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Fighting in Fallujah Intense; Anti-Trump Conservatives Close to Announcing Third Party Candidate; Kenyan War with Al-Shabaab Detailed; South Korean Military Official Says North Korea Failed in Missile Launch; Court in Senegal Convicts Former President of Chad for Crimes Against Humanity; Brazilian Teen Claims Gang Rape in Rio Slum; One Third of Great Barrier Reef Suffering from Coral Bleaching. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired May 31, 2016 - 03:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:00:00] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: Intense fighting in Fallujah, as Iraqi forces try to storm their way into the ISIS stronghold, but thousands of civilians are caught in the middle.

ERROL BARNETT, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: Plus, yet another twist to the U.S. presidential race. Some anti-Trump conservative say they may be close to announcing an alternative candidate.

CHURCH: And measuring the human cost of the war against Al-Shabaab. Families of Kenyan soldiers seek answers from a silent government who they buried their loved ones.

BARNETT: A very big welcome to our viewers here in the States and those of you watching all around the world. I'm Errol Barnett.

CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. Thanks for joining us here on CNN Newsroom.

BARNETT: A South Korean military official says North Korea attempted to launch a missile early on Tuesday, and it apparently failed. We can show you what is just the latest in the string of missiles test as Pyongyang tries to advance its weapons program.

CHURCH: In April, they tried three times to launch missiles and failed with all three.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now with more from Seoul, South Korea. So, Paula, what more have you been learning about this missile launch and of course, the reaction there from South Korea and into Japan?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, at this point, it's been described as an unidentified missile by the joints chief of staffs. But the assumption here is from the local media that it was a Musudan, a medium range missile, and as you say, three times in April, North Korea attempted to launch that missile and failed.

So, potentially this is the first time in two months it's not managed to test fire that missile. But certainly, everyone in the region is concerned that these tests continue to happen. We had had a relatively peaceful and quieted May when it comes to testing.

Certainly we had there at the Congress in North Korea, the political focus took over. But now it appears we are back to what Kim Jong-un feels is a very important part of his role, which is continuing to test his capabilities, continuing to improve his missile program.

And once again showing that he has no intention of putting nuclear missile programs to one side, in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Now, certainly South Korea and Japan are watching the developments very closely. In Japan, the chief cabinet secretary reacted earlier this Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOSHIHIDE SUGA, Japan CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY (TRANSLATED): There is no missile confirmed to have flown towards Japan, so we don't recognize it as something that would directly influence our security.

In order to take all possible measures to protect the lives and assets of our people under any circumstances, we've ordered this self-defense forces to take necessary actions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: So, in the next few hours I think we can expect some kind of reaction from Washington. Just last week, the U.S. President Barack Obama said that even when these tests happen, even if they fail, North Korea is still learning something. So, a big concern for Washington as well. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. We'll keep a very close eye on this. Our Paula Hancocks reporting there live from Seoul in South Korea. Always a pleasure to talk with you.

CHURCH: A deadly fire breaks out and an army ammunitions depot in India, it happened Tuesday morning in the western state of Maharashtra. At least 15 army personnel were killed and 17 others injured.

The officials say the fire has been contained but more than a thousand people were evacuated as a precaution, as of right now, the cause of that fire is unknown. We'll continue to following details for you.

Iraqi government forces stormed their way to the outskirts of the strategic city of Fallujah, now they face the toughest part of their operation, to oust ISIS of the city itself, which is just 65 kilometers of about 40 miles from Baghdad.

CHURCH: Iraqi soldiers are trying to get in to the center of Fallujah, Iraqi and coalition war planes are backing them up with heavy air cover. But the troops are facing fierce resistance from the hundreds of ISIS fighters who have hold up inside Fallujah. BARNETT: Our senior international correspondent, Ben Wedeman has

reported extensively on the fight against ISIS in Iraq, and he joins us now from Rome.

Ben, we can see that the strategy has been to solely move to the surrounding villages and circle the city and go in for a direct fight with ISIS. But how likely is it that some militants will be taken alive, should there be a high priority to do that considering all that is at stake?

[03:05:01] BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's estimated that there's somewhere between 500 and 3,000 ISIS fighters within the city. And certainly normal practice in warfare is you do want to get prisoners because they are very good sources of intelligence.

But what we have seen in the past is sometimes the discipline among the Iraqi forces, particularly among these Shia-led militias, tends to break down when it comes to dealing with prisoners, they are oftentimes a summary execution on the battlefield.

And now, last time I was on the frontlines outside of Fallujah with one group of Iranian armed and trained Iraqi fighters, I ask the commander, you know, have you gotten useful intelligence from ISIS fighters that you've captured? And he said simply, "I don't capture, I kill."

He went on to say that we are bored with interrogations, we know who these people are, and we just take them out as soon as we get our hands on them. So, perhaps the situation will be different. Now that we understand that this Shia militia are not going to be taking part in the actual street to street fighting inside the city.

That responsibility will be taken up by Iraq's elite antiterrorism forces which are better much disciplined and trained. And by the Anbar police force. Anbar, of course, being the province within Fallujah is located. And of course, it's composed of Sunni members rather than Shia.

So, the hope is that the kind of sectarian revenge killings that we've seen elsewhere in Iraq will not take place. But there's no guarantee that that is going to happen. Errol?

BARNETT: And Ben, what of just the overall status of the fight against ISIS in Iraq specifically. Is the territory, the group, controls, shrinking in a significant way? I know there's also a planned fight for Mosul, another stronghold of theirs at the moment.

WEDEMAN: Well, there's no question that ISIS at the moment is on the back foot in Iraq. If you look back over the last year they've lost Ramadi, which is the second largest city in the province. They've lost Tikrit, they've lost Baiji which are two important cities north of Baghdad, and they also were driven out of the Sinjar Mountains.

The Sinjar Mountain which is near the border with Syria in the Kurdish part of the country. So, they are definitely on the defensive, now, Mosul of course, is going to be the hardest nut to crack, so to speak, because it is of course, Iraq's second largest city.

ISIS has invested a lot of time and effort to apparently build up defenses there. In anticipation of an eventual attempt by the Iraqi forces supported by the United States and its coalition partners to retake that city. So, that's the next step and no one has, is under of any illusions that that is going to be easy.

BARNETT: Right, it will continue to be a slow and consistent fight against those ISIS militants. Ben Wedeman, live for us in Rome this morning. Ben, thanks.

CHURCH: And while Iraqi soldiers and militia battle ISIS militants in Fallujah, tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped inside the city.

BARNETT: One resident said that ISIS gunman have been going from door to door, pulling men, women, and children from their homes, hundreds of people have been able to flee Fallujah's outskirts since the offensive started began last week.

But that's just a fraction of the city's population. Many of them are now taking shelter in camps. They say the situation inside Fallujah is dire, with very little, food, water or medicine.

CHURCH: And the situation is worrisome in the makeshift camps as well. Later this hour, I will talk with a refuge official about what's being done for the hundreds of families that have fled Fallujah.

BARNETT: Now the director of a U.S. zoo where workers killed a rare gorilla says they made the right decision.

CHURCH: Yes. Zookeeper shot the ape after a young boy fell into its enclosure. Now some say the zoo and the child's parents are both negligent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THANE MAYNARD, CINCINNATI ZOO DIRECTOR: Looking back, we would make the same decision. I know that after it is over, and the child is safe, it's easy like a Monday morning quarterback to look at it and say, wow, wow, wow, don't we need to do this differently.

The people that say that, a, don't understand primate biology and silverback gorillas and the danger the child was in. And, b, we're not there at an important time to make important decisions. We stand -- we stand by our decision. We would make the same call today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:09:57] CHURCH: And earlier, I talked to professor and animal behavior specialist, Gisela Kaplan about the actions taken by the Cincinnati Zoo in this situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GISELA KAPLAN, PROFESSOR & ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SPECIALIST: We have ample evidence now that gorillas tend to take their risk assessment very accurately and judge whether something is dangerous or not.

And obviously, a 4-year-old boy is not an imminent danger to his group nor to his own life. So, the normal course of events would have resulted in him saving and helping that little boy. There is an one element in there that wasn't there 30 years ago in Jersey Zoo.

Two elements that are different. Thirty years ago, when the boy fell in to the enclosure, just in a similar way as in this case, a, there were no guns. So, they couldn't shoot the animals. They had to find some other means if there was any interference at all, and secondly, the crowd didn't scream and shout.

And that in itself is something that the gorilla may have interpreted as something that was a threat and he may in fact have tried to get the boy away from that as quickly as possible.

CHURCH: But the unsettling part of that is how the gorilla did that, isn't it? And it's difficult to know how this could have turned out if no one had intervened, if that had been your 3-year-old child in the enclosure with the gorilla, would you have been comfortable waiting out another few minutes to see how this all played out?

KAPLAN: Now when he took the boy by the arm and by the leg. That's exactly what they do with their own offspring. This wasn't in itself a particularly aggressive gesture and he was standing in the end, on his arms, which is not a threat gesture either.

So, we have to realize that there were a number of elements at work which led unfortunately to this very tragic outcome, and many say, well, the zoo had no choice, the keeper certainly had no choice, it was policy of the zoo, so they could only function within their policy.

But I think sometimes it is important to remember perhaps the martial arts and when you look at the martial arts, the ruling is you don't kill in the first instance, if you can deter your maim, if you maim only then in the ultimate would you actually proceed to kill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Kaplan also says that the gorilla's family will be severely affected by the loss of its leader.

Well, Donald Trump is taking shots at one of his biggest critics, who says, a new impressive candidate is about to enter the race for the White House.

BARNETT: Plus, a Kenyan military defeat that's been shrouded in secrecy. Months later, the toll from the brace and terror attack is finally becoming clearer.

We'll show you the exclusive report after this.

[03:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I am Don Riddell with your CNN World Sport headlines.

The Golden State Warriors have dug themselves out of a major hole against the Oklahoma Thunder in the NBA Western Conference final, they were trailing by three games to one but have recovered to set up a winner takes all game seven in California later on.

The Warriors staged an epic performance in Oklahoma City on Saturday night with Klay Thompson scoring an amazing 11 three-pointers and setting a new playoff record. Whoever wins game seven will take on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals.

King James is playing for an NBA title for the sixth consecutive season.

Now for the first time in 16 years, heavy rains have washed out all of the matches at the French Open. So, the organizers they are on garage they have a bit of a backlog now and it means the world's number one Novak Djokovic is going to have to win four matches in six days if he's finally going to complete the career Slam this year.

Cricket news, England are celebrating a nine weekend win against Sri Lanka which also clinches the test series and it featured in historic achievement from their batch man Alastair Cook. He finished up with a unbeaten 47th. And knock that included his 10,000 test run.

He is only the 12th player to clock up five figures in test history. And the age of 312 years and 157 days he is the youngest player ever to do so. Beating the record of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

That is a quick look at all your sports headlines. I'm Don Riddell.

CHURCH: One of Donald Trump's biggest critics says the republican front-runner, and he will have some new competition in the race for the White House.

BARNETT: And as you'd expect the presumptive nominee fired back in true Trump fashion.

CNN chief political correspondent Dana bash has the latest.

DANA BASH, CNN'S CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: 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 gahered private data talking to potential candidates and financial backers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL KRISTOL, ANTI-TRUMP EDITOR: There's an opening obviously for an independent candidate

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CNDIDATE: Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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. Sasses sources tell CNN he is still a no. Jim Matts 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.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He cannot find anybody, what a loser.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REINCE PRIEBUS, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: They could try to hijack another party and get on the ballot. Look, it's a suicide mission.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BASH: Even though who are not big fans of trump.

LINDSEY GRAHAM, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR: Absolutely not.

BASH: No third party?

(CROSSTALK)

GRAHAM: I'm going to have to say and no way. And I would advise people not to go down that road.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

[03:20:03] 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 the ballots.

For example, the deadline for the electoral rich states of Texas has already passed. A source working on all of this tells me they can always stage a write-in campaign or file lawsuits to solve the ballot issue. Which they can do with enough money and the right candidate.

It's a combination that has eluded this anti-Trump forces though, for months.

Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.

BARNETT: Now, Donald Trump is also taking aim at a federal judge presiding over a fraud lawsuit against Trump University.

CHURCH: The billionaire's attack began after the judge ordered the public release of internal documents from the university. Trump has also tried taking shots at the judge's ethnicity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: To have a judge who is a hater of Donald Trump, a hater. He is a hater. His name is Gonzalo Curiel, the judge who happens to be we believe Mexican, which is great, I think that's fine. You know what, I think the Mexicans are going to end up loving Donald Trump when I give all these jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: In an interview Monday, CNN New Day host, Alisyn Camerota push back on Trump's claims telling his spokeswoman Katrina Pierson that Curiel was born in the U.S., not Mexico. And according to Pierson, Trump only said we believe Curiel is Mexican and she continued trying to link the judge to anti-Trump protesters.

BARNETT: Now Hilary Clinton will be in California this week for a major multi-stop swing before the state's primary next Tuesday.

CHURCH: The democratic candidate took a break from the campaign Monday to march in her hometown's Memorial Day parade. Clinton has tried to attend the parade every year since she moved to the area in 1999.

Bernie Sanders has crisscrossed California for the past week. As he battled Clinton in the delegate rich state. He was interrupted at a rally in Oakland when yelling protesters rushed the stage.

BARNETT: As you see there, secret service agents quickly intervened protecting him and leading at least four demonstrators away from the podium. After the rally, Sanders repeated his plan to stay in the race. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNIE SANDERS, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's been some discussion that some of the media is going to say the campaign is over, she is the nominee on Tuesday night after the votes come in from New Jersey, that's not accurate.

I don't think the DNC thinks that's accurate. She has received obviously a whole lot, of super delegate support. No question about that, a lot, lot, lot more than I have. But super delegates don't vote until they are on the floor of the democratic convention. That's when they vote.

So, our job between, you know, starting yesterday, our job is to convince super delegates of one very, very important fact that the most important responsibility is to make certain that the Democratic Party has the strongest candidate possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Joining me now to discuss all the big political headlines is Larry Sabato, he is the director for the Center of Politics at the University of Virginia.

Larry, always good to see you.

So, Bernie Sanders will continue campaigning and Hillary Clinton's e- mail judgment, let's call it is being Hillary daily. Are democrats fully realizing how vulnerable they are as a party this election cycle, because even Clinton's attacks on Trump don't seem to be working.

LARRY SABATO, VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR POLITICS DIRECTOR: Democrats are very nervous, Errol, and they should be. I don't think Hillary Clinton or most of the Democratic Party leaders imagined last year that this would go all the way to the end of the primaries.

And certainly that Bernie Sanders would be as strong as candidate as he has proven to be. Now Mrs. Clinton is almost certainly going to be the party nominee, but Bernie Sanders has gained enough delegates. Probably 40 percent or so, the convention that he'll have a significant impact on the platform, on the selection of the vice presidential candidate and on the future of the party. Will they be unified going in to the general election?

BARNETT: And it's not to say that the republicans have their own issues, the federal judge, for example, presiding over the case against Trump University, unsealed documents that related to that case.

Donald Trump in turn called him a hater and a Mexican even though he is an American citizen born in Indiana. A bit of coded language there many are saying. Can anyone in Trump's team show him how damaging that kind of behavior is?

SABATO: I don't think that anyone can tell Donald Trump what to do. I'm not even sure anyone can even suggest it, even inside his campaign organization.

[03:25:02] The attack on the judge was very Trumpian and it certainly was outrageous. I think people across the spectrum could agree with that. You can disagree with the judge's decision on releasing information regarding Trump University.

But to base your attack on the fact that the judge had parents from Mexico, as you noted he was born in 1953 in Indiana. He has been an American all of these years and really it's unfortunate.

BARNETT: Yes, if we ever see someone who can stand up to Donald Trump and publically say they told him he was wrong, we would all be quite a surprised. Because there's yet to be an individual like that.

Now because of those issues that the republicans and democrats face, there is this opening, many believe for a third party candidate. The libertarians just selected former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson as their choice, and Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard saying an impressive independent conservative candidate is coming. Which candidate would be hurt the most by either of these possibilities?

SABATO: In both cases, I think it will be Donald Trump. Certainly that's the case for Kristol's candidates. Now we're all dying to find out exactly who this is. We've urge speculation about lots of names and they've all denied it. So, there's got to be somebody and we'll find out soon.

Even if that individual gets only a couple of percent of the vote. Probably that's enough to deny Trump the presidency. If it turns out to be a close race some dispute that it would be close in the end. But if it is close in the end. Well, we have had cases of this, in the recent past.

So, I think Trump has to be worried about the Kristol candidate and even with respect to the libertarians, in general, libertarians tend to take a few more votes from republicans than they do from the democratic nominee. So, I think in both cases the republicans have to be concerned.

BARNETT: This is as unpredictable election as it can get. Larry, you going to have work for quite a long time. The director for the Center of Politics at the University of Virginia, Larry Sabato. Thanks for joining us today.

SABATO: Thank you, Errol.

BARNETT: Still to come this hour, a brazen attack on Kenya's military has largely been kept a secret until now. We will have an exclusively report on what may be one of the country's bloodiest defeats ever.

CHURCH: Plus, protests have erupted in Brazil after a 16-year-old girl said she was brutally gang raped. Now she is speaking out about the horrifying ordeal.

[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BARNETT: Welcome back to our viewers here in the States and those of you watching all around the world. It's your last half hour of CNN Newsroom for both of us. I'm Errol Barnett.

CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check the headlines for you right now.

BARNETT: A South Korea military official says that North Korea attempted to launch a ballistic missile and apparently failed.

Local media report it suggest that it was a medium range missile, but it's the latest test by North Korea in recent weeks. Their last three attempts failed.

CHURCH: A court in Senegal has sentenced Chad's former president to life imprison for crimes against humanity.

Hissene Habre was convicted of rape, force slavery, kidnapping, and ordering the killings of 40,000 people from 1982 to 190. Human rights watch says he is the first African former head of state to be convicted on the continent.

BARNETT: Iraqi troops have launched a major offensive to take back the ISIS stronghold of Fallujah, they're trying to storm their way into the city center after capturing several surrounding towns.

Hundreds of civilians have fled, but as many as 50,000 people may still be trapped in the city.

CHURCH: The situation is increasingly desperate. Both for the families who remain in Fallujah as fighting rages and for the hundreds of men, women and children who have managed to get out.

Nasr Muflahi is the Iraq country director for the Norwegian Refugee Council and joins me now from Oman, Jordan. Thank you so much, sir, for talking with us.

So, some 50,000 civilians are still trapped inside Fallujah, what are they facing right now? What have you learned from those family members who have fled to your camps? NASR MUFLAHI, IRAQ COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL:

The situation the Fallujah is dire. The problem is that there's no food, water is scarce, with water being contaminated, with people drinking from contaminated sources, agriculture channels, which have animal carcasses. There are no medicines, people have run out of antiseptic situation in Fallujah as a critical.

And antiseptic has actually not been with there and had no antiseptic for a long, long time. So people having limbs amputated to ease the pain. That's the situation in Fallujah at the moment.

CHURCH: It is just too horrifying to fathom. And what resources are available in the refugee camps for those people who were able to get out of Fallujah.

MUFLAHI: For the people who are escaping from Fallujah, the aid agencies are providing food, water, shelter, medical supplies, et cetera, so they are receiving the assistance they need. If they can escape from those areas. And unfortunately, it's very difficult for people to escape from those areas.

CHURCH: And so, you mentioned drinking water, how hard is it going to be to have availability of this clean drinking water, safe drinking water and of course, food, and other resources such as medicines?

MUFLAHI: At the moment, because there's not a huge displacement, it is managed. I mean, and the majority of those displaced are coming from the surrounding areas. The agencies and NRC included are responding and have the adequate resources to respond.

However, if there is a mass displacement and we are talking around 50,000 people and if we just imagine 20,000 people manage to get out, then of course, our resources would be stretched dramatically and we wouldn't have sufficient resources to actually cover those mass displacements if that were to happen.

CHURCH: And of course the big fear now, these summer temperatures are on the way, and that is going to make all of this situation even worse than it is already.

[03:35:05] Nasr Muflahi, thank you so much for talking with us. We do appreciate it.

MUFLAHI: Thank you very much.

BARNETT: Now, 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.

CHURCH: Kenyan'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 VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was telling us, this is not my home.

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

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was always joyful. He had a permanent smile.

KRIEL: His job was to drive tanks out of the El Adde base in southern Somalia, his pictures showed what he called his new home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I don't know even the family, whoever may fill that gap.

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

The Somali government says there was an estimated 200 Kenyan soldiers at the base the day of the attack. But the Kenyan government just released no details on what happened, no official death toll.

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.

This 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.

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 say is at least 141.

Making this attack, the bloodiest defeat for the Kenyan military since independence.

The Kenyan defense force would not respond to repeated CNN request for comments. One blogger who posted photos and information about the El Added attack arrested under a rarely enforced national security law. But was later released by the Kenyan government without charge.

PETER PHAM, ATLANTIC COUNCIL AFRICA CENTER DIRECTOR: Although they site national security reasons, in fact what they end up doing is creating an opportunity for Shabaab to make cases to propagandize their victories, perhaps exaggerate.

But there is 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 FEMALE: We would like to know who are these people, they

died together? Or how many were they? It's a question that will live in our mind forever. Because if any of you you've got your body, how many did they rescue? How many were injured? You know, you don't know.

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Robyn Kriel joins us now live from Nairobi, Kenya this morning. Robyn, obviously this was a tactical disaster for the Kenyan military. But, what could it be trying to hide by not publically acknowledging this battle for so many months?

KRIEL: Well, that's exactly what a lot of people are asking including the families. The several hundred families of the deceased soldiers who died, uncounted and unknown. The families are asking why can't there be a roll call of honor. A national day of mourning perhaps. And perhaps a monument with their names of the soldiers that were killed in that attack on the 15th of January in El Adde, southern Somalia.

At the moment there's been very, very little. And those men they say, deserve the recognition.

Now, what could the Kenyan government be trying to hide by not releasing that information? It's really anyone's guess. And indeed, many people are saying that they do want to see heads rolling as it were.

[03:40:02] Because the (AUDIO GAP) since independence and another thing that a communications strategist has told us, another, sorry, another -- something else that a communications strategist has told us, Errol, is that silence is not a way to win a battle.

Paul Williams (ph) who is an international affairs professor at the George Washington University told us that by showing (AUDIO GAP) Al- Shabaab lies in its propaganda, allowing them to control the narrative is what the Kenyan defense force should be doing.

Silence is not a winning strategy in the world of strategic communications. Errol.

BARNETT: A very important story we should pay attention to. Apology for some of the technical glitches there on Robyn Kriel speaking to us live this morning from Nairobi. Robyn, thank you.

CHURCH: And this just in to CNN, observers in Syria say that at least 23 people were killed in air strikes in the northern city of Idlib, and that a hospital was one of the locations that was hit.

The Syrian observatory for human rights are saying that seven humans are among the dead. And we will of course follow the developments and bring you the details on the story as they come in to us. BARNETT: More still to come this hour, a brutal rape sparks outrage

across Brazil. And now the teenager who says she was attacked by dozens of men is sharing her story. Details after the break.

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CHURCH: This is just a horrifying story. A Brazilian teenager who says she was brutally gang raped in a Rio de Janeiro slum is telling the world what happened to her.

BARNETT: The case spark outrage across the country after video of the attack was posted online. Shasta Darlington reports.

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A case that has caused shock in a country accustomed to a relatively high level of violence.

[03:44:59] Now, the 16-year-old victim is speaking out in an interview with CNN affiliate, TV Record she says she is afraid justice will never be done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATED): If I have to wait for the justice system, they have already shown me that nothing is going to happen. I am waiting for the justice of God. It might be late, but never fails.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARLINGTON: This all started last week when a 38-second video emerged on the internet reportedly posted by one of the suspects. It shows the victim naked and unconscious, you can hear men's voices in the background bragging about how more than 30-people have had sexual intercourse with her. In the interview she also spoke about that experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATED): I fell asleep and woke up in a completely different place. With a man under me, and one on top of me and two holding me down. And my hands, many people laughing at me and I was drugged, out of it. Many people with guns, boys laughing and talking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARLINGTON: Over the weekend, there were numerous protests across the country. Here in Rio de Janeiro, a city that's going to be receiving hundreds of thousands of visitors for the Olympic Games in just two months' time.

Protestors took to the bids, they hung up laundry lines with clothes painted red, and under garments painted red. In Brasilia, hundreds of protesters carrying flowers were held back with pepper spray as they tried to storm a part of the Supreme Court. A police on Monday launch a new raid western, the western favela here

in the Rio de Janeiro where the incident took place, they have six arrest warrants and orders from the interim president on down to try and capture the suspects and quell the protests.

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Rio de Janeiro.

[03:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BARNETT: Australian scientists say that more than a third of the major sections of the Great Barrier Reef have been destroyed by coral bleaching.

CHURCH: Warmer water slowly kills the coral and turns the ones vibrant reef white. Conservationist are worried that it will only get worse from here with the water temperatures still on the rise. And that leads one of the seven natural wonders in danger of disappearing.

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TERRY HUGHES, CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE FOR CORAL REEF STUDIES PROFESSOR: These massive bleaching that are occurring at the scale of almost an entire ocean. They are completely unprecedented. We have just completed an underwater survey on 84 reeves along the length of the Great Barrier Reef, measuring the amount of mortality from the third coral bleaching event.

On average, we found that 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 from a past mortality from bleaching. And it's certainly by far the most severe.

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

Corals are the backbone of the reef. They are the architect, they make the habitat, it's a problem for the whole ecosystem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Unbelievable. Our meteorologist Derek Van Dam joins us now to explain more about what is happening. Just heartbreaking, Derek.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's tough to see those images because it has major ramifications on you and I and the entire fish population across the oceans.

Now we are coming off of a strong El Nino season. El Nino is the warming of the ocean waters. A lot of that warm has spilled into the Greater Queensland area, over eastern Australia and that allows for this fragile ecosystem being the coral reeves to potentially become extinct because of this issue, I should say killed because we are seeing this mass bleaching effect taking place the third time in the past 18 years, as the gentleman just mentioned. What happened is when we get this one degree temperature, one degree

Celsius above average in terms of water temperatures, the coral actually loses its algae and that is crucial for the health of these coral reeves.

Eventually, that cuts off the oxygen supply to the sensitive ecosystems and the algae takes over and eventually kills off the entire ecosystem.

So, this study from the University of Queensland highlighted some hot spots along the 2300 kilometer stretch just outside of Cook Town, anywhere you see that shading of pink and red, that is an area that they've identified between 35 to 50 percent mortality rate with these coral reeves.

Now this has got a ramification that affects not just the coral reeves but humans losing this precious ecosystem can actually lose protection from tsunamis and storm systems and it also destructs the overall food chain for the greater planet as well.

So, this is a real big story and not to mention this is one of the world heritage site that I'm sure you and I would like to continue to visit, right, Rosie, Errol?

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CHURCH: OK. This is the hardest part of the show, saying goodbye to my dear friend, Errol, who, as you would all agree, and I'm sure you feel this too, has given eight years of service to CNN, two of those years by my side as my co-anchor, he is amazing.

I'm going to miss him so much, but we wish him all of the best, because you are going to shine as you take this next step along your career path.

[03:55:05] BARNETT: Thank you so much, Rosemary.

CHURCH: But I'm going to miss you so much.

BARNETT: Thank you. I'm going to miss you too. CNN hired me after graduating from UCLA, I was lucky at that. I was fortunate enough to be sent to the Middle East throughout Africa and many other stories and to be here by your side during the simulcast to witness world history in front of the U.S. and global audience.

It has been a real pleasure. I will miss you, it's because of everything I've done here that I'm able to go to a dream job in Washington. So, you will still be able to see me elsewhere.

But for now, Rosemary, thank you so much for being a great co-anchor, a good friend. I will miss you.

CHURCH: Yes. A great friend, good luck.

BARNETT: Thank you so much. Thank you, Rosie.

CHURCH: Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Welcome everyone to a special edition of Inside Africa. (Inaudible) I'm dizzy. The drop is more than 100 meters. I'm about to jump off this bridge.

English school, coming to a village near you. Continue this journey through the DRC.

I'm Errol Barnett. Thanks for being with me this year.

[04:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)