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President Trump Says he is Willing to Meet Iranian Leader; Young Power Emerge in Palestine; Poverty a Reality Around the Globe; North Korea Still Makes ICBMs; Abuses by Aid Workers an Open Secret; Indian State Fear for Their Fate; California Wildfires Claims Six Lives Only 23 Percent Contained. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired July 31, 2018 - 03:00   ET

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


[03:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN HOST: U.S. President Donald Trump says he's willing to meet with Iran's leaders one week after threatening the regime on Twitter. But his advisors say, not so fast.

Plus, with her slap of an Israeli soldier, she became a face of the Palestinian resistance and ended up in prison. Now Ahed Tamimi is talking to CNN about that moment and her future.

And download, print, and fire. Plans for 3D printable guns may seem to be a legal click away.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. Thanks for your company. This is CNN Newsroom.

When it comes to nuclear threat from foreign powers, Donald Trump seems to be hoping to repeat his North Korea strategy with Iran. Just last week, threatening severe consequences if Iran ever threatened the U.S. again, all in capital letters, it has to be said.

But now he says he's willing to meet with that country's leaders whenever they want without preconditions.

And there are new signs the threatened first make peace later approach might not be working with North Korea. Remember the threats, fire and fury? Well, the Washington Post reports new indicators including satellite images show Pyongyang might be building new missiles.

For more on all of this we're joined first by Paula Hancocks in Seoul, South Korea. So, what we saw in the Washington Post was that there could be new missiles being built at the same place, that the missiles that would reach the U.S. main land were being built. But how much of what we're hearing is new, how significant is it?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're being told by a U.S. official that much of this is already in the public domain, that this is really what we know already. The fact that North Korea is not halting its production facilities. We have heard from the Washington Post, they quote officials familiar

with the -- with investigation into this, that they believe that one, potentially two ICBMs, this intercontinental ballistic missiles are in the process of being built to liquid fuel ICBMs.

A U.S. official has told CNN that this liquid fuel ICBMs less of a concern to Washington just because by their very nature they take a long time to set up so there's a lot of warning for the United State before one is potentially going to be fired.

But also, this official points out that Kim Jong-un has not agreed fully to denuclearization the Singapore summit between him and the U.S. President Donald Trump talked about working towards denuclearization.

So intel agencies as well have publicly stated that this kind of production is ongoing at this point. In fact, we even heard and acknowledgment from the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, just last week at a Senate hearing, that it is business as usual in North Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: North Korea continues to produce missile material, nuclear bomb material, is that correct?

MIKE POMPEO, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: Senator, I'm trying to make sure I stay on that correct. Yes, that's correct. I'm just trying to make sure I don't cross into classified information and I tried not to hesitate. Yes, they continue to produce missile material.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Secretary Pompeo also pointing out as the U.S. president has pointed out many times that is a process. And we're hearing from a U.S. official that clearly K Jong-un wanted nuclear recognition which he got at Singapore. But what they are trying to do now is carry on with the negotiation itself. Michael?

HOLMES: Yes, and you know, of course Donald Trump said after Singapore that North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat. But what are the indicators that they are willing to denuclearize? They've done a couple of things, but in the eyes of many they're easily reversible and not necessarily significant.

HANCOCKS: Well, that's right. I mean, one of the things I think you're referring to is the Sohae launching satellite space launching site. They have, according to 38 North, a monitoring group started to dismantle one of the engine test stands.

But as you say this is easily irreversible. It's something that they have already tested in the past, so some observers suggested that they don't actually need that site at this point which is why they were able to do that so regularly.

[03:04:52] What we're being told by U.S. official is that the main challenge for the Trump administration now is to find out exactly what the North Korean have when it comes to this missile and nuclear program so that when they bring forward an inventory, when they publicize what they have to the United States, that if they are going to say we will give up what we have on this piece of paper, that they know that is everything and there is nothing in reserve. Nothing being hidden.

And really the Trump administration is coming up against very similar, if not the exact same problems that previous administrations have come up against when trying to deal with North Korea. Transparency is not something that North Korea excels at. Michael?

HOLMES: Yes. And delay, delay. Paula Hancocks, good to see you. Thanks for that there in Seoul, South Korea.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump has launched his most personal attack yet, on special counsel Robert Mueller. His personal attorney Rudy Giuliani has been railing against Mueller's Russia investigation as well. But some are questioning if Giuliani is helping or hurting the president's case.

CNN's Jim Acosta begins our coverage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: -- no collusion.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Press, let's go.

ACOSTA: Mr. President--

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jim, let's go.

ACOSTA: Mr. President, do you think other--

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: As his aides were nearly screaming into the ears of reporters asking questions in the Oval Office, President Trump decline to weigh in on the Russia investigation.

At a later news conference with the Italian prime minister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you feel betrayed by Michael Cohen, sir?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: A question from CNN about his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, and no response. Instead, the president unloaded in his usual safe space where are no questions on twitter, tweeting, "there is no collusion," and slamming the Russia investigation with a personal attack as the Robert Mueller rigged witch hunt.

Just after the president was tweeting there was no collusion, his outside lawyer Rudy Giuliani was claiming on CNN that collusion isn't a crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: Which I'm not even going to say that's a crime, colluding about Russians. You start -- you start analyzing the crime, the hacking is the crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Asked about that the president relied on his aides to drawn out the question.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Mr. President, if there is no collusion why does Rudy Giuliani keep saying there is no--

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Press, let's go. Make way out.

ACOSTA: -- crime and collusion.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Giuliani also suggested that special counsel may have a conflict in the investigation but incredibly couldn't say what it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIULIANI: He has the conflict, not the president. I can't tell you, I'm not sure exactly what the conflict. And I have a good idea what it is. It's one that would have kept me out of the investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The former New York City mayor also railed against Cohen for secretly recording the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIULIANI: He's a scum bag. He's a horrible person. I've never heard of a lawyer taking this plan without the client's consent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Giuliani is also blasting the trial it's about to begin for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Arguing the case is simply being used as leverage to take down the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GIULIANI: I mean, he's a big fish. The reason that -- the reason they got Manafort in solitary confinement so they'll give up Donald Trump, not because they'll give up some Russian or Ukrainian he did businesses with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Instead on answering on Russia, Mr. Trump returned to a fetish issue for his base, immigration, again threatening a government shutdown if he doesn't get what he wants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I would have no problem doing a shutdown. It's time we had proper border security. We're the laughing stock of the world. We have the worst immigration laws anywhere in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Trump also made the stunning announcement that he would be willing to meet with Iran's leadership without preconditions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They want to meet, I'll meet, any time they want. Any time they want. It's good for the country, good for them, good for us, and good for the world. No preconditions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The president did try to sound tough on Russians insisting his summit with Vladimir Putin was great, and standing firm on sanctions against Moscow, saying they will remain in place for the time being.

Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.

HOLMES: Well, the devastating wildfires that's been scorching northern California is so hot and so big, it's creating its own weather system. The hot air rising then cooling to form clouds and that's making it more difficult to forecast the winds and where the fire is heading.

So far the Carr wildfire as it's called has claimed six lives, 19 people are missing. More than a thousand structures have burned.

Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us now with more. Good to see you, my friend. What can you tell us about the outlook for this fire?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: So you know, it doesn't look very good initially in the forecast, Michael. Good seeing you as well.

And you know, when you look at long range, certainly we see some improvement here. And we know how destructive it is then in the last several hours alone, but of course, it has 36 or so hours, we have increased the number of destruction from the building site from about 500 up to over 1,100.

But the pattern has been hot, it has been dry. And we know that across the Western United States in Redding, California it will go down as among the hottest July's on record with the tremendous heat that's already been in place.

But, again, as Michael was saying, you go down close towards the surface, we know the fire itself it has temperatures well in excess of 1,000 degrees Celsius. So the extreme heat at the ground level, all of that air wants to rise. It wants to balance itself out by cooling. As it does it creates clouds of course.

[03:09:58] Then you have pyrocumulus clouds as they're known across the streets. But also, leading to gusty winds because of the difference in pressure.

You have much lower pressure where you have extreme heat. Much higher pressure where the temperatures away from the fires are not nearly as hot. And then you get gusty localized winds across this very mountainous landscape. And then of course, really it makes it as challenging as anywhere in the world to battle fires across this region of the U.S.

But look at western half of the United States, 90 large active fires currently in place. Almost every single one of them directly overlaid on top of what are drought stricken land here. And, of course, even northern California dealing with that even after some decent rain in the last several years across that region.

But when you look at this Tubbs Fire just a few months ago, October 2017, number one most destructive, number six, also October 2017, the Nuns Fire. Now number seven is the Carr Fire. And of course, at 20 percent containment this could very much increase and push itself even into the top five unfortunately. And that is what's more concerning here.

But here's what we're looking at. Let's put on a broader scale. Twenty percent containment for the Carr Fire, about 30 percent the Ferguson Fire which is not far from Yosemite National Park in Cranston to the south almost 60 percent.

If I would take a bet, I would say these are going to be seen a dramatic improvement as far as the contained, the number is our concerned. And initially the forecast doesn't look at that impressive. A little cooler and then back up to being warmer over the next several days. We'll see how this seesaw back between 41 and 39 degrees.

The rain chances aren't there. But over the next five or so days as we going towards speaking at Michael, I expect the temps to drop below average so that will certainly help firefighters, the humidity with that will go up as well. So by early next week we could see this fire get contained at least quite a bit of it can contain about seven days or so from right now.

HOLMES: Yes, let's hope you're right up. Yes, they certainly need a break that's for sure. Good to see you, my friend. Thanks for that. JAVAHERI: Thanks, Michael.

HOLMES: Pedram Javaheri there.

The more 600 hikers who were stranded on an Indonesian volcano have, good news, been rescued. They've been stuck on Mt. Rinjani since Sunday's devastating earthquake. That powerful 6.4. magnitude quake claiming 16 lives, leaving hundreds of people homeless.

The earthquake then leads to a series of landslides on the mountain's popular hiking routes which blocked the path back down to safety. Scary stuff. No word yet on the condition of the hikers after they were rescued. We are keeping an eye on that and we'll let you know.

It has been described as modern Britain's great shameless steady, relentless rise in child poverty. Four million children are now impoverished in the U.K. And many of them have one or more parents who are working. They are among Britain's working poor, and their numbers only expected to rise in the near future.

CNN's Phil Black talked to one young girl and her family about how hard it is to make ends meet.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How can you tell which of these young students is quietly worried about home? Parent's happiness, money, and debt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRIYANKA PRADHAN-LAMA, STUDENT: My name is Priyanka, and I am 10 years old. When I leave school I feel like being like a doctor or maybe an actress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: In a class that looks like in the other filled with concentrating, often smiling faces while that his cruel grit isn't always obvious.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRADHAN-LAMA: My worry is that one day we might not be able to keep paying the bills because it's getting way too much worth. My mom she really works for a few hours. She's not paid that much. But she tries her hardest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: That 10-year-old girl's clear-eyed assessment of the family on the financial edge. And what Priyanka is describing isn't uncommon here at Stanhope Primary School in West London. Priyanka is one of many students who with instructions from mom takes watch she can from the weekly visit via a free food charity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRADHAN-LAMA: I'm going to take some vegetables and some Brussels and also sometimes I bring some yogurt if I get them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: Priyanka's parents moved to the U.K. from Nepal in the 90's, the goal, a better life. Three children later they're getting by just.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you calculate like we are spending more than we are earning. Sometimes when it is too stressful, I, as a woman, I just cry and the children get very stressed. They have a piggy bank. I get to borrow their money. I said that money is not enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: This is a home where the parents sacrifice all for their children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: And you're counting every penny?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every penny, yes.

BLACK: It all makes a difference?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But sadly even the food prices went up 10 percent.

BLACK: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Milk is to cost 1 pound only. But the last two weeks it has gone 1 pound 10 cents.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:14:56] BLACK: Tara works part time for minimum wage. That money only covers school lunches and little else. Her husband must drive buses six times a week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The children in fact they have their daddy with them 30 minutes in a day. He takes them to school. That's the time with him. And he is not there in that he rest of the days. So they don't even know him properly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: The parents' resolve means they earn enough to struggle through most days and that's too much to qualify for government help. So while Priyanka and her siblings are raised in hardships, they aren't officially deprived unlike 28 percent of the children at their school.

Headteacher Sahreen Siddiqui tells me some students aren't regularly there which impacts learning and that ultimately alters life chances.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAHREEN SIDDIQUI, HEADTEACHER, STANHOPE PRIMARY SCHOOL: One girl tells me that in emergency situations she goes to school, she goes to sleep hungry, for example. And when I talk about what that might be, that might be the day that dad doesn't get any work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: Activists describe it as modern Great Britain's great shame. The steady relentless rise in child poverty. It now affects four million children according to coalition of charities.

Now one statistic shows the complexity of the problem. In more than 60 percent of impoverished families one or more of the parents has a job. They are Britain's working poor. And charity say a complex were they factors means their numbers are only expected to rise in the near future.

Unaffordable housing, especially in London, recent price inflation, employment contracts which don't guarantee daily work and pay, and the government's decision to maintain a freeze on the benefits it pays to families in need.

The U.K. government insists creating jobs and getting more people into work is the best way to fight poverty. Low paying work and extraordinary determination allow Priyanka's parents to keep their families' dreams alive. But it's getting harder all the time and the children know it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRADHAN-LAMA: I feel like happy and proud that my parents are doing so much for me and that they don't really -- a few much for themselves because most of the time they know they may buy things for us and not for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: Phil Black, CNN, London.

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

The U.K. government investigated sex abuse claims against Oxfam and other international aid organizations as well and has come to some serious and troubling conclusions.

CNN's Erin McLaughlin with that.

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN HOST: Now sexual abuse allegations--

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A growing scandal.

ISHA SESAY, CNN HOST: And the judges deny covering of accusations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLAUGHLIN: And for the 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.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN TWIGG, CHAIR, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: What our report set 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 sex exploitation and abuse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLAUGHLIN: Stephen Twigg chair the parliamentary committee which found sexual exploitation in the aid sector to be a, quote, "open secret." Noting, "outrage is appropriate but the prize 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLAUGHLIN: The report calls out British charities including Oxfam and Save the Children. Oxfam acknowledges the report makes for, quote, "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 improvements since 2011, but recognize we have further to go."

And the statement say the children says, "Along with other charities, we heard the wakeup call for the entire aid sector loud and clear." A wake call that the problem is global. [03:19:57] For example, it sites a 2018 report looking at abuse in

Syria which found that, quote, "sexual exploitation by humanitarian workers at distributions was commonly cited by participants as a risk faced by women and girls trying to access aid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TWIGG: They can't be left to one country. There's got to be buy-in from other countries. That's--

(CROSSTALK)

MCLAUGHLIN: Do you see that buy-in?

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 to change in weeks or months or even years. It's going to take decades to really establish a system that work in every part of the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCLAUGHLIN: Erin McLaughlin, CNN, London.

HOLMES: We're going to take a quick break here on the program. When we come back, the future is in question for millions of people in India. Ahead, the new registry that raising citizenship concerns in one northeastern state.

Also, the Palestinian teenager who slapped an Israeli soldier last year has been released from prison and has big plans for her future. We'll have the details. That and much more when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back, everyone.

The citizenship of millions of people in northeastern India now in question. All because of a controversial new registry that is sparking ethnic tensions.

Amara Walker with the details.

AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More than four million people in the Indian state of Assam are now unsure if they are citizens, sparking new fears for their future.

On Monday, the government published a controversial list called the national registry of citizens. And out of the 32.9 million people who submitted documents only 28.9 million people made the list as legal citizens.

The move comes amid popular anger over illegal migration into Assam which shares the poorest border with Bangladesh. Opposition leader say four million is just too high.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RIPUN BORA, LEADER, INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS: This figure is very figure. It is a -- it is very surprising. It is unbelievable because there is no such number of illegal infiltrators in Assam.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Still the move has prompted fears of possible deportation among Assam's hundreds of thousands of Bengali speaking Muslims. Authority say no one will be deported until an appeals process is clear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:25:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Every person will get enough opportunities to claim or put up an objection. There is a provision of this in the law. And everyone will get full opportunity to get their case heard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Security has been tightened across the state in anticipation of potential anti-immigration violence, a long simmering problem.

In 1983, hundreds of people were killed in Assam by mobs intent on driving out Muslim immigrants. And in 2012, riots broke out between indigenous tribal groups and Muslim speaking Bengalis. Many of the state's Bengalis community have lived in India for decades crossing the border into Assam during the bloody Bangladesh independence struggle in 1971.

To be recognized as citizens, all residents of Assam have to produce documents proving they, or their families lives in India before March 24, 1971. The final list will be published in December.

Amara Walker, CNN.

HOLMES: A Palestinian teenager who spent eight months in prison for slapping an Israeli soldier is now free. She became a symbol of resistance for many Palestinians after video of that incident went viral. Now the young activist has sat down with CNN's Ian Lee to talk about what happened and what's next for her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a life Ahed Tamimi couldn't have anticipated. Shooting to fame when she was 11 by staring down Israeli soldiers. The young Palestinian was on a path for international prominence but also prison.

It was this video in late 2017 of her hitting a soldier that for Israel was the last straw. Moments before the incident, an Israeli soldier had shot her cousin in the head with a rubber bullet. He survived.

Do you regret hitting the soldier? AHED TAMIMI, PALESTINIAN ACTIVIST (through translator): I believe

that I didn't do something wrong. I didn't go to the soldier. The soldier came to my house. The soldier forced me to do this. This is a normal reaction for what happened.

LEE: Days later, police raided the 16-year-old's home and arrested her. Israel's defense minister told reporters at the time whoever goes wild during the day will be arrested at night. Her trial in an Israeli military court lasted months, it became a lightning rod for criticism of the IDF in its treatment of Palestinian youth.

Tamimi finally pled guilty to four charges of criminal acts were she disrupted an IDF soldier and carried out incitement. She'd served a total of eight months in prison. Released Sunday, Tamimi received a hero's homecoming. But the teenager who became a Palestinian icon first wanted pistachio ice cream.

TAMIMI (through translator): It's a wonderful feeling I haven't eaten an ice cream in a long time. It's a wonderful feeling that I heard all the female prisons are released and could eat ice cream.

LEE: Israeli officials were mute about her release. Tamimi celebrated her 17th birthday in prison and graduated high school. She says she learned patience and studied human rights, all the while her notoriety only grew.

How do you feel that you're now a symbol of the Palestinian cause?

TAMIMI (through translator): Of course it makes me happy. I'm so proud that I succeeded to deliver the message of prisoners in my homeland and nation. God willing I will succeed to deliver the message that Palestinians are suffering because of occupation.

LEE: Now free, her message is a Palestinian unity and hasn't ruled out a career in politics, but one step at a time.

TAMIMI (through translator): In the future I will register for university and study law and someday I want to be a famous lawyer to defend my country.

LEE: The world and Palestinian society will watch Ahed Tamimi closely, so too will Israeli authorities as she's currently on parole.

Ian Lee, CNN, in (Inaudible), the West Bank.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: New questions about North Korea's commitment to give its nukes especially after new intelligence reports suggesting Kim Jong-un is building more high-tech missiles. We'll have and much more when we come back.

[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back to CNN newsroom everyone, I am Michael Holmes. I want to update you now on our top stories. At least 19 people missing in Northern California as wildfires continue to burn across the region. The so called Carr wildfire has claimed six lives in the last week with the fire so large and so hot it is creating its own weather system.

Donald Trump says he is willing to meet with Iran's leaders whenever they want without precondition. A start reversal from his old caps tweeting last week, saying that Iran would suffer severe consequences if they ever threatened the U.S. again. One Iranian lawmakers touting at President Trump office saying, quote, a breach of treaty is worse than any preconditions, meaning the Iran nuclear deal, of course.

Let us turn now to CNN's Shirzad Bozorgmehr, is in Tehran has reaction to President Trump willingness to meet with Iran. Good to see you my friend. Donald Trump saying he would meet without preconditions how is Iran responding to this?

SHIRZAD BOZORGMEHR, CNN PRODUCER: Well, the administration of President Rouhani have not responded directly yet, but legislators, a couple of them made statements that could be aimed at the latest Trump statements about the Iran. The head of the foreign policy commission is in the national security commission of the parliament, Mr. (inaudible) has said today that the third party, meaning Israel is directly responsible for the tensions being created between Iran and the United States in a way they are shifting the blame from first on United States and then on Israel to reverse that now.

They are blaming Israel, the person is saying United States influence by Israel activity towards Iran, which is a departure from previous policy and the hardline member of Parliament is in a court (inaudible) said that the breach of the (inaudible) and preconditions meaning that nothing has changed and is still standing by their opposition to any talks to United States by the administration of President Rouhani on the hold, the Iranian administration is trying to implement a policy of uniting the entire people as well as the politicians of all (inaudible) to stand up to Mr. Trump's threats and but this new development have been used by President Trump as create to some kind of dissension between them.

The moderates are saying let us push through it, and ordering directly and the hard manager saying no, we should stick to our guns and not have any talks with the United States.

HOLMES: Yes and it is interesting Shirzad, because we are already seeing Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, we are going back on that, sort of no conditions saying that Donald Trump said saying, he outline a bunch of conditions. I am just wondering from your perspective.

[03:35:00] What would be the challenges that the two sides could face if the meeting were to somehow happen?

BOZORGMEHR: Which can do this for Iran to make sure that its interest of presort basically free flow of its old to the mark board markets to come to turn with United States on financial matters, so that Iran could really use the dollar based, you know, trade dollar based economies and the transaction financial between United States and Iran would be made easier. Basically that is the two main concerns of Iran.

HOLMES: Shirzad Bozorgmehr there in Tehran for us. I appreciate it. Good to see you. CNN political analyst Michael Shear joins me now from Washington to discuss this and will discuss many things really, I mean you got President Trump, what's up with this -- saying that he is open to meeting the Iranian leadership without preconditions and let us put up his tweets were not so long ago all caps, threatening quote never ever threatened the United States again or you will suffer consequence of the likes of which you throughout history of ever suffered before, I mean the extraordinary stopped. Does this seem to be his M.O. though make bellicose right as he did with North Korea and open the door to talks?

MICHAEL SHEAR, CNN POLITIOCAL ANALYST, THE NEW YORK TIMES WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think it is his M.O. not only with foreign leaders in this context, but in sort of his modus operandi with everything, he create a crisis in then you sort of sweep in and say you are going to solve it, the problem here is that even in the best of circumstances you think, OK, this is an actual strategy, he has tried this before to North Korea and made some progress, even if you think that, the case doesn't really work with Iran. Partly because, the Iranians are not sitting around waiting for conversations with the United States and if only, you know the United States would allow them to talk without preconditions, but that would be great. In fact, you know, within, even before the president's offer, the Iranians were already rejecting any talks with United States and in fact, you know it is the United States that pulled out of the nuclear agreement with Iran and Iran still technically working with five other nations, the European nation on that field which they haven't pulled out and so, the likelihood that that whatever President Trump thinks he may or may not want to do in terms of sitting down with Iran. The idea that would actually agree to it is so exceedingly small that it is essentially makes the idea a kind of meaningless at least for a moment. Unless a lot more to change in the world, kind of overnight, kind of a statement that does not means a lot.

HOLMES: And of course, apologies controversial one on one with Vladimir Putin, we still don't know much about what actually happened with that and with North Korea Kim Jong-un, you know a few hours ago Washington Post reporting that U.S. spy agencies, the same signs that North Korea is constructing new missiles and a factory that produced the Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles that could reach the U.S. How does that impact the President for trial of that meeting that it was a success, but North Korea was no longer a nuclear threat?

SHEAR: Well, I saw that story, it builds upon what I think experts have been telling us for weeks now which is that the president -- the notion that the president has been advancing since those historic meeting with Kim Jong-un, the idea that the president has been putting forth that somehow simply that meeting has led to a (inaudible) of the threat for North Korea, particularly the nuclear threat from North Korea is just not true.

It may be that those meetings stated to process that could eventually years down the road, you know, lead to some of the lessening of the threat from North Korea, but that is not the case now, the story in the Post puts an exclamation point on that, because not only are they continuing to produce fissile material which is something that Secretary Pompeo acknowledged in the hearing just recently in Congress, but that they may actually also can be continuing to build those very long range intercontinental ballistic missiles which is the threat that had begun this whole process of seeking some way to negotiating in the first place.

HOLMES: Let us tune if we can to the Russian inquiry, you know the president's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and I don't know what you think, but is this freelancing or what. But suggesting on CNN and elsewhere that collusion is a crime. Of course the President has constantly said no collusion. Now what's happening here is he a moving all, let us say removing the goal post suggesting that collusion did happen, well, it does not matter. How do you read what he has been saying?

SHEAR: I mean if you read it literally, you might come away with the idea that it looks like they are trying to -- that they are worried that perhaps there is collusion that will be found, that they are moving to make an argument about if that were to be the case, if collusion where to be found or led, it would be a crime in any way.

[03:40:18] I would caution though that I think if you were looking for somebody who is in, you know, last disciplined in terms of the way that he speaks than President Trump. Rudy Giuliani might be the only person you could find. I mean the two of them are not disciplined logical, cheerful speakers. They don't think that way, they don't speak that way. Rudy Giuliani has been infamous over the years for sure running his mouth without sort of a lot of thoughts that's maybe why his own presidential campaign a few year back. I suspect that maybe what this is just Rudy Giuliani's mouth getting ahead of any sort of particular strategy, we might (inaudible).

HOLMES: Just as what they want from your lawyer, I suppose, one other thing is quickly, the president claiming Robert Mueller has some conflict of interest not explaining at all what that is all or providing evidence, what do you make of that? Is it another distraction, I mean, why even raise this now? Is it to sort of laying the groundwork for the base of whatever happens they are at least ties to it?

SHEAR: Right. I think there was similar kind of claim that president had made some months ago some dispute that Bob Mueller had had with the Trump organization over ease at the golf resort or some such thing. It's possible that is what he is referring to the White House will, will really say, I don't think they may be even know specifically what he is referring to, but it does fit into the broader strategy, if you can attribute the strategy to the President that he's been pursuing over literally a year which is to undermine the credibility of the investigation. Undermine the credibility of Bob Mueller and the people around him who are doing the investigation on with the idea which is not crazy strategy actually, because if at some point as we expect the prosecution, the prosecutors come forward with a set allegations about the president and the people around him. The more that President Trump and his allies can point and say well, there is problems, there is conflicts, there is political bias, there is overzealous prosecution all of that is going to help protect him and in the end it is not unlike what President Clinton and his allies did in attacking Ken Starr and the prosecutors who were investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair and they employed a very similar strategy of really attacking Ken Starr and his whole team around him and in the end politically anyway it did have its desired effect.

HOLMES: Michael Shear, always a pleasure to get you on. Thank you so much.

SHEAR: Happy to do it.

HOLMES: The basketball superstar Lebron James, taking a shot at Donald Trump. The four time MVP says he has have enough of the U.S. president twisting peaceful displays of dissent into an indictment of American values.

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LEBRON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: What I notice over the last few months that he has kind a used sport to kind of divide us and that is something I can't relate to, because I notice sport was the first time I ever was around with someone white. You know and I got an opportunity to see them and learned about them and they got opportunity to learn about me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: James' foundation has helped create a school for at risk used in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. He says, he wants youngsters be inspire and come away with the feeling that they can also give back to their communities.

Making a weapon in the privacy of your own home. It is a fast approaching possibility, coming up a long list of concerns about 3D printable guns.

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HOLMES: Welcome back. Several states in the U.S. are filing suit against the Trump administration trying to block the publication of blueprints for 3-D printable guns. The plans are set to go online on Wednesday, part of the settlement between the government and a company called defense distributed. Tom Foreman, reports on the pushback from opponents.

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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Gun control advocates are howling over the sudden availability of instructions for producing a plastic single shot handgun on any 3-D printer capable of the job, arguing it is the first shot toward criminals and terrorists getting untraceable largely undetectable guns on demand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not simply instructions this is download plug and play.

FOREMAN: Even though such specialized printers remain relatively costly and are not yet common, a nationwide prosecutors groups says the development undermines critical public safety laws and on Capitol Hill --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I asked the State Department to please reconsider this decision I think it has long-term national security and domestic security considerations for our country.

FOREMAN: At the center of the controversy is Defense Distributed, a nonprofit in Texas that has been fighting the State Department for several years over the firm's desire to release the gun plans, insisting this is a free-speech case these are merely instructions to build something. Cody Wilson who leads the company has described himself as a crypto anarchist on a mission.

CODY WILSON, DEFENSE DISTRIBUTED: The ability to make something to military specifications the like affordably.

FOREMAN: Kind of. A ghost gunner machine from defense distributed a 3-D printer specifically designed to make gun components at home costing well over $1000 beyond the range of some casual buyers, but --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The price point here is not prohibitive for those who right now have an interest in undetectable and at times untraceable firearms.

FOREMAN: And with that consumer friendly device and downloadable plans the company insist you can make more advanced guns with metal parts in your garage or basement no trouble.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has become culturally edgy on the gun world to have your own ghost gun, for at least one of you got one or two that nobody know about.

FOREMAN: And according to federal agents while the law prohibits firearms that cannot be detected by metal detectors or x-ray machines making other guns for your own use at home, yes, that's fully legal. Right now fully plastic guns remain extremely limited in terms of their reliability and their capabilities and these bigger better guns involving metal can still generally be purchased on the open or black markets more cheaply and more easily than they can be made.

Still as this technology improves concerns about untraceable guns emerging from garages will only grow. Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

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HOLMES: Sam Rabadi, joins me now from Las Vegas, he is a former special agent in charge with the Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms well-equipped to discuss this. What to you that this decision mean, I mean it in terms of availability of weapons that are potentially untraceable, undetectable, and homemade.

[03:50:09] SAM RABADI, FORMER SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, ATF: I might speak in perspective as a former law enforcement officer, I think the potential was there that the issue with 3-D guns and then the inability to trace that firearm, to track that firearm to track that firearm, the history of that firearm, could be troublesome for detectives out there investigating a violent crime. As I think you and the public is aware there is a lot of information that is derived off of the markings and also the serial number of firearm and not having that information readily available to investigators can hamper an investigation pretty significantly.

HOLMES: I mean, by all accounts and it's really simple once you get the instructions that you do need high quality plastic some of these things a problem on their safety issues in the use even by the use absolutely and re broken apart when fired. I think the safety issues in the used, even by the user?

RABADI: Absolutely. And I think I had been kind of tracking this use for the last several years as advancement occurred with 3-D technologies. I mean, it is something that is used by industry throughout industry for so productions of many products. You know, you see a steady increase in the quality of all of these firearms that are produced by 3D machines and I think the concern is as time goes on two years from, five years from now, several years from now, the advancements in technology what will that final product look like and as we argue that probably the quality will be much more improved.

HOLMES: Now the plans are out there and you come up with this genie back in the bottle can you, I mean even if they changed their mind on this officially, they are out there. And not just in the U.S. These are out the internationally in places where perhaps there are a stricter gun laws in the U.S.

RABADI: Yes, and in my view, I am always kind a looking at the criminal use of misuse of firearm that's really the core of the issue here is an untraceable firearm in the hands of criminal, of a terrorist, or someone else have the inability to track that firearm and how it eventually wind up to the crime scene is problematic. I would say that you know for your average person out there, a gun enthusiast or hobbyist it is not really quite that significant issue, but again the criminal misuse of something like this could be troublesome for law enforcement.

HOLMES: Like I said, the other side, I mean you got potential for terrorist usage, you got potential for felons the mainly -- basically people who would not be allowed to get a firearm anyway as long as you, you got access to the right equipment, you could make it in your garage and potentially be undetected at airports.

RABADI: Well, essentially not have the ability to regulate to manufacture that firearm so if it is made in somebody's garage or in their basement, of course, you know, you would not have the ability to regulate the production of firearm and make sure it is in compliance with federal laws and not have the serial number in there just thwarts law enforcement ability to trace that gun.

HOLMES: Here is why, why do you think, and again as a former law enforcement, why do you think the government would allow this especially for years they oppose this very thing and now all of a sudden it's not a threat would be posed that would require regulation. It is just hard to see how that argument holds water. RABADI: Well, I will tell you, I have been in this business, Michael,

for a long time and there is probably nothing more intricate than our nation's firearms laws. There is a lot of technical language to it and I think as we have seen whether it's on finish receivers, bump stocks and now 3-D guns as technology continues to advance the laws probably have to advance with that and it is really up to our legislators if they feel there's an issue that could arise from 3-D guns and easily addressed by Congress, but I think, that's what you're seeing, not just the 3D guns just a whole host of issues that as technology advances, there's going to be ways for potential criminal misuse of a firearm.

HOLMES: Does that frightened you? I mean, the idea that these plans are out there at any terrorist or felon or whatever could with the right equipment could make one. Does it bother you?

RABADI: It worries me if I were still in law enforcement and many of my colleague are still are not having the ability to have the upper hand on the criminal, especially a violent criminal, especially a terrorist, I mean these are sort of the old tricks of the trade to try to identify a potential suspects and look typically when you're finding a gun at a crime scene is usually a shooting or homicide of some sort. Very, very serious issues.

[03:55:09] So, you know, I want to increase the ability of investigators to have the upper hand not take away that edge from investigators.

HOLMES: Sam Rabadi, thank you so much. I appreciate you for joining us. Thanks for your expertise.

RABADI: thank you for having me, Michael.

HOLMES: We are going to take a break. When we comeback, the Kangaroo invasion of Cambria. Why mobs of (inaudible) are now making themselves at home in the backyard of Australia's capital.

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HOLMES: A lack of food in their natural habitat is driving kangaroos in Australia out of that habitat and closer to civilization. Human civilizations, anyway. It's a problem in Cambria, that is led to some interesting pictures posted on social media, one resident tweeting, nothing like waking up to find a kangaroo in the backyard. A local golf course enjoying the new breed of spectators as you can see there and one woman tweeting Cambria's have to pay respect to our macro called over Lords. That is Australia for you. Thanks for being with us. I am Michael Holmes, the news continues next with the one and only Max Foster in London. You are watching CNN. Good day.

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