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John McCain, Senator And Former Presidential Candidate, Dies At 81; Survivors Describe Horrors In Myanmar; UNICEF Refugee Children Must Be Provided Education. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 27, 2018 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:01] GEORGE HOWELL, NEWSROOM ANCHOR, CNN: -- will be honored three times this week, first in his home state of Florida and Arizona I should say, then at the U.S. capitol in Washington, and eventually laid to rest at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland. CNN's Phil Mattingly has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL MATTINGLY, U.S. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: He was a (Inaudible). He was combative. He was funny as all get out when you talk to anybody who has dealt with him over the last couple of years. But more importantly than anything else, he was an icon of some sort. He was a legend in the United States Senate.

He was somebody who was just a few hundred thousand votes away from being President of the United States. And he was known around the world, somebody who regularly would travel tens of thousands of miles to push his ideals, his representation of what he thought the United States of America could be. He's John McCain.

He passed away on Saturday at the age of 81. And he leaves a legacy that's certainly unmatched by any current senator. And he leaves a long trail of statements, both, funny, sad, remorseful that there's not more time left. Just take a listen to what Senator Jeff Flake, the Junior Senator from Arizona had to say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's tough to have a voice like that silenced. But this voice for civility to put, you know, the country above your party, these are things that he taught for years, and never more important than the last year.

MATTINGLY: And that's probably one of the most important things you're picking up in the wake of Senator McCain's death, is his colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, recognizing what his voice meant, particularly in such a volatile time for the country, such a volatile time both domestically and internationally.

He was a voice where you always knew where he was going to stand, and perhaps unlike most politicians when McCain realized that perhaps he had erred, he corrected those errs. And he was willing to do so and (Inaudible) very rarely do you see politicians in this day and age. Its part of what made him who he was, somebody who was always looking for the fight, always wanted to be in the fight, probably need to fight as much as he did when he talked to some aides and some of his colleagues.

And yet, was always there on the Senate floor with his colleagues, helping people, both domestically and across the world. Certainly, a voice that will be missed, as for what happens next, he will lie in state in the state capital of Arizona. There will be a service there. He will then come to Washington to lie in state (Inaudible) United States capital. There will be a service in the national cathedral.

Then he'll go to Annapolis and his beloved U.S. Navy Academy (Inaudible) private service there. Then he will be buried on those grounds. Certainly, an end to a legacy that's unmatched in this day and age and a career of a Senator that will most certainly will be missed inside that chamber, Phil Mattingly, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Remembering the life and legacy of Senator John McCain. Steven Erlanger joins us now. Steven, the Chief Diplomatic Correspondent in Europe for the New York Times joining this hour from Brussels, Belgium, always a pleasure to have you. First, as a politician, he took positions that some people liked, others didn't.

But it seems that everyone agrees about the character of this man. What stands out to you about John McCain?

STEVEN ERLANGER, CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK TIMES: Well, first of all, he was a man of the west, but he was also from a deeply establishment family. I mean his father was an admiral. His grandfather was an admiral. The navy has a ship called the John S. McCain, which is now has all three of them attached to it. He was a conservative Republican, but a Republican of the kind that I think is disappearing.

I mean he was a Republican that cared about America's role in the world that was very antagonistic towards Russian expansionism, was a big supporter of NATO. Some people think the new NATO building should be named after him. He believed America had a role in the world in spreading democracy, in standing up for its values, in being the head of a multilateral order.

He traveled a lot to different parts of the world, more than most senators now do. He was a constant at European and transatlantic conferences. He spoke out for a kind of Eisenhower Republicanism that is in sharp contrast to President Trump. I mean one of the reasons that I think so many people are talking in the way Senator Flake talks about McCain is simply in contrast to President Trump, who believes or seems to believe in really none of those things that I have just listed.

HOWELL: You mentioned Mr. Flake. But there have been so many other people who have spoken about Senator McCain, people who, of course, as you point out, praise his bipartisanship, credit his courage as a Vietnam vet, as a POW who was captured, offered early release, Steven, but refused it until his fellow prisoners could also be released.

He stayed longer, enduring more torture. Where does John McCain fit in the books of American history?

[02:05:06] ERLANGER: Well, I hope he's not the conclusion of a chapter. This is what worries me. I hope people will pick up the things that he believed in and carry them forward. Everyone's personality is different. I mean I think it's ironic that he and Senator Edward Kennedy both died of the same disease, maybe nine years apart. Because Ed Kennedy too was a Senator whose reputation and importance was grander than his Senate seat.

And Senator Kennedy also believed in bipartisanship. He also tried to become President rather badly, but was a very good Senator. And this kind of bipartisanship, I mean remember the McCain-Feingold Bill, which was about campaign financing reform. This was reaching across the aisle to a very liberal Democrat to try to get something done.

Now, McCain has made mistakes. That's for sure. But he always spoke of the nation. I mean just in his funeral, to which Donald Trump will not go. But McCain has asked both Presidents whom he lost to, President Obama and President Bush to speak at his funeral. So even in death, he's trying to reach out in a bipartisan way to a nation that as we know is very divided politically.

And with a President who is very partisan, and his whole base is on division. McCain was not a man who lived on division. You can argue about principles. That's fine. But what he believed in was an America bigger than political parties and bigger than himself. And that's the hope I think many people have will be carried forward.

HOWELL: Stephen Erlanger live for us in Brussels, Belgium, Steven, thank you for your time.

ERLANGER: Thanks, George.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, NEWSROOM ANCHOR, CNN: Well, once again, a mass shooting in the United States has brought heartache to the state of Florida. This was at a video game tournament in Jacksonville. At least two people were killed when a young man opened fire and then killed himself. Police have identified him as a 24-year-old from Baltimore.

HOWELL: His motive at this point, not clear. But we do know he was competing in a tournament which was being live streamed online. We are about to show you video of one of the games going on when the shooting started. We do warn you. You may find the video disturbing because you can hear the gunshots, and at least one person reacting to being shot. We'll play it now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got a lot of good games going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be hard to get them on stream.

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP) HOWELL: Wow. It is just shocking to hear that audio.

CHURCH: Chilling.

HOWELL: CNN has learned that two handguns were found at the scene, and one of them was used in the shooting.

CHURCH: Yeah. But we still don't know how the suspect obtained the weapon. Florida Governor Rick Scott says it's time to get to the root of the problem with these mass shootings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something has got to change, what is causing these young men not to value life. Whether it's their own life or somebody else's life, there's something wrong. Whether its parents or grandparents, whether it's our schools, whether it's our churches and our synagogues, whether it's our elected officials, you know, there's something that's changed in our society that young men don't value life like they used to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, investigators have searched the suspect's family home in Baltimore.

HOWELL: A neighbor says he rarely saw the man. CNN's Polo Sandoval has more details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POLO SANDOVAL, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, police in Jacksonville, Florida confirmed that the suspect behind the nation's latest mass shooting is a 24-year-old man from Baltimore, Maryland. Police confirming his identity, David Katz, is among the three people dead at the scene. Katz allegedly opened fire at a video game competition Sunday afternoon inside that Jacksonville restaurant.

Police also believe that Katz was a participant at this video game tournament, though they have not confirmed a motive, only saying that he used a handgun in the shooting. Investigators say Katz shot and killed two people. Nine others were also shot and are recovering from their injuries. Police now asking the community for any video, they're already going over that footage that has already has been circulating online that shows the seconds before those shots rang out, offering a picture inside that game bar.

[02:10:14] Investigators also conducting a search of the suspect's vehicle as they try to piece together a motive in this case, Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joining me now to talk more about this disturbing story is John Matthews. He's a former Dallas police officer and the Author of Mass Shootings, Six Steps to Survival. Thank you so much for being with us.

JOHN MATTHEWS, FORMER POLICE OFFICER, DALLAS: It's good to be here.

CHURCH: Well, the details of course, are chilling, 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore shot and killed 2 people, wounded 9 others, then turned the gun on himself and took his own life. We don't know the motive just yet. But how does something like this happen, and what security measures needed to be in place at this tournament to try to prevent a shooting like this?

MATTHEWS: I can tell you. Any public gathering, we need to put security measures in place that are going to mitigate the chances of a shooting like this happening. We have got to, as the public enters, check them, just like we check them at athletic events, and high profile public facilities. Any time we have got the public getting together, we have got to check people, check their bags, and make sure they're not bringing a weapon in.

In this instance, we had a video game conference going on, and the shooter obviously knew about that. I have watched many of these videos. And the thing that disturbs me the most is that you watch the videos, and these young people kept playing the games. They heard the gunshots. They saw the shooting occurring.

And they were playing the games. They were so focused, so intent. And so the shooter really had a run of the whole place.

CHURCH: Yeah. I mean I don't think any of these video gamers had any idea what was actually taking place. Your book though, is about how to survive a shooting like this. What should people do when they're taken by surprise by an incident like this, a lot of the time, not even realizing that a shooting is taking place?

MATTHEWS: Well, the first step is you have got to be situationally aware. You have got to be aware of your surroundings. And that was the sad thing about today, is these kids were focused on qualifying for this tournament. They were focused on the game. And you could hear the gunshots, and see the games. They were still playing. So you have got to be aware of your surroundings.

The first and best thing you can do is to exit the area. Get away from the gunman as fast as you can in a safe manner. That usually means not going out the primary exit, but going out some secondary exit away from the gunman. If you can't exit, the best thing to do is to find cover, anything that will stop bullets.

That's what you're looking. It might be video game machines. It might be furniture, soda machines, anything that will stop bullets. If you can't find cover, find concealment. Concealment is anything that will hide you. If you can stay out of the shooter's line of sight, your chances for surviving an incident like this go up greatly.

CHURCH: Now you did touch on this. But when you talked about security, but what does America need to do to stop these mass shootings, and when will politicians think enough is enough. What will it take? MATTHEWS: Well, I can't speak for the politicians. We have had these

incidents for the last 30, 40 years. And so they need to get it together in Washington and figure out what they're going to do on a national level. But we as citizens, we have got to be prepared. We have got to be trained. We have got to know how to respond.

And we have got to beef up security at all of these events, whether it's an outdoor concert, or a video game tournament, or anywhere that large members of the public are getting together. We have got to make security a priority for all Americans.

CHURCH: It sounds like you don't think anything is going to be done about this. That we basically have to surrender to this, and this is our new normal, and we have to find a way to protect ourselves in any given public situation. Is that really what you're saying here?

MATTHEWS: Well, I am not saying that we give up. I am not saying that we surrender. What I am saying is that while the politicians hash out the larger issues of mental health, of social problems, of civic problems, that are the underlying causes of these mass shootings. We, as citizens have got to be prepared. We don't want to end up as victims.

And so as they work out those huge issues that are the underlying causes, we have got to know how to plan. We have got to know how to prepare. And we have got to know how to respond. And as a parent, I reach out to all of the moms and dads out there and say speak with your kids. Let them know when you go in public, you may be in an incident, and you must be able to react and respond accordingly so that everyone gets out alive.

CHURCH: John Matthews, thank you so much for talking with us. We do appreciate it.

MATTHEWS: Thank you, Rosemary.

[02:15:03] HOWELL: Still ahead, the Pope, he has been in Ireland over the weekend. But there is another controversy around him. An archbishop claims Pope Francis ignored allegations of abuse by a cardinal for years. He's calling on the head of the Roman Catholic Church to step down. How Pope Francis is responding as Newsroom pushes ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Welcome back to Newsroom. We have been following Pope Francis over the weekend in Ireland. The Pope offered a plea for forgiveness and an apology for decades of abuse by the Roman Catholic Church that went unchecked. Pope Francis wrapped up a whirlwind weekend trip to Ireland with a Sunday mass attended by thousands in Dublin's Phoenix Park.

CHURCH: He told the crowd the church failed to provide abuse survivors with compassion or to look for justice or truth. And he asked for forgiveness. But even as he spoke, he's facing claims by a former top Vatican official that he ignored abuse allegations for years and should resign, more now from CNN's Delia Gallagher.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[02:19:59] DELIA GALLAGHER, VATICAN CORRESPONDENT, CNN: At the end of his two-day trip to Ireland, a trip in which sex abuse and the church's response to it was one of the main topics of Pope Francis' speeches. The Pope himself on the papal plane with journalists returning to Rome fielded questions, including one about allegations made by his former ambassador to Washington, D.C., Archbishop Vigano that Pope Francis knew about allegations of sexual abuse of seminarians on the part of former Cardinal McCarrick.

Pope Francis told journalists that he had read the 11 page statement from Archbishop Vigano, which implicates Pope Francis and a number of other Catholic Church hierarchy officials. And the Pope responded in this way. He said read the statement carefully and make your own judgment. I will not say a single word on this. I believe the statement speaks for itself. When some time passes and you have drawn your conclusions, I may speak.

So Pope Francis essentially saying he's not going to engage with the accusations of his former ambassador to Washington. Now, one of the other questions that were raised during the weekend in Ireland on the part of abuse survivors and others was a question of an action plan at the Vatican. We heard that they didn't want to just hear words. They wanted to see action.

Pope Francis was not directly asked about an action plan by journalists on board the papal plane. But he was asked about how he intends to hold bishops accountable for cover up. And the Pope explains that although the bishops' tribunal, which had originally been planned, did not come to fruition. There is an office to judge bishops.

The Pope says it is a separate office from the one which judges priests accused of sex abuse. And Francis said that the reason for the separate office is because it wasn't practical, he says, for different reasons, such as the different culture of bishops. Not entirely clear what the Pope is referring to there. But what is clear, after this press conference and weekend in Ireland, is that although Pope Francis has dismissed the accusations made against him on the part of his former Vatican ambassador to the United States.

There are still some outstanding questions for Pope Francis and the Vatican on transparency for bishops being held accountable for sex abuse, and for the general response and action plan that people have been calling for from the Vatican. Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, Pope Francis is speaking out about what he would tell a parent who has a child who is gay. This is what he told reporters on the plane back to Italy from Ireland Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would I say to a father who sees that his son or daughter has that tendency, I would say first to pray, don't condemn. Dialogue, understand, make space for them to express themselves. But I'll never say that silence is a remedy. To ignore a son or daughter with homosexual tendencies is a lack of paternity and maternity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: And the Pope added whatever they do, parents should not disown their children, he says, because everyone has a right to family.

CHURCH: Well, a British Iranian woman, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is back in prison in Tehran after a three-day release when she was able to see her young daughter.

HOWELL: Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been in prison since April of 2016, accused of working with others to overthrow the regime. She denies those charges. Our Nick Robertson has the report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIC ROBERTSON, INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR, CNN: It really has been a day of ups and downs for Nazanin, her family saying by the end of the day, she was left shivering, shaking, crying. Just a couple of days ago, her husband was here at CNN, Richard Ratcliffe, and he told us then that they really hoped and believed that they were having positive signs that Iranian officials had invested some of their own political capital in this furlough for his wife, and that this furlough would be extended.

But he did say when talking to Hala Gorani his concerns for his wife, if that didn't come to pass. This is how he explained it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What state of mind is your wife in now? How hopeful is she?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's been up and down. And yesterday, we didn't know any of this. And she was in a very miserable way. I mean I think obviously, she'll get through Saturday night. And if we haven't gotten any news that it's going to be extended, then she won't be looking forward to going back.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been a long, hard journey for all of us. And with that, come really ups and downs and, you know, the potential for panic and so on.

[02:25:00] ROBERTSON: And the family have described now what's been a very harrowing day for Nazanin. In the morning called into the prosecutor's office. The prosecutor there and she was there with her lawyer. The prosecutor told them both that all that was required was a signature on her form to extend her furlough, but he didn't have it yet, but it was OK for her to go back to her house, as she didn't need to go to jail to wait for it.

But she's on her way back to her family, to her mother, to her daughter at her father's house. She gets another phone call, we're told by the family, this time from the people who she's been dealing with. The Iranian officials saying that she has lived up to the terms of her furlough, that she hasn't tried to leave the country, hasn't gone to a foreign embassy, and hasn't done an interviews with journalists.

So she's lived up to her part of the deal. They say there for her furlough will be extended, no need to go to jail. Barely did she get home though, and she gets another phone call, this time telling her to go back to the prosecutor's office again. The prosecutor now tells her that she will have to go to jail for just a few days to wait for those signatures.

And at that point, she decides it's better to do that than go home and be pulled out of her daughter's arms in the middle of the night. That's her fear. But of course, she's very distraught, shivering, shaking, crying. The thing in the tale as well, the family says that they have contacted the British embassy in Tehran. The British embassy, according to the family, say that they have been told by Iran's foreign ministry that Iran's judiciary hasn't extended her furlough.

And there's no mention of a signature to get her back out of jail. So of course, all of this very concerning her for her family and a trying, traumatic, and bad day for Nazanin herself. Nick Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Terrifying situation for that family. We'll take a very short break. But remembering a maverick, we will look at how the extraordinary life and legacy of U.S. Senator John McCain is being remembered on the world stage.

HOWELL: Another story we're following, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya were forced to escape violence in Myanmar. One year on, we report on their struggles in Bangladesh. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:34] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Atlanta. I'm George Howell.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And I'm Rosemary Church. We want to check the headlines for this hour. The late U.S. Senator John McCain will be honored for five days this week in three locations. McCain died Saturday after a long battle with brain cancer. He will be honored in his home State of Arizona, then in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, then laid to rest at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland.

HOWELL: In the U.S. State of Florida, two people were killed there. This when a man opened fire at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday. Nine other people were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds. The suspect identified as a 24-year-old from Baltimore, Maryland used a handgun then killed himself. The motive of this shooting still unclear.

CHURCH: Pope Francis says for now he will not say a single word about a letter claiming he knew of sexual abuse allegations against a cardinal for years and chose to do nothing. An archbishop made the accusation in an 11-page letter and is calling for the pope to resign. On his way back to Rome from Ireland, Pope Francis told reporters the letter speaks for itself and said people should make their own judgment.

HOWELL: Across the United States people are remembering the life, the legacy of Senator John McCain. Tributes are pouring in and we're hearing from people closest to him sharing their stories and what he meant to them.

CHURCH: Yes. McCain was the senior Senator from the State of Arizona having served for six terms. The junior senator from the State Jeff Flake spoke to CNN about his colleague.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: I've admired John McCain my entire life. I haven't known Washington or politics without him, so he's left an indelible mark and just putting, you know, the good of the country above your own self-interests. I think that that was his mantra and whether it's -- his approach to the current administration or his approach in general I think that that's something I certainly learned from him and we could all learn in this days and seeing the good in your opponents.

That, you know, the fact that George W. Bush will be speaking at his funeral or that he was asked to, a person that defeated him, and also Barack Obama. That says all that we need to know about John McCain that his opponents love, admire, and respect him. That's something that we could all strive for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Jeff Flake there. And making a name on the world stage is a rare thing for a U.S. Senator, but not for John McCain. Let's bring in Ivan Watson for a look at Senator McCain's legacy around the globe. Good to see you, Ivan. So John McCain was not only viewed as a hero here in the United States, but also across the globe. What has been the reaction so far to his passing?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there have been plenty of current heads of state and former heads of state who have lauded him publicly expressed condolences about him, and some of them calling him, you know, a model for democracy and an international statesman and lawmaker. We've been looking closely at Vietnam which is one country that was kind of a crucible for John McCain as an international figure because that is where he was shot down while piloting a bombing mission in 1967 where he then famously spent more than five years as a prisoner of war subjected to by his own account torture on multiple occasions.

His arms were broken multiple times. He couldn't raise them over his shoulder until his final days. And, you know, the -- in the discussions about his bipartisanship when it comes to American domestic politics that extended to relations with Vietnam, a country that had imprisoned him, the North Vietnamese. In the decades after he was released, John McCain made many trips back to Vietnam, back to the infamous Hanoi Hotel, the facility where he was incarcerated.

He lobbied for removing U.S. embargo against Vietnam for reestablishing diplomatic relations with Vietnam and said that the ill will of the horrific war between the U.S. and Vietnam should be behind them and they should work together to get close relations, so the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam is opening a book of condolences for several days for people to be able to sign it.

[02:35:16] There's a monument actually by the lake where he splashed down in 1967 and was captured with McCain's name on it. We've seen some American expats laying flowers at that location. And it's been a top story on Vietnamese news sites and portals, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Right. And John McCain was a fierce critic of Russia and its leader President Putin. Will we see anyone fill that void and dare to stand up to Moscow in the same way?

WATSON: Hard to say. I mean certainly leading figures in Moscow are not being very complimentary of John McCain upon word of his passing. You've got a number of Russian lawmakers who've come out and say, hey, he was basically stuck in a Cold War mentality. Russian state TV saying that he was a symbol of Rousseau phobia because he championed for example Ukraine when a pro-Russian leader there was toppled and in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine against Russian-backed separatists.

He championed Georgia which tussled and fought a war against Russia. And he challenged the president from his own party, Donald Trump, when President Trump in an interview was asked, hey, is Vladimir Putin a killer? He said, hey, the U.S., do you think we're so innocent? Well, McCain went on the Senate floor, he highlighted Russian dissidents who had allegedly been attacked, assassinated for their criticism of the Kremlin and staked out this very harsh criticism of President Putin. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Putin is a killer and he's a killer. I repeat there is no moral equivalent between that butcher, and thug, and KGB colonel and the United States of America, and to allege some kind of moral equivalence between the two is either terribly misinformed or incredibly biased. Neither can be accurate in any way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: And, Rosemary, he had such harsh words for President Trump after that famous Helsinki press conference that he held with President Putin. McCain called that press conference a, "Tragic mistake." CHURCH: Many thanks to our Ivan Watson with global reaction to the

passing of John McCain. We'll take a very short break. We'll be back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:52] HOWELL: The Myanmar military and its brutal campaign against the Rohingya minority. It has been about a year since that campaign started. Aid groups, U.N. officials, and governments have denounced it as ethnic cleansing, and to escape hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people have been forced to escape to Bangladesh.

CHURCH: In addition to reports of murder and torture, aid organizations say there were widespread cases of women and girls raped by Myanmar security forces as they fled the country. All claims Myanmar's military denies. Well, some of these women are now talking publicly about their painful stories. Our Alexandra Field has that report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In these vast refugee camps in Bangladesh, many women and girls harbor a painful secret. They are survivors of what the U.N. calls widespread sexual violence against Rohingya allegedly carried out by the military in Myanmar last year. Rape was, "A calculated tool to force them from their homes." It claims the government denies. More than nine months on, a number of babies have been born as the result of rape.

Little Jasmine was delivered in June. Her mother, Meher, says she was raped by soldiers who set fire to her village in November.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via translator): They demanded to rape me in exchange for sparing my children's life. I agreed to them.

FIELD: Filled with shame, Meher tried to keep what happened from her husband.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I told my children not to tell their father about the incident, but they did anyway. Because of that, my husband wanted a divorce. But he couldn't leave me if I had no parents.

FIELD: Women who survive raped in this community risk being shunned even by their families. For Meher, the baby would be a painful reminder of the horrors left behind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I tried a lot to abort this child but abortion was not possible. I went to the nurse and took pills for abortion, but they didn't work as they were supposed to.

FIELD: Around 60 babies are born to Rohingya women in refugee camps in Bangladesh each day according to UNICEF. The number of pregnancies resulting from rape is unknown.

PRAMILA PATTEN, UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT: Some I'm told are hiding their pregnancies, but I'm also told that many are simply having deliveries in their home, in their camp, unattended, or sometimes with local midwifes.

FIELD: Meher gave birth alone in this small bamboo shack. She and her husband have now forged a bond with their new child in these most difficult of circumstances.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I love her. My husband also loves her now. Though, he couldn't accept her at first. He adores the baby when she smiles and plays.

FIELD: But the worry for some is the stigma these children could face when they grow up.

BEATRIZ OCHOA, HUMANITARIAN ADVOCACY MANAGER, SAVE THE CHILDREN USA: The greatest concern of the babies left behind is that they could grow up with a stigma or a label attached to them which is the last thing we would like to see for these babies.

FIELD: For Jasmine, this could be one of the many challenges she'll face in the years ahead as she learns to call this refugee camp home. Alexandria Field, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, CNN asked Myanmar's government for a response to this story. Here's what a spokesperson said. There is no evidence that Myanmar soldiers committed any human rights violations in their response to the ARSA terrorist attacks on 2017. We have recently formed a new independent commission which will investigate alleged rights abuses in Rakhine State including rape. We will treat any case in accordance with the rule of law.

[02:44:59] HOWELL: Let's now bring in the president and CEO of UNICEF USA, Caryl Stern. Joining this hour from New York. Caryl, thank you again for being with us. We just heard the stories of so many children born of rape. The trauma, the struggle of these families trying to find a path forward amid so much uncertainty.

If you would tell us about what you saw, what struck you from your most recent trip to these refugee camps?

CARYL STERN, PRESIDENT, UNICEF USA: You know, I think every time I take a trip, you know, I'm always -- you know, prepping myself and reading the numbers. And then, you get there and those numbers suddenly become people.

She said she returned to her village to find the vampire. And people just running everywhere and gunshots flying and her sister was killed. And then, she grabbed her children, and her husband, and they run into the woods, and may hid in the woods for three weeks. And then, they started to walk from Myanmar to Bangladesh.

And it took seven days to get to Bangladesh. And she's telling me the story -- you know, it was very heart wrenching, but I was really kind of stoic as she was telling me. And so, was she. But then, she said to me, "And on the fifth day, my baby died. My baby never got to Bangladesh." And she said, "And I had to bury my baby on the side of the road, and they don't even know where that road is, and I will probably never be able to go back there again. And -- I, the floodgates opened. I mean, it was the most as a mom that was the most horrific thought to me.

And every woman that I met, every child that I talked to, every time I said, "What do you need? How can we help, what do you want?" They all said the same thing. They didn't say what I usually hear.

You're going to usually hear, "Any food? I need clean water. We need medicine." Every one of them, I heard, "I need an identity. I need to belong somewhere, I need a home. Get me my identity."

And then, "I need justice. I want justice for what has happened to us. And most importantly, the gift you can give us is education." That's what I kept hearing.

HOWELL: Caryl, many of these stories simply heartbreaking. And we've heard so many stories of families just trying to figure out a path forward, trying to think about the future. Obviously, a big part for UNICEF is to help provide some structure.

The basic needs, of course, but education as you point out, and your organization is sounding the alarm about preventing a lost generation. Tell us more about that.

STERN: You know, if we don't give children a future, more children are on the move right now than in any time. And if we don't give them a future, we will lose an entire generation. And that means giving them education, it does mean sheltering them, feeding them, clothing them, but as the grownups in this world, these are children. And we do have to ensure they have a future.

So, UNICEF has set up over 100 -- what are called, child-friendly spaces, that's where we start. Where kids can just be a kid. They can play, they can sing, they can dance. I was really struck -- you know, you're in the camp and you're with these kids in a child- friendly center.

And all of a sudden, you forget you're in the middle of a refugee camp because there's lots of giggles and lot's singing. And but we've also set up over 600 learning centers. Places where children are learning to read, they're learning to write, they're learning arithmetic.

We must make sure that children learn to critically think, that they have access to information and that they are ready to take on the world when they hopefully get out of this camp.

HOWELL: To that point, though, you mentioned earlier, many of the families, many of the people there in these refugee camps are simply looking for a sense of identity -- you know, in providing education. Does that help, at least, to start with children finding their paths forward?

STERN: Absolutely. You know, how we feel about ourselves is usually defined by our knowledge base. So, giving children an education, giving them something to be proud of, equipping them with skills, reminding the world that these are children, they are not Rohingan children, they are children. They're not refugees, they're children.

And as grownups, we should want for them what we want for the children when you give birth to ourselves.

HOWELL: Caryl Stern with UNICEF USA. Caryl, thank you so much for your time.

STERN: Thank you.

CHURCH: Remembering John McCain, the late Senator was a passionate patriot.

[02:49:49] HOWELL: But, he also had a very sharp sense of humor. We'll take a look back at the funny side of John McCain. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN INTERNATIONAL METEOROLOGIST: Hope we're having a good state. Start to your Monday, I'm meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. We're watching an interesting set up across portions of the Western United States and the parts of even Southern Canada, as well.

How about some mountain snow introduced back into the forecast here. Cool enough temperatures to support some high elevation snow. More on that momentarily, but the 30s coming back into the forecast in places like Chicago, New York City, Atlanta, climbs up to 32 degrees and wait until you see how much warmer it still it gets after a brief shot of cool air that was in place over the last few days.

In places like Chicago, we'll states in the 30s initially, at least, in the forecast. In places like Boston after dropping into the teens back up to 36 degrees come Wednesday afternoon. So, certainly, summer not over yet across some of these regions.

And notice begun some rough weather to go around across the great lakes scream they onto Chicago there, because we look for some afternoon storms take place over that region.

But, here we go, winter weather advisories, haven't said that for quite some time. And back at the place across North Western portions of Wyoming, Northwestern areas of Montana, where get up above 2,000 meters. And we're talking 20 centimeters of fresh snow coming down.

So, yes the seasons begin to change and you kind to feel the initial about what's that across the Northwestern corner of the U.S. that all gradually, of course, shifts off towards the east across the region.

But we'll watch the temps, for now, to begin to want to warm up across the Eastern U.S. while watching what is left of the lane, really not much but a rainmaker at this point.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHURCH: Our colleagues are remembering John McCain, not only for his statesmanship but for his humor, as well.

HOWELL: We understand he had quite a sense of humor, even those on the receiving end are saluting the late Senator's sharp wit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: He used to introduce me by saying, "This is Adam Schiff. He's a good guy who gets things right about zero percent of the time. Even Lindsey Graham, who he love more than anyone in the Congress, used to introduce by saying, this is Lindsey Graham, everyone knows Lindsey, few people like him. That was the kind of way, John would introduce you.

And with -- you know, it was an honor to be in his presence and watch the kind of respect world leaders had for him. To watch the way he struck up such an easy relationship demeanor with others. It was a treat to be around him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: And whether it was on a late night chat show or political symposium, McCain could be counted on to find something to laugh about often times it was about himself.

CHURCH: Again, here's a quick sample of him at his humorous best.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How does it make you feel knowing that voters may reject you because they feel you are too old to be president?

[02:55:04] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wake up, sir.

MCCAIN: There is a statute of limitations on Sarah Palin's questions. And by the way, thanks for keeping mentioning about me losing, I appreciate that Jeff.

And I have this line after I lost, I slept like a baby. Sleep two hours, wake up, and cry, sleep two hours, wake up and cry.

Being a friend and colleague of Barack, I just called him that one. He doesn't mind at all. In fact, he even has a pet name for me, George Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any advice for Donald Trump?

MCCAIN: I gave up on that some time ago.

I don't want to talk about the bleeping campaign, understand? Do you think I'm going to go back to that bleeping situation, then, then, bleep you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. OK, thanks. MCCAIN: Well, thanks for the question, you little jerk.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Very funny. I love the sleep like a baby line. Very funny.

HOWELL: Sleep, cry, sleep cry?

CHURCH: Thank you so much for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. The news continues right after the break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)