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Possible Russian Military Support for Syrian President Causes Controversy; State Department Staffer Who Set up Clinton Server to Take Fifth Amendment at Congressional Hearings; Syrian Refugees Gather at Train Station in Austria; Joaquin Guzman's Location Possibly Revealed on Social Media. Aired 2-2:30a ET

Aired September 05, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:02] ELISE LABOTT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're talking about adding housing to Syrian air field in areas, delivery of a portable air traffic control system there. And so it doesn't necessarily say that Russian troops are going there, but it does seem as if Russia is increasing its support.

And that's why Secretary Kerry called the foreign minister to discuss the buildup, saying if those reports are accurate it could further escalate the conflict. You know, Secretary Kerry has been working with the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, trying to get a political solution in Syria. And it's been a long slog, but you've seen some recent activity in the last few months indicating that they may be trying to get something going. So if the Russians are indeed increasing their military presence in Syria, it would certainly complicate that.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: And that's the concern then, that somehow we're going to step away from a negotiated settlement and that it's more than that the Syrian regime, with the help of the Russians, is going to go forward with the military option.

LABOTT: Well, it could be a couple of things. It could be that the Russians are going to escalate airstrikes against ISIS, because ISIS is also going against the regime. But the real concern is that the Russians are increasing their activity on behalf of President Assad against the opposition. Or they could be taking steps to secure their own position. If the Assad government collapses, it's been very wobbly lately, the opposition has gotten some real gains on the battlefield in recent months.

But, you know, it is a concern. And the Russians are saying that it's premature to think that Russia is sending in ground troops. They say that they're looking at various options. But certainly, with -- you know, given the fact that the U.S. and Russia have been working on a possible diplomatic solution, the U.S. does not want to see Russia increasing and in fact bolstering President Assad's military support on the ground.

SAVIDGE: And this is something of course the U.S. has been concerned about for a long time, but now that Russian President Vladimir Putin could expand his military support for President Bashar al-Assad, I mean, is that where we're headed? It seems like you've got Putin saying, OK, I'm right behind you.

LABOTT: Well, it's premature to say exactly why. Like I said, it could be that there are concerns that Assad could fall. In the event that his government collapses, there is real concern about a vacuum on the ground. That has been one of the big Russian concerns. It's also a U.S. concern. So they could be trying to reinforce their position on the ground in the event that happens. They could be trying to support, you know, the regime and their moves against the opposition, or they could be helping their regime against ISIS. So it's unclear why. There are just these signs on the ground that are very troubling, and that's why the secretary reached out to the foreign minister today.

SAVIDGE: But what could the U.S., I mean, really do about it to prevent the Russians from doing any of this?

LABOTT: Well, they can't do anything to stop it physically, but, you know, there are legitimate things in place on the ground against supporting the regime. I mean, the U.S. has already sanctioned Russia to the hilt on Ukraine, and certainly looking to increase those type of sanctions if Russian buildup in Ukraine continues. So I think we're premature to talk about sanctions, but that's one option that they have if it doesn't -- if the Russians increase this.

But, I mean, there is a lot of cooperation. There is a lot of talk between the U.S. and Russia on this. So I do think the U.S. will be getting some answers, and I don't think we're going to be seeing any Russian ground troops on the ground any time soon. I think it is more about Russian airstrikes or Russians supporting the Syrian forces.

SAVIDGE: But no doubt, it makes a complex situation even more serious.

LABOTT: Certainly.

SAVIDGE: Thank you, Elise Labott, very much.

Moments ago, Hillary Clinton addressed a crowd of reporters in New Hampshire. She addressed that e-mail controversy that continues to dog on the campaign trail -- dog her, that is. Let's bring in now CNN national correspondent Sunlen Serfaty in New Hampshire. And, you know, was that the only -- I heard one question. We had it on the air. Has there been a lot of questions regarding this issue?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, at the press event that just wrapped up, Martin, there were two questions on it. But Clinton really responded saying the facts are the facts. Here this new wrinkle in this story, as of today, that, as you say, continues to dog her campaign repeatedly, the new wrinkle is that Bill and Hillary Clinton, they paid out of their own pocket a State Department employee, Bryan Pagliano, to install and maintain their private e-mail server. Now, this was new information, a separate job he was doing for them. And it certainly speaks to the control issue at the center of this controversy. Now, here's how Secretary Clinton responded to this today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:05:14] HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We have encouraged everyone to cooperate. I feel strongly that the facts are the facts, and we've been repeating them over and over again. We will continue to do so, and I would very much urge anybody who is asked to cooperate to do so. With respect to personal services that he provided to me and my family, we obviously paid for those services, and did so because during a period of time, we continue to need his technical assistance, and I think that's in the public record.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: And the Clinton campaign says that this was set up in this sort of unusual way, they say, because they did not want any taxpayer money, of course, to be spent on setting up her server. Bryan Pagliano, I should note, just this week it was revealed that he will plead the Fifth Amendment when he is called before Capitol Hill to testify on his involvement. So certainly hearing Secretary Clinton and her campaign aides echoing that they would like people to be open is certainly a sign that they want these questions to be over.

This has continued to pop up on the campaign trail. Here in New Hampshire, Clinton is trying to really change the subject and change the tone. Today, Martin, she's been focusing on women's issues. This comes at a time when she's seen Senator Bernie Sanders really make big gains in the poll. I asked her today if he was getting under her skin because he's doing so well, attracting such big crowds, and she kind of fended off that. She says no, I always knew it would be a long campaign. Martin?

SAVIDGE: She's right about that. Sunlen, thank you very much.

Well, we may be closer to a breakthrough in that investigation into the killing of an Illinois policeman. Officials say that they are examining what they call a significant piece of evidence at the scene where Lieutenant Joe Gliniewicz was shot this week. So far police in Fox lake, Illinois, aren't giving any details about the evidence except that it was located by a person. And after collecting video evidence, police are also saying that they're close to identifying subjects connected to this shooting.

Rosa Flores joins us now from Fox Lake. And Rosa, police say that they're close to identifying the suspects, but it's like, what is taking so long then?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, that's what these people in this community are hoping for. They are hoping for a better description of these cop killers, because, think about it. These people can't mourn in peace. They're getting ready for a funeral on Monday, and, according to police, there are still three cop killers out there, either in this community, they say, out of this community, or even out of state. They don't know exactly.

And that's why these new elements, this new evidence is so important and so significant, they say. They're not telling us exactly what this is at this point in time, but we do know that it was found four days after that killing when an evidence technician was out there yet again scouring the area inch by inch, trying to figure out if they had forgotten clues or if they had missed something in that crime scene.

Now, another thing that's very important, Marty, is the surveillance video that they've obtained right now in the hands of the FBI. The FBI putting it in sequence, figuring out what matches and what doesn't, creating a timeline of events. Now, authorities tell us that they have video of the before and video of the after. But they don't have video of the actual act happening. It's one of the reasons why they're so careful before releasing any images, because they want to be certain, Marty, that when they release either a picture or a better description, that it is the actual cop killers that they're talking about.

SAVIDGE: Right. They want to be certain. Rosa Flores, thank you very much. Let's hope they get that break soon.

When we come back, thousands of Syrian refugees have finally reached the Austrian border after walking through Hungary overnight. We'll go to the border town where they are, one step closer to asylum.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:13:10] SAVIDGE: Let's go overseas now to that desperate refugee crisis in Europe, where thousands of refugees some fleeing war-torn countries, have finally arrived at the Austrian border. Families walked for up to nine hours on a highway from Budapest Friday. Overnight the Hungarian government deployed a fleet of buses to take them to the border. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is there where these refugees are exhausted, but they are at least one step closer to asylum. Fred?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is elation here among the thousands of refugees that have finally made it here to Austria. It was a very difficult, and for many of them, a very frustrating journey.

Of course they came through large parts of Eastern Europe. But the most problematic part of their trip was certainly through Hungary. Many of them, of course, had to cross the border fence. Then they had to make a difficult journey into the capital of Budapest where all of a sudden they were stranded on a square in front of the main railway station because the railway company there would not transport them to Austria and to Germany as they wanted.

Now, it took a lot of venting of that anger and some standoffs to finally make the Hungarian government budge. Of course, there was that standoff on a train where people refused to get off, where the authorities had cordoned that train off and made the people go into shelters in Hungary.

And then there were several thousand people that started walking to the Austrian border, saying if they won't be transported there, then they will just walk. Now, finally, the Hungarian government did relent. They sent out buses, and those buses have now made it here to the Austrian side of the border, and the people were greeted with nothing but smiles. They received food, water, medical attention, and many of them will be bussed now to train stations where they can go on to destinations both in Austria and in Germany.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, on the border between Hungary and Austria.

[14:15:00] SAVIDGE: Fred, thank you very much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: Authorities may be closing in on Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. It appears that his own son may have exposed his location on social media. El Chapo escaped from a Mexican prison through an underground tunnel. That was back in July. And he hasn't been seen since. Nick Valencia is here with the story now of how social media may have played a hand in tracking him down.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know how this generation likes to use social media. This may be a case of them just going a little bit above and beyond.

Up until now, no credible leads as to the whereabouts of Joaquin, "El Chapo" Guzman, but now Mexican authorities may have a clue to his whereabouts thanks to El Chapo's son.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: Is this the newest photo of one of the world's most wanted fugitives? Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's son would like the world to think so. This week posted on a Twitter page believed to belong to the son of the drug cartel kingpin, this caption -- "Comfortable here, you already know with who," blanked by two unidentified men whose faces are covered by oversize emojis, the photo appears to show 29- year-old Alfredo Guzman sitting at a restaurant with a man whose mustache resembles that of his father's.

It's clear from some of the comments many hope it is him. "These men give more to Mexico than our rotten government" one user writes. Another writes "Be safe, my hero."

[14:20:03] The location tag on the photo says "Costa Rica." CNN contacted Costa Rican authorities and said "We're aware of the picture that surfaced but we believe the Costa Rica they are talking about is not our country but a town in Mexico. There are no current investigations or operations targeting Mr. Guzman in Costa Rica."

There is a small fishing town about 30 minutes south of Sinaloa, Mexico, coincidentally, the same state in Mexico where El Chapo was born. A spokesman for Mexico's attorney general's office who is in charge of the manhunt to find El Chapo tells CNN "We are aware of the photo and looking into it."

It was nearly two months ago that Mexican authorities announced El Chapo, the world's most notorious drug trafficker, escaped from Mexico's maximum security prison using this tunnel.

The tunnel stretches for more than a mile, carved out earth here, this modified train tracks with that mini motorcycle. You see here electricity lines. It's very difficult to breath down here, a lot of dirt, dust. This here for the ventilation system. Tight, tight space down here. But for a man known as "El Chapo" I'm sure he more than enough room to work with.

El Chapo has been on the run ever since with no signs of his whereabouts. If the Twitter photo actually is of the Mexican drug lord, the post is as bold and brazen as his escape, the drug kingpin's son seemingly mocking authorities, showing his father hiding in plain sight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: We mentioned in that report that the location tag on that Twit pic was left on. Whether that was intentional by mistake or to intentionally try to throw investigators off track, that's not clear.

But we wanted to show you something. Check this out. We decided to put the mug-shot of El Chapo when he was captured in 2013 next to that snapshot of the Twitter photo that was put out, and some will say that is a pretty plausible resemblance. Some might say an uncanny resemblance. You see the similarities there in the mustache, the chin, and of course the chubby face of the man better known as El Chapo, which means "shorty" in Spanish.

SAVIDGE: It's a one thing to know where he is. It's another, who is going to act on it.

VALENCIA: Right. And there's a lot of criticism that the Mexican government has received in the last several months, even if they do know, will they make the step to go in after him.

SAVIDGE: Nick Valencia, thanks very much.

VALENCIA: Thanks, Marty.

SAVIDGE: And we're going to be right back.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[14:26:37] SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This is what you get when Japanese car engineers designed a wheelchair. The Wheel not only looks high-tech, it's packed with tech. Bill Mehan (ph) has been using the wheel for about a year to commute to Stanford University where he teaches.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've had multiple sclerosis for 18 years, and about a year ago my situation caused me to enter what I call wheelchair land.

BURKE: Why did you decide on this one?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This wheelchair is very sturdy. It's very comfortable. It's well-designed. And it has really innovative front wheels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has the omnidirectional wheel. What that means is it consists of 24 small wheels. And those wheels allow you to go forward and backwards, of course, but also sideways. This maintains the maneuverability, and this also allows you to go over obstacles because of its large circumference.

BURKE: Wheel engineers have tried to re-imagine every aspect of a wheelchair. You can even control it from a smart phone app. The technology was as important as the look of the chair.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Emotional transition of conceding some ground of independence is probably the biggest challenge of coming to terms with living part of your life in wheelchair land, being in something which is attractive, comfortable-looking, projects to the world that I'm just fine, thank you very much.

BURKE: The Wheel wants to be the tesla of sidewalks, and at nearly $14,000, the price of a small car, it's definitely in the luxury lineup of wheelchairs.

Samuel Burke, CNN, Palo Alto, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: Checking top stories. In Winnsboro, Louisiana, a local high school football player at Franklin Parish High School has died from injuries while playing in game last night. According to the coroner's office Tyrell Cameron died shortly after being transported to Franklin Medical Center. His school tweeted this, quote, "Tyrell will live on in the memory of those who loved him. Prayers for his family."

A salmonella outbreak like to cucumbers grown in Mexico has killed one person in California. Hundreds more have been sickened in 27 states. Arizona seems to be hardest hit with 66 reported cases. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable. Cucumbers sold under the Limited Edition label are being voluntarily recalled.

Cadets at the West Point Academy have given a long practice tradition a black eye, and worse. The annual pillow fight, supposedly a way to harmless blow off steam after a grueling training turned violent. Some packed their pillows with hard objects. And 30 cadets were injured, with everything from bloody lips to broken bones, 24 had concussions.

Rescuers have tried to free a blue whale trapped in a fishing net off the coast of California. It was spotted about 10 miles out to sea off Catalina towing a red buoy. The Coast Guard, even the L.A. Fire Department's Lifeguard Division, they are all trying to rescue the whale, already an endangered species. It appears as if they've been able to at least remove the buoy.

Thanks for spending your time with us today. I'm Martin Savidge. "Vital Signs with Dr. Sanjay Gupta" begins right now.