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Afghanistan Mourning Victims of Recent ISIS Attack; Munich Attack Investigation Continues; Turkish Opposition to Hold Pro- Democracy Rally; Fate of Russian Olympians to Be Decided. Aired 3- 3:30a ET

Aired July 24, 2016 - 03:00   ET

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


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NATALIE ALLEN, HOST: Today is a national day of mourning in Afghanistan after ISIS claims the lives of 80 people in the capital.

The mood in Munich is a somber one as vigils grow for the victims of Friday's mass shooting. We'll tell you what we know about the gunman.

And in just a few hours the International Olympic Committee will rule on whether all Russian athletes can participate in the Olympic games.

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ALLEN: And we're just two weeks from the beginning of those games. It's all ahead here on "CNN Newsroom" we're live in Atlanta, thank you for joining us. I'm Natalie Allen.

Afghanistan's President has declared Sunday a national day of mourning after one of the deadliest attacks in months at the country's capital.

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ALLEN: ISIS says two of its fighters blew themselves up among a crowd of peaceful protesters in Kabul Saturday. At least 80 people were killed, some 260 others wounded. Security said police shot and killed a third attacker.

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ALLEN: For latest I'm joined on the phone by a journalist Ruhullah Khapalwak in Kabul. Mr. Khapalwak, this was a peaceful rally, and suddenly more than one explosion. Can you tell us how it unfolded?

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RUHULLAH KHAPALWAK, JOURNALIST: Yes. A peaceful protest yesterday in Kabul, were marching through Kabul city to go to the presidential palace in demand for their rights and demand -- and one of the main squares (inaudible) which has been named by Afghan President today as a Martyr square where the impact happened. Killing more than 80 people and wounding more than 200 others. Kabul is still mourning. People are still looking for their loved ones. And there are reports of mass graves have been digged to bury the victims of yesterday's attack in Kabul.

ALLEN: And as you talk we are looking at video of the rally as it went peacefully by. Then all of a sudden these blasts occurred. There were women and children a part of this rally, weren't there?

KHAPALWAK: Yes, that's true. There were women and children in this main big square in the center of Kabul -- west part of Kabul. But however, we do not have the exact number. As I said earlier, the government and the people are still trying to give the exact number of how many casualties were from yesterday's attack.

ALLEN: And Ruhullah, the other concern here is this is ISIS claiming responsibility. Obviously trying to move its way into Afghanistan being pushed from other countries.

KHAPALWAK: Yes. ISIS has lately been active mainly in eastern part of Afghanistan. But this attack is the first of its kind in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. And they have chosen a very tough target, targeting protesters for a peaceful demand.

ALLEN: Ruhallah Khapalwak speaking with us from Kabul, thank you so much for your reporting.

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ALLEN: This bombing is just the latest in a string of ISIS attacks or ISIS inspired attacks in Afghanistan. Here's a list.

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ALLEN: On April 18th last year, a suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up in front of a bank in the eastern city of Jalalabad. At least 33 were killed, more than 100 others wounded. In the same city, three ISIS fighters launched an attack on the Pakistani consulate in January this year. Officials say six people were killed there as well as three assailants.

And just last month, 16 people were killed during a suicide attack on a bus carrying Nepali security guards in Kabul. ISIS claimed responsibility but so did the Afghan Taliban. And again --

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ALLEN: 80 people killed during this rally and these bombings.

For more on the growing ISIS threat in Afghanistan, I spoke earlier with CNN Military Analyst retired lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona.

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RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: This is the first major attack we've seen in Kabul by ISIS that they've actually taken credit for. And the way they went about this, going after this peaceful protest by the Hezaras which really are a real small sect, but they're Shia. And it looks like they're going after them because they were Shia.

It also demonstrates the problems the Afghan government has with securing Kabul. It also demonstrates the lack of intelligence that these security services are able to gather on ISIS. You know, ISIS has proven itself to be very resilient, although they're losing territory in Iraq and Syria, we see them striking out all over major cities. Now, and you read off some of them but you know, Istanbul, Paris, Nice, it goes on. And we're going to see more of this as they feel pressure to find somewhere to go because they know, they see the handwriting on the wall. Soon they're going to be out of a state. They're going to have to figure out what they're going to be and they're looking for failed states, Yemen, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia. These are all places they could go.

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ALLEN: So even though they're getting severely pushed back in the Syrian region and Iraq, they still are quite organized it seems. Because this area here in Kabul, the police had sealed it with shipping containers trying to keep suicide bombers at bay. Helicopters were overhead. They did kill one alleged bomber but still, ISIS has some organization.

FRANCONA: They've got organization and they've got an excellent intelligence network and obviously the Afghans have not been able to penetrate that. It's not just the Afghans, I'm not throwing stones at them.

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FRANCONA: All of the western security services, all of the regional security services have trouble with ISIS because they're so - - their operational security is so good. I mean, they operate right under the nose of the Turkish intelligence service in Istanbul. Under the French intelligence service in Paris and Nice. You know so they've demonstrated capability and, of course, everybody is wondering, where are they going to strike next? Is it going to come here? That's what everybody's concerned about. Are we going to see an ISIS-directed attack, not an ISIS-inspired attack, inside the United States?

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ALLEN: Our analyst Rick Francona speaking with me earlier.

Police in Germany are learning more about the man who shot and killed nine people in Munich Friday.

Our Will Ripley joins us now live in Munich, in front of yet another makeshift memorial we've seen in Europe, unfortunately, after mass murder. Will, hello.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Natalie. Of course, the funerals began just as they have. We just got back from Nice a couple of days ago where they are putting -- laying to rest 84 people who were killed in that attack. Here in Bavaria, Southern Germany, there were several people who were injured when an ISIS -inspired attacker started swinging an axe on a commuter train.

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RIPLEY: And now - and now we have this. This is where the shooting began. This McDonald's here. The flowers continue to grow. The shooter started firing the shots, an 18-year-old Ali Sonbali, and then he walked across the street towards the Olympia Shopping Center which appears they've now re-opened it. The police are no longer blocking off the area. But we don't know when it will reopen, when this street will fully reopen and when people will try to get back some semblance of normal life.

We do know though the investigation certainly has gotten the entire nation of Germany's attention because this is a country with very strict gun laws and people want to know how an 18-year-old who apparently was researching, perhaps trying to self-analyze these shooting rampages, why students kill. This particular young man was in school full-time, he was treated by psychologists, police say there are indications he was being treated for depression. But there was no suicide note but they did find these books, these research materials. He was able to obtain a weapon with a scratched-off serial number and they found 300 bullets on him at the time.

People want answers here and they want to know how this type of thing can be prevented. Whether it's terrorism, whether it is a lone wolf type of incident where somebody, for whatever reason, is motivated to kill. The result is the same. Memorials like this. Families who are grieving. People who are injured. And countries that are asking questions.

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ALLEN: Absolutely. And Will I'm just curious about the police response. Did they ever encounter the gunman?

RIPLEY: So this entire response, and there's actually been a lot of criticism here because of the fact that there were - there were reports early on that there might have been some exchange of gunfire with the shooter. However, he was not hit by any bullet other than one that came from his own gun. That's what police say.

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RIPLEY: They found his body on a side street about half a mile from here. So the time frame is that the shooting which started at McDonald's, then went to the shopping center, and then at some point the gunman after having some very intense verbal exchanges with people who were videotaping on their cell phones, telling them that he was in fact German, that he grew up in a low-income area, he even said on the video that he was being treated by a psychologist. He then went off somewhere and he took his own life. So ten people dead in total in this attack, nine victims and the gunman himself.

But people are asking if there was only one gunman, why did it take more than seven hours for the city to essentially come out of lockdown? There were rumors that there were up to three gunmen, certainly police were trying to make certain of that. But to halt all public transportation in a city of 1.5 million during rush hour on a Friday to tell everybody to leave all public spaces, some are wondering was it overkill? Or was it an over overabundance of caution? Were more lives saved as a result of that response?

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ALLEN: All right, Will Ripley for us live there in Munich, Will, thank you.

The German Chancellor described the attack in Munich as a night of horrors. Frederick Pleitgen is also in Munich for us and he has more on the victims.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Mourning the dead. Many clearly overwhelmed by pain, sadness and anger. At the makeshift memorial near the scene of the killings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm so glad that no one of my friends is affected and they are all alive and safe and for them, so sorry for the people who were here at the moment.

UNIDENTIFIED MAKE: I mean, I'm scattered in pieces. I don't know. I haven't foreseen, like, that happening in your own neighborhood, you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pray for Munich. Pray for the world.

PLEITGEN: The shooter identified by CNN as 18-year-old Ali Sonbali killed nine and wounded more than two dozen when he opened fire here on Friday afternoon. Police are still trying to determine what may have motivated the shooter to go on this rampage, but they say there are strong indications that he may have specifically been targeting younger people.

So far, none of those killed or wounded have been publicly identified.

PETER BIBERTHALER, PROFESSOR, MUNICH HOSPITAL: We have all the equipment inside you need for airway management.

PLEITGEN: At Munich's biggest hospital, Professor Peter Biberthaler and his team remember all too well the mass casualty situation they were confronted with. Treating several wounded but unable to save one of those rushed here.

BIBERTHALER: Really it makes me sad because I want to fight for every life. And especially in young victims this is - this is not a good thing for the physician.

PLEITGEN: The aftermath of this crime weighing heavily on Munich and all of Germany as this country grieves for those killed and struggles to understand the man who took their lives.

CNN, Fred Pleitgen, Munich, Germany.

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ALLEN: Turkey's main opposition party is expected to rally in Istanbul later Sunday.

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ALLEN: Coming up, why the demonstration is seen as a test for Turkey's President following a coup attempt.

Plus a big splash in Florida. Hillary Clinton's new running mate dives into the race. And says a thing or two about Donald Trump, that's ahead.

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ALLEN: And welcome back to CNN Newsroom. Turkey's main secular opposition party is expected to hold a pro-democracy rally in Istanbul later Sunday. This coming as the government is increasing its crackdown after a failed coup over a week ago.

Our Ian Lee has been covering developments for us. He joins us live from Istanbul. Mr. Erdogan certainly clamping down on those who tried to carry this out. Hello, Ian.

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, and we've been seeing it ever since this attempted coup took place where you're having tens of thousands of people who are removed from their positions, removed from their jobs.

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And the latest we're hearing is the presidential guard that is being removed as well, taken away from their responsibilities.

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LEE: They were a part of this coup attempt. They went to the state media. That's where they were during it. And we're seeing this just continue every day. New purge, new places. People being arrested or removed from their jobs. The government also coming out today and saying that they are going to try to replace the people, 20,000 teachers they say that were removed from their positions. They're going to try to find new teachers as well as we're hearing that a top aide for Fethullah Gulen, this is the person that the government blames was behind the coup, his top aide was arrested recently too, or detained. So still quite a very fluid situation.

ALLEN: Right, and how many are expected at this rally today?

LEE: We're expected to see -- well, the square behind me, Taksim Square, packed with people today. You're already seeing the police preparing for a massive rally. They have security points that are already being set up. But it isn't just the main opposition that's going to come out today. In a rare show of unity, the AK Party, Erdogan's Party is also going to be with them in the square. This is really a rally for democracy and a rally against the coup.

But you are already seeing some cracks in this unity where you have the AK Party really leading for the state of emergency. You have the main opposition party which is the CHP. And the pro-Kurdish Party which is the third-largest party here, the HD Party. Saying that they are not for the state of emergency. And yesterday we went to this pro- Kurdish HD Party rally and the head of the party was saying that there really isn't much difference between a coup attempt or state of emergency both give extraordinary powers to the people in charge. So you are seeing some cracks in this unity, Natalie.

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ALLEN: All right, well you'll be covering it for us. Ian Lee thee, thank you so much Ian, live from Turkey.

Hillary Clinton has a sidekick and her vice presidential running mate are campaigning together ahead of next week's Democratic convention.

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TIM KAINE, U.S. PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC VP NOMINEE : [Speaking Spanish]

ALLEN: Virginia Senator Tim Kaine spoke in Spanish at times to the crowd - in Spanish to the crowd in Miami, Florida. 17% of Florida's voters are Latino and Florida is a crucial battleground state where Clinton and Kaine are trying to rally support in November's election.

KAINE: I've spent most of my life in public service because I believe in doing everything I can to make a positive difference in people's lives. I've been able to see how government works and how sometimes it doesn't. From just about every perspective. And I've always believed that however you serve, what matters is whether you actually deliver results for people. And that's been my goal. That's been my goal in every position I've ever held.

Now, I know for a lot of you this might be the first time you're hearing me speak. And hey, let me be honest. For many of you, this is the first time you've even heard my name. But that's OK because I'm excited for us to get to know one another.

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ALLEN: Donald Trump tweeted this; "Just saw crooked Hillary and Tim Kaine together, ISIS and our other enemies are drooling, they don't look presidential to me."

Other news now, five people were killed in San Juan Tamazula, Mexico Saturday, including the town's Mayor and Vice-Mayor. Tamazula is in the Southern state (inaudible).

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ALLEN: Two Officials were meeting with people in the main square when gunmen opened fire on the crowd. 12 others were wounded. The state attorney general's office is investigating.

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ALLEN: Tropical storm Darby makes landfall in Hawaii. And a ranging wildfire in southern California, wild ranging as firefighters scramble to contain it.

Karen Maginnis is with us now. And the video of this fire, you can tell that you've got to feel for the firefighters trying to knock this one down.

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This is extraordinarily difficult for them and will be in the forecast. So the terrain is a problem. And the forecast is not going to help with temperatures soaring into the triple digits.

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MAGINNIS: This is an area that has seen extreme to exceptional drought. Where you see the orange and the darker orange-shaded area across a good portion of California that over the last 10 years or so, they have seen extraordinary drought conditions there as well. With very few interruptions.

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MAGINNIS: But we are looking at devastating heat over the next several days and very little in the way of precipitation. Here are the numbers associated with the sand fire. This now huge wildfire blazing just to the north of Los Angeles. It's about 20,000 acres or just about 8,000 hectares but it's only about 10% contained.

Take a look at these extraordinary pictures out of the Santa Clarita fire. The sand fire where they are dropping retardant on this. They are saying that about 1,000 personnel associated with this, firefighters and people who are coordinating, trying to get a handle on this. The air quality, very poor. About 1,500 structures are threatened right now. They don't have an exact number of homes or businesses that have been affected or burned or damaged by the fire. But they will make those assessments right now they're just trying to get a grip on this.

And our other big story is what is now tropical storm Darby lashing the Big Island of Hawaii. As a matter of fact, the entire island chain experiencing gusty winds, very heavy surf. Now, there could be between 8 and 15 inches of rainfall in some of these areas.

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MAGINNIS: Well Darby is now making its way more towards the west and northwest. And supporting winds with this just about 40 miles per hour. But mudslides, landslides, certainly a possibility. And because it kind of slowed down, that's why we're looking at the potential for some pretty heavy rainfall associated with this. It has really fallen apart. It's going to encounter some cooler water. And so the shearing effect of this tropical system is going to impact this but not so much so that we can discount it entirely just yet. Natalie?

ALLEN: All right, Karen, thank you very much. The International Olympic Committee is set to rule on banning Russia from the 2016 Rio Olympics. 67 Russian track athletes have already been banned following allegations of state-sponsored doping. So what's next?

For more on the controversy, we're joined now by former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty in Moscow. Always good to see you Jill. And you know time is running out so it's now or never to make this decision, I would guess.

JILL DOUGHTERTY, FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: It is. I mean, it could be a matter of hours. Obviously the meeting is going to be taking place by the IOC. And I can tell you here in Moscow there is a lot of anticipation, nervousness, and even I'd say trepidation. Because I was looking at a quote from the sport minister. Mr. Mutko saying that basically he's telling (Tass News Agency there's about a 1% chance that they are going to be allowed to go to Rio.

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DOUGHTERY: So it's not a good feeling here. There's a lot of nervousness. And the stakes are extremely high as we know. Prestige Russia as a country. Prestige President Putin who is the person who really was the face of the Olympics that took place in Sochi where a lot of this alleged doping is supposed to have taken place.

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DOUGHERTY: And then also for the athletes themselves. There are athletes individually who probably haven't doped but could be included in this ban because if it comes, it would be a ban of the entire team. So a lot is riding on this.

And you know average Russians are sitting there having watched a lot of their own media, and many of them feeling that ultimately, the United States and other country in the west are allied against Russia and this is just another thing to add to that list of let's say steps against Russia, attempts to damage it, et cetera. It's not a positive picture this morning.

ALLEN: It's not just a thing about the games I guess, it's a little more beyond that. And the athletes though Jill, they have no other recourse once they are told they can't compete? That's it. You do feel for the ones that haven't done anything wrong.

DOUGHTERY: Well yes, but there - Natalie, there is a way that some of this could be kind of mitigated. It's not clear exactly what the IOC will do. I mean they could say, complete, utter ban.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DOUGHERTY: Or they could let the individual sports federations -- volleyball, et cetera, all these individual sports -- make up their own minds. Look at the individual sports people. Maybe determine whether or not they have been doping and then decide their fate based on that. So it's not clear. That's why everyone all over the world is looking to this decision by the IOC. Because it has a lot of implications. We don't know precisely how it will be sliced.

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ALLEN: All right, Jill Dougherty covering it up for us. It goes right down to the wire here, two weeks before the games. Thank you, Jill.

Well Russia's doping woes aren't the only concern dogging the Olympics. With Brazil in recession athletes can expect sparse accommodations while they are there. Organizers even considered charging for air conditioning. But there are some amenities athletes won't find anywhere else.

Here's Shasta Darlington on Rio's Olympic Village.

SHASTA DARLINGTON: 31 17-story towers.

PAUL RAMLER, CEO IGS EVENTS: So this is a typical apartment. This is the social space surrounded by the bedrooms, bathrooms. Minimal amount of seating.

DARLINGTON: Getting a tour of the athletes village from the man who's been providing the Olympic furniture for them since Sydney, 2000. 3,604 apartments. 18,500 beds. Disposable wardrobes. With Brazil in recession and the Olympic budget tight, these rooms being called basic, even austere. Definitely cold.

There was a discussion about whether or not there would be air- conditioning. They didn't want to pay for it, but with the Zika scare, they had to put it in the rooms. Is that right?

RAMLER: Well, they put air-conditioning in all the bedrooms. Fans in nine bedrooms. But no televisions.

DARLINGTON: In the bathrooms, shared mirrors and 13,000 toilet seats. But no drawers for the 42 condoms per athlete?

RAMLER: No, I guess that's going to be stuck in the bedside tables.

DARLINGTON: But what it lacks on the inside, it makes up for on the outside.

RAMLER: Swimming pools, tennis courts. Everything you can imagine. This is a five-star accommodation environment that you've never -- I've never seen in the games really before.

DARLINGTON: Also bike lanes, a massive cafeteria, and gyms. And with all this space for pool parties and barbecues, you got to wonder who's going to miss all of those television sets.

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Rio de Janeiro

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ALLEN: We'll wait to see if the Russian athletes get to enjoy that. Thank you for watching. I'm Natalie Allen. Erin Burnett's "Outfront" right after your headlines.