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Marquez Accused of Buying Assault Rifles That Were Used in Mass Shooting; International Syria Support Group Will meet in New York Friday; 17 More Detainees Transferred Out of Guantanamo. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired December 18, 2015 - 03:00   ET

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


[03:00:01]

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN NEWSROOM HOST: This man accused of helping the San Bernardino terrorist appeared in court for the very first time. Plus, CNN gets rare access on board a Russian warship, ready to fire missiles into Syria to protect Russian jets. And later, Jeb Bush is asked if he thinks Hillary Clinton will be a better President than Donald Trump. Just wait until you hear his response, or lack of response there. From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, we welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I am George Howell. CNN Newsroom starts right now.

And good day to you, with begin this hour with a new arrest in the San Bernardino terror attack. Enrique Marquez, a friend of the gunman, Syed Farook, is accused of buying two of the assault rifles that were used in that mass shooting. Marquez made his first court appearance on Thursday. His attorney declined to comment as he left the courthouse. We get more on this story from CNN Justice Correspondent Pamela Brown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Twenty-four-year old Enrique Marquez is under arrest and now in federal custody, facing charges of providing material support to terrorists and making false statements to purchasing fire arms. The charges are used in the terrorist attacks and plots that it was planned in 2012. Marquez allegedly told FBI investigators he bought the two guns for Syed Farook to help his friend from this Redlands neighborhood avoid scrutiny, a violation of federal and state law. In a twist, according to the complaint, prosecutors Marquez called 911 after the shootings earlier this month to report his friend.

He was the shooter, Marquez told the operator, adding Farook "used my gun in the shooting," Marquez is also facing charges of visa and marriage frauds stemming from his marriage with a member of Farook's family, which authorities say is a sham. Marquez has told investigators he knew nothing about the San Bernardino attacks that Farook launched with his wife, Tashfeen Malik. She came to the U.S. under a fiance visa in the summer of 2014 from Pakistan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did we miss the lady in San Bernardino? BROWN: Today on Capitol Hill, lawmakers pressed Obama administration

officials for answers as to how Malik got into the U.S., missing signs Malik was already radicalized. The FBI said her thoughts about Jihad were contained in private messages that she shared with Farook.

ALAN BERSIN, DHS ASSISTANT SECRETARY: There was nothing in the system that we used that would pick that up. There was no data that we would turn into actionable information to deny admission.

BROWN: Questions too about another concern, how well the U.S. government tracked the more than 9,000 people who had visas revoked for possible ties to terrorism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many of those people are still in the United States?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doesn't that scare you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Many of the people whose visas were not in the United States when we revoked the visa.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have no idea?

BROWN: As for San Bernardino, the complaint says that Marquez and Farook built bombs together over the years and that the powder that was in the IED found at the center where the attack happened in San Bernardino was actually purchased by Marquez, according to this complaint. However, Marquez told investigators that he knew nothing about the San Bernardino terrorist attack in advance. Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: The U.S. President, Barack Obama plans to travel to San Bernardino on Friday to meet with victims' families from that attack. Just Thursday, he visited the National Counter Terrorism Center in Virginia, saying Americans should feel safe over the holiday season. The President says there are no specific and credible threats to the U.S. Listen.

BARACK OBAMA, U.S. PRESIDENT: We cannot give in to fear or change how we live our lives, because that's what terrorists want. That's the only leverage that they have. They can't defeat us on the battlefield. But they can lead us to change in ways that would undermine what this country is all about.

HOWELL: Changes are happening. Disney theme parks in California and Florida announced Wednesday they are adding metal detectors to their security protocols.

On to the U.S. state of Pennsylvania now where federal prosecutors indicted a 19-year-old man for attempting to provide support to ISIS. They say that he posted links online with the names, with the addresses and other information of U.S. military members. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty crazy. You know, when it's right here at home, it's a different story. You hear it in California and Paris, then its right up the street from your house, you're like -- and it's real.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:05:01]

HOWELL: And in California, a 22-year-old man is facing charges after he tried to travel to Turkey. Authorities say he wanted to join the terror group there, the Al Nusra front. More than a month after the terror attacks in Paris and French authorities believe the leader of that massacre got through Europe through Greece. Abdelhamid Abaaoud is the ISIS operative who directed the attacks. Investigators think he had been in Syria until several weeks before the attack. For more on this situation, let's bring in our CNN International Correspondent Sara Sidner who joins us live on the Greek island of Lesbos.

Sarah, I know that what's happening behind you is something that happens day after day and has happened for quite some time. We see migrants leaving war torn area and trying to find safer ground. Can you tell us about what's happening there?

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. We just watched as two boats, one was filled with women and children came in the other was filled with men and reunited with wives and sisters and uncles right here. There were so many children here that were freezing. They are shivering. They are chilled to the bone. This is a scene that is repeated over and over and over again, hundreds of thousands of refugees, most of them from Syria, most of them are leaving the war there, trying to get away with their lives and that is literally they had with them. They don't carry much of anything with them except for usually a tiny bag that is sealed, things like their passports if they have them or documents they need or pictures, safe from the cold water.

But it is a very heartbreaking scene. You see these children here in a situation that they're in and sort of the look of shock on a lot of the faces of the adults, as well. That they have finally made it to safety, they're chilled to the bone, some of them end up of course in the hospital and some never make it at all, George.

HOWELL: Sara, you're telling us about this story that's a story in and of itself as migrants do their best to find safety, a desperate journey for them. At the same time, we're seeing governments concerned about the flow of migrants, concerned about terrorists slipping in as asylum seekers, and we're hearing from French authorities, the headline, that they believe Abaaoud slipped in through Greece. How are E.U. authorities trying to deal with this?

SIDNER: There is a great deal of concern. There is new evidence according to investigators that the ring leader Abaaoud was able to come through the same route that refugees use. We should be clear he was a Belgian/Moroccan. He may have used that to get through. We just don't know at this point. What we do know is at some point the investigators say he made it to Leros along with two other of the attackers who attacked the stadium, who have not yet been made. They too made it to Leros before getting into Europe some weeks before the attack happened. It is a concern of authorities. It is a concern of citizens that amongst these who are true refugees trying to seek refuge, there are those who intend to do harm. But those numbers are so miniscule and we do have to keep repeating.

HOWELL: Sara Sidner reporting live for us.

On this topic of Syria, diplomats say that Russia may be softening its stance on keeping that country's current President in power, but Moscow continues to intervene at the military level on behalf of Bashar Al Assad. Our Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance is imbedded with the Russian military, and on Thursday he stepped on board a warship to bring us this report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW CHANCE, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Off the Syrian coast, a rare glimpse of the naval power. We were ferried offshore by the Russian military. This really is extraordinary access that we're getting to Russian's military operations in and around Syria. You can see we've been brought off the coast of Syria in the eastern Mediterranean. We're about to go on that ship there. It's a missile cruiser. It's one of the most important vessels in this entire region. On board, we're shown why it's such a symbol of Russian power. After the shoot down of a Russian airplane last month, the Kremlin vowed to destroy anything that threatens its aircraft in Syria.

[03:10:01]

The captain told me his ship, bristling with antiaircraft missiles was sent as a warning on the direct warnings of furious Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The (Inaudible) with its rifle in the region we've managed significant decrease in the activity in the skies of Syria.

CHANCE: Other countries bombing Syria, in other words, have taken notice. This is an extremely impressive bit of military hardware out here in the eastern Mediterranean. You can see it's got these tubes which can carry a nuclear missile, although they're not on board at the moment. It's got this big gun to defend itself. Most importantly, this ship has very sophisticated surface to air missiles that's why it's been deployed here to provide air defenses for the Russian war planes that carry out the air strikes back there in Syria.

Already, Russia has used its naval power to strike targets across Syria, firing cruise missiles from ships in the Caspian Sea and from a submarine in the Mediterranean. So far, the mosque there has yet to fire a shot in anger, but its mere presence of Syria is delivering a powerful message, Matthew Chance, CNN on board the missile cruiser.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Diplomats from the International Syria Support Group will meet in New York Friday to discuss the country's transition amid its on going civil war. In a rare show of solidarity, the United States and Russia are joining forces to fight ISIS, specifically, it's funding in Syria. The countries work together on U.N. Security Council resolution that was adopted on Thursday. It calls for a U.N. member to be more assertive in cutting off all the ways that ISIS makes money. For more on this, let's bring in Jill Dougherty in Moscow. She was CNN's Former Bureau Chief there and is currently a Researcher at the International Center for Defense and Security. Jill, it's great to have you with us.

So I want to talk about this situation where you have the United States and Russia. In a rare moment here, working to together to crack down on ISIS and its funding, first of all, talk to us about the significance of these nations finding common ground and the expected effect on ISIS?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN'S FORMER BUREAU CHIEF: Well, that's the important part, you know, this funding, which has become such an issue right now, in terms of the money that ISIS makes from oil sales. And Russia has been particularly vehement about this. They say they've been hitting a number of installations that ISIS has both in transits, producing, etcetera, and they say a lot of this oil is going into Turkey. The Turks deny a lot of that. But, if you take that fight aside, it is very true, and everyone agrees that ISIS makes a lot of money from oil sales.

So what they're trying to do with this U.N. resolution is to stop ISIS from using the international banking system to be able to get money from those sales. Also I would say sales of antiquities. So that is one part, George, of all of this diplomatic side. And then, as you mentioned, there will be a meeting today in New York, today being Friday, where the parties will be coming together, the Syria support group will be together in the morning. And then Russia and the United States will be trying to pass this resolution, which in effect, puts the stamp of approval on what the process so far, the political transition process that Russia and the United States say in general, they agree of that. But the details are what -- are making this a bit complex.

HOWELL: The money issue is key. We always talk about how ISIS makes a lot of money, but it also uses a lot of money when it comes to running these areas that it supposedly controls. Jill, I also want to talk to you about these two nations seeming to come together. The Kremlin has made it clear it has no objection to the Syrian President stepping down as part of the peace process. We heard from Secretary Kerry's latest visit to Moscow that the U.S. is indicating it is no longer focused on regime change. Is that what we're seeing, a thawing of these very -- what seem to be much solidified positions?

[03:15:01]

DOUGHERTY: I think you can say that there certainly is kind of a narrowing of differences, if you want to put it that way, between Russia and United States trying to find common ground. You pointed out the two key issues, the fate of President Assad, where does he -- does he move aside, when does he move aside to allow this political transition to go through. Because one of the points, it's not only what Russia and the United States think about it, it's what people on the ground think about it, and many of the opposition fighters who have been fighting President Assad do not want to sit down at the table with him, that's one of the complications.

What you're going to find in the afternoon in New York is that they're going to be discussing these opposition groups, the armed opposition groups who could be part of the process, who's a terrorist, who is not and try to compile this list. There are actually two lists, to make sure they know who is amenable to whom and who can they include in this process, George.

HOWELL: A Former Moscow Chief and Jill it's always good to get your insight on what's happening -- the perspective from Russia. Thank you so much for your context here. You're watching CNN Newsroom.

And still ahead, with Russia jumping into the U.S. Presidential race, we asked candidate Jeb Bush what he thinks of Vladimir Putin's warm words about -- that's right, Donald Trump. Very interesting response as this broadcast continues worldwide this hour on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:24:01]

HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I am George Howell. The U.S. Defense Department is transferring more people out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 17 detainees will leave the notorious prison, but officials won't reveal where they will be going until the transfer has actually happened. The Obama administration has been trying to bring down the population, saying it's a recruiting tool for terrorists. Most detainees at Gitmo have never been charged with a crime.

Now to the U.S. Presidential race, where it's another battle between two of the Republican candidates, but this time, it's not Donald Trump in the middle of it all. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The battle between Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio intensifying into an all-out war.

The two first term Senators bringing new heat to old fight, sparring over their role in the 2013 debate over comprehensive immigration reform, Rubio trying to turn his biggest vulnerability into a liability for Cruz.

MARCO RUBIO, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's going to have a hard time because he's not told the truth about his position in the past on legalization. There at the debate, he said he didn't intend to legalize people. I think its crafty language.

SERFATY: Cruz, rejecting Rubio's charge that he's rejecting illegal status.

TED CRUZ, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I oppose amnesty. I oppose citizenship. I oppose legalization for illegal aliens. I always have and I always will, and I challenge every other Republican candidate to say the same thing, or if not, then to stop making silly assertions that their records and my records on immigration are the same. It is demonstrably false.

SERFATY: Cruz did offer an amendment to the bill that would grant legal status, but it claims that it was designed to be a poison pill to kill the legislation.

CRUZ: By calling their bluff, we want -- we defeated amnesty, we've beat it.

SERFATY: But that quite different than the Senator's own stated intention in an interview in 2013.

CRUZ: It was to amend the gang of a bill so it actually solved the problem rather than making the problem worse.

SERFATY: The Cruz/Rubio dual allowing the frontrunner Donald Trump to coast along largely unchallenged, appearing on laughs of late night, showing a rare moment of self reflection.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would like to see the Republican Party come together. I've been a little bit divisive in the sense I've been hitting people hard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A little bit.

SERFATY: But an almost the next breath taking a shot at rival Jeb Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think Jeb Bush is scared of you or scared in general.

TRUMP: I think he's scared.

SERFATY: Bush keeping up the attack on Trump following Tuesday night's debate.

JEB BUSH, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The guy is gifted politician but he's not a serious candidate. Donald Trump doesn't talk about anything serious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: That was Sunlen Serfaty reporting for us.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is getting international praise from the President of Russia. Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Trump is the absolute leader of the Presidential race. Fellow candidate Jeb Bush, though, that's not exactly an endorsement to be proud of. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I don't respect Vladimir Putin. He's the leader of an important country. He's certainly not a regional power as Barack Obama called him. To get praise from Vladimir Putin is not going to help Donald Trump. He would bring chaos to the presidency as he's done to the campaign. We're at war right now with Islamic terrorism he's not offered one compelling specific thing to do to keep us safe. It's all high volume, lots of talk, but nothing specific because he hasn't taken the time to learn the issues. And I think we need someone with a steady hand in the presidency and we're never going to beat Hillary Clinton with grandiosity, with big language without anything to back it up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You say he's not a serious candidate, the question is, and what are you going to do about it? Your campaign -- you guys are doing due diligence looking to whether you pull out of the pledge to report the Republican nominee, whoever it is, including Donald Trump. Why are you doing that due diligence?

[03:29:01]

BUSH: Well, because Donald Trump had threatened to go to become a third party candidate. I didn't know they were doing this, its smart thing to do and the campaign to determine exactly what the consequences are for making that kind of decision. Look, my intention is to win the nomination. I think as we get closer to the caucuses in Iowa and New Hampshire that Donald Trump will begin to fall because he's not a serious candidate. Listen to his comments as it related to the nuclear triad for crying out loud, this is the pinnacle of our deterrent to be able to be kept safe since the post World War II era.

He had no clue when Hugh Hewitt asked him that question. If he's going to be President of the United States, he needs to be a serious person, not someone who views this as entertainment show.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To be clear, your campaign was doing to see if you could pull out of the pledge, if you could get out of having support the ultimate Republican nominee if it was Donald Trump.

BUSH: That's right, when it was related to his threats to leave the party.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So now...

BUSH: This guy is not going to win the nomination.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will he make a better President than Hillary Clinton?

BUSH: I don't think Hillary Clinton is going to be elected as President of the United States. She's not trustworthy and her proposals aren't much better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't answer my question, would he make a better President than Hillary Clinton?

BUSH: I've learned not to answer questions. That's one of the things. You answer what you want to say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not going to answer out right? Don't Republican voters deserve to know? You're attacking Donald Trump every day, now. Do you think he would make a better President than Hillary Clinton?

BUSH: I don't think he's qualified -- I would be better President than Hillary Clinton, that's why I am running for President, and my point is -- he is not qualified to be commander in chief of the United States of America's greatest fighting force. And he's had a chance to bone up. God willing he'll start doing it. This is all about him, not about creating strategies to keep us safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Candidate Jeb Bush there, at one point saying he did not want to answer that question. You know he's seeking the Presidency of the United States. You're watching CNN Newsroom, and still to come the special one, not so special anymore, Chelsea Manager Jose Mourinho is sacked. Coming up, what went wrong to one of the most successful coaches in football. You're watching CNN Newsroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:34:01]

HOWELL: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You're watching CNN Newsroom. It is good to have you with us. I am George Howell.

The headlines we're following for you this hour, investigators believe the man you see here, Enrique Marquez bought two assault rifles in the San Bernardino attacks earlier this month. He was friends with the gunman, Syed Rizwan Farook. He's charged with providing material support to terrorism.

The U.S. President, Barack Obama said there are no specific and credible threats to the U.S. over the holiday season. He visited the National Counter Terrorism Center in Virginia on Thursday, all part of his push to reassure the country he is in command on national security. U.S. prosecutors have charged pharmaceutical chief Martin Skreli with fraud stemming from his time as CEO of bio tech firm. He's accused of using millions of company dollars to pay off debtors. He made waves when he jacked up the price of a life saving drug by 5,000 percent.

E.U. leaders are expected to tackle the issue of Russia. It is possible they will extend sanctions against Moscow. These are live images and we saw Angela Merkel moments ago. On Thursday, the E.U. set a June deadline was set to come up with a new force to control the flow of refugees. Leaders say they've been slow to act on the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.

The prime minister of Spain is in Brussels after being punched in the face Wednesday while he was on a campaign trail. Spain is gearing up for Sunday's general election. The former bailout country is showing strong signs of recovery, as our Isa Soares has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Euro zone debt crisis has had a fair share -- Italy, Portugal, Ireland and Greece, among them. But no nation has surprised leaders and economist than well-behaved Spain. However, the country hasn't always been a model student. Poor discipline left it with low marks over building, over spending and over indulging, frustrated Spaniards were quick to blame the government. The leaders turn to Europe asking for helping hand for euros for the ailing banks. The hard work did pay off Spain shot to the top by implementing structure reforms, as well as tough austerity and cutting unemployment. These are all measures that are still delivering, and now it's one of the fastest growing economies in the Euro zone, that's well worth a pass mark.

Despite the impressive growth, ordinary Spaniards feel they have yet to benefit. One citizen vented his frustration, punching Prime Minister (Inaudible) in the face on the campaign trail. There's reason to be worried, unemployment is hovering around 21.1 percent, that's the highest in the E.U. after Greece, so turning a recovery into votes maybe a struggle for Rojoi, who promising jobs and prosperity if re-elected.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the next four years, if the Spanish people give us their trust, the first and most important, the most crucial to create jobs.

SOARES: But he faces a threat from new parties -- both who are looking to capitalize on Spaniard's economic delusionment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Millions of Spaniards suffering promises that haven't been met.

SOARES: While the E.U. may have given Spain top marks, it will be up to the citizens to decide if they've passed the test of economic reform at the ballot box, Isa Soares, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:39:01]

HOWELL: Now on to a story about the special one, who just wasn't special enough, it seems. Chelsea Football has sacked its Manager Jose Mourinho. It comes seven months after he led the team to the title, but Chelsea had a dismal season losing 9 of the past 16 games. World Sport's Patrick Snell has more on this story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK SNELL, WORLD SPORT: Jose Mourinho's second spell was somewhat similar to his first, mixed with spectacular exit no one would have predicted the start to the new season in August. The special one returned in 2013, almost six years after he left in the words of the club, by mutual consent. Back in 2007, there were a series of disagreements with Russian owner, due to this day still presides over the west London club. While there was no silverware and first season back, three was clearly the magic number in 2014/15, he won his third primary title with three games to spare only losing three times in the process. For good measure, the blues added the English lead cup the third under Mourinho. It's seen one set back ever since signed a new four year deal the day before the season started.

On opening day, shadowed but a spat between Mourinho and his medical staff, including club doctor Ava Carnero -- has since left the club and lawyers served notice of constructive dismissal. She could be scene by some as contrary character as biographer explains.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a person, he can be the most charming individual you would ever meet in your life, and very considerate, very humble and very thoughtful. And it's just that he chooses to act the part of someone else and he -- you know, we've all assumed for years and years and years that he does this because it makes him a more effective leader of players.

SNELL: The defeats came thick and fast including losses to west ham and south Hampton. Mourinho, the followed to home defeat to Liverpool for another set back at stokes city, a match Mourinho couldn't watch. The biggest shock of them all came when newly promoted wanted Stafford Bridge in early December before what would turn out to be his last two matches in charge against former club and the European champions lead and the way of table topping, Patrick Snell, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Next here on CNN Newsroom, the force awakens hits movie screens in the United States.

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[03:46:01]

HOWELL: Wow. Fans have been filling theaters to see Star Wars, the force awakens around the world. It is now playing in North America and fans dressed up queued up for early screenings. Variety.com said Thursday's ticket sales ran between 50 to $55 million. Is it living up to the hype? CNN's Paul Vercammen checked with in some early movie goers to get this story from Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolute mania here at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood where they premiered the first Star Wars in 1977. Fans came out, 932 of them to watch for the first of the showings, many of them getting dressed up. It was just sort of mass euphoria as people came out. No spoilers please your impression of this Star Wars.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was incredible, a rush. It was a rush, that's all I can say, really.

VERCAMMEN: For you? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was really exciting. You know, I was just

blown away right there at the end. It was very climatic. It was just good. It was good.

VERCAMMEN: And standing here, this almost took on a little bit of a sports event with everybody and cheering what was it like to be inside the theater with 932 other people?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You wouldn't believe it, everybody having their life sabers up, it was an electric crowd. I've never been at anything like it. It was pretty cool.

VERCAMMEN: By the way, they're predicting all these box office records and here at the TCL Chinese Theater they say they're out pacing all expectations and they expect to shatter those box office records, reporting from Hollywood, I am Paul Vercammen, now, back to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Thank you.

Amid all the excitement over the force awakens, there were some die hard fans who had sort of a let-down as many are taking security caution and prohibiting masks, full face paint and simulated weapons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am a little bit bummed out. The last premiers from the last saga I got to take life sabers in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's kind of a bummer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am glad to know -- you know, they are taking safety precautions, but I do wish they would lower it such as life sabers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just watch the movie and enjoy it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That makes me feel a little bit safer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Some disappointed fans there.

Joining me now from London is Gary Hailes, he's Commanding Officer known for movie accurate Star Wars costuming. He has already seen the film. We won't spoil anything for people who haven't seen it yet. Let's talk about this, in your opinion, does it live up to the hype?

GARY HAILES, COMMANDING OFFICER, U.K. GARRISON: Yeah, absolutely. I wanted to see the movie in forever. It was a brilliant film. I really enjoyed it. And I think people will not be disappointed, that's my genuine opinion.

HOWELL: Our director said, you know, its like -- if you like the original, you're going to love this one. That's your feeling on it. I mean, if you compare to the prequels, how does it compare?

[03:51:01]

HAILES: For me, it's Star Wars for the current generation, but it pays homage to what went before. It brings it up to date in many respects, as far as special effects are concerned, you know, film has progressed considerably since 1976 when they made the original movies.

HOWELL: Right.

HAILES: What you're going to see on the screen is going to be very different. They've been true to the original concepts and the original ideas of Star Wars. And tied up some loose ends and it's a very, very exciting film. You can't go anywhere in the U.K. at the moment without se seeing Star Wars somewhere, theaters, you name it.

HOWELL: Same here in the U.S. What about these new actors? Would you say that the new actors meshed well with the original, the older actors?

HAILES: I love the blend of new and old. I think the new guys are fantastic. I think it's very well written and very well directed. It's amazing how comfortable you were with it very, very quickly, as soon as you get into the theater, you sit down, the long time ago galaxy far, far away that's it. You're there. You're back in. It's like putting on an old pair of shoes, you just straight in. You're very, very familiar with and very comfortable with. It went in a flash. It was just over before I knew it. It was a very, very exciting, very much worth the wait, in my opinion, great performances all around, great effects and a good story.

HOWELL: Pretty fast pace, right? I heard from one fan that it's like being on a ride.

HAILES: Its like -- that makes it worth going back to see the second and third and fourth time. I know guys over here right now -- one guy telling me he's been five times now already.

HOWELL: Five times?

HAILES: Five times.

HOWELL: Ok.

HAILES: One back to back, which is pretty impressive. I plan to see it again over the weekend. I saw it at the premiere on Wednesday. I was lucky enough to be involved in that. And I am planning to see it again over the weekend.

HOWELL: Gary Hailes -- I don't know I'll see it five times or twice. I'll definitely see it once.

HAILES: You should see it at least twice.

HOWELL: I'll try. Thank you so much. You're watching CNN Newsroom. We'll be right back after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:56:01]

HOWELL: Pope Francis celebrated his 79th birthday on Thursday. A group of young Catholics were invited to the festivities at the Vatican where they sang happy birthday in Spanish.

Children and teenagers all involved in projects that welcome migrants to their countries. The Pope kept the rest of his birthday, though low key.

Switching now to weather, a powerful winter storm is battering the U.S. Pacific Northwest. It's bringing strong winds, rain and snow. For more on this let's go to our Meteorologist Karen Maginnis at the International Weather Center, Karen?

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: George, we've got everything associated with this very powerful storm system, moving in from the Gulf of Alaska. This was part of a system that moved through the Bearing Sea and it was, essentially, what had been a category three hurricane, but now all that moisture just kind of lined up across the pacific and aimed at Washington, Oregon, northern California. But not to forget our views helping British Columbia, because it is just as powerful there, with costal rain fall that could be heavy. That is going to be accompanied by very gusty winds. Then you head into the mountains and it's a completely different story, you could see snow fall that will be measured in feet, but in some of these costal ranges into the cascades, the Olympics, that are what we're looking at, maybe between 8 and 15 inches of snow fall.

But even back into the bitter route and big horn mountains of Montana and Idaho. The wind river range in Wyoming, and essentially making its way into northern Salt Lake City, this is what we're looking at snow fall over the next 24, 48 hours, as we look towards the weekend before another weather system makes its way on shore into the pacific northwest. So we've got a lot of that is happening here, and if you're driving and going through some of those mountain passes, you could see near whiteout conditions. This is kind of an interesting view. Here is one tropical -- one cyclone, Gulf of Alaska and the other one that's moving through and this one, essentially, the equivalent of a category one hurricane.

Now, it's not the classic hurricane, just want to give you some idea of winds and power associated with it. Now, let's talk about Beijing, and Beijing right around December 7th was looking at a red alert. They rarely, if ever, do that. Now, we're going to see two in one month. The visibility, because of the pollutants in the atmosphere, is going to produce -- visibility down to about a half of a kilometer or less. Essentially, you're looking at very little in the way of visibility over the next couple of days, not just one or two days, four to five days. Schools will close. There's a lot of coal burning, this is an industrial area, so that's why the pollutants don't get mixed up in the atmosphere.

We've got this dome of high pressure, and as a consequence that dome of high pressure doesn't really allow much for mixing in the lower levels so the pollutants stay below the ground. And George, they spend a lot of time with air filters and going to the doctor, because the pollution is so bad it is really interfering with the quality of their life, back to you.

HOWELL: Goodness, Karen, thank you so much for the insight on what's happening with that smog.

Life on another planet, it's something astronomers around the world are desperately trying to find. And now scientists in Australia have discovered the closest, potentially, habitable planet to earth outside our solar system. Wolf 1061C, as it's called, four times as big as Earth and 14 light years away, it orbits within the so-called Goldie Locks Zone, that's the distance from a star that's not too hot or too cold from water which is considered essential for life as we know it.

We've been talking about Star Wars all morning. Let's talk about the force, also strong with NASA here, space telescope, something a Jedi could use, this sword isn't in a galaxy far, far away, its 1,300 light years away in our own Milky Way. The hat's what's happening, I should say, a newborn star, shooting twin jets of plasma into space, but some people say it looks nothing like a light saber. And NASA is falling for Star Wars hype. Either way, it is an impressive sight. With that we leave you this hour, thank you for watching, I am George Howell at the CNN center in Atlanta. Early Start is coming up for our viewers in the U.S., and for viewers around the world, Newsroom continues.

You're watching CNN, the world's news leader.

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