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Brit Wins Masters; Brussels Terror Investigation Reveals Paris Was Original Target; Investigation into Indian Temple Fire Examined; Australian Child Abduction Case; El Chapo Behind Bars Awaiting Extradition. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired April 11, 2016 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:11] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is "CNN Newsroom" live in Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, a big win and a stunning choke. Britain's Danny Willett claims his first ever major golf title while defending champion, Jordan Spieth, suffers a back nine meltdown.

New revelations about the Brussels terrorist attacks, how the original target was Paris, but changed as investigators move in.

And, an exclusive report: Afghan soldiers defecting to the Taliban amid the fight for Heldman Province.

We begin with an historic victory and an astonishing collapse at Augusta National Golf Club. Danny Willett is this year's Masters champ. He's the first Englishman to win the tournament since 1996, and it's the 28-year-old's first major victory. Willett took control when defending champion Jordan Spieth collapsed down the stretch on Sunday blowing a five-shot lead. Spieth tied for second after leading most of the weekend.

It was a dramatic last day in pursuit of that green jacket. "World Sport" anchor Kate Riley joins us now. So, Kate, is the bigger headline Danny Willett's win or Jordan Spieth's meltdown, coughing up that five stroke lead?

KATE RILEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, it all depends on how you look at it. Of course, it was Spieth's for the taking. Now, the defending champion was looking to be in control on the front nine, as you just mentioned there, but as he was on the turn he lost control of that five stroke lead and that's exactly what Danny Willett needed. The Englishman making five birdies, and not a single bogey in sight. He finished the tournament five under.

Now Jordan Spieth was leading by one stroke going into the final round. Everything seems to be doing his way as he made the turn to the back nine at 7 under. But, on the back nine, the young American started with two bogies before he reached the 12th hole, and the hole he will have nightmares about, that is for sure. He hit the water not once but twice, then over hit the ball to find the bunker. He would get a quad bogey on the hole and give up the chance of winning.

Now Spieth's collapse, obviously, led the way for Willett, the Brit with a fantastic round. Here on 14 with, a wonderful approach that would put him within feet of an easy birdie. Then on the 16th hole he would get his fifth birdie of the day with absolutely no bogeys to blemish the score card. He finished 5 under. No one would be able to touch him after that, as he would hold on to win the first Masters for a European player since 1999, would you believe?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANNY WILLETT, GOLF CHAMPION, MASTERS in AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: It's not been a bad last 12 days. Yeah, I mean, words can't describe, you know, the feelings and what's going on, and what we've got to do and everything like that and what we've just done, what we've just accomplished this week. I don't know, we're just going to have to wait and see if it sinks in; see if a couple of bottles of wine help it sink in a bit more. Then go back home and get right back on track and see if I can be competing again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RILEY: What a fortnight it has been has been for the Willett family. First welcoming their son into the world, and now all of this. It really has been nothing short of fantastic for them. Danny Willett, the winner of the 80th Master's. John, you can hear more and see more from the winner later on the show, on CNN "World Sport."

VAUSE: We shall look forward to that. Kate, thank you so much.

Well, a startling revelation from terror investigators in Belgium. Last month's terror attack wasn't supposed to happen in Brussels. Authorities digging into a laptop they recovered say the terrorists who struck Brussels originally planned to hit Paris but they urgently changed their target fearful that investigators were closing in.

They also say the terror suspect, Mohamed Abrini, arrested on Friday confessed to being the so-called "man in the hat." He is seen here with two suicide bombers just before attacking the Brussels airport. Kelly Morgan has more on the attackers and their plans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY MORGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Details of this French plot come from a source close to the Brussels terror investigation, that's according to CNN affiliate BFM TV. More specifically it comes from trolling through the computer that police recovered from a bin outside the Schaerbeek apartment that was being used by the Brussels attackers to make their bombs. Now, on the computer, according to that source, there was data that listed a couple of targets, two targets, the de France Business District and the Catholic Association in Paris. There were also notes to the effect that the men here were in a hurry, we need to protect ourselves from the police, one read.

Now, this will be distressing for Parisians to hear, that find out they were the intended target of yet another terror attack. No doubt they will be on high alert.

[00:05:01] We must remember just a week after the blasts here in Brussels, French police announced that they had foiled another plot on French soil, a plot that was in the advanced stages of planning. Now all of this comes a couple of days after the arrest of Paris

terror suspect Mohamed Abrini. He was pounced on by police on a street here in Brussels on Friday along with five other people who were scooped up in raids that day. Now we've had a few developments since then, suggesting he is talking with police.

There was a raid yesterday in a part of Brussels that police thought was part of a safe house, that was being used by the metro bombers. Police, though, they don't find any explosives in that apartment nor any ammunition but it does seem that Abrini is cooperating. He confessed, according to prosecutors, to being the third airport bomber. He confessed to getting rid of his jacket at some point along the route that he used to escape the airport blasts. Also, he said, that he had sold his hat. The question is can he be believed.

Do police - we don't know at this stage if police have any other evidence to corroborate his confession but they will certainly be questioning Abrini plus the other five suspect they have taken into custody. They will be wanting to chase up any leads they can get from these men as they try to continue to unravel this web of terror.

Kelly Morgan, CNN, Brussels.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Steve Moore is a CNN Law Enforcement Contributor. He's also a retired special agent with the FBI. Steve, good to have you with us.

You know, the Brussels attack came, what, four days after Abdeslam was arrested. We now have this confession and arrest of Abrini in

Brussels. I guess, if history is any indication, should the European authorities now be on high alert? Should we now at least expect an attempted terror attack?

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: A possible attempted attack. We discussed after Abdeslam was arrested that this could really accelerate any kind of plans they had plan because TATP, the explosive, is a lot like sushi, it's not as good tomorrow as it is right now.

VAUSE: Right.

MOORE: So they have to do something with it if they have it.

VAUSE: Okay; so if they have these plans are they going to rush them now, and so we, essentially, it will accelerate the plans again or have they learned from the last time or - it was successful last time.

MOORE: No, it worked. It worked. So if they had a plan in place and if they had explosives formulated then they have to do something about those explosives.

VAUSE: Okay; is there an argument to be made here that if authorities make the arrests and, you know, say that these guys are confessing and talking should they be making that public or do these terrorist networks, do the people behind the networks know they have been taken in anyway?

MOORE: If Mohamed -

VAUSE: Abrini

MOORE: -- Abrini doesn't show up, you know what happened to him. So it makes no difference.

VAUSE: Okay, what about these announcements that he's confessed because, you know, he's said the same thing with Abdeslam, and that seemed to be the green light for these organizations to put these plans into play?

MOORE: Sure he's going to confess, whether it's him or not. I mean, he does look like him, but this is the thing you always have to do with a confession is, absolutely corroborate everything - every single thing he says so that you know he is not lying. The authorities will keep secret some things they know that they can verify.

VAUSE: I guess there is a PR value out there, saying we are cracking this network, we're moving in, we've have got this guy and that's one of the actual reasons for publicizing these arrests I guess.

MOORE: Absolutely; and there is a little silver lining on this. The fact that they couldn't come up in four days with an attack in Paris shows that the cell had a limit. They couldn't arrange to get these into Paris in four days. So there is some good news there.

VAUSE: I guess so. Are we now looking at sort of scratching the surface of the terror network across Europe?

MOORE: Oh, yes. I mean this is just one small country and right now they are getting so much press you don't need to give up any of your terror cells in other countries, when you are getting so much good work out of one small country. There's others waiting in the wings.

VAUSE: Because there is a theory out there that there are other cells in Germany, Britain and all over the place, right?

MOORE: That's not a theory, that's fact.

VAUSE: Okay, and these guys are just waiting to be, I guess what, operational?

MOORE: They have to know when it's the best time. If somebody is making some good headway, you're not going to steal their thunder but when things go quiet, watch for the other cells to come out of their dormancy.

VAUSE: Steve we'll talk to you again next hour. Appreciate you being with us.

MOORE: Thanks.

VAUSE: Thank you. And to India now where an investigation is underway into Sunday's deadly temple fire. It killed more than 100 and injured 500 others. The fire broke out during a fireworks celebration, which officials say was not authorized. Now family members are going through the process of identifying their loved ones.

Mallika Kapur is following developments and she joins us now, live from Mumbai. So, Mallika, what is the latest on the investigation?

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT, via satellite: We just heard, literally a few minutes ago, from one police official in Kollam District who said that they've detained five people.

[00:10:09] These are people who work for the fireworks contractors, people who supplied the fireworks to the temple authorities. They are also looking for some temple authorities, some officials who work for the temple administrative board who are absconding.

That's the latest information we have, because the focus today very much is on what went wrong; how could something like this take place at a temple, what was supposed to be a night of worship and prayer; how could things go so horribly wrong and end up taking the lives of 106 people? So people are wanting answers and they want to know who to blame, what went wrong and how do we prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

So what we can confirm from police officials is that five people have been detained. These are people who worked for the company that supplied the fire crackers and that police are continuing to look for some people who work for the temple who are now absconding. John?

Mallika, what are the legal issues here for those responsible for setting off the fireworks: where they were told not to do it; they didn't have a permit; what are the kind of penalties they could be facing?

KAPUR: Well it really depends on what eventually they are charged with and that is going to be a lengthy process, as it typically is in India.

So, right now, police are talking to people, like I said, they have detained some people. They are questioning them and then once a charge sheet is filed, it could -- you know, the allegations could range from anything ranging from culpable homicide to not following orders or to disobeying orders, that they weren't allowed to use fire crackers but some people did that anyways. So the penalty here and the legal implications will really depend on what and who is charged with what, eventually, once the formal charge sheet has been filed. That typically could take weeks, even months, John.

VAUSE: Okay, Mallika; Mallika Kapur, thank you. Reporting live from Mumbai.

The U.S. Presidential Candidates are running hard with just over a week until the New York primaries. Republican front-runner Donald Trump complained about the nominating process calling it a "crooked system." FOX Poll shows Trump with a sizable lead over his challengers, but in an NBC interview Trump's new convention manager accused Ted Cruz of bullying delegates into supporting him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is fair game? Is threatening fair game?

PAUL MANAFORT, CONVENTION MANAGER, TRUMP CAMPAIGN: It's not my style; it's not Donald Trump's style. But it is Ted Cruz's style and that's going to wear thin very fast

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think he is threatening delegates?

MANAFORT: Well he is threatening -- you go to (inaudible) conventions and you see the gestapo tactics -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gestapo tactics? That's a strong word.

MANAFORT: We are going to be filing several protests because the reality is, they are not playing by the rules.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: On the democratic side, Bernie Sanders is hoping to keep his momentum after Saturday's win in Wyoming. He won eight of the last nine democratic nominating contests so far. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton went to Baltimore, Maryland to drum up support ahead of the state's primary on April 26th.

It's a big week for politics right here on CNN. The next three nights Anderson Cooper will host Town Halls with each of the Republican Candidates and their families. On Monday, John Kasich will be joined by his wife Karen and daughters, Reese and Emma. On Tuesday, Donald Trump will be with his wife Melania and children Ivanka, Eric and Donald, Jr. On Wednesday, Ted Cruz will be with his wife Heidi. They will all talk with Anderson Cooper and take questions from the audience.

Then on Thursday, don't miss the Democratic Presidential Debate as Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders faceoff live from New York. It all happens this week, 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time; that's 2:00 a.m. London; 9:00 a.m. Hong Kong. You will see it only here on CNN.

We will take a short break, but coming up here on CNN "Newsroom" L.A. thousands of families who fled ISIS in Iraq are slowly returning home to Ramadi, but the terror group left behind dangerous traps in that city.

Also, a rare close-up look into why the Afghan army seems to be losing the fight against the Taliban in the Heldman Province District.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:18:11] VAUSE: The Taliban says U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was the intended target of a series of rocket attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan. Kerry made a surprise visit over the weekend. He left the country almost an hour before the blasts occurred on Saturday. The Afghan government said there were no casualties.

Meanwhile, Taliban insurgents advanced into Helmand Province. Senior International Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh joins us now from Kabul; and, Nick, one of the big issues over the weekend, during the visit by Secretary Kerry was security there and also a resurgent Taliban?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, via satellite: Absolutely, and the frailty of security here in the capital, even a moment of lockdown, is a reflection really of how bad it is across the country; no more so than in the vital Province of Helmand. We've spoken about it so many times before, John.

In the last 15 years, so many American, British lives lost and Afghan lives lost in its defense and now the Taliban, well, they are said to be fully in control of a third of it, have a strong stay over another third and pressing hard to get the remainder of it, particularly around the main city of Lashkar Gah. Here's our report from that area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: You know a war is going bad when your enemy is right in front of you. This white flag is the Taliban's. They really are that close to these Afghans, defending one of the last government holdouts in Helmand Province. It used to be NATO that shot from these positions near the vulnerable city of Lashkar Gah.

Hundreds of Americans and Britain's died for Helmand, many in the town of Sangin, where these pictures show the Afghan army recently in heavy clashes; but now, Afghanistan is quite quickly watching Helmand fall.

[00:20:01] The Taliban are winning partly because of men like these. This is a rare window into the Afghan government's worst nightmare, soldiers from the Afghan Army, who America spent billions training, who say they have defected and joined the Taliban. (Inaudible) never dreamed they would change sides.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, via translator: I did 18 months of army training and took an oath to serve this country, but the situation changed. The army let us down. So we had to come to the Taliban. They treat us like guests.

WALSH: They carry their old uniforms, ID'S and bank cards used to get their old Army wages. They fought in violent Sangin, where these pictures were more recently filmed, yet now both use their training and experience to train the Taliban.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, via translator: I decided to leave the army when my dead and injured comrades lay in our base but nobody took them to the hospital. My Army training is very useful now, as I'm now training Taliban fighters with the same knowledge.

WALSH: Men who have seen the tide turn and voted with their feet.

Helmand's the indisputable heartland of the south and NATO fought so hard to push the Taliban back. The fact that here in Kabul you can talk to many officials who say its capital, Lashkar Gah, could fall any day, really gives you a sense of how much on the offensive the Taliban are and what could happen in the summer fighting season ahead.

This is a center of Lashkar Gah, the key town in the Taliban's sights. Tense, yet teaming; some visit briefly from areas the Taliban now control.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a bit too soon to say whether people are happy with the Taliban in Musa Qala. The bazaar is now full of people where it used to be empty. That was because the security was bad and some people avoided the government's forces. Others fled to its outskirts from the fighting in flash points like Sangin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My worst memory from Sangin is how a wedding party was hit by a mortar, killing a large number of women and child.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, via translator: The police left after the fighting intensified and told me to move to a vacant corner of the village but the bullets and rockets followed, killing ten people; so I fled here.

WALSH: Just over a year, since NATO stopped fighting and here the Taliban's white flags are closer than ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

I have to say, back in December, 2014, frankly, when NATO was still in evidence here, before they pulled fully out of combat operations, it was unimaginable we would potentially see this level of change of territory in Helmand. NATO officials simply wouldn't have entertained the idea.

I should say now still the Afghan government thoroughly disputes the idea they are losing territory that fast in Helmand. In fact, so sure was the acting Defense Minister, Masoom Staneksai, that they would hold on to Lashkar Gah, the city you saw just there, he said he would resign if it falls. That's a pretty stark wager to lay.

I also said to the second in charge U.S. officials here, as well, said he thought they would be able to hold on to Lashkar Gah. That wasn't the view shared by a police official in Helmand we also spoke to yesterday. He said frankly, that advances made by the government have been swiftly reversed by the Taliban. The Taliban are pressuring Lashkar Gah from two separate sides and the momentary lull we're seeing in fighting, that's actually because the Taliban are enjoying the benefits of the poppy harvest. They could make a lot of money out of opium and that will increase the efficiency of their war efforts.

So, many concerns locally on the ground there whereas in Kabul the message is trying to be that they think they can prevail. John?

VAUSE: Well I guess if you look at the big picture here, given the security situation, does the U.S. still plan to draw down troop numbers from 10,000 to 5,000 at the end of the year?

WALSH: There is some sort of rethink going on about whether or not the nine and a half goes to five and a half next years. Any U.S. officials will tell you different ways of characterizing that rethink but the new commander here, I think he's having a look at those numbers and what it means. Also, they need to keep the number of troops here in order to be able to still do the same sort of things they do in order to help the Afghans, like air support.

Frankly, I think there is a feeling here, from whomever you talk to, that the U.S. has played its cards here. It's spent the money. It's had lives lost. Still I think now it feels like it's time to the Afghans to try and come up with their own solution. The key issue they face, though, is the plank of the U.S. policy here, and Afghan policy is some sort of negotiated settlement with the Taliban and the Taliban aren't talking peace right now. Some say that's just gesturing because they're trying to look tough with a new leader, but at the same time, too, they're getting a lot closer to al-Qaeda. In fact, their new deputy in the Taliban is considered al-Qaeda's key facilitator here in Afghanistan.

So, huge challenges ahead for diplomacy. On the ground, well, I have to say Afghan Army experiencing, along with the police, record casualties. 5,500 dead last year alone; that's more than Afghanistan cost NATO in lives in their entire decade long campaign.

[00:25:08] So I think as the summer comes in here the temperature rises and the violence increases, many are deeply concerned the Taliban will just take more ground. John?

VAUSE: All this, 15 years on. Okay, Nick, thank you; our Senior International Correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh live there in Kabul.

And, in an exclusive series of reports Nick is bringing us a rare look inside Afghanistan's endless war. On Tuesday we'll hear from two commanders who joined ISIS from the Taliban but after seeing the militant group's brutality the men defected against the radicals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: ISIS, they say, came from Pakistan, not Iraq, and promised guns and money to their struggling group of Taliban. It went sour fast.

You were in Taliban, then you were in ISIS, and now the American drones are bombing your own village but you are pleased about this because it's killing ISIS. Is that a strange feeling for you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, via translator: It makes us happy. we want them wiped out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Shifting loyalties in Afghanistan. We'll also hear from victims of ISIS. That's Tuesday right here on CNN.

An attack in northeastern Iraq has left at least nine people dead and 55 others wounded. Officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up as Shi'ite militia troops were making a push to take over villages south of

Kirkuk on Sunday. They say most of those killed and injured were members of the Shi'ite militias.

The oil-rich city of Kirkuk is about 240 kilometers north of the capital of Baghdad. And, to the west of Baghdad thousands of families finally returned home to Ramadi months after the city was liberated from ISIS. Iraqi troops backed by U.S. led coalition air strikes drove the militant group out in December. Police cleared over 5,000 bombs and booby traps left behind by ISIS.

A short break here on CNN. When we come back, an Australian TV film crew could face charges in Lebanon after an alleged child abduction in Beirut. More on that in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:30:290 VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" live from Los Angeles; I'm John Vause. The headlines this hour:

The families of victims killed in a temple fire in southern India are identifying their loved ones after the blaze broke out during a fireworks celebration on Sunday. At least 106 people died, more than 500 others were injured. Police say the temple did not have permission for the

fireworks display and five people have been detained.

The terrorists behind last month's attacks in Brussels had apparently planned to hit Paris instead. Belgian prosecutors say they changed their plans as investigators closed in. Police reportedly found a list of targets on a laptop recovered in Brussels that included the Paris Financial District and a Catholic association.

Loyalists and rebel forces in Yemen are vowing to honor a new truce. The ceasefire took effect before midnight local time Sunday. Iran- backed Houthi rebels had been fighting the Saudi-backed government in Yemen for more than a year. The two sides are said to hold peace talks next week.

More protests in Dakah after the murder of a Bangladeshi blogger last week. The countries Home Minister is denying al-Qaeda's claim that they were behind the killing. He's blaming home grown militants instead, and he added the authorities have a number of suspects in mind but have not made arrests yet.

Now to Lebanon where a crew from the Australian version of "60 Minutes" is in jail and facing the possibility of being charged over an alleged child abduction.

Reporter Tara Brown, her producer, cameraman and soundman were detained five days ago by police while covering a story about an Australian mother trying to reunite with her two children. Sally Faulkner, from Brisbane, alleges the children's Lebanese father took them to Beirut last year on vacation and never return. Images from a security camera shown on Lebanese TV appear to show both the children being snatched and packed into a car. Australia's Foreign Minister says she expects officials in Lebanon

will decided soon if the news crew is to be charged.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIE BISHOP, FOREIGN MINISTER, AUSTRALIA: At this stage, we understand they are still being held in detention and that the question of charges is an issue that will be determined shortly. I'm hoping to make representations with officials within the Lebanese government as well; and given the sensitivity of this case, and the fact that children are involved, we are handling this very carefully but we are keeping Channel Nine informed at the highest levels and ensuring that our counsellor staff are available to provide whatever support they can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Channel Nine airs "60 Minutes" in Australian and Media Reporter Peter Ford joins me now from Melbourne with more on this.

So, Peter, you've sort of been following this story since the beginning. I think in fact you broke the story. Do you know when this matter will go before a court in Beirut? What sort of contact has the network had with the crew which is behind bars right now?

PETER FORD, CNN MEDIA REPORTER: Well, the Network have had no direct contact with the crew at all, nor have the people who have been detain had any contact at all with their families. The next stage of this story will unfold in the next four to six hours. They won't go before a court as such; they'll will go before a judge. The judge will then decide if charges are going to be laid. Now the expectation is, and certainly the local media in Beirut are reporting that charges will be laid against all seven people, but we don't know.

We are now entering into a phase where there are a lot of unknowns and a lot of possibilities that may happen; but if those charges are laid it will then be a case of whether the people are granted bail. If indeed they are granted bail, do they have to surrender their passports?

So there is a possibility, in the worst-case scenario, they could be facing a long time waiting in Lebanon. And in the worst-case scenario, certainly waiting in jail.

VAUSE: So, Peter, what's the background to this story in Australia? This is a custody dispute which has been in the headlines quite some time.

FORD: Yes, it's been going for quite some time and Sally Faulkner has been active on social media, trying to raise awareness, trying to lobby the appropriate government bodies to try and assist her. She has got nowhere. So she did invite the "60 Minutes" crew to become involved in the story. What happened beyond that we don't know. I'm sure that's something the judge will want to establish in the next several hours. We know what happened on the streets of Beirut. and certainly over

there it's being reported as an attempted kidnapping. Here, from our perspective through our eyes it's being reported as a child recovery operation.

VAUSE: We have reached out to the Nine Network for a statement. We are yet [00:35:01] to hear back from them. What has the network said about this over the past 24, 48 hours or so?

FORD: Virtually nothing. All they have really said publicly is that the people involved are all being kept in humane conditions. I'm told its pretty rough going, and certainly in the last 24 hours they have been transferred from prison cells to detention centers, male and female respectively. There is a big problem in Beirut with the prison system there, a lot of Syrian refugees. So there is a lot of shortage of accommodation for people to be kept; but they are now in jail cells and what happens beyond that will be determined in the next few hours.

Certainly, the Network have said almost nothing publicly. In fact, if anything, the Network and also the appropriate government bodies here, have almost tried to play down the story but it's becoming apparent that this is a very serious situation that could potentially drag on for a long time.

VAUSE: The father at the center of this dispute is reported to have some fairly high connections within Lebanese politics. What do you know about that?

FORD: Well, there is connections on both sides, it's true, and certainly, the grandmother, who was hit in that incident that took place, she also has connections to people in government but the father, interestingly, has been quite open in saying he doesn't want to see charges pressed. Now, that ultimately may not be his decision; it won't be his decision. These could in fact be criminal charges but we don't know.

Certainly at this point in time there is no sign at all that the father is in any way lobbying for this to be a severe outcome; and in the last couple of hours, the "Sydney Morning Herald" newspaper are reporting unnamed sources who are saying they expect this matter to be treated leniently, but certainly, within the network their legal representatives are quietly saying don't hope for that because it probably won't happen. We expect it will go on at least for several weeks.

VAUSE: Wow, several weeks, if this is the case in a Lebanese jail for the members of that TV crew and that mother from Brisbane as well. Some difficult times ahead. Peter, thank you; Peter Ford live there with us from Melbourne.

FORD: Thanks, John.

VAUSE: Appreciate it.

Still to come her, "El Chapo," one of Mexico's most infamous inmates, but he didn't always live like one behind bars. New details about the drug lord's life in federal prison is just ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. Conjugal visits, trips to the sauna, just some of the freedoms "El Chapo" had as an inmate in a high security federal prison in Mexico. Now one of the few people who has ever questioned him is revealing the extend of "El Chapo's" control. Rafael Romo has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Barrel after barrel of drug making [00:40:01] chemicals, nearly 52 tons all together; plastic containers full of toxic liquids totaling more than 19,000 gallons. It was all seized by Mexican authorities last week in the mountains of Northern Mexico, turf of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel. Its leader Joaquin Guzman, better known as "El Chapo", or Shorty in English, is behind bars but it seems his cartel hasn't stopped making meth.

It's no surprise to this attorney, Jose Antonio Ortega is one of a handful of prosecutors who have ever interrogated the drug lord.

JOSE ANTONIO ORTEGA, CRIMINAL ATTORNEY, via translator: "El Chapo" means hatred; he means death. He is somebody who poisons young people, not only in Mexico but also in the United States.

ROMO: Ortega interrogated "El Chapo" as a suspect in the year 2000 as part of an investigation into the murder of a Mexican cardinal. His first shock? The suspect arrived almost 13 hours late. The explanation from "El Chapo" himself made him furious.

ORTEGA: He said, look, today I had my conjugal visit. Afterwards, I went to the steam room, and then I went to take a nap so that I could greet you as you deserve. He didn't behave as a prisoner Ortega says, but as the man in charge. Custodians acted as his personal assistants. "El Chapo" was the prison owner at that point. It was as if he were someone inviting us to his house, Ortega said.

ROMO: The attorney gave us a copy of the deposition he took that day, March 16, 2000. This is "El Chapo's" signature, right above that of Ortega's.

"El Chapo" would escape twice in this next 15 years including, his breakout last July using a mile-long tunnel fitted with a motorcycle on tracks.

Guzman remains behind bars. Mexican officials have indicated multiple times that they have every intention to extradite the drug lord to the United States, but the process may take anywhere from one to five years and some fear "El Chapo" may escape again.

"El Chapo" faces multiple drug trafficking and murder charges in Mexico and in at least seven U.S. jurisdictions. So Ortega must now wait his turn to finish the interrogation he began 15 years ago.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Mexico City. (END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And thank you for watching "CNN Newsroom" live from Los Angeles; I'm John Vause. "World Sport" is up next with Kate Riley. She'll have more on the U.S. Master's. Then I'll be back with another hour of news from all around the world. You're watching CNN.

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