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White House Moves Forward With $1B Arms Deal To Israel; Fighting In Kharkiv Region Intensifies As Russia Makes Gains; Slovakia's Prime Minister Shot Five Times, In Critical Condition; DOJ May Prosecute Boeing Over 737 Max Crashes; Inmate Escapes, 2 Officers Killed In Prison Convoy Ambush In France; King Charles III's Portrait Receives Mixed Reviews. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired May 15, 2024 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

COL. PETER MANSOOR, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED: Well, I think what we're seeing is the Biden administration is committed to giving Israel what it needs to replenish its stockpiles of ammunition that it's used in the Gaza war.

But it wants to prevent extreme damage to the infrastructure of Gaza and the buildings there. And so the bigger munitions, the 2,000-pound bombs, especially, are being withheld so that Israel won't have those available when they attack Rafah, if they do.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN HOST: We should note those bombs are on the cusp of being sent over while this latest shipment that is being discussed, it could take still some time for that to get there.

Longer-term though, the number two of the State Department just told are our Kylie Atwood earlier this week that Israel's goal of a total victory, as they've been calling it, over Hamas isn't likely or possible.

And when you see Israel now, again, fighting against Hamas in areas that they claim to have previously cleared in central Gaza, in northern Gaza, do you agree with that assessment?

MANSOOR: Oh, absolutely. So during the surge in Iraq, General Petraeus and the multinational force of Iraq, of which I was a part, had a clear hold-and-build strategy. But the emphasis was on holding and building.

Israel has a strategy of clearing and then leaving. And that just means that Hamas can reoccupy their positions and Israel -- Israeli troops have to go in and clear them again, which is what exactly what's happening in the northern part of the Strip.

So until Israel changes its strategy, no matter how much military force it uses in Gaza, it will not win this conflict.

MARQUARDT: And there has been a U.S. criticism that they're not focusing enough on the diplomatic and political side of things. I do want to switch gears and ask you about Ukraine. When you look at

these Russian advances in the northeastern part of the country, around Kharkiv, the second-biggest city there, how worried are you that Russia will be able to seriously advance in a significant way?

MANSOOR: I'm actually very worried. Unfortunately, they've got enough troops and munitions to attack at different parts of the front, making Ukraine commit it's reserves to vary -- these various assaults and then hold back enough forces that they could potentially break through in another part of the line.

Ukraine really cannot wait for these U.S. munitions to arrive, the $61 billion in aid. They are in a real hurt box right now and they need to get the reinforcements and the munitions so that they can defend against these -- these assaults.

MARQUARDT: How much damage do you think was done to Ukraine's forces and their efforts to keep Russia at bay with that delay in the U.S. aid?

MANSOOR: The -- they've lost a lot of manpower, especially the fact that they didn't have a lot of air defense missiles to defend against the Russian ariel assaults and missile attacks.

They didn't have enough artillery fire to protect their troops, who are defending against these Russian incursions.

And so this has really attrited their army substantially and forced them actually to lower the conscription age to get more troops to the front.

But this is all going to take time. And it's time, I'm afraid, that Ukraine doesn't have right now. It's not on its side.

MARQUARDT: Yes, as unsophisticated as the Russian side may be in comparison, what they do have is a lot of troops and they do have a lot of artillery, ammunition.

Colonel Peter Monsoor, thank you so much for your thoughts today. Appreciate it.

MANSOOR: Thank you.

MARQUARDT: Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Slovakia's interior minister says, the prime -- pardon me. Slovakia's interior minister says the prime minister is in critical condition after being shot five times in an assassination attempt today.

There was video that shows -- here it is -- the chaos unfolding. Aids rushing the P.M. into a car. They took him to the hospital. Then he was transferred by helicopter to a major trauma center. Officials say the suspected gunman is now in police custody.

We have CNN senior international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, following this story.

I mean, this is just horrific, what we see, this aftermath of this assassination attempt. What more can you tell us about how this unfolded, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and unprecedented in Slovakia that the prime minister would be shot. And this has put the country in trauma. But of course, they're all focused on the prime minister.

And I think it was very telling for the first press conference we had that took place outside the hospital where he is still in surgery, fighting for his life, is how the officials explained it.

It was very telling that it was the interior minister and the defense minister who were appealing to the public for calm. They really wouldn't get into details about the prime minister's condition. They did say and confirm what we've heard on videotape that there were five shots fired at close range.

[14:35:02]

Video of the incident itself shows the prime minister doing what he often does, coming out of a meeting, walking up to the fence where the public were waiting on the -- on the other side to shake people's hands.

And pretty much as he gets to the fence, the gunman, you see him pull out a handgun and shoot the prime minister at close range and essentially point-blank range. The prime minister tumbles backwards before his security detail manhandle him into the car.

But the prime concern of the country tonight is, first, security, is for stability, is for calm, is for neither side, neither political faction in the country to up the rhetoric.

And that's what coming from the defense minister and interior minister, who effectively, at the moment, with the prime minister out of commission, really seem to be taking charge of the situation.

But why is the situation so divisive? This is a very divisive prime minister. Robert Fico is on his third term of prime minister. He is -- he is very anti-immigration, very anti-Muslim, very anti-LGBTQ, very pro-Putin, very against giving weapons to Ukraine.

He is a political outlier in Europe and divisive at home. And I think this is why these politicians, these ministers are so worried about what could happen next. Because they say that this was a politically motivated assassination attempt.

KEILAR: Wow. Well, much more to learn.

Nic, thank you so much for breaking all of that down for us.

A frantic manhunt is underway after a dramatic and deadly attack to breakout a prisoner in an armed convoy. Now a notorious criminal nicknamed "The Fly," is on the loose. The latest on his brazen escape ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:41:39]

KEILAR: New developments involving Boeing. Boeing could now face possible criminal charges. The Justice Department says the troubled aircraft manufacturer has breached the terms of a 2021 safety agreement.

MARQUARDT: That's right. And that agreement allowed Boeing to avoid criminal charges after two deadly crashes involving it's 737 Max jets.

CNN senior justice correspondent, Evan Perez, is here with us.

So, Even, why is DOJ making this move now?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a series of issues that Boeing has had safety issues that have come to the forefront.

Of course, that most recent was that door plug that blew out of an aircraft operated by Alaska Airlines earlier this year, and which cause people to ask new questions about the safety issues at Boeing.

The Justice Department notified the company by filing a letter to the judge that's overseeing this 2021 deferred prosecution agreement. And in this, they tell the judge this. They say that this is what they've notified Boeing of.

They said, "For failing to fulfill completely the terms of and obligations under the deferred prosecution agreement, Boeing is subject to prosecution by the United States for any federal criminal violation of which the United States has knowledge."

So that means that the Justice Department has the option, guys, to go back to all of the previous issues that Boeing has had, and for which they had settled.

That, we can put up just a list of some of those issues going back to 2018, that Lion Air crash, 2019, crash over Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max aircraft. The 2021, they had this deferred prosecution agreement.

Of course, earlier this year, you had that Alaska Airlines incident with that now infamous video of people sitting there where this door- plug got pulled out.

Now the terms of that deal were that Boeing paid $2.5 billion in penalties and they agreed to all of these new restrictions to make sure that their safety programs were up to par.

What the Justice Department is saying now is that, clearly, that did not work.

Boeing, for its part, by the way, says that they believe they have lived up to that agreement. And so now, we have about 30 days before we see what Boeing has to say

in court. And the Justice Department doesn't say exactly what they're going to do. But clearly, this means that they could prosecute the company fully.

KEILAR: Wow.

MARQUARDT: Yes, huge and very important proceedings.

Evan Perez, lots of details. Appreciate you breaking that down for us.

Now, a convicted gangster is on the loose in France after a really brazen ambush on a prison transport van. The attack was caught on video and it really is just extraordinary, looks like something that we've all seen in action movies.

KEILAR: Yes, the suspects managed to spring a criminal dubbed "The Fly."

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne is in Paris with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR FIELD PRODUCER (voice-over): The ambush has sent shockwaves throughout France because of its violent and bloody nature with the perpetrators still at large.

The escaped inmate, Mohamed Amra, nicknamed "La Moushe," or "The Fly.". He is 30 years old and has over a dozen convictions, the Paris prosecutor says, are mostly related to theft.

According to BFMTV, Amra had tried to escape from prison two days before the ambush by sawing off the bars of his cell.

[14:45:03]

Video on social media shows the moment after gunmen ambushed a prison convoy that was transporting Amra. They killed two prison guards and wounded three others.

Interpol have put out a red notice requesting law enforcement around the world to look for Amra and provisionally arrest him.

And an unprecedented manhunt is ongoing in France with hundreds of police officers taking part in the search.

LAURE BECCUAU, FRENCH STATE PROSECUTOR: The determination of the magistrates and investigators is and will be equal to this outburst of violence.

VANDOORNE: Prison staff across France spent Wednesday protesting, calling for improvements to their security and work conditions.

And they held a minute's silence this morning in memory of the killed prison officers, one of whom leaves the spouse behind, who is five months pregnant. Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: Incredible story.

Thanks to Saskya there.

Now, King Charles has unveiled his first portrait since becoming king. And I don't know what else to say. It's red.

(CROSSTALK)

MARQUARDT: It's really, really red.

So needless to say some very mixed reactions, not just in the U.K., but all around the world. We'll have that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:51:03]

MARQUARDT: King Charles' first official portrait since his coronation is, to say the very least, surprising a lot of people.

It was unveiled this morning at Buckingham Palace, revealing the king with a sword on -- in his hand and a butterfly over his shoulder. And then he's covered in broad red brushstrokes.

KEILAR: So many red brushstrokes, red after red brushstroke.

The artist, Jonathan Yeo, says he wanted to reference the history of royal portraits and the modern monarchy while showing the king's deep humanity, evoking sort of the color of the Welsh Guards, as we imagined, or as he said.

But here's what some locals think.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's nice. It's different to what you see normally in, like, a royal portrait. It's a bit more modern, I would say.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very artistic. And I don't -- it's kind of ghoulish.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Thank you, madam, speaking for all of us.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: We have CNN royal historian, Kate Williams, with us now.

I will say it's just so untraditional. I wonder what you make of this portrait. KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Well, Charles himself seemed rather surprised when we saw him unveiling it this morning at Buckingham Palace. He seemed to stand back in shock. And apparently, he did think it was rather vibrant.

But I -- what I think we have here is possibly another royal P.R. disaster on our hands. Because we've seen some royal P.R. disasters this year.

And this portrait, it's modern. He's captured Charles' face very well. That's very well done. But the redness, I think, it's caused a lot of criticism.

And some other words I've seen from critics and journalists and people online, "disturbing, sinister, poster for a horror film." I mean, it is problematic, I think.

And a key question here is that a lot of what I've been seeing a lot of commentary about is, we are in the zone now inn which we're questioning the history of the monarchy, the British Empire, slavery, the monarchy's involvement in slavery.

And for some of those whose ancestors suffered in the empire, suffered in slavery -- and I've seen them say, well, it's very apt. We see king surrounded by this red, which really evokes this terrible history of oppression, which we see in the British Empire in slavery.

So I do not think this is a success. This is not the modern monarchy that Charles wants to show.

I think a different color, blue, green, because we know that Charles likes ecological concerns. Blue, green, it would have been fine.

It's just the red. It does -- as that person said, it's a bit like a poster for a horror film.

MARQUARDT: Kate, the artist has been working on this long time, since well before Charles was actually king. So he clearly had a certain vision in mind.

But at the same time, this is a very controlling royal family, very aware of their public image. Do we know whether the king and queen knew what this was going to look like before it was unveiled publicly?

WILLIAMS: Well, what we know is that Charles had four sittings. He had sittings before he became king and then afterwards. And then after he had his cancer diagnosis earlier this year, he no longer had the time for any more settings.

And so he's seen early drafts, early version. But today, when it was unveiled, when -- when Charles saw it for the first time -- and Camilla apparently said, yes, you've got him, you've got the likeness. And I do think she's correct. It does look like Charles' face.

But certainly, this is not, I think, what a lot of people expected for Charles' first portrait. And the monarch butterfly on his shoulder is an interesting touch. And apparently, that's what Charles wanted.

But also, I've already seen people commenting saying, well, the monarch butterfly, which is particularly in North America, it's very endangered. And like all butterflies, it has quite a short span of adult -- adult experience.

So I think that this portrait is not going to be seen as one of the most successful of Charles'. It's certainly radical. It's certainly modern. And, yes, he wants to pay tribute to his position in the Welsh Guards, which is very important to him.

[14:55:05]

But I don't think this is going to go down in history as one of the great portraits of Charles, like, say, Hans Holbein and Henry VIII. I don't think people, in a thousand-years-time are going to be saying this is the great -- the great vision that they have of Charles.

KEILAR: Yes. Time will tell.

I will say the artist did capture his hands. He has very distinctive hands as well. And the artist did capture his hands.

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: But no one's going to focus on that with all that red there.

MARQUARDT: It's going to stand out in Buckingham Palace.

KEILAR: Well, that is for sure.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: Kate, great to talk to you. Thank you so much.

WILLIAMS: Thanks.

KEILAR: It's wow, isn't it? I mean --

MARQUARDT: It really is. I mean --

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: So after Miss USA and Miss Teen USA both give up crowns, the beauty pageant is facing some pretty ugly questions.

I'll speak to Ms. Colorado, who resigned her role and hear what the contest needs to do to make things right.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)