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Terror Suspect Reveals Details of Paris Attacks; Crash of Flydubai Plane; Suicide Bomber Kills Four in Istanbul Tourist Area; President Obama Set to Arrive in Cuba; South Korea and U.S. Conduct Joint Military Exercises; Climate Change Affecting Taste of Beer?; Syrian Refugee Now an Olympic Hopeful; Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired March 20, 2016 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:09] LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: A capture and arrest now four months after the horrendous terror attacks in Paris, the confession from the only known surviving suspect. We'll go live to the French capital for the latest.

Plus more clues about what may have caused a fatal plane crash in southern Russia on Saturday. An audio tape could provide some answers.

And the first U.S. presidential visit to Cuba in almost 90 years. Havana prepares to welcome Barack Obama.

Hello. I'm Lynda Kinkade. And welcome to CNN NEWSROOM.

The only known surviving suspect of the Paris terror attacks has made a confession to authorities. Salah Abdeslam now says he helped plan the November attacks and provided logistical support. He also says he backed out of plans to set up his own suicide bomb during the rampage that left 130 people dead. Abdeslam was arrested in a raid in Belgium on Friday.

For the latest we turn now to our CNN's Nic Robertson. He joins us from Paris.

And, Nic, Abdeslam has made a confession about his role in the attacks. But the prosecutor has some doubts.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. The Paris prosecutor is raising concerns about this. He's not entirely sure that, you know, immediately from being picked up after being four months on the run, that Salah Abdeslam is actually telling the truth when he says that he did intend to be a suicide bomber on the night of the November 30 attacks. Of course that's been the working assumption because a suicide vest with his DNA on it was picked up on the outskirts of Paris, in the 18th District of Paris.

So the implication was one of his brothers was a suicide bomber. That maybe he had got cold feet. That's the narrative he's choosing to give Belgian and French investigators at this time but what the prosecutor is pointing out, is that ISIS released its own account of the November 13th attacks and said there was also an attack planned in the 18th District where Salah Abdeslam's suicide vest was picked up. So this is raising concerns. And a cell a few days later in Paris was

disrupted by the French police. They were hiding out in Saint Denis. There was a big shootout, they were killed. But the assumption was that that's where they were going to go and attack the 18th District. But the prosecutor is now saying well, hold on. There's a connection here. Salah Abdeslam perhaps isn't really telling us the whole truth at this stage.

KINKADE: And, Nic, Abdeslam is currently behind bars in Belgium. But French authorities want to extradite him. When could that happen? And what hurdles will they face?

ROBERTSON: What we understand so far from the French prosecutor, he says it could take a maximum of three months. He says it could be much quicker if Salah Abdeslam agreed to extradition but we know already his first appearance before a judge yesterday in Belgium and from his lawyer representing him that he, in fact, plans to challenge that extradition. It's not clear why. But, you know, potentially, you could see that in France, there's 130 murder charges waiting for him in Belgium.

He might feel somehow he's going to get off freer somehow. It's not entirely clear what his rationale is at this point. So it is potentially -- as long as three months, could be quicker of course if he changes his mind.

KINKADE: And Nic, it is believed of course that he was a logistical man behind the Paris attacks. No doubt investigators are hoping that under interrogation, he will provide some useful intel about ISIS and perhaps about how many other people may have been involved.

ROBERTSON: The information that he has, you know, from what we heard from the French prosecutor yesterday could be hugely helpful. He described him as playing a major planning role of driving multiple times into Eastern Europe to pick up people, ISIS members, for this attack. Bring them back to Belgium. That he was involved in acquiring the chemicals to make the detonators for the explosives. A man who knew a lot.

We also know that one of the people that was spotted with him, Mohammed Abrini. Now he was spotted with him on CCTV footage when the pair of them on the 11th November drove one of the cars used to help set up the attacks, drove it from Belgium to Paris. So there's this man, Mohammed Abrini, who was seen in that photograph, at least one named person still at large.

The French and Belgian authorities haven't released names of others that they want. But the network is potentially quite large.

[03:05:05] Salah Abdeslam will have details on that. And there's another key person, there were two key people we understand that were involved in coordinating the attacks, by phone, from Belgium, as the attacks were under way. Now one of those was shot and killed earlier in the week in Belgium in a foiled arrest effort on a house. His name was Belkaid. He is dead. But the other person involved in the coordination, he is still at large. So there is some very, very important people still out there, the authorities want to get ahold of, Lynda.

KINKADE: OK. Nic Robertson, our international diplomatic editor in Paris. Thank you very much.

Well, now to the latest on the investigation to Saturday's crash of the Flydubai passenger plane that killed all 62 people on board. Russian authorities have ruled out terrorism. Instead they are focusing on the turbulent weather at the time of the crash. They are also looking at whether technical issues or human error could have played a role. The United Arab Emirates and the U.S. is sending investigators to Russia to help determine what caused the crash.

CNN's Jon Jensen joins us now live from Abu Dhabi.

Jon, terrorism of course is being ruled out but it seems to me from evidence that weather may have been an issue. What can you tell us?

JON JENSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Lynda. Weather seems to be the main focus of the investigation at this point. We know at the time of the attempted landing that there was a lot of rain and snow in the air and according to meteorologists, wind gusts in the neighborhood of 90 kilometers per hour. That's approaching gale force winds.

And we're also learning that the pilots and air traffic control may have been concerned about this weather. According to new audio that has been posted to a Russian news site, there's apparent communication between pilots and air traffic control. We can't verify the authenticity of this video. But in the clip, you can hear air traffic control asking the pilot, how is the weather up there, sir? The pilot responds after some time that there's low visibility and moderate or mild wind shear.

Again we can't verify the authenticity of this audio and we don't know at what point, Lynda, this audio was recorded in the flight. But all of this will come out in the coming weeks and months, as the result of the investigation into the two flight recorders are finally revealed. This should take a couple of weeks or months. We understand now that the black boxes are in Moscow at this time.

KINKADE: OK. And, Jon, what can you tell us about the airline, Flydubai, and in particular the pilots who were flying this plane?

JENSEN: Well, Lynda, Flydubai is a pretty safe airline. It's got a great safety record. They started flying in 2009 and there have been no major incidents recorded. Their entire fleet is about 50 aircrafts, all 737-800s. They're relatively new. In fact the plane that was involved in this crash had recently passed a fairly wide- ranging safety check back in January. So, you know, a fairly safe airline.

We also know from Flydubai CEO that the pilots were, quote, "quite experienced." Each had accumulated around 6,000 hours of flying, which is a lot.

KINKADE: OK. Jon Jensen, we'll have to leave it there for now. Thank you so much for that update. We appreciate it.

In Istanbul, a suicide attack has killed at least four people including two Israeli American citizens and an Iranian. The explosion in a busy tourist area wounded 36 people. At this stage, no one has claimed responsibility.

Senior international correspondent Arwa Damon has the details from Istanbul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Instead of the throngs of people both Turks and tourists who would normally be packing this street, now it has been almost entirely sealed off following a suicide attack.

This street is one of Istanbul's main pedestrian thoroughfares. It's filled with restaurants and shops. It's located in the heart of the city. And this is one of the areas that the authorities had issued a warning about, saying that there was a fairly high potential that some sort of an attack would be taking place here following threats from a PKK offshoot, the Kurdish separatist group, that they would be carrying out more attacks after last Sunday's deadly and devastating bombing in the capital, Ankara.

This explosion happening at about mid-morning at the entrance of one of the side streets that sells fish and other fresh produce. It was quickly almost immediately sealed off, ambulances rushing to the scene. Police pushing people as far back as they possibly could, concerned about a potential secondary explosion. Helicopters, hours later, still buzzing overhead.

As we were walking back down at one of the side streets, we saw a woman who was desperately pleading with the police.

[03:10:03] She later told us that she was waiting for news of her brother. He was somewhere on the street when the explosion took place and she did not know what had happened to him.

This type of violence has become, sadly, fairly routine, especially in Istanbul and in Ankara. This is a population that, at this stage, is feeling phenomenally vulnerable, facing threats on multiple fronts.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: A historic moment in the relations between Cuba and the U.S. Barack Obama will become the first U.S. sitting president to visit the island in over eight decades. That story is next.

Plus, as the U.S. continues its joint military drills with South Korea, CNN gets exclusive access to one of the largest war machines in the U.S. arsenal taking part in these exercises.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KINKADE: You're looking at some of the preparations in Cuba ahead of the historic visit of U.S. president Barack Obama. Beginning on Sunday, Mr. Obama is expected to meet with Cuban president Raul Castro, attend a baseball game and talk to anti-government activists.

The U.S. has lifted some trade and travel restrictions but Cubans are hurting under the ongoing economic embargo.

Mr. Obama's visit to Cuba culminates the -- the reestablishment of U.S. relations with the island. In a CNN exclusive our Patrick Oppmann sat down with Cuba's lead negotiator who played a key role in bridging the two sides.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF: How involved has President Raul Castro been with the normalization process?

JOSEFINA VIDAL FERREIRO, NEGOTIATOR, CUBA'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Previously President Fidel Castro and after him, President Raul Castro, they both have advocated in favor of building a new relationship between Cuba and the United States. This process finally started in December 2014 under the leadership of Raul Castro. Of course, he had a leading role in that process. And he continues, you know, leading that process.

OPPMANN: There's obviously a sense of respect between Presidents Obama and Castro. Do you think they like each other? Is there a chemistry as we say?

VIDAL FERREIRO: I think there is respect. Undoubtedly, there is respect. You saw that, and I saw that during the Summit of the Americas in Panama how President Raul Castro addressed to President Obama, recognizing that after President Jimmy Carter, he has been the only one in our past history who has decided to begin a process toward normalization of relations with Cuba.

OPPMANN: Have you been able to find common ground with the U.S. on the issue of human rights?

[03:15:02] VIDAL FERREIRO: We can speak frankly and openly about the differences of conceptions that we have, but not with the pretention that we will change you or you will change us because it will be finally up to our populations, which are sovereign to decide what kind of model, what kind of government they consider is better for them.

OPPMANN: And if he were alive, would Che Guevara be in favor of normalization?

VIDAL FERREIRO: I would say that he was not different from us, thinking that even with the kind of differences that we have, it's beneficial for Cuba and the United States to have normal relations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Cubans likely to see more changes in their daily lives as more than five decades of cold war animosity has ended.

CNN asked people in Havana how they feel about Mr. Obama's upcoming visit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in foreign language) People are commenting about the Obama visit to Cuba. And I think it will be an authentic visit, that Cubans will like it. And they will like it in the sense of free trade with America. What I've seen so far is that all Cubans are excited about Barack Obama's visit to Cuba.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we came to Cuba because we wanted to see it before all the big changes happened. We just hope that Obama -- President Obama can make the best.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in Foreign Language). Well, think about it. It's been more than 70 years since an American president has been to Cuba. He will be received in the best way by the Cuban people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure he'll see what I've seen in Cuba that people are really friendly and wanting to help and they want change for themselves. So hopefully he'll be able to implement some sort of change on our end.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking in foreign language). Well, I'm anxious for him to be here finally, that Cuba and the U.S. opened their political relations. We will receive him like all president of any country, and even better because we've been waiting for this for more than 50 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: You can join CNN for special coverage of U.S. President Barack Obama's trip to Cuba. Our Robyn Curnow will bring you an hour- long preview of the visit Sunday at 3:00 p.m. London Time. And stay with us for continuing coverage throughout the history-making events in Havana.

U.S. forces are taking part in what Seoul calls the largest ever joint military exercises with South Korea. The drills come as tensions escalate on the peninsula. North Korea launched more ballistic missiles on Friday, the second time in just eight days.

Our Ivan Watson reports from aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier of the Korean peninsula.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's an F-18 warplane. It's just taken off from the deck of the U.S. aircraft carrier John C. Stennis currently sailing at waters off the east of the Korean peninsula.

This carrier strike group is here as part of annual joint military exercises with South Korea. But this is a time of great tension on the Korean peninsula. North Korea argues that these exercises could be a precursor to a military invasion.

North Korea has launched missiles twice in just eight days. That's a move that's been seen as provocative and threatening not only by the U.S., Japan and South Korea, but also by the United Nations Security Council. They say that this is in violation of many U.N. Security Council resolutions which prohibit North Korea from testing nuclear weapons or firing ballistic missiles.

The U.S. is trying to reassure its allies in the region, while also sending a warning of deterrence to North Korea. The aircraft carrier is the largest war machine in the U.S. arsenal, and by sending it to the region, this is an unmistakable show of military strength.

Ivan Watson, CNN, aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier John C. Stennis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:20:01] KINKADE: Still to come a girl who survived the war in Syria now has her eyes on the Olympics. The swimmer had to cross the sea to get to Europe. And now she has another dream.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. Climate change is believed to be affecting some key ingredients of one of the world's oldest beverages, beer.

Meteorologist Derek Van Dam joins us now. This is bad news for beer lovers.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is. you know, I was celebrating St. Patrick's Day, as so many did in America this past Thursday and some of my friends who were drinking beer, not me of course, they said look, this beer doesn't look the same. It doesn't taste the same, it doesn't smell the same. And I said, maybe there's a story idea there. So I investigated. And sure enough, climate change does impact the sudsy material, the ingredients that form our favorite brews.

You know, we've got our hops, our grains, the water and the yeast, and that sudsy brew relies on so much including the weather and the climate and how warm it is. So trouble is a-brewing. That's the best way I can put it, right? We've got our barley, hops and water, we're going to focus on those and how climate change is impacting that.

But first and foremost we're coming off the warmest month ever recorded. And we have 10 consecutive months in a row, starting in May 2015, right to present time, where we have broken some sort of planetary heat record. So this having major impacts on agriculture and crops across the world. Specifically throughout the upper Midwest of the United States.

Notice that darker shade of red across Wisconsin and to Minnesota. That is an area where barley, the grain necessary for, let's say, the color of beer, for instance. This is going to be impacted by high temperatures. It's actually taking those -- well, very unprofitable barley grains and putting in more profitable grains like soybeans, for instance, and those are often replacing that. So that's going to be a major impact not only for the taste but also for the production of beer and the color as well.

Now notice across the Pacific northwest, we're also starting to notice less snowpack in the wintertime and more rain. That is going to impact irrigation. That's also going to impact the aromas and the taste once the hops are actually are produced. In fact about 70 percent of the hops are actually formed over the Pacific northwest specifically in the U.S. state of Washington and we need that irrigation because if the spring snow melt comes too quick, in combination with heavy rainfall, the wintertime and the springtime, our irrigation isn't going to come at those warm, hot and hot summer months that we need that water so desperately. So less snowpack available for irrigation. That's also going to change the fermentation and taste of our precious beers out there. We have also had some amazing record temperatures across the United States just in February.

[03:25:03] So you can imagine how this is impacting not only beer production but agriculture across the board. Over 3,900 record highs set across the United States alone. So not the best news for beer lovers. But of course I had a producer talk to me, he said, is it all doom and gloom, Derek? And I said, probably not. Because when the -- you know, these brew masters out there are so clever and they're probably already coming up with that next new brew to tantalize taste buds.

KINKADE: And then will be has a better taste, isn't that right?

VAN DAM: That's right. I agree.

KINKADE: Derek Van Dam, thanks so much.

VAN DAM: All right. Thanks.

KINKADE: Well, a teenage girl who made the dangerous journey from Syria to Berlin has a new life and a new ambition. She crossed one body of water to survive a way, now she's looking to the waters again for an Olympic win.

Zain Asher has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN ASHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A swimmer from Syria, once a refugee, now an Olympic hopeful. Just seven months ago Yusra Mardini fled the civil war in her home country, leaving the Syrian capital of Damascus with her sister, making the dangerous sea crossing to Greece, then trekking several weeks across Europe to Germany.

YUSRA MARDINI, SYRIAN REFUGEE ATHLETE: It was really hard for everyone.

ASHER: Now she is living in Berlin, going to school, swimming at a pool near her refugee center, training with a coach and determined to make it to the Olympics this summer. MARDINI: The problem was -- the reason why I am here and why I am

stronger and I want to reach my goals.

ASHER: Just 17 years old Mardini is already an accomplished athlete. She represented her country at the Swimming World championships in Turkey in 2012 but says training in Syria was challenging.

MARDINI: Sometimes we couldn't train because of the war or sometimes you had a training and there was a bombing in the swimming pool.

ASHER: Now that she's left the war behind, Mardini hopes to qualify for Rio as a refugee athlete.

MARDINI: In the water, there is no difference if you are a refugee or Syrian or German.

ASHER: Mardini says that swimming at the Olympics would be a dream come true and a chance to inspire people across the world.

MARDINI: Everyone is excited and they want to see what I am going to do and me, too, actually.

ASHER: And if Mardini is selected she will be part of the IOC's very first team of refugee athletes.

Zain Asher, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: That does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" is coming up in just a few minutes. But first we'll be back with a quick look at your headlines. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)