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Iraqi Forces Most Intensive Fighting in Battle to Retake Mosul from Syria; Iraqi Forces Fighting Against ISIS Drones; Philippines Keeping U.S. Economic Ties; Clinton, Trump Trade Jokes at Charity Event After Nasty Debate; Mays' Difficult Job of Moving U.K.'s Brexit; Front-Line Iraqis "Not Giving Up Until ISIS is Gone"; Concerns over Mass Displacement in Iraq; Mass Protests after Deadly Attack & Rape of Argentine Teen; Michelle Obama Campaigns in Arizona for Clinton; Michelle Obama Criticizes Trump in Arizona Speech; Clinton, Trump Trade Jokes at Charity Event. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired October 21, 2016 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:00:09] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles.
Ahead this hour --
(HEADLINES)
VAUSE: Hello, everybody. Great to have you with us. I'm John Vause. We're now into the third hour of NEWSROOM L.A.
Iraqi-led forces are moving quickly into ISIS territory as they try to retake Mosul. On Thursday, they saw the most intense fighting since it began. Military leaders say at least 200 ISIS fighters were killed while recapturing the Christian town of Batala (ph).
Michael Holmes is live, close to Mosul.
Michael, it appears ISIS fighters are striking back, launching a coordinated strike on the city of Kirkuk.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John. We are getting word from sources inside of the city that in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, an hour or so south off Irbil, in northern Iraq, there have been a series of coordinated attacks. It's ongoing. We're still getting information about it. There are sleeper cells we're told have been activated carrying out suicide bombings and gun attacks on a number of places in Kirkuk. Police stations, we're told, also perhaps the governor's office in that city. It is significant. We don't know casualties yet. Local television reports have suggested they have seen the bodies of ISIS fighters lying in the street.
What is interesting is it is long been fears of ISIS sleeper cells everywhere from Baghdad to places like Kirkuk and they would be activated as the battlefield pushed toward Mosul continued. It could be what happened in Kirkuk and the sleeper cells have been activated. What it also shows is, as the battlefield successes go on, ISIS retains a capability behind the lines. The question is how serious is this attack in Kirkuk as it continues to unfold, and will there be other ones in other parts of the country -- John?
VAUSE: It is interesting. Kirkuk is 170 kilometers away from Mosul. Where did the ISIS militants come from?
Coalition forces have been making gains the last few days. Is the strike on Kirkuk the most significant counteroffensive we have seen from ISIS?
HOLMES: It is the most outside of the main battlefield. Yesterday saw some of the most severe intensive fighting of this campaign as they pushed towards Mosul in the predominantly Christian town of Batala (ph). Iraqi elite forces, the Golden Division, pushed in there, and we were down on that front line and there was a lot of fighting going on. Arwa Damon was in there, as well. ISIS is counterattacking there, quite fiercely. They put in a lot of fire. ISIS has a number of car bombs. Perhaps a half dozen car bombs were dispatched toward Iraqi troops.
You mentioned in the introduction that Iraqis are saying they killed some 200 ISIS fighters in that. They are not saying much about their own casualties. But we were on the front line and saw wounded Iraqi fighters being brought back for treatment and taken away in the back of a flat-bed truck. There were three or four of them loaded onto that. They are taking casualties, as well.
So a significant fighting there in Batala (ph). The Iraqis say they hold it and will be pushing on. We have been hearing air strikes for a couple of hours. Certainly, the campaign continues -- John?
VAUSE: OK. Michael, early days yet. Day five just beginning.
Michael Holmes, live not far from Mosul.
The Iraqi prime minister says the operation is ahead of schedule, but Iraqi and Peshmerga fighters aren't just battling ISIS ground forces but armed drones from the air.
Details from Nick Paton Walsh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[02:04:47] NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Day four, and perhaps the biggest push yet from the north and into the plains around Mosul.
Trying to dislodge the determined and deranged remnants of ISIS, the Peshmerga backed with staggering air power.
(EXPLOSION)
PATON WALSH: A now common sight of American Special Forces, who the Pentagon says are advising, not assaulting, positioned in the front of the attack.
The work was slow, destructive.
(EXPLOSION)
PATON WALSH: Begging the question, what becomes of the wreckage under new masters?
(GUNFIRE)
PATON WALSH: Suddenly, in the sky, a hail of bullets.
(GUNFIRE)
PATON WALSH: They've spotted a drone.
(GUNFIRE)
PATON WALSH: Tracer rounds dance around it and finally take off its nose.
(GUNFIRE)
PATON WALSH: ISIS uses them to spot targets for artillery and even drop small bombs.
(GUNFIRE)
PATON WALSH: This one tumbles down. Its wreckage picked over. It's unclear whose it is.
Yet, progress down the road is agonizingly slow.
(on camera): The source of so much fighting this morning, but still full of ISIS. In fact, we have heard the Peshmerga have listened to those militants on their radios this morning discussing how they should wait and only launch a counterattack once the Peshmerga are inside.
(voice-over): Two Peshmerga are killed by a mine and others injured in intense clashes when they flank the town heading left across barren farmland.
ISIS still here, haunting the dust, pushed back moments earlier.
We reach one unit pinned down on a hill. They say a drone is observing them but also dropping tiny bombs on them --
(EXPLOSION)
PATON WALSH: Like grenades, we are warned.
(EXPLOSION)
PATON WALSH: Rocket after rocket lands.
(EXPLOSION)
PATON WALSH: Sometimes near --
(EXPLOSION)
PATON WALSH: -- sometimes far.
Over the hill, there is fiercer fighting. But still, the rockets come in. Exposed, trudging through land-turned arid in the fight.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, near Mosul, northern Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: In rebel-held eastern Aleppo, the U.N. says the sick and wounded are being moved out after a Russian Syrian government and opposition forces agreed to a temporary pause in the fighting. Evacuees are transferred to either opposition-controlled Idlib or government-controlled western Aleppo.
Meantime, there are harrowing new images showing the scale of destruction in Aleppo. This drone video released by Amnesty International shows bombed-out buildings and streets reduced to rubble. Opposition groups say at least 600 aerial attacks were carried out during the last three-week period after the collapse of the latest ceasefire and hundreds of people were killed.
The Philippine trade minister says economic ties with the United States will not be cut, despite comments made by his president. On a visit to Beijing, Rodrigo Duterte announced and military and economic separation from the U.S. as well as strengthening ties with China.
Matt Rivers is live from Beijing.
Matt, what exactly was it that Mr. Duterte found so irresistible being offered by the Chinese?
MATT RIVERS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR: Well, I think what he sees in China is vast economic might. I think he also sees, you know, a system of government that perhaps he more closely aligns with. It was interesting, John, that he chose to make these comments here on his first state visit to China. And when he made these comments to a business forum it certainly caught a lot of people by surprise.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
RIVERS (voice-over): Marching soldiers --
(MUSIC)
RIVERS: -- a military band --
(MUSIC)
RIVERS: -- and a red carpet welcome for President Rodrigo Duterte in Beijing by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both men oversaw agreements signed in 13 different areas, from trade to tourism.
But the real news of the day came at a business forum where Duterte spoke. Towards the end of his speech, he said this.
RODRIGO DUTERTE, PHILIPPINES PRESIDENT: In this venue, your honors, I announce my separation from the United States --
(APPLAUSE)
DUTERTE: -- both in military, not maybe social, but economics also.
[02:10:03] RIVERS: The implications of a statement like that could be serious. Philippine President Duterte has regularly engaged in anti-U.S. rhetoric and these are his stronger comments to date. But it's unclear how it will play out in practical terms. Militarily, the United States and Philippines are treaty allies with a mutual defense obligation. The U.S. regularly rotates military troops and equipment through the Philippines and the two countries have conducted several joint naval patrols in the South China Sea this year. A true separation, as President Duterte suggested, would mean an end to the treaty and troop presence.
But President Duterte has made statements before that his staff has been forced to walk back or clarify. CNN reached out to his office for more details and received no reply.
In the past, Duterte has expressed anger over the U.S. military's presence and said the treaty would remain because his advisers told him it was necessary, but he did cancelled joint military exercises set for next year.
What Duterte meant by separately economically is less clear, though U.S./Philippine trade is worth tens of billions of dollars. In that same speech, the president indicated what he has said for months now, that he wants to leave the U.S. behind in exchange for new, stronger allies.
DUTERTE: And maybe I would also go the Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world, China, Philippine and Russia.
(APPLAUSE)
DUTERTE: It's the only way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RIVERS: John, we are hearing from officials with the U.S. embassy in the Philippines, saying in a statement that, "We have seen a lot of troubling rhetoric recently, which is at odds with the warm relationship that exists between the Filipino and American people and the record of important cooperation between our governments." They added, "The Philippine government is yet to clarify what Duterte's remarks on separation might mean, it is creating," as they put it, "unnecessary uncertainty." Now, whether we will get more clarity from President Duterte later on
tonight is yet to be seen. He's in Beijing most of the day today, set to touchdown in the Philippines late this evening around 11:00 p.m., and he is supposed to give a press conference. Maybe we will hear more about what he meant with those words when he talks to reporters at that time.
VAUSE: OK. Something to look forward to.
Matt, thank you. Matt Rivers live in Beijing.
A 6.2 magnitude earthquake has hit western Japan. Officials say there's no immediate tsunami risk and no report of damage yet. The country's meteorological agency initially reported a 6.6 quake. The epicenter believed to be in the Tutori Prefecture (ph). The quake hit at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Powerful Typhoon Haima is causing some problems in Hong Kong and southeastern China.
For the latest, Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is joining us.
Hey, Derek.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: John, look at the live shot of Hong Kong harbor. You can see the camera shaking back and forth. Heavy rain impacting the area. You can see some of the ferries that are temporarily suspended, thanks to Typhoon Haima moving through. Unfortunately, conditions are difficult in Hong Kong as we speak. The storm made landfall 100 kilometers to the east.
This is the Hong Kong Observatory latest radar. Here's Hong Kong. The actual eye wall made land fall, 100 kilometers to the east of the Hong Kong area. You can imagine the population that's feeling the impacts of this strong equivalent to a category one Atlantic hurricane. Nonetheless, we still have a signal eight in the Hong Kong region. You can see the winds, which were coming out of the northwest for a period of time. Now changing to a southwesterly direction. Previously sheltered areas in Hong Kong and surrounding regions will start to feel winds change direction and potentially whip some of the debris around.
This is the latest, 150 kilometer per hour winds. This is the Guangdong Province. Roughly one million people call it home. Seven million alone in Hong Kong feeling the effects of the storm that made landfall in the Philippines 36 hours ago. Significant amount of rain for the next 24 hours in Hong Kong. The bulk of the heaviest rain will be east, in the Shanghai region the next 36 hours. That's where the storm is headed. You can see the projected path as it moves inland. A formidable low pressure system bringing cloud cover, chances of rain and potential of landslides and mudslides. Look at this image. It tells it all. A picture worth a million words. This is the Philippines and this is moments after the Typhoon Haima made landfall. This is garbage washed ashore. You can imagine the destruction it took to create scene like that. Now we are focusing on Haima. They have had a difficult time across Southeast Asia to say the least.
Back to you.
[02:15:46] VAUSE: Yeah. Derek, thank you so much.
VAN DAM: You're welcome.
VAUSE: We'll take a short break. When we come back, the race for the White House, and Donald Trump says he will accept the election results, but there are conditions.
Also, 100 days on the job for Theresa May. How the British prime minister is moving the country closer to Britian's exit from the European Union.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: It was supposed to be a night that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to play nice. The U.S. presidential candidates appeared at a charity dinner with the elite of New York, a chance to tell some jokes, raise money for a good cause, but Donald Trump broke with decades of tradition and took some partisan shots at Clinton. The crowd booed. Both candidates though did have some lighter moments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's great to be here with a thousand wonderful people, or as I call it, a small intimate dinner with some friends --
(LAUGHTER)
-- or as Hillary calls it, her largest crowd of the season
(LAUGHTER)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald, if at anytime you don't like what I'm saying, feel free to stand up and shot "wrong!" while I'm talking.
(LAUGHTER)
You know, come to think of it, it's amazing I'm up here after Donald. I didn't think he would be OK with a peaceful transition of power.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:20:10] VAUSE: The jokes come on the heels of a contentious third and final presidential debate. Trump refused to say whether he would accept the election results. And despite widespread criticism from his own party, he went there again while campaigning on Thursday.
Jim Acosta reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the presidential debates behind him, Donald Trump is scrambling to find a path to victory. But he's making it all too clear he may take the nation down a dark road if he loses.
TRUMP: I will totally accept the results of this great, historic presidential election, if I win.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: I would accept a clear election result but I would also reserve my right to contest or file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result.
(CHEERING)
ACOSTA: That moment of cleanup comes after Trump warned in his final faceoff with Hillary Clinton that he may not accept the voice of the people, a principle of American democracy that dates back to the founding fathers.
TRUMP: I will look at it at the time. I'm not looking at anything now. I will look at it at the time.
CHRIS WALLACE, DEBATE MODERATOR: Are you saying you are not prepared now to --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: What I'm saying is that I will tell you at the time. I will keep you in suspense.
CLINTON: Well, Chris, let me respond to that because that's horrifying.
ACOSTA: Mindful that Trump's jaw-dropping comments could spark post- election chaos, his top surrogates launched into damage control mode.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact of the matter is he is going to accept the outcome of the election.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN MANGER: Absence evidence of widespread abuse and irregularities, yes, I would say that. But I'd also say that obviously I think I will be saying, congratulations, Mr. President.
ACOSTA: The top Republicans are not sure. John McCain, who lost the election in 2008, said in a statement, "In every previous election, the loser congratulates the winner and calls them 'my president.' That's not just the Republican way or the Democratic way but the American way."
CLINTON: He's consistently denied what is a very --
TRUMP: Wrong. ACOSTA: There are other potentially damaging moments for Trump at the
debate when he interrupted Clinton just to insult her.
CLINTON: My Social Security payroll contribution will go up, as will Donald's, assuming he can't figure out how to get out of it, but what we want to do is replenish the Social Security --
TRUMP: Such a nasty woman.
ACOSTA: That moment, along with Trump's comments on abortion, and his vow to select Supreme Court justices that would overturn Roe v. Wade likely won't help his pitch to women voters.
TRUMP: Well, if we put another two or three justices on that, that's what will happen. That will happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court.
ACOSTA: Still, the beginning of the night was otherwise viewed as Trump's most effective debate performance yet.
TRUMP: The NAFTA deal signed by her husband is one of the worst every made of any kind.
ACOSTA: But he seemed to struggle against Clinton's attacks on his past praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
CLINTON: Well, that's because he would rather have a puppet as president.
TRUMP: No puppet. No puppet.
CLINTON: And it's pretty clear --
TRUMP: You're the puppet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thanks to Jim Acosta for that report.
Now the British Prime Minister Theresa May is marking her first 100 days in office. She has had a difficult road to navigate after the Brexit vote.
We get details from Max Foster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIGEL FARAGE, UNITED KINGDOM INDEPENDENT PARTY LEADER: Let June 23rd go down in history as our Independence Day!
(CHEERING)
MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After the results that few predicted and the sudden end of an era --
DAVID CAMERON, FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I love this country and I feel honored to have served it.
FOSTER: -- Theresa May found herself as the last conservative candidate standing, a prime minister by default, not voted for by the public or even her party.
THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: As we leave the European Union, we will forge a bold, new positive role for ourselves in the world.
FOSTER: Her cabinet carefully balanced to include those that wanted to Remain alongside some of the most ardent Brexiteers.
(SHOUTING)
FOSTER: The biggest challenge in the immediate aftermath was to hold her party together, a task made more manageable by turmoil in the main opposition party, Labour, something Theresa May was quick to highlight.
MAY: The Labour Party may be about to spend several months fighting and tearing itself apart. The Conservative Party will be spending those months bringing this country back together.
(CHEERING)
FOSTER: Jeremy Corbyn was eventually re-elected as Labour leader but still faces opposition from many of his own members of parliament.
Theresa May continued pushing her message that Brexit could be a positive thing if done the right way. Her way will involve triggering Article 50 of the E.U.'s Lisbon Treaty kick-starting the process without a vote by M.P.s, an assertion she is facing a legal challenge on.
At her own party conference, she stood firm and announced a timetable.
[02:25:11] MAY: We will invoke Article 50 no later than the end of March next year.
FOSTER: That was the commitment Leave voters had been waiting for.
But then she faced strong words from Scotland where 62 percent of people wanted to remain part of the E.U.
NICOLA STURGEON, FIRST MINISTER OF SCOTLAND: I am determined that Scotland will have the ability to reconsider the question of independence and to do so before the U.K. leaves the E.U.
FOSTER: Now, in Brussels, May finds herself surrounded by leaders who have criticized the U.K.'s decision.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can be so sure it will be safe with us. They hope she will also realize that the E.U. is still the best in the world.
FOSTER: A long road lies ahead for Theresa May but she has come through her first 100 days sticking to her line that "Brexit means Brexit."
Max Foster, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: "State of the Race" with Kate Bolduan is coming up next for our viewers in Asia.
For everyone else, we will take a short break. When we come back, we will be on the front lines of the battle for Mosul. Iraqi soldiers show us what is motivating them to keep fighting.
Also, the civilian casualties of war. How groups are trying to help Iraqis forced to flee the violence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:30:11] VAUSE: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause, with the headlines this hour.
(HEADLINES)
VAUSE: Authorities inside the Iraqi inside the city of Kirkuk says coordinated ISIS attacks are happening now. They started in the every night hours. The Kirkuk TV stations are broadcasting video of dead ISIS fighters in the streets. On Thursday, Iraqi forces made significant gains in the battle to reclaim Mosul from ISIS. They retook the nearby Christian town of Battala (ph).
Iraqis on the front lines say they are not going to give up until ISIS is gone.
Arwa Damon shows us what they are up against.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(EXPLOSION)
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Attack helicopters swoop overhead and fire.
(EXPLOSION)
DAMON: A truck bomb is detonated by Iraqi forces on the ground.
"That's what's left of it," a 25-year-old corporal says, as we push forward.
His Humvee has been hit so many times, he can barely see through the bullet-proof glass.
"When we finished liberating Mosul, I'm going to ask for my sweetheart's hand in marriage," he tells us.
He dreams of the future but now has to focus on surviving the present.
A bulldozer barricades side roads to defend against one of the biggest ongoing threats, suicide car bombers.
(on camera): It's one of the ways that ISIS was mounting its weapons, firing at troops as they were coming down.
(voice-over): We're with the Counterterrorism Division's Special Forces. The men are tired. They have been fighting non-stop since ISIS swept through Iraq more than two years ago. But morale is high. They've reached the town of Battala (ph), just 20 kilometers from Mosul.
(on camera): The forces have been pounding this area. This is the front line. And being this close to the fighting, one can't help but to think, but to wonder about the fate of the civilians who potentially might be trapped inside.
(voice-over): Thankfully, it seems, there are none.
(GUNFIRE)
DAMON: The vast majority fled this peaceful Christian enclave two years ago.
(GUNFIRE)
DAMON: That's when we were last here, just after ISIS captured Mosul, when Yusuf and his friend tried to pretend that everything was normal, when 22-year-old Mariana swore that she would stay even if she was the only one left, and when Father Ben's church was a tranquil sanctuary.
(GUNFIRE)
DAMON: This shattered community, this shattered country, has already suffered so much.
Staff Sergeant Dervan (ph) doesn't tell his wife and four children he's at the front.
(SHOUTING)
(EXPLOSION)
DAMON: He does not call them to say goodbye before heading into the fight.
"What would you tell your wife and children if you could call them now," I asked. "God willing, I will return home when he have liberated all of Iraq," he responds.
But liberating the land is only the first part of the battle.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Meantime, concerns are growing about tens of thousands of civilians who will be displaced as the fighting gets worse. Alexander Bakarini (ph) is with the International Medical Corps. He joins me now via Skype from Kirkuk.
Alex, right now, if you look at the situation for the hundreds of thousands of people stuck inside of Mosul there's a choice they have to make, they can either leave and risk the sniper and land mines, or they can stay where they will be caught in the cross fire or rounded up and used as human shields.
ALEXANDER BAKARINI (ph), INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS: Yeah, so we have been working with some of the people who are already fleeing. Several hundred people have been fleeing from the ISIS-controlled areas towards the east towards Tyara (ph), and International Medical Corps have mobile medical units down there and we are trying to provide support in the camps there. We're trying to provide support and screenings there. But you are right, we have been hearing stories that ISIS has been telling people they will be killed if they attempt to flee. So the full flux of the displacement hasn't yet happened. We're expecting maybe when the front lines move we will start to see the numbers that people have been talking about for the last few months.
[02:35:20] VAUSE: Explain to me, how do you decide where to put your resources? How do you know where they will escape from? What route they will take to get out of Mosul? How do you know when to be there when they get out?
BAKARINI (ph): A lot of it happen happens at the coordination level with the United Nations and other nations to plan. You have to be nimble. The plans and outcomes of the conflict are never sure. We have offices in the Nineveh area. We have offices in the Irbil and in Genda (ph). So we try to place resources near to the front lines in several locations and by providing mobile medical teams that can travel to where displace happens, we can send doctor and medications where people are going, even if it's not where we currently have an office.
VAUSE: For those trying to escape from Mosul, once they get outside of the city, if they are lucky enough to make it, is there a safe zone? How far do they need to travel before they are out of danger?
BAKARINI (ph): It depends where they are coming from. Because the front lines, although they are moving fast, have not transgressed that far, the people are currently traveling on foot to the front lines where they are sent to screening sites. They will be screened by the Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces to make sure there are no potential terrorists or ISIS elements involved in the group. Of course, it is important to remember those fleeing from ISIS are victims of ISIS. While we need to maintain and assure a secure area in the camp that we are working in, the screening sites are supposed to screen out the dangerous elements and provide safe transportation from the families and the victims of ISIS to the formal camps and the emergency sites where -- that are currently set up and which the International Medical Corps is currently working.
VAUSE: Because there are reports that ISIS fighters maybe shaving their beards and wearing more civilian, regular clothes, if you like, melting in with the population. So talk to me about that screening process. Once they actually reach the Peshmerga fighters or the Iraqi coalition forces, how do you screen from the civilians and make sure they are not ISIS militants.
BAKARINI (ph): Well, this would be done by security forces and not by humanitarian actors. But they are hoping that through possibly 72- hour process the military forces would be able to interview and identify these people through talking with everybody else. You have to keep in mind that in the Kurdish and Iraqi areas, they have been dealing with this element on their border for several years now. They have experience and intelligence on who is coming and who is not. We trust they will be able to keep us safe in the camps and we continue to be providing assistance there.
VAUSE: It's the timing when the coalition forces will advance on Mosul, that is what is up in the air. But when that happens, you will need to do your best.
Alex, thank you for being with us.
BAKARINI (ph): Thank you.
VAUSE: To Argentina now, where a brutal deadly attack on a teenager has sparked mass protests. Thousands of women are demanding justice for the victim.
CNN's Diego Laje has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIEGO LAJE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lucia Perez was abducted outside her school earlier this month. She was drugged and raped so brutally she died from her injuries. She was just 16 years old.
Now Argentina is saying enough. Thousands of people protested in more than 80 cities cross the country, demanding an end to violence against women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): We will mobilize to stop this, to demand justice for Lucia, and denounce the state's responsibility in this situation.
LAJE: Other countries are following suit. Protests were held in 58 cities worldwide, from Madrid to the capitols of Chile and Bolivia in solidarity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): I'm here for all the women's rights, so we don't lose one more woman in this country or any part of Latin America, where the woman is constantly attacked.
LAJE: The protests have been led by the argentine group Not One Less, as in not one less life. Social media users around the world have tweeted in support of Perez and women under a hash tag under the same name.
Three suspects have been arrested in Perez's death.
And while her family mourns, communities around the world come together to demand that stories like hers no longer have to be told.
Diego Laje, CNN, Buenos Aires.
(CHANTING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:40:12] VAUSE: The first lady hits the campaign trail again, this time, in Arizona. How Michelle Obama is trying to flip that reliably Republican state for Hillary Clinton.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Maybe call it the pink house? The White House lit up in pink as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The race for the White House is becoming an increasingly difficult challenge for Donald Trump. CNN's latest electoral map shows the key swing states of Florida and Nevada leaning in Hillary Clinton's favor. And two reliably Republican states, Utah and Arizona, are now considered tossups.
And Clinton is paying a lot of attention to Arizona, and CNN's Kyung Lah is there.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, the Clinton campaign dispatching a powerful symbol here to Arizona, traditionally a red state, now a battleground, a symbol that this state is truly, indeed, in play.
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: When they go low, we go high.
(CHEERING)
LAH (voice-over): A battle cry from the Democrats for one of the most potent leaders. The first lady calling out Donald Trump's rejection of election results.
OBAMA: And we cannot stand for that.
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: You do not keep American democracy in suspense.
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: Because, look, too many people have marched, protested, fought and died for this democracy.
(CHEERING) LAH: The first lady completes a trifecta of Clinton surrogates now hitting the now battleground state of Arizona. Bernie Sanders, Chelsea Clinton just this week. The Clinton campaign pledging to spend $2 million in Arizona on ad buys and direct mail as new polls shows Hillary Clinton up five points over Trump.
Astonishing to life-long Democrat, Harriett Friedman.
[02:45:18] HARRIETT FRIEDMAN, DEMOCRATIC VOTER: I have been volunteering a long time and this is the first time that I feel people are taking us seriously and we have a chance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are calling today in support of Hillary Clinton.
LAH: Arizona Democrats say national money and organizers are moving in, beefing up the 161 paid staffers, more than the party has ever had in the state.
(SHOUTING)
LAH: Arizona is changing with more young Latino voters, like Laura Roja, and a growing distain for Trump's campaign.
The first lady pointing out Trump's words about women.
OBAMA: He demeans and humiliates women as if we are objects meant solely for pleasure and entertainment rather than human beings, worthy of love and respect.
(CHEERING)
LAH: Arizona has voted for a Democratic president only once in 64 years, reliably Republican. But this year, Democrats are edging Republicans in voter registration in the last eight weeks by about 5,000 voters. Arizona's GOP dismisses the recent surge. It has 161,000 more registered Republican voters.
ROBERT GRAHAM, CHAIR, ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PARTY: I don't know what people's definition of blue is, but to me it is bright red.
LAH: Republican chair, Robert Graham, said his party carries a strong game, 21 field offices, with 60 paid staffers. Given that, he is not worried about the first lady's visit.
GRAHAM: She will draw people out. It doesn't necessarily translate to votes.
LAH: Arizona's GOP faithful watching the debate, also watching the Democratic rollout this week believe it is not enough to move Arizona blue.
(on camera): You have lived here since 1977 and you feel you know the state.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, very well, yeah. LAH: How will it vote?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely Trump.
LAH: Since March, Donald Trump has been in this state four times. In that same time period, Hillary Clinton has been here just once. She hasn't headlined any fundraisers here in Arizona. Republicans say that is a true sign that this will still be a stretch for Democrats -- John?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Kyung Lah, thank you.
We have more from Michelle Obama's speech in Arizona. She criticized Donald Trump not just for his treatment of women but also for what he said about minorities and immigrants.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Perhaps living life high up in a tower, in a world of exclusive clubs, measuring success by wins and loses, the number of zeroes in your bank account, perhaps you just develop a different set of values.
Maybe with so little exposure to people who are different than you it becomes easy to take advantage of those who are down on their luck. Folks that play by the rules, pay what they owe.
Maybe that's why this candidate thinks certain immigrants are criminals instead of folks that work their fingers to the bone to give their kids a better life --
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: -- to help build the greatest nation on earth --
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: -- because he doesn't really know them.
Maybe that's why he thinks we should be afraid of our Muslim brothers and sisters because he has no idea who they are.
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: He doesn't understand that they are us.
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: They are our friends, our family, our neighbors, our colleagues --
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: -- people of faith just like so many folks around the country.
Maybe that's why he sees veterans enduring the wounds of war as weak. Why he insults Gold Star families, folks who spent months praying no to get that knock at the door, heroes who love this country so much they are willing to die for it. He just can't see them.
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: Maybe it's easy for him to mock people with disabilities because he's unable to see their strength and their contributions.
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: Maybe that's why he demeans and humiliates women, as if we're objects, meant solely for pleasure and entertainment, rather than human beings, worthy of love and respect.
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: He just doesn't understand us.
Maybe that's why he calls communities like the one where I was raised hell --
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: Because he can't see all of the decent, hard-working folks like my parents who took those extra shifts, paid their bills on time, folks who were raising amazing families, sending kids to college.
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: Maybe he doesn't believe that people like us really exist --
(CHEERING)
OBAMA: -- because he does not see our shared humanity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:50:28] VAUSE: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump got a few laughs, some boos, during a charity dinner on Thursday night. When we come back, we will have some of the best jokes and some of the best jabs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald, if at anytime you don't like what I'm saying, feel free to stand up and shout "wrong" while I'm talking.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) VAUSE: Europe's space agency wants one of its Mars probes to phone home. The mother ship is circling the red planet as planned, but its companion lander failed to reach the Martian soil safely. It stopped transmitting after a minute before the expected landing after a fiery high-speed descent through the atmosphere. They think something went wrong when the parachute opened.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump took the gloves off on Thursday at the Al Smith dinner in New York. Trump crossed the line and repeatedly boos, but together they raised $6 million for charity.
Here's some of the better one-liners.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLINTON: This is such a special event that I took a break from my rigorous nap schedule to be here.
(LAUGHTER)
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is great to be here with a thousand wonderful people, or as I call it, a small intimate dinner with some friends.
(LAUGHTER)
Or as Hillary calls it, her largest crowd of the season.
(LAUGHTER)
CLINTON: Because this is a friendly dinner for such a great cause, Donald, if at anytime you don't like what I am saying, feel free to stand up and shout "wrong" while I'm talking.
(LAUGHTER)
TRUMP: Michelle Obama gives a speech and everyone loves it. It's fantastic. They think she is absolutely great. My wife, Melania, gives the exact same speech --
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: -- and people get on her case.
(LAUGHTER)
CLINTON: Now you notice there is no teleprompter here tonight, which is probably smart because maybe you saw Donald dismantle his prompter the other day. I get that. They are hard to keep up with, and I'm sure even harder when you are translating from the original Russian.
(LAUGHTER)
[02:55:17] TRUMP: Just before taking the dais, Hillary accidentally bumped in to me and she very civilly said, "Pardon me."
(LAUGHER)
CLINTON: I've had to listen to Donald for three full debates, and he says I don't have any stamina.
(LAUGHTER)
That's four and a half hours. I've now stood next to Donald Trump longer than any of his campaign managers.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Yeah, I have been at dinners with parents getting divorced that were less awkward.
You've been watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.
Stay with us. Natalie Allen takes over after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:00:11] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: While Iraqi and Kurdish forces try to push ISIS --
