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Donald Trump Not Afraid to Attack Bill Clinton; Rivers Rising in Missouri, Hundreds of Roads Closed; Singer Goes Missing After Hunting in Storm; Police Watching for New Year's Terror Threats; Iraqi Forces Securing Remaining Areas of Ramadi; ISIS Takes Hits in Form of Foiled Plot, Killed Leaders; North Korea Says Top Liaison with South Korea Killed in Car Accident; Ethan Couch Expected Back in U.S. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 30, 2015 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:09] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles.
Ahead this hour, Donald Trump piles on saying Hillary Clinton has a big problem. And he's living in her house.
As the clock ticks down to New Year's Eve, authorities around the world are on high alert for terrorist attacks. Already one alleged plot foiled in Europe.
And historic flooding, almost 20 million Americans under a flood warning as the water rises to unprecedented levels.
Hello, and welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. Great to have you with us. I'm John Vause. NEWSROOM L.A. start now.
Our top story this hour, millionaire businessman Donald Trump has spent very little on his presidential campaign so far, an achievement nearly unprecedented in American politics. But now that is about to change. Starting Monday, the Republican frontrunner says he plans to spend big on advertising in those early voting states.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I feel I have an obligation, even to myself and to the country, to spend. And so we're going to be spending a minimum of $2 million for the first and then we'll see what happens. And if anybody goes after me, I will spend a lot of money against the people that go after me.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Well, I'm just saying, if somebody attacks me, I will attack them very much and very hard in terms of ads. So, you heard what I said, I'm $35 million under budget. I thought as of January 1st, I would have spent $35 million on ads. I spent nothing. So I'm $35 million under budget. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Jeb has spent $40 million and you --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: No, he hasn't spent $40 million. He's wasted $40 million.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Trump says his ads will focus on border security, trade, and protecting the U.S. from ISIS. But on the campaign trail, it's been all about marital infidelity. Donald Trump continues to talk about former president Bill Clinton's affairs as Mr. Clinton starts campaigning for his wife, Hillary. And the three-time married Mr. Trump says his own past is also fair game.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are your own personal indiscretions fair game in this campaign?
TRUMP: Yes, they would be. And frankly, Hillary brought up the whole thing with sexist and all I did was reverse it on her because she's got a major problem. Happens to be right in her house. So if she wants to do that, we're going to go right after the president, the ex- president and we'll see how it all comes out. And I feel very confident that it will come out very well for us. I will say this, the last person that Hillary wants to run against is me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: But as Jeff Zeleny reports, so far Hillary Clinton has chosen to ignore Mr. Trump's latest attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump is opening a new front in his war with the Clintons. Reviving political scandals from two decades ago.
TRUMP: It was certainly a lot of abuse of women and you look at whether it's Monica Lewinsky or Paula Jones or many of them and that certainly will be fair game.
HILARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you all so much.
ZELENY: With Bill Clinton ready to hit the campaign trail, Trump said on NBC's "Today" show everything is fair game in his outreach to women voters even this.
TRUMP: Certainly if they play the woman's card with respect to me that will be fair game.
ZELENY: In New Hampshire today, Hilary Clinton ignore Trump's latest taunt.
CLINTON: Hey, how are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Donald Trump coming after your husband --
CLINTON: OK, great to see you.
ZELENY: Her campaign issued a statement saying, "Hilary Clinton won't be bullied or distracted by attacks he throws at her and former President Clinton."
The Clintons, the picture of a big happy family seen here on a Sunday stroll in New York. A stark reminder of how much time has passed since this tense moment at the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, raising the question of whether this old controversies still carry any weight.
Trump, once a golfing buddy with the former president, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in 2008 Clinton's impeachment was nonsense.
TRUMP: Look at the trouble Bill Clinton got into with something that was totally unimportant and they try to impeach him which was nonsense.
ZELENY: This morning he tried to explain his change of heart.
TRUMP: I'm dubbed as a world class businessman which frankly that's what I am, and I get along with everybody. I get along with the Clintons. I get along with the Republicans, the Democrats, the liberals, the conservatives. That was my obligation as a businessman.
ZELENY: But now Trump is butting heads. The new feud has Trump's primary fight written all over it. Few thinks rally Republicans more than taking on the Clintons. Overnight, he tweeted, "Remember that Bill Clinton was brought in to help Hillary against Obama in 2008. He was terrible, failed badly, and was called a racist."
From name calling to nose picking, the Trump campaign once again took the low road re-tweeting a Photoshopped picture of Jeb Bush picking his nose. A Bush campaign spokeswoman fired back.
Out on Twitter, there arose such a clatter, "Late-night Twitter drunk Donald is back at it." All candidates feeling the pressure.
Marco Rubio and Chris Christie also in Iowa squeezing in a final round of handshakes and speeches of 2015.
In the New Year, Trump said he's going to open his checkbook in the final month before the Iowa caucuses. He quoted in a tweet today that he spent less than any candidate saying, "Now I will spend big in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina." He is fighting to stay out front.
TRUMP: I demand the election be today.
ZELENY (on camera): But the election, of course, will not be held today. It is held in five weeks when those Iowa caucuses kick off the road to the White House. The challenge for Donald Trump is trying to ensure all these supporters. You can see them behind me here. The crown gathered here in Council Bluffs. All these supporters in the caucus goers on the night of February 1st when these Republican voters start this presidential campaign.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The storm is over, but parts of Missouri will likely see historic river flooding through early next week. It's one of 13 states currently under flood warnings across the U.S. Missouri's governor has activated the National Guard to help first responders in evacuated areas. At least 13 people have died so far in the floods.
And with us now from St. Louis, Missouri, is Linda Horn, spokesperson for the Transportation Department.
Linda, thanks for being with us. Right now, what, hundreds of roads are closed, there are closures on the interstates, as well. How bad is it and what's the worst you're expecting?
LINDA HORN, SPOKESWOMAN, MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: Yes, so in Missouri, we have received anywhere from 10 inches to a foot of rain over the last couple of days and we're dealing with rising rivers all across the state of Missouri. We currently have over 225 roads that are closed in the state and our worst situation is that Interstate 44 is closed in the middle of the state, kind of near Rolla, Missouri. And we are expecting a spot on Interstate 44 to close in St. Louis before morning.
And those two closures on Interstate 44 are making it not only very difficult to get around in Missouri, but also very difficult for travelers trying to get through our state and travel in the Midwest, the ability to get, say, from Illinois to Oklahoma. And so we're having a tough time dealing with truck traffic and through travelers trying to get through the state of Missouri.
VAUSE: So, Linda, what sort of preparations are you making as well as the other emergency crews? What preparations are under way? Can you do much, though, when it comes to this level of flooding?
HORN: Well, yes, and that's the problem with flooding. And in this situation, it's not going to be short-term. We are done dealing with flash floods and now we're dealing with rivers, including the Missouri and the Mississippi River that are rising and will keep Interstate 44 closed for several more days. So what we're trying to do is get the word out, especially to the nationwide trucking industry to use Interstate 70 through Missouri or Interstate 40 through Arkansas as an alternate to Interstate 44 through our state.
VAUSE: Very quickly, in general terms, what's the best advice for anybody in Missouri right now?
HORN: Well, best advice is they need to check and see what roads are closed. We have that available at modot.org and also we don't have enough barricade to close all the roads that are closed, so if you see water over a road, turn around and don't drown. We've had a dozen deaths in Missouri due to flooding and they've all been people in cars who have drowned in the rivers.
VAUSE: Linda, thank you so much for being with us. We know this is an emergency and you are very busy. We appreciate your time.
HORN: Thanks very much.
VAUSE: Let's go to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri with more details on this.
So, clearly, Pedram, you know, there's a long way before anybody is in the clear when it comes to the flooding.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, unfortunately. And you know, this is something, of course, that happened so quickly over the last week, everyone was talking about the severe storms, the tornado that were very unusual in nature. Now we're talking about an area that we see roughly the size of Ireland when it comes to the region. About 20,000 square kilometers -- square miles of land that are underneath flood warning and watches.
(WEATHER REPORT)
[01:10:49] JAVAHERI: And John, important to note, again, we talked about tornadoes, but we know in the United States the past 30 years, flooding related fatalities are somewhere about 81 people per year. Tornadoes come in second at 72 so flooding certainly takes more lives.
And then the perspective in talking about flooding, about 70 percent of those flooding fatalities just last year were related to people losing their lives inside their vehicles. So it's very important to note that in the next couple of weeks as people are fleeing this region.
VAUSE: Yes. It's also one of the other issues, too, it's freezing cold and it's really windy. So it's just downright miserable in many parts right now.
JAVAHERI: Not a good place.
VAUSE: Thanks, Pedram.
JAVAHERI: Yes.
VAUSE: OK, in Oklahoma now, state troopers will resume their search for singer Craig Strickland in the coming hours. He went missing on a weekend hunting on a trip as a winter storm was rolling in.
Here are the details now from Ana Cabrera.
ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, this search is happening in a remote and icy lake in northern Oklahoma where search crews are using side scan sonar, they have a helicopter, but still no sign of the rising country music star. He and his friend, Chase Moreland, went missing on Sunday. They went out on a duck hunting trip just as the storm was bearing down in this area.
Now Moreland's body has been recovered, found on this lake on Monday morning. Now what's really haunting about this story is Moreland sent out an eerie tweet just before the pair went out on their expedition. He writes, quote. "In case we don't come back, @backroadcraig and I are going right through Winter Storm Goliath to kill ducks in Oklahoma #intothestorm."
That tweet was sent late Sunday night. The weather was cold. It was windy. Wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour. Windchills putting temperatures in the teens. We know there was rain then sleet then snow. And there was about a quarter inch ice accumulation that was reported in this area. We know the bad weather is still hampering and slowing some of the search efforts. Authorities say they have recovered a boat and some personal possessions and Craig Strickland's wife, Helen, tweeted out that the dog who was with them was found alive.
Everybody in that family holding out hope for a miracle that Strickland will also be found alive. But this is a tragedy and a sad situation that's really rocked the country music world. Strickland was and is the lead singer of a band called Backroad Anthem. Here he is talking about his band recently.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG STRICKLAND, LEAD SINGER, BACKROAD ANTHEM: We're Backroad Anthem. We're from Fayetteville, Arkansas. We started two years ago, six guys who didn't know each other, and now we're best friends. Well, the name Backroad Anthem is kind of -- when you hear the word "anthem," you think like a very big and full sound, and that's definitely, you know, what we are with so many instruments on stage and the harmonies that we have as a vocal group.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: A little more information about this band. It was formed back in 2012. It's risen to popularity, performing with some of the other well-known artists in the country music world like Luke Brian, Toby Keith, Dierks Bentley. They, in fact, had a show planned coming up on new year's eve in Arkansas, the band's home state. Right now, the band and family members are just asking for prayers -- John.
VAUSE: Ana, thank you.
Now we had this just into CNN. An update in last week's mine collapse in China's Shandong Province. According to the Xinhua News Agency rescue workers have found eight survivors who have been trapped for five days.
This is a video of the rescuers communicating with those miners. They're also able to deliver food and other provisions as well. The gypsum mine collapsed on Christmas Day, killing one worker. Nine people remain missing. The rescuers are unable to reach the miners just yet. An investigation into what caused the collapse is continuing. A short break here on CNN NEWSROOM. When we come back, police are on
high alert ahead of New Year's Eve. Ahead, we'll tell you about the terror threats from Europe to Asia to the U.S.
Also, a wanted teenager and his mother soon to be returned to the U.S. to face charges. A look at what's next for the so-called affluenza teen, Ethan Couch.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(SPORTS)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:18:41] VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody, police around the world are looking out for terror threats ahead of New Year's Eve. They've already foiled at least one alleged plot in Belgium.
Jim Sciutto has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: With New Year's fast approaching, authorities across the world on alert for terror, from Belgium, to Bangladesh, to New York City.
JAMES O'NEILL, NYPD CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT: People should feel safe this New Year's Eve because we're there. You're going to have one of the most well-policed, best protected events at one of the safest venues in the entire world.
SCIUTTO: Police in Belgium arrested two men Tuesday in connection with a plot they say to attack historic sites in the Belgian capital on or around New Year's Eve. A senior Belgian security official tells CNN the target was Brussels' Central Square, the Grand Palace, the plot inspired, though not directed by ISIS.
Police conducted several terror raids Sunday and Monday, seizing military uniforms and ISIS propaganda. The Belgian government raising the threat level to 3 out of a possible 4, meaning an attack is likely.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh, the U.S. embassy warned U.S. citizens of possible attacks on New Year's Eve.
New York says there is no credible threat to the New Year's celebrations, but it is dispatching 6,000 officers to Times Square, where more than one million people are expected on Thursday night.
[01:20:02] The secretary of Homeland Security encouraging New York Police Academy graduates to be vigilant on their new beats.
JEH JOHNSON, US HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: In the face of this current threat to your country, to our country, I encourage you to build bridges to the communities in this city that the Islamic State is attempting to target for recruitment. SCIUTTO: Underscoring the homegrown dangers, a British couple were
both convicted today of preparing for acts of terrorism after investigators seized stockpiles of chemicals and bomb-making materials at one of their homes, and this video, showing them testing an explosive device.
LAURA NICHOLSON, SOUTH EAST COUNTER TERRORISM UNIT: It's clear that a radical and violent Islamic extremist ideology was the motivator for these offenses.
SCIUTTO: On the battlefield in Syria, the coalition announced that airstrikes killed ISIS leader Sharaf Al-Mudan, who officials say had direct links to the mastermind of the Paris attacks, and was actively plotting more terror.
Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Steve Morris is a retired special agent with the FBI, dealt with terrorism throughout his 25-year-long career. Steve is also a contributor now to CNN.
OK. So we're heading up to New Year's Eve. We have a lot of people heading out for the evening. Does it matter in terms of the security challenge if we're looking at New York, Paris, London, Rome, Sydney, anywhere in the world?
STEVE MORRIS, RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT: No. No. Each one is going to be a potential target for ISIS. They like lots of people in one area.
VAUSE: OK. So if you're a security officer, if you're planning this, if you're the FBI, if you're looking into how to keep this safe. What are you looking at?
MORRIS: You're looking at anything that could have come up in the last month. You're looking at all your current investigations. You were looking to anything that has the potential to attack these things. And you are -- your threshold for interdicting is much lower. And so you are trying to basically round up the suspects before New Year's Eve.
VAUSE: OK. So we have 6,000 police officers in New York. Many will be heavily armed, they'll be out there with police dogs, as well. 3,000 officers out on the streets of London. Now officially both sites are saying there's no credible specific threat. This is all about reassuring the public. But could such a huge police presence actually have the opposite effect?
MORRIS: Well, in some people it certainly could. I mean, we're going to find out in -- absent any gross weather changes, we're going to find out how many people believe that. This visible security will reassure some, but in some it will cause fear.
VAUSE: Yes. And this is what a lot of people are doing, this calculation now. And we are hearing some very different advice, depending on who you listen to.
MORRIS: Right.
VAUSE: There's this official in Russia, he's the head of Russia's Upper House Tourism Committee. He said this, he said, "Right now when the issue of terrorist threats continues to be highly irrelevant, a family celebration on New Year's Eve at home is the safest and best format in the current situation."
Now a British MP said this, "I disagree with him. We should never allow the threat of terrorism to frighten us into changing our normal lives. We need to continue with our celebrations."
And I imagine that that is a thought process a lot of people are having right now.
MORRIS: Absolutely.
VAUSE: Do I go out? Am I safe? I don't want to give into terrorism.
MORRIS: Right.
VAUSE: So I guess, you know, what would you do? You're the FBI guy.
MORRIS: If I was bringing my family.
VAUSE: Yes.
MORRIS: I would still go along with the British MP. I think what the Russian parliament member is saying is he doesn't have much confidence in his security. The Brits are saying they do. New York says they do. New York says Times Square is going to be one of the safest places in the world on New Year's Eve. Not sure I agree with that, but it's certainly not going to be the most dangerous.
VAUSE: Have you ever seen a security turnout like this before?
MORRIS: Never. Never. And I've worked New Year's celebrations for years. I have never seen something this elaborate, this robust. This is very good.
VAUSE: OK. Well, obviously, we'll be praying for a celebration on New Year's Eve.
MORRIS: Yes.
VAUSE: And nothing more than that.
Steve, thank you for being with us.
MORRIS: Thank you.
VAUSE: Appreciate it.
Well, a show of victory and jubilation in Iraq. Ahead, the army's defeat of ISIS in Ramadi has them ready to take on the terrorists in other cities. That's ahead.
And the U.S.-led coalition targets a number of ISIS leaders, including one with links to the Paris attacks. We'll have details on the airstrikes also coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:27:36] VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Just coming up to 10:27 on a Tuesday night. I'm John Vause.
The headlines this hour. More than 18 million Americans are currently under flood warnings across the U.S. Most of the rain has stopped in Missouri, one of the hardest hit states. The National Weather Service says historic flooding is likely through early next week. Severe weather has killed almost 50 people so far in the U.S. in the past week.
After repeatedly boasting that he's spent very little on his presidential campaign, Donald Trump is set to shell out almost $2 million a week on TV ads starting Monday. The ads will initially focus on border security, trade and protecting the U.S. from ISIS.
Counterterrorism officials around the world are on high alert ahead of New Year's Eve. Police in Belgium foiled one plot. Two members of a Muslim biker gang had planned to attack tourists, police and soldiers. Investigators say their plot was inspired, but not directed by ISIS.
Iraq's prime minister is celebrating a major blow to ISIS. Haider al- Abadi raised his country's flag in Ramadi. The militants still control about a fourth of the city, but the prime minister is declaring victory and setting his sights on Mosul, the largest Iraqi city currently under ISIS control.
A coalition airstrike in Syria has taken out an ISIS operative linked to the Paris attack ringleader. A spokesman said 27-year-old Charaffe al Mouadan, was killed Christmas eve as he planned more attacks against Western targets. Mouadan is one of 10 senior ISIS leaders recently killed in airstrikes, although his precise role remains unclear.
Now despite those successful strikes against ISIS, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition says they've yet to sever what he called the head of the snake.
Here's Elise Labott.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Iraqi forces evacuated civilians from Ramadi's city center and swept for explosives left behind by the militants, pockets of resistance remain. Tribal leaders charged with holding Ramadi tell CNN ISIS still controls a quarter of the city, now mostly in ruins. Still, the U.S.-led coalition said it was confident the Iraqis would hold the area. COL. STEVE WARREN, SPOKESMAN, ANTI-ISIS COALITION: We don't think
that the remaining enemy has the -- has the oomph to push the Iraqi Security Forces off of their positions.
LABOTT: Iraq's prime minister arrived in Ramadi under heavy guard the day after the army declared the city liberated. Today, he saluted the troops, promising to take the fight to Mosul, and push ISIS out of Iraq entirely by the end of next year.
[01:30:04] Today, the coalition boasted 10 ISIS leaders have been killed in recent air strikes, including Sharaf Al-Mudan (ph), who had direct contacts with the suspected ringleaders of the Paris attacks days before the siege, and was believed to be planning more attacks against the West.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Without leaders to be able to facilitate the activities, your ability to conduct activities goes down. We haven't severed the head of the snake yet, and it's still got fangs. We have to be clear about that. There is much more fighting to do.
LABOTT: In Syria, the coalition has now helped secure a hydroelectric dam from ISIS grip for the first time since 2012. Located near the eastern city of Manbij, it chokes off a key supply route from ISIS headquarters in Raqqa. But despite the battlefield losses, one retired general warns ISIS is growing as a worldwide threat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While they may not be doing ground military offenses, they are still controlling the social media, they're still attracting a significant number of recruits, and I think their new strategy for inspiring attacks worldwide is proven very effective for them.
LABOTT: And new details about what could have been a close encounter between a U.S. warship and an Iranian rocket. Last week, a U.S. air craft carrier, the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman, was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, when the Iranian revolutionary guards began conducting a live fire exercise, firing rockets about 1,500 yards from the carrier.
Military officials say the Iranians did not seem to be targeting any specific ship, but they call the act provocative, given the ship was in an internationally recognized maritime traffic lane. It shows the potential dangers of the U.S. operating in the Gulf, where American ships have already had a couple of close calls with Iran this year. Elise Labott, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN HOST: Let's get more now from CNN's military analyst, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona. Colonel, we've got a good -- lot of good news in the last couple of days, a few setbacks for ISIS, terror plots foiled in Belgium, you know, leaders being killed in airstrikes.
But we tend to have this ebb and flow, we have the good news, we think everything is going well, we have the bad news, the setbacks, we think the strategy is terrible. So in your opinion, where do things stand right now? LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, I think we've
reached a turning point in Iraq. Let's just talk about Iraq first. The retaking of Ramadi was a key step. It's not the only step though. We've now got to go down closer to Baghdad and retake Fallujah. Fallujah has always been a real problem area.
Once you secure those two cities, Anbar province pretty much falls back under the government's control, and the government can then focus its efforts on going after Mosul. Mosul is the key, John. They've got to go back up there and retake that, kick ISIS out of Iraq, if Iraq's going to survive as a country.
And Haider Al-Abadi has done some good things here, he's kept the Shia militias out of the fight, and he's attracted the Sunni tribesmen in there. So once they take Ramadi, it turns back over to the Sunnis, I think that's a good step on the political side and the military side.
In Syria, some minor successes, the taking of the Tishreen Dam is a good step and we've got this Syrian democratic force and the YPG, the Kurdish force, moving towards Aleppo. This is -- this is a good sign, and I think it further isolates ISIS.
If we can isolate Raqqa, isolate Mosul, we've got a chance of turning this around. But as the general said earlier, they are still active in this worldwide social media effort. Just look at what's going on in Brussels right now.
VAUSE: Yes, and we heard from the Iraqi prime minister. He wants ISIS out of Iraq by the end of next year. You know, they say the difference between a hope and a goal is a deadline, but is that a realistic deadline?
FRANCONA: Yeah, numbers always come back and bite you. Yeah, I think it is realistic if the Iraqis continue on momentum. Now granted, Mosul is a much, much larger city, 3-4 million people, and it's a longer way from Baghdad, it's going to be a 300 mile supply line, so that will present a challenge.
But you know, the Iraqis have really shown a really -- a great effort here now, and I think that if they capitalize on it, keep the momentum, they can continue to roll up ISIS. Remember, ISIS used to be -- have the momentum because they were going -- they were massing force against smaller units. Now, they're the people in place and the Iraqis are massing forces against them. It's turned about, it seems to be working. So I'm fairly optimistic about Iraq, John.
VAUSE: Yeah, but very quickly, you mentioned Syria, and you can't -- I'm just wondering, can you have security in Iraq while you still have ISIS controlling Syria, threatening the Iraqi border with ISIS still pretty much in control of a big -- well a territory in Syria?
FRANCONA: No, no. I mean eventually you've got to go into Syria and eliminate them there. But there's the problem. Who is going to do that? We can -- we can see how Iraq might play out, but Syria still remains a big question mark. Is this Syrian Kurdish force going to be able to do it? I don't think they're going to have the muscle to do it.
VAUSE: OK, Colonel, thank you for being with us, as always.
FRANCONA: Sure.
VAUSE: Many thanks. Well still to come here, a top aide to north Korea's leader is dead. What the state media outlet is saying about Kim Jung Un's loyal warrior. That's head. Also Vladimir Putin shows off some (inaudible). His new calendar is more popular than vodka in the Motherland. (Inaudible), just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Well around the world, prices at the pump are falling, but in Saudi Arabia, where they're practically swimming in oil, the cost of filling up the tank just went up a lot. The new rulers raised petrol prices from $0.16 a liter to $0.24. That's about $0.60 a gallon to almost $0.90 a gallon.
They're doing this to try and cope with falling oil revenues. In addition to the price jump, the government is trying to cut spending. Previous Saudi efforts to reform have stalled in the face of public opposition. We should note, though, Saudi petrol prices are still lower than almost every other country.
North Korea says it's top liaison with South Korea has been killed in a car accident. Kim Yang Gon, seen here on the far left with South Korean officials, died on Tuesday according to North Korea's state media, which described the 73-year-old as Leader Kim Jong Un's closest comrade.
Alexandra Field joins us now from Seoul with the very latest. Alexandra, start with the big pictures here. What are the ramifications of Kim's death for the region, in particular North Korea/South Korea relations?
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well look, as the head of the United Front Department, he did have a very visible role leading talks with South Korea, particularly he had a large role in the crisis talks that unfolded in August between the two countries.
But it depends on who you ask, to try and determine what the impact of his death could be. Some say the fact that we don't yet know whether or not a successor has been named could potentially slow down or halt some of the upcoming talks, future talks between the North and the South.
But others say that the head of the United Front Department is really, even if he's the one communicating, he is the person who's expressing the will of Kim Jong Un, so it shouldn't really alter the course of relations in any way. But there is that fear that it could potentially slow down some progress in terms of coming to a table and talking when necessary, John.
VAUSE: Alexandra, there's always a lot of speculation about what happens and why inside North Korea. Was this a real car accident? Was he purged? Did he fall out of favor? What are the theories right now?
FIELD: Yeah look, the only answers you get are the answers that are put out there by the State-run news agency, which says that he died in a car accident, and isn't giving any details beyond that. But, of course, people who do watch North Korea closely know that a number of senior officials have disappeared over the years.
South Korean government officials say that as many as 70 of these officials have disappeared during the time that Kim Jong Un has come to power. And they also point to a number of previous car wrecks which they deem to be suspect. So listen to one -- what one North Korea expert is saying about this case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well most of these fatal traffic accidents affecting senior officials used to happen on the way to or from a party organized by Kim Jong Il. Now we've seen the same pattern developing under Kim Jong Un.
I think this will be very interesting, and -- it will be very interesting to see if this accident indeed happened on Kim Yang Gon's way to a end-of-year party, or to his way from a end-of-the-year -- an end-of-the-year party.
FIELD: All right, so certainly you heard it right there. There are some who are doubting whether or not Kim Yang Gon could have been killed in a car accident, but there's really no way of offering or finding any proof to determine what exactly did happen to him.
Again, this comes down to the State news reports which have said he died in a car accident. And they've also gone on to keep a lot of praise on the former United Front Department head, calling him a most trusted confident of Kim Jong Un, and also a loyal warrior to both of his predecessors. There is a state funeral planned for him, and John, we understand that Kim Jong Un himself could very well be there.
VAUSE: OK, Alexandra, we appreciate the update. Thank you. Well, you'll have to be quick if you want the must-have item for 2016, fans of Vladimir Putin. Well they're snatching up a limited edition calendar. Each month features the Russian president in a carefully crafted pose along with some Putin words of wisdom.
In March he's holding a flower and saying Russian women are the most talented and beautiful. We also see the Russian leader exercising, fishing, in a suit, and of course, without a shirt. The calendar is published by a Russian tabloid newspaper. Get yours today.
Still to come, the so-called affluenza teen is heading back to the United States. We'll tell you about the new charges Ethan Couch and his mother are facing, after their capture in Mexico. Also ahead, Axl Rose and Slash could be heading back to Paradise City, the latest on a possible Guns N' Roses reunion.
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PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: There's been an incredible stretch of weather across parts of the Americas and North America in particular in the past couple of days, not only with regards to extreme heat, but also severe weather. The last disturbance in this round of active weather finally exiting the picture, could see a few scattered thunderstorms across parts of the deep South and southern U.S., mainly around parts of Alabama on into Georgia.
Nothing in the way of severe characteristics that we foresee with these storms, just going to keep it rather soggy, and that really has been what has transpired in this region where upwards of a foot of rain has come down and, I should say upwards of 6 inches in some area.
Close to a foot of rain has come down in some of these areas in the Midwest, and St. Louis in particular, in the river basins in that region really severely impacted. But notice, the temperature trend wants to cool it off, it certainly does for the northeastern U.S., but much of the U.S. remains rather tranquil as we go into the first full week of 2016, and I don't (ph) expect it to continue.
Atlanta will take the rain showers around 18 degrees. Chicago down to minus 1, could see some morning snow showers out of this. Denver, one of the cold spots in the country, as you get up into the higher elevations of the Rockies, some areas could get down to 10 to 15 below zero in the overnight hours.
And look at this, to the South we go, this is where you expect the mild readings. Belize about 29, Havana looking at 32 degrees, should be dry there, and a gorgeous day across Mexico city, sunny skies, about 27 degrees across that region, and nothing in the way of organized weather across this region to tell you about in the next 24 hours.
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VAUSE: An actor from the hit TV show Glee has been arrested for alleged possession of child pornography. Mark Salling, best known as -- for his role as Puck, was taken into custody in California on Tuesday. The 33-year-old was a main character for the first four seasons of Glee. Salling has not responded to our request for comment.
Ethan Couch, known as the affluenza teen, is expected to back in the U.S. on Wednesday. Along with his mother, he was found in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico on Monday. Couch is wanted for allegedly violating his probation in a drunk driving case which killed four people. Here's Ed Lavandera reporting in from Texas.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When Ethan Couch was captured on the streets of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with dark hair and a dark goatee, Texas authorities say the 18-year-old had the look of someone on the run, trying to change his appearance.
Earlier this month, the teen was seen with blond hair, in a video that appeared to show him at a party with alcohol, a violation of his probation. Authorities say Ethan and his mother, Tonya Couch, had what was essentially a going-away party the night before, driving from Ft. Worth to the Mexican resort town on the Pacific Ocean. A Mexican immigration official says the pair crossed into Mexico through Tijuana. Sheriff Dee Anderson says Tonya Couch will be charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive, and faces up to 10 years in prison.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEE ANDERSON, TARRANT COUNTY SHERIFF: Her entire focus has been on making sure he didn't see any justice done, making sure he was not accountable, so for her to assist him, I felt like was just a natural next occurrence. I'm not surprised that she helped him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Not surprising to those who have seen the Couch family up close since the teen was only sentenced to probation for a drunk driving crash that killed four people in 2013. His attorneys argued he suffered from affluenza, saying he lived a privileged and wealthy lifestyle, where there were no consequences for bad behavior.
The victims' families filed civil lawsuits against the Couch family. ABC news obtained these deposition tapes from that case. In those tapes, Ethan Couch openly talked about his drug use.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ETHAN COUCH, AFFLUENZA TEEN: Taking valium, hydrocodone, marijuana, cocaine, Xanax, Vyvanse, I think I may have tried Ecstasy once.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: And his mother talked about how she let her son drive illegally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You understood that if he was -- at any time he was under 16, he was never to be driving by himself.
TONYA COUCH, MOTHER OF ETHAN COUCH: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nevertheless, you allowed that behavior to happen, correct?
TONYA COUCH: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When is the last time you recall disciplining Ethan for anything?
TONYA COUCH: I don't remember.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Mexican officials say Ethan Couch and his mother are being voluntarily deported back to the United States. Prosecutors are fighting to get Couch's case moved out of the juvenile system, and into adult courts. For now, prosecutors say Couch isn't likely to face significant jail time for violating the terms of his probation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If he stays in the juvenile court, the maximum sentence he could receive is incarceration in a juvenile facility until he turns 19, which is April the 11th of 2016. That is not enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: When Tonya Couch returns to the United States, she will face that felony charge of interfering with the apprehension of a fugitive. She faces up to 10 years in prison. And meanwhile, prosecutors are still trying to figure out just exactly what to do with Ethan Couch.
The hearing to determine whether or not his case and his custody will be transferred from a juvenile system to the adult system isn't scheduled to be heard until January of next year. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Ft. Worth, Texas.
VAUSE: Defense Attorney Tom Mesereau is with us now for a close look at some of the legal issues in this case. So Tom, what we're hearing is that the prosecutors here, they want to transfer Ethan Couch from his juvenile status to his adult status. One, is that legally possible? And even though the case is closed right now, doesn't that raise sort of issues like legal jeopardy (inaudible)?
THOMAS MESEREAU, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Oh, I think it's very inappropriate. I have trouble believing any judge will go along with it, but you never know. Judges are elected officials in most states, and judges, you know, are responsible to the public, and media pressure will affect them. But I think to suddenly, at midstream, transfer this to adult court would be very unjust and very unfair.
VAUSE: What about the people who say listen, if this kid has got affluenza, let's fix that, put him in jail. He broke his probation pretty much as an adult, therefore he should suffer the consequences as an adult.
MESEREAU: Well the affluenza defense is based on the idea that the parents did not properly raise him, that they raised him with a sense of entitlement, that they taught him that the laws did not apply to him the way they do to other youth.
And if the parents really did do that, they did him a disservice, and the theory is that if he's a juvenile, he's really handicapped by the upbringing he had. Now ironically, the mother is going to Mexico with him.
If she reportedly -- if she did the things she's reported to have done, that feeds right into the defense, because she's basically encouraging her son to evade justice, to avoid the arm of the law, and I think it factors right into the affluenza defense.
VAUSE: So there will obviously be a lot of people out there who want a judge to throw the book at Ethan Couch. Right now, the book is 120 days in jail. So what about the argument that this kid is now old enough to know the difference between right and wrong? He got off when he was 16, it's now two years on, he's 18 years of age. Why is he not entitled to be responsible for his own actions in violating probation?
MESEREAU: Well maybe he has the consciousness and the maturity to be responsible, and maybe he doesn't. I mean you have to set limits and a dividing line between youth and adulthood. My understanding is in Texas, in this particular situation, the dividing line is 19, not 18. So why do we make arbitrary distinctions for cases that are high profile? I don't think we should do that. If he's really a juvenile under the law, he should be treated as such, in my opinion.
VAUSE: OK, and we now have the situation with the mother, Tonya Couch, who, as we say, we're not entirely sure of all the facts here, I mean she allegedly threw a party before they left, she allegedly drove with her son across the border to Tijuana, to Puerto Vallarta. And now she's the one who could actually be facing more jail time than her son.
MESEREAU: Well she clearly is an adult, and if she encouraged her son and assisted her son in evading the law, being a fugitive, getting across the border to evade the jurisdiction, and what she was on probation, she can be heavily prosecuted. She can be prosecuted for various felonies, aiding a fugitive in flight, obstructing justice, that kind of thing. She could be in big trouble.
VAUSE: Tom, I get the feeling that you believe the vast majority of the responsibility in this case rests with the mother, not the son?
MESEREAU: Based on everything I've heard, I think it's very unfair that these parents brought a son up to think that he was above the law, and actually encouraged him to evade it and break it. I think that's a handicap that should be taken into account.
I'm not saying don't punish him. When I was in law school, we were taught that the purposes of criminal law were threefold; one, to punish, two, to set an example to others, and three, to rehabilitate.
And I think you have to take all three, and balance them depending on the facts of the case. This kid needs some rehabilitation for sure. Should he be punished and used as an example? Perhaps. I don't know the facts well enough.
VAUSE: OK. Tom, thank you for coming in. You have a unique perspective, and of course the key to all of this is taking the emotion and the publicity out of any of this case and just looking at the facts.
MESEREAU: That's correct, that's correct. Thank you for having me.
VAUSE: It is time to dust off those Guns N' Roses T-shirts. Billboard reports the original band will reunite at the Coachella Festival in California this April. It will be the first time since 1993 that founding members Axl Rose and Slash will perform together. The report says they're also negotiating concerts at football stadiums across the U.S. It's going to be big. You are watching CNN Newsroom live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause. The news continues with Rosemary Church at the CNN Center after a short break. Thanks for watching.
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