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Netanyahu Lays Out Case for Israel/Hamas Conflict; Largest Cyber Hack by Russian Gang; Boy Tells Story of ISIS Escape; Becky Hammon Hired by San Antonio Spurs

Aired August 06, 2014 - 14:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Bottom of the hour. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

If you caught this on CNN, a surprising news conference out of Jerusalem on the last day, the third day of the 72-hour cease-fire with Hamas. We saw Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaling mission accomplished. Giving a lot of his attention to those tunnels. We've been hearing so much about that. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: That first tunnel was struck from the air. We didn't know that it had achieved the result. It's very hard to achieve that result from the air. You either achieve it by agreement or you achieve it by actually going into the other side, finding the points of origin of the tunnel, or a point of origin, identifying the trajectory of the tunnel and then dismantling it. And that's what we did. If we could have done it diplomatically, fine. If not, we did it militarily. And the army just told us they completed this activity. And then we went out. We went in to deal with the tunnels. We went out after we finished dealing with the tunnels.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Wolf Blitzer, let me bring you into this conversation.

You are back just a couple days after spending basically a month in Israel. You were inside one of those tunnels. And that's why this conflict to me seems very different. The focus really on these tunnels connecting Gaza to Israel, or Egypt. And I'm wondering, why do you think Benjamin Netanyahu came out on this third day before the cease-fire expires to almost explain or lay out his case for the conflict.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM: Because Israel is coming under a lot of international pressure, a lot of criticism, for the operation over the past month, all the civilian casualties in Gaza, all the Palestinians who have been killed, and injured. The homes have been destroyed. The refugees internally, displaced people created. And I think he wanted to make the case that Hamas is to blame, not Israel, and -- in his opening statement, you heard it here, carried it live on CNN, made the point that Hamas, for example, would have accepted that cease-fire three weeks ago, that Israel accepted the one point forward by the Egyptians and he says it's identical to what they accepted this week. 90 percent of those people killed or injured by Gaza would not have been killed or injured in Gaza. And he also says there is now even more evidence, and the Israelis have been saying this all along, that Hamas deliberately places their rocket launchers in heavily populated civilian areas. And you had an Indian reporter showing at the top of the hour, he's out of there now, but showing right outside the hotel, not far from a U.N. Facility, there was a rocket launcher.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Constructing the rockets in the tent.

BLITZER: And French TV video, as well. I think, feeling the diplomatic criticism, the national criticism, seeing new evidence, he felt this was a good time to speak to the foreign reporters in Israel, as well as the international community.

BALDWIN: But, Wolf -- but there has been this, you know, criticism, and it's been mounting for a little while. This has gone on for week four. Why today, day three, before the end of this cease-fire, do you think today was the day we heard from the prime minister?

BLITZER: I'm only guessing. I'm not there. I haven't spoken to his top aides, but my guess is, because of the video. The French 24 TV video, the Indian TV video. I think he said, well, there's some evidence now backing up the point that he's trying to make that the world has not really seen accurately what's going on in Gaza. And here are two pieces of video that seem to back up this point that the Israelis are making. I think he senses this is a good time to go out and speak on that point. And also, it is day two of this three-day cease-fire that hopefully is going to be extended into day four and day five and day six so that the diplomats, the Israeli delegation now in Cairo, the Palestinian delegation that's now in Cairo. Can meet with the Egyptians, a group of American diplomats on their way over there, to try to help out, as well. So let's see if it can be expanded and the fight can go end. No more rockets coming into Israel, no more Israeli air strikes going into Gaza. That would be productive if that could be achieved.

BALDWIN: It would.

Wolf Blitzer, we'll be watching for more on this coverage. "The Situation Room," special two hours starting at 5:00 eastern here on CNN.

Wolf, thank you.

Next, this Russian gang hacking into the emails and passwords of a billion people. Hear what they were after and whether you could be a victim.

Plus, talking about Iraq here. Escape from ISIS. You are about to hear a chilling story of a teenager who lived to tell his story of torture from the militants currently terrorizing Iraq and Syria, right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: So, apparently, Russian gangs may have swiped your email passwords and usernames along with a billion other people. Apparently, those Russian cyber crooks do not want to break into your bank account. No, no. Instead they want to spam you. About 420,000 websites could be affected. It's possibly the biggest password hack of all-time.

So here with me to discuss this, CNN technology analyst, Brett Larson.

He laughs now.

I mean, it could be one of your passwords, my friend.

(CROSSTALK)

BRETT LARSON, CNN TECHNOLOGY ANALYST: It's true. 1.2 billion Internet user names.

BALDWIN: Why are they -- why are the companies not saying, hey, it's us, could be you.

LARSON: I think it's double-edged for them. If they come out and say it's us, then those user names and password become more valuable on the black market. Then they can go -- then somebody could step in and be like, oh, it's for Amazon? We will give you this much money per hundred user name and passwords. So if they keep it quiet, they can do their spamming and what have it is they want to do with it while these sites sort of scramble and figure out, OK, where is the security breach, how do we fix the security breach? And once that's done, then they're going to reach out to you and say, OK, it's that -- what are we getting, once every couple weeks now? It's time to change your passwords again.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: I know. But what makes this also really unique, in addition to the number, is that the spam factor, because I get my spam and I'm like, delete, delete, delete, delete. But --

(CROSSTALK)

LARSON: But --

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: There are people.

LARSON: Yes. And if you do the numbers, even if you said every one in 10,000 people fall for whatever the spam offer is you're making, it's -- it's instant weight loss, it's something that has to do with your nether regions. It's money from a bank account you didn't know you had. If one in a thousand or ten thousand people respond to that and you've got 1.2 billion, they got the money. Yeah. So it's -- there's definitely -- it's a numbers game. The more people they can get to spam with this stuff. And it's also social engineering, because it's not spam from somebody whom you don't know. It's spam from someone whom you do know. So it's going to come from me or' friend you have, who is like I just tried this amazing weight loss pill and it worked. You should try it too and you might be more inclined to click on something like that. I mean, we've all gotten them from our friends on Facebook. It's usually how you know your friends' accounts have been hacked.

BALDWIN: Exactly right.

LARSON: Random -- a trip to England? What is going on here? That sounds great!

BALDWIN: Delete.

LARSON: But the good news, if there is any good news in this, is that it's -- the information is now out there. And I don't mean that as our user name and passwords. But the fact that it's happened is out there is now we can respond to it accordingly and fix the problem.

BALDWIN: OK. Let's get on that.

LARSON: All right.

BALDWIN: Brett Larson, thank you very much. Great job.

LARSON: Thanks.

BALDWIN: Thanks.

Coming up, you heard about this story, this NBA team hires the league's first full-time female assistant coach. We'll talk live with the woman who has already coached at the professional level. Hear what she has to say. Big move in the NBA.

Also ahead, a story of survival from the militant group taking over Syria and Iraq. A teenager, 14, kidnapped, tortured, but lives to tell his story and his fight against ISIS. You'll hear it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The militants, who used to be known as ISIS, now calling themselves -- wanting to claim the Islamic state, they're continuing their sweep across Syria and into Iraq in this bid to form a strict Islamic nation. And it's taking its toll. You have Amnesty International calling for urgent humanitarian aid for tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians who have fled their towns in the wave of ISIS attacks. Those civilians, they are trapped. They have no food. They have no water. Dozens of children reportedly already died of thirst. Today, Iraq's air force hit back against these militants. An Iraqi official telling CNN his air force hit a building in Mosul, a huge city, second-biggest city in Iraq, killing at least 76 people. Local officials say militants used the building to hold people who oppose them or who have violated their strict Islamic law. And we read this fascinating piece detailing the cruelty, the torture

of this militant group's rampage through Syria and Iraq involving teenagers, young people. This is about a 14-year-old who is snatched by ISIS and tortured, part of this brutal scheme to really brainwash boys into joining their fight.

Yusuf Sayman penned this piece in "The Daily Beast." He joins us.

Yusuf Sayman, welcome.

YUSUF SAYMAN, COLUMNIST, THE DAILY BEAST: Hi, Brooke, how are you?

BALDWIN: Let's begin with this teenager, with fellow classmates, taking exams in Aleppo in Syria, gets kidnapped. And at first, by this group, he's fed well, he's treated well. But then that quickly changes.

SAYMAN: Yeah. Yes, correct. He was kidnapped with 147 other high school students while they were on their way back from Aleppo. They were kidnapped, and for the first two weeks, treated pretty good. But then, from what I understand, ISIS tried to make a sort of test on them, if you will. And they gave them a list. They gave them a list of their family members. His family members who are fighting with YPG, which is the Kurdish fighting against ISIS at the moment. And they wanted to confirm the list. And when he declined, didn't want to confirm, they took him to a prison, to a prison, which was -- is an old regime prison. And with about five other kids, and they put them in a cell. And then they started taking them downstairs to --

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: To the torture room.

SAYMAN: Yes, basically, the torture room.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Tell me about the torture room.

SAYMAN: That was pretty horrible. They first put him in a car tire, put him inside a car tire and started beating him up. And then they hang him on the ceiling from his hands. And then beat him up. And he could only stand this for half an hour. And half an hour later, he said, yes, this is accurate. And then they still kept him in prison for another 20 days. And then they started to trust him a little bit more so they took him and his friends to a school nearby, but in the school, they were still under captivity, ISIS guards. But they were again treating them much better. But they were giving them lessons on Islam and jihad, on topics like how to jihad, what is jihad, what are the ways of making jihad. And this went on for about another month until they could run away.

BALDWIN: Before we get to -- before we get to his escape, reading your piece made me think about the broader picture. And as we have been covering ISIS, seizing these towns and most recently this hydroelectric dam over the weekend, that can flood Mosul and possibly reach Baghdad, I'm wondering, how many teenagers are brainwashed to join these terrorists?

SAYMAN: Well, I think it's a pretty big number, especially in the towns they control. They create these sorts of schools for little kids, for today's toddlers and teenagers. Those are the kids they didn't kidnap. And as far as I know, there is -- there's at least 148 teenagers they kidnapped from this one city. And I don't have the exact number from other cities. But it's -- you know --

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: He was not alone. He was not alone. And thank goodness, he and a couple other teenagers were able to escape and go home. And you somehow got this kid to tell and share his story with you.

Yusuf Sayman, thank you so much. Great read in "The Daily Beast" on who these different members of ISIS are. Appreciate it.

Coming up, as an NBA team hires the league's first full-time female assistant coach. I will speak live with a woman who has already coached men at the professional level. We'll get her take on this big move from the Spurs.

And two Americans, who have the Ebola virus while working in Africa, were given this secret serum. This serum never before tested on humans. So why isn't that drug being given to all of the infected Africans? We'll talk about that coming up here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: It is a pretty good day for Becky Hammon, a star basketball player, Olympian, coach. Just stepped into the NBA history books, because she has been named as the first female to be a full-time paid assistant NBA coach. And not just any team grabbed her. Let's be clear. Hammon has been hired by the San Antonio Spurs who, by the way, are coming off their fifth NBA title. How does she feel about the new gig? She is humbled. She says she feels humbled.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY HAMMON, FEMALE ASSISTANT COACH HIRED BY SAN ANTONIO SPURS: I'm a little overwhelmed right now, to be perfectly honest. And just -- it's as great as it is, this opportunity, it's also incredibly humbling at the same time. So I'm feeling a lot of emotions. But those would probably just be -- the two driving forces, just thankful and humbled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Thankful and humbled.

Let's bring in another lady who is very familiar with basketball, made a little basketball history herself, Nancy Lieberman-Cline, a former star player and who was a head coach in the NBA Development League, and now general manager of the Texas Legends and a member of the Hall of Fame.

Nancy, welcome to you.

NANCY LIEBERMAN-CLINE, HEAD COACH, NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE & GENERAL MANAGER, TEXAS LEGENDS & FORMER BASKETBALL PLAYER: It is my pleasure to be here.

BALDWIN: So we were talking quickly in commercial break. You said it's been a busy couple days for you, because of this news. And so you picked up the phone and called Becky yesterday. What did she share with you?

LIEBERMAN-CLINE: Well, when I left -- I left her a message initially, and then she called back and as she just said on TV, she was giving me thanks. And I was like, oh, no, no, Becky, this is your time. You deserve it. I'm so proud of Coach Povich, the Spurs, and Becky Hammon. What that hire meant is respect. I don't think coach pop hired her because she was a woman. He hired her because she could do the job, and she was qualified. And I really appreciate that.

BALDWIN: I was just reaching out to a couple different friends I have, some professional athletes, Charles Barkley said this, Spurs again prove they're the best organization in sports. Professional football player said to me, this is not a gimmick. She is well- qualified. He loved that Pop, Coach Pop, said, it just so happens you are a woman. Do you think, though, because this is -- this is the Spurs? This is not some, forgive me, schmo team. They know what they're doing. Do you think any other team could have pulled this off?

LIEBERMAN-CLINE: I do think other teams could have pulled it off. But it did -- obviously, they didn't. And it took somebody with pop's confidence, his beliefs. He had a chance to see her every day in practice last year up close and personal, to see how she worked with the guys. She already had years of friendships with Parker Ginobili, Timmy Duncan and the staff. But they got to see her basketball I.Q., how she broke down film. She's really the right person for this job. And it's going to open up so many doors for people like myself and other women that aspire to coach in the NBA. It will happen for others.

BALDWIN: OK, Coach, let's ask the obvious question that people at home want the asked, and that has to do with she's a female, these are fellows, there are locker rooms. How does she -- I mean, I think I know what you'll say in terms of maintaining being a professional. But just, you know, can you just answer the question that is sort of hanging out there. How does that work?

LIEBERMAN-CLINE: Well, I can tell you, having been a head coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA "D" League for the Dallas Mavericks, a lot of people asked that question a couple years ago, what's the dynamics in the locker room? It's pretty much --

(CROSSTALK)

LIEBERMAN-CLINE: It's pretty much the same thing. At 40 minutes on the clock, our guys are going to be in the locker room, dressed, handle their business, and then the coaching staff is going to come in and give them the game plan and last-minute instructions. In practice, on the plane, in training situations, there are women in the workplace with men all of the time. The locker room really isn't that much of a problem. I mean, I've played in men's professional basketball. I played for Pat Riley with the Lakers. I played for the Jazz and Frank Lleyton two years in the USBL. You can handle a room locker room situation, because it's all predicated by time and your responsibility when you have to be there.

BALDWIN: I look forward to this, for her and for many other female trail blazers, including yourself, Nancy Lieberman-Cline.

Appreciate you taking the time. Good luck to you.

LIEBERMAN-CLINE: Thank you so much. Thanks.

BALDWIN: And a reminder to you. Tomorrow, CNN's Emmy-nominated series "The Sixties," a special episode, "The Times, They Were a Changing." Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Jack, what is your definition of a husband?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A husband is a guy who is in charge and should be all of the time. There's something happening here

(SINGING)

CECILE RICHARDS, PRESIDENT, PLANNED PARENTHOOD: Women couldn't open a bank account in their own name. They couldn't get credit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The jobs we have are jobs that only men are able to do.

TONY HAFTA, NIXON PRESIDENTIAL AIDE: American Psychiatric Association deems homosexuality to be a mental disorder.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do not employ homosexuals knowingly.

LEONARD STEINHORN, AUTHOR: Migrant farm workers were getting paid pennies to feed America.

TERRY O'NEILL, PRESIDENT, NOW: You have this bubbling up of a desire for real equality.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What we are talking about is a revolution and not a reform.

(SINGING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You cannot be given equality. You have to assume it.

DR. MARY BRENNAN, AUTHOR: People looked around and said, look at this potential for change.

ANNOUNCER: "The Sixties" Thursday night at 9:00 on CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)