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Assault in Nigeria; Synthetic Drug Raids; Flight 370 Search; Putin Claims Troop Pullback

Aired May 07, 2014 - 14:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Very much for joining. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. Eastern in "THE SITUATION ROOM." "NEWSROOM" with Brianna Keilar starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Good afternoon. I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Brooke Baldwin.

As Nigerian authorities fan across the northeastern part of the country on the hunt for nearly 300 missing school girls, there is new information that the Islamist group, reportedly behind the kidnappings, Boko Haram, has carried out yet another attack. A local lawmaker tells CNN this deadly assault happened Monday in the border town of Gamboru Ngala. At least 150 people were killed by militants who stormed the area. And now Nigerian police have put up a reward worth nearly $310,000 for any information that will lead them to the missing girls. CNN's Isha Sesay is in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.

Isha, what else do we know about this gruesome attack and do we know if local authorities are prepared to stop what may be the next one?

ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Brianna.

The details of this attack are absolutely terrifying. We know that it took place on Monday when Boko Haram militants stormed this border town in the middle of the afternoon at around 1:30. They stormed the local market, firing indiscriminately, using rocket propelled grenades, firing into the crowds, sending people, you know, flying -- fleeing into the bush. And, really, it was an attack that took over - took place over 12 hours, we're told, Brianna. And at the end of it, some 150 people were dead. We're also hearing that they burnt people alive in shops and structures in that area, all the while shouting "God is great" before departing.

People were so afraid, Brianna, that they fled that area and have basically been hiding out in the nearby bushes and have only now returned to that area. That's why we're only getting details about this now, on Wednesday, so afraid, and now they have come back and what are they finding? They're finding burnt out homes and corpses littering the street.

As to whether the Nigerian government can stop another attack. Well, Brianna, let's be honest, this is all happening in a place that's under a state of emergency. With that, there was supposed to be a massive mobilization of troops in that area in an effort to thwart attacks and keep people safe. That is just not happening. Boko Haram, another day, another attack.

Brianna.

KEILAR: Horrific details, Isha. And there are police efforts, or there are supposed to be. There's this reward money. They say they have dispatched helicopters and search planes across 250 locations. Why haven't we seen any results of their efforts?

SESAY: Listen, you know, one has to say that this is very difficult terrain. This area that they are searching for these girls is Boko Haram's stronghold. Boko Haram has killed at least 1,500 people this year alone. It is an area that is isolated. It is far away from the capital, where we are now. There is a huge forested area that borders with Cameroon that it is believed that militants have used as their base. An area (INAUDIBLE) so dangerous that quite frankly we keep hearing that Nigerian military don't want to go into it because they're afraid and some are going as far as saying they're underequipped to do so.

So, listen, there are a lot of logistical challenges on the ground. But at the end of the day, we're talking about some 200 plus girls who have gone missing. The Nigerian government needs to do everything it can and also provide us with the information to back up the statement that they're doing everything they can. Information, which until recently, Brianna, as you well know, they were very unforthcoming with.

KEILAR: Yes, until recently they certainly were. Isha Sesay for us in Abuja, thank you.

Now, many of the parents whose children were kidnapped have avoided the media out of fear for their daughter's lives. But CNN's Vladimir Duthiers spoke exclusively with one family about their ordeal. They described the shocking moment when they arrived at the burned down dormitories and realized their daughters were gone. CNN has decided to protect the identity of the parents for their own security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I went into the school compound, nobody will ever stand it. You will see their dresses cut out all over. And the hostel and the dormitory, everything was burned into ashes. So the watchman told us that they have gone with our daughters. We couldn't believe him.

When I heard the story of Shekau yesterday, most of the women, we mothers, we started crying because we have nobody to help us. Our daughters has been abducted or have been captured as slaves. Now, since that day we cannot even eat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: You heard Isha earlier saying that some of these parents were fleeing in the forest. Some of these parents say they are sleeping in the bushes for protection and they openly criticized the federal government and accused Nigerian officials of hiding the truth. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have never seen such a thing. When I am hearing this over the media even, it provokes me. That the federal government, or the rulers, are playing with we parents. They are looking at us as we are fools. Had it been there is military men who went into the bush to rescue our daughters, we would have to see them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: President Goodluck Jonathan has come under fire after waiting three weeks to publicly acknowledge the kidnappings.

And I want to bring in someone who knows this area in Nigeria very well. Chris Ngwodo is in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the author of "Revolution by Other Means: The Challenge of Nigeria's Emerging Generation."

Chris, thanks so much for being with me.

And, you know, we heard the father of two kidnapped girls saying that he hasn't seen a military presence. What's your reaction to that?

CHRIS NGWODO, AUTHOR, "REVOLUTION BY OTHER MEANS": Well, thank you for having me. Yes, the truth is that military presence in (INAUDIBLE) has suffered (INAUDIBLE) in (INAUDIBLE) deficits. So the Nigerian military is incapable at this moment of covering every inch of ground in that territory. I have to say that the initial response to this debacle lacks intensity and it lacks urgency. And as you can see that sparked off a lot of protests. There's a lot of anger on the ground right there.

KEILAR: Can I ask you, I mean, we're talking about a number of girls here and obviously the hope is so much that they will be returned safely. What should be done to make sure that they are safe moving forward if they are returned? Will it ever be safe for girls to get an education there?

NGWODO: Well, there's no - there's no alternative to an outright defeat of this group. It has evolved over time from a - from having a neo-Islamist agenda. Right now it is simply -- this is simply pure criminal anarchy going on. And there is no alternative really to defeating this group. Initially there were thoughts that some kind of negotiation, some kind of peace would be reached. But we are not dealing with people interested in peace. There is no alternative to defeating this group and securing those communities. There is no alternative to that.

KEILAR: No. And just as someone who does know this area, just tell us a little bit more about this group, Boko Haram, and also its leader, who we've seen in this video.

NGWODO: Well, it's important to note that this group, Boko Haram, has evolved over the last five years. It started as a small group with local concerns. Almost exclusively local concerns. After the (INAUDIBLE) -- first crack down on the group in 2009, it simply demanded that its mosque be rebuilt. It demanded the removal of the state's governor and it demanded the prosecution of the police officer (ph) (INAUDIBLE) guilty of killing its leader, Mohammed Yusif (ph).

From that period on, it evolved into a group that (ph) brought on neo- Islamist agenda. It claimed that it wanted to establish an Islamic state in north - in northeastern Nigeria. It launched a series of bomb attacks on churches in 2011 and 2012. It's aim, obviously, was to start a sectarian war. It brought a sectarian war, which would allow it to now position itself and as an Islamic vanguard (ph). The - that did not work because there were no (INAUDIBLE) reprisals and it never has really had a base of popular support among mainstream Muslims. That's important to note as well.

And now it has simply degenerated into a criminal enterprise. And the best comparison would be with the Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda. That's actually the best comparison. You have a group that started in 1986, (INAUDIBLE) speaking (ph) of the LRA (ph), started in 1986 with great (INAUDIBLE) support, but over time its brutal method cost its support and now it has simply degenerated into a transnational anarchist group.

KEILAR: Yes.

NGWODO: So that is probably the best way to think of Boko Haram. It is a transnational anarchist group. If it is not contained in Nigeria, chances are very high that it will destabilize neighboring countries, Cameroon, Chad and the Republic of (INAUDIBLE).

KEILAR: And certainly that is a reason why people should be paying attention to this. Chris Ngwodo, thank you so much for your perspective. Really appreciate it.

Now moving on to another story. Thousands of packages of illegal substances, bath salts, spice, mali (ph) maybe you've heard them called, all seized in a nationwide crackdown on the synthetic drug trade. Federal agents raided smoke shops, homes, warehouses in 29 states and you are looking at CNN's exclusive video of border patrol agents testing suspicious packages at Los Angeles International Airport. Synthetic drugs can have dangerous, unpredictable effects on the mind and the body. And to get more on this now, justice reporter Evan Perez with us here in Washington. He's been tracking this story.

Evan, tell us about today's drug raids and how many people are we talking about when it comes to these arrests?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Brianna, this was a massive crackdown. Over 100 people, 150 people were arrested in 29 states. The DEA and Homeland Security are targeting synthetic drugs sold in corner stores and gas stations.

Now, what makes these drugs particularly dangerous is how enticing they are to kids. Some of it is packaged to look like candy and sold next to the checkout counter. These drugs are commonly called synthetic marijuana and bath salts. And as you can see from this video here, the government chemists have to do tests to even figure out what's in them. And they're causing heart attacks, mental health issues and even death, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes. And this is a big issue. As you mentioned, I've interviewed parents before who have lost children to these pretty readily available synthetic drugs. And that's really been the issue. But there's something else now, right, that's sort of grabbing our focus, which has to do with terrorism. Explain this.

PEREZ: Well, you know, part of the problem here is that some profits from the synthetic drug trade is winding up in the hands of terrorists. Now, the government said that some of it is ending up in the hands of Hezbollah and ending up in Yemen. And for years, you know, the DEA has been concerned that money from the drug trade is helping to fund terrorism. And they believe some of these groups are taking advantage of the synthetic drug business to make money, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, and taking advantage of kids. That's really the target here.

PEREZ: That's right.

KEILAR: You can almost tell by the packaging as well.

Evan Perez, thanks so much.

Now, coming up, day 62 in the search for the missing plane and now we are entering what's called phase two. What officials are saying will be the next steps in this long and difficult search.

Also ahead, Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russian troops have withdrawn from the Ukrainian border. Why the sudden change? We're live in Moscow.

Plus, Donald Sterling has reportedly hired a high profile celebrity lawyer. We've got a closer look at who could be stepping forward to represent the L.A. Clipper's owner as he fights to keep his team.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Sixty-two days after Flight 370 disappeared, the fruitless search by sea and by air may be about to shift. We are about to find out what's next in the hunt and officials from Malaysia, China and Australia, well, they met today to determine the framework for future flight 370 search operations. They're expected to re-examine data, determine where exactly the search area will be and decide what assets are necessary going forward, including more sophisticated underwater equipment from private companies.

Meantime, a new CNN/ORC poll finds that almost seven in 10 Americans think the hunt for the Boeing 777 and the 239 people who vanished with it should continue.

Joining me now, Richard Quest, CNN aviation correspondent.

Richard, the Australians say that this next phase will cost about $60 million. There's no clues, few leads. At what point does it not make sense to keep searching?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Oh, there is no question that they are going to keep searching. That is not even an issue. Certainly not at this point and I suspect not for many months, if not years.

KEILAR: Yes.

QUEST: So we can put that one absolutely on the back burner.

The question is, as they've said in Cambra (ph), how you divide the costs, because each country so far has paid its own costs. Now many of those costs, Brooke, to be frank, they are - sorry, Brianna, they are by and large, they're fixed costs anyway. You've got the ships. You've got the staff. You've got the navies. You've got the air forces. But, moving forward, as they decide which assets they're going to need, which private contractors they're going to have to bring in, so you move from a question of what you need to how you're going to pay for it.

KEILAR: Yes. And who all is going to pitch in.

I want to dig a little bit deeper into this poll. You've got 57 percent of respondents who think that terrorists likely were involved in the plane's disappearance, and then almost two-thirds point to the pilot or the flight crew. So there's some overlap there. But given all that we know, do you believe that this was simply a tragic accident or do you think that it was something more nefarious?

QUEST: All right. So, very clever way of asking me what do I think happened to MH 370, which I have singularly managed to avoid answering for the last eight weeks. In that survey, what is fascinating about that survey is that half and half think it could still be mechanical. It's when you look at the half that think it was nefarious, the half that think it wasn't mechanical, that you start to look even deeper and you start to look to see people say, well, yes, more people -- once you - once you have said you don't think it's mechanical, then you start to say terrorism or the pilots. And then most people seem to believe it's the pilots or at least one of the pilots was involved.

But here's the point, the problem with all of this, Brianna, and it really does come down to, there is circumstantial evidence for the nefarious option and I know some people will go full throttle on that, but there's no hard and fast, concrete evidence that that turn, which has been described as deliberate, wasn't made because of a mechanical problem.

KEILAR: And we just don't know, you know? So we also do know, Richard, though, that officials met today to discuss this next phase.

QUEST: Right.

KEILAR: You've been looking at this for weeks now. What do you believe is the best way to tackle the search going forward?

QUEST: Very good. Very difficult question because you really have to get down to the knitty gritty. And what they are doing is a fundamental recognition that what they've done so far hasn't worked. They've done it on good advice. They've done it on the evidence they had. What we've heard again and again, the best evidence, the best information. But it has not yielded results. So what do you do in this situation? You go back to the beginning and you look at all the evidence that you've got.

The really difficult and worrying part here is there isn't much. You've got fundamentally the turn at the top. You've got the primary radar from the Malaysians. You've got some primary radar from Thailand. And you've got the Inmarsat handshakes, followed by the pings. That is it. and so what they will be doing in (INAUDIBLE), in (INAUDIBLE) and anywhere else that they send the data is reviewing it.

But, I warn you this, if they decide there is something fundamentally flawed in the data from which they've been working, then they really have nothing else to back it up with. And so that is why it's fine and dandy for some to say, well, have a re-think (ph) (INAUDIBLE). But if they're wrong, then that plane could be anywhere.

KEILAR: Yes. And, remember, it took a couple years to find that Air France plane.

QUEST: Yes.

KEILAR: At least the remnants that were at the bottom of the ocean.

QUEST: Yes.

KEILAR: So this will be going on for some time. Richard Quest, thank you so much for that.

QUEST: Thank you.

KEILAR: Now coming up, Russian President Vladimir Putin, he says that Russian troops have withdrawn from the Ukrainian border as pro-Russian separatists there continue to ramp up the violence. We're live from Moscow next.

Plus, he was caught on tape making racist statements and now Donald Sterling could be in a legal battle to try and keep the L.A. Clippers. We'll tell you which high-profile lawyer he's reportedly hired to represent him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: What is Vladimir Putin up to now? A developing story out of Moscow. Putin, today, is apparently calling on pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine to postpone a referendum on succession. He says putting off votes set for later this month could create more room for diplomacy to solve the crisis peacefully. And we just got reaction from the State Department, hopeful that this is a step by Putin. Kerry also said, get this - or, pardon me. Hold on just a second.

OK. So we know that he's pulling back some of the troops from the Ukraine border. Some 40,000 to 50,000 fighters in all. We asked the Pentagon for comment. They say that there is no sign of a pullback at this point. We're still sorting out some of the details on this.

Now, either way, this is an odd twist today. Is Putin perhaps blinking? And with us live from Moscow, CNN's Matthew Chance.

Matthew, is there any way to determine whether Putin is telling the truth here about pulling back these troops from the border?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are modern surveillance techniques that might be able to give us some indication. Indeed we've had some skepticism, as you mentioned there, from NATO officials, from U.S. officials as well, that they haven't seen any of the troop movements that Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, says have taken place. He said because of the concern essentially that these troops, 40,000 or 50,000 of them, across the border from Ukraine could be used to invade eastern Ukraine. He's ordered them back to their barracks, back to their bases and their training grounds. And so there's some skepticism been expressed about whether that's the case or not yet. But we'll see what happens in the coming days.

There's a few other points he raised there, Brianna, which have given rise to hopes that there could be a diplomatic solution to this - to this crisis in Ukraine. I mean Vladimir Putin is not a man particularly known for his flip-flopping, but he does seem to have made some significant u-turns in his comments today. Firstly saying that he backs essentially a May the 25th presidential election in Ukraine. Just a few days ago he spoke saying it would be absurd for any kind of election like that to be staged. Also calling on the pro- Russian separatist groups in eastern and southern Ukraine to postpone their independence referendums that are due to be held over this coming weekend. So it's going to be interesting to see whether those groups on the ground listen to what Vladimir Putin has to say. It will be interesting to see how much actual influence he has on those pro- Russian separatist activities in southern Ukraine, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes. And so what do you make of that, though, when he's talking about how he's pulled back troops but you have the Pentagon saying they don't see a sign of a pullback. This call for delaying the votes on succession, what is the relevance of that, especially in light of what happened in Crimea, which the Russians have now annexed?

CHANCE: Yes, well, it's difficult, isn't it, with somebody so opaque as Vladimir Putin to interpret these remarks. I mean some people think - some analysts believe that this is Vladimir Putin blinking in the face of mounting international sanctions. Actually an indication that he is feeling some pain from the sanctions the United States and the European Union have implemented against him and his inner circle. And others perhaps thinking, well, you know, this is just Vladimir Putin playing more of his games, more of his political, diplomatic games that we know he's so astute at. His indention all along perhaps was to send a message to the Ukrainians that he wants a federal system, a federal constitution in Ukraine, that would give ethnic Russians and ethnic Russian speakers some degree of greater autonomy within the united Ukraine. He could then control those ethnic Russians and prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and the European Union. And perhaps he feels at this point he has delivered that message. KEILAR: Yes. Is he taking an off ramp or is he bluffing? That's still to be determined. Matthew Chance in Moscow, thank you so much.

And coming up, "American Idol" star Clay Aiken running for office in his home state of North Carolina. They just had the primary and that race, it is too close to call. We have that story later.

And next, who could be leading the legal fight for disgraced L.A. Clippers' owner Donald Sterling? We'll discuss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)