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New Day Sunday

Thousands Rally for Murdered Putin Critic; Mystery of Flight 370: One Year Later, Still No Answers

Aired March 01, 2015 - 07:30   ET

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

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Certainly, if you look at the recent times, and especially since the conflict over Ukraine has kicked off with Russia, of course, very much at odds, of course with the West, the message the opposition has been sending so far hasn't found very much resonance with the population in Russia.

Of course, we've been talking so much about the popularity ratings of Vladimir Putin, who got some 86 percent. Certainly, that doesn't leave very much room for the opposition. And the interesting thing is I can see the rally now right in front me coming towards us, is going along the banks of the Moscow River right now.

As you can see there, it's one that doesn't have very many political messages it seems in this sort of signs that are being held up, but a lot of Russian flags to really indicate that the death of Boris Nemtsov is something that not only would have shocked the opposition, but would have shocked all of Russian society and that certainly is the gist we are getting.

Those other flags, by the way, you are seeing, those orange flags and those white flags, those are from the political organization that Boris Nemtsov was a part of, the orange with one is his solidarity movement and the white one is the political party, the freedom for the peoples party that he was a part of. He was, of course, a liberal politician.

But, yes, Victor, you're absolutely right. This is, by far, a larger rally than the opposition would have managed to get together if Boris Nemtsov would still have been alive. Of course, if he were still alive, this would have been a rally the main feel at which would have been the opposition to Russia's policies inside Ukraine.

Boris Nemtsov was one that said there was clear evidence that Russia is operating inside Ukraine and that something that is very, very unpopular with many people here in Russia and made him very unpopular with the Kremlin, and then that also is something, a message that certainly would have gotten a lot less resonance than this kind of crowd that you're seeing right now.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Fred, I also understand you've got new details into the investigation of his death for us?

PLEITGEN: Yes, absolutely. There is some new details that have been coming in really only a couple of minutes ago. One of the things, of course, that we had heard yesterday from Russian media, as well as from investigators is that they had believed that they had found a vehicle that might have been involved in the killing of Boris Nemtsov. They were talking about a white vehicle they identified on surveillance cameras that are all around the center of Moscow.

Later, that vehicle was seen in a parking lot also here in Moscow. It was then, however, investigated and the police are now saying -- we are getting this again from various Russian media outlets -- is now saying they believe that vehicle is not connected to what happens to Boris Nemtsov.

They say they checked out the driver and the license plate comes from a caucus region from another region that is actually one that does have a lot of unrest as well, but they say it's not connected to what happened here.

Then, of course there is that new surveillance video that we have been seeing also which shows the moment that Boris Nemtsov was gunned down and that also speaks to dispel the notion out there a car stopped in front of him and a female companion he was with that someone shot out of the car and sped away. It seems that someone might have been waiting on that bridge and then gunned him down and then jumped into that get-away car. That certainly seems to be more likely now.

The demonstration, by the way, this morning march now is only about, I'm going to say, about 400 to 500 yards away from that bridge where all of that happened so certainly a very emotional moment for the people walking in this march when they get there in, I would say, about 15, 20 minutes time.

PAUL: All right. Fred Pleitgen, we so appreciate all if -- great information that you're getting us this morning there from Russia. Thank you.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us on the phone now is Sir Tony Brenton, former British ambassador to Russia.

And we thank you for your time. He's on the phone with us.

First, President Obama has called for -- I want to get exact here -- a prompt and partial and transparent investigation of Nemtsov's murder. What, sir, do you believe is the value for the world, for other countries to getting to the bottom of who, indeed, killed this opposition leader?

TONY BRENTON, FORMER BRITISH AMB. TO RUSSIA: Well, the world, of course, is looking on, it's a test of Russian justice in a way, and there is a question, which a lot of people are asking whether the Kremlin itself is responsible for the murder. I think that (AUDIO GAP) saying they created the (AUDIO GAP)

BLACKWELL: We seem to be having some problem --

BRENTON: -- Kremlin's point of view.

BLACKWELL: OK, continue. It's cleared up. Go ahead, sir.

BRENTON: Hello?

BLACKWELL: We had a problem, but continue.

BRENTON: For the Kremlin interview, from at Kremlin's point of view, they know that they are being watched very carefully on this. They are being accused in some quarters and they will be very keen, therefore, to bring some -- for the murder and I suspect will move quite quickly to that.

They have quite a good record actually of catching hit men, but they have a much worse record of catching those who paid the hit man. Getting to the bottom of this horrible crime maybe a long way off.

PAUL: All right. I do believe that they have lost him. But if he can still hear us, Sir Tony Brenton, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate your time.

We're going to take a break. We'll have more for you as we talk to Tom Fuentes after the break.

Also, a new released video in to CNN that we want to share with you. This is the first we have seen of those three missing school girls accused of running away from home to join ISIS in the Middle East. We have some details for you after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Take a look what is happening in the center of Moscow right now. Fifty thousand people expected for this rally. It had been a rally against the Putin regime and the economy in Russia that had been planned and has now turned into a memorial march to honor Boris Nemtsov who was murdered on the street there on Friday night.

I want to bring in CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes to talk about the investigation into Nemtsov's death.

Thank you, Tom, for being with us.

I want to ask you a question. About the investigation and the credence of it, because so many people talk about how many enemies he had. How much credence do you put in the government's investigation into who killed this man?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, I think, Christi, it would be a difficult investigation, as your previous guest said, they may be able to track down who pulled the trigger and shot him dead. Finding who hired that person or persons will be another matter and something that they are not traditionally used to doing or announcing.

I think that hired killers in Moscow are a dime a dozen, whether it's government assassins, organized crime assassins, business rival assassins, it happens all the time so it's not a big deal there to have that happen.

But for the investigation, you know, in a way, Putin doesn't gain a lot by this, because as you see the size of the crowd on the street currently protesting, nowhere near that crowd would have shown up if Nemtsov was alive, conducting the rally as he was supposed to.

And as far as him about to release information that Russia is responsible for invading the Ukraine, big deal. The Russians love that. That's what they love about Putin. He is restoring them to the glory days of old where Russia stood toe-to-toe with the United States in the Soviet Union even during the Cold War. Putin is responsible for returning Crimea back to Russia, which gives them their only warm water naval port in the world.

So, none of what has been going with Nemtsov was really a threat to Putin. So, the idea that a rival might have done it is plausible.

PAUL: OK. I want to bring in some video here, Tom, the only surveillance video that we have seen of what happened to Nemtsov because there is something that we were watching this morning. We just can't get from.

OK. You see the arrow here, and that's Nemtsov, and you're going to see a person who they believe now was laying in wait somewhere near there to jump out, shoot him in the back several times, and then run into that car.

Now, just ahead of that, we saw a snowplow. A snowplow was there precisely at the right time to hide the killing itself. You do not see him being shot. It happens behind the snowplow. Coincidence or could this be a larger, more, you know, meticulous plot?

FUENTES: It could be. But the idea that they would know where that introduce is to create a security clip I think that is a little unlikely no matter how great the planning was to do the hit. And, secondly, without the plow, if you had seen the bullets coming out of the gun, you know, the flash of the muzzle when he pulled the trigger, I don't think that would have helped that much. It's a fuzzy surveillance, even enhanced.

It's not going to probably give you anywhere near enough detail to identify the shooter or shooters in this case.

PAUL: We know that a 23-year-old Ukrainian model Anna Duritskaya is with him and she is a key witness and she is cooperating, we understand. What is the plausibility of securing any other witnesses who are willing to talk about something that they saw?

FUENTES: I don't know how many other witnesses were out there, during the time of the event. It looks like not many on the sidewalk. It was late in the evening. We don't know what she is going to say or what's behind this so that will be interesting what kind of an interview or description of the shooter she gives.

But, again, you know, it's wintertime. The shooter probably had a cap or even maybe a ski mask type outfit on where it might not be possible even if she saw the shooter to be able to give an adequate description to track the shooter down.

PAUL: Real quickly, Vladimir Putin sent a letter to Nemtsov's mother where he said, "Everything will be done to have the organizers and executioners of the vile and cynical murder punished. Please accept my deepest condolences on the irreparable loss. I sincerely share the grief that has befallen you."

Do you find it odd that he would send a letter to the family of someone who opposed his regime so highly and publicly?

FUENTES: No. I don't find it that odd, especially if he is trying to say he had nothing to do with it and he might not of. You know, there are a lot of extreme right wing supporters of Putin in the country who may have hated Nemtsov for criticizing the regime, criticizing Putin.

So, it is possible or plausible that others shot and killed him that weren't ordered by Putin and that Putin didn't mean it. As I said, Putin had no fear of Nemtsov. He posed no real threat, political or otherwise, nor does Barack Obama, nor does the United Nations. No one poses a threat.

And the more we put stringent sanctions economically on the Russian Federation and the worse their economy gets, between that and the falling oil prices in the world, that only causes the Russian people to love him more and hate us more. They are blaming everything that's going bad in Russia on the U.S. and our meddling in their affairs and are crippling their economy, and the more it happens the more they love Putin and they more they want him to be a strong man and take on the world. So, I don't -- you know, I just don't see that is a strong connection.

PAUL: All righty. Such an interesting dynamic. Tom Fuentes, always appreciate your insight. Thank you, sir.

FUENTES: Thank you, Christi.

BLACKWELL: Coming up, it's been called the biggest aviation mystery in history. Flight 370 vanishes from the sky without a trace. Can you believe it's been almost a year and still no one knows what happened? Up next, where the search stands and whether we will ever really know what happened on board.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: It may be hard to believe, but it's been almost a year since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished from the sky.

The flight was headed to Beijing after taking off from Kuala Lumpur. Authorities still don't have answers, but they believe the plane crashed somewhere in the Southern Indian Ocean. In all, 239 people were on board.

Today, families of the victims are coming together to remember their loved ones. These are pictures from a prayer vigil in Malaysia.

Let's bring in CNN safety analyst and former FAA safety inspector David Soucie. He's also the author of "Malaysia Airlines 370". We're also joined by CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general of the United States Department of Transportation, Mary Schiavo.

Good to have both of you back to talk about it.

DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: (INAUDIBLE) Victor.

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: David, I want to start with you.

I read a piece in "The Guardian" this weekend, and Sarah Bajc, she had her partner Philip Wood who was on the flight, she said that it seems like nobody cares anybody. When we checked in a few months ago, this was in full gear. Is that still the case today?

SOUCIE: It is. You know, there's still search going on. There's 18,000 square miles yet to search. They searched 9,000 very diligently. This is the highest priority area, though. That's the highest probability area.

So, I can empathize with Sarah's feelings in that it seems as though it's just too little too late right now and that no one's lost -- and that people have lost interest.

BLACKWELL: Mary, is there any indication based on your investigation of past tragedies that the passage of time actually makes it more difficult to find Flight 370 or to find out what happened?

SCHIAVO: Well, unfortunately, it does. You know, the longer you wait on any evidence, of course, you know, in the job that I do now, it's my job to take the evidence of plane crashes all the way through to court, and you have to be able to prove things that happened. The passage of time is very eroding to all kinds of evidence, particularly an air crash where you really need to get there very quickly.

I think probably the most crucial delay and most damaging delay were those four days right after the plane went missing when the Malaysian military was telling us a different story literally every hour and different points where they said they had picked it up and then four days later after searching in the South China Sea said that it wasn't there, had gone up and around Kuala Lumpur.

I think those four days were the days in which the plane may have been lost forever.

BLACKWELL: Quickly before we go back to David, you mentioned court. Does the passage of time free anyone of liability at any point?

SCHIAVO: Well, at some point, it does, yes. At the two-year mark, there's a treaty that's called the Montreal Treaty, and at two years, people have to have filed suit before the passage of that two- year mark against the carrier. Now there are other components and other entities that could possibly -- depending on the evidence -- could possibly be sued such ago Boeing or persons who put, you know, cargo on the plane that shouldn't have been on the plane, et cetera.

At the two-year mark, that's the big hallmark for aviation law. You must do something by that mark usually.

BLACKWELL: And we're halfway to that point. Still.

SCHIAVO: We are.

BLACKWELL: Not as much as a seat belt discovered as part of this disappearance.

David, back to you. All kinds of theories have surfaced since 370 disappeared almost a year now. Some experts say it was mechanical error that triggered a mid-air disaster. Others speculated that it was something more sinister. You obviously have written the book on MH-370.

Of the information that's come out and been analyzed recently, is there a working theory now?

SOUCIE: There really isn't until something is found. I've done a probability analysis as I would on any aircraft accident investigation and search, and there's only about 125 facts, which is not enough to make the good conclusive answer to give any answers to these families and loved ones. It's just -- it's horrific to think that they've been waiting a whole year as in Air France 470, they waited two years to find the answers.

BLACKWELL: Yes. And, of course, everyone's hoping that they at least get some answer as we talked about for the seven weeks that we covered this continuously, there is no real such thing as closure, but at least you get some answers and what you do with that can help you move forward.

David Soucie, Mary Schiavo, thank you both.

SCHIAVO: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: And make sure to tune in on Tuesday, 9:00 p.m. Eastern for a CNN special record, "Vanished: The Mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370."

PAUL: Want to show you the pictures of what's happening right now in Moscow. These are marchers who are protesting the murder of one of Russia's most prominent opposition leaders. Meanwhile, at the same time, the hunt for his killers is in full gear.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Hey, listen, we are really excited about a new series here at CNN. It's called "THE WONDER LIST." In the first episode, Bill Weir takes us to an island nation in the South Pacific where you can get extremely close to a live volcano.

BLACKWELL: Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL WEIR, THE WONDER LIST: Behold, Mount Yasur, one of the world's most accessible live volcanoes anywhere in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole town routine is based around the daily and nightly eruptions which occasionally we're hearing as we're climbing it now, walking up into the heavens.

(MUSIC)

WEIR: It's so surreal to come out of this lush, thick green juggle and then find a moonscape. As you get closer, hear these percussant booms and then stand here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: We're sitting behind a desk.

BLACKWELL: Yes. That is amazing.

(LAUGHTER)

BLACKWELL: Hey, we've got Bill with us.

Bill, I remember I was talking to Christi, we heard Bill Weir is coming to CNN.

PAUL: Yes.

BLACKWELL: You came here. You interviewed Rob Ford, mayor of Toronto, and then we didn't see you for a year.

PAUL: Where did you go? What happened?

BLACKWELL: You've been at these beautiful locales around the world. Tell us about the show.

WEIR: Well, Victor, you know, it started with a question, a grand question. I looked at my kid one day and sort of a fit of a nostalgia, nostalgia, I realized she's going to turn my age in 2050, so I wonder if there will still be tigers in the wild, how many species will still be in the Galapagos. Will the Jordan River and Dead Sea have dried up completely? They're disappearing at alarming rates.

And so, it was just an excuse to check off my bucket list and go around. And the question for this hour was, I wonder if there's still a Hawaii without hotels around there, you know? Some beautiful island paradises right on the brink of changes, just in the matter of time, and for one reason that this is such an undiscovered gem is the folks who live under that volcano worship it as a living god. They don't want tourists trudging up there.