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Fragile Truce in Syria; Obama Pressured to Accuse ISIS of Genocide; Iran Voting Extended; Christie Endorses Trump; Trump, Rubio Mock Each Other in Speeches; Odds for Oscar Night. Aired 3-3:30a ET
Aired February 27, 2016 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A glimmer of hope in Syria as a partial cease-fire takes effect.
But how long will it last?
The brewing race for the Republican nomination.
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SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLA., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- applying like makeup around his mustache because he had one of those sweat mustaches.
DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You had to see him backstage. He was putting on makeup with a trowel.
ALLEN (voice-over): Donald Trump and Marco Rubio trade insults one day after a feisty debate.
Also ahead here, the Oscars are almost here. We'll have a preview of Hollywood's big event with a look at possible winners.
It's all ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM. We're live in Atlanta. Thank you for joining us. I'm Natalie Allen.
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ALLEN: There is a temporary truce in Syria's five-year-long civil war. It began about 10 hours ago and is set to last two weeks. The Syrian government, Russia and Syrian opposition forces agreed to stop fighting each other. Military operations will continue against terrorists, including ISIS and Al-Nusra Front. The United Nations' special envoy for Syria says we can expect some issues.
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STAFFAN DE MISTURA, U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY TO SYRIA: In all cessation of hostilities I've seen in any type of conflict I've been part of and certainly in this one, which has been and is probably one of the worst we've seen in a generation, there is high chances that we should expect some hiccups that needs of adjustment and tensions and incidents.
The important point we need to see is if those incidents will be quickly brought under control and contained. That's going to be the test.
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ALLEN: Saudi Arabia is one of the countries heavily involved in the cease-fire negotiations. CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, is there. He joins us live from Riyadh.
And certainly, Nic, going into this, there was so much skepticism that it could work at all. But as we just heard the envoy say, that there may be hiccups, there may be incidents, but right now, extremely tenuous calm.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Broadly speaking, that's the case. That's what's being seen. Places where there's been heavy regime bombing supported by Russian fighter jet bombing, right up until the deadline. It went quiet. But we are beginning to see some of those hiccups.
The town of Hama this morning a suicide bomber, according to state media, killed two people, wounded four others. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is saying that that attack was perpetrated, claimed by ISIS. ISIS, of course, along with Al Qaeda's Al-Nusra Front not part of the cease-fire.
So perhaps these are part of the hiccups we're going to see and that's going to be the real test, particularly with the Al-Nusra Front because, unlike ISIS, they don't control areas. They work in alliances with smaller rebel groups in those areas.
We know, according to the high negotiating committee -- that's the group of opposition rebels; they say they represent 97 different groups. They've been headquartered here in Riyadh over recent weeks. They, of course, are saying that they're going to observe the cease- fire.
But the problem is some of the other rebel groups, some of the hard- line ones that are associated and associate themselves various places on the battlefield with Al-Nusra, can perhaps get into fights with the regime. And that's what we're hearing from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights today.
They say around Aleppo there is fighting between ISIS and regime forces. They also say in Latakia in the east of the country, close to where the Russians have their military air base, that there has been fighting there between rebels associated with Al-Nusra, the Al Qaeda group there, and what are termed sort of Russian-backed elements on the ground of regime or other forces associated with the regime, essentially government forces.
These are perhaps some of the hiccups. But the real question is going to be and this is what everyone's going to watch for now, how does the government, how does Russia respond to this? Does it just inflame out of control and draw in all these rebel groups that are supposed to be in a cease-fire and an increase of firepower from the government?
That's going to be the real test. It's far from over but the hiccups are beginning.
ALLEN: All right. Nic Robertson for us there in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, thanks so much, Nic. We'll be watching.
And, of course, a reminder of the staggering toll of Syria's civil war. More than 300,000 --
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ALLEN: -- people have been killed since 2011, according to the U.N. And the conflict has forced more than 11 million people from their homes, nearly half the population.
Many, of course, have fled to neighboring countries, including Turkey and Lebanon. U.N. officials say some 13 million others desperately need protection and humanitarian aid.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry promises the U.S. will decide soon whether to label ISIS atrocities in Syria and Iraq as genocide. The Obama administration faces increasing pressure from Republican lawmakers and religious freedom advocates to make that determination.
Brian Todd reports such a move could have significant consequences.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Groups of Christians in orange jumpsuits, lined up on beaches in Libya, beheaded at the hands of ISIS. It's happened at least twice. ISIS has crucified people in the center of Raqqah, Syria. In Iraq, the group has killed thousands of Yazidis, an ethnic and religious minority.
This 15-year-old Yazidi described what happened to his family in Sinjar Province.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): ISIS killed my dad, my uncles. They kidnapped 25 relatives, including women.
TODD (voice-over): Then ISIS has enslaved Yazidi women and girls, militants bragging about it in videos.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Where is my Yazidi girl?
TODD (voice-over): Now members of Congress are pushing the Obama White House to formally accuse ISIS of genocide.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's time for America to act.
TODD (voice-over): Religious freedom --
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TODD (voice-over): -- advocates say it's past time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got killings by a number of barbaric methods, beheadings, rape of young girls, a number of actions with the intent to inflict violence, death and other tremendous (ph) forms of mental stress, which will drive those communities from the Middle East.
TODD (voice-over): U.S. officials tell CNN inside the Obama administration a debate has been going on since last year over whether to accuse ISIS of genocide. Now under pressure from Congress, Secretary of State John Kerry says he's close to making the call.
JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: I share just a huge sense of revulsion over the -- these acts, obviously.
TODD (voice-over): But Kerry says the administration's lawyers have to first make a judgment that what ISIS is doing meets the standard of genocide. Advocates say it should, since ISIS appears to be targeting Yazidis, Christians and others based on their religions.
This 19-year-old Yazidi woman tells a horrific story of being handed over to an ISIS militant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): He put me to a room and put a gun to my head and I was on the ground. And he said, "I will kill you because you won't convert to Islam."
TODD (voice-over): If atrocities like that are labeled as genocide by the U.S., the Obama administration wouldn't be legally compelled to do anything but morally and politically they would come under pressure to take actions that might not be popular with many Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will certainly mean more protection of minority communities on the ground, which will mean more military engagement. It will also mean more resources in terms of identifying and resettling refugees.
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ALLEN: Well, in Iran, early results from a crucial election are expected to start coming in on Saturday. Voting was extended repeatedly because 32 million people -- that's about 60 percent of eligible voters -- showed up to vote.
Iranians voted to elect their parliament and the assembly of experts, which selects the influential supreme leader of the country.
Iran has the world's second largest gas reserve and investors see the country as a huge emerging market opportunity. As our senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen tells us, the elections can determine whether Iran continues to open to the West. He's in Tehran.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Many stood in line for hours, waiting to get into the polling stations, looking to cast their ballot in what both supporters of Iran's moderates and conservatives say is a key election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As soon as the sanctions are lifted, everything is going to be changed. Of course, we cannot expect the whole country to change this overnight but I believe that we're going to have a very good future.
"I like the conservatives," this man says. "They have proven themselves when they were in power and we really like what they do."
Many of the polling stations are inside mosques, where voters fill out forms to register and then cast their ballots. In many ways this election is seen as a referendum on President Hassan Rouhani's course of opening Iran up to the West and on the recent nuclear agreement.
One of Rouhani's vice presidents tells me a strong turnout for the Rouhani camp would help them continue their course.
MASOUMAH EBTEKAR, IRANIAN VICE PRESIDENT: It's very important because the parliament has both oversight and --
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EBTEKAR: -- legislation authority. So they play an important role in providing the necessary laws that we need to implement in the executive branch.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): But conservative forces around Iran's powerful clergy accuse the moderates of opening the door for what they believe is dangerous Western and especially U.S. influence in the Islamic Republic.
Iran's supreme leader warned of alleged American infiltration into Iranian affairs when he cast his own ballot.
PLEITGEN: Despite all the controversy and the fierce rhetoric between the political factions, Iran's Supreme Leader has defined these elections as decisive ones and has called on all Iranians to come out and cast their votes.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): And authorities say turnout is high, as many people in this country see the vote they cast this Friday as one that could do a lot to shape the future of their nation -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
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ALLEN: We'll turn to the U.S. election in a moment. Chris Christie makes a return to the campaign trail. We'll tell you why the New Jersey governor's now standing side by side with Donald Trump.
Also, Bernie Sanders campaigns hard against Hillary Clinton.
Who is leading in the polls ahead of Saturday's Democratic South Carolina primary?
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ALLEN: Welcome back.
It was an almost surreal day in the Republican race for the White House. Front-runner Donald Trump revealed a bombshell endorsement Friday, just one day after a savage clash with Marco Rubio in the debate.
New Jersey governor -- right there -- and former candidate, Chris Christie, is now backing the billionaire. Christie dropped his own bid for president earlier this month and says no one is better prepared to defeat Hillary Clinton than Trump.
Christie could be the weapon Trump needs after the Republican front- runner went head-to-head with Marco Rubio at Thursday's brawl of a debate. CNN political reporter Sara Murray has more from the campaign trail.
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SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two of the biggest, brashest personalities in the Republican Party are teaming up.
TRUMP: I said let's keep it as a secret for the people in Texas. Let's do it.
MURRAY (voice-over): Donald Trump snapping up his most prominent endorsement yet, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: He is rewriting the playbook of American politics.
MURRAY (voice-over): And trying to shift momentum back in his corner with Marco Rubio ready to brawl after Thursday night's CNN Republican debate.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Friends do not let friends vote for con artists.
MURRAY (voice-over): Rubio is ratcheting up his attacks on the billionaire's business record, even mocking Trump's Twitter habit.
RUBIO: So, how does this guy, not in one tweet, three tweets, misspell words so badly?
And I only reach two conclusions.
[03:15:00] RUBIO: Number one, that's how they spell those words at the Wharton School of Business, where he went.
Or, number two, just like Trump Tower, he must have hired a foreign worker to do his own tweets.
MURRAY (voice-over): And poking fun at Trump's debate performance
RUBIO: Last night in the debate during one of the breaks, two of the breaks, he went backstage. He was having a meltdown.
First, he had this little makeup thing, applying like makeup around his mustache, because he had one of those sweat mustaches.
Then he asked for a full-length mirror. I don't know why, because the podium goes up to here, but he wanted a full-length mirror, maybe to make sure his pants weren't wet. I don't know.
Then --
MURRAY (voice-over): But Trump and Christie were ready, banding together to try to take down a mutual foe.
TRUMP: It's Rubio.
MURRAY (voice-over): Trump taking aim at Rubio's debate performance.
TRUMP: No, he's a nervous basket case. Here's a guy -- you had to see him -- you had to see him backstage. He was putting on makeup with a trowel, like...
Honestly, I thought he was going to die, Rubio. He was so scared, like a little, frightened puppy.
MURRAY (voice-over): And even his appearance.
TRUMP: I will not say that he was trying to cover up his ears. I will not say that.
MURRAY (voice-over): With Christie piling on.
CHRISTIE: Do we need a United States senator from Florida who doesn't show up for work?
MURRAY (voice-over): Rubio later today brushed off the Christie news.
RUBIO: Donald probably needs a lifeline after last night. So he called in Chris Christie. I respect that. I have more than my fair share of endorsements.
MURRAY (voice-over): The increasingly vicious battles are spreading across the field as Ted Cruz labels Trump a New York liberal.
CRUZ: Donald Trump is adopting the rhetoric of a populist. Donald Trump, like Hillary Clinton, is a rich New York liberal.
MURRAY (voice-over): But for now, Rubio is Trump's top foil.
TRUMP: Rubio's a baby. But a guy like Ted is tougher.
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ALLEN: Rubio certainly coming after Donald Trump now.
Before the debate the Republican establishment had largely steered clear of attacking Trump. Earlier we spoke with CNN political analyst, Josh Rogan, who says the gloves are finally coming off.
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JOSH ROGAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: There is a bigger change going on in the Republican race.
For months and months everyone has been asking all the establishment candidates, when are they going to attack Trump?
When is the big GOP donor money going to be pointed at Trump?
Up until now they've been pointed at each other. The theory was that Rubio was going to go after Kasich and try to get Kasich to leave the race.
Now there's no doubt about it. The Rubio and the establishment power centers are training all of their fire on Trump. They see it as a last ditch-effort to derail the Trump candidacy and nobody knows if it's going to work. But they're giving it their go.
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ALLEN: That's the fireworks from the Republican side.
Let's talk about the Democrats now. South Carolina, Bernie Sanders still going after Hillary Clinton ahead of the primary on Saturday. Both candidates made stops on Friday for last-ditch efforts to swing voters. Clinton met people at a bakery and crashed a bachelor party.
Senator Sanders spoke at a historically black college, where he once again called on Clinton to release transcripts from her Wall Street speeches. Jeff Zeleny reports on the fight for the Southern state as the candidates look toward Super Tuesday.
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HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you.
I need your vote tomorrow.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SR. WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the eve of the first Southern primary for Democrats, Hillary Clinton is on the hunt for a big win, from a groom and his 10 groomsmen...
CLINTON: (INAUDIBLE). ZELENY (voice-over): -- to a pastry chef.
It's a confident close for Clinton in South Carolina.
The Clinton primary fight with Bernie Sanders is about to go national with Super Tuesday just around the corner. The outlines of the fight are forming. In Minnesota, Sanders made clear he intends to press Clinton to release transcripts of her paid Wall Street speeches.
SANDERS: She's a very good (INAUDIBLE). I've heard that. But $225,000 for a speech to Goldman Sachs, you've got to be really good.
ZELENY (voice-over): "The New York Times" editorial page, which endorsed Clinton, said she should disclose those transcripts.
SANDERS: I believe what you say behind closed doors is a little different than what you're saying to the American people.
ZELENY (voice-over): The Sanders criticism sounded strikingly similar to the message of a new television ad a conservative group is airing against Clinton.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Before you promise your vote to Hillary, don't you deserve to know what she promised them?
ZELENY: While Clinton said she would release her speeches if Republicans do the same, she said she should be judged on her record.
CLINTON: I've been on the record on a lot of these issues for a really long time. I think you should be judged on what you have done.
ZELENY (voice-over): The Clinton campaign hopes Saturday's primary here is a turning point in the race, a chance to start gradually --
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ZELENY (voice-over): -- pivoting toward the general election.
CLINTON: This election has such high stakes. I think you know that. I believe with all my heart it's one of the most important elections we've had in a really long time.
ZELENY: The South Carolina primary is seen as a turning point for the Clinton campaign.
For Bernie Sanders he hopes it's simply a bridge to Super Tuesday next week -- Jeff Zeleny, CNN Orangeburg, South Carolina.
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ALLEN: If you're still not convinced about what's so super about Super Tuesday, CNN's Jonathan Mann explains on "POLITICAL MANN."
Plus Chris Christie's curveball and Mexico's former president giving Donald Trump a piece of his mind. And did he. Whoo! Catch "POLITICAL MANN" Saturday at 7:00 pm in London.
Well, the 88th Academy Awards are on Sunday night. We look at all the major Oscar headlines after this.
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ALLEN: Severe weather is slamming parts of Europe this weekend. We're talking it's winter. Meteorologist Karen Maginnis has more about it -- Karen.
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ALLEN: All right. Karen, thank you.
Well, Hollywood's biggest night is just a day away. There's already plenty of speculation, of course, about who will take home the most prestigious awards in the movie industry.
Our Frank Pallotta goes through the many storylines at this year's Oscars.
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FRANK PALLOTTA, CNNMONEY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 88th Annual Academy Awards are upon us. And like every year, this year's Oscars should be a must-watch event. Chris Rock is returning to host and the comedian should have plenty to talk about when it comes to the #OscarsSoWhite controversy with all 20 of the acting nominees being white -- again.
But that isn't the only big storyline on Hollywood's biggest night. Sylvester Stallone is going for his second Oscar as Rocky Balboa. Oscar newcomers like Brie Larson are actually favorited to win.
And it's a three-film race for Best Picture between "The Revenant," "Spotlight" and "The Big Short." There is no bigger storyline at this year's Academy Awards than if Leo will finally at last win his elusive Oscar. Leo has been nominated four times for acting and has lost every single time.
This year the actor is such an overwhelming favorite that betting sites actually have him going off at 1:100. You would have to bet $100 to win just $1 on Leonardo DiCaprio.
And since his character was mauled by a bear, slept inside of a dead horse and ate raw bison liver, the Academy's probably like, yes, let's give it to Leo this year. But if Leo does come home empty-handed, he's in good company with
other actors who have never won an Oscar, like Harrison Ford, Samuel L. Jackson and Peter O'Toole, who actually went 0 for 8 even though he starred in one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time, "Lawrence of Arabia."
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ALLEN: Can't wait for the Oscars and, of course, to see what the ladies will be wearing.
That is CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Natalie Allen. I'll be right back with our top stories.
