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Buried Alive After Powerful Indonesian Earthquake; Syria's Army Gains in Aleppo; Defense Secretary Chosen; A Promise of More Jobs; Protests Against White Supremacists; Unveiling Muslim Women. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired December 07, 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 ANCHOR: Buried. A powerful earthquake strikes the Indonesian province of Aceh, killing dozens of people and trapping many more.

New gains for Syria's army in Aleppo as government commanders promise to crush the defiant rebels.

Also ahead, an introduction and a threat. Donald Trump formally unveils his pick for defense secretary with a warning to Congress.

Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church, and this is CNN NEWSROOM.

A powerful earthquake has now killed at least 52 people in northwest Indonesia. The Red Cross says many homes and buildings are damaged in Aceh province and residents were sent running into the streets.

It's the same province hit by the devastating tsunami in 2004 which killed tens of thousands of people.

CNN's Cathy (TECHNICAL PROBLEM)

CHURCH: ... artillery fire and air strikes on rebel positions. An activist says 15 people were killed in two separate attacks Tuesday. Two hundred thousand civilians are believed to be trapped in the city.

The reports are conflicting. But the army says it has taken control of more areas once held by the rebels.

Fred Pleitgen reports the Syrian forces are using massive firepower as the rebels' last urban stronghold nears collapse.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is Aleppo 24/7. Shelling and air strikes raining down mostly on rebel- held areas. Near the frontline it's not just Syrian troops, Russians and Iranians battling on the government side.

We meet these Syrian/Palestinian fighters who show us what they claim was a former Jabhat al-Nusra field hospital they found when they advanced into this area.

"Every injured rebel would be taken here," he says. "You see the medicine and blankets. This is one of their instruments they used."

[03:05:05] Syrian pro-government forces have brought heavy weapons to the frontline as they continue to push the opposition back. They showed us these homemade mortars and accused rebels of lacing them with chemicals the army says it discovered in this room close by.

This alleged weapons facility is inside what used to be an elementary school in this former rebel-held district. And the Syrian army says it found this place when it was sweeping the area as rebels were retreating.

The battles show no sign of letting up as Syrian forces continue to pound rebel-held districts. Killing hundreds in the past days and leaving thousands of civilians trapped and at risk.

In an interview with CNN, a Syrian general says government forces will not stop unless opposition fighters withdraw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAWAZ MUSTAFA, SYRIAN ARMY: If he insisted to go on fighting and bombing of our people in Aleppo and the civilians or the army, we have to continue our mission to get the city back to its people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: And what that means is plain for everyone in Aleppo to see and to hear.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Aleppo.

CHURCH: And Jomana Karadsheh is following developments and joins us now from Amman, Jordan, where she is watching this story very closely. And Jomana, it is starting to look like Syria and Russia will succeed in gaining full control of eastern Aleppo. What is left of the city after this constant bombardment and what will happen to all the civilians there?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, what is left of these neighborhoods as we've seen these images of neighborhoods that have been recaptured after weeks of heavy bombardment, is large-scale destruction and so many neighborhoods reduced to rubble.

And it does seem that the Syrian regime and their allied forces have been making fast advances into eastern Aleppo. Also over the past 24 hours, capturing more neighborhoods of eastern Aleppo. By some estimates now the regime controls more than 75 percent of eastern Aleppo.

Now, the civilians there according to residents that we've spoken to have moved into a small area, what is left under rebel control there. They are trapped in this area, and they are bracing for more bombardment. Heavy bombardment to come.

One residence I was just speaking to a short time ago says they are absolutely terrified. And at least for this one person that we spoke to and some others that we have spoken to, they really do not know where to go, Rosemary. They're absolutely terrified of this military campaign and this regime advance and at the same time they say they have nowhere to go.

This one person telling us that death would be better for him than going to a regime-held area, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. And Jomana, talk to us about the rebels, what they're likely to do next.

KARADSHEH: It's unclear at this point what might happen, Rosemary, whether they are going to be making a stand in Aleppo, but as we are seeing over the (TECHNICAL PROBLEM).

[03:10:00] (TECHNICAL PROBLEM)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT-ELECT: No dream too large. No goal beyond our reach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And before leaving for North Carolina, Trump met with the Japanese tycoon who says he will invest billions of dollars in the U.S. and create thousands of jobs.

Sunlen Serfaty has the latest on that.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump bringing his art of the deal approach to the White House. The president-elect touting a new investment in the U.S. from Japan's SoftBank.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Masa of SoftBank from Japan. And he's just agreed to invest $50 billion in the United States and 50,000 jobs. And he's one of the great men of industry. So, I just want to thank you very much.

MASAYOSHI SON, SOFTBANK FOUNDER: Thank you. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Just hours before that announcement, Trump pushed the airline manufacturer Boeing to give the country a better deal on the building of two new Air Force One planes, tweeting, quote, "Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents. Costs are out of control. More than $4 billion. Cancel order!"

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Well, the plane is totally out of control. It's going to be over $4 billion. It's for Air Force One program. And I think it's ridiculous. I think Boeing is doing a little bit of a number. We want Boeing to make a lot of money but not that much money. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Trump did not provide proof for his $4 billion claim. A Boeing official says they are not sure where the president-elect got the number and that the cost for the planes is not final.

This, as Trump faces a brewing fight with some in his own party over his proposal for a 35 percent tariff on U.S. companies that moved their businesses overseas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I said we'd love to have your product, 35 percent tax.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Congressional republicans warning it could spark a trade war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I do have concerns with, you know, anytime someone's talking about raising taxes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: House Speaker Paul Ryan signaling a broader rewrite of the tax code should be the focus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL RYAN, U.S. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We think the real solution is here comprehensive across the board tax reform which what we're going to be hitting the ground running on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Meantime, the revolving door at Trump Tower today continues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're going to talk about a lot of things to a lot of people. We have a lot of people coming up. Great group of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: But the decision on secretary of state, the most high- profile job, still hangs in the balance. Trump expanding rather than narrowing his search.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, UNITED STATES VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT: And he's taking his time. We have more names may well be added to the list.

SERFATY: One of those new candidates, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson interviewing with Trump today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Got some great people coming in today. You'll see them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: As Trump adds to his team, he's cutting one member of the transition. The son of retired General Michael Flynn, his pick for national security adviser.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PENCE: Mike Flynn Jr. is no longer associated with General Flynn's efforts or with the transition team and we're focused eyes forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: A source tells CNN Trump gave the direct order to remove the younger Flynn after he tweeted about a conspiracy theory involving a local Washington pizzeria that was a site of an armed attack over the weekend.

CHURCH: Sunlen Serfaty with that report. And this quick programming note for you. Catch The Messy Truth in just a few hours from now. It's a post-election special presented by CNN's Van Jones. It airs at 6 p.m. in Hong Kong and again at 9 p.m. in London.

Well, Trump is taking credit for a major deal with a Japanese billionaire. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son says he is ready to invest $50 billion in the U.S. economy and create 50,000 jobs.

CNN Money Asia-Pacific editor Andrew Stevens joins us now live from Hong Kong to take a look at this. So we're going to do a fact check. So Andrew, President-elect Donald Trump says Japanese company SoftBank wouldn't have invested $50 billion in the United States without him. Is that the case?

[03:15:00] ANDREW STEVENS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR: Yes, it wouldn't have invested without Trump winning the election. That is what Donald Trump said. And we just have to take his word for that. Nothing from Masayoshi Son, the head of SoftBank, on whether he did actually say that and he believes that.

But if you look a little bit at the background of this deal, 50,000 jobs and $50 billion worth of investments. Now Masayoshi Son did tell the Wall Street Journal that the money would be coming from a fund which he announced back in October. So that was before the election, obviously.

This fund is a $100 billion fund in all. It's called the SoftBank vision fund, Rosemary. And its aim is really to invest in technology companies and startup technology companies, pretty much around the world.

It's not just SoftBank. Softbank is expected to put in about $25 billion of its own money. And a cornerstone investor is in fact the Saudi Arabian government. They're going to put in about 45 billion, we understand. The rest of the money is coming from other investors.

So that was already in the works. And if you are looking at investing in tech companies, in startup companies, obviously the U.S. would be a big target anyway because Silicon Valley is there, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Andrew, Mr. Trump also says this $50 billion investment will create 50,000 new jobs. How likely is it that these tens of thousands of jobs will eventuate? How is this new deal going to work exactly? And what's in it for SoftBank?

STEVENS: Well, first of all, we don't have details. So I can't give you hard facts about how this is all going to work. But investing in start-ups, and particularly in technology companies, it's not labor intensive, tech companies.

I said Silicon Valley is a pretty good place to start, and there are a lot of --- a lot of interesting opportunities I'm sure in that part of the tech world. Just on that note that a slightly different way, you'll notice that Masayoshi Son was waving around a piece of paper, Rosemary, and on that piece of paper was the name Foxconn along with SoftBank.

Now, Foxconn is a Taiwan-based company that makes iPhones in China. And that piece of paper as you see there, it had Foxconn, it's had that commit to investing $50 billion that may be the SoftBank, and then there's that 7 billion in the U.S., generating 50k jobs on the SoftBank deal and then that other 50k. That 7 billion and 50k on the right there, that could be a Foxconn contribution.

We don't know. So maybe that's being included. We just don't know at this stage. As far as what's in it for SoftBank, well, they are a tech investment company. I mean, their job is to sniff out bargains, invest in them early, and sell them and make a lot of money.

And he has been, Masayoshi Son, has been very, very successful in doing just that. He was a very early mover in investing in a small company at the time called Alibaba. That investment has grown from, you know, a couple of million dollars to tens of billions of dollars. So, this is what they do. And he has a track record of doing it very successfully, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, indeed. Well, still a lot we don't know about this but we're certainly forging ahead and trying to find out more. Andrew Stevens, joining us there from Hong Kong. Just after 4.15 in the afternoon. Many thanks.

Well, Donald Trump is calling for more aggressive national security, but U.S. President Barack Obama hopes his successor will keep his legacy intact. That story next on CNN NEWSROOM.

Plus, thousands of people in Texas protest a speech given by a controversial white nationalist. We'll have that when we come back. Stay with us.

[03:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We don't want people taking advantage of us anymore. We don't want countries taking advantage of us anymore. We don't want that. We don't want that. We want to be the smart people. We don't want to be what we've been over the last long period of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Welcome back. Well, Donald Trump there on his so-called thank you tour, vowing to take a much smarter approach to foreign policy than the Obama administration.

The president-elect says he plans to spend less time on military adventurism and more time fighting ISIS. Just hours earlier, President Barack Obama defended his anti-terror strategy. He didn't mention Mr. Trump by name, but he urged his successor to keep the terrorist threat in perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PRESIDENT: Adhering to the rule of law is not a weakness. In the long term it is our greatest strength. The whole objective of these terrorists is to scare us into changing the nature of who we are and our democracy. And the fact is people and nations do not make good decisions when they are driven by fear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: For more on Mr. Obama's defense of his anti-terror policies and how it compares with his successors we are joined now by Michael O'Hanlon. He is a senior fellow on foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington. Great to speak with you.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION FOREIGN POLICY SENIOR FELLOW: Nice to be with you tonight.

CHURCH: So, what do you see as the major and significant differences between Mr. Obama's approach and that of Mr. Trump's going forward?

O'HANLON: You know, I think the first thing to say is we don't really know much about what Mr. Trump will actually do once he's president. The second thing to say is despite all the campaign rhetoric it's not obvious that Trump's policy will be radically different than Obama's.

You know, both of them have been concentrating on the fight against Al Qaeda and ISIS. Not so interested in the internal dynamics of the Syrian civil war. Not so interested in nation building or peacekeeping from Syria to Libya to Yemen. I think there's a distinct possibility that there may be less change here than one might have expected.

[03:25:00] CHURCH: I think a lot of people watching across the globe would be surprised to hear you say that, because I did want to ask you how you thought the United States relationship with other nations would change, particularly in the Middle East, and most of us would think it would be quite a shift given what we've heard from Mr. Trump so far.

And of course, his approach of peace through strength, the echoes of Ronald Reagan there. Are we going to see a major shift take place? You don't seem to think so. So, why are we hearing him very much talk as if that's exactly what we're going to see happen?

O'HANLON: Well, first of all I don't know. And I don't think anybody knows. I'm not sure Mr. Trump knows yet what his policies will be in detail. Secondly, it's also important to say that this is going to be a work in progress.

And Barack Obama's policy over eight years have shifted a great deal towards the Middle East. He's gone from trying to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan to recognizing the United States, to try to use drones and commandos in various situations more effectively.

So, I think in every case you're going to have to allow for the possibility of a learning curve. And one would hope that.

I am not a supporter of Mr. Trump. I'm very concerned he's unprepared for the presidency. I'm relieved by some of the appointments he's made, especially General Mattis, but I think we have to say we just don't know how this will go.

But in terms of an ideological direction or a strong departure in one direction or another, I'm not sure we really see the basis for that conclusion just yet.

CHURCH: Quite extraordinary. Of course you mentioned retired General James Mattis now as the nominee for secretary of defense for Trump. But as a recently retired officer, General Mattis needs a waiver to leave the Pentagon. At his thank you rally, just a few hours ago, Donald Trump said Congress better approve one. Let's listen to what he said exactly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: What a great guy. He's going to be incredible. He'll get that waiver, right? He's going to get that. If he didn't get that waiver, there would be a lot of angry people. Such a popular choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Interesting wording there. How concerned are you about someone who has only recently retired from the military leading the Pentagon at this time?

O'HANLON: Well, I don't love what Mr. Trump just said and the clip that you used. I think it's time for Mr. Trump to realize he's no longer campaigning in the mode that he was this past year and he's trying to become the president of a unified country. At least those were the words he used right after he won. And I think he'd be well advised to remember what he said that week. In terms of General Mattis himself I'm a big supporter and I think

most Americans who are familiar with Mattis' career or know him personally would say the same thing. Most of the -- most of the response to Mattis's combination has been positive.

Because people who know Mattis realize this is actually one of our most intellectual generals we've got and that may come as a surprise to someone who's only heard the sound bites about, you know, the Pattonesque language, the killing of the enemy, et cetera.

And it's true that Mattis says those things. And for that reason he's pretty popular with the 18-year-old marines. But he's also a former commander at Central Command. He's also co-author of the Counterinsurgency manual with General David Petraeus.

The Counterinsurgency manual emphasizes the need for restraint and the use of force. The precedents of politics and economics over many security issues in dealing with complex military issues in places like the broader Middle East.

Overall, Mattis is going to be one of the best-read and most intellectually sophisticated secretaries of defense we've had. Former general or not.

CHURCH: Well, Michael O'Hanlon, thank you so much. We appreciate your perspective on this.

O'HANLON: Thank you.

CHURCH: And we'll take a very short break here. But next on CNN NEWSROOM, why a university in Texas says it was forced to host a speech given by a controversial white nationalist.

Plus, Angela Merkel was all about migrants and opening Germany's borders. Now she has a new policy which could impact those same people. Details on a possible ban on full face veils. We're back in a moment with that.

[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: And a warm welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. It is time to update you on the main stories we have been following this hour.

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 52 people in northwestern Indonesia. The Red Cross says many homes and buildings are damaged in Aceh province, forcing residents into the streets and temporary shelters. No tsunami warnings have been issued.

The Syrian rebels' last urban stronghold may be nearing collapse. There's no break in air strikes and artillery fire. Residents and activists say the Syrian army now controls about 75 percent of eastern Aleppo, including most of the neighborhoods in the old city.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump took his thank you tour to North Carolina Tuesday, a key battleground state in Trump's election win. At the rally he formally announced his pick for defense secretary, General James "Mad Dog" Mattis.

Well, Trump's (AUDIO GAP) may change the military relationship between the United States and some Asian nations.

Our Ivan Watson shows us which countries stand to win and lose.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In his campaign to become president, Donald Trump raised some serious questions about the future of U.S. defense cooperation in Asia. So let's take a look at the security umbrella that the U.S. has spread over this sprawling region ever since World War II.

The U.S. has signed collective defense agreements with six regional allies -- Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. The treaties say an attack on one of these countries would be a direct threat against the U.S. and it would be obliged to respond.

To support these treaties, U.S. Pacific command has some 380,000 troops and civilian personnel, around 2,400 aircraft, and approximately 200 war ships. They are deployed across a network of forward bases to better respond to potential crises including the Island of Guam, which is home to 30 different military commands.

For more than half a century the U.S. has also deployed troops at bases in Japan as well as in South Korea.

[03:35:01] But in his campaign Trump suggested this might be about to change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: At some point we have to say you know what, we're better off if Japan protects itself against this maniac in North Korea, we're better off frankly if South Korea is going to start to protect itself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: So, who stands to gain if the U.S. pulls back on its commitments in Asia? First of all, North Korea with its massive army. It periodically tests nuclear weapons. And its frequent long-range missile launch tests, which are a direct threat to the U.S. and its allies.

And then there's North Korea's traditional ally China, which has a standing military of more than 2 million active service members. In recent years it laid claim to virtually all of the South China Sea, and it has expanded its military presence there.

And don't forget Russia. With its Pacific navy fleet headquartered in the port of Vladivostok. For decades the U.S. has provided security guarantees across this vast region. Now both allies and rivals will be closely watching to see if that's about to change.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: Iran poses another challenge to President-elect Trump and its leaders are delivering a warning. President Hassan Rouhani says Tehran will not let Trump rip up its nuclear deal with Washington and other world powers.

During his campaign, Trump called the deal one of the worst ever negotiated and pledged to rework it. Iran is also warning the U.S. not to extend economic sanctions.

Let's turn to Texas now and thousands of people protested a white nationalist speaking engagement Tuesday at a prominent university.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROWD CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Richard Spencer was invited to speak at Texas A&M by a man who lives in the town and graduated from the school, and since it's a public university, school officials say they could not prevent him from speaking on campus.

Now, Richard Spencer is an American white nationalist known for promoting white supremacist, anti-Semitic, and racist views. The 38- year-old is president of the think-tank national policy institute as well as Washington Summit Publishers, an independent publishing firm.

He recently held a conference for the National Policy Institute in Washington where Donald Trump's election win was met with Nazi salutes.

Now, before Richard Spencer spoke at Texas A&M our Gary Tuchman met with the man who invited him on campus. He also spoke to some of Spencer's opponents. Both sides had strong feelings about the white nationalist.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the man who invited white nationalist Richard Spencer to speak at Texas A&M University. Preston Wiginton knows it will be controversial. He knows most people don't want this event to take place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: What do you think of Richard Spencer?

PRESTON WIGINTON, POLITICAL ACTIVIST: I think he has some valid points.

RICHARD SPENCER, NATIONAL POLICY INSTITUTE PRESIDENT: Hail Trump! Hail our people! Hail victory.

TUCHMAN: The Nazi-era wording. The Nazi-era imagery at this gathering in Washington, D.C. upsetting to so many people. Wiginton, a political activist who lives in Texas, says he doesn't agree with all of Spencer's views but he certainly does some of them.

Do you think this is a white nation?

WIGINTON: I think it was at one time and I think that the reaction of Trump being elected and the reaction that's going on with the alt- right being popular is the reaction to it declining being a white nation.

TUCHMAN: Wiginton says he doesn't like to label himself but says he is sympathetic to the point of view of the so-called alt-right, a relatively new term for what in the past were simply called white supremacists.

WIGINTON: Why would I want to see America become less white? Why would I want to be displaced and marginalize?

(CROSSTALK)

TUCHMAN: Here's the thing.

WIGINTON: Only people with a mental illness want to be displaced and marginalized.

TUCHMAN: But here's the thing. You and people like you have this hang-up about the color of people's skin. What's the difference what color people's skin are? What matters is the kind of people they are. So, why does it matter the pigment of their skin?

WIGINTON: It's not just pigment.

TUCHMAN: What is it?

WIGINTON: Well, people's behavior. People's I.Q. People evolve over different times in different places...

(CROSSTALK)

TUCHMAN: OK. There are lots of white people with low I.Q.'s. There are lots of black people with high I.Q.'s. There are lots of red people with low I.Q.'s and high I.Q.'s. Everyone's different. You're stereotype. And so my question is...

(CROSSTALK)

WIGINTON: Better the devil I know than the devil I don't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Texas A&M does not want this event to happen and has officially rejected Richard Spencer's views but says it cannot ban the event because this is a public university. A number of students who oppose Spencer's visit have organized what is expected to be a large demonstration. They pledge to keep it peaceful.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NICHOLAS MEINDL, TEXAS A&M GRADUATE STUDENT: We have a responsibility to take measured action to counter white nationalism, white supremacy.

[03:40:01] WIGINTON: Yes, I think there's going to be outside agitators by all means.

TUCHMAN: Wiginton, who is a former A&M student, is mentioned on the web site of the Southern Poverty Center, a monitor of hate groups, which says he has declared he wants to prevent the populations of white nations from becoming what he has termed a homogenous muddle of sludge.

Wiginton says he was misquoted but doesn't deny the point of the quote and says there is a way to make America more white.

WIGINTON: A ban on immigration if not a strict curb on immigration. I don't think that you can bring Somalians into America and expect them to assimilate. It's a completely different culture. It just didn't happen.

TUCHMAN: But some Somalians can, right?

WIGINTON: I would be very selective on that. I think we just freely let too many of anybody into America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: So that's what prejudice is, though. You're saying they should all not come.

WIGINTON: Well, you know, when you met...

(CROSSTALK)

TUCHMAN: There are bad people -- there are bad people who absolutely should not be in this country from all nationalities, all creeds, all religions. But by saying that all Somalis shouldn't come here, isn't that being a bigot?

WIGINTON: Sometimes maybe being a bigot is wise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, college station, Texas.

CHURCH: Authorities in Bolivia have arrested the head of Lamia Airlines, the charter airline that owned the plane that crashed last week in Colombia. Two other employees were also taken into custody.

Seventy one people were killed when the plane went down last Monday. Many of the victims were members of a Brazilian football team. The plane was apparently low on fuel and had no power.

Well, Germany's leader wants a change in her country. Up next, why Angela Merkel proposes a ban on full face veils.

Plus, a popular TV host gives Madonna's latest dance moves a failing grade. We're back in a moment with that and more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well, some Muslim women in Germany may have to full go their full face veils. Chancellor Angela Merkel wants them banned. She told her party's conference on Tuesday they do not belong in Germany.

The chancellor is facing a rough election next year. Mrs. Merkel's open border policy for refugees mostly from the Middle East has not been very popular.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (TRANSLATED): We have to show our face during personal communication, which is important. And that is why the full veil is not appropriate here. It should be forbidden wherever that is legally possible. It does not belong to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Many countries are taking a stand against full face veils for Islamic women. They've been instituting bans or partial bans against wearing the garments.

Six countries shown here in red have banned the full social coverings completely including Belgium and France. Some cities and regions have chosen to ban them even though their countries have not.

[03:44:58] Now, that includes cities in Spain, Switzerland, China, and Russia, and some countries here in orange have banned them in certain places such as schools and government offices.

Four countries, including Egypt and Germany, are considering laws to ban full face veils.

So, let's go to Berlin for more on this. And joining me now is Julian Reichelt, editor in chief for the German newspaper Bild. Thank you so much for being with us. So, how likely is it that Germany can legally enforce this proposed ban in the country?

JULIAN REICHELT, BILD NEWSPAPER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Well, it remains to be seen what our highest court would say and how they would rule on a possible -- on a possible initiative by the chancellor.

What can be said so far is that there has been an agreement from most parties or from America's coalition to already ban the burqa or a full view, which would also include a niqab in certain places, in certain public places.

So, Merkel didn't really go far beyond what has already been agreed on. So, chancellor are looking very good that she will easily get a majority for her proposal.

CHURCH: Interesting. And it is worth pointing out that Angela Merkel welcomed migrants and refugees into her country when other nations turned their backs on them. But the people of Germany were not happy with her immigration policies, were they? So, how are people responding now to this apparent change of heart?

REICHELT: Well, Merkel is going into a very difficult election campaign and a very difficult year trying to get re-elected and she has obviously realized that many people, even those who have agreed with her policies, have not agreed with how she has approached the whole issue of integrating all those refugees coming here, many of them with a Muslim background.

And after quite a dramatic murder case in the past days where a 19- year-old woman was raped and murdered by someone with a background from Afghanistan who came to Germany as a refugee from Afghanistan, it seems that Angela Merkel was looking for some sort of a strong symbol, a strong sign that she will weigh in and, you know, prevent this country from changing.

That is -- that is what many people fear. That many people fear that the culture of this country will change the way that people look at women will change.

So, Merkel was kind of looking for the strongest possible symbol and chose a combination of the strongest possible symbol and the easiest way for her because again, this has already been agreed on and banning this kind of -- this kind of thing is a strong symbol to many in Germany.

And many in Germany consider the burqa and the niqab something they do not want in their society, they want to look at people's faces when you talk to them. So, agreement on this -- on this gesture by Angela Merkel should be very high. That is what we are seeing from popular response.

So, it has been a very strong symbol of Merkel has chosen here to get herself through a very difficult and challenging election campaign.

CHURCH: Yes, this seems to be the motivation, doesn't it? To sway the right wing of Merkel's party, convince voters to support her as she seeks this fourth four-year term as Germany's chancellor in an election expected September 2017 or so, right? But will she have to go further than this? This isn't going to be enough for a lot of people, surely.

REICHELT: This certainly will be -- will not be enough. I believe this is the start of a campaign, a recalibrating and readjustment campaign of her earlier policies. She stopped short of backing away from her policies. She said a situation like last year when hundreds of thousands of refugees came into Germany must not, cannot, and should not be repeated.

She didn't say that her policy shouldn't be repeated. So, she basically just described the overall general situation with so many desperate people coming here and staying away from her own policy.

But she will have to adjust parts of her policy, and especially she will have to adjust the tone of her policy and how she describes her policy to her electorate, but also how she addresses people who are coming to this country and what she basically demands from them in exchange for offering them shelter and refuge. And I think we're going to see a huge readjustment over the next month.

CHURCH: All right. Julian Reichelt, thank you so much for joining us. We do appreciate it.

We'll take a short break here, but next on CNN NEWSROOM a preview of the Grammy nominations and which artist received the most this year. And why a popular TV host is shaken by Madonna's latest dance moves. We'll explain when we come back.

[03:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Beyonce leads the way for the next Grammy awards. The pop superstar picked up nine nominations on Tuesday and she's the first artist to earn nods in the pop, rock, R&B, and rap categories in the same year.

Adele is also up for three of the top awards, including record, song, and album of the year. David Bowie's final album, Blackstar, got several nominations but it missed out on an album of the year nod. The Grammys, by the way, are in February.

Well, pop singer Madonna has never been afraid of pushing the envelope. She's doing it again with a new twerk-filled performance on late-night TV. But at least one critic thinks she should stick to the dance floor.

Jeanne Moos reports.

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: James Corden takes Madonna for a spin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CORDEN, ACTOR: Do you mind if we listen to some music? Would that be okay?

MADONNA, SINGER-SONGWRITER: I don't really like running around in a car unless there's music.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: But Madonna didn't just ride shotgun. She twerked it.

[03:55:02] It's a wonder she didn't set off the air bag. Well, actually, she did set off an air bag of sorts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love Madonna.

PIERS MORGAN, BRITISH JOURNALIST: Oh, she makes my skin crawl.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: On Good Morning Britain former CNN-er Piers Morgan called 58- year-old Madonna's twerking utterly embarrassing, a train wreck. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Oh, God! Sorry. I feel slightly nauseous. Sorry. Has someone got a bucket? Hang on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: But Madonna fans are sick of Piers. "Madonna is an icon, he's a grumpy old man," commented one. Tweeted another, "people don't disappear after a certain age. Look at you, meaning Piers."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Put it away. Seriously.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: Responded another Madonna supporter, "I didn't know older women weren't allowed to have fun, make fun of themselves, poke around and have a gay old time."

Madonna's rear came to the forefront recently. When she twerk with Ariana Grande. "Thank you for showing me your freshly purchased and installed buttocks, Madonna," wrote one commenter.

From J. Lo to Adele -- carpool karaoke has featured everyone from Justin Bieber, to Stevie Wonder. But no one delivered quite like Madonna.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

CHURCH: You don't disappear after a certain age. Love that comment. Thanks for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Remember, you can connect with me anytime on Twitter @rosemarycnn. There's more news ahead with Max Foster in London. Have yourselves a wonderful day.

[04:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)