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Chicago Police Relase Shootign Video; Turkey-Russia Incident Still Smoldering; Trump Doubles Down on 9/11 Comments; Young Muslim's Defiant Letter to Donald Trump; Pope Francis Visiting Kenya, Uganda, Central African Republic; Denver Investigating Marijuana Pesticides. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired November 25, 2015 - 01:00   ET

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

ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Our breaking news this hour. Protesters are blocking a major interstate highway in Chicago, angry about a just- released video that shows a white police officer shooting and killing a black teen.

Plus, Vladimir Putin calls it a stab in the back. The new fears of the Syrian crisis escalating after Turkey shoots down a Russian war plane.

And Donald Trump is not backing away from controversial comments about American Muslims on 9/11, despite an apparent lack of proof.

Hello, and welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Isha Sesay, and Newsroom L.A. starts right now.

Our top story this hour, controversial dash cam video just released by Chicago police showing a white officer shooting a black teen. We want to warn you what you're going to see is disturbing.

In the video Laquan McDonald is seen running towards a patrol car. Authorities say the 17-year-old was armed with a knife. The teen then walked away from the two police officers, who have their guns drawn. Seconds later, an officer opens fires, and McDonald falls to the ground. The teen was shot 16 times. The officer, Jason Van Dyke, has been charged with first degree murder.

Well, protesters are blocking an interstate in Chicago right now. We want to show you some of the pictures of the demonstrations that have been peaceful for the most part. Authorities have been preparing for possible protests ahead of the video release.

Showing you some aerial images now of the protesters on the streets of Chicago. That's where we find CNN's Rosa Flores. She is live with the very latest.

Rosa, set the scene for us. What's happening?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me set the scene for you. You can see behind me this is a major interstate. You see police cruisers, not only from Chicago PD but also from state police. Moments ago, hundreds of protesters were blocking this major

intersection, and now they moved on. So I'm going to swing the camera around so I can show you exactly where they're going and the speed at which they're moving.

You can see back here that these protesters are taking the street, and right behind them are police officers pretty much taking care of them, making sure that they are following the law. Authorities here made it very clear earlier that they're going to allow people to protest, allow people to show their emotions, but they're going to have to do it lawfully.

Now why? Why are they here? This is after the release of the video of the killing of Laquan McDonald. Now we have that video for you. I just have to warn you that the video is graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: The video is shocking. A white Chicago police officer shooting a black teenager 16 times. The deadly confrontation captured on a police dash cam more than a year ago led to a first degree murder charge today for Officer Jason Van Dyke.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This officer went overboard, you know, and he abused his authority. And I don't believe the force was necessary.

FLORES: Police say 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was shot and killed while holding a knife after slashing a tire on Chicago's southwest side. Van Dyke was one of eight officers on scene that night, but prosecutors say he was the only one to shoot, opening fire only six seconds after arriving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Officer Van Dyke's partner related that he could hear McDonald struggling to breathe, and he told Van Dyke to hold his fire so he could approach McDonald and kick the knife away.

FLORES: That dash cam video show McDonald's body being riddled with bullets even after falling to the ground, and the autopsy confirms that teen was hit 16 times.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Van Dyke's partner reported that there was a brief pause in the shots when he looked at Van Dyke and saw that he was preparing to reload his weapon.

FLORES: Van Dyke's lawyer says his client acted in self defense and the case shouldn't be played out in the media.

DANIEL HERBERT, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: This is a case that needs to be tried in a courtroom. It needs to be tried in a courtroom where the rules of evidence are in play and the Constitution is in play. This is a case that my client should be afforded the same presumption of innocence that every other American...

FLORES: The McDonald family received a $500 million settlement from the City of Chicago but did not want the video released. In a civil suit filed by journalists, a judge ordered the video should be made public. Now community leaders and the city of Chicago are on edge, preparing for outrage and protests.

RHAM EMMANUEL, MAYOR OF CHICAGO: Will we use this episode and this moment to build bridges that bring us together as a city, or will we allow it to become a way the erects barriers that tear us apart as a city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: So you can see behind me that authorities here are going to reopen the ramp after protesters blocked the highway for probably 15, 20 minutes. They've been very mobile, moving from one street to the next around downtown Chicago, trying to deliver their message.

Now, Isha, I've got to tell you, a lot of these protesters saying that these protests will continue. They want to have an economic impact, and that's why they want to march on Michigan Avenue, one of the main avenues here in Chicago.

Isha?

SESAY: Rosa, the people have been on the streets for a number of hours now. What's your sense? Are the crowds growing?

FLORES: You know, the crowd has been thinning out as the hours progress, so it's been, you know, thinner, and then it grows a bit. Right now it's probably in the several hundred. A lot of the leaders of this protest are no longer with the pack, so some of them have left. But they do continue to march, and from contacts that we have within the leaders of this community, they do tell us that they do plan more protests tomorrow and also on Black Friday.

SESAY: All right. Rosa Flores joining us there from Chicago where there are still people out on the streets protesting those images, which have just become public with the release of that video showing the shooting of Laquan McDonald.

Rosa, we appreciate it. Stand by. We'll come back to you.

I want to bring in civil rights attorney Areva Martin. She joins us now here in the studio.

Areva, thank you so much for joining us. Let's have your thoughts on what's playing out in Chicago right now.

AREVA MARTIN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: I just can't believe what we're seeing. This is over a year that the shooting took place, and we're just getting this video camera that the police department has had all of this time. And I think what's most troubling for me is that we heard this narrative being played out by the police, and it's completely contradicted by the video.

SESAY: He was a threat.

MARTIN: Yes, that he made some movements towards the police, that he actually kicked out a window on the police car and that he did things to threaten the lives of the police. And now we see this young man, this teenager, walking away from the police, being shot, falling to the ground and then continuously being shot by the police officer -- completely different than the narrative that has been told by the police department for an entire year.

SESAY: But there's no audio to this video.

MARTIN: No audio.

SESAY: Just images.

MARTIN: Yes.

SESAY: So talk to me about how that opens up the space to argue against what we're seeing.

MARTIN: Well, one thing, even though there is no audio, we know in terms of seconds, we know that this officer that was charged with murder was on the scene less than 30 second and that within 6 seconds of arriving, he started to shoot. And there were five other officers there. None of them fired their weapons. And we're also hearing that his partner was concerned that he continued to fire even after McDonald was on the ground.

Also when you look at this video, we saw this with the Michael Brown in Ferguson shooting, the body being left on the ground. We saw a police officer go over to McDonald and kick the knife away, but we also saw them walking around his body. We didn't see anyone go try to administer CPR or do anything that was of a lifesaving nature.

SESAY: And what does that say to you?

MARTIN: Well, that says to me when I put it together with what we're hearing about what has taken place over this year, the wall of silence, the lack of cooperation by some of these police officers, it starts to confirm those theories that after shooting, rather than try to save the life, police officers start very quickly spinning their stories. They start talking to each other and creating the story that they're going to put forth. And it also says to me that but for this video, that narrative that was told by the police officers during this year, probably would be the narrative that we would be left with.

SESAY: Let me ask you this. The investigation, which led to the charges being announced, took a year.

MARTIN: Very troubling.

SESAY: Many people asking what is that all about.

MARTIN: And you juxtapose that with the payment of $5 million to the family in April. Now keep in mind the family hadn't even filed a lawsuit, so the police had enough -- the City of Chicago had enough information at their disposal in April to say this case has a value, a monetary value. A federal civil rights lawsuit likely to be filed but had not been filed. But from their own assessment, they had enough evidence that they had reviewed to determine that it had a value of $5 million and offered that -- paid that to the family before a lawsuit was even filed.

So if they had that much information in April, it begs the question as to why on the eve of a court order that the video had to be released by Wednesday, we see a couple of things happening in Chicago. We see the indictment in the morning. We see the release of the video in the evening. And we also see the firing of a cop that was involved -- an off-duty police officer who was actually acquitted last year -- we see him being fired.

Again, it just -- from a timing standpoint, it makes you think that this police department, this city, this district attorney have not been completely transparent.

SESAY: Now, the lawyer for the officer who shot Laquan has said that his client should be afforded the same presumption of innocence as any other person on trial. And he's also saying that this is something to be -- that should play out in the court -- that he should receive a fair trial.

Do you doubt that he will receive a fair trial, considering the images that are now out there?

MARTIN: I'm more concerned about justice in this case. He is saying what I think any good defense attorney should say. But I think the more important question to be asked is how come it took a year before this state's attorney would step up and file charges. The evidence that she's been investigating, we can't imagine that had that been a police officer shot, had it not been an African-American teen that was shot, that it would have taken this much time.

So yes, he's going to have his day in court, but I'm more concerned about the jurors and them being able to find this police officer guilty based on the evidence that we have today.

SESAY: Areva Martin, some great analysis. We appreciate you joining us.

MARTIN: Thank you.

SESAY: Thank you.

All right. We're going to turn our attention now to the situation on the Turkish-Syrian border now, where the downing of a Russian warplane is raising alarms of a Cold War style diplomatic confrontation. Turkey says it shot down the plane after it had ignored repeated warnings and violated Turkey's airspace. Now these images purportedly show the wreckage in northern Syria.

Moscow insists the plane never left Syrian airspace. Russia says the two pilots ejected and one was shot to death. President Vladimir Putin was blunt in his condemnation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA: Today's loss for us was a stab in the back from terrorist accomplices. I cannot describe it in any other way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Well, for more on this, Ben Wedeman will join us from Iraq in just a moment. But let's start with Ian Lee, who is there in Istanbul.

Ian, starting with you, have we been able to determine which side of the Syrian Turkish border that Russian warplane was actually on when it was shot down?

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isha, at this hour, it is unknown where that plane exactly was when those Turkish F-16s shot it down. What we do know, though, is that plane landed in Syria about four kilometers, roughly 2.5 miles from the Turkish border.

Now the semi-official Anatolian news agency here in Turkey released an image that shows the flight path of that Russian jet, and as you can see, it goes over parts of Turkish airspace. Russia has denied that it was -- that it entered Turkish airspace. They are calling for an independent inquiry into this. They say they have proof that it didn't, in fact, didn't violate Turkish airspace.

But really, at this point it is fairly much a mute point, as a plane is down. A Russian helicopter trying to rescue those pilots was taken down as well. A Russian Marine was killed, according to Russian officials. And tensions are high, and right now there are calls to de-escalate the situation.

SESAY: (inaudible) call for de-escalate.

Ian Lee, stand by. I want to turn now to Ben Wedeman there in Erbil.

Ben, Turkish officials seem to be suggesting that the Russians were targeting their brothers and sisters, the Turkmen, there in that border area, all of this really driving home the multiple allegiances and the different fronts in the Syrian conflict, which make it so very, very difficult to resolve.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed. And this really does underscore just how complicated this conflict is. Now, the people in this area are the Turkmen minority. They had been living in that area dating back to the days of the Ottoman Empire. And it has -- that area has been the focus of Russian military activity in recent weeks. The Russians are trying to clear out Latakia Providence in Western Syria of anti-regime rebels, and, of course, these men are among them in that area.

Now, just the other day that Turks who had called the Russian ambassador in Ankara to protest the Russian military activity in that area, and clearly, this shoot down of a Russian Su- 24 may be the direct result of increasing Turkish unhappiness with the Russian military operations in that area. It really just is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the increasingly sour relations between Ankara and Moscow. Keep in mind that they are really at polar opposites when it comes to

this conflict. Ankara has long backed anti-regime rebels, including, many believe, turning a blind eye, at the best, towards ISIS, allowing it to have access to Syria along its 822-kilometer border with Syria.

And on the other side, you have Russia, a decades-long ally of the Syrian regime, that has clearly decided that it needs to directly become involved in this conflict, as increasingly, the Assad regime had its back to the wall.

Isha?

SESAY: It is a very, very complicated business.

Ian Lee, Istanbul, Turkey. Ben Wedeman joining us there from Erbil, Iraq. Our thanks to you both.

Now, a chilling revelation from French police about a narrowly averted second wave of attacks in Paris. We will have the details for you.

Plus, French President Francois Holland visits the White House and gets a show of support.

Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: Hello, everyone.

Paris police say a second wave of attacks could have been just hours away when officers rated an apartment one week ago. Authorities say this man, suspected ringleader, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, and another man were plotting a suicide attack on the city's financial district. Both suspects were killed and a dramatic raid that shook the Saint-Denis neighborhood and collapsed an entire floor of an apartment building.

CNN's Max Foster is in Paris for us, and he joins us now live.

Max, this continues to be a fast moving investigation and some very troubling details released on Tuesday.

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. A very close call in France, prompting security authorities around the world, as well, to stay on the lookout for any possible terror in their own countries. Effectively, what you had here was another attack planned for the financial district, which was thwarted by these police. So countries all around the world trying to learn lessons about this and what it means for them.

Here's Pamela Brown, who has more from New York.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A new manhunt underway across Europe for this man, Mohamed Abrini. Authorities issued an international arrest warrants for him after new intelligence revealed his role in the Paris attacks.

Police say Abrini may have dropped off one of the bombers, who attacked the soccer stadium. Two days before the attacks, Abrini was caught on cameras in that same car with alleged attacker Salah Abdelsalam at a French gas station.

The search for Abdelsalam has expanding Germany, following a tip he was in the northwest part of the country. French investigators are trying to determine whether a possible suicide vest found in a garbage can belonged to Abdelsalam or someone else.

Tonight French authorities revealing details of what could've been a second wave of terror. Investigators say they found two more explosive vests and an automatic pistol in a nearby apartment where a police raid took out the Paris attacks mastermind, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. French prosecutor says in that apartment Abboud's second terror cell was planning a new suicide bomb attack against Paris's financial district.

In a stunning admission, the prosecutor said today Abboud was not only in Paris during the attacks, was that his cell phone signal that night indicates he returned to the crime scene at 10:28 p.m., even as the Bataclan Concert Hall was still under siege, swarming with police.

Questions now about this purported cell phone video of the attacks posted by Isis. Was it from Abboud's own phone?

In the days after the attacks, French officials have thought he was in Syria, raising concerns about intelligence gaps with tracking foreign fighters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: The first thing you see from Paris is these are people who included foreign fighters who were hardened, trained and experienced.

BROWN: In the capital city of Belgium, the metro and schools remain closed under the highest terror alert. A French source says officials don't believe they've dismantled the full terror cell in Belgium linked to the Paris attacks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: We are trying to go out just in the mornings, and after that, stay the nights -- rest -- we just stay at home.

BROWN: And back in the U.S., an intelligence bulletin is encouraging law enforcement to review active shooter training, because ISIS "may expand efforts to conduct attacks against soft targets based on the success of the Paris attacks that extend beyond targeting government, military and law enforcement officials and facilities."

Amid the terror concerns, the NYPD is ratcheting up security and surveillance surrounding the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: This will include extra unformed police officers and traffic agents plus additional mobile cameras, helicopters, K-9 and mounted units.

Pamela Brown, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: So, Isha, the latest thinking from here us, you know, there is a great deal of concern. How do you respond to it? A counterterrorism official has told CNN that they've been monitoring the transport systems, for example, for the last couple of years, and they've actually taken away access to the tarmac at Charles-de-Gaulle Airport for 10 employees, who they feel are too radicalized.

So lots of people being radicalized, members of staff, on the transport system. Well, not lots of people, but a substantial amount of people, something they're very concerned about, one of the typical sort of threats they're having to look at now in this new environment, Isha.

SESAY: Yes, very worrying, indeed.

Max, let's talk about the diplomatic effort underway being led by French President Francois Hollande, He huddled with U.S. President Barack Obama behind closed doors on Tuesday. Do we know whether he got what he was looking for?

FOSTER: Well, he got the support, didn't he? And President Obama was very much shoulder-to-shoulder with France in talking about how that military cooperation between the two countries is vital and how the two cultures are intertwined, essentially, around freedom. So it was a very powerful sort of moment really in terms of the most powerful leader in the world standing next to President Holland there.

But no, I don't think Hollande did get what he wanted, because what he wants is for a concerted effort against Syria on the -- against ISIS on the ground in Syria, and what he needs for that is for the U.S. and Russia to be working closely together militarily in a joint effort with all the world's superpower might against ISIS and Syria.

He didn't get that, because essentially what Obama is saying that he will only work with Russian military if Russian -- if Putin agrees only to target ISIS targets in Syria, and he doesn't believe that they're only targeting ISIS. He also believes that they're targeting Assad opposition groups as well.

So that is a stumbling block for Hollande as he's traveling the world trying to create this "grand coalition," as he calls it.

SESAY: Max Foster there joining us from Paris. Max, we appreciate the insight analysis there from Paris, where it is approaching 7:30 in the morning on Wednesday. Thank you, Max.

All right. We are going to take a very quick break, and we'll see you on the other side. Stay with CNN NEWSROOM live from LA.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:30:40] SESAY: Hello, everyone. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. The headlines this hour. (HEADLINES)

SESAY: Now, U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is doubling down on his disputed comments about 9/11 and other topics.

Sarah Murray looks at Trump's relationship with the truth during his campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(CHEERING)

SARAH MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump refuses to back down from his latest controversial comments.

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: There were people that were very, very happy. And those people, not good people. So nobody believed me. Some people believe me. By the way, thousands of people believe me because they saw it.

MURRAY: Standing by his widely disputed claim that he saw thousands of people celebrating the 9/11 attack necessary New Jersey.

TRUMP: I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down and I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down.

MURRAY: Trump's sometimes casual relationship with the facts, a signature of his campaign from the day he announced.

TRUMP: When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best.

MURRAY: Linking undocumented Mexican immigrants to violent crimes.

TRUMP: They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists and some, I assume, are good people.

MURRAY: A statement that earned him for Pinocchios from "The Washington Post" because studies show that immigrants don't create more crimes than Native Americans.

Another more recent immigration claim, this one about Syrian refugees.

TRUMP: We have a president that wants to take hundreds of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people and move them into our country.

(BOOING)

TRUMP: Think of it --

(BOOING)

TRUMP: And we don't even know who they are.

MURRAY: But the White House says it plans to admit a fraction of that number next year. JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has informed

his team that he would like them to accept -- at least make preparations to accept at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next fiscal year.

MURRAY: One fact not in dispute, Trump is still leading Dr. Ben Carson by double digits in the latest national surveys. Voters, perhaps, stoking his claims up to innocent mistakes, media bias or maybe what Trump calls "truthful hyperbole" in his book, "The Art of the Deal," "A little hyperbole never hurt. It's an innocent form of exaggeration and a very effective form of promotion."

Trump even telling CNN in July that he embellishes every now and then.

TRUMP: Of course, I want to put --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Did you exaggerate?

MURRAY: At a Rockets rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Donald Trump did not take on Ted Cruz, but he fired plenty of shots at Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, and he doubled down on those claims that he saw people protesting in New Jersey on 9/11 as the twin towers fell.

Sarah Murray, CNN, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Trump's controversial comments about monitoring mosques after the terror attacks has evoked a reaction from one young Muslim.

Marwa Balkar wrote a letter to the presidential candidate in a Facebook post that's now gone viral. In it she responds to Trump saying, in part, "I heard you wanted us to start wearing I.D. badges, so I decided to choose one for myself. I chose the peace sign because it represents my Islam."

To be clear, Trump did not suggest Muslims wear I.D. badges, but he did want a debate to register Muslims in the U.S.

Marwa Balkar joins me to discuss her letter.

Marwa, thank you so much for joining us.

Let me ask you what went through your mind when you first heard Donald Trump's comments about Muslims being put on databases?

[01:35:33] MARWA BALKAR, MUSLIM WOMAN WROTE LETTER TO TRUMP: Well, when I first heard Donald Trump's comments, I wasn't shocked because I feel like it's something that Donald Trump would say. But I kind of started simmering a little bit and as time went on, I realized that just because Donald Trump is saying something that Donald Trump would say does not make it already and I'm not going to be the one to tolerate it.

SESAY: So you decided to write this letter, effectively. Was it difficult to write?

BALKAR: No. I was actually driving and I pulled over and I wrote it in two minutes. I didn't even edit it. It just came straight from the passion that he ignited from his really negative comments.

SESAY: One of the things you said that really struck me was that, you know, "Being Muslim doesn't make me any less American than you are." I just wonder how it's been for you, knowing that there are people who really do think being Muslim is diametrically opposed to being American.

BALKAR: It's really tough. I was born and raced in this country and there's nothing different than the person that sits next to me on the bus or the coworker that I work with. We're all Americans. My religion is between me and myself. You should never impose negative connotations so publicly and so influentially when it's not fair and it's irrational.

SESAY: Did you think your letter would get so much attention?

BALKAR: No. I had no idea. I honestly --

SESAY: Oh, dear. We appear to have lost her there just as she was sharing her reaction to the fact that this Facebook post, this message she wrote addressing comments made by Donald Trump has basically gone viral.

A lot of people talking about the comments she made, and being Muslim is not different from being American for any other person. But also, she said she's no less human than Donald Trump is. It's very moving and she wrote on Trump. Sadly, we lost Marwa and couldn't complete the conversation. But we're glad we could bring her to you and give you some insight into why she decided to write the message to Donald Trump.

Now, Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, is apologizing for something she said on the campaign trail. During the Facebook chat, she expressed regret for using the term "illegal immigrant" to refer to undocumented immigrant at a town hall earlier this month. She said, "That was a poor choice of words. The people at the heart of this are children, parents, family, Dreamers. They have names and hopes and dreams that deserve to be respected."

Still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM live from L.A., Pope Francis is getting ready for another historic trip. This time, his first visit to Africa. A live report next. Those are live pictures of the Holy Father's plane as he gets ready to leave and head to Africa. We'll continue the conversation on the other side of the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:42:02] SESAY: I want to bring you these images of Rome. That is Pope Francis there on your screens preparing to leave for a historic trip to Africa. This is a pope that is very well traveled. This, in fact, will be his 11th overseas trip, but his first trip to Africa. We're showing us these images from Rome's parent. The pope's plane is ready and he's clearly saying good-bye to officials before boarding the aircraft and taking off for a three-country tour. He'll go to Africa, Uganda and the African republic. Considering what he considers global concerns, many people questioning the timing of this trip to these three countries, especially the Central African Republic as the country is still in active conflict. So many questions about the security and how the pope will conduct himself while he's on the ground in Africa. This is a pope known for want to go mingle with the crowds of the faithful. Will he do that again, this time, considering the environment, right now, the global security concerns?

Let's bring in CNN's Robyn Kriel to talk about all of this. She joins us now from Nairobi where the pope will be landing in a couple of hours.

Robyn, can authorities, can Kenyan authorities keep the pope safe? Many, many questions about security given everything that's happening around the world now?

ROBIN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isha, obviously, concerns but Kenyan authorities have said that they will be able to keep the pope safe. They said that they've deployed 10,000 police to Nairobi to the various events that the pope will be engaging the Kenyan people in and tremendous excitement on the ground, Isha. I want to point out a poster that sprung up overnight behind me, which is a huge giant life sized poster of the pope that will be watching over the Nairobi bureau as he makes his way. Hopefully, he would get to see that himself. Security concerns, there have been attacks by al Qaeda linked al Shabaab here in Kenya in the past both of which are on his tour, but we are told he will be kept very well safe in both places. A lot of concerns ahead of his visit, or the United Nations has thousands of extra troops to help bolster their security. Pair it's, apparently, claiming that they did not know if they could keep the pope safe. But, as you said, the pope is a man of the people. He needs to smell the sheep and we believe he will be attending all of those and mingling with the crowd, as you say.

SESAY: And, Robyn, as he speak to the Catholic faithful, what do they want to hear from the pope? What do they want him message to contain?

[01:45:09] KRIEL: Well, a lot of people here in Kenya want his message to contain things like religious cohesion, tolerance for one another. You'll remember Kenya was the scene of ethnic violence in 2007, 2008 was post election violence. They want messages of peace to be spread. A lot of people we've been speaking to a number of Catholics and non-Catholics in the slums who want his message to be focused on poverty and that has been a big focus of Pope Francis. He is from the global south. He will be visiting a slum here in Nairobi and speaking to people who have been working in the slum for decades who can tell him what the problems are on the ground are. They're hoping poverty will be a major issue that he brings up as well as, of course, LGBT issues. That's going to be a hot topic when he visits. Uganda, will he address the gay rights and things like that. Uganda has some harsh anti-gay laws. He's not giving a lot away on what he's going to speak on.

SESAY: And what's an expected high point of his visit to Kenya? KRIEL: There are a few high points. He's going be -- one issue which

I think is quite important is he's going to be meeting with interreligious leaders, including Muslims, Hindus here in Kenya. That's going to be very important, just given the issues on the ground here, the cross border issues with al Qaeda linked al Shabaab they have linked here in Somalia and Kenya targeting anonymous limbs and in some cases Christians. That will away hot topic. Leaders have told reporters that they are very excited to speed speak to the pope and they want to hear his message of peace. That's going to be hugely important. Also, the holy mass of the university. He's going to be focusing on talking to the youth. That's going to be amazing, we understand. 2 preparations for it looked truly incredible and something that is quite unique is that choir is going be singing to the pope and some members of that choir are from the town of Garicia. We're told initially the pope was not going to visit Kenya, but in April when the attack on university occurred, the pope changed his mind and he watched this attack occurring on young people, on anonymous limbs, on Christians and he decided this is one of the places that he wanted to put on his stop to specifically talk on these issues.

SESAY: Great to have you with us to give us a preview of the pope's first visit. Robyn Kriel, in Nairobi, thank you.

Now, business is blazing for Colorado's pot dispensaries. But just ahead, a safety investigation could be a real buzz kill for recreational marijuana users?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[01:49:35] DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good day. I'm Derek Van Dam.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: Welcome back, everyone. Marijuana is legal in Colorado. Now there are safety concerns, not involving the drug, but the pesticides used on marijuana plants.

Ana Cabrera investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's more than just a budding business. Sales are skyrocketing. More than half a billion things of pot sold in Colorado last year alone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at this beautiful leaf right here.

CABRERA: Pot producers, product manufacturers and retailers are rolling in the green. But nearly two years into Colorado cannabis legalization, possible new dangers coming to life in a federal illicit industry. The city of Denver has found pot with high levels of toxic chemicals, unapproved pesticides sprayed on plant that eventually ends up on store shelves. Denver's Department of Health has opened at least two dozen investigations over concerned in the past months which lead to quarantines, even a class action lawsuit.

(on camera): So how big is this hidden threat? We decided to put some pot products to the test. But state regulations don't allow consumers to purchase products and have them tested. Only state licensed marijuana businesses can submit samples for testing.

(voice-over): So we found two shops willing to do just that. Tested six different pot samples, flowers, edibles and a concentrated marijuana wax product. The lab? Gobi Analytical, a state licensed marijuana testing facility and the go-to lab for Denver's own pesticide investigations. The testing is complex requiring a highly specific instrument.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It can detect the molecular weight of each pesticide. It's very specific.

CABRERA (on camera): How reliable is this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's extremely reliable.

CABRERA (voice-over): The results? Five samples came back clean, but the marijuana concentrate did not pass. There was a staggering level of an insecticide, a neurotoxin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Farm workers who have breathed these things in have had severe symptoms and have been hospitalized with headaches, neurologic problems, frothing at the mouth.

CABRERA: The state does not allow this to be used to marijuana, but the EPA does allow it to be used on some crops, but in very low levels. For apples, .5 parts per million. Compare that to our sample showing the pesticide at 100 parts per million.

(on camera): So when you saw this result, what was the initial reaction?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get the product off the shelf. Get it off the shelf. We don't want to get that into our customers.

[01:55:00] CABRERA (voice-over): The pot shop owner pulled the product and notified the state. We found it was a different business that grew the marijuana and applied the pesticides. True Cannabis that it turns out had been previously flagged by local authorities. The company declined a request for an interview, but in a statement told us, "The health and safety of our customers and employees is a top priority. Because pesticides are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and cannabis is a schedule one controlled, there has been confusion about what products can be used on cannabis. True Cannabis is working with state and local regulators to resolve this issue with the ongoing focus on the health and safety of the consumer. Our tests led to an investigation by Denver Environmental Health officials and a widespread voluntary recall involving thousands of pot products."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't matter of a statewide concern and, frankly, we're not allowed to look the other way if there is a risk to consumer health and safety.

CABRERA: Ana Cabrera, CNN, Denver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: And that does it for us. I'm Isha Sesay in L.A.

For our viewers in the U.S., "Amanpour" is next.

For everyone else, the news continues with Rosemary Church and Errol Barnett right after this.

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[02:00:11] ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: French officials say terrorists had more plots in the works.