Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
London Mayor Lashes Out at Trump; Trump Weighs in on Brexit; Liverpool Dominate Tottenham in Final 2-0; Historic Floods Threaten Communities in Arkansas; Dems Address Gun Violence; History of First Family Protocol Blunders; Race to Find Climbers in Himalayas; G.I. Babies of Biracial Parents Scarred by Racism. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired June 02, 2019 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The U.S. president weighs in on British politics just hours before he heads to the United Kingdom. The president's trip includes a rare state visit with the queen. The last time the two met, President Trump broke royal protocol. We'll talk with a royal expert about what is and what is not acceptable.
Also this hour, Liverpool Football Club kings of Europe for a sixth time. The Reds dominated (INAUDIBLE) all English college (INAUDIBLE).
Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, we want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I am George Howell and CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOWELL: Just hours before the U.S. president heads to the United Kingdom, the mayor of London is lashing out at President Trump. Sadiq Khan has never held back his criticism of Mr. Trump and in a new op-ed in "The Observer," he says the following.
"Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat. The far right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal democratic societies for more than 70 years."
And he says Mr. Trump's divisive behavior flies in the face of the ideals on which America was founded and says it would be un-British to roll out the red carpet for him.
In the meantime, in Mr. Trump's interview with "The Sunday Times," he again praised the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, on his bid to become prime minister and criticized the outgoing prime minister Theresa May and her negotiations on Brexit. And Mr. Trump said he would never pay the $50 billion price tag to leave the European Union.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
TRUMP: Well, if I were them, I wouldn't pay $50 billion. That's a big number. I wouldn't pay $50 billion. That's me. I'm only saying this from my standpoint. I would not pay -- that's a tremendous number.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of these candidates are saying they would walk away if they don't get what they want and --
TRUMP: If they don't get what they want, I'd walk away. I would walk away. This is their decision. You're just asking my opinion. I would not -- if you don't get the deal you want, if up don't get a fair deal, then you walk away.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HOWELL: Let's go live to London and our Phil Black is following the story.
And it's common knowledge the president of the United States is no fan of the mayor of London and vice versa. Mayor Sadiq Khan is making his feelings quite plain and clear.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, George. Sadiq Khan has been disagreeing with Donald Trump pretty openly on his politics for some time now, the two began feuding publicly on Twitter in 2016.
Sadiq Khan says this state visit should not be happening because he argues that Donald Trump's views, his policies, he says they are not compatible with British values. He said the president deliberately uses, xenophobia, racism and otherness as an electoral tactic and says he's the figurehead of the global far-right movement which he says is glowing (sic) threat around the world built on using the same tropes as fascists used in the 20th century.
There's no doubt this is a divisive and controversial visit. Khan is the not the only senior politician in Britain who believes and argues strongly it shouldn't be happening. The leaders of the main opposition parties, including Jeremy Corbyn, essentially alternative prime minister, made it clear they will deliberately stay away from the state dinner at Buckingham Palace, where Trump will be guest.
HOWELL: And President Trump also made comments about British politics, including the outgoing prime minister and who he sees as contenders to lead the U.K.
BLACK: Tradition dictates that the tone for these state visits should be polite and respectful, without controversy and tradition dictates that the host does not get involved in the domestic affairs -- sorry, the guest does not get involved in the domestic affairs of the host country.
But President Trump has already defied that tradition by getting involved and injecting himself into the biggest political issues in the U.K. at this time --
[04:05:00]
BLACK: -- criticizing Theresa May's handling of Brexit and endorsing Boris Johnson above all others.
In terms of how they are being received, I wouldn't say with a great deal of surprise because he did the same thing just last year but this is a different time, a more sensitive time. Britain is in a state of political turmoil and the coming Conservative leadership contest is not just about who will lead the Conservative Party, it is choosing the next prime minister of this country.
So there's enormous potential here for President Trump to not just further upset convention but create controversy and risk creating something of a difficult moment for the British government as this state visit unfolds -- George.
HOWELL: Phil Black with the reporting, thank you.
Let's talk more about it and get a perspective from Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham and also the founder and editor of "EA WorldView."
Good to have you with us.
SCOTT LUCAS, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM: Morning, George.
HOWELL: President Trump will undoubtedly be a welcomed figure for some who support him there and in this op-ed it appears that the mayor is engaging those that oppose President Trump's politics, engaging them to speak out.
"Rather than bestowing Trump with a grand platform of acceptability to the world, we should be speaking out and saying that this behavior is unacceptable and that it poses a grave threat to the values and principles we have fought hard to defend, often together, for decades."
Clearly this will be a divisive state visit in a politically divided country.
LUCAS: Let's talk about Sadiq Khan's comments and then go to the wider issues, which is that Donald Trump and his inner circle are interfering in British domestic politics in a way that we have not seen that is unprecedented.
The mayor of London -- I prefer to stick with the facts or views he put out rather than the big hyperbolic headlines. He said Donald Trump has certain views on ethnic, race and religious minorities. These are not views where he has insulted them; he has pursued certain policies, such as putting a ban on Muslims from entering the United States, almost absolving white supremacists of violence when it occurred in Charlottesville in 2017.
He has criticized and arguably denounced, stigmatized immigrants, not just in the United States but here in the United Kingdom. He's called our country a no-go zone, trying to whip up xenophobia.
And what the mayor is saying is these are not views, these have links to some of the policies being pursued by hard right, far-right policies in Europe from Hungary to France to Italy.
And is this the type of future that we want?
He said this is not a criticism of the United States; America is our friend. But sometimes you have to speak honestly of your friends. I think that's the starting point but beyond that, which is that Donald Trump and his inner circle are trying to get Boris Johnson in as the next British prime minister, because they sees Johnson as a leader for their views, which is not only going to influence Britain but possibly will break up the European Union.
HOWELL: Let's talk about that a bit more. President Trump does praise Boris Johnson as a favorite to become the next prime minister and he is supportive of Nigel Farage, who did well in the recent elections and all of this in line with President Trump's views on Brexit.
So will his presence give a shot of energy to that side?
LUCAS: It might give a shot of energy but it will do so in escalating a battle which could further polarize this country. This was not one of his spontaneous thought bubbles. Ten months ago, he and his advisers launched a campaign to undermine the British prime minister and put Boris Johnson into office.
And I say that not just because of his comments but because of the headquarters set up here in London by his informal adviser, Steve Bannon, where he met with representatives of the Johnson campaign and of Nigel Farage, who's been close to the Trump people since 2016, when he campaigned for Trump during the election.
And this campaign was launched then, which is, what can we do to promote our people?
Why are they doing that?
Steve Bannon is explicit. He doesn't believe there should be a European Union. And Donald Trump has tried to appoint advisers who have openly called for the breakup of the 28 countries. And beyond that, why?
Because if there is a hard Brexit, if we crash out of Europe, Trump --
[04:10:00]
LUCAS: -- and his advisers think they can get the terms they want.
HOWELL: We do not have that reporting about the office that allegedly has been set up in the United Kingdom. But certainly Steve Bannon has been vocal of his support of many candidates across Europe.
Theresa May, you will remember these comments President Trump made the day she announced her resignation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: I feel badly for Theresa. I like her very much. She's a good woman. She worked very hard. She's very strong. She decided to do something that some people were surprised at, some people weren't. It's for the good of her country. But I like her very much. In fact, I will be seeing her in two weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: That meeting much closer and Mr. Trump in these comments to the newspaper, he criticized Theresa May.
What does it have to be like for Theresa May as one of her last duties prime minister.
LUCAS: She'll have a very forced smile on her face. She will be cordial. But she's a lame duck prime minister, she's out on Friday and she knows that and Donald Trump knows that.
And the hope for Theresa May is, look, there's nothing more she can do. Her time is over. And the real question is whether this trip passes with a minimum of controversy, Hi, Donald, good to see you, let's send you off to the D-Day celebrations.
Or whether Trump, the words of the former deputy prime minister to the U.K., Lewis Lukens, goes off script. If he does that, Theresa May will have to work very hard to maintain that smile but more importantly there will be a lot of people beyond her that will be unsettled about what that means for the future.
HOWELL: Thank you.
LUCAS: Thank you.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOWELL: Now to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where grief and heartbreak in that community apparent as people struggle to figure out why a long-time city worker went on a deadly shooting spree. A memorial service is set up Thursday for the 12 victims. All but one of the victims were city employees and four other people remain in the hospital.
The shooter also died. His family posted a note to the victims but said they were unaware their son had any work related problems. Without clear-cut answers, the city can only mourn.
And Virginia's governor ordered the state flags to be at half-staff. President Trump ordered all U.S. flags lowered as well. The city's mayor vowed to help Virginia Beach to move past the tragedy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOBBY DYER, MAYOR, VIRGINIA BEACH: Let me just say this. We will not be defined by this horror. We will go forward. We are a city of resiliency and resolve. The true character of our city is going to rest with our public, our citizens and our neighbors that we share borders with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Dozens of FBI agents have now taken over collecting evidence in the case and federal investigators say the shooter used two handguns in the crime.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHAN BENEDICT, ATF SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: Working with Virginia Beach Police Department, state police and our partners with the FBI, we identified two weapons used in the shooting yesterday.
Both weapons are .45 caliber pistols. One was purchased in 2016. One was purchased in 2018. Both pistols were purchased by the shooter and all indications are they were purchased legally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: If police know the motive, they are not saying at this point. We know the shooter was a engineer in the public utilities department and had been with the city for about 15 years. Coworkers say he was generally a quiet person who revealed no clues about what he was about to do.
Historic flooding bearing down on the state of Arkansas. Flood levels are still rising.
Plus redemption time for Liverpool and we have details on the victory in the Champions League finals and what makes it extra sweet for the Reds. Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:15:00]
(WORLD SPORTS)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOWELL: For the sixth time in its history Liverpool won the Champions League final. The Reds beat Tottenham 2-0 on Saturday in Madrid. Mohamed Salah converted an early penalty and Divock Origi scored in the final few minutes of the match to get the victory. And now they will have a victory parade in their hometown on Sunday.
Amanda Davies joins us in Madrid with the very latest.
Amanda, Liverpool were the favorites and the fans were over the moon about that big win.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, George. Well deserved, just deserved reward, really, for all the tens of thousands of fans we have been talking about this week, who traveled here to Madrid, the majority of them without a ticket.
They just wanted to be here because they felt that this was Liverpool's year to win their first Champions League trophy since 2005, make amends for that disappointment 12 months ago they were beaten in the decider.
HOWELL: I think we might have just lost Amanda there. But a big win for Liverpool. Fans arrived from around the world to Madrid, some without tickets and tickets costing around $30,000 but certainly worth it for those that got to experience that big moment.
Arkansas holding on after flooding and a levee breached after weeks of storms and residents are being asked to get out of the way just to be safe. CNN's Natasha Chen says hundreds of homes are in jeopardy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It took about a week for the water --
[04:20:00]
CHEN: -- to rise to this level and now we are seeing barricades all along the Arkansas River, warning people not to go in. This is typically a park where people tell me they come here on Sundays after church to eat their lunch. And now you can't see where the swing set is supposed to be.
And you will see more light pools, those are supposed to be shining down on basketball courts and we can't even see the top of the hoops right now. This is an unprecedented, historic event for local officials to try to mitigate the disaster. We spoke to Senator Tom Cotton, who said this is a devastating thing to see.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AR): You can see the volume of water flowing through the dam, the immense flooding, south of Dardanelle, we have had a levee breach, which may end up flooding some of Dardanelle coming around the bayou on the back. And it just gives you a sense of the scale of this natural disaster in the Arkansas Valley.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN: We took a helicopter tour earlier to look at that levee breach. The opening is now larger than it was just a day ago and right now that river is covering all of the farmland. Crops like soybeans, corn and rice is all ruined for what could be three to five years.
So a lot of farmers are looking at their financial future with a lot of concern and people are helping each other out here. But folks have also voluntarily evacuated their homes and there are hundreds of homes threatened not just by flooding but some are inaccessible because of road closures.
And this water could take weeks to recede and only then will they find out what the condition is and what kind of federal assistance is needed -- Natasha Chen, CNN, Dardanelle, Arkansas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
[04:25:00]
HOWELL: Still ahead here on NEWSROOM, protocol blunders. We look at the hits and misses when U.S. presidents meet with the queen.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOWELL: Welcome back to viewers here in the United States and around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I am George Howell with the headlines we are following.
(HEADLINES)
[04:30:00]
HOWELL: Gun violence is emerging as a major issue in the 2020 presidential race and so is impeaching President Trump, another issue. Democrats have been taking on both topics this weekend at their California state convention. CNN's Kyung Lah is at that gathering of presidential contenders in San Francisco.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR U.S. CORRESPONDENT: The day after the Virginia Beach shooting, many of the 2020 presidential candidates did speak to reporters, sharing their thoughts about the shooting and gun violence.
But it was Senator Cory Booker that made gun violence the centerpiece of his speech that he delivered to California Democrats.
SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's time for us as a nation not to normalize the violence and the carnage of gun violence.
LAH (voice-over): The candidate who received perhaps the longest and most sustained applause from this crowd was Elizabeth Warren as she said that the party needed to steer away from small steps forward. And she made the argument for a push for progressive values.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... about how you should settle for little bits and pieces instead of real change. They are telling you something important, they are telling you they will not fight for you. Not me. I'm here to fight.
LAH (voice-over): This convention is unabashed progressive politics on display and it's often more to the Left than the voters of California. So when Speaker Nancy Pelosi began to deliver her remarks and talk
about the president and the Mueller report, every time she paused, there were cries of the word, "Impeach!"
John Hickenlooper was booed by this progressive crowd as he warned Democrats that if they moved to far to the left, they would not defeat Trump.
There was an alarming moment for Senator Kamala Harris at the Move On event. It is happening at the same time as the California party convention, a protester jumping the stage as she spoke.
LAH: Harris' campaign said she was fine and was able to continue with her remarks and that protester was led away. Most of the 2020 candidates did already speak on Saturday and the big name on Sunday, Bernie Sanders -- Kyung Lah, CNN, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: President Trump heads to Europe late Sunday evening. His first stop, though, will be the U.K. and a rare state visit there. The queen will welcome the president and first lady and there will be Pompeo and ceremony and there will be the highest level of protocol during the visit -- or will there?
You'll remember Trump's last visit; the time he walked in front of the queen. As protocol goes, that's a big no-no. But he's not the only person to run into blunders.
In 2009, there was that moment when Michelle Obama put her arm around the queen. And also the time when former President Obama started to deliver the toast while the British national anthem was playing.
And you will remember that moment at the White House when President Bush implied the queen was much older than she was. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The American people are proud to welcome Your Majesty back to the United States, a nation you have come to know very well. After all, you dined with 10 U.S. presidents. You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17 -- in 1976.
ELIZABETH II, QUEEN OF ENGLAND: (INAUDIBLE).
BUSH: She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Nobody better to get inside of what is proper and not than commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, joining us from London.
Good to have you.
RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS, ROYALTY COMMENTATOR: And interesting to see George W. correct himself. He apparently winked at the queen after his gaffe. Now that is certainly not etiquette.
HOWELL: Don't wink at the queen. OK. I'm writing that down, that's not etiquette.
Richard, previous mistakes by previous presidents and first ladies, how would you --
[04:35:00]
HOWELL: -- advise this White House, this president to prepare for a visit with the queen?
FITZWILLIAMS: Well, it's absolutely impossible to give Donald Trump advice because he never takes it and he doesn't do a rehearsal or you would not have had the embarrassing moment when he strayed in front of the queen. He was inspecting the Cold Stream guard of honor.
He simply is not interested in what one would call the elements of diplomacy and protocol. If he was, he would not have given last year in July, the official visit, an interview to "The Sun" -- and this time he has given two interviews, one to "The Sun" and the other to "The Sunday Times" -- one interferes with the Conservative leadership race as Theresa May is about to bow out.
And the other deals with a no deal, which he says he would have had regarding Brexit. He couldn't pass Parliament for one thing but for another thing, these visits are about goodwill and this visit surely is about more than Trump's ego. It's about the commemoration on the third day of the visit and when he goes to Normandy of the greatest seaborne invasion in history, D-Day, 6th of June, 1944, when 150,000 Allied troops began the liberation of Europe.
HOWELL: We want to talk about another aspect of this visit. He will be taking his family to London.
Will this be an opportunity for them to meet the royal family?
FITZWILLIAMS: Undoubtedly, at the state banquet, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be there and we know Prince Harry will be at the lunch, which the queen is hosting tomorrow for the president.
So the idea that, because of his mother being Scottish, he has a special connection with the United Kingdom, I think this is true. And there's a special relationship and no doubt that he regards this visit as being highly significant.
But so far as the initial invitation was given when Theresa May rather ill-advisedly, I felt, offered a state visit, it's important to remember Woodrow Wilson was the first president to visit in 1918 and met George V.
From that time there have only been two state visits, George W. Bush in 2003 and Barack Obama in 2011. Theresa May offered the state visit in exchange -- I think she expected a trade deal and she thought she would get Brexit through. That hasn't happened so there's a huge question mark in British politics at the moment. But as far as the president is concerned, I think it would be advisable, although he won't take this advice, not to tweet. That is another piece of etiquette I would recommend.
HOWELL: Not to tweet. We will see how that fares, Richard. You mentioned the lunch. Let's talk about that. Mr. Trump did say he thought Meghan Markle would do excellently and would be very good.
But when what told Meghan Markle said in 2016, that she would move to Canada if Trump became president, he said, I didn't know she was nasty.
How do you think that might factor into this lunch with Prince Harry?
FITZWILLIAMS: I am happy to say there won't be a diplomatic difficulty here because, of course, with baby Archie having been born on the 6th of May, Meghan is on maternity leave.
But Harry, the Duke of Sussex, will be at the lunch. And it's worthwhile remembering that Meghan Markle's father mentioned that Harry said give Trump a chance. Obviously, he doesn't seem to appreciate the fact that there are those who have very, very strong views about him.
Look at the mayor of London today in an attack in "The Observer." And there's no question at all that interfering in British politics has its dangers. So far as the royal family are concerned, there's no doubt at all the queen has dealt -- well, this is her 113th state visit as a host. Now that may be an unlucky 13 when it comes to matters dealing with etiquette.
[04:40:00]
FITZWILLIAMS: There's no question it has a cachet for him because there's the lunch and then the visit to Westminster Abbey, where he will lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and then the state banquet.
Now he will enjoy that. He won't get the carriage procession that is normal because of protesters and there will also see the boycott of opposition leaders and he will not address Parliament and that's unusual for a state visitor. And there won't be a banquet in the city but there will be a business meeting on Tuesday in St. James' Palace.
So it will be a different sort of visit and obviously it's being handled so he doesn't meet or see many protesters. And there are likely to be a large number of protests. The royal family will know how to handle this. The queen has seen everybody from Nikolaou Ceausescu to Idi Amin and there's no question nothing will faze her.
But so far as the press conference on Tuesday is concerned, I think it will be overshadowed by his interviews that are ill-judged, both "The Sun" and "The Sunday Times" before he has even set foot here.
HOWELL: Richard Fitzwilliams, we will see how this plays out. Thank you for your perspective.
India is racing to find a team of climbers missing in the Himalayas. We'll have the latest on the search.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOWELL: Search teams headed up one of India's highest peaks are hoping to find eight mountaineers missing in the Himalayas. An Indian guide, four from the United Kingdom, two Americans and an Australian failed to return to base camp just one week ago. CNN's Nikhil Kumar reports from New Delhi. This is the latest incident that comes during a disastrous --
[04:45:00]
HOWELL: -- season for Himalayan hikers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIKHIL KUMAR, CNN NEW DELHI BUREAU CHIEF: A search is underway for eight climbers, four Britons, two Americans, an Australian as well as an Indian national who went missing week ago during an expedition in the Indian Himalayas.
Authorities told CNN that the climbers were attempting to scale Nanda Devi East, that stands at just over 24,000 feet. In comparison, the tallest peak in the world, Mt. Everest, stands at just over 29,000 feet.
The eight climbers have been missing since the 25th of May, when they didn't show up at the base camp. They were part of a larger group of 12 people, who left for the mountain on the 13th of May.
A local official says the trekking company behind the expedition waited a few days before alerting Indian authorities, who have now dispatched multiple search teams to look for the missing climbers. A military aircraft is also expected to be sent up on Sunday to help with the search effort.
The news comes on the heels of tragic developments in recent weeks with the death of 11 climbers on Everest this year, amid extraordinary images of queues of people waiting to get to the summit.
Here in India, we don't yet know exactly what happened at the mountain. We're still waiting to find out whether the climbers went missing during the ascent or descent and what caused their disappearance -- Nikhil Kumar, CNN, New Delhi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: Nikhil, thank you. June is Pride Month and it's starting with musician Elton John blasting a Russian film distributor for editing the gay relationship scenes from his biopic, "Rocketman"
Local distributors say the gay sex scenes were cut to comply with Russian legislation that bans so-called gay propaganda. Elton John is condemning the censorship and as a gay rights activist himself, he has seriously criticized that law. Back in 2013 when it was passed, human rights activists called it dangerous and discriminatory.
Decades after the end of World War II, biracial children of African American G.I. fathers and white British mothers want their stories told. Details ahead.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WORLD SPORTS)
[04:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOWELL: As countries mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day this week, it's important to remember the toll World War II took on so many lives, including the lives of biracial G.I. babies, the children fathered by African American servicemen and white British mothers, who were scarred by institutionalized racism.
CNN's Isa Soares reports, they still feel the pain decades later.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When African American soldiers arrived in Britain in the Second World War, their bravery was instrumental in the war effort. But it was also the start of a story of love, loss and a lifetime of searching.
DAVE GREENE, G.I. BABY: That is the first one that I can remember my mum showing me, of this handsome chap that she was so in love with.
SOARES (voice-over): Around 2,000 mixed race babies were born from relationships between black G.I.s and white British women. The romances born from wartime dances were torn apart by peace.
GREENE: She always spoke with great fondness of my father. She told me she would have loved to have gone to the States.
SOARES (voice-over): The U.S. Army refused black G.I.s permission to marry their white British girlfriends or make paternity claims.
SOARES: And she loved your father, you said?
GREENE: Yes, no doubt about it. No doubt about it. I don't think she ever got over him.
SOARES (voice-over): After growing up in a white family more than 50 years passed before G.I. baby Dave Greene tracked down and met his black father for the first time in Brooklyn.
But many G.I. babies have never known the love of either of their parents. Hundreds of the mixed race and so-called illegitimate babies were put into children's homes, the stigma too much for many mothers to cope in what was then a very white Britain.
At Holnicote House in Somerset, West England, around 20 mixed race G.I. babies were raised until they reached the age at 5, at which point they were sent to other homes or adopted and their identity struggles began when they were sent away from other children that looked like them.
Deborah Prior and Carol Edwards were given up as babies by their mothers and lived together at Holnicote. They both remember their time there fondly.
DEBORAH PRIOR, G.I. BABY: There was a group of us all about the same age, we were born in '44, '45, and we were in the cots together. We shared potties together. We played together.
(CROSSTALK)
PRIOR: That was our family.
SOARES (voice-over): But the pain of never really knowing their birth parents has defined their lives.
PRIOR: We were not allowed to be white and yet we weren't black.
CAROL EDWARDS, G.I. BABY: As a teenager, I did question, who was I? Who am I?
PRIOR: It was like a missing piece.
SOARES (voice-over): New research for the book, "Britain's Brown Babies," has only found one child successfully adopted by his American father.
LEON LOMAX, G.I. BABY: This is after they picked me up from the airport and brought me home.
I felt very lucky and very fortunate. It was really hard for him to find me. So that's another way I am fortunate.
SOARES (voice-over): Leon's mother gave up rights to him as a baby. But at the age of 3, his father tracked him down in a children's home and flew him to the United States. He still bears the scars of his mother's choice.
LOMAX: There's always kind of like a void and that void will always be there because I never got to meet her. I know, as a kid, it really hurt me when she left because I have a distant memory of standing in the corner of a crib, crying real hard.
[04:55:00]
SOARES (voice-over): Leon's questions remain, did she want to give him up or was she forced?
Many years later he found out where his mother was. She had tragically died two years previously. Her gravestone was all he got to see.
LOMAX: There was just a lot of questions that I wanted to ask her. My sister gave me this picture and she also gave me her wedding ring, which I wear all the time. And it was one of the best gifts I have ever gotten in my life.
SOARES (voice-over): For hundreds of British G.I. babies, distant memories of love offer some comfort but they will never quench the desire for answers -- Isa Soares, CNN, Somerset, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: Isa, thank you.
We end the show this hour with an interesting story of a woman who had a rude wakeup call early Friday morning. She found herself staring at an alligator 10 feet long, more than 3 meters, complete with a mouthful of fangs. It smashed a window to get insider her home.
While the woman was in her bedroom, she hid; she called police, who brought in a trapper to drag the creature away. The alligator is now headed to a private alligator farm.
How would you feel waking up to something like that in your house?
Oh, my goodness.
Thank you so much for being with us on CNN NEWSROOM. I am George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. The news will continue after the break. Stay with us.
[05:00:00]
