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Warning Alarm Sets Off Japan; A Widespread Hunger in Caribbean Islands After Irma; Russia Hits ISIS Both With Air and Ground Power; North Korea Stands Firm; Myanmar's Leader Under Pressure for Violence in the Country; Trump Signs Resolution to Stop Violence; Mnuchin Using Government Planes for Personal Use. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired September 15, 2017 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00] NATALIE ALLEN, HOST, CNN: A terrifying wake up call, warning sirens in Japan after yet another ballistic missile launch from North Korea. This comes as South Korea's president talks to CNN about why his country will not develop nuclear weapons.
Plus, dealing with Irma's aftermath. The plea for help from some of the hard-hit islands in the Caribbean.
Welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Natalie Allen. And this is CNN Newsroom live from CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
Our top stories just days after the U.N. imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea, Pyongyang has responded by firing off another missile. This was its 22nd launch just this year. For the second one in less than a month, this one flew over Japan.
Since mid-February, Pyongyang has conducted a missile test on average every 10 days. On July 4th, North Korea test-fired its first-ever intercontinental ballistic missile.
South Korea immediately responded to Friday's provocation with a live fire drill. It even conducted its own missile launch while the North Korean missile was still in the air.
And that eerie sound, well, as North Korean flew over Japan more than 700 kilometers above authorities sounded an alarm known as a J-alert. Residents were also warned to stay away from anything that could be missile debris.
The newest missile launch comes just 12 days after Pyongyang detonated its most powerful nuclear device today which led to the latest international sanctions.
We have correspondents standing by across the region to bring us the latest. Phil Black in Tokyo, Paula Hancocks is in Seoul and Matt Rivers in Beijing. Let's begin with you, Phil, for the reaction in Japan. Japan sent off those sirens to its citizens, does the government consider this a direct threat from North Korea?
PHIL BLACK, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Natalie, the authorities here say they identified pretty quickly that this missile was not a direct threat to Japanese territory. But they were worried about the possibility of falling debris which is why they let off those sirens, and why vast numbers of people across the north of Japan received those text messages warning them that a missile was in the air and that they should seek shelter indoors if they can.
Now, the officials here say they believed the missile that was fired is the same type of missile that North Korea fired over Japan around the end of August along a similar sort of path, except in this case it went even further, traveled some 3,700 kilometers, more than 2,200 miles.
That distance, that range is significant because, well, the officials here speculate that it's North Korea's showing that if they wanted to fire that missile in a southerly direction, again over Japan, well, they could place one down in the vicinity of the U.S. territory of Guam, which is something that North Korea has threatened to do.
Something that the United States has suggested would be a step too far, and something that no one in this region really wants to see because there is a broad understanding that it could increase tensions dramatically, even more provocatively and significantly raise the possibility of military conflict.
Now, since the missile splashed down, what we've been hearing from the Japanese government has been very stern denunciations of this test. It's unacceptable. They want it to stop. They're demanding international unity and they're going to take their case to the United Nations Security Council.
But the reality for the Japanese authorities at the moment is that that is the most they can do in trying to stop North Korea from continuing to develop and show off this missile capability. Natalie?
ALLEN: Phil Black there in Tokyo, we thank you. Let' go live now to Paula Hancocks in Seoul, South Korea. Paula, some now in South Korea are saying they may want to consider tactical nuclear weapons in their country. How unusual is that stance for citizens, and how popular?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, Natalie, just a year ago this is something that was barely even mentioned. It was a very small minority. It's still a minority; you consider the need for South Korea to have tactical nuclear weapons. But certainly that voice is growing.
There's now an opposition party that has picked up the battle and they are saying that this is what is necessary.
I did speak to the South Korean President, Moon Jae-in on Thursday, and I asked him about this and he said quietly simply no, he did not think that it was necessary to have a nuclear weapons program here in South Korea or tactical weapons. Saying that it wouldn't maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula, and also pointing out that it could spark a nuclear arms race in northeast Asia, when you consider that other countries would then think they would like their own nuclear weapons as well.
[03:05:06] And experts are very clear about it here in South Korea, saying how can you ask North Korea to denuclearize when you're re- nuclearizing South Korea that were Americans has actually nuclear weapons here back in the 80's and 90's but then they were taken away.
But what Mr. Moon said that the military capabilities in South Korea have to be improved. We saw today that South Korea had a military response to that missile launch from the North. Live fire drill which actually took place just about six minutes after that launch.
South Korea launched two missiles of their own. One failed shortly after launch and fell into the waters off the east coast. But the other one they say was successful and they say it could have hit the area where these North Korean missiles were launched from, just in Pyongyang.
So it was a very clear message to North Korea that they have the capability to react quickly when North Korea fires these kinds of missiles if they believe that they are in any kind of danger. Natalie?
ALLEN: Paula Hancocks, as always bringing us the perspective from South Korea. We thank you.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is calling on China and Russia to apply pressure on North Korea. He wrote in a statement, "China supplies North Korea with most of its oil. Russia is the largest employer of North Korean force labor. China and Russia must indicate their intolerance for these reckless missile launches by taking direct actions of their own."
Let's find out if that's a possibility at least where Beijing is concerned. Our Matt Rivers joins us from there with the Chinese perspective on all of this. Matt, hello.
MATT RIVERS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Hello, Natalie. Well, the odds of the Chinese doing something further than what they have already done, according to the experts we're speaking with here in this part of the world, is pretty small.
What Rex Tillerson was directly referring to in that statement is what didn't happen in the latest round of sanctions that came out of the U.N. Security Council after North Korea's latest nuclear test.
The original draft resolution that was circulated by the United States to the members of the Security Council called for a complete embargo of all oil exports to North Korea. The U.S. believes that that would cripple the regime's ability to continue to fuel its weapons ambitions.
But the Chinese said that that was nonstarter. It is in the Chinese view that doing so could potentially make the regime collapse. It could cause political calamity in North Korea. And as of this point, the Chinese are saying, look, we are not comfortable with the collapse of this regime, we don't think that is the way out.
And so the Chinese said that was a nonstarter. The sanctions were watered down and passed as a result of them taking away that oil embargo. So that was after a nuclear test, Natalie, which you could easily argue is more provocative than the test that happened early this morning. So, if the Chinese were not willing to impose an oil embargo on
exports to North Korea after a nuclear test, that many experts are saying, well, why would they do that after merely a missile test?
ALLEN: OK. What has been China's reaction to President Trump, suggesting the U.S. may in trade with any country supporting North Korea?
RIVERS: I think generally speaking, looking at that specific rhetoric, the Chinese know that that's not going to happen because it would have catastrophic consequences. Not only for the Chinese economy, but for the United States economy.
Those are the -- it's the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world. So just ending trade all together isn't really an option. What the Chinese are concerned about though, are things like secondary sanctions, the U.S. could bring to bear on Chinese banks and individuals, they've done so before who are doing a business with North Korea. That could have an impact.
And the other thing the Trump administration has signaled a willingness to do is tie issues of trade overall with issues of national security. So could the Trump administration threaten, say, tariffs on steel imports to the United States from China unless China plays ball on North Korea.
That is something the Trump administration has signaled is a possibility although they haven't done that yet. But those kind of things, those real world instances, consequences, that's what the Chinese government is concerned about.
ALLEN: All right. Matt Rivers, we thank you as well. All of our correspondents there in the region who have brought us different aspects of this story. Thank you.
So, just how far is the reach of the North Korean ICBM? David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists calculates that if they fire a missile at a standard trajectory, it could have a range of 10,400 kilometers. The rotation of the earth also increases the range of missiles fired eastward.
That means a missile could easily strike Los Angeles, Denver, or Chicago. It may even be able to reach Boston and New York. And would probably fall just short of Washington, D.C.
[03:10:02] Chilling to think about. Joining me to talk me more about North Korea's missile program is Kazuto Suzuki, he is professor of public policy at Hokkaido University and joins us via Skype from Hokkaido. Thank you so much, sir, for joining us.
The missile flew over your island, and sirens - sirens went off again. The government issued the J-alert. First, I want to ask you, what does it feel like to be experiencing something like that with these sirens in 2017?
KAZUTO SUZUKI, PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC POLICY, HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY: Well, this is the second in two weeks. And it seems to be we were expecting that something this would happen sometime soon. But it was kind of a shock that it was only two weeks. But we got the siren. And then, you know, the sounds were quite familiar. So with that call, it's coming, no, not again. That was sort of the initial feeling.
ALLEN: I can imagine. Yes, as you say, the second time in two weeks that North Korea has launched a missile over Japan. Why suddenly are they doing this to Japan.
SUZUKI: Well, it's not to Japan. I think it's over Japan.
ALLEN: Right.
SUZUKI: They were trying to have a maximum range to 3,700 kilometers. And that was the -- in order to do so, they have to cross the Japanese islands anyway. And I think they were flying over these populous region of the islands. And I think it seems that North Korea is taking a sort of a cautious approach of not making any sort of a collateral damages to the Japanese islands.
ALLEN: Yes. And the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are calling for an emergency meeting at the U.N. Security Council. What more can the world do at this point? Sanctions certainly have not worked to deter North Korea.
SUZUKI: Yes. I think what the world can do is to put more military pressure in order to make sure that whatever they do they would get the certain responses from the international community and not just the sanctions, but also if they attack and that they cause harm to somebody, then they will get the same thing.
ALLEN: What kind of military pressure are you talking about?
SUZUKI: I don't necessarily say, you know, there should be a military strike but there should be a readiness of getting into that, so I think that the classic deterrence, namely sending up aircraft carriers, and placing the strategic bombers are the sort of an options but I don't think that it is -- it is at this point not wise to bring the American pass code nuclear forces into South Korea or Japan.
ALLEN: Well, we areciate your thoughts, sir, Kazuto Suzuki for us. Thank you so much for joining us.
SUZUKI: Thank you. Thank you, ma'am.
ALLEN: Coming up here, don't forget about us. Thousands of people are desperate after hurricane Irma ripped through their homes. We'll hear how they're trying to rebuild their lives. That's coming next.
Plus, hurricane Irma is finished, but my Cubans remain at risk. We'll tell you how the storm's impact still threatens that island, ahead here. You're watching CNN Newsroom.
[03:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: Days after hurricane Irma, people in the Caribbean say they can barely recognize their homes and they're desperately asking the world, don't forget us. The island of St. Martin has been left devastated. There is still no power. I think that video right there tells the story.
Food and water are running low and there is little sanitation. Looting has become an issue as police struggle to restore law and order. Major international help is yet to arrive in the Caribbean islands. That as U.S. President Donald Trump arrive in Naples, Florida to meet victims of the storm Thursday. He plans on visiting Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands next.
The U.S. forces and volunteers are trickling into the islands bringing aid and security, but many residents are evacuating leaving their shattered lives behind.
Our CNN teams have been across the Caribbean covering the storm's devastating aftermath. Earlier, our Sara Sidner spoke with residents on St. John Island. Here's her report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: This is or was a famous historic lookout point. It's the Chateau Bordeaux restaurant where tourists and residents like to spend time taking a looked at the beautiful views here in St. John. Well, those views are gone.
LEAH RANDALL, ST. JOHN RESIDENT: We're supposed to be America's paradise and look what it looks like.
SIDNER: Leah Randall road out hurricane Irma in a hurricane bunker with her fiance when she emerge from safety she was all struck at the view of their beloved island of St. John.
RANDALL: I don't think people understand the level of devastation that we have here. We feel like we were living in a war zone in a nuclear bomb went off.
SIDNER: Now the shock of it all is subsiding.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry about (Inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know. I know.
SIDNER: And the tears are beginning to flow as neighbor greets neighbor to commiserate. For Leah and her fiance the storm snatched away their charter business and their dream home. A wooden boat named Buxom 2.
RANDALL: It's unreal to think -- anyway, sorry. I mean, they're all the stuff we had on there is gone. We only had like three suit cases.
SIDNER: From the ground, it's clear things are bad here. But once you get higher on the island, the true scope of the devastation comes into focus. There is damage just about everywhere, and it's not just homes that are damaged, but take a look at the infrastructure. Nearly every light pole is pushed over in some way. Not a single one
standing up straight. Kind residents offered to drive us from Coral Bay to Cruise Bay on the other side of the island. For a time, the scene just kept getting worse and worse at every turn.
Johnny B has lived on St. John for 20 years. Life he says is easy here and laid back.
JOHNNY B., ST. JOHN RESIDENT: I got to make a choice, you know? I mean, this is a hard -- it's going to be a hard way of life compared to what it was for 20 years.
SIDNER: Then the storm hit. The next day, chaos ensued. What happened in the first day or days after the storm that surprised you or disturbed you?
JOHNNY B: Looting. A lot of people I didn't expect to do it were doing it. And it wasn't time for desperation yet. It was the day after, you know. There was no reason for it. I think it was grossly -- it was just gross.
SIDNER: Police have now moved in to quell the security issue. But the most needed supplies are still just trickling in a week after hurricane Irma.
In Coral Bay, most of the supplies are shipped in by private individuals from St. Croix. Just about everyone need something here including the famous wild donkeys of St. John. They, too, are survivors of the storm left to forge what little vegetation is left.
JOHNNY B: It's just disbelief, you know. It's hard to believe. We all lost something in this storm, you know. But a lot of people lost everything.
SIDNER: Life used to be easy on this island, very laid back, and now people realize just how hard their lives have gotten. And people who were asking what is it that we can so to help St. John and some of these other islands dealing with this devastation?
[03:20:07] Well, they need things like generators because power is completely gone here. It's dark. They also need a communication tower so they can actually try and get supplies in and out and the things that they need. But those things are hard to come by on this little tiny island.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: That was Sara Sidner reporting for us from St. John. Let's talk more now about what is being done to help those affected by the storm.
Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett joins me from St. Croix. She represents the U.S. Virgin Islands. Congressman, thank you for talking with us.
STACEY PLASKETT, (D) UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE: Thank you so much for having me. ALLEN: Sure. We just saw another story of utter devastation. You've
seen it for yourself. What can you share with us about what you saw?
PLASKETT: Well, you know, the Virgin Islands are several islands. I happen to be on St. Croix right now. I've been on the ground on St. Thomas and went over to St. John.
What was really striking to me was the fact that as I was going over there with private citizens who are using the waterways between the islands, not only to bring provisions back and forth, but also to bring people who are leaving St. Thomas and St. John.
And as they're going in this almost flotilla of other boats to the islands St. Thomas or St. John, the massive boats that we saw with the navy there, the navy has positioned destroyers. The ospreys and other helicopters are coming back and forth to bring provisions.
Go into the beautiful Cruise Bay to see the amount of destruction was just almost heartbreaking. You know, you kind of your heart drops (Inaudible). But once we're on land, the amount of resilience and the self-organization of people of St. John, the people of St. Thomas and St. Croix, and making sure that people are well was just amazing and heartwarming. It just made me so proud to be a Virgin Islander.
ALLEN: We did have a gentleman in that report by Sara Sidner John from St. John, who said that his laid back life will be hard now when it was always so easy. What is your message to people who are disillusioned and scared about their future?
PLASKETT: Listen, the Virgin Islands has been through a number of hurricane. All we're looking right now is that the federal government, which has done a tremendous job of being embedded in the Virgin Islands during the storm and the immediate aftermath, there are most 2,000 members of the federal government, whether they be FBI, DOD, FEMA that are here on the ground.
It's my job to make sure in working with Virgin Islanders, that we are not forgotten and the packages and the tax relief packages and the additional supplemental and the infrastructure bills.
Historically, Virgin Islands are not treated the same as the rest of the states when it comes to these packages, when it comes to basic needs. And so it's our job to continue to fight for that.
ALLEN: Well, we thank you so much for joining us. And we so hope that the people in the U.S. Virgin Islands get the help they need and quickly because we know power could be out for months there. Water is limited, and food is limited.
PLASKETT: Yes.
ALLEN: It's so important that people come to their aid and thank you for the work that you're doing, congresswoman. Thank you so much.
So, you just heard the need. So, if you would like to find out how you can help, go to cnn.com/impact. We have a list of vetted charities that can use your help your donations.
We have this just in to CNN. Police in Paris say a man is under arrest after he attacked a soldier with a knife. It happened at a metro station. The soldier tackled the man and arrested him. No one was injured. Officials say the soldier is part of the operation Sentinelle anti-terror patrol. We'll give you more details as we get them.
Now, the fight against ISIS, using its air and ground power, Russia says 85 percent of Syria is now back in the Syrian government's hands.
Our Fred Pleitgen reports from aboard a Russian frigate in the Mediterranean Sea.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: This is what it looks like when Russia's Navy takes aim at ISIS. Seven cruise missiles launched from subs in the Mediterranean Sea. The military saying they hit ISIS positions near Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria.
"As result of the strikes command post rate, as well fighters and ammunition depots all of it in the southeast of Deir ez-Zor," he says.
The Russian army also provided this video it says shows the impact of the caliber cruise missiles. The Russians say they're fighting ISIS from the sea as well with cruise missiles like the ones that we've seen launched from a submarine but also launched from ships like this one traveling hundreds of miles to try and hit targets in the east of Syria.
[03:25:05] Almost two years here launching their military campaign in Syria Russia believes it's on the verge of crushing ISIS in a key part of the country. They showed us the high paced air operations at their base in western Syria.
The Syrian army has been making major gains around Deir ez-Zor controlled by ISIS for more than three years with Russian airpower playing a major role commander says.
"In the past weeks Syrian troops have made major strides in the eastern and central parts of the country," he says, "the result of the fight against ISIS is that 85 percent of the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic has been liberated."
The west has accused Russia of heavy indiscriminate warfare leading to many civilian casualties. Moscow denies the allegations. Russia says its working on local ceasefires to end the bloodshed like here north of the city of Homs, where we were taken on an embed with Russian military.
The Army said it's guaranteeing a ceasefire between the Syrian military and rebels and also delivers aid to people inside the besieged rebel areas.
The Russian says they run convoys like this one about two to three times every week. But I mean, just look at the people they are fighting for the aid for the aid that's coming off that truck. You can see just how big the need is in this part of Syria. Tea, flour, packed meat (Ph), and some canned goods all produced in Russia. That's the ration they hand out. The Russian say they're trying to broker more ceasefires like this one as their forces continue a relentless bombing campaign that many say was the main factor in turning the tide in Syria's Civil War.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, aboard the frigate Admiral Essen in the Mediterranean Sea.
ALLEN: North Korea sends another message to the world with another missile test. CNN's conversation with the South Korean president on where to go from here. We'll have that just ahead.
Also, a global champion for peace seemingly standing by as hundreds of people are murdered within her country's own border. We'll have more on Myanmar's embattled leader, coming up here on CNN Newsroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: Welcome back. And thanks for watching. I'm Natalie Allen.
Let's update you on our top stories this hour here at CNN.
Drone footage over the Caribbean island of St. Martin paint a haunting picture of life after hurricane Irma. Survivors there are desperate for food, water, medicine, communication, and security. With garbage piling up in the street and most sanitation facility still close. Fears of disease are adding to the misery.
[03:30:08] Millions of Florida residents are still without power after hurricane Irma. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Naples, Florida to assess the damaged there. The White House says Mr. Trump is also planning to visit affected areas in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Hours after North Korea threaten to sink Japan, Pyongyang flew a missile over the country for the second time in three weeks. It's North Korea first missile launch since it tested a hydrogen bomb earlier this month.
The international reaction has been fierce particularly from South Korea which fired a missile of its own in response. Seoul says it's capable of reaching the North Korean lopsided that this list.
And in Japan wailing sirens alerting the public in case of falling debris or worse. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called an emergency meeting at the U.N. Security Council that back home people are unsettled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It is very scary the path of the missile goes over Japan so I'm concerned as to what may happen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): My home is in Hokkaido and when I look at the path of the missile it looks like it is flying over that area and that is very scary. If the missile doesn't fall into the sea and falls somewhere else I wonder what will happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Pyongyang is making steady progress towards becoming an intercontinental nuclear power. In 2012, North Korea launched two long-range rockets the first broke apart and fell into the sea but later that year it successfully launch a satellite.
In August last year Pyongyang successfully fired a submarine base missile, meaning it could strike even if its land-based arsenal was destroyed. A solid fuel missile test came in February; this can be lost on short notice making them harder for enemies to spot.
In March, North Korea fired four missiles simultaneously, a capability that could potentially for missile defense systems. May saw the launch of the missile with an estimated range of 4,000 kilometers within range of the U.S. territory of Guam.
In July, Pyongyang claim two successful test of an ICBM. And in August, North Korea fired an intermediate range missile that flew over Japan.
South Korea had a vested interest in stopping Pyongyang from going any further.
Our Paula Hancocks joins me now live from Seoul with more about their concerns. Paula?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Hello, Natalie. Well, certainly the closest target to North Korea this is what Seoul has always long considered itself knowing that there are many artillery batteries along the border pointing towards to Seoul towards this way.
So I ask the president of South Korea, Moon Jae-in on Thursday about the threat that South Korea was facing and also about what kind of retaliation South Korea could come up with. And first, mentioned just how incredible the progress from North Korea has been in recent months it set before this Friday morning launched but just after the sixth nuclear test.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOON JAE-IN, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA (through translator): North Korea continues to make very wrong decisions so I'm very frustrated and I'm saddened to see this. It's a very reckless choice made by North Korea that is not helpful to North Korea itself or inter-Korean relations and threatens world peace.
HANCOCKS: Kim Jong-un has stated he will never give up his nuclear weapons. It is part of state ideology, he's written into the Constitution. Do you truly believe that you can convince Kim Jong-unto to give up nuclear weapons?
JAE-IN (through translator): I believe maybe North Korea through its development of its nuclear program wants to guarantee a regime security and maybe North Korea through being accepted as nuclear power state wants to sit down at the negotiating table with the U.S. for North Korean/ U.S. normalization.
However, the international community will never accept a nuclear North Korea, and in particular, my country will never accept a nuclear North Korea.
HANCOCKS: Now, Mr. President, South Korea relies on the United States for the nuclear umbrella for the protection from Washington, but now United States is potentially a threat from North Korea as well. Is it time for South Korea to have its own nuclear weapons?
JAE-IN (through translator): We need to develop our military capabilities in face of North Korea's nuclear advancement. I do not agree that South Koreans need to develop of our own nuclear weapons or relocate tactical nuclear weapons in the face of North Korea's nuclear threat.
[03:35:09] To respond to North Korea by having our own nuclear weapons will not maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and could to a nuclear arms race in Northeast Asia.
HANCOCKS: And Mr. President, we've certainly seen a stronger military response from South Korea to the North Korean tests, the long-range missile tests, the decapitation drills. I mean, does South Korea have an assassination squad that's ready to take Kim Jong-un if need be?
JAE-IN (through translator): South Korea and the U.S. have firm combined defense capabilities to neutralize the threat in the early stage if North Korea actually make nuclear or missile provocation. However, we do not have a hostile policy towards North Korea. We do not have the intention to attack North Korea, and we do not have the intention to reunify the Korean Peninsula in an artificial way or in the manner of absorption.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANCOCKS: Now I also ask the president about the sanctions the fact those sanctions are just passed through the United Nations Security Council he said that they were unprecedented, he supported them.
But the fact that they didn't call for a complete restriction and on the export of crude oil back to North Korea just a cap on that , he said if North Korea carried on with its provocations which clearly today it has they could go back to the U.N. and trying tighten that up.
Presently Moon was one of the ones that wanted to see a full ban on crude oil exports into North Korea. Natalie?
ALLEN: Hancocks, thank you for that and for that interview for us.
And a programming note. Remember to make sure to watch CNN's exclusive look inside North Korea like you have never seen it before. Our own will Ripley who's been to North Korea more than a dozen times to report will take us there, the special report air several times this weekend. The United Nations is seeking massive help to stop what they call an ethnic cleansing campaign against Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims. Up to 400,000 have fled across the border to Bangladesh triggering an immediate humanitarian crisis. There are not nearly enough supplies or shelter for such staggering numbers, and if nothing is done many of those people could die.
Top diplomats from the U.S. and Britain say the violent must end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REX TILLERSON, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: This violence must stop. This persecution must stop. It's been characterize by many as ethnic cleansing. That must stop. And we need the support of Aung San Suu Kyi and her leadership, but also be very clear and unequivocal to the military share -- our sharing in that government that this is acceptable.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: I view that my admiration of what she stood for and the way she fought for a democracy, but I think it's not vital for her to use the moral cap and authority to make the point about the suffering of the people of Rakhine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Faint praise from those two leaders for Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, once hailed as a human rights hero the Nobel laureate is facing stern criticism for her inaction over the violence in her country.
Our Nima Elbagir has this profile.
NIMA ELBAGIR, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Humanities heroine a light in the dark or just simply the lady. Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi sacrifice not just her life fighting for what she believes in. The daughter of a revolutionary leader who was assassinated after fighting for independence from British rule.
She nearly spent nearly two decades under house arrest as a political prisoner. Barred from seeing her children grew up, and her husband dying of cancer. Her dedication for human rights and democracy had time in captivity inspired her country and won her a landslide election victory in 2015.
Internationally she was also recognize with a Nobel Peace Prize and became known as Asia's Mandela. But now the prize and her halo have been punished. She was criticized for her silence over her country's crucial crackdown on the minority Rohingya Muslim population in Rakhine State, which the U.N. describes as a textbook ethnic cleansing.
Fellow Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus Grameen has called on her to speak her conscience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) [03:39:59] MUHAMMAD YUNUS, NOBEL LAUREATE: I'm very disappointed. She is an icon of the whole world. She stood for democracy. She worked for people. She put a lot of sacrifices. And the whole world was behind her. They wanted to see her dreams come true. And luckily her dreams came true. She was overwhelmingly elected. And then what happened?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ELBAGIR: The government says it's carrying out what calls clearance operations. Targeting terror suspected of masterminding an attack on police post in late August and say they're trying to avoid collateral damage.
Aung San Suu Kyi said last week that Myanmar would try to protect everyone in the conflict zone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AUNG SAN SUU KYI, STATE COUNSELLOR OF MYANMAR: We have to take care of our citizens. We have to take care of everybody who is in our country whether or not they are our citizens. It is our duty and we try our best.
ELBAGIR: But the refugees who fled tell a different story. More than 300,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh in the past few weeks. They accuse the security forces of atrocities burning villages, firing on civilians indiscriminately, gang raping women.
The rest of the world has been slow to criticize with condemnation from many Muslim nations but only music comments from the western countries that have supported her cause for years. Her supporters say her hands are tied. The military still holds the balance of power in Myanmar's institutions and it can retake overall control at any time if they decide the country is unstable but at what price power.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YUNUS: Maybe she completely lost herself. She's now become sort of spokesperson for the regime. So that's very disappointing. And I feel very sad about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ELBAGIR: Aung San Suu Kyi has a tricky balancing act to try to lead the country to progress while keeping peace with the generals to detect the balance of Myanmar's future even as a worsening humanitarian crisis unfolds and the hopes of nation ride on her back. The message to Suu Kyi is clear. As the lady tries to hold on both power and the political progress it took her so long to achieve.
Nima Elbagir, CNN, London.
ALLEN: For more about the crisis check out cnn.com/rohingya. The special section of our web site features powerful images and personal stories of those fleeing and much more. Find it at cnn.com/rohingya. Coming up here, Donald Trump is revisiting a recent controversy after
his latest comment on the racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Plus, another plane scandal rocks the treasury department. Why Steve Mnuchin said he asked for a government jet for his honeymoon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: The White House says President Trump has signed a resolution condemning white supremacy after last month's violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. In the White House statement Mr. Trump said he opposed hatred and bigotry in all forms. The resolution also honors Heather Heyer who was killed during the racially charged protest. An alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer is charged in her death.
President Trump signed the resolution on the same day that the repeated controversial remarks about the Charlottesville violence and riled up conservatives with a possible deal to protect young undocumented immigrants known as DREAMers.
Jeff Zeleny has more about that.
JEFF ZELENY, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN: President Trump is reviving one of his most controversial moments repeating his claim that both sides are to blame for the deadly attack last month in Charlottesville. Flying back to Washington from Florida the president speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One about his meeting Wednesday with South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, the only black republican in the Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We had a great talk yesterday. I think especially in light of advent of antifa, if you look at what's going on there you have some pretty bad dudes on the other side also, and essentially that's what I said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: And then the president doubled down on a remark that was widely rebuked last month.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Now because of what's happened since then with antifa you look at, you know, really what's happened since Charlottesville, a lot of people are saying, in fact, a lot of people have actually written, gee, Trump might have a point. I said you have some very bad people on the other side also which is true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: The comments brought to mind this moment from Trump Tower when he was sharply criticized by military leaders, business executives, and members of his own White House team. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Yes, I think there's blame on both sides. You had a group on one side that was bad and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: On Capitol Hill, Senator Scott responded, "That's who he is. It's who he has been. And I didn't go in there to change who he was. I wanted to inform and educate a different perspective. I think we accomplished that. And to assume that immediately thereafter he's going to have an epiphany is just unrealistic."
All this as the president sparked new outrage from conservatives after eyeing a deal with democrats to allow DREAMers to stay in the U.S. The president defended the move earlier today in Florida while inspecting hurricane Irma's devastation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're not looking at citizenship. We're not looking at amnesty. We're looking at allowing people to stay here. We're working with everybody. Republican. We're working with democrat. I spoke with Paul Ryan. He's on board. Everybody is on board.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Not everybody. Back at the capitol this is how Speaker Paul Ryan described it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL RYAN, UNITED STATES SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: First off, there is no agreement. The president and the chief of staff called me from Air Force One today to discuss what was discussed. And it was a discussion not an agreement not an agreement or negotiation.
You cannot fix DACA without fixing the root cause of our problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: For the second straight week the president reaching out to democrats leaving republican leaders rushing to catch up. The framework of a deal to fix DACA coming after a White House dinner the president hosted for Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We are working on a plan for DACA. People want to see that happen. And you have 800,000 young people brought here no fault of their own. So we're working on a plan. We'll see how it works out but we're going to get massive border security as part of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Later the president sought to alleviate concern among conservatives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We have to have the wall. If we don't have the wall we're doing nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: The president's words on DACA place him at odds with his Attorney General Session who suggested it was a form of amnesty. It's the latest rift with Sessions who the New York Times reported was bluntly accused by Trump of being disloyal after recusing himself from the Russia investigation.
Sessions described being dressed down in the Oval Office as the most humiliating experience in decades of public life.
Those wrists between the president and the attorney general so severe the president reportedly referred to his attorney general as an 'idiot' in the Oval Office and said bringing him on board was the worst decision he made.
Now since that meeting in May they have smoothed some things over but they are having deep disagreements on DACA. The DREAMer legislation is something that will fit the president against his conservative base.
In the weeks and months ahead that is the biggest question here in Washington if the DREAMer legislation will be passed and if President Trump will use democratic support to do it.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.
[03:49:57] ALLEN: The U.S. treasury secretary is facing yet another travel scandal. His department has confirmed Steve Mnuchin asked to use a government jet for his European honeymoon this summer. The request was withdrawn but if it had gone through it would have cost $25,000 an hour.
Mnuchin's wife, Louise Linton posted this video of the trip on her Instagram. Mnuchin says he requested the plane to keep up with government business. Here's more of what he told Politico earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE MNUCHIN, UNITED STATES TREASURY SECRETARY: At the time my staff wanted to make sure that I was constantly had access to secure communication and secure information. This was one of the things we explored. So they put in a request to consider the use of an aircraft not so much just for flying but effectively it was a portable office so that I could be available.
I'm very sensitive to the use of government funds. I've never asked the government to pay for my personal travel.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ALLEN: This isn't the first time Mnuchin and his wife have come under fire for government plane use. Louise Linton, his wife posted this image when they travel to Kentucky. Critics alleged they made the trip to view last month's solar eclipse from Fort Knox and not for official government business.
Ahead here, they're the leaders of the Democratic Party and thanks to Donald Trump the newest power duo. Why Chuck and Nancy mania is sweeping the internet. We'll have that for you right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.
ALLEN: And we are just receiving this breaking news out of London right now. The metropolitan police say they are aware of the security situation at the Parsons Green underground tube station. That part of the train line has been shut down while the incident is investigated.
We will bring you more details as we get them.
Donald Trump is known for giving nicknames from lying Ted to crooked Hillary. Now he's created a new 'if phrase' with the names of the top two democrats in Congress.
Our Jeanne Moos has that.
JEANNE MOOS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: They may not be as big as Elvis or Cher but these two have also reached one-name status.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chuck and Nancy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chuck and Nancy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Known here after as Chuck and Nancy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Known here after - after President Trump referred to democratic leaders Schumer and Pelosi as if they were buddies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Chuck and Nancy would like to see something happen and so do I.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Something happened all right.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To please his friends Chuck and Nancy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Chuck and Nancy became a thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chuck and Nancy deal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With his friends Chuck and Nancy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With quote, unquote, "Chuck and Nancy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Chuck and Nancy show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Chuck was caught on a hot mic in the Senate talking about the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK SCHUMER, (D) UNITED STATES SENATOR: He likes us. He likes me anyway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Chuck and Nancy inspired a disloyal boyfriend meme. Trump looking wishfully at Chuck and Nancy while ignoring his main squeeze republican leaders Mitch and Paul. Same meme but with faces swapped. Chuck and Nancy has even been used as a verb as in, maybe if that GOP calls him daddy they won't get Chuck and Nancied again.
President Trump hasn't always been quite so chummy about Chuck and Nancy. He's called him crying Chuck Schumer and head clown. As for Nancy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think she's incompetent actually.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Chuck and Nancy have likewise slammed the president's actions.
NANCY PELOSI, UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MINORITY LEADER: Despicable act of political cowardice.
SCHUMER: It was heartless and it was brainless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Speaking of brainless, Chuck and Nancy sounds like a little like a ventriloquist act.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you want this time, Chuck?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to be a real boy. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: By the way, how come Chuck always gets to go before Nancy? We fixed that with a little re-edit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[03:55:01] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's Nancy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Chuck show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Actually the president himself opted for ladies first in person.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Thank you very much, Nancy, Chuck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: The question is who is pulling the strings? `
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chuck, I'm warning you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
ALLEN: Again the breaking news we are learning out of London, again the metropolitan police say they are aware of a security situation at the Parsons Green underground tube station. That part of the train line has been shut down while the incident is investigated. We'll bring you more details as we get them.
But right now let's go to our Max Foster. He's in our London bureau. Max, any idea what this incident might be?
MAX FOSTER, HOST, CNN: There are a few images going around on social media. We're trying to verify. People talking about the sounds coming from there since some flames but we're trying to verify exactly what's there. We do know it's some sort of incident because the tube line is being closed down.
They would automatically do this in a situation like that so it doesn't necessarily mean that it's a major incident. But certainly they're worried enough to close the tube station down. We're at that point really in the story where we're trying to get the facts.
We've got the metropolitan police saying they're aware of this incident so they are currently deploying there. This is a part of southwest London. It's very much part of the city but it's very residential. This is a very busy commuter station. So, lots of people will be using that as we speak.
It's right in the middle of rush hour here in the U.K. and that is one of busiest stations taking people into the city to their place of work. So people will be getting on the tube there more often than getting off. But certainly, a very busy part of the network today. And we have a security situation so we're trying to get to the bottom of exactly what that means.
ALLEN: So yes, since we don't know, we don't know anything about whether this was something violent and whether anybody has been injured.
FOSTER: No. And there's immediate response for these sorts of incidents and this is the sort of response that we get. So it could be anything from a very small scale incident to a larger incident. We are just trying to work out where this falls in that scale.
Certainly it is going to cause a lot of disruption here in London. And it is a city that is brace for any sort of incident. And people will be concerned today because until we get the facts about this people will be concerned about what it means for them. So it's certainly going to cause a lot of disruption this morning as people head into work.
ALLEN: Right. And hopefully we'll find out sooner than later what exactly has occurred.
Max Foster, we thank you and we'll hear more from you in a moment. You're watching CNN.
[04:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
