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President Faces World Of Challenges; Nor'Easter Hits Storm- Damaged States; France Passes Same-Sex Marriage; Toucson Shooter on Trial Today; Puerto Ricans Vie for Statehood

Aired November 08, 2012 - 12:00   ET

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

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Democracy actually works. And there are some real good solutions out there that can make a difference. We need to have minimum voting and early voting opportunities for every American so they can have equal opportunities to participate. We need to update our ramshackle voter registration system, which is also really causing delays at the polling place as well.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we had such a last minute booking with the Miami-Dade mayor that I have to cut our interview off short because he just sort of came out of -- very last minute, like I said. Wendy, thank you so much. And maybe you and I will have another conversation where I won't feel so heated.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

BANFIELD: I am still roasting from this Florida sun. a little sunburned too. Thanks so much for coming in.

I'm flat out of time, otherwise I would go on and on. You know I would. NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL starts next with Suzanne Malveaux.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

Want to get right to it. A major story we are watching this hour in Arizona. Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords face-to-face with the man who shot her. Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, are in a Tucson courtroom right now for the sentencing of Jerry Lee Loughner. He is expected to get life in prison after he struck a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. Loughner pleaded guilty to a shooting rampage that left six people dead and 13 wounded, including Giffords, who was shot in the head at point-blank range. It happened at an event she was holding back in January 2011. Well, Giffords is not going to speak in court today, but her husband will. We're going to have more on the sentencing later in the hour.

Folks in the northeast hit super hard by Sandy are dealing with even more misery today. A nor'easter has now hammered the region with fierce winds and heavy snow. Thousands of people in New York and New Jersey, who just got their power back on, are once again without electricity in bone-chilling temperatures. Deborah Feyerick, she is talking to folks in the Garrison Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn. That is right across the water from Breezy Point, Queens.

Deb, tell us, a lot of folks, it must be devastating. They haven't had power since Sandy and now they're coping with yet another storm and the possibility that they're not going to have power for quite some time.

All right. We -- I understand that we've lost Deb there. We're going to get back to her as soon as we can. Want to go and see if we can move on and -- we'll bring that to you later.

People who, of course, are struggling because of Sandy, they are getting a break from one wireless provider. Thank goodness they get some kind of break. Verizon says it's going to waive all charges for domestic calls and text messages between October 29 and November 16th for those folks who live in places affected by the storm. So if you want to help storm victims in the northeast, it is easy. It's easy to do. Just log on to cnn.com/impact. You're going to find all kinds of information, how to contribute to the relief effort.

Around the world leaders congratulating the president on his re- election. But beyond the congratulations, President Obama facing a world of challenges in his second term. From Iran's nuclear ambitions to Syria's bloody civil war, spilling into neighboring countries now. Well, the president, he's got a lot on his plate. Now he's got a second chance to tackle a lot of these complex world problems. Nicholas Burns, he's former U.S. ambassador, also former undersecretary for political affairs and was the lead U.S. negotiator on Iran's nuclear program. Ambassador Burns joining us here.

Good to see you, as always.

The president has a ton on his plate now. I want to start off with Iran. The president criticized throughout the campaign for not being tougher on Iran when it comes to its nuclear ambitions, for not drawing this -- more of a clear red line, if you will. And we saw Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister there, famously at the U.N. Nick, what do you think is the biggest challenge that the president has to deal with in Iran?

NICHOLAS BURNS, FMR. U.S. UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS: Well, you know, Suzanne, I think the president has a lot of support here in the United States, and he certainly does around the world, for his basic policy, which is, we should try negotiations with the Iranians before we think about the use of force. And I would expect, Suzanne, over the next several months, that you'll see the United States try to reinvigorate the negotiating process, whether that's the multi-lateral process with Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany involved, but also possibly see if there should be direct talks between the United States and Iran. We haven't had those kind of talks really in three decades since the Iranian revolution started. And I suspect, Suzanne, he'll have bipartisan support for that in Washington D.C., and he'll have a lot of support internationally now that the campaign is over.

The big question, however, is whether the Iranian government is going to be willing to come in a serious way to the negotiating table. They've not shown that over the last couple of years. So I think the pressure is actually going to be on the Iranian government.

MALVEAUX: Do you think that the economic pressure on Iran is coming to a breaking point here, a boiling point, where you will see Iran come to the table?

BURNS: I think the sanctions are beginning to hit the Iranian government very hard. Both the E.U. oil embargo, the U.S. central bank sanctions, and just look at the indicators of that. The Iranian riel, the currency -- has been devalued by 75 to 80 percent in the last 12 months. And the Iranians have been hit hard in their inability to use the world banking system because they've been shut off from that system. And so the sanctions -- the sanctions are important because they tell the Iranians that they are isolated, that they have very few friends in the world, and that they're essentially operating in a rogue fashion by running an enrichment program, which is against the wishes of the United Nations Security Council and has been for the last six years.

MALVEAUX: Let's talk about Syria. Obviously, a very big problem there. A civil war that is brewing. We -- the Syrian president, Bashar al Assad, he warned against what he was calling a foreign invasion. He says he's going to live and die in Syria, even if given a safe passage in exchange for halting this civil war. This is something that we heard from the British prime minister, David Cameron, suggesting. I want you to take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASHAR AL ASSAD, SYRIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I think that the cost of foreign invasion of Syria, if it happened, would be greater than the whole world can afford.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So last week we heard from the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, who said that they are changing the policy in some ways. They're going to engage more with the opposition inside of the country as posed to the exiles. If Assad doesn't go, is there anything more that the president could do to apply pressure to this regime?

Well, this is a very tough issue. It's, frankly, an issue that I think will have to be addressed in the next -- in the coming days and weeks. The Obama administration, in my view, Suzanne, has made the right judgment that the idea of a military intervention is just not in the cards. It's just -- presents too many difficulties for all concerned.

But is there a way for the administration working with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other states, the European Union, can we put more pressure on Assad? Can we get more effective political support to the opposition and help them to unify? Is it possible to help Turkey, for instance, to establish humanitarian zones? I think there's more that can be done, but I think the administration has been right to be cautious. This is a very different situation than Libya a year and a half ago when we went in against Muammar Gadhafi.

MALVEAUX: Nick, finally let's talk about China, because China really the emerging power. And today it's a historic week for China. It is, once again, it's making a change here. It only happens once in every 10 years. This transition to power of a new leader. China, the second world's biggest economy, closing fast in on the United States. And you've got this big fight over trade imbalance between the United States. You're talking about currency manipulation as one big problem for the president. What does the president need to do to essentially get China to cooperate in a more positive way?

BURNS: Well, the first thing, Suzanne, you mentioned it, is there's a new Chinese leadership, a new (INAUDIBLE) bureau, a new president, Xi Jinping, who will take power very shortly. And so, obviously, the president is going to have to establish a relationship with him and get to know him and establish an agenda that's workable. The U.S.- China relationship is very complex because there are a whole host of issues where we're working pretty well together, and there are a lot of issues where we're not. You mentioned one, which is the trade imbalance, the currency manipulation by the Chinese government. There are others. Chinese aggression, I'd say needless aggression against Japan over the Senkaku Islands, against the Philippines and others over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. So the United States will have to be very strong, politically and militarily, to maintain our predominant position in Asia, but yet willing to work with China at the same time, and hopefully in a way that diminishes complicates between the two countries.

MALVEAUX: All right, Nick Burns, good to see you, as always. Really appreciate your insights.

I want to go back to the northeast where folks hit hard by Superstorm Sandy, they are dealing with even more misery today. We're talking about a nor'easter that's hammered the region. Fierce winds, heavy snow. I believe we have Deborah Feyerick, who is with us. She's talking to folks in a Brooklyn neighborhood.

Deborah, can you hear me?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely.

And, Suzanne, it is so difficult to speak to these people and the strain in their voices and the tears in their eyes, and they just keep telling us, we are suffering. We are suffering. You have to send help. They are staying in their homes. Their homes that have been flooded. They are completely ruined. A couple of people we've spoken to have lost everything on the first floor.

This relief center here at this volunteer fire station, this is the nerve center. If it weren't for this, a lot of these people would have given up hope long ago. But even last night, the assistant chief tells me that, in fact, people were crying because it was just so difficult for them to make any sense of this. And to make sense of this for us is State Senator Marty Golden.

And, where is FEMA? Where is the Red Cross? Because we've seen a couple, but not enough, to help the number of people here who need it.

MARTIN GOLDEN (R), NEW YORK STATE SENATE: The Red Cross has dropped off some material, but they're not here on the ground. We haven't seen FEMA or any of the trucks that were trying to get in here, which are important to us. Right behind me is tremendous (ph) park land (ph). We could have those FEMA tucks up there. And these people, over 2,000 families without electricity, could be up there getting bedding, getting food, and at least getting through this terrible, terrible time.

FEYERICK: But why? What is -- why -- why is Garretson Beach not getting the help that it should? Is it an afterthought?

GOLDEN: It was not targeted. When the initial storm came, I was here. The surge came up. The water was up over here. And that was six blocks -- or 10 blocks up. You wouldn't believe the amount of water that was here.

These people just barely got out with their lives, some of them. They were on their roofs asking for help. We were moving boats in to get the people out of this community. Obviously they had over 23 people killed in Staten Island. Major, major disaster. Queens, we lost 700 homes. Another major disaster. But this was the third worst disaster in our city.

FEYERICK: And not only that, but the people here were not even told to evacuate, because this is zone b. They figured the parkway would brunt the sort of -- the wave, and it didn't. But let me ask you, electricians. Now these people are being told that they need to get licensed electricians, licensed plumbers just so they can get back in their homes. And that's one of the reasons that electricity is being delayed. Why?

GOLDEN: Think about it. Two thousand homes. Each one of these homes having their own electrician, their own plumber coming in. Thinks about that. These lights won't be on until Christmas. We need to get them on now. We live in the greatest city in the greatest nation in the world. We need to get major contractors in here working with the city, getting the electricity put on, and that can be done. If you had a major supplier and a major contractor in here right away, we can have these lights on within a week. The way they're going right now, it's going to take us through Christmas to get this done.

FEYERICK: So is it lack of will as to why this is being done, or is it just that the problem is so huge and so spread out that there just aren't enough resources, whether it be FEMA or the Red Cross or the insurance companies?

GOLDEN: Well, it's a combination of all. You've got to remember, this is 800,000 -- 800 mile slump. When you think about it, the impact of that, and the impact of the city of New York, you know, I got to tell you, it was very, very sad. And it's still -- this is over a week, and we haven't been able to put the services together for these communities. We have seniors in here. We have kids in here. They need services now. And the only way they're going to be able to do it is concentrate. We're having a meeting tonight over at the Resurrection Church and hopefully the at Resurrection Church we'll get some answers as to how do we move forward in getting the electricity on.

FEYERICK: And hopefully we'll get some of those answers too.

GOLDEN: Thank you.

FEYERICK: All right, state senator, thank you very, very much.

And as you can see, there is a great deal of frustration. People are holding on really by a thread because they've had to ride this out for so many days, and they don't feel -- they don't know which way to turn. They don't even know what their starting point is. Do they rip out the walls? Do they wait for FEMA to come and assess? So it's just a combination of all these things that is really playing with people right now.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Deb, you can hear the frustration in your guest's voice here, that official. Is there any sense that people are listening to him? I mean he says these lights might not come on until Christmas. Are there people who he's calling, that he's got on the phone, or has had somebody's attention that is going to do something and respond to him?

FEYERICK: Yes, he's trying. And, look, somebody said something that was very interesting as we were walking. He said, are you surprised that all the lights are back on in Manhattan? Obviously, a reference to the fact that there's so many people who live in Manhattan. But there are communities, pockets of communities, where they're really getting just the crumbs of help. And that may not be the fairest assessment, but that's what the people here feel like, that it's just little dribs and drabs of help when had he really need more.

And, Suzanne, you know, the people who are living in some of these houses, those houses are freezing. There's no heat. And they're still living there. They just need a place to go in and get warm. And that's not here right now, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. We wish the very best for them, Deb. We're going to be following up on that story, on your story, of course, to see how they are doing. And hopefully there are folks who are listening to what that official said. They are desperate out there. In desperate need of some assistance.

It was actually one of the big issues in our election Tuesday, and that was the legalization of marijuana. But in Israeli, they legalized medical marijuana more than a decade ago. We're going to take a look at pot in the holy land.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did the cannabis make you feel?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: Same-sex marriage is making more historic strides this week. You saw Washington, Maine, and Maryland approve marriage for same-sex couples here in the United States.

The momentum also in France, as well. The French cabinet approved a bill that would give same-sex couples the right to marry and adopt children. It's a decision that is backed by 65 percent of the population, according to a leading French newspaper.

Many in the Catholic Church, hundreds of lawmakers, as well, are against it. The bill goes before the national assembly for a vote early next year.

Smoking marijuana for recreational use now legal in Washington state and Colorado. Well, did you know medical marijuana has been used in Israel now for a decade?

Scientists in Jerusalem have developed a form that now relieves pain and suffering without actually getting the person high? Sara Sidner has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Every morning, 80-year-old Moshe Ruth gets his medicine, stuffs it in his pipe and smokes it. Moshe is using medical marijuana, also known as cannabis.

How did the cannabis make you feel?

MOSHE RUTH, PATIENT: Oh, good.

SIDNER: He is a Holocaust survivor and author and painter whose hands started shaking so much he couldn't work anymore.

RUTH (via translator): My hands are now steady. I can hold things like tea, he says.

SIDNER: The cannabis also makes him high because of the psycho-active effects of the substance, THC, in the plant.

For those who use medical marijuana, the high they experience is the price for the reported help it gives to cancer patients on chemotherapy or others suffering from everything from Parkinson's disease to pain.

Rivkah Halup thought marijuana just got people high until she was prescribed a new strain of the plant and tried it, two spoonfuls a day with her other medications.

She says the pain that left her wheelchair-bound began to be relieved without leaving her lethargic.

RIVKAH HALUP, PATIENT (via translator): Outstanding. I was turned into a different person. I was resurrected. I was awakened to life, she says.

SIDNER: Because the new cannabis helped her get back on her feet again.

Tikun Olam, a company in Israel that grows and distributes medical marijuana, says the new strain it has developed has almost no THC, virtually eliminating the high. The plant produces a high concentration of another substance called CBD.

At a press tour to publicize their new product, we met Professor Ruth Galilly. She's been studying the affects of CBD for more than a decade and is now being paid by the company to continue her research.

RUTH GALILLY, SCIENTIST: So, we are really dealing with non-toxic material, very active as anti-inflammatory and anti-pain, and not expensive to grow.

SIDNER: Growers here say this is the most potent time of medical marijuana, or cannabis, and it's in its traditional form, but just next to it is the wave of the future. We're talking about putting cannabis in capsules and also having it put into chewing gum so that even children can take it.

Cannabis is being prescribed in Israel and used by children who have been licensed. Medical marijuana has been legal in Israel for more than a decade. It is strictly controlled. A doctor has to prescribe it and each patient must have an individual license to use it.

YULI EDELSTEIN, ISRAELI MINISTER OF INFORMATION: We can't be, all the time, narrow-minded.

We have to think about people who are suffering and we have to think how we help them without, God forbid, allowing more use of drugs among those that don't need them.

SIDNER: But critics say there's simply not enough research on marijuana of any kind for medical purposes. They say that unlike other drugs, the results of testing, including dosing and negative side effects, are not yet clear.

But growers here hope their new version can be exported around the world one day.

But 80-year-old Moshe Ruth says he will stay with the good old- fashioned medical marijuana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Live from Jerusalem, Sara, a really fascinating report when you take a look at that. It is so -- something that -- here it seems so new, and it looks like they have a lot of practice in dealing with it over there.

Are people satisfied with the way this system works in terms of the number of people who have licenses to get medical marijuana, those who actually are able to distribute it as well? Do they feel like it's in control, that it's working there?

SIDNER: Yes. I think the answer to that really is yes. It hasn't been a big fight here. People see it really as a medicine, something just like, you know, you would go down to the doctor to get prescribed something for pain.

It is considered a medicine, although there are a lot of people that we talked to inside that retirement home, for example, who said, well, we always thought marijuana was for criminals and robbers and killers, but when we found out the effects and the beneficial effects, they tried it, and many of them say they've had incredible results and that much of their pain is gone without feeling lethargic, without feeling tired.

Quite surprised a lot of the older generation. But you also heard that children are also being prescribed medical marijuana, as well, and, in fact, we heard from the government about 10,000 people have licenses to take medical marijuana, but you have to remember it also has to be prescribed by a doctor.

Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: And, Sara, another thing that was interesting -- we were talking about it here -- is the fact that these patients don't want to get high. I mean, that is a side effect that they do not want, and that's quite interesting when you look at it because some people in this country would think, well, that's what marijuana is for, but, you know, there's clearly a distinction that they're making between medicinal purposes and actually something recreational.

SIDNER: It's true, but there's a lot of arguments about this. I mean, as you might imagine, you know, this is something that a lot of people are looking into. Scientists are looking into.

The high some people say really does help more with pain. Other people say, we don't want to feel that way. We want to be able to function in our daily lives and not feel disoriented in any way.

And this company is saying, look, if we're able to take the high out of it, then why can't it be considered just another drug out there like anything else without the psychoactive effect?

So, it is something that I think a lot of countries will have to look into as to whether or not they can consider this as a new product to give to people as a medicine.

Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: Including children. All right. Sara, thank you. Appreciate it.

He went on the a rampage and a congresswoman was one of the victims. Of course, you know this story.

Gabrielle Giffords now confronting her attacker today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: Happening right now, the sentencing for Jared Lee Loughner in Tucson, Arizona. He is the man who shot former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in the head back in January of 2011.

Giffords was in the courtroom on the second row of a packed courtroom with her husband by her side. She just left the courtroom, we are told, with help of aides.

At least 10 victims and witnesses of the shooting are in court, as well, who are still traumatized by what happened that day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICIA MAITCH, WITNESS: Every time there's a loud, sudden noise, it's shocking and it takes me back to that morning and the sound of that gunshot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Loughner pleaded guilty to the shooting that left six people dead, 13 wounded, including Giffords.

And she has had one remarkable road to recovery, ever since. You see her there, like this moment, unbelievable.

I was in the audience on the floor when this erupted, the applause when she read the pledge of allegiance at the Democratic National Convention in September.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORMER REPRESENTATIVE GABBY GIFFORDS, SHOOTING SURVIVOR: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: She continues to fight for her recovery. As you see there, she was voting. She voted this week in Tucson, but Giffords is not going to speak in court today, we understand.

But we are waiting for her husband, Mark Kelly, to speak for her, very soon. CNN legal contributor Paul Callan is with us from New York.

Paul, first of all, we've got Casey Wian in the courthouse. He is literally blackberrying all of the observations that he is making. He said at one point there was a victim who said, our mental health system has failed us.

You have Gabby Giffords there in the second row with her husband. You've got about 10 victims inside of that room. We are told that Gabby Giffords, that there wasn't very much emotion on her face before she left the courtroom.

But we are told that Loughner looked sullen. That is according to folks who are inside of that room. I can't imagine what it is like to be there. How, first of all, did he strike a plea deal and avoid the death penalty?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, this was a fortunate move probably for both sides. Loughner was facing possible death if he were convicted. He almost certainly would have been convicted.

So, why would prosecutors agree to this? Why would the victims agree to give hem a life sentence, which ultimately is what he will have. It takes the risk out of trying the case. It takes the horrific trauma away from the victims who would have to relive the shooting and the loss of their loved one during a trial.

And I think the final thing is when you are pragmatic about this, he is a schizophrenic. He has had a long history of mental illness. It's highly unlikely that a jury would impose the death penalty and it's also quite probable that it would never be imposed.

So, in the end, this plea deal is a good deal for all because he will be sentenced likely to the same sentence he would have gotten after a trial, so I think that's the reason, Suzanne, that this occurred.

What I'm really interested about in watching the proceedings today, though, is will he melt down in court? He's had outbursts on prior appearances. Sometimes he is competent. Sometimes he's not. So, it will be interesting to see what happens in that courtroom.

MALVEAUX: You know, Paul, if something like that does happen in the courtroom, what does that mean for his future? Does that mean he stays in a psychiatric-type of facility, or does anything change because of his behavior today?

CALLAN: Well, here's how the law works on this. You have to be found competent to stand trial or to enter a guilty plea or to be sentenced, and that means you understand what's going on and you can consult with your attorney. It's a pretty low standard.

He didn't even meet that standard in the early part of the case because he was found incompetent and he was sent to essentially a psychiatric facility. He was forcibly medicine indicated with psychotropic medications and that brought him to the level where the judge said he is competent to stand trial and, when that decision was made, he entered this guilty plea.

But what would happen today if he had a mental breakdown and proved to be incompetent? Well, he couldn't be sentenced. Everything would be called off. He would be sent back to a psychiatric facility and he would remain there until he became competent once again.

Now, that can happen in a month, a week. There are some cases where it takes years for somebody to be restored to competence. So, it's an iffy proposition sometimes.

MALVEAUX: And, Paul, tell us what you think about our system here. I mean, it's quite unique, but you have an opportunity here. Gabby Giffords, a remarkable woman who has been through such a traumatic experience and now she is such a fighter, she's in the same room with that man who literally put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger.

Do you think that this is an appropriate, cathartic way in some ways for victims to meet with those attackers, their accusers, one-on-one, in this kind of very intimate forum?

CALLAN: Well, I think it's a very important thing for the victims, and, you know, I prosecuted a lot of murder cases myself as a prosecutor and what people don't realize is that many cases are handled sort of in empty courtrooms throughout the United States.

It's just occasionally the victim's family will be there, but pretty much nobody knows what's going on and there was a time when victims weren't even told when the defendant was being sentenced, but in virtually every state now, we have laws that require victims to be notified and that allow them to speak to the judge and to express to the judge how their lives have been destroyed, how their families have been destroyed by whatever the criminal act is that is before the court.

And it's a cathartic experience for victims. It's important for them, psychologically, and I think it will be important for even Congresswoman Giffords today.

MALVEAUX: All right. Paul Callan, thank you so much. We're going to be watching, and, of course, as all this unfolds, we're going to be getting more details from our reporter Casey Wian who is actually inside of the courtroom.

We know that Gabby Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, the retired astronaut, was by her side. He is expected to make a statement on her behalf as this whole process unfolds.

We are also following this, a brutal dictator now speaking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASHAR AL-ASSAD, PRESIDENT, SYRIA: I'm not puppet. I wasn't made for any other country. I'm Syrian. I made in Syria and I have to live in Syria and die in Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: He says he's going to die in Syria. We're going to bring you the latest on the crisis in that country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: One of the few international aid groups on the ground in Syria is now sounding a serious alarm. The International Committee of the Red Cross says it can no longer reach everyone in need because of security threats.

Meanwhile, Syria's president Bashar al-Assad has given a defiant interview to the Russian broadcaster, "Russia Today."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL-ASSAD: I think the price of this invasion, if it happens, is going to be more than the whole world can afford because, if you have a problem in Syria, and (INAUDIBLE) secularism and stability in the region and coexistence.

It will have a domino effect that will affect the world from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Assad's interview comes as Syrian rebels -- you can see there -- are stepping up their attacks on residential areas of Damascus that are dominated by allies of the president.

Now, CNN has obtained this video from YouTube, appearing to show rebels launching mortar attacks in the capital.

While the violence intensifies back at home, members of Syria's opposition, they have been meeting in Qatar, working on a new national assembly that is more inclusive.

Mohammed Jamjoom is tracking the story from our Beirut, Lebanon, bureau and, Mohammed, first of all, you've got a lot of people who are involved in this, in these talks here, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to come to any kind of resolution or conclusion.

How likely is it that you're going to have folks who say, look, we've got a solution here, when so many people have failed before them?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's going to be very difficult. There's no two ways about it.

Suzanne, today is day five of this meeting that's going on in Doha. This is considered to be the key day. For the last four days, you had the Syrian National Council -- this is the group that's been considered to be the sort of umbrella opposition group for all the other opposition groups in Syria.

They've been meeting in Doha, Qatar, trying to bring unity amongst their ranks. They've come under increased pressure from international governments to really get their act together because there's been so much infighting going on amongst the Syrian opposition, so much divisiveness these past several months.

Today, you have members, envoys from the U.K., the U.S., Qatar, and Turkey in Doha, as well, trying to make sure that some sort of temporary national assembly can be set up, that the SNC will actually meet with other opposition groups today and that they can try to form some kind of group that would act as a transitional government, if there is a post-al Assad world in Syria.

But it's a process that's going to be set with difficulties and fighting and, right now, we're still waiting to hear what exactly will come out of these meetings tonight.

Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: So, you have a lot of people involved, British Prime Minister David Cameron suggesting that, in an interview with Al Arabiya, that Assad should be allowed safe passage out of his country in exchange for an end to the civil war.

I don't think weave heard Assad agree to that.

JAMJOOM: In fact, you heard Assad today reject that completely. It's not yet known when exactly this interview with "Russia Today" was taped, Suzanne, but clearly you hear him saying in this interview that he is no puppet of the West, that he was made to live and die in Syria, that he will die in Syria.

These are not the remarks of a leader in Syria who is looking for any kind of safe passage out of Syria. Not surprising, the rhetoric that we hear from al Assad in the portion of the interview released today, very much in line with what he said in the past.

What's more ominous is the fact that he says that, if there's any kind of military intervention in Syria, that it won't just be catastrophic for the region, but also for the entire world.

Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: Mohammed Jamjoom, thank you so much.

China is soon going to have a new leader, but right now the communist party there could be in crisis.

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MALVEAUX: We just wrapped up the elections here in the United States, but in China there's a whole other shake-up that is going on in the leadership.

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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout with a look at the future of China.

The country is about to undergo a monumental change in its leadership. The Party Congress comes together every five years. The last meeting came in 2007 and it was at the Congress meeting, 10 years ago in 2002, when Hu Jintao succeeded Jiang Zemin as China's top leader.

This will likely be the largest transition of power in China in the past three decades. Almost three-quarters of the committee members will be replaced due mainly to their age. Sixty-eight is the unofficial cutoff for retirement.

Among those stepping down, China's President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. It's expected that Vice President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier Li Kequiang will ascend to the top leadership posts. They are already members of China's most important decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee. Seven to nine members of the Standing Committee will be selected at this Party Congress, and at least five of those spots are up for grabs.

This is of key importance because this is the team of people who will lead China for the next 10 years.

STOUT (on camera): Much of this historic transfer of power will happen behind closed doors. So we'll be closely watching to see who will join China's fifth generation of party leaders.

I'm Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

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MALVEAUX: A Chinese leadership meeting is going to continue for the next week in Beijing. In his opening address earlier today, Chinese President Hu Jintao called for China to strengthen its presence on the sea off its coast. He said the party leadership should build China into a maritime power. A new U.S. congressional draft report says that China appears to be within two years of deploying submarine launched nuclear weapons.

Well, it was a ballot measure that could some day change the number of stars on the American flag. That's right. As Puerto Rico votes for statehood.

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MALVEAUX: Major story we're watching this hour in Arizona. Former Congressman Gabby Giffords face-to-face now with the man who shot her. That is right. Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, they're in Tucson right now for the sentencing of Jared Lee Loughner. Giffords, she left the courtroom, we're told, a short time ago with the help of aides. Loughner is expected to get life in prison after he struck a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. Loughner pleaded guilty to a shooting rampage that left six people dead and 13 wounded, including Giffords, who was shot in the head at point-blank range. It happened at an event that she was holding back in January of 2011. We understand that Giffords is not going to speak in court today, but her husband, Mark Kelly, he will on her behalf. He is the retired astronaut.

Now, there are 10 victims inside of the courtroom. We are told each one of them has an opportunity to talk about the impact of that day, what that meant for them, and in some ways how it's shattered their lives. One of these victims, Mary Reid (ph), who actually shielded her daughter from Loughner's bullets the day of the shooting, said here that -- she says, I remember, my children will forever remember the moment of people when they died. The smell of blood everywhere. Mr. Loughner introduced my children to something sinister and evil.

You can only imagine the emotion inside of that courtroom this afternoon as people look face-to-face, eye-to-eye with the man who changed their lives forever. Gabby Giffords, just one of many who has shown remarkable courage in her recovery and overcoming that day, and the tremendous challenges that put her in the position that she is today. But today they will see this man face-to-face and talk about what it has been like for them, the impact after that shooting.

We are seeing pictures of people arriving at the courthouse, victims who will be there, who are there, who are just in very raw emotional ways talking about what this means for them now that this individual who has changed their lives killed and wounded so many, will spend the rest of his life in prison. We're going to bring you more on the trial later today.

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MALVEAUX: While the world focuses attention on the major results of the U.S. election, one important referendum was overshadow. On the island of Puerto Rico voters decided they are in favor of statehood. Currently the island, it's a U.S. territory. So could Puerto Rico be on its way to becoming the 51st state? Juan Carlos Lopez here to break it down for us.

So, what do we know? Can Puerto Rico actually change its status? Is that an easy thing to do, or is it pretty tough?

JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's not actually up to Puerto Rico. It's up to the U.S. Congress. But when you look at the results, Suzanne, of this election, yes, most Puerto Ricans who voted said they don't favor the current commonwealth status or the way it's framed, and, yes, the highest number of votes were for statehood. Over 800,000 votes. But when you count the votes of those who want a modified version of the commonwealth status right now and those who voted blank, who decided to protest with this vote, well, you have 468,000 people submitted blank ballots. So there were more people voting against these changes than for statehood.

Now, what would happen now? It comes to the U.S. Congress. The U.S. Congress has to decide. President Obama says he supports Puerto Rico's self-determination rights, but it's up to the U.S. Congress to decide if Puerto Rico can become the 51st state. Obviously, this has political implications. With the population in Puerto Rico over 4.5 million people, they're going to have a big representation in Congress, two U.S. senators, and that, obviously, creates a very troubling issue in Congress because if D.C., if Washington, D.C., hasn't been able to get one representative to the House of Representatives, can you imagine if Puerto Rico immediately obtained a high number? A very complicated thing.

MALVEAUX: And do we know, Juan Carlos, whether or not there is a favoritism in this? I mean is Congress leaning either way?

LOPEZ: I don't think it's an issue in Congress. It's been debated. There are hearings. There are conversation on it. But I don't see that this is something that Congress is moving towards. And I think a lot of Puerto Ricans would want this to go in a certain way. And what they want is an answer. They want to know, is Puerto Rico a colony of the U.S., or isn't it? And that's part of the debate. Many would like to be a state. Others wouldn't. But there's still not a clear answer on that. MALVEAUX: All right, CNN Espanol's Juan Carlos Lopez, thank you.

They are twins born in Kenya the day after the American election, and their mom just named them in honor of the presidential candidates.

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MALVEAUX: All right, this was a fun story. The U.S. election has sparked a new wave of baby names in Kenya. The mother of newborn twins decided to name her sons -- I'm not even kidding here, after the president and his challenger. So, yes, if anybody even wonders what the birth order was, she named the boys based on the election results. So Barack is the first born, Mitt is the second. Yes, brothers, Barack and Mitt.