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Taliban Making Gains in Helmand Province; Paris Was Initial Target of Attacks, not Belgium; Criminal Investigation into India's Sunday's Temple Fire; Danny Willett Wins Master's Tournament; Charges Against Navy Officer Now Considered National Security Case; Attorney Describes "El Chapo's" Control; Democratic Candidates Not Addressing N.Y. Concerns; E.U. Refugee Resettlement Program a Mess; Young British Royals in India. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired April 11, 2016 - 02:00   ET

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


(HEADLINES)

[02:00:34] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Errol Barnett. Thanks for kicking off your week with us. We appreciate it. CNN NEWSROOM starts now.

Our top story this hour, shifting loyalties in Afghanistan. Taliban insurgents are making bold advances in the country's Helmand Province.

CHURCH: And part of the reason the Afghan government seems to be losing ground there is because of soldiers like these, defectors from the Afghan army who have joined the Taliban.

And for more on all this, CNN International correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, joins us live from Kabul.

Nick, why are these soldiers swapping sides and choosing to fight with the Taliban instead? And how likely is it that Afghan troops will be able to regain this lost territory?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the reasons these men who spoke to us gave was really the corruption in the ranks of the Afghan army, the lack of resources they've been receiving, widely-acknowledged problems by the Afghan government themselves. And even U.S. officials admit to how two-thirds of personnel losses the Afghan government has suffered are down to desertion or people not turning up for work to some degree. It's a widespread issue, and particularly now it's acute because they've been under pressure like this before in the vital province of Helmand where hundreds of British and American soldiers lost their lives keeping the Taliban back. But not even after 18 months after that mission by NATO ended, we're now seeing the Taliban moving fast to claim territory there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You know a war's going badly when an enemy's 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 Heldman Province. It used to be NATO that shot from these positions near the vulnerable city.

(GUNFIRE)

PATON WALSH: Hundreds of Americans and British died, many in the town where these pictures show the Afghan Army recently in heavy clashes.

(EXPLOSION)

(SHOUTING)

PATON WALSH: But now Afghanistan is quite quickly watching Helmand fall.

(SHOUTING)

PATON WALSH: 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've defected and joined the Taliban. They never dreamed they'd change sides.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER (through translation): 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.

PATON WALSH: They carry their old uniforms, I.D.s, and bank cards used to get their old army wages.

They fight where these pictures were more recently filmed. But now they use their training and experience to train the Taliban.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER (through translation): I decided to leave the army when my dad and injured comrades lay in our base, but nobody took them to hospital. My army training is very useful now, as I am now training Taliban fighters with the same knowledge.

PATON WALSH: Men who've seen the tide turn and voted with their feet.

(on camera): Helmand's the indisputable heartland of the south. And they've worked so hard to push the Taliban back. And here in Kabul, you can speak to many who say it could fall at any day. That gives you a sense of how much on the offensive the Taliban are and what could happen in the summer fighting season ahead.

(voice-over): This is the center of the key town in the Taliban's sights. Tense, yet teeming. Some visit briefly from areas the Taliban now control.

"It's a bit too soon to say whether people are happy with the Taliban. The bazaar is now full of people. That was because the security was bad. And some people avoided the government's forces." Others fled to its outskirts from the fighting and flash points.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): My worst memory is how a wedding party was hit by mortar, killing a large number of people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): The bullets and rocket the followed, so I fled here.

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

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:05:28] PATON WALSH: Now Afghan and U.S. officials strongly disagree with the idea that Lashkar Gar is in peril. The defense minister, acting defense minister said he would resign if it did. That's how strongly he feels that's unlikely. But police officials are telling us that they are pressured from both sides. And many other districts in Helmand are fully under their control now. Recent government efforts are not turning the tide.

CHURCH: It's a real concern. And, Nick, what impact will these Taliban advances likely have on plans to draw down U.S. troops?

PATON WALSH: That's a key question here and in Washington. There is sort of a re-think, it's hard to get exactly what's going on with U.S. officials, but they're looking at troop numbers. It will damage the ability for the U.S. and NATO to support the Afghan force on the ground as they struggle to hold the Taliban back. And frankly, there's, I think, a worry here. The perception is that the Taliban is winning. The government is losing, and that increases the momentum of the Taliban. But somewhere like Helmand is a cash resource to poppies and opium and cash from the heroin trade. That could substantially boost their coffers and fighting power in the days and months ahead and damages the notion of peace talks. That's the central plank of U.S. policy, to negotiate a settlement with the Taliban, they're not talking now. A lot of optimism from Afghan and American officials they can turn the tide. But we've heard that so many times before, and 2016 is a year where they've said if the unity government survives that will be a success. The bar on expectations here is so low and daily life in Afghani in peril -- Rosemary?

CHURCH: Our Nick Paton Walsh, reporting live from Afghanistan, keeping an eye on that story. Many thanks to you.

(HEADLINES)

CHURCH: Investigators have released startling details about last month's terror attacks in Belgium. They now say the attackers had originally intended to hit Paris but changed plans when they thought police were moving in. Belgian prosecutors say they have one of the Brussels terrorists in custody. Mohamed Abrini has confessed to being the man in the hat.

CNN's Kelly Morgan retraces his steps leading up to the attack and the arrest. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:09:43] KELLY MORGAN, CNN PRODUCER: Mohamed Abrini has been one of the most-wanted men in Europe ever since the Paris attacks in November. But it's here in this Schaerbeek apartment where they first learned of his involvement in the Brussels attack as well. This is where attackers made their bombs and where police say they found Abrini's DNA. This is where a taxi driver picked up three men and drove them to the airport.

Due to increased security, this is as close as we're allowed to film at Brussels airport. Mohamed Abrini has told police that it was him pushing a trolley alongside the suicide bombers. But before the blast, he leaves the terminal and is captured again on CCTV. He then leaves the airport by a car park and does so on foot.

The next image is captured almost an hour later, three kilometers away from the airport. And he's seen wearing just a light-colored shirt as he walks right by here. Abrini has told police that he dumped his distinctive white jacket in a bin at some point during this leg of the journey.

Another 50 minutes later, he's seen walking across this pedestrian crossing at a major junction in Schaerbeek. He's made pretty quick time during this six kilometer part of the journey during which time the metro station bomber has detonated his explosives.

Just eight minutes later, he arrived here, just over a kilometer away from the scene of the metro blast. He was right here 40 minutes after that attack when emergency services would have been fighting to save people's lives. It's the last image of the day captured of him on CCTV. After that, he disappears.

It would be 17 days before authorities catch their man, police pouncing on Abrini as he walked by here in plain sight. It's just a short distance from Molenbeek where he and many of the other men implicated in the Paris attacks grew up.

Kelly Morgan, CNN, Brussels.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: To other stories we're following for you.

There is now a criminal investigation into Sunday's deadly temple fire in India.

CHURCH: We just got this new video, showing the explosions that happened during a fireworks celebration. At least 106 people were killed and more than 500 others injured.

BARNETT: Officials say the fireworks display was not authorized. And families are going through the heartbreaking process of identifying their loved ones.

Our Mallika Kapur is following developments for us and joins us live from Mumbai.

Mallika, you look at that video and you see how much of a violent incident this was. I know you have new details on people detained because of what happened and others being chased right now. What do we know about that?

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've just heard from police officials in Kerala. And they have detained five people and are questioning them. These are people who worked for the fireworks company, people that supplied fireworks to the temple. And they are also looking for at least ten members, ten people who work for the temple, perhaps members of the temple authority board. They are absconding at the moment. Police very much trying to track them down to find out, to really get to the bottom of it to see who violated which order. We're now hearing that the temple authorities did not have permission to carry on this fireworks display, but, of course, as we know, the fireworks display did go ahead, and it resulted in this awful, awful tragedy, which has taken the lives of 106 people -- Errol?

BARNETT: And this was such a big and large tragedy. I understand they're still having to go through the location where this happened to find possibly if there are more victims there or clues at least. How does a temple like this get access to such a large amount of fireworks while not having approval? Is corruption a possible factor here, because we've seen things like that in the past?

KAPUR: You're right. We have seen things like that in the past. Corruption could definitely be a reason. And sometimes it could just be people just ignoring the rules. There is also some confusion here about exactly which rule was in place. Some local people are saying well, there was a ban on fireworks. Some people are saying, well, the ban had been lifted for the night. So police really have to get to the bottom of it to see if the ban was actually in place, if the ban was in place from what time to what time, did anybody break the rules by going ahead with the fireworks. So we're still waiting for those sorts of details, but corruption could definitely be a possibility. Are people ignoring the rules to go ahead with the fireworks to enjoy a night of celebration? That could be the other possibility as well -- Errol?

[02:15:00] BARNETT: And it seems as though it was a failure by a number of people considering who they've arrested and who they're looking into. Thankfully, they do have an idea of who may be responsible.

Mallika Kapur, live for us in Mumbai. 11:45 in the morning there. Mallika, thanks.

CHURCH: On a lighter note, a historic win at Augusta National Golf Club. 28-year-old Danny Willett is the Master's champion. He's the first Englishman to capture the green jacket since 1996. But it's the defending champion who is making the headlines. Jordan Spieth suffered a devastating collapse after leading the entire weekend.

Shane O'Donoghue has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHANE O'DONOGHUE, CNN HOST, LIVING GOLF: There may be no script but there is the most perfect stage at Augusta National. And at this, the 80th staging of the Master's tournament, a classic was thrown off on this memorable Sunday. The winner, Danny Willett, 28 years of age, and claiming his first major title with a wonderful final round of 67. And that was the magic number it took to claim the green jacket.

It was a desperately disappointing day for Jordan Spieth who was, of course, the defending champion. He had high hopes, starting out the day at 3 under. He got to a five-shot lead. So then he entered the back nine, which is so famous here at Augusta National, but that's where it all went wrong on holes 10, 11, with bogies on both, and then hitting the water on the par 3, 12th. It was a quadruple bogey. So six shots gone in the space of three holes, and he was then chasing. But he couldn't get it done. And he said it's a 30 minutes he hopes never to repeat again in his professional career. Obviously, very disappointed as he held back the tears, but no joy for Spieth in his three Master's appearances, second, first, and joint second in 2016. Quite a record. Maybe the trend will continue and he'll win it again in 2017.

But no doubt about the man in the green jacket right now. It is Danny Willett, of England, the winner of the 2016 Master's tournament, with a wonderful total of five under par.

Shane O'Donoghue, CNN, Augusta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: And congratulations to the Englishman.

CHURCH: Tough for Spieth.

BARNETT: We've covered a lot of ground, but stay with us. There's much more to come on CNN NEWSROOM.

CHURCH: U.S. President Barack Obama talks strategy and how to defeat terrorism. We'll have that and a whole lot more. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:21:38] BARNETT: U.S. President Barack Obama says a smart approach to terrorism is needed to defeat it. He made those comments during an interview with FOX News, while criticizing the strategies of candidates running for his position. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I hear some candidates saying we should carpet bomb innocent civilians -- CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Ted Cruz.

OBAMA: -- that is not a productive approach to stopping terrorism. When I hear a candidate say we should ban all Muslims from entering the country, that is not a good approach to countering terrorism. Our approach has to be smart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Meanwhile, U.S. Republican presidential hopeful, John Kasich, says Americans need to calm down. On the CBS program "Face the Nation," the Ohio governor reacted to two so-called religious freedom measures passed in North Carolina and Mississippi that protect the rights of gay and transgender people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KASICH, (R), OHIO GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Why do we have to write a law every time we turn around in this country? Can't we try to get along and respect one another? That's where I think we ought to be. Everybody chill out. Get over it, if you have a disagreement with somebody. So that's where I am right now, John. Unless there's something that pops up, I'm not inclined to sign anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Espionage Charges against a U.S. Navy officer are coming to light months after his arrest.

Nick Valencia reports on what's now considered a national security case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The violations are wide ranging, everything from adultery and espionage and attempted espionage. They were first made public over the weekend when the suspect had his preliminary court appearance. And some these accusations include failure to safely secure classified material. Also accused of information related to national defense, possibly giving advantageous information to a foreign nation. He's also accused of trying to hide foreign travel, and lying on an electronic document about where he was traveling to. There's also a failure to report foreign contacts charge and two other charges, bringing discredit upon armed forces by patronizing at least one prostitute, and an adultery charge related to that extramarital affair.

A U.S. official tells me this investigation had been taking place for months and that the suspect was caught, back last year, at the end of summer beginning of fall, but this information only made public during that first court appearance.

A couple things we don't know and still outstanding, exactly how long this lieutenant commander accused of espionage, how long he was in the Navy. We also don't know and U.S. officials are not disclosing which foreign nation he's accused of being in contact with.

This case will now be sent to the four star admiral, Phillip Davidson, because it is a case of national security, and that four-star admiral will decide whether or not to refer the charges to court-martial.

It's very important to realize exactly what information he had access to, because depending on the sensitivity of the information and what he passed along, this crime could be punishable by the death penalty.

Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Conjugal visits and trips to the sauna, just some of the freedoms el Chapo had an inmate in a high-security federal prison in Mexico. Now one of the few people who ever questioned him is revealing the extent of el Chapo's control.

Rafael Romo reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:25:02] RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Barrel after barrel of drug-making chemicals, nearly 52 tons all together, plastic containers with toxic chemicals totaling over 19,000 gallons, it was seized by authorities last week in the mountains of northern Mexico, turf of the Sinaloa drug cartel. The 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.

JOSE ANTONIO ORTEGA, PROSECUTOR: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ROMO: 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, PROSECUTOR (through translation): "El Chapo means hatred. He means death," Ortega says. "He poisons people not only in Mexico but in the United States."

Ortega interrogated el Chapo when 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.

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.

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, Ortega's. El Chapo would escape twice in the next 15 years, including his

breakout last July using a mile-long tunnel fitting with a motorcycle on tracks.

(on camera): 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 one to five years, and some fear el Chapo may escape again.

(voice-over): El Chapo faces multiple murder and drug trafficking charges in Mexico and in several U.S. jurisdictions. So Ortega must wait his turn to finish the interrogation he started years ago.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: We'll take a short break. But still to come, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, they're each looking to stake a claim on New York voters.

BARNETT: That's right. The response the Democrats are receiving, still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:31:08] CHURCH: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett. We're a half hour into our two-our block. Let's update you on our top stories.

(HEADLINES)

BARNETT: So if you thought all the primaries and caucuses were done, you're wrong. There's more to come. The New York primaries now are just over a week away, and the candidates are campaigning hard.

Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump, called the nominating process a corrupt system that deprives people of their vote.

CHURCH: Rival, Ted Cruz, defended his criticism of New York values, now that he's campaigning there. He told CNN he was referring to the liberal values of Democratic politicians.

BARNETT: Yes, of course. And Bernie Sanders is hoping to maintain his momentum after winning eight of nine contests. Sanders is Jewish. And his stand on the 2014 Gaza war sets him apart from the other candidates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Was Israel's response disproportionate? I think it was. Israel has a 100 percent -- and no one will fight for that principle more strongly than I will -- has the right to live in freedom, independently and in security, without having to be subjected to terrorist attacks. But I think that we will not succeed to ever bring peace into that region unless we also treat the Palestinians with dignity and respect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Now both Sanders and Clinton are laying claim to New York, but Sara Ganim reports some local voters say neither is addressing their real concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(CHEERING)

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bernie with his undeniable accent --

SANDERS: I was born here in New York City.

GANIM: -- and Hillary, the New York Senator, parking her campaign headquarters here.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I am thrilled to have a chance to be here in Brooklyn.

GANIM: -- battling it out over who has stronger ties to New York.

SANDERS: Born in Illinois, that's not a crime.

CLINTON: I love New York.

GANIM: But a true Brooklynite --

ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK VOTER: Good morning. How are you?

GANIM: -- Brooklyn borough president, Eric Adams, says neither of the candidates are in touch with real issues that some New Yorkers face.

ADAMS: Busy, beautiful New York on Park Avenue, and then there's the troubled New York on Park Place in Brooklyn. Let's represent both parts of New York.

GANIM: A life-long Democrat, Adams says he hasn't endorsed either candidate and won't be attending the debate on Thursday being held at his borough at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

[02:35:05] ADAMS: Why are we focusing on places that are a success story? Why not go to the heart of areas that needs to be successful? Brownsville is that.

GANIM: Brownsville is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in New York City. The crime rate is above 40 percent. More than a third of the population lives in poverty. It has the highest population of public housing in the city, a breeding ground for gang violence.

It's here we met Adam, in front of an elementary school where a mother of 12 was shot and killed, caught in the crossfire of gang warfare. ADAMS: She covered the body of her children and she was shot and

killed, and it's representative of the Brownsvilles across America.

GANIM: His message is resonating with the people here.

(APPLAUSE)

GANIM: Gene Barkley says he was once into drugs and a life on the street in Brownsville. Life is hard here, and he wants the candidates to see that.

(on camera): If the candidates were to come to Brownsville --

GENE BARKLEY, BROWNSVILLE RESIDENT: Yes.

GANIM: -- what would you want them to hear from the people who live here?

BARKLEY: To see if they can stop the shooting and the crimes, number one. If that was stopped, a whole lot of other things would stop.

GANIM (voice-over): With the April 19th primary approaching, Clinton and Sanders have been crisscrossing the city all weekend, vying for the state's 291 Democratic delegates. Clinton stopping at Brooklyn landmarks, like the famed Junior's Diner, a favorite on the campaign trail. Sanders holding a rally in front of his childhood home, trying to close the gap.

(on camera): You don't think they're trying hard enough here?

ADAMS: No, they're not. No, they're not. I know they're going to the Boardwalk, they're going through Harlem, they'll sit in a black church. Those are traditional things. They cannot be afraid to come to Brownsville, sit down in the public housing, have a town hall right here, have a debate right here. That's the right statement.

GANIM (voice-over): Sara Ganim, CNN, Brooklyn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: It is a big night for politics on CNN for 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. On Tuesday, Donald Trump will appear alongside his wife, Melania, and children, Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr. And on Wednesday, Ted Cruz will be joined by his wife, Heidi. They'll all talk with Anderson and take questions from the audience.

Then on Thursday, don't miss the Democratic presidential debate as Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders face off live from New York. It all happens this week at 9:00 eastern time, that's 2:00 in London and 9:00 in Hong Kong, only here on CNN.

BARNETT: And next week, it's grandparents. The week after that, it will be nephews and nieces. (LAUGHTER)

So please do stay tuned.

A new study suggests climate change is having a massive impact on the monsoon season in Asia.

Our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us with more on that.

These are things we knew to be true, but we get more evidence every year.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. This study relates to the most popular hot beverage. It's tea that the world runs on. 40 percent of the tea consumed comes from China. And looking at the monsoon season, in the wet season, it's getting longer, and the rainfall, the intensity is increasing dramatically, which is common worldwide. But in this region it has massive impacts on the agricultural industry. You take a look at what's known as the Mayu Bayou, the plum rains. When they took a look at this hundreds of years ago, when the rains began falling in earnest, they said it was time to harvest the plums. Now it continues from April to august and September, the intensity of the rainfall. The lower tea yields is what is becoming a major problem across Asia in particular. We know this part of the world, tremendous landscape, about 70 to 80 Fahrenheit. You want the soil to be moist, but you don't want it to be overly wet. Unfortunately, the rainfall being as high as it has been, some areas have seen up to 300 millimeters of rainfall. We see rainfall pick up in the United States as well. We had South Carolina flooding last year that was historic in nature, and things like that are becoming more prevalent.

BARNETT: More intense climates, warms, colds, and droughts even.

CHURCH: In other parts of the world, no rain.

JAVAHERI: Absolutely.

BARNETT: Pedram, we'll see you next hour.

JAVAHERI: Thanks.

CHURCH: Appreciate it.

[02:40:03] BARNETT: Now Greece has some strong words for its neighbor's use of indiscriminate force against migrants.

CHURCH: What Macedonia did to provoke that reaction, still to come. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Greece is denouncing Macedonia for firing tear gas at migrants and refugees on the Greek/Macedonian border, calling the move dangerous and deplorable.

BARNETT: And workers say dozens were wounded when a large group tried to cross that border Sunday. Macedonian police fired tear gas and rubber bullets. You see some of that footage here. And more than 10,000 people have been stranded at that border since February.

CHURCH: Five migrants also died after their boat capsized off of Greece over the weekend.

This all comes in the wake of a controversial E.U./Turkey agreement. Under the deal, migrants who arrive in Greece illegally after March 20th will be sent back to Turkey.

BARNETT: Gauri Van Gulik joins us from London. She's the deputy Europe and Central Asia director of Amnesty International.

Thanks so much for your time today.

This is an interesting situation. You basically called the E.U. resettlement program a mess, and you just returned from some make- shift detention centers. Tell us what you saw that feeds that opinion.

GAURI VAN GULIK, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: What I saw was really the disastrous consequence of Europe's stubbornness to get as many people back to Turkey as possible. I was in Lesbos and saw many refugees who should never be in detention, people with disabilities, many young children, all fearful of what's next. And the worst thing is that they really have no idea. The system is dysfunctional. No one knows what the next steps are, and they're all afraid that they will be sent back and that they still haven't reached the safety they so desperately need.

[02:45:24] BARNETT: How do we explain the situation deteriorating to what we're seeing here? Many of the recently detained migrants shouldn't be at these detention centers. Is it a lack of manpower, a lack of will, or what?

VAN GULIK: This is policy choices of leaders in Europe. And what we see now is automatic detention of every single person who arrives on the islands. That's already illegal, but what happens is this determination to get this kicked off quickly, so processing people as fast as possible. Now that's a myth, because of resources, as you say, in one center there's only one caseworker to deal with 1,000 cases, absolutely impossible. But in the meantime, people are stuck in horrible conditions. I saw people sleeping on the ground who, one person for example who could walk. I saw a 1-year-old baby still suffering the consequences of a chemical attack in Syria who is stuck in these crowded, cramped conditions with not enough food. And all of this is happening in a very deliberate way. It's supposed to work as a deterrent to people crossing, but of course this is not how you can handle some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

BARNETT: Then again, this is unprecedented, with so many new arrivals, more than one million migrants and refugees there in Europe in just the past year. What else can the E.U. do? Because what we've witnessed is there is a persistent lack of consensus among member nations, not all of them wanting to contribute the same amount, some not even wanting the migrants in their borders. What else can be done here?

VAN GULIK: Well, I want to be very clear about one thing. It's true that Greece in and of itself cannot handle this. It's true. The numbers are high. It's difficult, and they shouldn't be left alone with this. But what can happen is, of course, that Europe takes on this responsibility more broadly. Don't forget, Europe has already promised to relocate 160,000 people from Greece and Italy to other countries in Europe. It simply hasn't happened. If you look at the clashes for example, those are all people who were technically supposed to be relocated to other countries in Europe. So Europe is not even following up on the promises it was able to make. And the consensus it was able to reach. So this is a collective failure on the European side. It is possible for Europe, as a whole, to deal with the situation in a better way, through relocation of those people from Greece, but also through resettlement from other countries, Turkey, Lebanon, et cetera, to create a safe passage and to avoid the disastrous routes. Because make no mistake, this deal is not actually going to stop people from arriving in Europe.

BARNETT: That's right.

VAN GULIK: It's simply going to bring people to take other routes, such as for example the Libya/Italy route again.

BARNETT: And with weather improving, we can expect those numbers to continue to flow into Europe. Certainly, an eye-opening report that Amnesty International has.

Gauri Van Gulik, from London there, approaching 7:50 in the morning. Thanks.

VAN GULIK: Thank you.

BARNETT: Still to come on CNN NEWSROOM, a royal trip to India. We'll take you to New Delhi to find out what the duke and duchess of Cambridge have planned for the next leg of their journey.

CHURCH: Plus, the 2016 MTV movies awards was one for the books. We will tell you how the two hosts took the show to a whole different level. Back in a moment with that.

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[02:52:52] BARNETT: So Britain's young royals are in India this week. The duke and duchess of Cambridge began their week-long trip Sunday by paying their respects to the 2008 victims of the Mumbai attacks. They wrapped up today at a fundraising dinner where they rubbed shoulders with Ballywood's biggest stars there.

CHURCH: The next stop on their tour, New Delhi.

CNN's Sumnima Udas joins us now from there with more on what's next for the royal couple.

Sumnima, what lies ahead for them once they get to New Delhi?

SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, a third day in Mumbai was all about building those business, social and cultural ties, and Delhi is all about building political ties and perhaps making a political statement. As Prince William said in his speech at the Royal Garland Dinner in Mumbai yesterday, Britain and India share a very long, historical relationship, and he is here to honor that and the personal relationship that his family has had with this country, but more importantly, he is here to build a new relationship, new ties with this country, with modern India, the India of the 21st century. So when they arrive, they will be driving down the Grand Boulevard of Delhi, much of it built during the British Empire. They will visit the India gate, which is one of the main war memorials. In particular, they will be honoring the 70,000 Indian soldiers who died during the First World War when they were serving for the British Empire. Then they will head to Gandhi Smithy. That is the House where Mahatma Gandhi, the founder of modern-day India, and also a world leader in terms of his non-violence movement, that's where he spent the last 144 days of his life. So they will be following in his footsteps, out of the room, and into the garden area, where he was assassinated back in 1948. From then, they will be heading to a dinner, hosted by the British high commissioner here. That's where they will be meeting a lot of the political leaders here and the who's who of Delhi -- Rosemary?

CHURCH: A lot to cover there.

Sumnima Udas, joining us from New Delhi. Many thanks to you.

[02:55:10] BARNETT: Thanks, Sumnima.

The MTV awards began with a bang on Sunday. Surely, you've seen this on social media. Hosts Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson kicked things off with a tribute to Mad Max. And they kept the energy high throughout the night.

CHURCH: "Star Wars" won the biggest award for movie of the year. Two of its stars also took home prizes for their performances. Meanwhile, Will Smith got the generation award, a tribute to his Hollywood career. And Melissa McCarthy became the first woman to win the comedic genius award. And she is awesome.

It's good to see Will recognized because he was ignored at some of these --

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BARNETT: That's right. And some say the MTV awards are, for all the fun and jokes, represents what younger people are watching rather than what the Academy may be paying attention to, and the others as well.

CHURCH: All those Millennials.

BARNETT: What about that? Rosie, what are you trying to say there? (LAUGHTER)

CHURCH: Powerful audience, of course.

But thanks for watching our first hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.

BARNETT: I'm Errol Barnett.

Next hour, a live report from many of the world's hotspots with the world's biggest stories. Please do stay with us.

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