments, he thought that it crossed the line and that it was worthwhile for him to point out how outrageous it was.
BARNETT: If what you're saying is true, we can expect many more lines to be crossed in the next weeks and months.
So our Political Commentator Ryan Lizza, thanks so much for your insight today from D.C.
LIZZA: My pleasure.
ASHER: You are watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Up next, Zimbabwe's most famous big cat has been killed illegally. Officials have launched an investigation to get justice for Cecil the Lion, that's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:46:14] ASHER: Welcome back, everyone.
We have a quite a sad story to report. In Zimbabwe, authorities are investigating who killed Cecil the Lion. The country's most famous big cat was found shot to death outside his home in a national park earlier this month.
BARNETT: And even worse his skin and head were apparently taken as trophies.
CNN's David McKenzie has more.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Cecil was, perhaps, Zimbabwe's most famous lion. The majestic male 13 years old with the famous black mane has been killed by hunters, according to conservationists.
They say the lion was lured out of Hwange National Park and shot with a crossbow, and then tragically stalked for many hours and then killed with a gun.
They say that the head and skin of Cecil has been put in to evidence. The head of the safari company arrested and the operation suspended according to the hunting association of Zimbabwe.
Trophy hunting in Southern Africa is legal. And as animal populations have been decimated in West Africa and hunting made illegal in Kenya, trophy hunters from all over the world flock here to pay top dollar to kill animals.
Now, conservationists say that the lion population throughout Africa has dropped by more than 80 percent in several decades. And they say, even if it brings money to the local communities, it's not worth it, particularly in cases like this when famous lions that bring in tourists are killed.
David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.
ASHER: The weather now heavy monsoon rains have triggered severe flooding across parts of Pakistan, at least 12 people have died in recent days from the floods.
Our meteorologist, Ivan Cabrera is joining us.
So Ivan, these monsoons have taken out roads, they taken out bridges. How long is it expected to go on for?
IVAN CABRERA, METEOROLOGIST: We are still raining there. And in fact, it picked up so much rainfall, the lines of which I haven't seen in a very long time and some areas were still inundated and you cannot get to people that still need assistance there, just incredible scenes out of Pakistan.
Let's show you some of the pictures there. And unfortunately, yeah, this is how they are getting around. I mean you just to have to continue with your life. And folks have to get from point A to point B, and they're having to do so by crossing some very dangerous roads that have now become rivers as a result of torrential downpours that have been ongoing over the last several days.
The average of focusing on Karachi here, 60 millimeters that's what they normally get in the entire month of July, right. So they've already received 47 millimeters, that is a lot of rainfall for them because in the entire year of 2014 that's how much they picked up. So we've already picked that up in just a few days, incredible scenes coming out of the Karachi here. Some areas picking up a little bit more.
And then look at parts of India. There were 200 millimeters of rainfall, a 100 millimeters adhere. And you notice a bit of a spin here. This is an area of low pressure that we have been following here for the last several days. And it has accumulated to the amount of 877 millimeters. That is approaching 3-feet of water. Incredible scenes out of Bangladesh as well because of this low that is just been stuck here over the last several days.
And the center of circulation trying to get going here across the Bay of Bengal and that's concerning because this could become tropical cyclone. It is so close to land that I think base of -- at this point, it doesn't matter. The worse of the weather will just continue to be across this region here with very heavy rain. And also on the western side of India as well will continue with the very heavy monsoonal rains. In fact, upwards of a 100 to as much as 200 millimeters of rainfall over the next couple of days.
And you mentioned the monsoon here, it started very weak. And we always worry about that because if they don't get enough rain, then we get ourselves in to a heap of trouble because this is the time of the year. If they don't get the rain now, they don't get it.
[03:50:02] BARNETT: All right, important stuff there Ivan, thanks very much.
ASHER: Thanks, Ivan.
BARNETT: Next here on CNN Newsroom, how a star athlete won the right to compete once again amid so-called gender testing. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARNETT: All right, listen up everyone.
Some of the biggest names in science and technology are out with a new warning about killer robots, and this is not science fiction.
Stephen Hawking along with Tesla's Elon Musk and Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak, and hundreds of scientists are warning that a global arms race is virtually inevitable if any major military power pushes ahead with A.I. weapons development.
ASHER: It's pretty incredible. The group spoke out in a letter presented at the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Buenos Aires and they say, "The endpoint of this technological trajectory is obvious. Autonomous weapons will become the Kalashnokovs of tomorrow. The key question for humanity today is whether to stop a global AI arms race or to prevent it from starting."
BARNETT: Now, we want to bring you this landmark ruling questioning the validity of so-called gender tests. It means that India's star sprinter is now cleared to race once again.
[03:55:06] ASHER: Dutee Chand had been banned since last summer after failing a hormone test. But the court of arbitration, the court questioned the athletic advantage of naturally high levels of testosterone in women. It is now suspended so-called gender tests by track and field governing body.
BARNETT: Now, after all of the kissing, the group dates, and the fantasy suite surprises, I'm not talking about my weekend here, I'm talking about the final...
ASHER: You are not. Barnett, you're not?
BARNETT: I'm talking about the final rose getting handed out Monday on the season finale of ABC's reality show The Bachelorette.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAWN BOOTH: Will you marry me?
KAITLYN BRISTOWE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: That's Kaitlyn Bristowe accepted a marriage proposal from her prince charming, personal check trainer, Shawn Booth.
But the fairy tale ending was actually spoiled a few weeks ago by the bachelorette herself.
Now something tells me she's not actually supposed to do that.
BARNETT: Well get this, she posted a 10-second snapshot video showing her lounging in bed with Shawn, uh-oh. The video was quickly deleted from the app and ABC refused to comment mostly because the network does everything to its power to keep the winner top secret.
But I'll ruin the ending, most of the time only it shows people break up and get divorce because you can't find love on television.
ASHER: It's so sad. But I guess it happens, isn't it.
BARNETT: You can find friendship.
ASHER: Right.
BARNETT: You can find a colleague. But you can't find love.
ASHER: We found friendship...
BARNETT: There you go, there you go.
You're watching with CNN Newsroom everyone. Thanks for joining us. I'm Errol Barnett.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.
Stay with us. EARLY START is next for our viewers in the United States.
BARNETT: And for the rest of you, there is another edition of CNN Newsroom. Next.
Have a great day.
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