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U.S. Moves Toward Israel Gaza Solution; Interview with Representative Adam Schiff; International Team Arrives in MH-17 Crash Site; Air Algerie Wreckage Found "Disintegrated"; Malaysia Prime Minister Neutral on Flight 17 Blame

Aired July 25, 2014 - 09:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Have a great weekend.

NEWSROOM starts now.

Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me. We begin in the Middle East.

You must stop fighting. That was the impassioned plea from the head of the United Nations as the battle between Israel and Hamas grows bloodier by the day. And hoping to help them achieve that goal, John Kerry, the U.S. secretary of state, expected to speak out this morning outlining a potential plan that would curb the fighting between Israel and Hamas for a week.

Israel says it's ready to sign a truce but Hamas is refusing to act.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK REGEV, SPOKESMAN, ISRAEL PRIME MINISTER: We have consistently said yes to ceasefire proposals. We said yes to U.N. proposals, to Arab League proposals, to a humanitarian proposal by the Red Cross. We said yes to them all. It is Hamas that has consistently said no or violated humanitarian ceasefires. So let's be clear. The ball is in Hamas's court.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: As you can see the shelling continues. Any talk of a truce might be a tough sell. Overnight violent clashes broke out in the West Bank. One person killed, 200 others wounded as thousands of Palestinian protesters faced off against the Israeli military.

Wolf Blitzer live in Jerusalem to tell us more.

Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It is incredibly powerful right now, the tension level, Carol, because the Israeli Security Cabinet, the inner cabinet, is meeting. Prime Minister Netanyahu convened them in Tel Aviv, the Defense Ministry, to consider the Egyptian proposals, the U.S. proposals to see if there's some opportunity for a weeklong pause and then move on, deal with some of the other critically important issues. At the same time the U.S. through Qatar and Turkey, the Palestinian authority trying to convince Hamas to accept a ceasefire.

We should be hearing shortly from both the Israeli governments, the Israeli security cabinet, the prime minister, as well as Secretary of State John Kerry who remains in Cairo for the time being to see if there will be a ceasefire because right now so much is at stake.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): For those on the ground, a ceasefire agreement can't come soon enough. Gunfire in the West Bank overnight, a massive protest of thousands of Palestinians near a checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah, resulting in clashes with Israeli forces. Hundreds wounded and one Palestinian man shot dead.

The anger stemming from this, a United Nations school in Gaza bombed, 16 killed, more than 200 wounded, including women and children from families who came to the school because it was being used as a shelter.

Both sides of the conflict casting blame, with Hamas accusing Israel, and Israel saying the destruction could have been caused by a Hamas missile that fell short.

Outrage over the attack kicked ceasefire talks into high gear overnight and Secretary of State John Kerry working around the clock in Cairo presenting a deal to both sides. The two-stage plan would first call for a week-long truce to stop the fighting, then focus on broader issues.

Meanwhile, U.S. flights to and from Israel's Ben Gurion Airport resuming despite lingering anger over the FAA's ban including this statement.

YAIR LAPID, ISRAELI MINISTER OF FINANCE: Listen, LAX is 10 times more dangerous than the Israeli Ben Gurion airport.

BLITZER (on camera): How can you say that?

LAPID: Because the traffic there is so big comparing to us.

BLITZER (voice-over): Hours after the ban was lifted, CNN captured this.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's the intercept.

BLITZER: A rocket attack from Gaza.

SAVIDGE: Wow. That one was right over the airport.

BLITZER: Senator Ted Cruz attacked the White House, alleging the ban was an economic boycott on Israel.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: Right now, the facts we know suggest this was a decision driven by the State Department and perhaps by political operatives at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That allegation, as you know, Carol, strongly, strongly rejected by both the White House and the State Department. They say that initial FAA decision to ban flights in and out of Israel for U.S. carriers was made by professionals at the FAA that had no input from political officials at either the White House or the State Department -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understood. And of course, Secretary of State John Kerry, we're expecting him to speak at any time now. When he does of course we hope you come on back and help us parse out what he said.

Thanks so much, Wolf Blitzer.

Let's talk a little bit more about flights going into Israel. The FAA did give the go ahead for U.S. flights to once again land at Israel's Ben Gurion airport. But just this morning reports from local media in Israel say an Air Canada flight was forced to circle before landing in order to avoid rocket fire in the area. This is why the FAA could rescind its all-clear order at any time.

Let's talk more about this with Adam Schiff, Democratic representative from California.

Good morning, sir.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Was it wise for the FAA to allow flights into and out of Israel again?

SCHIFF: Well, I don't know. It's obviously a difficult call and I think one that the FAA is making based strictly on security considerations. It is astounding to me, frankly, to hear members of the Senate voice the most preposterous speculation without anything to support it that this was somehow a judgment by the State Department and not the FAA.

So, clearly FAA is driving the decision and has made clear should the situation on the ground change they are going to reconsider. And I have to think, also, Carol, that obviously the downing of that plane over the conflict in eastern Ukraine had a pretty important impact on the FAA's caution here.

COSTELLO: Well, just this morning this Air Canada flight had to circle the airport to avoid rocket fire. That's frightening, isn't it?

SCHIFF: It is frightening and I'm sure it wasn't very pleasant for those on board and that's exactly the kind of thing that the FAA is going to be looking at. And just as we saw that ban come off very quickly that ban can go back on very quickly. So if -- I think we have many more rockets that are in the proximity of the airport it's very likely that that ban will be restored. COSTELLO: As you know there was enormous pressure on the FAA to

rescind the ban. You heard from Senator Ted Cruz, you heard from officials within Israel saying our airport is safe, the Iron Dome will capture these rockets, you know, coming toward the airport. And the Iron Dome is doing a good job. But some might argue that the FAA lifted the ban because of politics, too.

SCHIFF: Well, I think the FAA has only one overriding consideration and that is what's going to keep people safe in the air. Because at the end of the day the only real risk for the FAA is that one of those planes gets hit. So that's what's first and foremost in their mind. And I think that's going to continue to drive their decision. I think the White House and the State Department are not going to interfere in that in any way.

And while I'm sure this was a very unhappy decision for Israel I don't think the FAA is going to bow to pressure either from within the administration or from outside the country. I think the FAA will do what it needs to protect Americans flying.

COSTELLO: Congressman Adam Schiff, thank you so much for your insight. I appreciate it.

SCHIFF: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Tensions are ratcheting up this morning as the border between Ukraine and Russia seems increasingly tested. Just last hour Moscow accused Ukrainian forces of firing about 40 mortars into Russian territory. That claim comes amid another serious development. Washington now says it has proof that Russia is not only arming the rebels in eastern Ukraine it's actually firing artillery from Russian soil.

U.S. intelligence believes this is some of that weaponry. The Russian-Ukrainian border and CNN has learned that over the last several days U.S. intelligence satellites and radars have captured repeated artillery fire from the Russian side of the border.

In the meantime, Australia is now dispatching another 100 federal police officers to the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. Their job both essential and until now overlooked. They are providing the first thorough lockdown of the site. The evidence and even the human remains which still litter that area, the rebel handling of the site has been sloppy at best and may be criminal at worst.

This is how it's being guarded today. Phil Black took that picture of pro-Russian gunman leisurely reclining several days ago as the massive debris field was unsecured and possibly looted.

Phil has the latest from the scene for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the biggest international presence seen at MH-17's crash site. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe traveling with investigators and diplomats from Malaysia and Australia. For the first time the observer mission looked beyond the grassy fields and pushed into a dense forest. They found small scattered pieces and this.

So far it's the largest single piece of MH-17's fuselage to be discovered. Its impact was cushioned by the forest. Some of the windows are still intact.

(On camera): According to the European monitors, the investigators from Australia and Malaysia are surprised by two things. Firstly the sheer size of the debris field and the fact that one week since the disaster there are still no exclusion zones surrounding it.

(Voice-over): And at this site the observers and experts closely study the front end of the cockpit. This is where emergency workers caused significant damage a few days ago cutting into the wreckage with a high powered saw and it's also where the metal debris is marked by numerous puncture marks, possible signs of shrapnel damage from a mid-air explosion.

Apart from this small group moving in convoy across the crash zone and its sometimes unfriendly militant escort there is no one examining or securing evidence. This, the site of a major recent air disaster is quiet. It looks abandoned and there is no ongoing operation to find victims' bodies among surrounding fields and farmland. That is a concern because the monitors have found yet more evidence, the original search effort was less than thorough.

MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, OSCE UKRAINE MISSION: Human remains for the second day in a row we did spot some human remains.

BLACK (on camera): Again today as well.

BOCIURKIW: Yes.

BLACK (voice-over): One week on, international experts are on the ground in small but growing numbers but the wreckage of MH-17 is still not being treated with the care it deserves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACK: So, Carol, still only a small international presence at that wreckage site and it is clearly inadequate. But the countries most affected here -- Australia, the Netherlands, Malaysia -- they're looking to ramp that presence up in the coming days.

We're hearing that the Netherlands is planning to send some 40 police officers and investigators to this location in eastern Ukraine very soon. The Australians, they're talking about a very large presence, largely made up of some of their police officers, as well. And both of those countries say it is possible that some of these men will be armed -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you about that. That's a dangerous part of the world but there is also some danger in some of those police officers being armed, as well, isn't there? BLACK: It is certainly, you would think in some ways, would be a

provocative addition to what is already a very combatable situation. This is the scene of a civil war. We are in separatist controlled territory. These separatists range in discipline. Their behavior is often unpredictable. The idea of a foreign police force coming in here armed to secure that site I tend to think this is something that these countries would only consider really as a very last resort. They really felt it was necessary.

And I think it shows the strength of feeling on this. The strength of feeling regarding just how this site has been treated, the lack of a thorough search for the victims' remains and so forth. Their view on this is obviously so strong that they are considering it. They're not ruling it out. We expect a decision in the coming days -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Phil Black, reporting live for us this morning.

More solemn journeys today as planes leave Ukraine with the remains of those killed in the crash due to arrive minutes from now in the Netherlands. The Dutch lost nearly 200 people on board that flight and they have shared their grief with the world in moving ceremonies and public tributes to all the victims. At least 200 experts will now work on identifying the remains so they can be returned to their loved ones.

We're also keeping close tabs on a colleague of ours. The Ukrainian journalist working as a freelancer for CNN. Armed pro-Russian rebels seized Anton Skiba when he stepped out of a hotel on Tuesday. One pro-Russian officials first said he was suspected of terrorism then said he was being questioned for having identification showing different names.

CNN has been working on his release. We again ask the rebels to release him now.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the wreckage of that crashed Air Algerie flight has been secured by the French military. Now the investigation begins into what brought the jet down.

Joe Johns is live in Washington with that.

Hi, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And one of the black boxes has been located. I'll tell you what that's all about coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The French military has now secured the crash site of Air Algerie Flight 5017. Wreckage of that jet was found in a, quote, "disintegrated state" and none of the 116 people on board managed to survive. The crash site is in Mali, not far from the border of Burkina Faso, where the flight took off from earlier Thursday morning.

Joe Johns in Washington with more on this. Good morning, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

One of the plane's two black boxes has also been recovered. It's being taken to the city of Gao, which is nearby.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS (voice-over): Wreckage of the plane has been located near the city of Gao, in the northern part of the country, according to Mali's president, who confirmed news of the discovery to "Reuters", hours after the aircraft first went missing. 1:17 a.m. local time, Air Algerie Flight 5017 left Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso bound for Algiers. It was supposed to be a four-hour overnight flight.

But about 50 minutes after takeoff, it disappeared from radar over Mali, close to a zone of ongoing conflict between Islamist rebels and the government, an area the FAA had warned pilots to stay above 24,000 feet to avoid becoming a target. As of now, there is no indication the plane was hit by a missile. But the early indications suggested bad weather in the area may have contributed to the crash.

Air traffic controllers told the pilots to change course to avoid sandstorms in a part of the world where conditions are breeding grounds for hurricanes.

The military chief of staff for the Burkina Faso army, the plane expressly asked to change itinerary because of the bad weather. That may be the reason. Now, there may be other hypothesis linked to other conditions, but we cannot at this time venture in that direction.

The McDonald Douglas MD-83 plane, a staple in small commercial passenger jets, was carrying at least 110 passengers plus six or seven crew members including the pilot and co pilot. About 50 people on board were reported to be from France and about 25 from Burkina Faso. Authorities reported a long list of other nationals on board, none was American.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: The question of terrorism cannot be ruled out, officials have said, but a much more likely factor in the crash is bad weather -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Joe Johns, reporting live from Washington, thank you.

Still to come in THE NEWSROOM, Australia's prime minister has strong words for Russia over the downing of Flight 17 and Ukraine's ambassador to the United States said flat-out this tragedy is Russia's fault. Malaysia lost people too so why is that country staying neutral? We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: This week, we saw both outrage and sorrow over the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. Holland's tender, graceful day of mourning, and strong words for Russia from the Ukrainian and Australian prime ministers. Malaysia also lost citizens but that country's prime minister has remained neutral, refusing to cast blame.

CNN's Will Ripley has that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another Malaysian tragedy is tainting the holy month of Ramadan, public prayer, private fury.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a lot of anger with the Russians and the rebels.

RIPLEY: From the streets to the prime minister's office. Najib Razak lost his step granddaughter on Flight 17. But so far, he is refusing to take sides.

PROF. JAMES CHIN, MONASH UNIVERSITY: Najib is a very cautious political animal.

RIPLEY: Monash University professor James Chin says Najib gained the rebels' trust during hours of secret negotiations. He stayed neutral as other countries blamed pro-Russian rebels and accused Moscow of supplying weapons.

(on camera): Is this helping or hurting him politically?

CHIN: Well, right now he didn't negotiate for the rebels to release the bodies and also to release the box.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The rebels insist they did not shoot down Flight 17. The Russians maintain none of their military equipment crossed the border into Ukraine, even holding this press conference denying involvement.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was not Russian but Ukrainian plane.

CHIN: Malaysia is a victim of a small war in a faraway country like Ukraine.

RIPLEY: Malaysia's next move is critical. Analysts say joining the U.S. and others in a tough stance against Russia could damage relations with China, a vital ally.

CHIN: And that he wants some sort of a report, especially sanction by international body, before he would come out and openly blame anybody for it.

RIPLEY: A prime minister's public balancing act as he and his country cope with private sorrow.

Will Ripley, CNN, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: Still to come, President Obama holds an emergency border summit at the White House with his Central American counter parts to discuss the flood of undocumented children streaming into the United States. We'll have more of this developing story for you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

Now, we have to talk about the U.S. immigration crisis because President Obama is holding a summit later today at the White House, with his presidential counterparts from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, to address this huge surge of undocumented children spilling across the U.S.-Mexican border without their parents.

In the meantime, House Republicans also meeting to discuss their own fix with the border crisis.

A new poll just released reflects a shift in American attitudes towards U.S. immigration policy. It shows a majority of Americans support changing the law to make it easier to deport unaccompanied children back to their country. But it also shows a majority of Americans see these children as refugees rather than illegal immigrants and they are willing to allow them to live in their towns.