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New Clues into EgyptAir Crash; NRA Endorses Donald Trump; Secret Service on DC Shooting; Trump Versus Clinton on Gun Rights; El Chapo Closer to the U.S.; Rescued Nigerian Girl May Not be Missing Schoolgirl. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired May 21, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:07]

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GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: New clues come to light about the final moments before EgyptAir 804 plunged into the Mediterranean Ocean -- Sea rather, and the search continues for the plane's black boxes. Also, scrutiny over security at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Authorities trying to figure out if a screening lapse there could have led to the plane's downing.

Plus, a big endorsement for Donald Trump. One of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States backs the Republican candidate.

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HOWELL: Live from CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell "CNN NEWSROOM" starts right now.

Investigators are working with new clues about what might have happened in the loss of EgyptAir flight 804.

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HOWELL: Flight data shows automated smoke alerts went off near the jet's cockpit minutes before it dropped off the radar. Aviation experts say the alerts do not necessarily mean, though, that there was a fire. Searchers are still scouring the water after finding debris and luggage and remains. We will learn much more about what happened to the plane once crews find the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.

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HOWELL: CNN has teams of correspondents producers and photo journalists throughout the region covering the story from all angles. At Cairo's International Airport, Arwa Damon is live for us this hour and our Jim Bittermann joins us from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris but we begin in Cairo with you, Arwa. So what more can you tells us about what investigators are doing, the search and the investigation?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now in the investigation, pretty much is the search, at least it will be until they do manage to recover the bulk of the wreckage, of course, and that crucial black box you were mentioning there, George.

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DAMON: What we do now have is a better idea of where that plane may be in the waters of the Mediterranean. Search teams have managed to recover a few more small items, things like suitcases and seats from the plane as well as more human remains. That, of course, is very difficult to talk about, especially when it comes to the families and all that they have gone through.

There also was that oil slick that was spotted yesterday by satellite imagery that is also serving to give a better idea of where the bulk of the wreckage is. But really until that is found there is very little concrete information as to exactly what it was that brought this plane down.

A lot of the theories are still leaning towards terrorism as opposed to some sort of massive technical malfunction.

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DAMON: But at this stage it really is just working theories with these various different bits and pieces of information that are slowly coming together, but not quite significantly enough to paint an accurate, bigger picture. You were talking about the smoke alarms going off.

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DAMON: A lot of analysts saying as you were mentioning there, too, that this is not necessarily an indication that there was a fire. It very well could be as the plane was plummeting to the seas the entire systems went haywire and sent off all of these various different alarms. Of course the families here still waiting for information. This is the most frustrating for them because they don't have closure and some of them are, in fact, still clinging to the small shred of hope that just maybe somehow their loved ones may have been able to survive. So it's been unspeakably difficult for them at this juncture and everyone right now really waiting for the bulk of the wreckage, those black boxes, to eventually be recovered.

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HOWELL: Arwa, when you talk about these families and the many people who are still clinging to hope, this is still being called a search and rescue. That's important to point out. But we are in the middle of a process now, as this airline goes through and starts to notify next of kin, if you could talk to us about what's happening there?

DAMON: Well, as they do recover these various human remains, they are going to have to go through a process of trying to identify them. We don't know specifically what has been recovered at this stage and what sort of analysis in terms of trying to concretely identify individuals is under way. That information has not been provided to us by Egyptian authorities. Obviously family members of the Egyptians who perished onboard are here and our Ian Lee yesterday was at one of the mosques in Cairo where relatives of the crew and colleagues of the crew had gathered in prayer and some sort of a memorial.

[05:05:03]

DAMON: And there was a fair amount of anger and frustration at the notion that perhaps somehow the crew was responsible for this. There are also some relatives of the French family -- French individuals who were on board, who died, who are in Egypt as well and then you have a series of other nationalities here, too. This is going to be a very, very long process, as you can imagine, and every day that goes on is that much more difficult for the families who are involved in this.

HOWELL: CNN's senior international correspondent Arwa Damon live in Cairo, thank you so much and we'll stay in touch with you as we continue to follow this story.

Now, let's bring in Jim Bittermann who is in Paris at the Charles de Gaulle airport. And let's talk security there, Jim. The effort to screen people who have access to these planes what has been done, what is being done?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the process here continues, George. In fact, they've gone through the videotapes that they have made of the various closed circuit T.V. cameras and they're looking at the backgrounds of everybody that had contact with the EgyptAir flight. And this is as much as anything else to reassure the traveling public that everything is being done, even though there's not been a cause determined yet. It's a process that started almost immediately after it was confirmed that EgyptAir 804 crashed.

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BITTERMANN: Even before it's known what brought down EgyptAir 804, security questions have been raised about its last point of departure, Paris' busy Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The plane was on the ground here just over an hour, but in that time, could someone have placed a bomb aboard? Perhaps hidden in baggage or a food service cart? Or could a terrorist have managed to board with other passengers? Questions that have been raised in part because of last year's bloody terrorist attacks in France. In their aftermath, Interior Ministry officials revealed that 85 security badges, which are needed to access secure areas of the airport, were revoked last year, because the badge holders allegedly showed signs of radicalization.

What's more, after the attacks, they carried out a new sweep of airport employees, again looking for anyone who might pose a threat. But 86,000 people work at the airport and screening for signs of radicalism is a daunting task. Nonetheless, in the wake of the EgyptAir crash, without knowing the cause, officials ordered a thorough investigation of anyone who might have come in contact with the plane and a review of video footage which might reveal untoward activity.

PIERRE-HENRY BRANDET, FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER SPOKESMAN: (As translated) This is not only a necessity but a principle of precautionary measures. This is not a judgment nor an assumption. There was a failure, but it's a way to continue, as we always have done, to make sure our citizens are safe.

BITTERMANN: In fact French Officials from the president on down, have been trying to reassure everyone in the traveling public that security is their highest concern. Since the EgyptAir crash, it's been announced that 30 new intelligence officers will be added to the 5,700 security personnel already working at the airport.

JEAN-MARC AYRAULT, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER: (As translated) The government strengthened all its measures following the January attacks. Everything is being done to reinforce everywhere.

BITTERMANN: But the French Foreign Minister has also said there's no such thing as zero risk. The EgyptAir crash has put the spotlight on security here at a very awkward time. In the next two months, the country will host the French Open Tennis tournament, the European Soccer championship and the Tour de France bicycle race. Events which will attract millions of people, many of whom will travel through the same airport as the Egypt airplane did.

If there's no cause established for its crash which dispels doubts about security, the impact on those events could be devastating.

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BITTERMANN: In fact part of the reassurance that's going on this morning is reassuring the families of the victims. They have been taken at their request to the French Foreign Ministry, where the French Foreign Minister is briefing them, and in fact is giving them the latest on the investigation that's going on. George?

HOWELL: CNN's senior international correspondent Jim Bittermann live in Paris for us, Jim, thank you for your reporting today.

On board this plane as we talk about the victims there were nieces, nephews and a man nearing his wedding date. Just a few of the people lost in the tragedy and now we are hearing from some of their families who are struggling with a great deal of loss and grief. CNN's Miguel Marquez has this story.

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MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The crushing reality setting in; their loved ones, gone.

MOHAMED RAMY, FAMILY MEMBER OF VICTIM: (As translated) We were at a press conference he said, they said nothing. Some people just collapsed then left. MARQUEZ: At Cairo's Al-Sadiq Mosque, a special Friday prayer for the

victims of Flight 804, a painful gathering of friends and family. Devastated, an uncle of the plane's co-pilot, Mohamed Mamdouh Assam.

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YASSER ABDEL GHAFFAR, UNCLE OF CO-PILOT: He was about to get married. He was really, really in a relationship. And he just introduced me to his -- sorry.

MARQUEZ: Ten crew members, 56 passengers, two of them infants all looking forward to reunions and new adventures in a disorienting turn, today their loved ones in shock, inconsolable. (Marah Hamdi) was a Canadian living in Cairo, mother of three, the school her kids attended posted this on Facebook. "She was a devoted and loving mother always there to offer a helping hand with a pure smile."

Richard Osman, a geologist from Wales working in Egypt. The 40 year old leaves behind two infant daughters.

ALISTAIR OSMAN, BROTHER OF VICTIM: He was just you know, a very admirable person and I think a lot of people admired him for his strength and values.

MARQUEZ: (Pascal Hess), an independent photographer from France almost didn't make the flight. He lost his passport the week before the trip. He was 51 years old.

(Ahmed Hala) was headed to Egypt to visit his sick father. The 40- year-old director of a Proctor and Gamble facility in France was said to be always smiling. The family of Mirvat Zaki Mohamed, the head flight attendant on 804 says she was just starting a new life. "She was a newlywed who got married six or seven months ago" she says. "I asked God for the flight to be hijacked instead of what we've been told. We have hope."

With debris from the plane now being found, hope overtaken by grief.

And now comes the pain staking task of finding the plane, recovering the bodies, doing DNA testing and reuniting the families with their loved ones. These families have a long, hard road to go.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, New York.

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HOWELLL: So when it comes to the search area, the weather is important. Conditions there have cooperated so far, but that could change. We know now in the coming hours our meteorologist Derek Van Dam is live at the International Weather Center to tell us about the situation there. Derek

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DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEORLOGIST: And George, it will likely change in the next 12 to 24 hours, as a cold front moves through the region. What you're looking at now is the latest satellite loop across the eastern Mediterranean, and you can see the clouds that have already filtered into this region, that is because this area of high pressure is starting to erode away thanks to the approach of this cold front. It's not the precipitation that I'm concerned about, it's the winds that will funnel in behind the system. And that has the potential to hinder the search and recovery and rescue operation that is ongoing across the eastern Mediterranean.

Think about how wind impacts ocean currents, ocean waves and swells, we have the potential for one to three meter swells on the eastern Mediterranean going forward and that is going to impact the search vessels across this particular region.

Look at the forecast wind gusts going forward next two or three days. You can see by Monday morning they could easily gust between 60, even 65 kilometers per hour, or as high as 45 miles per hour for our domestic audience, something to consider as the search and rescue operation continues to go forward.

Now, we also monitor ocean currents when we factor in the displacement of a potential debris field that is migrating across the eastern Mediterranean. This is a look at the Mediterranean currents. Any time you see the circular pattern that is known as an eddie, an ocean eddie.

Now we have those in the Mediterranean, we have them in the Atlantic Ocean, we have them in the Indian Ocean. So it's not only native to this part of the world, but look at what it does. The oil slick that we've been showing you images of lately, you can see with that narrow black line in the middle of your T.V. screen, well that has moved about 40 kilometers away from the last known communication point with the downed aircraft. So ocean currents and certainly wind a factor in displacing this debris field.

Now, let's take you under the surface of the ocean. What I want you to see this is a relatively flat sea floor. When we compare this to the search and recovery effort of the MH370 airline incident that took place a couple years ago across the Indian Ocean, they had to search and scour the bottom seabed that had mountains and crevasses that often can hide wreckage. With this particular instance it may be slightly easier to find the all-important black box that holds so many important clues of last moments of this particular doomed airline.

The depth in this particular search area known as a Levantine Sea Basin, around 2,500 to 3,500 meters, or 8,000 to 11,000 feet deep. And because this is still considered a search and rescue operation, George, we have to factor in the water temperatures because this has ramifications on the potential of survival. Now for an adult, a healthy adult, we have the potential to survive in water temperatures of this magnitude for maximum of 40 hours.

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HOWELL: One can only hope for the family's sakes. And it is important to point out Derek, this is still considered a search and rescue and it continues. Derek Van Dam, thank you.

We will have much more on the Egypt crash ahead. Plus, the details now about gunfire on Friday near the White House.

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HOWELL: Why the Secret Service says they shot a man. Plus, Donald Trump goes after Hillary Clinton on the issue of gun rights. What he told a powerful gun lobbying group about her positions as "CNN NEWSROOM" continues.

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HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM, I'm George Howell. We are learning more about a shooting that took place near the White House Friday. The U.S. Secret Service says that a man approached a checkpoint and then brandished a gun. He was ordered to stop, but was then shot by a Secret Service agent when he didn't comply. CNN's Joe Johns has this story for us.

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JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Security lockdown here at the White House the Secret Service says a man with a gun approached a security check point right around the corner from the front door of the White House. He was told numerous times to put the gun down and when he did not do that he was shot in the stomach, taken into custody, then taken to the hospital. The man's name was not immediately released.

JOSE ANDURA, WITNESS: I was like five feet away from the first fence where the public is, and I hear -- I saw the guy into the other fence with the white shirt, you know, close to the first fence. And then I turn because I was on my phone. And then I hear the gunshot, very strong, very -- you know, and then I turn and the guy was on the floor. So I yelled to my family, the guy got shot, the guy got shot. And then I hear the police cars come with their guns and you know, and handcuffing him and they start pushing out. That's what I saw, that's what I heard, yes.

JOHNS: Authorities say the suspect's weapon was taken into custody and his vehicle was seized. The President of the United States was not in the White House at the time of the shooting but the Vice President was secured.

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JOHNS: No one other than the man was the gun was injured.

Joe Johns, CNN, The White House.

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[05:20:05] HOWELL: America's choice and the race for the White House. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee received a key endorsement on Friday from the National Rifle Association. The powerful gun lobbying group.

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HOWELL: Donald Trump took the opportunity then to go on the attack against democratic rival Hillary Clinton on gun rights. The two are increasingly going after each other as they focus in now on the general election. Jim Acosta has this report.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Picking up the endorsement of the nation's top gun lobby, Donald Trump paid tribute to the NRA and then within seconds fired off some tough lines of attack at Hillary Clinton.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, I called her crooked Hillary. She wants to abolish the Second Amendment, so we're not going to let that happen.

ACOSTA: Trump who once supported an assault weapons ban, says he now backs a broad expansion of gun rights, adding that last year's terrorist carnation in San Bernardino, California, and Paris would have been avoided had some of the victims been armed with weapons of their own.

TRUMP: If you would have had guns on the other side it might not have happened.

ACOSTA: And the presumptive GOP nominee slammed Clinton as unqualified to be President. Tying the EgyptAir disaster to a record on terrorism as Secretary of State.

TRUMP: I've been looking at airplanes getting being blown up in the air and lots of bad things happening. Bernie Sanders who I'm sure you all love, he did say one thing that was very interesting. He said that Hillary Clinton is unqualified to be the President of the United States. He said she suffers from bad judgment and she does.

ACOSTA: Even though investigators have not publically concluded the EgyptAir jet was targeted by terrorists Trump went as far as to warn what would happen if warplanes are taken out.

TRUMP: You're going to have a depression worldwide the likes of which you've never seen because nobody's going to travel, there will be no anything.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, Chris, it does appear that it was an act of terrorism exactly how, of course, the investigation will have to determine.

ACOSTA: Also speculating on the apparent downing of the EgyptAir jet, Clinton is hitting right back at Trump.

CLINTON: I know how hard this job is and I know that we need steadiness as well as strength and smarts in it. And I have concluded that he is not qualified to be President of the United States.

ACOSTA: The results, well a new poll shows Clinton is holding on to a slight lead over Trump they are both deeply unpopular. More than half of those surveyed in a New York Times CBS News Poll say they have unfavorable views of Trump and Clinton. Though 70% say Trump lacks the right temperament to be President, an area where she performs better.

Trump is also spending much of his time shoring up his support among conservatives bragging how many guns his sons own.

TRUMP: Well, they have so many rifles and so many guns sometimes even I get a little bit concerned, I say, that's a lot.

ACOSTA: And pointing to Clinton's comments on gun control.

CLINTON: Here again, the Supreme Court is wrong on the Second Amendment and I am going to make that case every chance I get.

TRUMP: Gun-free zones. We're getting rid of gun-free zones OK. I can tell you.

ACOSTA: Trump is also taking a victory lap after his big wins in the primaries, urging Republicans to rally behind him even working in a few double-stuffed jabs at his old rival Chris Christie.

TRUMP: I'm not eating Oreos anymore you know that, but neither is Chris, you're not eating Oreos anymore. No more Oreos for either of us, Chris, don't feel bad for either of us.

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HOWELL: That was our Jim Acosta reporting there. When Donald Trump skipped the debate in January to host a veteran fund-raiser, he said that it raised $6 million but now there's a problem with that. That's not accurate.

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HOWELL: Trump's campaign manager told CNN on Friday less than $6 million has been raised. He explained the discrepancy saying more money had been pledged than donated. "The Washington Post" reported on Friday the event netted only around $4.5 million but Trump's campaign disputes that number as well.

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HOWELL: Hillary Clinton's focus may be on the general election against Donald Trump, but she is not the democratic nominee yet. Rival Bernie sanders is still in the race and he is not backing down. He's taking some wins from Clinton as he prepares to stay in all the way to the party's national convention in July. Sanders says the super delegate system in place rigs the nomination for an establishment candidate.

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SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Over 400 of these super delegates indicated their support for secretary Clinton before anyone else was in the race. In other words, the establishment determines who the anointed candidate will be before the first voters got into the process. I think that that is a very, very bad idea. And it's an idea that we intend to change at the convention.

[05:25:09]

HOWELL: Here's a look at how the delegate count stands now. Hillary Clinton leads Sanders by 290 pledged delegates, with super delegates included the lead grows to 770.

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HOWELL: While some republicans try to rally around Donald Trump, democrats seem to be growing farther apart. How will they bridge the Democratic divide? Our Jonathan Mann for "Political Mann" looks into it Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in London, that's 10:30 p.m. in Abu Dhabi, only here on CNN.

The U.S. Navy just took possession of a futuristic state-of-the-art destroyer.

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HOWELL: The "USS Zoom Walt" features stealth technology and the first of three ships in the Zoom Walt destroyer class. It is expected all three ships will cost $22.5 billion but they do provide a lot of bang for their bucks. Builder general dynamics says it's suitable for Directed Energy Beam Weapons or what's referred to as an electromagnetic rail gun. Its guns can also send projectiles over hundreds of kilometers or around 63 miles.

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HOWELL: This is "CNN NEWSROOM." Still ahead, EgyptAir flight 804 was in four different countries and at four different airports in the 24 hours before it vanished.

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HOWELL: How investigators are trying to narrow down what caused it to go down. Broadcasting live in the United States and around the world this hour, you are watching "CNN NEWSROOM."

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HOWELL: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You are watching "CNN NEWSROOM" it is good to have you with us. I'm George Howell with the headlines we're following for you this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HOWELL: New clues about what happened aboard EgyptAir flight 804 just moments before it crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. CNN has learned smoke alerts went off near the cockpit but it is not clear if that means there was a fire. Searchers have found luggage, seats and human remains in the Mediterranean but the flight and data and cockpit recorders are still missing.

In Washington, D.C., the Secret Service shot a man near the White House Friday after he brandished a gun. Sources familiar with the incident say the man was shot in the stomach and then taken too custody. The U.S. President was not at the White House during the time of the shooting.

The presumptive U.S. Republican Presidential nominee says that Democratic rival Hillary Clinton wants to abolish the rights of Americans to own firearms. Donald Trump made that claim moments after being endorsed Friday by the National Rifle Association a powerful gun lobbying group. Clinton says that Trump's attack is completely false.

The notorious Mexican drug lord "El Chapo" is one step closer to being tried in the United States. The Mexican Foreign Ministry approached extradition for Joaquin Guzman on Friday. Guzman's lawyers are expected to appeal the decision. He'll face federal charges if he's tried in the U.S.

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HOWELL: Officials are hoping new details from the EgyptAir flight will help them to figure out what went wrong with the plane. CNN's John Berman gets us caught up on what we do know and what we don't know so far.

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Day two of an intense search and recovery operation over the Mediterranean Sea. A European Space Agency satellite may have picked up the biggest clue on flight 804's location so far. A mile-long oil slick in the water around the area where the plane dropped off the radar. It's too early to tell if this is from the missing plane. Search crews are investigating. Also, possible debris has been picked up by the Egyptian military. Personal belongings and aircraft parts including seats were recovered from the water along with human remains. That's according to Egyptian authorities. Until the plane is found and the black boxes recovered, why this plane crashed will remain largely unknown.

YEHIA RASHED, EGPYTIAN TOURISM MINISTER: We cannot make any speculation for the time being because there is no evidence of any proof whether this is one thing or the other.

BERMAN: Still, U.S. Officials believe terrorism is the likely cause, though no group has claimed responsibility for bringing down the plane. Investigators are looking into what, if any, role the crew may have had in the plane's disappearance. There were ten crew members on board. The captain, Mohamed Shoukair had a good reputation as a pilot with more than 6,000 flying hours. His co-pilot Mohamed Assem had more than 2700 hours of flight time. His uncle described him as a kind person with a sense of humor.

GHAFFAR: I would say he was the only one that was really driving smiles on our faces, so -- what happened is really very much unfortunate.

BERMAN: At this mosque in Cairo a prayer service for the dead. This grieving man says he lost four relatives on board the flight. 66 people in total were on the plane. The passengers from a dozen countries around the world, though most were Egyptian and French. Family members met EgyptAir officials who say they are still in the process of notifying the next of kin.

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HOWELL: That was John Berman reporting there for us. Now some experts speculate that the plane was tampered with at some point before taking off from Paris. Flight tracking data shows flight 804 was both in Eritrea and Tunisia earlier Wednesday before a routine maintenance check in Cairo. Geoffrey Thomas, Editor in Chief at Airlinerating.com joins us now live. Geoffrey, it's good to have you with us. So I would like to start first by talking about --

GEOFFREY THOMAS, EDITOR IN CHIEF, AIRLINERATINGS.COM: Hi, George.

HOWELL: -- four different scenarios that investigators are looking into. The first a smuggled bomb. This idea of terrorism. What are your thoughts? Is that plausible?

THOMAS: Look, indeed, if it is a bomb, and we simply do not know that yet, and the U.S. believes that terrorism is involved so a bomb is likely in that scenario.

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THOMAS: Yes, it could well and easily have -- more easily I should say been smuggled on at some of the earlier stops this plane made Asmara in Eritrea, at Tunis in Tunisia. It stopped there twice before going back to Cairo and then on to Charles de Gaulle.

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[05:35:14]

THOMAS: I think it would have been far more difficult to smuggle on an explosive device at Charles de Gaulle.

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THOMAS: Therefore, there is 134 some body of opinion that suggests an earlier placing of such a device, if that's turned out to be what happened, is possibly more likely.

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HOWELL: So you talk about the second scenario the idea that someone on the ground at Charles de Gaulle, could have also been involved. Let's talk about this other possibility of a technical issue on board the plane, given the new information that we have.

THOMAS: Yes. The new information comes from the ACARS system, which sends, if you like, a telex like message to the airplane, and this is in real-time.

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THOMAS: So this information -- they would have had this as it was happening. This indicated smoke in the lavatory, smoke in the avionics bay, also a failure of several of the flight control systems and also some other electrical systems had gone down. There's about six messages and then it cuts out.

Now, that could be simply the result of an explosion within the aircraft itself. Now one of the most telling things here is the violent turns this plane made before it plunged down to the sea. Now, this would indicate a loss of control surfaces, possibly the vertical stabilizer, one of the horizontal stabilizers being ripped away and that would be -- that would certainly be bomb related which would then have triggered out the ACARS messages as the various systems failed in the aircraft.

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HOWELL: And Geoffrey, the fourth scenario the concept of pilot error, your thoughts there?

THOMAS: Yes. The pilots seemed to be reasonably well credentialed. I don't believe it would be pilot error. It may have been possibly. I mean it may have been a struggle between the pilots. It may have been one of those German wing scenarios if you like. I don't believe that's the case. I tend to think it was the explosive device which triggered a range of failures which is what the ACARS messages are about.

HOWELL: We had another gentleman, an expert in aviation with us last hour, I would like to ask you the same question that I asked him when it comes to the descent. You know when you're talking about being at 37,000 feet and then this quick descent, you know the swerves and going down to 10,000 and so on and so forth, does that sound to you like a controlled descent or a plane that was out of control?

THOMAS: It was totally out of control. There was nothing - there was nothing controlled about that. Given the information we've got of the severity of the turns, there was no - there was no control whatsoever. And of course indicated by the ACARS which said that the autopilot had failed, one of the control systems of the tail had failed. So that indicates that something catastrophic had gone -- had occurred so there was no control.

HOWELL: But Geoffrey, I want to ask you though, just on the theory, though, that perhaps the pilot was trying to get lower so that the passengers on board had more oxygen, your thoughts there?

THOMAS: Well, if you wanted to get lower you would simply put the nose straight down and go straight down. You wouldn't need to do twists and turns or anything like that. That would actually slow your descent if anything.

HOWELL: Geoffrey Thomas, thank you so much for being with us this hour and we'll stay in touch again as we learn more details. It's always good to have insight from experts to understand what happened here.

This is "CNN NEWSROOM" still ahead.

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HOWELL: The Nigerian military says this girl was the second Chibok schoolgirl to be rescued from Boko Haram but local residents and activists are now disputing this claim.

Plus hundreds of protesters storm Baghdad's green zone for the second time in less than a month. Rocky security forces respond with rubber bullets and tear gas. The story as "NEWSROOM" continues.

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[05:43:00]

HOWELL: Welcome back. A Nigerian girl freed from Boko Haram captivity on Thursday, may not be one of the Chibok schoolgirls after all.

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HOWELL: Local activists are disputing the military claims that Sarah Luca is the second missing schoolgirl to be rescued but they do rejoice in her return all the same. She was among 97 women and children rescued during a military operation.

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HOWELL: Our David McKenzie is following this story live in Abuja, Nigeria with this. David, it's good to have you this hour. So Nigerian officials are saying that it doesn't matter if she was abducted in the same group, but rather that her freedom is another victory against Boko Haram.

DAVID MCKENZNIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, George. They are saying that any person who is taken away from Boko Haram is a victory but they did initially put out that this was one of the Chibok girls sparking the confusion.

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MCKENZIE: But activists and residents on the ground we spoke said that Sarah Luca is not in fact one of more 200 girls who were taken more than 2 years ago by Boko Haram from their secondary school which sparked the outrage that really drew attention to the terror of Boko Haram and the kidnappings that they have been going through. But really, more than 2,000 women and children have been taken by this terror group according to Amnesty International, and the human toll on that part of Nigeria and the neighboring countries has been massive. And there does seem to be some victories against Boko Haram with the first girl, Amina Ali, this week, confirmed to be from those more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls who managed to escape.

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MCKENZIE: And there is a sense that maybe the tide is turning, but certainly, everyone we've spoken to say that any life is worth rejoicing if they get out of the clutches of this group which treats those girls and women hideously in their Sambisa Forest stronghold. George?

HOWELL: So many of these schoolgirls, so many women abducted. So what's happening now? What's happening next?

[05:45:05]

MCKENZIE: Well, the Nigerian military are saying they're going to push forth with their operation to try to clear the terrorist group out of the forest. Now what it does seem to be happening now because of their aerial raids and on the ground offensive its creating some level of chaos in the camps where Boko Haram has been keeping these hostages and sort of hunkering down from the multipronged military attack. And that chaos allows often women and children and even the captors that have taken them to defect from Boko Haram and escape the forest.

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MCKENZIE: The difficult is, though, many of these women abducted are heavily guarded deep in the forest and it's difficult to go in on a major offensive because it might put the kidnapped women and children who effectively become like human shields at risk.

There is an approach from the Nigerians and Cameroonians, the Nigerians and Chadians to try and squeeze Boko Haram into a smaller and smaller territory, they're being helped by U.S./French and other foreign intelligence. But many people are saying that the calls efforts, the end of this terror group are very premature. There could be a long road ahead but certainly in the last few weeks there has been some positive news that this group is being reduced in its capabilities. George?

HOWELL: David McKenzie live in Abuja for us. David thank you so much for your reporting on this.

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HOWELL: Onto Iraq, security officials say dozens of protesters were injured when they stormed into Baghdad's green zone on Friday.

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HOWELL: Officials say Iraqi security forces fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the demonstrators. The country's military imposed a curfew on Baghdad until further notice according to state television there. Iraq's prime minister promised a firm response. HAIDAR AL-ABADI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: (As translated) What happened

today with storming the government's facilities and tampering with public property cannot be accepted or any complacency taken with the perpetrators. The law must take its course with every transgressor.

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HOWELL: The Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr condemned the military's use of force against protesters. He had urged similar demonstrations last month to protest government corruption there.

Israel's defense minister resigned on Friday and warned of, "extremist and dangerous elements taking over the government."

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Moshe Ya'alon decision to leave came amid the government shakeup that would have pushed him out of his job. He had been clashing with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his likely replacement is Avigdor Lieberman who leads an ultranationalist party that Netanyahu is hoping will join his coalition in parliament. The prime minister downplayed any tensions.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: (As translator) The act of replacement in the minister's positions did not come out of a crisis of faith between us. It came out of a need to expand the government, to increase the stability in Israel, because of the big challenges it faces right now. I assume that if Ya'alon was not asked to leave the defense ministry to move to the foreign ministry this crisis of faith would not have occurred.

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HOWELL: The Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that he wanted Ya'alon to stay as foreign minister but that he refused. This is "CNN NEWSROOM." Still ahead, forensic labs are equipped to unravel baffling cases.

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HOWELL: We'll show you how they will approach the mysterious plane going down with EgyptAir. Stay with us.

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[05:50:05]

(WORLD SPORT)

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HOWELL: Welcome back. Early reports are that EgyptAir flight 804 sent out a series of error messages before crashing and they have been confirmed now by French aviation officials.

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HOWELL: The alerts indicated smoke on board the aircraft, but the agency stressed the messages don't say anything about what could have caused those alerts to go off. It added that the main priority now was finding the flight's recorders that could hold valuable information to this growing puzzle including cockpit voice recordings and data readings.

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HOWELL: Forensics will, indeed, be key to figuring out what happened to this flight and investigators hope to retrieve enough debris from the plane to piece together what went wrong but the circumstances of the crash are sure to complicate an already difficult job. Our Kyung Lah paid a visit to a lab to learn how they will tackle the situation.

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KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's in the wreckage of EgyptAir flight 804 that investigators will inspect, for evidence of a possible explosive device.

THOMAS ANTHONY, USC AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY: If we compare the sides there's a difference, there's a very distinct difference.

LAH: Walking us through the bomb research lab former FAA Civil Aviation Security Manager, Thomas Anthony says investigators look for tell-tale marks of each type of bomb.

ANTHONY: C-4 is very adaptable for the purposes of the terrorists because it can be formed into shapes.

LAH: C-4 doesn't burn.

ANTHONY: It does not burn. It releases its high temperature and high pressure gases through shock. Look at the edges on the black powder are very, very different. They have sort of like almost coral-like look to them. This is napalm. Look at all the residue of the napalm that was left behind. That's something that is indicative and characteristic of the napalm.

LAH: Are there countless number of explosives?

ANTHONY: There are dozens of types of explosives. In the view of the terrorist, a terrorist is likely to follow up a success with a similar form of attack.

LAH: Last October, MetroJet flight 9268 crashed over the Sinai peninsula killing all 224 aboard. ISIS claimed in a propaganda magazine they brought it down using explosive material hidden in a soda can.

[05:55:09]

LAH: The picture shows wires and a detonator with an on and off switch. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the photo. As relatives of the passengers wait through the agonizing search and recovery, the victims' bodies will also hold forensic clues. If it was an explosive, the direction of the blast and what type. But this recovery will be under water like the Air Asia flight 8501 disaster in December 2014, potentially eroding some of the evidence, but not all of it. A lab can still detect evidence under water even on melted steel. Anthony says it's critical to have forensic proof in an aviation investigation but just as important, the investigation beyond the wreckage.

ANTHONY: Not what happened only, but how it happened so that that vulnerability can be identified and fixed.

LAH: Kyung Lah Los Angeles.

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HOWELL: Insightful look at what investigators will be dealing with. And again as the search continues we understand that human remains and luggage have been recovered. We know also that families are being notified and the new information that smoke alerts went off near the cockpit.

That wraps this hour of "CNN NEWSROOM" I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. "New Day" is next for viewers in the U.S. and for other viewers around the world "Amanpour" starts in a moment. Thank you for watching CNN, the world's news leader.