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Bomb Scare at Manchester United's Old Trafford Stadium; ISIS Claims Responsibility for Attack on Iraq Gas Plant; Boko Haram Focus of Security Summit in Nigeria; Clinton Hints at Husband's Role in Her Administration; Trump's Challenges with Women Could Get Worse; Arrest in Bangladesh Machete Death; Philippines President-Elect's Son Will Keep Low Profile; El Chapo's Return to Juarez Prison; Chinese Girl Band Faces Backlash over Cultural Revolution Songs. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired May 16, 2016 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:00:38] 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: And I'm Errol Barnett. Thanks for joining us as we kick off the week here on CNN NEWSROOM.
This is really a stunning story. Police evacuated Old Trafford Stadium, which is home of Manchester United, the famed U.K. football club, after a bomb scare on Sunday. Fans were rushed out when authorities found what they thought was a bomb.
CHURCH: But it turned out to be a harmless training device left behind by a private firm after a drill in the stadium.
Christina McFarland has the details now from Manchester.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MCFARLAND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fans arrived here at Old Trafford on Sunday expecting to see drama on the pitch when Manchester United took on Bournemouth. But instead they were disrupted by events after a suspicious package was found in the northwest corner of the stands. After 75,000 fans were evacuated from the stadium here and sent home, a bomb disposal team was sent in to conduct a controlled explosion of the device, which is said to have been very lifelike. But later on Sunday night, it was confirmed that the package was, in fact, a training device, which was left behind by a private firm following a training drill.
While this isn't an ideal situation for Man United football club, there is a great deal of relief that the situation wasn't as dangerous as first suspected. And there is reassurance that the fans and the security staff here dealt efficiently and swiftly to the incident.
The Premier League have announced that the match that was due to take place here today has now been rescheduled for Tuesday, the 17th, where it will draw a close to the Premier League season.
Christina McFarland, CNN, Manchester.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well, in Iraq, ISIS has claimed responsibility for Sunday's deadly attack on a gas plant near Baghdad. At least 10 security personnel were killed and two dozen people wounded in twin suicide bombings.
BARNETT: The deadly assault sent plumes of smoke into the air and left several storage tanks ablaze. In just the past week, more than 100 people have been killed by ISIS in Iraq.
CHURCH: Now for the latest, let's bring in CNN's Jomana Karadsheh. She joins us live from Amman, Jordan.
Jomana, how was ISIS able to carry out this attack? And was Baghdad's governor right when he says the gas plant was inadequately protected and help was too slow to get there?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, Rosemary, the unfortunate reality after these kinds of attacks is that you do have officials coming out blaming different security agencies, blaming officials for security lapses or what may have led to an attack like this. But if you look at what the governor was saying in this case about the protection about the plant not being armed enough, not having enough weapons or the quick reaction force, the SWAT team in this case taking about two and a half hours to get there after the attack, these are things we've heard in the past following attacks. So it's nothing new to Iraq. You need to always keep in mind that security forces in that country are really stretched thin, fighting a battle on so many different fronts. But also here, Rosemary, I do remember security officials over the years telling us that when you have an enemy like this, when you have multiple attackers, suicide bombers in this case who are determined to kill themselves and kill others, it's going to be very difficult to stop them.
CHURCH: Yeah, understandable. And, Jomana, why are we seeing this stepped up campaign now? Is this a shift in tactics?
KARADSHEH: I think it depends on who you talk to in this case, Rosemary. If you look at the situation in Iraq, obviously, this political crisis we're seeing, one of the worst political crises in recent months, and ISIS, like its predecessor, al Qaeda in Iraq, does try and exploit a situation like this, these political differences, to try and create more divisions within the Iraqi, to try to reunite the sectarian war. That's one way of looking at it. Some officials would say it's because they are trying to distract the forces from the battle fronts in the north and in the western part of the country by stepping up attacks in and around Baghdad.
If you talk to U.S. and Iraqi officials, Rosemary, they would say that this is ISIS on the defensive, that it's lost so much territory that it is reverting back to these sorts of tactics of carrying out these spectacular kinds of attacks. That no matter what the motivation is here, I think what we have been seeing over the past couple of weeks does prove that while ISIS may have lost territory in Iraq and Syria, the group does still possess that ability to carry out these sort of attacks with so many suicide bombers as we have seen in recent weeks.
[02:05:35] CHURCH: Understandably, this is really unnerving the population there.
Jomana Karadsheh, many thanks to you from Amman, Jordan. Many thanks to you.
BARNETT: Now to Australia where five men are under arrest, accused of plotting to go to Syria to join ISIS. Authorities nabbed them and this boat over the weekend. They allegedly planned to use the boat to sail to Indonesia and the Philippines and then continue on to Syria. The men had been on a terror watch list and were under surveillance.
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GEORGE BRANDIS, AUSTRALIAN ATTORNEY GENERAL: After the cancellation of their passports, when it became clear to them that they wouldn't be able to leave the country in an orthodox way, they remained under surveillance so that if they attempted to leave the country in this very unusual way, they would be able to be stopped, and they were.
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BARNETT: The suspects, aged 21 to 31, are charged with preparing to enter a foreign country to engage in hostile activity. If convicted, they could face life in prison.
CHURCH: In the coming hours, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the E.U. high representative will meet with foreign ministers in Vienna to discuss Syria and Libya. Kerry met with Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Sunday to talk about Syria. Kerry is hoping to strengthen the cessation of hostilities in Syria, which has been undermined by fighting in some areas. The U.S. and Russia will hold more talks on Syria with Iran and other countries on Tuesday in Vienna. BARNETT: Meanwhile, jihadist groups are threatening to drive
Christians out of Syria, burning churches and desecrating priceless icons. The historic town of Maaloula was recently freed after being seized by Islamic militants.
CHURCH: But some Christians still fear for their lives.
Senator international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen, reports.
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(SINGING)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Jesus loves you no matter how you feel, these children sing at a religion class in Maaloula, Syria's most famous Christian town, which was occupied by Islamist militants for six months. Several townspeople are still missing.
"I want things to be better, like they were before and for the kidnapped people to come back," 7 year old Gabriella says.
Similar words from 8-year-old Barla Hamoon (ph) "I want Maaloula to be better and more beautiful than it used to be," she says.
"Shocking, their reaction when I ask how many of them have had to flee their homes."
Islamist rebels, led by al Qaeda's wing in Syria, Jabhat al Nusra, invaded Maaloula in late 2013. This video by one of the groups allegedly shows a suicide blast that took out the checkpoint to the village.
The rebels kidnapped 12 nuns from a convent. It took more than six months of intense battles to oust them.
But scars remain. This is the convent and shrine, or what's left of it, a warning to Syria's Christian community.
(on camera): While some buildings here in Maaloula have been restored, others remain exactly like this, completely destroyed and mostly burned out. And of course, many people who live in this town ask themselves whether Christianity still here a future here in Syria.
(voice-over): Syria is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Maaloula is the last place where the Aramaic that Jesus spoke is still in use. But groups like ISIS have vowed to oust the Christians from this land.
This member of Maaloula's city council shows me just some of the priceless icons that were damaged or looted, especially the most ancient ones.
UNIDENTIFIED MAALOULA CITY COUNCILMAN: They stole it, and then they fire the other.
PLEITGEN (on camera): They burned it?
UNIDENTIFIED MAALOULA CITY COUNCILMAN: Burned it.
(SINGING)
PLEITGEN (voice-over): As we left, a Christian song was playing on a loudspeaker system in the entire town. A sign of defiance from Christian community that hopes the children, learning about their long heritage in Syria, will have a future in the land of their ancestors.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Maaloula, Syria.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Boko Haram was the focus of a security summit held in Nigeria on Saturday. Delegates from regional and global powers attended, including French President Francois Hollande. He says the fight against Boko Haram was a generational struggle against evil.
BARNETT: And this, after the U.N. Security Council said Friday the terror group threatened regional stability.
Our George Howell has more.
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[02:10:13] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At least 20,000 people killed since Boko Haram first waged war on Nigeria in 2009, the terror group has been labeled the most-deadly in the world by the latest global terrorism index. A threat so great, regional and world governments came together in Abuja with plans to work together and to fight back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
HOWELL: Since the last meeting of delegates two years ago in Paris to discuss the problem and find solutions, the Islamic extremist group has been pushed out of territory it once controlled in northeastern Nigeria, instead resorting to smaller suicide attacks. And with the worsening humanitarian crisis of more than 2.6 million region in the Lake Chad region, neighboring from Chad, Niger, and Cameroon came together to discuss strategies and affirm that they're not letting their guard down, supported by the United States, the U.K. and France, that will play a key role in the fight.
FRANCOIS HOLLAND, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translation): Boko Haram has been weakened, but it is still capable to conduct attacks of harassment and equally deliver suicide attacks in the middle of the civilian population. So we have to support Nigerian armed forces and the regional countries, help them to be more efficient, be with them whenever it's possible, prepare their staff and provide training.
HOWELL: Western governments worry that ISIS's growing presence in North Africa and ties with Boko Haram could herald a push south and create a springboard for wider attacks. Nigeria has asked the United States to help with surveillance and reconnaissance and also to sell aircraft to the nation in the fight against Boko Haram.
The United Kingdom has pledged to give Nigeria 40 million pounds to fight back.
PHILIP HAMMOND, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: The growing cooperation between Daesh in the Middle East and Boko Haram in this region is a growing threat. As Daesh faces increasing pressure in its heartland in Syria from the international coalition, there is the real risk that it increases its efforts in support of Boko Haram here in Nigeria and across the wider region.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: Our George Howell reporting there.
Still to come this hour, police in Bangladesh have made an arrest in the murders of two gay rights activist. The evidence against the suspect when we come back.
CHURCH: Plus, land mines have blocked one of the holiest Christian sites in the world. But after nearly half a century, pilgrims may soon be able to visit the place where Christians believe Jesus was baptized.
BARNETT: And a girl band in China is facing growing backlash over its performance. The painful history they're bringing back for some, next.
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[02:17:16] CHURCH: In the U.S. presidential campaign, Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are battling for votes in Kentucky. It's a coal-producing state and, in the past, Clinton has spoken against coal mining for its environmental impact. She outlined her plans for miners' health coverage and retirement programs.
BARNETT: Meanwhile, Sanders, who is still in this thing, is hoping to extend his winning streak there. He recently won West Virginia, another coal-producing state.
CHURCH: And Hillary Clinton is pressing her husband into service on the campaign trail and is suggesting a possible role in her administration. It's a calculated risk that could give her opponents ammunition.
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HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: My husband, who I'm going to put in charge of revitalizing the economy, because, you know, he knows how to do it.
CHURCH (voice-over): Hillary Clinton hinting at a possible role for Bill Clinton if she were elected to the White House. The former president's part in a possible Clinton administration has long been questioned. And at a rally ahead of Tuesday's Democratic primary in Kentucky, Clinton said he could help revive growth in places like coal country and inner cities.
Clinton touts her husband's economic record, adding over 20 million jobs in his two terms, as an asset on the trail.
But Republicans, including Donald Trump, have sought to make Bill Clinton a liability. The presumptive GOP nominee repeatedly referencing the former president's affair with White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, using it as ammunition against Hillary Clinton.
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: She's married to a man who was the worst abuser of women in the history of politics. To a man who hurt many women, and Hillary, if you look and you study, Hillary hurt many women, the women that he abused. She's married to a man who got impeached for lying.
CHURCH: Bill Clinton is a mainstay on the trail, often rallying fans, but occasionally raising eyebrows. Back in 2008, he had a series of missteps while campaigning for his wife, including a comment on Barack Obama's anti-war record that angered some voters.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Give me a break.
(APPLAUSE)
BILL CLINTON: This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen.
CHURCH: But the former president's popularity remains high, and Hillary Clinton is no doubt hoping to use him to her advantage, especially in a key area she may be lacking. A recent CNN/ORC poll shows Clinton leading Trump on every key issue but one. On the economy, Trump leads the former secretary of state by a five-point margin.
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[02:20:03] BARNETT: Meanwhile, on the Republican side, Donald Trump's challenges with women could get worse. "The New York Times" reports Trump's private conduct with women has involved unwelcome advances and comments on women's body. But the Republican Party chairman says the Trump campaign isn't being judged on his past personal behavior.
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REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: These are things that he's I also think they're things from many years ago. And I think that, you know, as Christians judging each other, I think is problematic. I think it's when people live in glass houses and throw stones is when people get in trouble. And so as Hillary Clinton, a classic Clinton operation, now suddenly these things are coming out. It's not necessarily that people make mistakes or have regrets or seek forgiveness. It's whether or not the person launching the charge is authentic in their own life and can actually be pure enough to make such a charge. That's what I think most people look at when they evaluate people's character. Again, I don't think Donald Trump is being judged based on his personal life. I think people are judging Donald Trump as to whether or not he's someone that's going to go to Washington and shake things up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: And separate to all of this, there's more going on. Trump refuted a "Washington Post" story naming possible running mates. He emphasized Marco Rubio is not one of them.
CHURCH: Well, the former reporter, who was heard on an audio recording with a man who sounds like Trump, is speaking out.
BARNETT: Trump denies posing as his own spokesman, even though he has admitted it in the past. Sue Carswell told CNN's Michael Smerconish that she thinks Trump himself released the 25-year-old recording to distract the public from other issues. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST, SMERCONISH: Did you release this tape?
SUE CARSWELL, FORMER REPORTER: No.
SMERCONISH: Did you have the tape? How did it get into play?
CARSWELL: All right. Two people had the tape. I had a tape, and Trump had a tape. And I don't have the tape.
SMERCONISH: How do you think it got into play?
CARSWELL: Well, it didn't get to "The Washington Post" through me.
SMERCONISH: So?
CARSWELL: Trump.
SMERCONISH: You think Trump dropped this tape?
CARSWELL: Yeah.
SMERCONISH: Why would he do that?
CARSWELL: Look what's going on this week, taxes, Paul Ryan, the butler. The butler did it. Now Trump seems to like to poll "People" magazine-type stories into the array.
(CROSSTALK)
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BARNETT: And there's still more. President Barack Obama took aim Sunday at Donald Trump while delivering the commencement address at Rutgers University in New Jersey, telling graduates to tout their knowledge, not brag about their ignorance.
CHURCH: Although he didn't name Trump, Mr. Obama's target was pretty clear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In politics and in life, ignorance is not a virtue. It's not cool to not know what you're talking about.
(LAUGHTER)
That's not keeping it real or telling it like it is. That's not challenging political correctness.
(LAUGHTER)
That's just not knowing what you're talking about.
(LAUGHTER)
And yet, we've become confused about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Both Republicans and Democrats hold primaries in Oregon Tuesday while Clinton seeks to push toward an overall majority in Kentucky's caucuses. And you can watch all-day coverage right here on CNN.
BARNETT: A series of severe storms and lightning strikes have killed a shocking number of people in Bangladesh over the past several days.
Our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us with more on this.
Pedram, what happened?
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We've had these storms come through, and the numbers are somewhere between 60 and 70 fatalities from thunderstorms alone. An incredible number when you talk about a couple of days' period in this area. We know a lot of farmers, a lot of them students and young children involved in this. I want to show you exactly how this has played out because this is the time of year you begin to see thunderstorms in this part of the world. When you look at this particular region, very small area, surface area of land, tremendous thunderstorm activity over the past several days. In fact, we know since the first of March, almost 100 fatalities have occurred due to lightning strikes in the country of Bangladesh, many of them in open fields, many of them in open spaces. You take a look at this. A recent study suggests that Bangladesh is losing its forest at roughly a rate of 2 percent to 3 percent a year. Just a few years ago, we know the ecological standard was to have 25 percent of the land covered by forest. That number has shrunk down to about 6 percent. Deforestation makes the people out across some of the farming communities the tallest object. Certainly that could play a role into the large number of fatalities in a small area. You think about the odds of being struck by lightning. We've seen many numbers before. One in 300,000 is the most common number given. A lot of people are surprised to find out that 90 percent of lightning victims actually do survey. If someone can administer CPR, you're typically available to survive a lightning strike. We know life-long damage occurs with lightening strikes. It becomes a debilitating issue. In the U.S. alone, we've had five fatalities since the 1st of January so far in 2016. That is the highest number of lightning strike fatalities this early into the season. Compare that to the 90 that have occurred in the past couple of months in Bangladesh alone. That's the population of the country of Bangladesh. That's almost exactly half of the U.S. population. Compared to this, take that population, it is actually a country roughly the size of Georgia in the United States with half of the entire United States population. So the population density is tremendous. Of course, this really makes it a far more prominent likelihood if you're out and about working in these communities and farming fields to be struck by lightning.
We know climate change can play a role as well. Recent studies have suggested that a 12 percent increase for every degree Celsius warming will be occurring in lightning strike activity around our planet. By the year 2100, you'll see a 50 percent increase in lightning strike activity. That could play a role when you have extreme warmth in place as well. And you notice in the U.S., readily numbers available for lightning strike fatalities, May, June, July, you begin to see a spike in such a number.
And something fascinating to leave you with. This is Roy Sullivan, known as Lightning Roy. He's actually in the Guinness Book of World Records. A national park ranger from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. He holds the record of being struck seven times and surviving all seven times.
[02:26:17] BARNETT: Wow.
JAVAHERI: In the Guinness Book of World Records. Absolutely. Survival of lightning strikes is good --
BARNETT: Incredible.
JAVAHERI: -- if you have people around you like in a national park to be able to be resuscitated. But an incredible story.
CHURCH: Why so many times?
JAVAHERI: Because of his job being outside more than likely is the reason. He was just exposed to the elements more than the average person.
BARNETT: For him, seven is lucky. Let's hope he keeps it to that.
JAVAHERI: Yeah. Absolutely.
BARNETT: All right, Pedram, thanks a lot.
CHURCH: Thank you, Pedram. Appreciate it.
Coming up, the el Chapo effect. How the arrest of the notorious cartel leader is changing the drug landscape in one Mexican city.
BARNETT: Plus, the patriotic songs and dances by a Chinese girl group is sparking accusations they're reviving a dark time in China's history. More details on that, after this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
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[02:30:16] CHURCH: And a very warm welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.
BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett. We are broadcasting live around the globe from CNN headquarters. Here's an update on our top stories right now.
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BARNETT: In Bangladesh, a suspect has been arrested in connection with last month's hacking deaths of two gay rights activists. Police say he is a member of a homegrown Islamist militant group. There has been a spate of hacking murders in Bangladesh just in the past year. In fact, groups linked to ISIS and al Qaeda have claimed responsibility for some of those murders.
For more on that and what we know about this arrest, we're joined by CNN's Alexandra Field.
Alexandra, tell us about the suspect, his links, and what key information investigators need from him.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, it's been weeks, Errol, since these two LGBT activists were hacked to death inside an apartment building in Dhaka, the capitol of Bangladesh. The victims in the case were leaders in the LGBT community.
Police were initially looking for five or six different suspects. They have taken one man into custody. They say he's a 37-year-old man. They say he's connected to this home-grown Islamist militant group, Ansarala Bangla (ph). We've spoken to terrorism experts and analysts in the region who say that this group does have ties to al Qaeda. And we do know that in the aftermath of the murder of these two men that the Bangladeshi branch of al Qaeda did take responsibility for the killings.
So police are, of course, hopeful that the detention of this suspect could lead to other arrests of more suspects who were involved in this really heinous and brutal crime. A group of five or six men, police say, burst into the apartment building where these two activists were staying. They came in there armed with knives and machetes, hacking the men to death, with one of the men's mother actually inside the building at the time.
But police say they were able to make this arrest because they recovered two firearms from the scene, and one of those firearms was actually traced back to the man who is now in custody -- Errol?
BARNETT: Alexandra, you were recently in Bangladesh talking with people there. What's frightening is this isn't the only hacking attack, the only hacking death that's taken place. And a number of people have been arrested over the past few months. Are people feeling relieved now or still feeling a sense of unease?
FIELD: Honestly, they're not relieved by any stretch, Errol, because while you do see these arrests happening, people are not seeing convictions in these cases. They want the full extent of prosecution for whoever these assailants are behind these attacks. You've got U.S. officials who are saying nearly 40 attacks have transpired that seem to fit this same model. It's tough to tell how many of these acts are actually linked to one another. But you have now had these secular and atheist bloggers who have been targeted, the LGBT activists, you've had religious minorities, academics. You've had the government coming out and saying that they believe these assassinations have been organized by political opponents, but then, at the same time, you've got these extremist groups, which have been eager to come out and claim responsibility for the killings. So there's a lot of back and forth about who is responsible. But when you talk to people in the community, they say they are living in fear. When you speak to activists, when you talk to LGBT supporters, they say they're all living in fear because they don't know who the next victims are, and because they is see this spate of attacks which has only intensified in the last few weeks and even the last couple of months -- Errol?
BARNETT: At least you have this suspect now in custody. We'll see what information comes of it.
Alexandra Field, live for us in Hong Kong. Just past 2:30 in the afternoon there. Thanks.
CHURCH: One of the holiest Christian sites in the world has been blocked off to visitors for nearly half a century because of land mines. But that could soon change with the help of one organization.
CNN's Oren Liebermann joins us from Jerusalem with the details.
Oren, the obvious question here, why has it taken so long to clear these land mines from one of the holiest Christian sites?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the baptism site is right on the Jordan River between the West Bank and Jordan. There wasn't peace between the two countries until 1994, so there was no access to the site. Now there is a narrow path leading down, but many of the churches there are still blocked off.
For The Halo Trust, the organization that will do the land mine removal, to get access here, they needed approval from the Israelis, the Palestinians, and seven different church denominations, all of whom have churches there blocked off by hand mines.
Now we spoke with the Greek Orthodox patriarch and asked him, are you frustrated by this, by waiting for 50 years, and he gave an interesting answer. He said, "This is the land of prophecy. Time is irrelevant and a thousand years in the life of man could be one blink of an eye of God".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[02:05:25] LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The signs around us warn of danger in three languages. Here, only the road is safe. Beyond the barbed wire, nearly 5,000 explosive mines covering one square kilometer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this particular area, we're not looking to find --
(CROSSTALK) LIEBERMANN: You can see an anti-tank mine right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, sure. There is the first line is right here, like 30 meters from the place where we're standing.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): This mine field in the West Bank restricts access to one of Christianity's holiest site, recognized as the Biblical site of the baptism of Jesus.
Pilgrims from all over the world bathe in the waters of this holy site on the Jordan River, and a modern tourist center opened in 2011. But seven Christian churches at the site, all different denominations, have been closed for half a century.
(on camera): Want an idea of how many land mines there are in certain spots here? See that dark ball right there. That's an anti-personnel mine, and this entire field is full of them.
(voice-over): During the Six Day War in 1967, the Israeli and Jordanian armies laid mines here, churches were booby-trapped, and unexploded ordnance could still be anywhere. The churches have been off limits ever since.
JAMES COWAN, CEO, THE HALO TRUST: And if we didn't do it, these mines would stay here forever.
LIEBERMANN: I speak with James Cowan outside the Romanian Orthodox Church. He is the CEO of Halo, the world's largest humanitarian mine- clearing organization. Halo has just gotten permission to clear the mine field with the approval of both the Israelis and Palestinians.
(on camera): 40, 50 years later, these mines are still dangerous?
COWAN: Absolutely. They would still be dangerous a hundred years from now if we didn't clear them.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): In Syria and Iraq, ISIS has leveled ancient holy sites, bulldozing history and destroying precious artifacts.
Here the goal is to do the reverse, clearing the mine fields will preserve these holy sites. Pilgrims and tourists can visit once again, and this area can heal from the scars of battle.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIEBERMANN: The Halo Trust says it will take $4 million to clear all the land mines at this site. Because it's not for humanitarian purposes, it's not for farming or residential purposes, they're trying to raise that money through private donations. We have that information on our website -- Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right. An extraordianry story.
Oren Liebermann, joining us there from Jerusalem. Many thanks to you. Appreciate it. CHURCH: Still to come, one of Mexico's most ruthless drug lords
returns to prison in Juarez. How the city's residents feel about el Chapo being in prison near them, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:41:25] BARNETT: Welcome back. Philippines President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte has been called the Donald Trump of the east. We've mentioned that a few times. Tough talk on crime has been a hallmark of his campaign.
CHURCH: Well, now he's taking things further. He is vowing to reintroduce the death penalty with public hangings. He also wants to enlist military snipers to kill suspected criminals and give police the right to use deadly force more often.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RODRIGO DUTERTE, PHILIPPINES PRESIDENT-ELECT: I said if you resist arrest, if you offer violent resistance, may order to the police and to the military is to shoot to kill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Duterte was only elected a few days ago. And while he has been enjoying the applause, there's one member of the president- elect's family who is not fond of the attention he's been getting -- his son.
BARNETT: That's right. CNN Philippines' Ena Andalong (ph) spoke to Sebastian Duterte about why he intends to keep a low profile throughout his father's presidency.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENA ANDALONG (ph), CNN PHILIPPINES CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He didn't want his father to run for president but when Rodrigo Duterte did, Sebastian responded as what any supportive child would do. He campaigned for his father, a challenge for someone who has opted to keep a low profile throughout his dad's long political career. Now that his father is the apparent president, Sebastian is worried about the changes coming his way.
SEBASTIAN DUTERTE, SON OF PHILIPPINES PRESIDENT-ELECT RODRIGO DUTERTE: I'm having a hard time because before all of this, it's the total opposite of my life. I don't really know what to expect.
ANDALONG (ph): Duterte's house is right next to his dad's. Their place has practically become a tourist site since the elections. For our interview, he tells us he had to exit through the back door to avoid the cameras. He brings us to their old home where he spent his childhood. He takes pride in living the simple life. He has a small business and spends a lot of time surfing.
Unlike his siblings, who are in public office, Sebastian says he's rather stay out of politics. DUTERTE: There are better things than politics, you know, like living
the simple life and find happiness in simple things. I believe in equality. That's why I really try to live a simple life because I want to be fair to those people who are -- you know, who don't have much.
ANDALONG (ph): Sebastian intends to stay in Davao during his dad's presidency. He says he's not keen on taking on an official role. He's not very fond of the attention, especially now that he's somewhat become a social media heart throb. While he intends to just watch from the sidelines as his dad governs, he's willing to help out if asked.
Sebastian expects some resistance from the people once his father starts performing his duties. But he said his dad is tough in disciplinarian ways. He says Mayor Duterte is a strict dad but with reason.
DUTERTE: Really strict. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
ANDALONG (ph): SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
DUTERTE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE). He needs to show the people that he can do his job. And when he says something, that they should obey it. Otherwise, you know, him being in office.
ANDALONG (ph): He may be planning of the public eye. But he says he's also preparing for the attacks.
Sebastian already got a glimpse of this when he and his siblings were attacked with allegations of ill-gotten wealth against his father.
DUTERTE: Yes, I am expecting, but maybe I'm just going to take it like how he takes it, like how my dad takes it. It doesn't really affect me, you know. I know who I am.
ANDALONG (ph): He's far from what many expect a presidential son to be -- tattoos and pierced lips. But he doesn't mind. He says he's out to challenge the stereotype.
For CNN, Philippines, I'm Ena Andalong (ph), Davao City, Philippines.
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[02:45:42] BARNETT: Notorious drug lord, el Chapo, recently returned to a prison in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a move that is causing some unwanted effects on the city. Juarez has been trying to recover from its image as one of the world's most violent places.
CHURCH: Residents want to put that past behind them and move forward but the presence of the infamous cartel leader is not helping.
CNN's Nick Valencia has more.
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NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Life goes on in Juarez, Mexico, once desolate streets traded for a semblance of tranquility in the city just across the river from El Paso, Texas.
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VALENCIA: Not so long ago, it was infested with drug cartels. At its violent peak, there were more than 3,000 people murdered in one year. Most of those deaths were attributed to the war between the local Juarez cartel and the infamous Sinaloa Federation, popularly known for its leader, Joaquin Guzman, aka, el Chapo.
While life on the streets has changed in Juarez, with el Chapo's return, the bloody past seems very much present. His presence has re- imagined the nightmares for many.
STEFIO VALAS (ph), RESIDENT OF JUAREZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
VALENCIA: Stefio Valas (ph) lived through the violence brought to Juarez by el Chapo between 2009 and 2012. He says he still mourns the death of one of his construction workers, killed inside his business.
"There are many people very hurt by that war. There are many still mourning what happened during the narco war, and there's still a very latent sense of insecurity bred by the delinquent group of el Chapo Guzman here in Ciudad Juarez."
Painful memories he buried deep in his mind have been unlocked by the return of el Chapo.
Even with the kingpin behind bars, some fear of a return of impunity with the cartel foot soldiers still in the city.
However, the mayor of Juarez tells CNN the drug lord's transfer to Juarez has had no impact or relevance on the daily life of most residents.
"Juarez now finds itself peaceful, working, and dedicated to produce goods and services. Juarez is dedicated to creating better life conditions for its residents."
There are obvious concerns that el Chapo will escape prison for a third time. There have also been questions about the penitentiary's infrastructure. Is it capable of holding him?
With the spotlight back on Juarez for the moment, residents would prefer to discard the unwanted attention and move on from its violent past.
Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.
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CHURCH: A Chinese girl group is reviving the spirit of the Cultural Revolution with patriotic performances. BARNETT: But for some, it's only resurrecting painful memories. That
story just ahead.
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[02:52:28] CHURCH: Monday marks 50 years since the start of China's Cultural Revolution that led to a decade of chaos and bloodshed. It was launched by Communist leader, Mao Zedong, in part, to reassert his authority over the government.
BARNETT: And the early enforcers were the Red Guards, an arm of young adults and even children. Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed or persecuted.
A former Red Guard tells CNN that she's haunted by guilt over her experience. Hu Jung Jang (ph) was a middle school student in 1966 and says her accusations help send a teacher to prison.
CHURCH: In an interview, she says, quote, "50 years on, I am worried by the increasing leader worship we see in state media, similar to the ideological fervor that surrounded Mao. We must stay vigilant. We can't have the gruesome brutality of the Cultural Revolution start again," end of quote there.
BARNETT: Those comments come as a Chinese girl group faces accusations over performances that revive some of the patriotic sentiment of the Cultural Revolution.
Matt Rivers has the story.
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MATT RIVERS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR (voice-over): Teenage girls belting out a song worshipping Mao Zedong.
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RIVERS: Sounds a lot like it did 50 years ago this week, when the chairman launched the Cultural Revolution, ushering in a tumultuous decade, when showing allegiance to the Communist Party meant singing it out loud.
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RIVERS: On this military base outside Beijing, these young performers called the 56 Flowers practiced old songs about now, and new ones about President Xi Jinping.
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RIVERS: The effect in the room is a distinct air of loyalty to party leaders, past and present.
Chen Wong, the manager, says the goal is to put on concerts promoting Socialists, traditional values among the youth of today.
(on camera): Most girls are from poor families in far flung provinces. This opportunity is one of the few they'll ever get to travel outside of where they're from. They get free meals, free lodging, and get paid 450 U.S. dollars a month. That money usually gets sent back home.
(voice-over): But more than selling tickets or making money, their shows are meant to rekindle that revolutionary spirit. At this show in the Great Hall of the People, the symbolic theater off Tiananmen Square, a banner flashed behind the singers reading "Defeat the American invaders and their running dogs." Some in the audience applauded, but the performance was roundly criticized online because it harkened back to the darkest period of Mao's rule.
His Cultural Revolution was meant to rid the country of all things capitalist, but hundreds of thousands died in the ensuing violence and chaos. Officially, the party has long denounced the Cultural Revolution. But critics say President Xi has taken a page from Mao's playbook, consolidating power and demanding total party control over society.
But even in Xi's China, promoting the Cultural Revolution with elaborate stage shows is a step too far. So the 56 Flowers group took down its website and social media accounts. For now, the music has stopped.
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RIVERS: Matt Rivers, CNN, Beijing.
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[02:55:53] CHURCH: And thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.
Remember, you can always follow us on Twitter anytime. I'm at Rosemarycnn.
BARNETT: And I'm at Errolcnn.
You're all saying such wonderful things at the moment. We appreciate it greatly. You see our handles there.
More CNN NEWSROOM after a quick break, top stories from around the world. Please do stay with us.
CHURCH: Back in a moment.
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