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Trump Threatens Government Shutdown Over Border Wall; Big Turnout for First Post-Mugabe Vote in Zimbabwe; Washington Post: North Korea May Be Building New Missiles; Aid Workers & Sexual Abuse; What National Guard Troops Are Really Doing Along Border. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired July 31, 2018 - 00:00   ET

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

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[00:00:11]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM. Live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, finally, the U.S. president may have found a soulmate in Europe bonding with the new Italian prime minister over immigration, Russia, and NATO allies not spending enough on defense.

And remember after the Singapore summit when Donald Trump declared North Korea no longer a nuclear threat, less two months gone, Kim Jong-un's missile program is reportedly in high gear.

Plus, a deadly wildfire burning out of control here in California. Now the state's seventh most destructive on record.

Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. Great to have with us. I'm John Vause. NEWSROOM L.A. starts right now.

We begin this hour with the tale of two Trumps on Monday, harsh in demanding on immigrations and striking a conciliatory note with Iran as the president welcomed the Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, to the White House.

He told reporters he is willing to meet with Iran's leadership wherever they want and notably without preconditions. But many went on to warn Congress of the consequences of failing to meet his demands on paying for the border wall with Mexico, as well as immigration reform.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: If we do not get border security after many, many years of talk within the United States, I would have no problem doing a shutdown. It is time we had proper border security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: A shutdown, that would a government shutdown. Joining me here in Los Angeles, political analyst, Bill Schneider, and from Berlin, CNN's European Affairs commentator, Dominic Thomas, getting up early for us. Thank you.

Bill, first to you. The president may not have a problem shutting down the government to pay for his border wall, but it seems senior Republicans do. Listen to the Senate leader, Mitch McConnell.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the funding of the border wall going to wait until after the midterm elections?

SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: Probably and that's something we do have a disagreement on and --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, Homeland Security will not get funded before the midtersm.

MCCONNELL: Probably not, but most of the government will be covered, and then at the end of the year, if we can't reach an agreement on that, we'll do what's called a continuing resolution for that little portion of the government spending that is left on past an individual bill.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, you're not worried about a government shutdown.

MCCONNELL: No, that's not going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Bill, McConnell seems almost flippant and if he's not on board, is that the end of it? And why is he sort of willing to go against the president on this?

BILL SCHNEIDER, POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's quite amazing because you have a Republican president and a Republican Senate and House of Representatives, you would think they will just govern that would happen in any parliamentary system.

But here they have separate constituencies. And the Senate and the House go their own way, even if the president's party, and this is an amazing thing because that's a very controversial proposal.

It's expensive. Even a lot of Republicans in Congress do not want to fund that border wall. Let me tell you something. If any part of that wall gets constructed before the 20/20 election, I guarantee you the Democrats will be racing to appear at the wall and make a speech that starts out, Mr. President, tear down this wall.

VAUSE: I doubt Mexico is going to pay for it anyway. It has been a rough month for the U.S. president. Not a lot of love from the European leaders, but on Monday, finally, he seems he may have found a friend, the Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte. The two bonded over their hardline immigration policies. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PRESIDENT TRUMP: We need border security. Without border, as this gentleman can tell you also, the prime minister really was a very big factor in his win and other people's win in Italy. It was a big factor in my win. We need border security. Border security includes the wall, but it includes many others. We have to end the lottery. We have to end the chain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Dominic, it wasn't just immigration. They share views on issues like Russia. They question the role of the E.U. Conte has spoken out about NATO allies not meeting their defense budget even though Italy spent well short of 2 percent GDP requirement. Finally, Donald Trump has got a friend.

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, we thought he had a friend actually when the French president visited just a few weeks ago and everyone is talking about the bromance. So, that seems to have cooled off a (inaudible).

What he finds in Giuseppe Conte (inaudible) Giuseppe Conte was elected. He was appointed after a very, very long process of coalition talks (inaudible) the head of the government. He's a kind of pocket representing these two factions between the Five Star Movement and the Northern League Anti-Immigration that (inaudible) the prime ministers.

[00:05:05] You're absolutely right. That he found in Giuseppe Conte an ally and after his disastrous trip to NATO, G7 and so on, most of the European leaders that he's come into contact with recently from Angela Merkel even Macron during his visit have been critical of his policies.

I think that President Trump after two years of being embroiled in this immigration debate has found some to be in Europe and who is really moving the boundaries in very disturbing ways, enforcing the European Union to address in new ways the question of immigration. So, that to him is somewhat of a success in terms of shifting the responsibility.

VAUSE: Bill, this maybe a minor point, does it matter that the U.S. president doesn't seem know that Conte was appointed prime minister. He is a bureaucrat. He's in on a number of occasions that, you know, won the election on immigration policies in part.

SCHNEIDER: He congratulated him tremendous victory. He didn't run. He didn't campaign. He's not a politician.

VAUSE: Does it matter?

SCHNEIDER: The two largest parties join forces to appoint him prime minister.

VAUSE: Yes. It's the point which seems to be lost on the U.S. president, but Dominic, you mentioned this, other European leaders have tried this sort of sycophant approach to whoever Donald Trump, they've been badly burned. I just want to know if Conte is in a different league because of his Trumpian-like policies and beliefs.

THOMAS: Well, I mean, this is really the big question and that we are seeing is that on the one hand, Trump benefits enormously from leaders like Conte and the parties like (inaudible) coming to power and we see this increasingly in that part of Europe, from Austria (inaudible) around the question of immigration control.

Of course, urban in Hungary is constantly speaking about the way in which the European Union is inadequately dealing with these types of questions. So, I think it's important to also ask what someone like Conte get out of coming and to meet with Donald Trump.

Of course, the far-right party that makes up its coalition, he now finds himself the prime minister and has been around for long time. But they also have benefited enormously not just from Donald Trump's election, but Donald Trump's view of the world.

The weakening European Union have closer ties with Russia and especially around this question of immigration, which is really a question about national identity and about nativism, that's what joins these two powers and they have a common mission, which is to move or to weaken even the European Union around these kinds of questions.

I think that is why this particular ally is an even more indicative of where things going between the United States and different European countries.

VAUSE: The U.S. president was in a conciliatory mode on Monday. He made this surprise offer to Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT TRUMP: I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know that they are ready yet. They're having a hard time right now, but I ended the Iran deal. It was a ridiculous deal. I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet and I am ready to meet anytime they want to. I don't do that from strength or from weakness. I think it is an appropriate thing to do. If we could work something out that is meaningful not the waste of paper that the other deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have preconditions for that meeting?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: No preconditions, no. They want to meet, I'll meet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: That offer was rejected by Iran's foreign minister going in press TV, he said with current America and these policies, there will definitely not be the possibility of dialogue and engagement and the United States is showing that it is totally unreliable.

Bill, it would seem (inaudible) has a point when he talks about an unreliable U.S. Just a few days ago, Donald Trump was trading insults with Iranian leaders wanting consequences and the administration seemed to back regime change in Tehran. Now let's all sit down and talk. I mean, there is chaos theory when it comes foreign policy and then there is incoherence.

SCHNEIDER: Well, it is incoherent, but look, what happened with North Korea. The president insulted them. He promised fire and fury like the world has never seen. He sent them tweets like the one he sent to Iran that you will regret this. You will pay for this.

And then the next thing we know he is meeting in Singapore with the leader of North Korea. It's the same game. Look, President Trump's strongest conviction is this. If a deal has been made like the Iran nuclear deal, and he did not make the deal, it cannot be a good deal.

The only good deal is one that he makes and therefore, he is saying we tore up the Iran nuclear deal with several countries had signed on to and I'm going to make the deal myself. And any deal I make will be a great deal. That is his view of the world.

VAUSE: Bill, just to follow on that. The North Korea deal has vital accounts turned out so well. The North Koreans got pretty much everything they wanted, and the United States hasn't really gotten anything.

SCHNEIDER: Well, that is the view of a lot of people. I have to agree with you, but not President Trump. He claims it was a great deal. It was a breakthrough. You know, there is a big difference between Iran and North Korea.

[00:10:05] North Korea has nuclear weapons and they have a delivery system. Iran does not have them as far as we know. They do not have them yet and that has been verified. So, there is a whole different perspective on those two countries.

But the basic idea is Trump wants to be in a position to make his own deal with (inaudible) which he claims will be infinitely better than the one that was made by President Obama.

VAUSE: Dominic, given the Iran nuclear deal, which the president described on Monday as being ridiculous. It took China, France, Germany, Russia, U.K., and the United States was a decade to put together. What do European here when the president, the U.S. president goes out and making this kind of offer to Iran. He's basically in line. In fact, you know, it could be argued that he gave away the front to the North Koreans during that Singapore summit.

THOMAS: Well, historically, they are accustomed to working together to communicating, to keeping the channels of communication open so that they can make these kinds of deals in some kind of concerted fashion. The unpredictability of all of this, the lack of loyalty from the U.S. president is tremendously troubling.

This time the diplomacy has real consequences for people living in Europe to the politics of the region, his particular engagement with Russia is equally troubling when it comes to these sorts of questions.

So, threatening, bullying, and coming to the negotiating table. Let's not forget, it is the optics of this, which seemed to open to Donald Trump as well. It is Donald Trump that is this meeting with the leader of North Korea. It's Donald Trump who is open to meet with the leadership of Iran.

But the leaders in Europe would like to see would be more concerted, multilateral action (inaudible) deal that perhaps (inaudible).

VAUSE: OK, very quickly, I want to finish up here with some guy Donald Trump has barely even met, hardly knew his name, the chairman of his campaign for five months, Paul Manafort goes on trial on Tuesday facing dozens of charges for financial crimes.

Nothing to do with Russia or collusion, prosecutors and on that issue, the president's outside attorney, Rudy Giuliani, seems like a great big can of gasoline poured over years of denials and set them on fire. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: Which I do not even know if that's a crime, colluding about Russians. You start analyzing the crime. The hacking is the crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Giuliani collusion is a conspiracy and benefit from a crime as well. He went to describe in detail a planning meeting which took place two days before that infamous Trump Tower meeting which every Russian in New York City apparently turned up to linked to the Kremlin.

This meeting is at the heart of the obstruction investigation. Here's Rudy Giuliani talking about a meeting which the president did not attend two days before the Russians came to town.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIULIANI: Cohen also now says that he says too much that two days before he was just on a meeting with the same group of people but not the president, definitely not the president in which they were talking about the strategy of the meeting with the Russians. The people in that meeting deny it. People we've been able to interview.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Bill, Giuliani said he's essentially getting in front of a claim which Trump's full of fixer, Michael Cohen was going to make. All this sounds to me a bit like when someone ask you your favorite color, and you answered back (inaudible) or is there a strategy here?

SCHNEIDER: Well, this is a tabloid war. All of these people, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, they come out of the New York City tabloid, (inaudible). They're familiar with that world. Michael Cohen, they've all been part of it. Even Lenny Davis, who is not from New York.

They've all been part of these tabloid wars in which people trash talk each other. They insult each other. They bully each other and suddenly when they get what they want, they are very happy. All the sweetness in life. This is a very New York kind of episode that we've seen many times before with Donald Trump.

Long before he became a politician. Rudy Giuliani says one thing and then the next day he says the opposite. We do not know exactly what the president did. The Manafort trial does not have anything directly to do with Donald Trump except that he was Trump's campaign manager years after this bank fraud and tax fraud is alleged to have occurred.

And if he is facing conviction, the problem for him is or for Trump is this guy knows a lot about the Trump campaign. He was at the meeting that we know what happened with the Russian who was supposedly had damaging information of Hillary Clinton, Manafort was there.

And he is facing conviction, he might make a flea to try to sell what he knows, say what he knows to the special counsel in order to get more lenient sentence.

VAUSE: Yes, and this is to say nothing about the Michael Cohen case, which is also pending, as well as, his former fixer facing criminal investigation. Some interesting times for the White House. Bill and Dominic, thank you both for being with us.

[00:15:04] The wildfire burning through Northern California is so large and so hot, it's creating its own weather system. The heat is sending warm air up which then cools and forms clouds that makes it much more difficult (inaudible) and which way the fire will spread.

The Carr wildfire as it called has claimed six lives and destroyed nearly a thousand structures. Nineteen people remained missing as firefighters try to take control over the fire. So far, it's 20 percent contained. It's now the seventh most destructive fire in California's history.

Let's go to Pedram Javaheri at the CNN Weather Center for more on the fire conditions -- Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: John, you know, incredible setup here when it comes to how quickly this fire expanded and exploded out of control across this region. As you said, 1,100 structures destroyed across the area. Just incredible to think some 36 hours ago, we were about 500 structures destroyed and of course, conditions have really ramped up.

And we know across the western U.S. up to 90 large active wildfires, much of them associated with significant drought across the region. Northern California, we know we have the largest fires right now across this region.

And in fact, you look at the top 10 most destructive fires in state history, as John said, coming in number seven now. In fact, look at the top fires a few months ago, last October, that was the Tubs fire across portions of California and the worked its way towards the (inaudible) also in October 2017.

So, three of the top 10 most destructive in less than 12 months and then to think that over the five-year period, four of the top 10 largest fires had happened in that period as well across the state of California.

But here we go, 20 percent contained right now with about 40,000 hectares consumed, works your way towards the Ferguson fire also getting some ground here. Certainly, out towards the Cranston fire towards the south there up to about 60 percent containment.

So, all of this seems some gradual improvement, but as John said, the extreme condition in this region certainly not helping out. Upper 30s on Tuesday in Redding warms up to 41 degrees, should be around 37 for this time of year. No rain in sight. Not much in the way of cloud cover in sight and gusty winds locally gusty winds, all of this associated with what is happening at the ground level really makes it challenging goals for the firefighters across this region.

And you take a look, climatologically speaking, you can look back towards the 1980s and 1990s, and then since 2000 to 2012, those numbers are the numbers of large fires across the decades there per year in the 1980s or about 140 large fires in the western United States.

That number went up 160 in that decade of the 90s and 2000 up to 250. So, certainly seen the fire season expand and extend farther and deeper into the heart of the summer and of course, the locally gusty winds become a main, main concern in this region because of the extreme conditions down on the ground.

Extreme heats down on the ground from the fires themselves. As John said, the air wants to rise and so you get cumulus clouds known creating really dangerous conditions and want to bring in someone that has been on the ground across this region of California really dealing with what is happening across this region.

We're joined on the phone by Cal Fire Public Information Officer Scott McLean in Chico, California. Scott, I know it's been a rough go here at the last several days, really several years for you guys, but burning at this hour, we know what are your biggest concerns of all these fires that are happening across your state?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CAL FIRE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER (via telephone): Just volatility and how fast they spread and how fast they developed. It's just one of those things we're having to deal with such dry conditions that the state is having to deal with.

JAVAHERI: Scott, the Carr fire now as we just talked about making it into the top 10 most destructive fires in state history, Cal Fire has battled several of these massive fires in the last few years and weather, of course, often does not cooperate. How do you go about battling these flames when weather does not look at all to be on your side here in the next few days?

MCLEAN: Well, you're right and we're still going to be dealing with 100 or some degree weather. Humidity is going to be very well. So, it's a combination of a lot of challenging work. The fuel in other words, grasses or brush or trees are so dry (inaudible) to fire. We cannot be complacent. We have a long way to go. It is looking good, don't get me wrong, but there is a long process that we have to follow (inaudible) completely out. We've got another a couple of fires to the west of this (inaudible) an hour or two that are really moving along as well.

It's well over 65,000 acres. So pretty much from the Oregon border to the Mexican border, we are dealing with a lot of fires right now, 17 that we are concerned about.

JAVAHERI: Scott, talk to us about how the last several years, I know a couple of years ago, we are seeing significant (inaudible) across the high Sierra. We were seeing rains around Northern California. That almost seems a little misleading, right?

You feel like you are out of the woods. The maps turned green and it looks like you are going to be letting off the sort of seasons for at least a few years and then what is happening right now occurs. Explain how that all plays together.

MCLEAN: You got a very good point. So, concerned about 2012 when the drought in the state started developing very significantly. So, we had about five years of significant drought.

[00:20:07] Of course, it started well before that, but we saw the ramifications of it in those five years. In 2017, significant winter, if you will. A lot of rain, a lot of moisture, a lot of snow in the mountains where we had that good reserve up therei in the mountains.

All that did, to be honest with you, was promote the growth of the grass and brush in reference to making them like a fuse to the fire. The grass dried out very quickly because we had already warm weather that year and we started seeing 10,000-acre fires early on in 2017.

So, we move on and continues to get dry, continuing to have decent heat and the winds, and then we come into uncharacteristically in October. October heat that was just (inaudible) how those fires spread like the Cubs fire, for example, (inaudible) County, was pushed by 70, 80-mile per hour winds from one town all the way across the large expanse into another city.

And burned into the residential area of this particular study unheard of. Then moving along in December, again, the Thomas fire, the largest fire in California's history, well over 281,000 acres burned in December during Christmas.

And we move along into 2081, again, we did get some moisture again, people became complacent because just as you said moisture a little bit of snow. Unfortunately, this snowpack is completely gone now as you and I speak.

So, we have no reserves. Again, we started seeing 100-degree heat a probably month and a half or two months ago with north winds, which developed a lot of drying aspects throughout the North state and now it's moving into the south state.

So, now we are paying for that dry weather that high heat, low humidities and the fuel is just so dry. It is so receptive to fire. It's takes only one spark. The Carr fire was actually caused by sparks from a mechanical issue off a vehicle.

JAVAHERI: Yes. Thanks, Scott, for everything you and your team has done in the last several years. Of course, you are doing right now. Scott McLean with Cal Fire there. John, we'll sent it back to you in Los Angeles.

VAUSE: Pedram, thank you for that. We'll take a short break. When we come back, vote counting under way in a historic election that might just give Zimbabwe (inaudible).

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VAUSE: Vote counting is underway in Zimbabwe, the first election since ousted leader, Robert Mugabe, was forced from power. Heavy turnout was reported, but the opposition claims government officials interfered with some voting in urban areas. If the election results are actually considered credible, the U.S. and the European Union might drop Mugabe era sanctions directed at Zimbabwe.

[00:25:0] Joylene Madanga is a teacher there in Zimbabwe. She joins us now via Skype from Harare. Joylene, the last time we spoke back in November when Mugabe was forced out, you're all smiles. Are you still smiling? How do you feel about the past 24 hours? Is this a new beginning, democratic, free Zimbabwe or just too early to know at this point?

JOYLENE MADANGA, TEACHER: Hi, John. Well, thanks for having me. I think that elections have had such a wide array of candidates and that's been quite exciting to see. So, that's sure to signals a new beginning for us. (Inaudible) the second time voting. So, we are looking -- we are again looking forward to what the future holds.

VAUSE: The election (inaudible) first time I think in 16 years and I say for the most popular, the vote has been orderly. There's been no violence. You know, there were some problems like longlines in some polling stations and some stations are close for no apparent reason. What was your experience like? Was it peaceful?

MADANGA: It is really smooth. (Inaudible) so often the lines would get a little bit slow, but most of the people who turns out (inaudible) technical glitches here and there over perhaps (inaudible) just really, really technical things that caused people turned away. But otherwise, everybody had a pretty smooth, peaceful, calm voting experience yesterday.

VAUSE: This must be the first time there's been election for you there in Zimbabwe and the name Robert Mugabe was not on the ballot. Did you stop just maybe for a moment to think what that actually means?

MADANGA: I must say having looked under a Robert Mugabe government and be so elite of something different, a progressive mindset. No, I actually didn't have (inaudible). I was quite excited to go in and look for my candidate. VAUSE: He did though manage, Robert Mugabe, to insert himself in the headlines on Monday. He said he couldn't vote (inaudible). He was highly critical of the new leader there, Emmerson Mnangagwa, that's his former trusted lieutenant, the man who ousted Mugabe from power. Here's more what he said. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT MUGABE, OUSTED FORMER ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT: I have dreamed that time during all this time cried for return to Constitution nullity. Our return to legality. Our return to freedom for our people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Putting aside the absolute sheer bizarre nature on him talking about a return to legality and freedom and the constitution. Mugabe is no longer in power, but does he still have influence? Could those comments from him actually swing voters one way or the other?

MADANGA: I think at this stage, just before the elections, he just come across the ironies of, you know, all (inaudible) and by and large, from what I've been hearing from different people is that he's been largely ignored. Nobody is really being paying attention to that interview.

VAUSE: I guess maybe that's how it should be for all leaders. They should go away and keep (inaudible). It's a tradition to many places. Joylene, thank you so much. It has been great to see you and we'd like to talk to you again.

MADANGA: Thank you very much, John. Have a good day.

VAUSE: Well, new questions about North Korea's commitment to giving up its nukes, especially after new intelligence reports say Kim Jong- un is building more high-tech missiles. Details when we comeback.

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[00:30:00] JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And welcome back, everybody, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause with the headlines this hour. Donald Trump says he would have no problem shutting down the government if he does not get his border wall with Mexico.

But a number of Republicans are distancing themselves from that threat which they say will hurt their chances come November's midterm elections.

At least 19 people are missing in Northern California as wildfires continue to burn across the region. The so-called car wildfire has claimed six lives in just the last week. A fire which is so large and hot, it is now creating its own weather system.

Votes are being counted in Zimbabwe, and officials report a high big turnout about 70 percent, they say. Many are hoping Sunday's election will help secure the international support Zimbabwe needs to rebuild its economy which was shuttered under the rule of Robert Mugabe who forced out of office last year, after ruling for almost four decades.

(INAUDIBLE) Donald Trump telling the world, last month, there is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea. It appears the North may be building new missiles. According to the Washington Post, these satellite images and other information suggest work may be taking place in a suburb of Pyongyang on liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles.

U.S. National Security Council had no comments to CNN about the report. Let's go to CNN's Paula Hancocks, live in Seoul, with more on this. OK. So, how much of this is actually new information? How much of this has been on for quite some time? And when we're talking about liquid-fuelled rockets, how much of a concern is that to the U.S.?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, this isn't necessary new. This report from the Washington Post, saying that the North Koreans are potentially working on one, maybe even two liquid-fuelled missiles at that research facility, just outside Pyongyang.

We're hearing from the U.S. official that this is consistent with what was known already. The Intel community has consistently been warning that North Korea is continuing with their research facilities and with the -- with the nuclear armament.

And really, it's the case that these Intel officials have said and this U.S. official telling CNN that what happened at Singapore with that meeting between the U.S. President and the North Korean leader, was that they agreed to work towards the nuclear denuclearization.

So, certainly, it was vague, it was not a direct promise by the North Korean leader to denuclearize immediately.

He does make it clear that he would like a step by step process. And when it comes to these liquid-fuelled ICBMs, we're hearing from this U.S. official that these aren't the ones that really concerned Washington, the fact that they have to be set up awhile in advance, so they have advanced warning.

This isn't of a huge concern. But certainly, we've even been hearing from U.S. officials within the Trump administration that there was an acknowledgment that North Korea is continuing as it was. The Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, just last week, at a Senate hearing, saying, "North Korea continues to produce fissile material."

So, clearly, this is an on-going process. It's not new that North Korea appears not to be shutting down its nuclear facilities. But clearly, it is another indication that that tweet by the U.S. President, that there's no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea, may have been a little premature. John?

VAUSE: Just a little. OK. So, it may not breach that deal made in Singapore, a deal which was so broad and so vague. You know, you can drive an ICBM delivery truck through it. But does it breach the spirit of the agreement?

HANCOCKS: Potentially, yes, but what we're seeing here is that this Trump administration is coming up against exactly the same problems that previous U.S. presidents have come up against. That North Korea will not agree to full denuclearization. The wording was worked towards denuclearization.

The question again, what is denuclearization mean to both sides? And certainly, we can argue that it is against the spirit of the Singapore Summit. But it is exactly what previous administrations have come up against, that North Korea promises to do a certain thing but then, in the background, they are continuing, and in the past, have been continuing secretly to develop their program, John.

[00:35:26] VAUSE: Oh, history, again, something we can all learn from. Paula, thank you. We appreciate it. Paula Hancocks there, live for us, in Seoul.

Oxfam has long known for its work in the fight against global poverty. But earlier this year, the charity's reputation turned a serious hit when some of its workers were accused of hosting sex parties with prostitutes in Haiti, after the 2010 earthquake.

U.K. government investigated sex abuse claims against Oxfam and other international aid organizations that had come to some troubling conclusions. Here's Erin McLaughlin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Out of the greatest natural disasters, one of the worst scandals in the history of global philanthropy, the revelation that Oxfam's country director in Haiti, hosted sex parties with prostitutes of a country reeled from a devastating earthquake, triggered headlines around the world.

VAUSE: Sexual abuse allegations --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A growing scandal.

ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The charity denies covering up accusations.

MCLAUGHLIN: And further revelations of sexual exploitation and abuse across the global charity sector. Six months on, a new damning report by the British parliament warning the, scandal, is far from over.

STEPHEN TWIGG, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, UNITED KINGDOM: What our report sets out is a collective failure over a period of at least 16 years, by the aid sector, to address sexual exploitation and abuse. An organization has often put their own reputation ahead of the protection of children, women and other victims and survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse.

MCLAUGHLIN: Stephen Twigg chaired the parliamentary committee, which found sexual exploitation in the aid sector to be a "open secret" noting outrage is appropriate but surprise, is not. And that the aid sector has been aware of sexual exploitation and abuse by its own personnel, for years.

And that the reactive, patchy and sluggish response of the sector, has created an impression of complacency, verging on complicity.

TWIGG: One of the most disturbing pieces of evidence we took, was the suggestion that because very often, humanitarian crisis are chaotic situations with little regulation, predators will be attracted to working in the aid sector.

MCLAUGHLIN: The report calls out British charities including Oxfam and Save the Children. Oxfam acknowledges the report makes for "painful reading." In a statement saying, we know we failed to protect vulnerable women in Haiti.

And we accept we should have reported more clearly at the time - for that, we are truly sorry. We've made improvement since 2011, but recognize we have further to go.

And a statement say, the children says, along with other charities, we have heard the wakeup call for the entire aid sector loud and clear, a wakeup call that the problem is global.

For example, at site to 2018 report, looking at abuse in Syria, which found that "sexual exploitation by humanitarian workers at distributions was commonly cited by participants as a risk faced by women and girls trying to access aid."

TWIGG: They can't be left to one country. There's got to be buying from other countries.

MCLAUGHLIN: Do you -- do you see that buying?

TWIGG: I think there are some encouraging signs, but it's very early. It's very early. And if this is going to change, it's not going to change in weeks or months or even years. It's going to take decades to really establish a system that works in every part of the world.

MCLAUGHLIN: Erin McLaughlin, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Well, still to come here, thousands of National Guard troops have been sent south to help secure the U.S. border. But just exactly what are they doing, because it doesn't seem it has a lot to do with security.

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VAUSE: Donald Trump and border security go together like peanut butter and jelly, and on Monday, he doubled down on the threat to shut the government down if he does not get funding for border security, that also includes that border wall with Mexico, and the one that Mexico was meant to pay for.

Months ago, he also said he might send as many as four thousand National Guard troops to the border (INAUDIBLE) there, right now. And as Martin Savidge reports their role is very different from what you'd expect.

[00:40:11] MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Maybe you are expecting to see military trucks and troops on the border. They're not here. Instead of hunting human traffickers or drug smugglers, Sergeant Francisco Robles is tracking down a pickup truck's electrical problem. He's a mechanic in the border patrol motor pool in Nogales.

Specialist Gerardo Duran, is at the border. But instead of a rifle, he's got a welding torch.

Some National Guard troops have even served by cleaning the stalls at border patrol stables.

Operation guardian support is a long way for the President's tough talk of military might.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Until we can have a wall and proper security, we're going to be guarding our border with the military.

SAVIDGE: You're not armed, correct?

SGT. ADRIAN BORUNDA, NATIONAL GUARD, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, ARIZONA: Correct. None of our soldiers or may not currently on operation guardian support are armed.

SAVIDGE: And they're not out there walking right beside the border patrol agents?

BORUNDA: Correct. These are positions that are backed off the border.

SAVIDGE: Despite President Trump's claim, we haven't really used troops in the border before, we have. In 2006, the Bush administration sends six thousand soldiers to the border. In 2010, President Obama sent 1,200, but they were in full gear and armed.

When Specialist Duran's welding at the border, he needs two border agents to protect him, since he's not allowed to carry his gun.

Is it possible that public has the wrong impression what this mission was about?

BORUNDA: It's a support role. And they may have ideas about prior missions. It's not that anymore.

SAVIDGE: And yet --

ROBLES: Clear.

SAVIDGE: Despite their diminished role, National Guard troops are making a difference.

ROBLES: Good to go.

SAVIDGE: Thanks to Sergeant Robles, the U.S. border patrol has more vehicles, on patrol.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right (INAUDIBLE) is going to be right there.

SAVIDGE: And thanks to Senior Airman Adriana MacGyver, border patrol agents on horses, closing in on three suspects, have an extra pair of eyes, watching their back, as she and other guard members monitor dozens of remote cameras.

For many guard members, this is their first time to really get a sense of what's going on at the border, the good and the bad.

And do you see it?

ADRIANA MACGYVER, SENIOR AIRMAN, BORDER PATROL, ARIZONA: Yes, sir.

SAVIDGE: You do?

MACGYVER: Yes.

SAVIDGE: Is it busy?

MACGYVER: Yes, extremely.

SAVIDGE: So far, according to the U.S. border patrol, the National Guard has facilitated more than 1,200 arrests and a seizure of more than 1,300 pounds of marijuana, along the Arizona border, alone.

DEPUTY DIXON: You're looking at Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora.

SAVIDGE: Sitting beside border agents, Deputy Dixon, looking out from her lonely perch at the border. There is not a single soldier in site.

SAVIDGE: People might have thought they'd be patrolling right along this fence line, here, they have their rifle slung over their shoulder and they would be riding along with you. That's not happening. That's not the way it was meant to happen.

DIXON: No. That's not all. They're helping out the overall mission and they're putting more of us out here on the border, to secure the border.

SAVIDGE: Border agent, Dixon, may not see the soldiers but she's glad they're here, somewhere.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Thanks to Martin Savidge for that report. And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles, I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. "WORLD SPORT" is up next. You're watching CNN.

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