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Wolf

States of Emergency Declared Before Massive Blizzard; Road Will Be Big Danger During Blizzard; Pennsylvania Prepares for Blizzard; ISIS Changes Terms for Japanese Hostage Release; Steven Spielberg Reflects on Auschwitz

Aired January 26, 2015 - 13:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome back our viewers in the United States. I'm Wolf Blitzer, reporting from Washington.

The breaking news here in the United States, there are now states of emergency that have been declared in several areas from New Jersey through New York up to Massachusetts. Schools are now being closed as of tomorrow. A massive, massive blizzard only hours away. They're telling everyone, get off the roads quickly. Get to shelter. Stay there. That's the no-nonsense message to some nearly 60 million Americans in the path of the storm moving into the northeast. The brunt of it won't arrive until later this evening. Thousands of people are getting ready, thousands of flights, I should say, have already been canceled or delayed. Three feet of snow in places. The storm developed high winds that pushed the snow into towering drifts. Sometimes the winds can reach 60 or 70 miles an hour.

People in Connecticut, take a look. People are stocking up with supplies ahead of a statewide travel ban that takes effect at 9:00 p.m. Eastern later tonight.

Officials across the region are stressing how much snow is about to fall. People that have been through it before, they're echoing that that warning needs to be heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are facing most likely one of the largest snowstorms in the history of this city.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't like shoveling. I don't like snow. It's gorgeous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sooner or later, we're going to get hit with a big one. This may be the one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only thing we promised to do after the last year's storm was get a generator. And I didn't do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The power of moving water can really pick up rocks unbelievable size, easily the size of your fist. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cars were driving down this road during the

storm and the rocks came over and they can go through someone's windshield and damage their car. Large enough wave that could end up getting washed out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll believe it when I see it, I guess. I'm hoping it won't be as bad as they say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You should not underestimate this storm. Assume conditions will be unsafe. Assume that you do not want to be out in this storm. When you can stay indoors, stay indoors. When you can stay off the roads, stay off the roads.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: We heard a little while ago from the Emergency Management Agency up in Massachusetts that this could be among the worst five storms ever, ever to hit that area.

Let's go to Boston right now. Alexandra Field is checking the roads.

They're getting ready for a major blizzard over there, Alexandra. What are you seeing right now?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, they are, Wolf. This is a city used to a lot of snow. People are being warned this could be very significant if not a historic snowfall.

We're driving past the public garden now. There is a little snow on the ground. Really, snow is just starting to come down. Schools were open today. A lot of people out on the roads. A lot of people went to work today. A lot of people are also out stocking up and preparing because the brunt of this storm is still a couple of hours away.

There are a lot of warnings that are going out to people though. We've been driving around and we've been seeing road signs that say "blizzard expected Monday through Wednesday. Plan ahead."

Governor Charlie Baker spoke a short while ago and he has now declared a state of emergency. He is taking things one step further. He has issued a travel ban beginning at midnight. They want people off the roads so that they can get the equipment on to the road and mobilize 700 pieces of equipment, 35,000 tons of salt to be deployed as this snow comes in. Again, a lot of it expected overnight and into the day tomorrow. And then not really trailing off until Wednesday.

This will be interesting here in Boston. They've only had 10 inches of snow so far this winter. That is well below average. This storm over the next couple of days could put the city well above average. Again, this is a city that isn't a stranger to snow. They had a really big storm in 2013. The roads were covered. But this is a place where people do know that they need to heed the warnings when the warnings are coming so clearly from officials as they are in this case -- Wolf?

BLITZER: They certainly are. Alexandra Field, thank you very much.

Warnings not only maybe two or three feet of snow, but near-hurricane- size winds, 60 miles an hour, 70 miles an hour, and that will cause major flooding from the Atlantic in that entire northeastern region. People are really worried that power will be lost for hundreds of thousands if not millions of people in those areas. This is a real potential catastrophe on the way.

Up next, we're going to get the story from Pennsylvania right now. We're going to speak with the director of their Emergency Management Agency for warnings and preparations.

Lots going on. You're looking at a live picture coming in from Pittsburgh right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're continuing our coverage, special coverage, I should say, of what authorities in the United States are calling a potentially historic storm. Much of it is across New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. As we've been saying, one of the big dangers in any storm like this one, big dangers involves the roads.

Our Brian Todd is on the road in Franklin Township in New Jersey, west of Atlantic City.

Brian, what does it look like where you are right now? I know it's about to get a whole lot worse.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is about to get a whole lot worse, Wolf. This area just starting to get hit with this system as it pushes to the northeast.

As we mentioned, we're outside Franklin Township, New Jersey, on State Road 40. We're seeing the snow starting to hit. We've got a three- camera vehicle equipped here. You can see my camera on me. Then we're going to switch to the camera that looks right out our front windshield. You can see some of the precipitation hitting us.

State officials are telling us, when this storm is at its peak, they expect it to be one to two inches per hour coming down from this evening until about noon tomorrow.

We're going to cruise over a bridge now. You see it out our front window here. This is I believe State Route 55 that we're crossing over now.

State -- the governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, just said a short time ago they're getting 3700 trucks ready to deploy across the state, spreaders, contract snow plows, everything they can muster to get out here.

And it's just starting now. We're going to pull over. You're going to see a third camera capability. This is what we're able to show viewers throughout the day. My photojournalist, Oliver Gandy, is going to pull over here. And I'm going to get out of the vehicle and show you what this capability is, what we're going to be able to show viewers as this blizzard is at its peak.

Getting out of the vehicle next to State Road 40. You can see the conditions are getting a lot worse. I can look into the dash camera right here and narrate us as Oliver gets the camera ready here. These are the road conditions that are starting to get worse right at this hour, Wolf, as the governor is warning that the transit system in New Jersey may be shutting down at 10:00 p.m. eastern. That's how bad it might get. But here along State Road 40, looks like it's not stick right now. But again, this is the hour when this is really supposed to start hitting and start sticking.

So this is just the beginning of things here in southern New Jersey, Wolf. We're going to be pushing up towards the northeast toward the New Jersey coastline a little further where it's really supposed to get bad in the coming hours -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Get ready for the near-hurricane-size winds that are going to be under way at the same time as two of three feet of snow is dropping and temperatures are plummeting.

Brian, we'll stay in close touch with you.

Pennsylvania certainly won't escape the force of this winter weather system.

We've got Richard Flynn on the line right now. He's the director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

Mr. Flynn, thank you very much.

How hard do you expect Pennsylvania, specifically Philadelphia and other areas, to get -- how hard hit are these areas going to be?

RICHARD FLYNN, DIRECTOR, PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (voice-over): Yes. You're right, Wolf. We obviously activated a state of emergency operation center and Governor Tom Wolf has declared a proclamation of emergency in preparation for a statewide event.

Now the good news is obviously the western and central basically spared at this moment. We're focused in, as you pointed out very clearly, the southeast. We've activated the Pennsylvania National Guard. We'll have about 150 troops in that area. Headed by our Department of Transportation is relocating snow plows and additional resources to that area. All the county emergency management agencies are going to get hit significantly, whether Philadelphia or Bucks County. They're activating to full levels. And we're, at this point, no significant events have occurred. But we're focusing in on tonight and obviously over the night and tomorrow.

And we are certainly concerned. We're concerned about our neighbors in New Jersey and prepared to assist them as needed, if requested.

BLITZER: Yeah. We're all concerned about students, the young people. We're concerned about the elderly. And, Mr. Flynn, I know you have your hands full over there. We'll

stay in close touch with you as well.

Thank you very much. Good luck to everybody in Pennsylvania.

To keep track of the weather, by the way, where you are, you can always go to CNN.com/weather. Go there any time. You'll get the latest information.

We're going to have much more coverage of this historic blizzard coming up.

Also, ISIS now changing demands for the release of a Japanese hostage. We'll tell what you they want and the challenge Japan is now facing in meeting this new demand.

Lots of news happening today. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: All right. This story just coming in from Spain. A Greek F-16 fighter jet has crashed at a Spanish air base. There you see the smoke. A defense ministry official telling CNN that at least 10 people have been killed, more than a dozen wounded. It all happened during a NATO training exercise there. The jet crashed during takeoff, hitting other planes on the ground. No word yet on the nationalities of the casualties. But major, major disaster there. A Greek F-16 U.S.-made fighter jet crashing on takeoff in Spain.

The United States has now closed its embassy in Yemen's capital. The move is in response to last week's government nations. The State Department in Washington says they have limited ability to assist with emergencies for U.S. citizens who may still be in Yemen. Last week, the U.S. pulled out some personnel. They pulled them out of the embassy as a precaution. The president, prime minister, cabinet, all in Yemen, they resigned last week after anti-American Shiite forces took over the capital.

Kurdish forces appear to have won a grueling four-month battle against ISIS in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights now says the Kurds have retained the city of Kobani, driving out the terror group. The border town had been under siege since last October. More than 1300 ISIS and Kurdish fighters were killed during the clash. That is the estimate. Coalition air strikes led by the United States and shelling left large parts of Kobani completely destroyed.

ISIS has now changed the terms for the release of that Japanese journalist still being held hostage. Earlier, the terror group wanted $200 million when they held two Japanese citizens.

Our Will Ripley is in Tokyo with the latest.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, this is proving to be an extremely difficult negotiation process for the Japanese government. They have a special envoy on the ground in Jordan right now, but with ISIS making all the rules, setting all the conditions and often not following through, there's very grave concern about the one Japanese hostage still alive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

RIPLEY: The lead story on this ISIS-controlled radio station --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

RIPLEY: -- the execution of Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukoua (ph). An ISIS supporter posted this gruesome image over the weekend, Kenji Goto in chains, holding a photo of his friend's headless body. The propaganda video has a voice claiming to be Goto.

And a new ISIS demand, instead of a ransom, a prisoner exchange. ISIS wants Jordan to release convicted terrorist, Sagida al Rishawi, a failed suicide bomber ISIS calls their sister for her ties to the terror group's founders.

JEFF KINGSTON, ASIAN STUDIES PROFESSOR, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: The Japanese government is pulling out all the stops, trying to leverage all of the contacts.

RIPLEY: Temple University Asian studies professor, Jeff Kingston, says bringing Goto home alive is critical for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The hostage crisis unfolded just two days after Abe pledged $200 million to the coalition against ISIS.

KINGSTON: What he did is signal to ISIS, I am on the side of your enemy, and pated a bull's-eye on Japan.

RIPLEY: Japanese newspapers are showing pictures like this, protesters outside the prime minister's residence, demanding he save Goto's life. But Abe is also facing pressure from japans' closet ally.

KEITH HENRY, ASIA STRATEGIST: The U.S./Japan relationship, that is the cornerstone of Japanese foreign policy.

RIPLEY: Longtime Asia Strategist Keith Henry points to the policy to never negotiate with terrorists. The U.S. refused to release a Pakistani neuroscientists, nicknamed Lady al Qaeda, in exchange for American hostage, James Foley. He was later beheaded.

Japan called for Goto's immediate release, saying the government is working closely with other nations.

HENRY: Show the world Japan can stand up for something, and in this case, stand up against terrorism.

UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER OF KENJI GOTO: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

RIPLEY: Taking a stand comes with a heavy price. Goto's mother, in agony. "I'm a mother" she says. "I cannot bear this."

The question, can Japan bear the painful consequences of standing up to a brutal enemy like ISIS?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Such a difficult time for so many people in this country, but there really is a sense of urgency for the prime minister to do whatever he can to secure the safe return of Kenji Goto. That may be difficult, because Sagida al Rishawi is a high-level prisoner for the Jordanian government. She has ties to al Qaeda in Iraq, the group that formed in 2004, and in 2006 became ISIS. And Jordan has its own prisoners in the hands of ISIS, including a Jordanian pilot they've been trying to get released for quite some time.

So even though the prospects do not look good, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe publicly saying he'll do whatever he can to work out a deal to bring Kenji Goto home -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Will Ripley in Tokyo. Let's hope for the best.

Still ahead, the director, Steven Spielberg, looks back to his first visit of the Auschwitz death camp as the world marks a somber anniversary.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Tuesday marks 70 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. The director, Steven Spielberg, will join world leaders in Poland tomorrow for a ceremony commemorating this anniversary. Spielberg reflects on his first visit to Auschwitz.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVEN SPIELBERG, FILM DIRECTOR: I didn't know it was my calling until "Schindler's List" came into my life. I even shot outside of the gates of Auschwitz.

(SCREAMING)

SPIELBERG: It is a place that will stay with you, literally all you have to do is visit it once, and it will stay on you for the rest of your life.

It's unimaginable. So, therefore, I don't try to imagine it. I have quite a vivid imagination, but I won't take my imagination to Auschwitz.

It was one of the most efficient killing machines that anyone has ever experienced throughout history.

Macht frei, "work makes free." I smelled the hopelessness.

When I went into the barracks and I imagined, and I watched the scribbling and I saw the carving and I saw some of the artwork, I felt the hopelessness. And then I'd suddenly see a flower that someone painted on the wall. And I realize through all these years of hopelessness, there was, in fact, hope. There were little -- there was evidence of maybe there is going to be a new future for me and my family. Maybe. And in most cases, that wasn't to happen.

The first time I visited, we were absolutely appalled at one thing. The tour guide who took us through Auschwitz was organized. Never mentioned the word Jew and never mentioned the numbers. Just said, many innocent people were killed here, and did not mention that the Jews had been murdered at Auschwitz.

That kind of upstaged -- I was angry about that for a long time. But when I walked down the rail line to the end of where the tracks end and I went over to where the crematory were, I just felt the ghosts. I just felt the ghosts.

I didn't feel that I was destined to tell the story until I visited Poland for the first time and went to Auschwitz and spent time on the actual locations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SPIELBERG: It suddenly occurred to me that this was something more than a movie, that the movie was going to be a foot in the door, but the door that I needed to open was these testimonies --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People were taken away to the gas chamber.

SPIELBERG: -- and disseminate them all over the world, founding the survivors of the show of Visual History Foundation in 1994. This was my second bar mitzvah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The German --

SPIELBERG: I've been adopted by thousands of survivors. I feel like their grandson.

My wife and I wanted to go back to Auschwitz and pay our respects. A rabbi took us and we said a prayer. He asked me to come over where the remains of the crematory laid and put your hand in that water, in that sort of, like, mud hole. I did. It was soggy. It had been raining. I put my hand in there and I brought my hand out, and there was white sort of bone meal all over my hands because the remains of everyone over those years of mass murder rained back down on to the earth -- excuse me -- and they're still there. And the remains of everyone murdered at Auschwitz, they're still there, in the ground. And that's something I'll take to my grave.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Steven Spielberg. We should all be grateful to him.

By the way, for our international viewers, CNN's "Special Report," "Voices of Auschwitz" will air tomorrow evening. For viewers in North America, it premieres Wednesday night, 9:00 p.m. eastern. I hope you'll see it. 70 year since the liberation of Auschwitz.

That's it for me. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room."

For our international viewers, "Amanpour" is next.

For our viewers in North America, "Newsroom" with Brianna Keilar starts right now.