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Latest from the Campaign Trail; Fighting in Ramadi Examined; Taliban's Resurgence Documented; China Still Cleaning Up Landslide; A Look at Bowe Bergdahl's Situation. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired December 23, 2015 - 03:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:00:21] ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Hope in China. A survivor's pulled from the rubble in Shenzhen nearly three days after the landslide.

And after months of ISIS control Iraqi forces are trying to liberate the city of Ramadi.

Plus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We shouldn't let anybody bully his way into the presidency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Hillary Clinton answers a child's question about bullying and takes a shot at the Republican front liner.

A very big welcome to our viewers in the United States and those of you watching from all around the world, I'm Errol Barnett. Thanks for joining my second hour. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

A new national survey shows Donald Trump leading the pack of Republican presidential candidates, but another contender is closing in. Take a look at this.

The Quinnipiac University poll shows Trump edging Ted Cruz by just four points. Cruz gained eight points from the previous survey. Marco Rubio is the closest party rival with 12 percent support.

An analysis of Donald Trump's tax plan shows his proposed big cuts come with a big cost. The Tax Policy Center estimates it would increase deficits at least $9.5 trillion over a decade and by another $15 trillion in the next decade. The plan would reduce taxes for everyone but the super rich would see the biggest benefit.

And despite Trump's claim that he'd crack down on investment fund managers, they too, would see a wind full under his plan.

Republican front-runner Donald Trump is defending his use of a word widely considered to be vulgar to attack his democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. He says he used it to say Clinton was, "beaten badly by Barack Obama" in the run-up to the 2008 election. Well now Clinton is firing back.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny has details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: You are looking at somebody who has had a lot of terrible things said about me. Luckily I'm old enough that it doesn't particularly bother me.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: A not so subtle dig at Donald Trump. Today after a young girl asked Hillary Clinton about bullying.

CLINTON: We shouldn't let anybody bully his way into the presidency.

ZELENY: Just when you thought politics couldn't sink any lower, Trump went there, talking about Clinton's 2008 defeat to Barack Obama.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How could it be worse? But she was going to beat, she was favored to win and she got schlonged, she lost.

ZELENY: Yes, he said "schlonged". A Yiddish word that means -- well you guessed it.

And he didn't stop there.

TRUMP: Where did she go? I know where she went. It's disgusting. I don't want to talk about.

ZELENY: He's talking about this moment when Clinton went missing for a few moments at the Democratic debate. When she returned she only had one word to say.

CLINTON: Sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you respond to Donald Trump's comments?

ZELENY: Well Clinton refused to answer questions today about Trump's remarks, her campaign seized on his comments as a rallying cry for women.

We are not responding to Trump but everyone who understands the humiliation, this degrading language inflicts on all women should.

Clinton's Communication Director Jennifer Palmieri twitted, but for Trump it's just the latest volley in a campaign filled with vulgarities. None of which has tarnished his popularity.

First she went after FOX News anchor Megyn Kelly.

TRUMP: She starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions. And you know, you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever. ZELENY: Then republican rival Carly Fiorina. In a Rolling Stone story Trump said, look at that face. Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? But Clinton's is Trump's favorite target.

TRUMP: And she's playing the woman card up that all she has. Honestly, outside of the woman's card, she's got nothing going, believe me.

ZELENY: A sentiment his opponent, Jeb Bush, took even further today.

JEB BUSH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She's great at being the victim, you know, this will enhance her "victimology" status. This is what she loves doing.

ZELENY: The bottom line is good politics for Republican to say anything negative about Hillary Clinton. And Jeb Bush is clearly trying to get into the game here. For you can bet the word victim also fires up the Democrats.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Now, we're following developments in the war on terror on two fronts. Iraqi soldiers are fighting to recapture the key city from ISIS and Taliban Forces in Afghanistan are back on the attack.

We have a team of correspondents and analysts around the world to bring you the latest this hour.

[03:05:04] First, let's get to the situation in Iraq.

Government forces there are fighting to recapture the city of Ramadi from ISIS. The terror group has held the provincial capital west of Baghdad for seven months.

Now Iraqi troops have pressed into the center of town. The fighting is difficult in the cramped city where ISIS fighters are well dug-in.

Iraqi commanders say the terrorists are using human shields.

For the latest on this let's talk to Robyn Kriel joining us live from London this morning.

Robyn just take us inside the fight for Ramadi. How exactly our Iraqi troops retaking that city and how was the U.S. helping?

ROBIN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well sound like a quite a complex tactical operations, Errol, early yesterday morning, that would be a Tuesday morning. The Iraqi army paramilitary troops from the Shiite regions as well as the Joint Counter Terrorism force, and built a bridge between the main land and really the area of Ramadi which is surrounded by canals. They built a temporary bridge and a number of troops were able to cross over in what sounds like a dawn raid and launch. This is still to try and take the center of Ramadi. Some of the Iraqi troops have already been in districts around the center. But they're already trying to get these key government buildings that ISIS has been controlling for seven months as you said.

A dawn raid, they took the area. We understand this began in the district of Homera and then moved in further north into the city itself.

And we do understand that -- we are hearing that at least two districts, they may have taken two districts at this point. That is yet to be confirmed with the various sources but that is what we're hearing at the moment. Clashes were going away into the night we also understand.

BARNETT: And Robyn just remind us, why did Iraqi forces flee the last time around? Some believe it had more to do with politics in Baghdad than ISIS in Ramadi. But has that been addressed?

KREIL: Well, there is a lot of unhappiness really surrounding this humiliating defeat which came under tremendous criticism from the United States as well, and was also embarrassing for the U.S. because they had pumped so much money into the Iraqi army.

Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter saying it was very disappointing. And from what we understand, from what we're hearing from Iraqi commanders, they did not have the support they said, from both Baghdad, the central government in Baghdad as well as the United States. They simply ran out of ammunition that they tried to hold ISIS all for as long as possible. But they just did not have the support.

Now it seems renewed vigor, renewed energy to take the city obviously on the backs of things like the Paris attacks and various other ISIS- inspired attacks across the world. There is this push and there has been this push, they're trying really take town as quickly as possible from ISIS. And put ISIS on the back foot.

So that's why you've seen this recent assault and it does seem alongside with the U.S.-led coalition air strikes, a number of U.S.- led coalition air strike throughout yesterday's assaults, and in previous weeks. This is why you can sort of see that there is this visible progress on the ground and operations are taking place.

BARNETT: That's why this time around you can see Iraqi forces appear much more prepared. Robyn Kreil, live for us in London this morning. Eight minutes past 8:00 there. Thanks.

The former aide to General David Petraeus joins us now from Columbus, Ohio Colonel Peter Mansoor is also our CNN Military Analyst. Colonel, thanks for joining us today.

What happens next in Ramadi will be a huge test for the Iraqi government and its forces. ISIS though was threatened locals with death if they try to flee. So how can civilian casualties be avoided when the Islamic militants may try every deadly trick in the book here. PETER MANSOOR (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, you know, war is never clean and I don't think civilian casualties can be avoided in this incidence.

The good news is that Ramadi is a city of several hundred thousand people and most of them have fled. There are still tens of thousands in the city and some of them will be casualties of this battle that's ongoing.

BARNETT: Now this is the provincial Capitol in Anbar. It is the heart land for Sunni Arab.

So how significant would it be as far as sending a message to moderate Sunnis all the way into Syria that ISIS is really on the retreat. That would be such an opposite message to what we've been hearing.

MANSOOR: Well in addition to those factors, it's the birth place of the awakening, a movement of pride that did so much to destroy al Qaeda and Iraq before under the ISIS.

So symbolically the capture of Ramadi would have significant impact on the fight against ISIS. But it is just one of many steps that has to occur before the group is rolled back and will ultimately destroyed.

BARNETT: And typically we've seen the ISIS militants conduct multiple suicide bombs on other fronts whenever they are being challenged in this manner. What type of backlash would you expect here?

[03:10:09] MANSOOR: It is part of ISIS' modus operandi to attack somewhere else or to try to take pressure off one battlefield by engaging in another.

So, I would suspect that you would see some ISIS push back somewhere else, either in Iraq or Syria, and to see if they can take the visibility off of what's happening in Ramadi. I don't know how successful they'll be, now because they are under extreme pressure up north as well with the fall of Sangin recently, and in the center with the fall of Baiji, so, actually, some significant advances by the Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish forces recently.

BARNETT: But will this be enough? You mentioned that it's just one important step in the fight against ISIS. Do you think that the Iraqi forces have what they need to hold the city of Ramadi and, in fact, to completely roll back ISIS eventually?

MANSOOR: Now, clearly this is not enough. The Iraqi army is in the initial stages of being reconstituted. It still needs a lot more man power, a lot more training and a lot more support from its government which is under pressure from Shiite-backed Malaysians as well.

BARNETT: Col. Peter Mansoor, our CNN Military Analyst, thanks for your time today, joining us from Columbus, Ohio.

Now we're learning more about the victims of the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan this year. And National Guard staff Sergeant Louis Bonacasa of New York, who was on his fifth tour of duty in the region, Chester McBride was an Air Force staff sergeant from Statesboro Georgia. McBride served with Air Force Major Adrianna Vorderbruggen. She was one of the first openly gay U.S. service members and an activist against the Military's "don't ask, don't tell policy," which ended five years ago, Tuesday.

Now, Afghan forces are struggling to fend off Taliban militants in a strategic area of Helmand Province. The soldiers defending district of Sangin are reportedly running out of weapons and running out of supplies. British troops though have deployed to offer support. The district links the Helmand Capital to northern districts. The Taliban could take control of key supply routes.

Alexandra Field is following all of this and joins us live with more. Alexandra, there's been so much concern from locals in Helmand that the Taliban is gaining strength. So, what's was the latest on what's happening there?

AMANDA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Errol, it was just a year ago that NATO turned over security operations to the Afghan security forces and they are having to fight now to maintain control this area. The reports from the ground are that the Taliban has nearly, entirely overrun the Sangin District to save for a police chief's compound and also a compound housing a military battalion. The great fear here is that if Sangin becomes completely under the control of the Taliban, that all of Helmand province could then fall to the Taliban.

The locals on the ground are saying that this is a dire and an urgent situation. They're calling on the central government to provide them with more supplies, more ammunition, more food as they continue to try to fend off the advances of the Taliban. At the same time you do have a NATO team that has been deployed to Helmand Province. You've got British troops among them who are there to act in an advisory rule.

And Errol, you may remember, when the Taliban briefly overran Kunduz back in September, that it took the help of U.S. Military advisers on the ground there as well as cover from the U.S. as far as air cover there.

So you've got the locals on the ground, now in this key part of Helmand province appealing to the central government for more help even while you've got this NATO team, there trying to supply whatever kind of aid support that they're able to give at this point. But again, the NATO service members are not there in a combat capacity, Errol.

BARNETT: All right, this is a major test for the Afghan government and its forces. Alexandra Field, live for us, thank you.

Two more men are now facing terror related charges in Australia. Police in New South Wales say they were caught in their homes Wednesday morning. One is 20 years old, the other is 24. The arrests are part of an ongoing counter terrorism investigation.

In all, 12 people have now been charged with terror offenses since September of last year in this operation. Still to come this hour on CNN NEWSROOM, signs of hope in China as the

survivor's pulled out from the rubble from the landslide there in Shenzhen.

[03:14:37] Plus, U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl accused of desertion in Afghanistan goes before a judge later this hour. We'll hear from a military law attorney about the case of the former Taliban hostage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good day to you. Pedram Javaheri for CNN Weather watch, the Western United States, an incredible weather pattern. Take a look at this. Incredible plum of moisture diving right in, we have a trough in to the Western U.S., a ridge across the Eastern U.S.

Seen to pick out some disturbances right here, a couple of storm systems cruising right on in towards Vancouver Island, this pattern remains very active, in fact, you look across the continental divide, just about every state west of that line, at least some winter weather advisories and warnings in place. And the snow showers continue to come down across the higher elevations. And heavy rainfall possible across Northern California as well as it dives in farther to the South.

So this is where you would find your white Christmas, some of the higher elevations of the Western U.S., even some low lying areas could tap in some snow flakes. But notice the mild air locked in across much of the Eastern and Southern portion of the U.S. with the cold air bottled up to the North.

We think that will change from Saturday into Sunday and eventually into early next week. We begin to see a trend of some cold air trying to filter in towards parts of Texas but the Eastern U.S. remains mild for the early portion of next week as well.

So here we go with your forecast in New York City. Christmas Eve temps, this approaching Christmas Eve with 15 degrees there with rain showers and it lend a few thunderstorms should make it up to 22 degrees. And farther to the South Managua looking at 34, Kingston at little blustery at time should make it up to about 31 degrees. And we'll leave you with South America.

BARNETT: All right, I want to give you the latest information out of Mexico.

Health officials in Cardenas say at least 30 people are injured after a gas pipeline exploded. The gas company PEMEX denies the pipeline itself exploded. You see a map here. It says the blast happened after an accident with a stolen fuel tank still took place in a residential area about 60 kilometers or 37 miles from the capital of Tabasco State.

Health officials say several people are hospitalized with severe burns. The company says no employees were wounded. We turn now to the search for landslide survivors in Shenzhen, China. A 19-year-old man was pulled out alive from under a building at the Industrial Park earlier Wednesday. He'd been buried for more than 60 hours. The second person who was rescued later died.

State media report four bodies were also recovered. More than 70 people remain missing at this hour. For more on the recovery efforts, we turn to CNN's Matt Rivers. He is there in Shenzhen. And Matt, that rescue of a 19-year-old is incredible, especially when you consider others rescued with him didn't make it.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right, Errol. The story that's emerging about how this 19-year-old survived, truly remarkable, he was trapped as this landslide came down the slope, it trapped him but he was able to secure a small air packet for himself.

[03:20:13] And miraculously the room that he was trapped in, there were some kind of snacks inside that happened to land near his body so over the past three days or so while he was trapped he actually managed to survive by keeping very calm according to state media and eating those snacks that just happened to fall near him.

And then as he heard rescuers, he actually was striking a stone, a rock that was near him and that alerted rescuers to signs of life. They actually located him around 3:00 a.m. here local time. And it took them several hours to finally free him given the level of the debris that was on top when he was taken out and miraculously is in a local hospital right now in stable condition.

That said, there are a lot of people here at this shelter behind me who are waiting to hear from friends and perhaps relatives who remain trapped in the rubble.

Many people here, their chief concern, they are frustrated that the government is not providing timely information as they would call it.

We spoke to one man earlier today whose father is trapped in the rubble. He came here on a moment's notice Sunday night. He has been waiting here for days and he's very frustrated by the fact that he just doesn't know what's going on.

YU DONGSHENG, SON OF MISSING LANDSLIDE VICTIM, (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I have not received any updates. No one has called me to tell me anything. The authorities have given us no information.

RIVERS: And he is still hopeful at this point though despite his frustration that...

BARNETT: All right, it appears our signal with Matt Rivera's stay in Shenzhen has gone down, but he also was telling us earlier that local media is reporting one official from the company responsible has been taken into custody.

Now the mall of America in Minnesota has won a court order to block three Black Lives Matter organizers from attending a protest there. The officials of the country's largest shopping center originally wanted a restraining order against the entire demonstration that's expected to be held in the coming day in the midst of the big pre- Christmas shopping week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN GAERTNER, ATTORNEY, MALL OF AMERICA: We are very pleased with the ruling. The court yet again said the law of Minnesota protects private property owners such as the Mall of America.

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, BLACK LIVES MATTER: There's so many of us that are, you know, stepping up and doing the work that, you know, like you can take ten of us out and we have ten more that are able to step into that place and, like, do the exact same thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Now Black Lives Matter wants to call attention to a police- involved-shooting death last month in Minneapolis. This will be the second December it has held a protest at the Mall of America.

Real estate heir Robert Durst will return to Los Angeles by August of next year for arraignment on his pending murder charge. He's being held in New Orleans for weapons and drugs charges.

You may recall of a millionaire is accused of killing his friend before investigators were set to speak with her about the disappearance of Durst first wife.

Durst denies any wrongdoing but some say his off camera mutterings picked up on a live microphone during the HBO documentary sent a much different message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DURST: Killed them all, of course.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARRET: Durst's lawyer says that clip makes for great television but does not represent a search for the truth.

[03:24:01] A human rights group investigates Russian air strikes in Syria, the report's findings and Russia's response next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BARNETT: It's our last half hour together today.

Welcome back to viewers in the states and all around the world. This is CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Errol Barnett.

Here are your headlines.

Rescuers in China found a 19-year-old man alive more than two days after he was buried in a landslide in Shenzhen. A second person who was later rescued died. The media report 4 bodies were also recovered. About 73 people are still missing.

Iraqi forces are fighting their way into the heart of Ramadi, that city has been under ISIS control since May. The U.S.-led coalition is providing air support. Iraqi officials say their operation may slow down out of concern that Isis could use civilians as human shields.

The woman accused of running over dozens of pedestrians on a Las Vegas strip is now facing three felony charges including murder and child abuse. One person was killed and 37 others injured in that crash. Prosecutors say Lakeisha Holloway could face more charges as the investigation continues.

An American army sergeant who spent five years in Taliban captivity and was later released went before a U.S. military court on Tuesday. Bowe Bergdahl entered no plea on charges of desertion and endangering fellow soldiers.

Emily Schmidt reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMILY SCHMIDT: In military turns army sergeant Bowe Bergdahl appeared for an article 39A arraignment hearing, in translation, his first hearing for charges which could put the 29-year-old in prison for life. Bergdahl said little, mostly sir, yes, sir, in response to the judge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sergeant Bergdahl deferred all of these decisions to a later hearing.

SCHMIDT: Bergdahl said more publicly in interviews with the filmmakers, which are the basis of a serial podcast. He said he walked away from a combat outpost in Afghanistan in 2009 to try to bring attention to what he called poor leadership in his unit.

BOWE BERGDAHL, ACCUSED U.S ARMY SERGEANT: The lives of the guys sitting next to me were literally, from what I could see, in danger of something seriously going wrong.

SCHMIDT: The Taliban captured and held Bergdahl until president Obama secured his release last year as part of a swap for five Guantanamo Bay detainees.

[03:30:02] Since then the army has debated what to do with Bergdahl ranging from no jail time to the general court-martial which was recommended December 14th.

[03:30:11] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To military investigators...

SCHMIDT: Military experts say Bergdahl's words will be closely reviewed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Inevitably, he's saying things that are going to hurt him. SCHMIDT: In short, Bergdahl's recent words could be used against him, instead of the 2009 actions Bergdahl says he had hoped would send a message instead. I'm Emily Schmidt, reporting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Patrick McLain joins us from Dallas, Texas, to discuss all this. He's a criminal defense and military law attorney.

Patrick, thanks for your time.

Bowe Bergdahl did not enter a plea on these charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, and he does not decide whether he wants to face a judge and jury, or just a judge. So, what does all of that tell us?

PATRICK MCLAIN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE AND MILITARY LAW ATTORNEY: It tells us it's a pretty unremarkable day. This is the way most court- martials begin. An arraignment hearing is primarily to notify the accused of what he's charged with, ensure he has counsel of his own selection and then set a schedule. Typically, one does not enter pleas nor select the form of judge alone or members at that time. Not too unusual for this day to go as it did.

BARNETT: But the worst-case scenario here is he could face life in prison on the misbehavior charge. You've got many observers seeing that as unlikely. But you have two forces at play here, as well, political pressure and public opinion. What is the political pressure on this case as you see it?

MCLAIN: Certainly, Senator McCain, of Arizona, symbolizes the political pressure. He stepped down and, in my opinion, interfered with the military justice process by saying that if he wasn't satisfied with the result, he would hold his own hearings. That is a big verboten in military justice. And this is going to be perhaps something helpful to Sergeant Bergdahl should the case not go in his favor.

BARNETT: Now there's also Bowe Bergdahl's version of defense, described in his own words to the "Serial" podcast, where he essentially says this was about getting the attention of higher ups to highlight leadership problems that were endangering troops. So he's turning it around from what has been said about what he did. There are more episodes to come. Could that create a wave of sympathy for him?

MCLAIN: Well, certainly, it was investigated by Major General Kenneth Dahl, who is not an attorney, but a commander, and he came away after hearing the full Sergeant Bergdahl story and said he should not even go to a court-martial. Then it was later investigated at General Abram's, the convenient authorities behest, and an Article 32 hearing, a preliminary investigation by a Lieutenant Colonel Mark Visger, a lawyer, who, unfortunately, said it should go to a court-martial. But he said it should go to a lesser lower court-martial, a special court martial, which is equivalent to a misdemeanor court. General Abrams ignored both of those fairly thorough investigations and chose to send it to the highest level court-martial, a general court- martial, and it is my opinion, based on the information I have read, that he did it because there's a lot of political pressure out there.

(CROSSTALK)

BARNETT: So if General Abrams is doing this because of political pressure and if those who know more about this case than we do don't even think it should be at this level, how do you think this ends?

MCLAIN: Well, I think it's going to be indicative of the way they present their case. As the person who's been in military justice for 30 years including serving as a military judge, I will tell you, military members are extremely conscientious and very fair. And I think once they hear the full Sergeant Bergdahl story, they're apt to come to the same conclusion that Major Lieutenant Dahl and Lieutenant Colonel Visger came in their investigations, as well.

BARNETT: Well, I appreciate you giving us your insight on all this based on your experience.

Criminal defense and military law attorney, Patrick McLain, joining us for Dallas. Thanks for your time.

MCLAIN: Thank you.

Now, turn the big story with following for you today. Amnesty International says Russian air strikes killed at least 200 Syrian civilians are may amount to war crimes. The group's report focuses on six attacks between September and November. It says the strikes cause massive destruction to homes and medical facilities and there were no obvious military targets nearby. The report also accuses Russia of covering up an attack that hit a mosque.

Matthew Chance joins us now live from Moscow with the possible Russian response. Matthew, Russia typically denies any wrong doing and previous claims of misconducts in Syria. Any word out of the Kremlin yet on this Amnesty International claim?

[03:35:03] MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No. They think pretty tight-lipped so far about this amnesty report. But you're right, it's not the first time there have been allegations about Russians causing civilian casualties in Syria and in the past the Russians have categorically denied that saying they've got very accurate intelligence from the ground in Syria to help them guide in there, what they called pinpoints and, you know, very positive strikes on terrorist targets inside Syria.

I was in Syria recently with the Russian military. I posed this question to the senior Russian defense ministry official we were with. And he again, categorically denied it. Saying, look, it's terrorist infrastructure that we're striking at.

We have a whole range of intelligence gathering techniques to give us targeting information from assets on the ground to satellites technology in space.

And so, yeah, in the past they've categorically denied even causing any civilian casualties at all. And so, that's likely to be if there is a response -- the response to this amnesty international report as well, Errol.

BARNETT: And how is Russia proving that the terrorist targets they're hitting are precisely that? What proof do they offer?

CHANCE: Well, of course, it's very difficult in a context like Syria to get categorical proof that can be independently verified but the Russian defense ministry have been putting out videos of most (inaudible) video of their attacks, film from aircraft as they carry out bomb strikes against various targets.

They've been giving briefings, of course, every week to Russian journalists and making the findings of those briefings -- the details and those briefings available to international journalists as well.

And so, we're getting, you know, the Russian side of the story, if you like, about the strikes in Syria. But in terms of verifiable proof, it's very difficult. What amnesty international say is they've spoken to a number of eye-witnesses on the ground by telephone and by Skype, and they spoke to doctors and representatives of aid organizations operating n Syria as well, and that's how they gathered these testimonies together to try to assemble a picture of the damage that they say Russia is inflicting on the civilian population in Syria.

Of course, you know, this is going to be easily swept aside by the Russians. They've said that allegations like this are part of an Anti-Russian propaganda campaign organized by the West and by organizations like Amnesty International.

And so, again, there hasn't been a reaction to this report but I can pretty much anticipate what that reaction is going to be.

BARNETT: All right, Matthew Chance, live in Moscow for us. 11:37 in the morning there. Matthew, thanks.

The release of a convicted rapist in India leads to changes I should say, in the country's laws on juvenile criminals. We'll bring you details on that after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:40:55] BARNETT: The migrant crisis has passed a staggering milestone. The International Organization for Migration says more than one million migrants and refugees entered Europe by land and sea this year. That is more than four times as many as in 2014.

Now some individual countries are doing even more. Turkey is hosting almost 2.5 million refugees, while Lebanon has taken one million Syrian refugees.

Actress Susan Sarandon is welcoming refugees to Greece's Lesbos Island. The activist and UNICEF goodwill ambassador told CNN why she got involved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN SARANDON, ACTIVIST AND UNICEF GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: Welcome. Welcome.

(CROSSTALK)

SARANDON: What difficult landing you had, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. It was very difficult.

SARANDON: I came to listen and learn, to hear people's stories, to try to pass them on firsthand. When I talked to refugees and I find out what their situation was and is and what their hopes are.

And I'm also here to owner my grandparents who were both immigrants and came to the United States. My grandfather, at 15, fled Sicily because they were rounding everybody up because there was a war going on. So I understand, you know, this is a repetition of that.

Well, one of the questions I've been asking myself is I talked to women with babies and small children. That's the heartbreaking thing because you know that it must be an impossible situation to think that getting on a rubber boat with someone that doesn't even know how to drive it, not knowing what's going to be at the other side, you know, to make that choice that that is a good alternative, you have to be quite desperate.

So I suppose would it -- you know, would I get on a boat with my small children if I was that desperate? Yes, I suppose I would. There's no alternative. And I think that's people have to understand that this is an expensive, dangerous venture in many, many ways and I don't think anyone understands.

It seems like such a short little trip, you know, but they don't understand how rickety the boats are and how the weather can change and how difficult the landings are. And often there are people in wheelchairs or very old people and it's very, very dangerous.

(CROSSTALK)

SARANDON: I think the moment that made me just call and try to find a way to get over here quickly was more the rhetoric that was suddenly emerging in the United States. I was keeping tabs on what was happening and I was, you know, watching and I was very upset. But then when I started hearing this hatred being normalize because of political climate, you know, that Donald Trump, this really simplistic, racist, ignorant narrative that was being repeated over and over and over and was growing, I just said someone has to start to tell these stories and counter that framing of this, one of the largest crises that I think we'll have in our lifetime. And so I just said, I'm going. I'll spend Christmas in Lesbos.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Actress Susan Sarandon there.

Now the release of the youngest man convicted in a deadly gang rape in India has led to renewed outrage over the attack. Sumnima Udas reports parliament move quickly to change the laws on juvenile crime.

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SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It took India's upper house of parliament just two days to act, two days after the youngest of six rapists convicted in that notorious 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder was released from juvenile custody simply because he was a few months shy of his 18th birthday.

Indian lawmakers acted swiftly to prevent similar releases in the future. From now on anyone between the ages of 16 and 18 accused of committing a serious crime like rape or murder can be tried as an adult.

[03:45:07] Until today's new legislation, the maximum sentence a suspect under the age of 18 could face with three years in a reform facility no matter what the crime.

Now the new law is not retroactive so it will not apply to the juvenile convicted of committing the most savage gang rape this country has ever seen. He remains a free man, but the parents of the rape and murder victim were in parliament all day listening to the lawmakers debate the pros and cons of changing the juvenile law, and after the vote the dead girl's mother walked away crying saying while her daughter did not get justice, others now will and the new law will hopefully deter other minors from committing such crimes in the future so no one will have to go through what her daughter went through back in 2012. Sumnima Udas, CNN, New Delhi.

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BARNETT: Now in the skies of the Western U.S., hundreds of people spotted what they described as a meteor-like object streaking across the sky.

Our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us not with speculation but facts and science on what everyone saw, Pedream.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, obviously, we know, Errol, that actually it was a piece of a rocket from a Russian Spacecraft that came flying down over the skies of the state of Nevada, parts of the stsate of Utah even into parts of California.

Bakersfield and Sacramento region people reported seeing this.

And it took a 30 second span of time there as it streaked across the sky. Incredible sight. A lot of people thinking it was a meteor. But, take a look at the perspective because we do know when you look at space debris and space debris objects, about 22,000 of them dot around our planet or orbiting our planet. This is, of course, from the first satellite sent out in the late 1950s to present day.

22,000 that are roughly the size of an apple to as large as full size rocket hulls and spent rocket engines that are floating about out there. A lot of them, of course, have been discarded.

When you think of all of this, there are millions more, there are even smaller, there are flecks of paints. Or even concern the size of screws.

And we bring up the planet to show you what we're dealing with. And when comes to having a meteor combined (ph) -- by the way, when it makes landfall, that is when it becomes a meteorite. This particular case, when meteor when they're coming by, they're coming at speeds up to 160,000 miles per hour. They come at an oblique angle. And you can see them streak (ph) across the sky briefly. (Inaudible) appear they go very quickly.

When it comes to spent objects that are manmade such as a the satellite or piece of a satellite, and in this case, the piece of a Russian rocket that comes in, they come in more at a flat angle. Sometimes close to zero degrees as they come in, gravity begins to pull them in. And you'll see a much slower rate at about 15 to 20,000 miles per hour versus 150 or so miles per hour to the speed that they travel.

So that's what happened across parts of California. Certainly an interesting story that occur there. A lot of people's attention when it comes to social media talking about what it could have been.

But speaking of California, I want to take you out there towards the Sierra Nevada because some excellent news when it comes to snow pack across that region.

You know, in 2013, we're about 24 percent, Errol. We made it up to 56 percent this time last year. We are now for the first time in years above normal in the Sierra snow pack. We have long ways to go but great news when it comes to...

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[03:50:50] KATE RILEY, CNN ANCHOR: ... both Platini and Blatter deny wrongdoing. And Brendon Mccullum, the most successful captain in New Zealand cricket history, in retiring for the international game. The 34-year old is been in-charge of the Black Caps since 2012. His last match point for this country will be his 101st test against Australia in Christchurch on February 20th.

And that's a look at all your sports headlines. I'm Kate Riley.

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BARNETT: So what would Jesus drink? That's the question some wine making monks are asking that marketing wines made from great varieties that go back to, what, 2,000 years.

Our (ph) Lieberman has more takes a few steps from Bethlehem.

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WARREN LIEBERMAN: Christmas in Bethlehem, a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the beginning of the New Testament.

At a monastery nearby, they craft a key component of many a biblical stories. Wine as made in the time of Jesus.

FADI BATARSEH, WINEMAKR, CREMISAN WINERY: We are concentrating on making the wine and...

LIEBERMAN: The history comes with it?

BATARSEH: The history comes with it, of course, yes. And hopefully God is happy with our wine.

LIEBERMAN: The wine making process has come a long way since biblical times with stainless steel fermenting tanks and oak barrel, which I would describe as epic.

I've never sat on top of 4,000 liters of wine before. Tradition, history part of every bottle.

ZIAD BITAR, MANAGER, CREMISAN WINERY: When you say Jesus drank from this wine, so it means it's a huge thing. So you have to -- you have to continue on making this wine better and better every year.

LIEBERMAN: Cremisan was the first winery in the region to return to making wine from only local grapes, the same used thousands of years ago.

BITAR: In the book it's the name of the grape that grows only here in our country.

LIEBERMAN: After an intro to local grapes, we (inaudible) tasting, I admit, not the first or last tasting on this story, then it's sniffed.

Smells good, smells fresh, ripe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

LIEBERMAN: Swirled, zipped, and enjoyed.

And that's fresh, ripe taste to match.

At Ariel University, researchers trace the genetic vine to uncover which grapes are native to the holy land testing ancient seeds preserved in archaeological digs.

ELYASHIV DRORI, ARIEL UNIVERSITY: When finding -- archaeological finding (inaudible) 99 percent of the time it's burned. The seeds are actually charred. This is the reason that they were preserved.

LIEBERMAN: You can see the right seed is burned when it's darker, it's a little more shriveled. On the left is a modern day fresh...

DRORI: Exactly.

LIEBERMAN: ... merlot seed. Off the coast, one maker (inaudible) choses his vineyards are recently harvested the budgie grapes. There were heavy restrictions one wine making in the holy land for hundreds of years under the Ottoman Empire.

[03:55:07] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After the season that you can still find a few edible berries.

LIEBERMAN: The grapes that survive were table grapes.

And so the wine from this grape could be the wine that Jesus drank?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

LIEBERMAN: Turning them into wine still a new idea. It has a tremendous sweetness to it but it's...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, there was.

LIEBERMAN: It's overripe now.

The French have a word (inaudible) which describes the place the wine is from. What does that mean here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's actually expresses the sense of the wine.

LIEBERMAN: A sense of people, place, and crucially of history.

There is tremendous marketing potential here. A wine from biblical times, a wine that Jesus drinks being bottled again.

Warren Lieberman, CNN, the Holy Land.

BARNETT: What an assignment. All right, one more story for you. Visitors to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California got a nice surprise, an adorable baby otter's birth. Kids get in television. A wild sea otter delivered her pup on Sunday. Mom spent much of Monday fluffing up her baby's fur so it can survive in the ocean when its time to swim.

The pup had many fans as well.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The otter is like so cute and so fluffy and so -- it's just so -- it's so good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really cute. Just little cuddly ball.

BARNETT: I think the kids said it best. Thanks for watching, everyone. I'm Errol Barnett. "Early Start" is next for those of you in the U.S. For everyone else, stay tuned to "CNN Newsroom." See you tomorrow.

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[04:00:12] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iraqi troops pushed towards the center of Ramadi with help --