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North Korean Missile Launch Fails; Iraqi Forces Battling ISIS to Take Back Key City; Brazil's Perfect Storm of Crises Ahead of Olympics; Clinton and Sanders Battling for California; Trump Critic Hints on Strong Independent Candidate; Kenyan Military Attack Kept Secret Until Now; Great Barrier Reef Under Threat; "Roots" Remake Debuts. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired May 31, 2016 - 01:00   ET

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

[01:00:07] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, North Korea's Navy stay on high alert following the latest missile launch attempt by Pyongyang.

Political corruption, a failing economy, and an outbreak of a terrible disease. We look at the host of issues staring down this summer's Olympic Games.

And later, why the Great Barrier Reef is dying at an alarming rate.

Hello, and thank you for joining us. I'm Isha Sesay. NEWSROOM L.A. starts right now.

A South Korean military official says North Korea attempted to launch a missile early Tuesday and apparently failed.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now with more from Seoul, South Korea.

Paula, what more do we know?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isha, the early hours of this morning is when North Korea tried to fire a missile which the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff say failed. They're just calling it an unidentified missile at this point, although local media is saying that they believe it was a medium-range Musudan missile. We don't have that confirmed by Defense Ministry officials at this point.

They say they're still trying to analyze it. But if it was a Musudan, if it was this mid-range missile that is fairly significant as this is something that North Korea has been working on for some time. Three times last month they tried to fire one of these missiles and three times it did fail. So clearly, they're not there yet. But it just shows the determination that Pyongyang has if this was a medium-range to try and nail this technology. It is very important for them clearly to be able to have this capability.

Now we know that South Korea's watching the situation very carefully. Japan, the chief secretary there, chief cabinet secretary, has commented saying that at no point was this missile heading towards Japan. So there was no danger to Japan. But they are monitoring the situation closely as well -- Isha.

SESAY: Yes. There was some speculation that North Korea was accelerating activity in and around -- in and around its launch bases and that they may attempt some kind of launch. Were any special preparations made there in the region ahead of what turned out to be this failed attempt today?

HANCOCKS: Well, there was in Japan. Reportedly they put their -- the patriot missiles just outside the Defense Ministry. We often see this when they are expecting something from North Korea. And certainly we saw that again as well on Monday night. The South Koreans, though, said that they didn't see any specific preparations but they were watching closely, they were on high alert, which to be fair they have been pretty much for this entire year given the activity we've seen from North Korea.

But what we have seen from North Korea in recent days and weeks is they've been trying to tell Seoul that they wanted to talk. Pyongyang has said they would like to have military talks with Seoul, but up until this point Seoul has said no because they don't believe that these talks are genuine. They do not see any point in talking unless denuclearization is on the table. And Pyongyang has made it very clear that that is not an option for them -- Isha.

SESAY: We shall watch very closely what happens next.

Paula Hancocks there in Seoul. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Now an all-out battle is under way for control of the first major Iraqi city captured by ISIS. Iraqi government soldiers are trying to make their way into the heart of Fallujah, with the help of coalition warplanes. But they're facing fierce resistance from the militants.

CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): ISIS under heavy pressure on multiple battlefronts in Iraq and Syria. U.S. Special Operations forces helping local troops inching closer to the front lines.

The Iraqi military announcing it is beginning the battle to clear Fallujah, attempting to take back the strategically important city just 40 miles west of Baghdad.

ISIS tunnels already discovered nearby, a sign of the tough fight to come. The U.S. providing air strikes and watching the Iraqi forces closely.

COL. STEVE WARREN, SPOKESMAN, ANTI-ISIS COALITION IN IRAQ: We're seeing everything from Iraqi Security forces, the regular army, to the police to even their elite counterterrorist service, all participating in this action.

STARR: Less discussed but also involved in the Fallujah fight, Iran and the Shia militias it backs joining the fight to knock ISIS from the city, raising concerns as they move against the heavily Sunni populated area it could all lead to more sectarian violence.

To the north, a Kurdish offensive under way around Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, an attempt to squeeze ISIS and force it to fight in multiple locations.

[01:05:02] GEN. JOSEPH VOTEL, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: We do recognize the value of simultaneity when we -- when we go after this enemy right here. And when we present them with multiple dilemmas then we generally see more success with them.

STARR: And across the border U.S. Special Forces are accompanying and advising Syrian rebel forces fighting on the doorstep of ISIS' self- declared capital in Raqqa.

During a recent visit to Iraq and Syria, General Joe Votel said he's always looking at what more the U.S. can offer.

VOTEL: As the conditions continue to change, as we continue to move into new phases of the overall operation, we'll continue to reevaluate that and where we identify the need for additional capabilities we'll ask for them.

STARR: U.S. Special Forces on full display in Tampa, Florida, over the weekend during an exercise drill that showed why these elite forces are now constantly called to action.

(On camera): U.S. officials do point to some measures of success. For example, they estimate inside Syria ISIS has lost 20 percent of the territory it once held. But nobody is counting is down and out just yet. Military commanders say there is still a very long way to go.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: CNN military analyst Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona joins us now.

Colonel Francona, good to have you with us once again. To date, has this operation to retake Fallujah unfolded the way you would expect?

COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, I think it has. The Iraqis have learned, when they went up to Tikrit, they were still figuring out how to do this. When they went to Ramadi, they refined it even more. They seem to have gotten their act together. They did what they are supposed to do. The first phase was to encircle the town. They finished that in short order. They took the towns that surround the city. And they are moving closer and now they are in a third phase. They've actually entered the city.

But this will be -- this will not be without cost. Fallujah is going to pay a price and that price is going to be in civilian casualties and it's going to be in the civilian infrastructure. We saw this in Ramadi. We saw in Tikrit. Unfortunately, there's just no way around this. ISIS is a very formidable enemy. They've had two years to prepare the battlefield for a fight they know was coming. There will be IEDS, booby-trap, mine fields, snipers. So it's going to be very, very difficult.

But the Iraqis will do this because they've allocated the resources to do it. I think the outcome is pretty much assured. It's what is the cost going to be on either side.

SESAY: Yes, and to that point, as we talk about the civilians, tens of thousands trapped there in Fallujah by most estimates. The fear is that they are facing a humanitarian crisis and that ISIS will use them as human shields. What is the right way for these Iraqi forces and Shia militias to proceed knowing that?

FRANCONA: Well, and I think they're doing what they have to do. They are go very cautiously. They are using a lot of artillery and that is causing a lot of civilian casualties. We're seeing reports of a lot of building collapses and people being trapped in the rubble. Unfortunately, the fact that ISIS is keeping people there against their will, there's no way for them to escape. Many of them are being executed if they refuse to fight.

And we've seen this before and unfortunately that's just the nature of this kind of warfare. So I think the Iraqis are doing what they have to do. And I think the Iraqis are being very smart in trying to keep the Shia militia out of the forefront here, although they are being used. But they've been given instructions that when they go into these towns, they have to respect the Sunni population. What we don't need is -- you know, is a flare-up of sectarian violence.

But, you know, Fallujah is a special case because this is where the staging area for all of these recent attacks on Baghdad have been coming from. And we saw more attacks today, as ISIS strikes out when they're challenged.

SESAY: Yes, indeed. And to go back to the point about the Shia militias, are you confident that should these local populations escape ISIS and basically run into the Shia militia that they won't become the victims of retaliation?

FRANCONA: You know, that's the question, and one would hope so. And one would think that the Iraqi leadership knows this is a problem and are exercising the discipline required. But, you know, when you get in the heat of battle and there's a lot of tensions and a lot of emotion, that can go haywire very quickly. So we're hoping that the Iraqi military will keep tabs on these Shia militias, get in there, take the city back, get rid of ISIS and then they can focus on where we really need to be fighting, and that's in the north, up the Tigris Valley to Mosul.

SESAY: OK. What will taking Fallujah mean for that operation up the Tigris River?

FRANCONA: It really -- it really just cuts off some of the ISIS fighters that could escape and go up there to assist, but for the Iraqi government, and there's been a discussion between the Americans and the Iraqis on, do we need to take Fallujah or we just need to contain it and push all of our efforts up the Tigris Valley?

[01:10:05] The Iraqi government has got to secure Baghdad and the Shia suburbs from this wave of ISIS violence and they figured they needed to clean Anbar Province out, get rid of the ISIS people in Fallujah and that would somehow -- that would better secure Baghdad and allow popular support. Remember, the Shia population of Baghdad is more concerned with their own security than the eventual liberation of Mosul.

SESAY: All right. Colonel Francona, it's always good to have you on the program. Thanks so much for the perspective.

FRANCONA: Good to be with you, Isha.

SESAY: Well, the former dictator of Chad has been sentenced to life in prison and human rights groups hope it sets a precedent. A court in Senegal found Hissene Habre guilty of crimes against humanity Monday. He's the first former African leader to be convicted on the continent. Habre was accused of ordering the torture or murder of thousands of political opponents during his rule in the 1980s. Some victims were present at the court and cheered the verdict. Habre declined to speak on his own behalf, claiming the court has no authority over him.

Now Brazil is wrestling with a wide range of problems ahead of the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. There's a high-level political corruption scandal, a failing economy, a fierce war on drugs and the outbreak of the Zika virus. Many people are wondering whether the 2016 games are cursed.

Our Ivan Watson went in search of an answer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hard not to be seduced by Rio de Janeiro. This spectacular city, soon to be the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Two months before the start of the games, construction crews are putting in the final touches at the Olympic venues.

GUSTAVO NASCIMENTO, HEAD, OLYMPIC VENUE MANAGEMENT: Everything is going to be ready on time. We're going to deliver the park fully commissioned the 24th of July.

WATSON (on camera): But despite Rio's beauty, the city, and Brazil as a whole, are facing some pretty daunting challenges. A whole series of unexpected setbacks leaving some to wonder, are Rio's Olympics somehow cursed?

(Voice-over): Just days ago, a warning from more than 100 international doctors calling for the games to be postponed or moved because the mosquito-borne Zika virus could threaten an expected half a million foreign visitors. That view rejected by the World Health Organization, which does advise

pregnant women to avoid the Olympics entirely because of the risk of severe deformities to unborn children.

And then there's the political and economic crisis. Turmoil after Congress suspended Brazil's elected president in an impeachment process last month and high level corruption scandals during the worst economic recession in generations, which has left more than 10 million Brazilians unemployed.

The economic hardship aggravating Rio's endemic problems with violent crime, daily gun battles between police and drug gangs in the city's impoverished favelas, as well as a surge in robberies. This month, members of the Spanish Olympic sailing team mugged at gun point.

FERNANDO ECHAVARRI, SAILOR, BRAZILIAN SAILING TEAM: We just turned around to see what was happening and we saw the pistols, like this.

WATSON: Olympic sailors also worried about Rio's notoriously polluted bay, a dumping ground for much of the city's raw sewage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't want to swim in it.

WATSON: Rio's mayor warns this isn't a first world city.

EDUARDO PAES, MAYOR, RIO DE JANEIRO: Don't come here expecting that everything will be, you know, perfect. We live in a country that has economic crisis, a country with lots of inequality. With all of the problems that we have seen, concerning corruption, bribes, but the city will be much better than it was when we got the games.

WATSON: But even one of the mayor's new infrastructure projects is now a deadly failure.

(On camera): This brand new spectacular cliff-side bike path was supposed to be a showcase project for the Olympics. Instead, it became a tragic setback when the waves took out part of the trail, killing two people last month.

(Voice-over): In the turbulent run-up to the Olympics, a virtual storm of bad news that leaves you wondering what could possibly happen next.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Rio de Janeiro.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Joining me to discuss the Rio Olympics and the accompanying issues is David Wallechinsky, president of the International Society of Olympic Historians.

David, great to have you with us once again. As you know, more than 100 public health experts have signed this open letter, calling for the Rio Games to be postponed or moved due to concerns about the Zika virus. Their call has been rejected by the IOC, and you don't believe Zika will actually be an issue during these games. Explain why. [01:15:10] DAVID WALLECHINSKY, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF

OLYMPIC HISTORIANS: I don't think that we'll be aware of it during the games. I think that the threat -- I read that letter very closely from the different health experts and what they are afraid of is that somebody will get -- contract the Zika virus and go home and then it will spread from there. So that if this really does happen, and I suppose it's a legitimate concern, we won't really know about did for months afterwards. So I think that once the games are going on, you are not going to really hear about Zika that much.

SESAY: Are you afraid? Are you concerned about going?

WALLECHINSKY: No. My concern about being in Rio is completely different. I'm worried about the infrastructure. When I saw the story of the bike path being knocked down by a wave and two people being killed, I knew that that was because they had rushed to complete this bike path. They had not properly inspected it. And so it made me wonder, what about the transportation system? What about the venues? Were they also done in this very careless way? And so that's more of a concern to me.

SESAY: As you list it out, a bike path that partially collapsed, the bay where the sailing will take place, terribly polluted. I mean, some will be questioning about -- some will be questioning the stewardship of the IOC here, and see this as an indictment of the handling of all of this. How do you see it?

WALLECHINSKY: I'm sure it's very frustrating for the IOC because they tried to keep a tight rein on the Brazilian organizers and yet there was a lot of corruption, a lot of incompetence. They still haven't finished the velodrome. There was some concern expressed by the Tennis Federation that they hadn't really completely completed the whole venue. I think this has been very frustrating for the IOC.

The problem is, you have seven -- once you are given the Olympics, you have seven years to get ready. And when it gets down to two to three months, all the International Olympic Committee, the IOC, can do is express frustration. What else can they do it? They can't change it at the last minute.

SESAY: But, David, I'm going to ask you this bluntly. I mean, is this really all about money? Is that essentially the biggest obstacle to postponing or moving it? Is this about dollars and cents?

WALLECHINSKY: I think it's partially about dollars and cents and I think it's also -- you know, medical people I've talked to feel that this is a bit overblown. But again, yeah, I think it does come down in the end to dollars and cents more than anything else.

SESAY: All right; and last question. Just, you know, perspective is key. Do you remember an Olympics that was as beset by so many problems all at once at this stage in the process?

WALLECHINSKY: The closest you come was the 2004 Olympics in Athens where they didn't really complete all the venues and everything in time. I remember running up the stairs at one venue for water polo and feeling the steps crumble under my feet, which was unnerving. But here you also have an even greater problem, which is that the political situation in Brazil is in complete chaos, so you can't even -- if you're the organizing committee, you can't turn to the government and say, could you please give us extra money so we can fix everything? What government is that?

SESAY: David, it's always a pleasure to speak to you. Thank you so much.

WALLECHINSKY: OK. Thank you.

SESAY: Whatever will happen next? We shall see.

Time for a quick break now. And Secret Service agents spring into action during a presidential rally. Next on CNN NEWSROOM what caused them to knock this protester to the ground.

Plus, the Golden State Warriors defy the odds once again. After the break, their surprising comeback to reach the NBA Finals.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(SPORTS)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:22:55] SESAY: The defending champion Golden State Warriors are headed back to the NBA Finals. They won a thrilling Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder 96-88 to clinch the Western Conference Title. The Warriors had been down three games to one in the series and came all the way back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN CURRY, GOLDEN STATE WARRIOR GUARD: This whole playoff run has kind of been a rollercoaster ride for me specifically, but for our team. And you know, we never lost confidence and every game just played, you know, with fearlessness. And that confidence that we could do -- get back to the finals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Well, next up for the Warriors, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers and a rematch of last year's finals.

And the Pittsburgh Penguins took Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. They beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on a clutch game winner late in the third period. The Penguins put on a show for fans with a whopping 41 shots on goal. Game 2 is on Wednesday in Pittsburgh.

Protesters interrupted Bernie Sanders by rushing toward him during his rally here in California on Monday. Secret Service agents quickly surrounded the Democratic presidential candidate and pushed him away from the microphone. Other agents caught at least four demonstrators and led them away from the podium. Sanders was not hurt. Well, California is the biggest delegate prize in the Democratic

primaries and it is still up for grabs. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are battling for support with just one week before the vote.

Sunlen Serfaty has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hillary Clinton today taking part in a Chappaqua, New York, Memorial Day parade.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I love it. I love being here.

SERFATY: A reminder her march to the Democratic nomination is not yet finished.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're with you, Hillary. But you got to reach out to the Bernie people.

[01:25:04] SERFATY: Clinton is still facing roadblocks in her ongoing primary battle with Bernie Sanders.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Nobody doubts which campaign is the campaign that has the energy and the enthusiasm. That is our campaign.

SERFATY: But is still laser-focused on next week's California primary, one of the last big delegate prizes.

SANDERS: California is the big enchilada, so to speak. Obviously it is enormously important. And obviously we want to win it.

SERFATY: The Vermont senator is showing no signs of giving up the fight, laying out what he sees as three possible paths forward, which include trying to sway superdelegates who have already sided with Clinton.

SANDERS: There are over 400 superdelegates who came on to Secretary Clinton's campaign eight months before the first ballot was cast, before anybody else was in the race, before they could get a sense of what the campaign was about.

SERFATY: But as he digs in, Sanders is starting to face some pressure from high-profile Democrats, like Clinton supporter Senator Dianne Feinstein.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: He ought to be able to read the signposts as well as anybody else. And if he did that, he would know that it's all but over. So the question comes, you know, why doesn't he do those things which bring all Democrats together?

SERFATY: And making it clear he doesn't think that burden is on him.

SANDERS: If Secretary Clinton is the nominee, it is her job to reach out to millions of people and make the case as to why she's going to defend working families. That's the candidate's job to do.

SERFATY: Sanders, though, is beginning to lay out what steps he would like to see Clinton take if she becomes the nominee, including the type of running mate she should pick.

SANDERS: I would hope if I am not the nominee that the vice presidential candidate will not be from Wall Street, will be somebody who has a history of standing up and fighting for working families.

SERFATY (on camera): And Bernie Sanders would not entertain the idea of a party unity ticket and potentially becoming Clinton's running mate, saying his focus right now is on winning the nomination. But he also added that what happens afterwards, quote, "We will see."

Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Well, on the Republican side a prominent anti-Trump journalist says an impressive independent candidate is about to enter the race for the White House. And the presumptive nominee fired back in true Donald Trump fashion.

Chief political correspondent Dana Bash has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you want to make a splash, send a mysterious tweet on a sleepy holiday weekend, like this from Bill Kristol, "There will be an independent candidate, an impressing one with a strong team and a strong chance."

Kristol, the staunchly anti-Trump, editor of the conservative "Weekly Standard" magazine, has been working hard to find that third party candidate. In an e-mail to CNN, he said an announcement is not imminent. But his tweet sure got a lot of attention, especially from Donald Trump who responded, "If dummy Bill Kristol actually does get a spoiler to run as an independent, say goodbye to the Supreme Court."

CNN is told that Kristol, along with other never Trump Republicans, have done extensive polling and gathered private data talking to potential candidates and financial backers.

BILL KRISTOL, EDITOR, WEEKLY STANDARD: There's an opening obviously for an independent candidate.

BASH: They point to public polling as proof there is an appetite. In a survey earlier this month, little more than half of respondents, 51 percent said they would be satisfied with a Trump-Clinton match up. Forty-four percent said they want a third party option. As for just Republicans, target voters for Kristol and other anti-Trump conservatives, 39 percent said they wanted a third party candidate. But the open question is who?

MITT ROMNEY, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. BASH: Two sources close to Mitt Romney tell CNN the 2012 GOP nominee

will still not go so far as to run as an independent.

Never Trump forces have also been trying to recruit Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse or retired General Jim Mattis. Sasse sources tell CNN he is still a no. Jim Mattis also has said, thanks but no thanks.

Kristol has also floated GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger. A source familiar with Kinzinger's thinking tells CNN, he would have considered it, quote, "literally to save the union." Because both Clinton and Trump scare him. But he doesn't think the infrastructure exists to get on the ballot.

On the stump, Trump mocks Kristol.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He can't find anybody, what a loser.

BASH: Most Republicans argue a third party run would be a disaster for the GOP, splinter the party and help elect Hillary Clinton.

[01:30:00] REINCE PRIEBUS, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: They could try to hijack another party and get on the ballot. But look, it's a suicide mission.

BASH: Even those who are not big fans of Trump.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Absolutely not. I'm going to have my --

(CROSSTALK)

BASH: No third party?

GRAHAM: No way. And I would advise people not to go down that road.

BASH: Still, separate from Kristol's efforts, two former Republican governors, Gary Johnson and Bill Weld, won the Libertarian Party nomination this weekend, the most experienced candidates ever for that party.

(on camera): The Libertarian Party is already on state ballots across the country. One of the many challenges for the kind of independent run that Bill Kristol is envisioning is getting on those ballots. For example, the deadline for the electorally rich state of Texas has already passed. A source working on all this tells me they can always stage a write-in campaign or file lawsuits to solve the ballot issues, which they can do with enough money and the right candidate. It's a combination that has eluded these anti-Trump forces, though, for months.

Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: The political drama goes on. Now time for a quick break. And Kenya hasn't said much about a deadly

terror attack on the country's military. But with the funerals piling up, the toll is now becoming clear. A CNN exclusive just ahead.

Plus, watched by millions 40 years ago, the epic television miniseries "Roots" gets a reboot. We'll delve into the iconic story and its significance in today's culture.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:34:53] SESAY: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay.

The headlines this hour.

(HEADLINES)

SESAY: After months of secrecy, the world is just starting to see what terrorists did to Kenya's military in a brazen attack back in January. Kenya's government has said very little about the al Shabaab attack, but just seeing the number of caskets and number of funerals, the toll is now becoming much clearer.

Robyn Kriel has this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FAMILY MEMBER: He was telling us, "This is not my home."

ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The photos he sent home told his family he was brave. But in his personal life, Corporal jams Saitoti Kuronoi didn't like conflict.

UNIDENTIFIED FAMILY MEMBER: He was always joking. He had a permanent smile.

KRIEL: His job was to drive tanks out of the al Ade (ph) base in southern Somalia. His pictures showed what he called his new home.

UNIDENTIFIED FAMILY MEMBER: I don't know how we will fill the gap.

KRIEL: On January 15th, Kuronoi's camp was attacked by al Shabaab militants. His family didn't hear from him again. Kenya's defense force brought four caskets home with full military honors but Kuronoi was not among them.

(MUSIC)

KRIEL: The Somali government says there were an estimated 200 Kenyan soldiers at the base the day of the attack. But the Kenyan government has released no details of what happened. No official death toll.

(MUSIC)

KRIEL: But four months after the attack, a picture is emerging of heavy losses as body after body is quietly released for burials across the country. Kenyan media has documented at least 30 funerals.

The terror group al Shabaab posted this propaganda video showing the attack and the brutal way wounded and surrendering Kenyan soldiers were simply shot dead. Al Shabaab claims more than 100 Kenyan soldiers were killed. At least 50 Kenyan casualties can be counted in the video.

(on camera): But the death toll may be even higher than that claimed by al Shabaab. Two officials familiar with the recovery operations have told CNN that the Kenyan death toll from that day is at least 141, making this attack the bloodiest defeat for the Kenyan military since independence.

(voice-over): The Kenyan defense force would not respond to repeated CNN requests for comment.

One blogger who posted photos and information about the attack was arrested under a rarely enforced national security law but was later released by the Kenyan government without charge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Although they cite national security reasons, in fact what they end up doing is creating an opportunity for Shabaab in many cases to propagandize their victories, perhaps exaggerate them, but there's no way of countering that narrative because there is no real narrative coming from the government.

KRIEL: After seven DNA tests, James Saitoti Kuronoi was finally identified. A tree like this one will be planted near his grave site. But James's sister still has many questions.

UNIDENTIFIED FAMILY MEMBER: We would like to know who are these people. How many are they -- it is a question that will live in our mind forever. Because even if you got your body, what about the rest? How many were they? How many were there rescued? How many are there in charge? You don't know.

KRIEL: For now, the story of the Kenyan soldiers who fought and bled that day is being told not by the country they died serving but only by the families of the dead and the terrorist group they'd sworn to fight.

Robyn Kriel, CNN, Narok, Kenya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:39:41] SESAY: So many unanswered questions.

Time for a quick break now. Australia's Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world. Why scientists say it's under greater threat than ever before.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: Australia's scientists say some 35 percent of a major section of the Great Barrier Reef has been lost to coral bleaching. Warmer waters caused the once vibrant corals to calcify and turn white. Now conservationists are hoping the reef doesn't become a symbol of what climate change is capable of.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY HUGHES, PROFESSOR & DIRECTOR, CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR CORAL REEF STUDIES, AUSTRALIA RESEARCH COUNCIL: These massive bleachings that are occurring at the scale of almost an entire ocean, they're completely unprecedented.

We just completed an underwater survey on 84 reefs along the length of the Great Barrier Reef measuring mortality from the bleaching event. On average, we find 35 percent of the corals have been killed by this bleaching event.

This is the third time in 18 years that the Great Barrier Reef has suffered mortality from bleaching, and it's certainly, by far, the most severe.

If the bleaching is severe, if it's prolonged, if the hot water hangs around for a sufficient period of time, that's when we start to see very significant amounts of mortality.

Corals are the backbone of the reef. They're the architects. They make the habitat. It's a problem for the whole ecosystem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Our Derek Van Dam joins us now with more on this.

They are quite startling pictures when you look at them and you see the difference over time. And it's my understanding that El Nino hasn't helped the situation, Derek.

[01:45:00] DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: No. In fact, it's made the situation significantly worse. That on top of global climate change, Isha. And these coral systems -- coral reefs are such sensitive ecosystems that even the fluctuation of one degree Celsius or more can cause this coral bleaching and the ultimate mortality or the death of the coral reef. I'll explain to you at home why that is so important. But first let me explain what's happening behind me. We are coming off our very strong El Nino season, which is the warming of the waters across the Pacific. But now we're starting to change into a cooling pattern. You can start to see that shading of blue. That is good news because that could potentially help the 23,000 -- or 2,300-kilometer coastline along eastern Australia near Queensland with this coral bleaching issue. I'll explain in just a moment. But what happens during a coral bleaching event, well, basically the temperature of the ocean warms one degree above where it should be. And the coral actually loses the algae, which is so important for the life span of the coral. Eventually, that algae takes over, cuts off the oxygen supply, and it eventually kills the coral reef.

So the study that has just been released from the University of Queensland is identifying this area just north of cairns near the Cooktown region. Anywhere you see that shading of purple and red dots, that is an area they have identified that has had 35 percent to 50 percent mortality rate in the coral reef. Now, this is very significant.

But there is some promising news because if we get those water temperatures back up as we head into this La Nina season, points south of cairns could actually start to see that process reverse itself and we could have some more positive news coming out of this world heritage site. This is why you need to care, because without coral reefs we lose the food and shelter for many of the fish. It disrupts the overall food chain. And by the way, we can also lose protection from tsunamis and storms. So these are so important and so critical not only for the fish under the sea but also for us humans living on land.

Now, the study also reported that direct sunlight, low tide levels has also exacerbated this coral bleaching event and it's not only occurring in Australia, Isha, it's also occurring in other parts of the world including Indonesia and Thailand. So major ramifications or at least the potential of, going forward.

SESAY: Yeah. And we should all care a great deal.

VAN DAM: We should. Absolutely.

SESAY: Derek Van Dam, thank you.

Up next, U.S. television's A&E network takes up a new version of one of the most groundbreaking television miniseries of all time. We'll take a look at the "Roots" remake and its impact 40 years after the original.

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[01:51:43] SESAY: A&E networks is bringing back one of the most iconic television series ever made. "Roots" explores the horrors of American slavery, following the epic journey of one family over the course of more than 100 years. Millions of people watched the original groundbreaking series back in 1977. The four-night event premiered Monday.

Well, for more on the "Roots" reboot, we're joined by social and political commentator, Jasmyne Cannick, a friend of the show.

Good to have you back once again.

JASMYNE CANNICK, SOCIAL & POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thanks for having me.

SESAY: So Mark Wolper, whose father, David, actually made the 1977 original "Roots," is executive producer of this remake. And he told "The New York Times" that his intention was to make this better than the first "Roots." You've seen it. How did he do?

CANNICK: If that was his intention, he failed. You know, I'm still trying to get over the anger. Because you have to remember, when these movies, these miniseries, these films, they just remind people like me, black folks who were slaves, we can't get away from that. I found myself for an hour and a half being angry all over again and having to relive that. And it's really interesting to me that they always want to remake films that were good to begin with. There was nothing wrong with the original "Roots." But it's like we can't do movies or films about what's going on today as it relates to, you know, racism and what forms of slavery we're dealing with. We always want to go back to the tried and true seat filler, let's put some --

(CROSSTALK)

SESAY: Is that why they do it, because it's a tried and --

(CROSSTALK)

CANNICK: I think so. I think that has a lot to do with it. There is some truth to this whole idea that when it comes to African-Americans and our stories, we've either got to be the maids or the slaves, you know, the pimps, the drug dealers. And it's just like you look at "12 Years a Slave," you look at this remaking of "Roots" and it's like come on now. I mean, there are so many other narratives to the black experience in America that we could be talking about. And "Roots," the original, the 1997 -- 1977 version, there's nothing wrong with that.

SESAY: All right. That sentiment you just expressed is shared by a number of people, including rapper, Snoop Dogg, who was furious on social media a little bit earlier, and is actually calling for people to boycott watching this. Let's play a little clip because we can only play a little clip because it's --

CANNICK: It's Snoop.

SESAY: It's Snoop.

(LAUGHTER)

And the language won't play on TV. So let's play a little clip of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SNOOP DOGG, RAPPER: I don't understand America. They just want to keep showing the abuse that we took hundreds and hundreds of years ago. But guess what? We're taking the same abuse. Think about that part. When y'all going to make a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) about the success black folks are having. The only success we have is "Roots" and "12 Years a Slave."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Saying exactly what you said. But Levar Burton, who played Kunta Kinte in the 1977 version, who is one of the producers of this remake, says the intention here is to bring the conversation about race, discrimination, to bring it center stage and that it is necessary now more than ever.

CANNICK: All right. So if that really is the case, then why do we want to take a story from 1977 and use that to open up conversations about race and discrimination, all these issues, instead of ache the issues that we're dealing with today like the Black Lives Matter movement and all of these other issues that are in present day that we could use to further that conversation? Why are we looking back, you know, hundreds of years to have a conversation about the things that are happening right now in 2016? I mean, there are so many filmmakers who have written so many great stories that, again, tell the black narrative, or the black experience in America, that those stories will never get the green light. Those stories will never get funded. Because, again, Hollywood sort of has this idea that this is what works when it comes to black people. You know, we'll make them, you know, comedians, we'll make them pimps, we'll make them slaves, we'll make them maids --

(CROSSTALK)

CANNICK: -- and it's tired.

[01:55:54] SESAY: I'm so sorry we have to end the conversation here because, you know, there's so much to delve into. And hope to continue it in the nights to come because it's a four-night event.

CANNICK: Definitely.

SESAY: But, Jasmyne, thank you so much --

CANNICK: Thanks for having me.

SESAY: -- for sharing your strong feelings. You and Snoop.

(LAUGHTER)

Thank you.

CANNICK: Thank you.

SESAY: All right. We have to leave it there.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay.

The news continues with Rosemary Church and Errol Barnett right after this.

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