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Moscow Says It's Willing to Coordinate Syrian Air Strikes with U.S.-Led Coalition; New Questions for Pentagon. Aired 3-4a ET.

Aired October 07, 2015 - 03:00   ET

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

EROLL BARNETT, CNN NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL HOST: New information into CNN. Moscow now says it's willing to coordinate its air strikes in Syria with the U.S.-led coalition.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN NEWSROOM INTERNATIONAL HOSET: New questions for the Pentagon, after U.S. commanders admits a hospital was hit by mistake in Afghanistan.

(TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDET: ... He is essentially saying that look, there have been this proposals from the Pentagon to closer coordinate actions against the Islamic State rebel group in Syria. This is something we are prepared to consider. But some technical details still have to be worked out. So it's a positive step, in the sense that the Russians appear to be embracing the idea of working hand in hand with the United States and its coalition, which is of course carrying out its own strikes against the Islamic State. But it is not a done deal yet. There are technical issues. They haven't been specified what issues they are. But what we do know is that there has been much closer military to military contact between the United States and Russia over the course of the past 48 hours or so to make sure first and foremost there isn't any unwanted confrontation between Russian and U.S.-led forces in the region in the skies over Syria.

And so, you know it's, it seems that, you know, at least on the face of it, this could be, you know, a step in the right direction in terms of closer coordination. It certainly what the United States wants. There's been great deal of concern in Washington. Russia is going in alone in Syria, and striking not just targets related to Islamic State, but other targets as well, including any group that's in opposition to Russia's ally Bashar al-Assad. And so, this could long a face of it look like a softening of the Russian position. But as they say, there are still these all-important technical details that have not yet been worked out. And there won't be a deal until they have been.

CHURCH: The difficulty here of course, this comes from Russia at a time when there are question as you mentioned, about what the targets are exactly that Russia is hitting in Syria. There is also this concern about the ground troops. We don't know exactly what their intentions are, and now a couple of incursions into Turkish airspace, so they're the big concerns. Now we're hearing this line of possible cooperation from Russia. It's confusing, it's mixed messages. And it's difficult to really understand what the intentions are here.

CHANCE: Yeah, I think that Russia really, if you look about -- look back over the past year and a half, two years over the actions in Ukraine, specifically, Russia has a record of kind of sending out confusing messages, mixed messages, obscuring the facts to a certain extent as well. And you know, it's playing the same kind of game. In Syria, although it's a much lesser extent, I think it's fair to say, than it has done in Ukraine.

I think what's become clear in terms of its targeting is that Russia does not really draw much of a distinction between the various opponents of Bashar al-Assad. It lumps together, Islamic state, the al-Nusra front, other rebel groups as well, in one big kind of terrorist melting pot, which it says it is striking at. And that seems to be indeed what it is doing. The analysis essentially is that, you know is doing everything it can to support the regime of Bashar al- Assad. And it is doing what it can from the air to make that happen.

In terms of ground troops, well, I mean, Russia is categorically denied all of this allegations specifically those coming from the Pentagon. That Russia is building up its forces on the ground in Syria, in preparation of some kind of large scale ground offensive. They said that not happening, that they have troops on the ground, but their providing false protection role, and of course, other various limited roles. But it seems at least officially, and I haven't seen evidence to contradict this. The majority, the push of Russia's military actions in Syria is from the air, not on the ground, at least not at this stage.

CHURCH: All right, covering this new line from Russia that it may cooperate with the United States in the Syrian air strikes. Talking there live with Matthew Chance in Moscow. Thanks to you.

BARNETT: Now, let's take a look at some regional concerns of Russia's activities. Our Ben Wedeman joins us live from Beirut, to analyze this angle. Ben, Turkey has seen airspace violated on more than one occasion by Russia. And now, we have the news that Russian air strikes continue, as the country claims it wants to work with the U.S. coalition. But the fear is that we know with Turkey in other U.S. coalition aircraft flying in the region, plus Russia, it is getting crowded and much more dangerous.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed. I mean, if you look at the pattern of air strikes, there does seem to be some overlap between where the Russian aircraft are operating, and where U.S.-led coalition aircraft are in, particularly in the areas of Eastern Syria where the U.S. has focused its air strikes, around for instance the town of Deir ez-Zor. But I think what's important at the moment is what we're seeing coming out of Syria today. What we seen already this morning on social media, YouTube videos posted from Hama and Idlib provinces, it's a real pickup in the level of air strikes and rocket attacks, that are going on in this areas, really focusing on parts of the country, parts of Syria that are controlled by anti- regime non-ISIS rebels.

And what we've been hearing from rebel commanders on the ground for days now is that they're seeing a build-up of Syrian forces. Some are saying including forces from Hezbollah and Iran. In these two areas, in an attempt it appears to really potentially launch a major ground offensive on these areas, I mean, for instance, Idlib province. It's important to keep in mind that this is the largest contiguous area controlled by anti-regime rebels. It has a long border with Turkey. If the Russian air strikes added with ground forces working on behalf of Syrian regime focus on these areas, it is going to be not only a serious blow to the non-ISIS, anti-regime forces. But also those forces that are supported for instance, by Turkey, by the Gulf States, by the United States.

So, certainly, regardless of what Moscow is saying, what we are seeing on the ground is a definite focus from the air and on the ground, against the forces that's non-ISIS, those fighting the regime but are in no way affiliated with ISIS. Errol.

BARNETT: And there's another layer to this war, and that's the humanitarian one. You know, there are reports, as we speak, many more migrants will be fleeing Syria. Already neighboring nations have absorbed millions. How do nations in the region view the worsening it seems of the migrant crisis?

WEDEMAN: But I think first of all, Errol, we need to correct our terminology here. People fleeing Syria aren't migrants, they're refugees. They're running away from the war. And of course, the problem is if this offensive goes ahead. Certainly Turkey could be seeing tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing to the border, because from there, they can actually get to Turkey. And of course, Turkey is already overburdened with refugees, and this just means more coming their way.

And the same applies for instance to Lebanon, where one in four people in this country are Syrian -- Syrian refugee. And the area where the Russian air strikes are focusing among others and the Syrian ground forces is this -- what is known as the Rastan Pocket between Hama and Homs, these cities of Hama and Homs. And those people potentially could be fleeing to Lebanon if there is a ground offensive. So you have the additional element that is going to further complicate this situation. Errol.

BARNETT: And perhaps -- perhaps, that's one of the reasons we are now hearing from Russia that they're open to working with the U.S.-led coalition. Because at some point it appeared as though there may be a clash in those overlapping areas. Ben Wedeman live for us in Beirut this morning, just past 10 a.m. there. Ben, thanks.

CHURCH: The U.S. military is admitting it made a tragic mistake when air strikes hit a hospital in Northern Afghanistan. The Defense Secretary says he deeply regrets the death of 22 people in Kunduz.

BARNETT: Barbara Starr reports the command process is now coming under review, as well as long range plans for U.S. troops there.

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BARBARA STARR, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: In the aftermath of the attack on the Doctors Without Borders Hospital, a stunning military order from the top U.S. commander.

GENERAL JOHN CAMPBELL, U.S. FORCES COMMANDER: I have directed the entire force to undergo in-depth training, in order to review all our operational authorities and rules of engagement.

STARR: That order, an acknowledgment that something went wrong. Rules of engagement spell out when and how the U.S. military can conduct air strikes. Like the ac-130 gun ship that hit the hospital. Doctors Without Borders says the U.S. knew it was a hospital. They were under attack for 30 minutes. It could not have been a mistake.

JASON CONE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: Until we're told otherwise, until we see an independent investigation, we'll presume this was in fact a war crime.

STARR: Did this violate U.S. military rules?

CAMPBELL: Even though the Afghans request that support, it still has to go through rigorous U.S. procedure to enable fires to go on the ground.

JOHN MCCAIN, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: There was no forward air controllers, Americans forward air controller on the ground.

CAMPBELL: So we had a special operations unit that was in close vicinity that was talking to the aircraft that delivered those fires.

STARR: If the U.S. knew it was a hospital, did reports of Taliban firing justify the attack?

CAMPBELL: We would never intentionally target a protected medical facility.

STARR: The air strikes at least initially, do not appear to have been met at the hospital. Military rules require U.S. troops are at risk contrary to initial reports. U.S. troops were not fired on.

When the U.S. is going after Al-Qaeda, here it was the Taliban. When Afghans are about to be...

(TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES)

BARNETT: ... Version of events, that ultimately this was just a mistake?

SUNEI ENGAL RASMUSSEN, REPORTER THE GUARDIAN: Well, it was interesting, because it was very fragile. There's still fighting going on central parts of the city. As late as last night, there were reports the Taliban have captured one of the central squares. So it's very much a volatile situation there. What people say about this, this particular air strike, and the U.S. admission, I don't think people needed General Campbell to admit to any guilt. I think they already presumed this was the U.S. air strike. But obviously, this has nurtured a lot of animosity towards the international troops, and towards the Afghan government, which was just an ally of NATO and the U.S. And Kunduz is a place where there is already a lot of mistrust against

local authorities. This has done nothing to improve the standing of neither the government, nor the international forces in Kunduz.

BARNETT: And the fighting there continues. Now, what new information is Doctors Without Borders providing about all of this?

RASMUSSEN: Well, Doctors Without Borders is giving a press conference soon in Geneva. So far, they stick to their earlier claims that there were no Taliban fighters inside the hospital, which is obviously central. That's what the Afghan authorities are claiming. And they say now that is not enough for the U.S. to only investigate what happens, not enough for them to put blame on either themselves, or the Afghan forces or whatever this ends up.

And they also want compensation from the U.S. The MSF hospital in Kunduz is completely destroyed, is now defunct. The hospital treated 400 patients in the week leading up to this air strike. And now, there's no facility of the standard ready to treat injured people (inaudible) so the fire still rages on. So MSF is also asking for compensation from the U.S. military.

BARNETT: All right. Sunei Engal Rasmussen live for us in Kabul today. Thanks very much.

CHURCH: A spiral of deadly violence grips the Middle East as leaders call for the clashes to stop.

BARNETT: Plus, the police investigating the campus murders in Oregon, and looking closely at the gunman's mother and her posts online.

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PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN WEATHER WATCH: That music means it's "Weather Watch" time. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri, we'll talk weather here across the America's, right now with a drying pattern beginning to develop on the eastern half of the country. Well some scattered thunderstorms on a persistent low pressure center locked in across the southwestern portion of the U.S. and across southern British Columbia, and into the northwestern area of the U.S., in a little shift in the pattern.

Temperatures in Vancouver cooling off to 15. And Winnipeg crops down to 13, and afternoon showers, but again very dry and very comfortable. Nice autumn setup a crossing New York and Atlanta with the mid 20s there. Notice the last bouts of moisture across this southeastern U.S. with the historic flooding now moving offshore, there's high pressure begins to build over this region in the coming couple of days. A flood watch in place, concerned with this of course is the residual water coming downstream from the rivers and tributaries that can cause some issues across that region.

Again, the thunderstorms the concern right now across the southwestern side of the U.S. Caribbean we go, San Juan, Puerto Rico, they will take the severe drought in parts of San Juan, 32 degrees for a high temperature with rain showers and thunderstorms across Kingston. Windy conditions also expected in and around portions of Jamaica. With

Guatemala City peaking on the sunny side, should be in the upper 20s across that region. Well Quito, 23, forecast high temperature. Some showers could pop up into the afternoon hours across Salvador. Do you want sunshine? Then we have it across Rio, 26.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. In Australia, police arrested four people in connection with the fatal shooting of a police department accountant.

BARNETT: Curtis Cheng was shot outside New South Wales Police Headquarters on Friday. Police killed the 15-year-old gunman at the scene. Investigators believe the suspects were all under the age of 22, have terrorist ties.

CHURCH: We turn to the Middle East now where Israeli-Palestinian leaders are calling for de-escalation of the violent clashes that have become a part of daily life in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

BARNETT: CNN Erin McLaughlin tells us many are choosing to ignore those pleas.

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ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Another day of rage in the West Bank. Rocks and marbles answered with tear gas and bullets.

Deadly violence both Israeli and Palestinian leaders say they want to stop.

In a span of a week, four Israelis were killed in two separate attacks. Israeli forces arrested or killed the alleged perpetrators. For everyone else, came a clear message meant to deter more violence.

For last year deadly attacks against Israelis, some east Jerusalem homes were demolished. They once belong to Palestinian accused of the crimes. Israeli government also announced other extreme measures. Rioters could now be detained without trial or charge. Palestinian leaders say the announcement equates to a war crime. They've call it collective punishment. Israeli prime minister said he wants to defeat terrorism. But in the West Bank people seem to pay little notice to the new measures. Scores were wounded in clashes.

Palestinians in Bethlehem gathered to mourn the death of 13-year-old Abdul Rahman. Second Palestinian killed in 24 hours. A witness will say Israeli forces shot and killed the teenager during clashes. They say the boy was targeted and trying to hide. Israeli officials say they were responding to a riot. They say they fired at the main instigators. They investigating what happened. Following the burial, the cycle of violence continued. On Tuesday,

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas told the Israeli and Palestinian, that he wants the situation to de-escalate. Given what happened to Abdul Rahman here in Bethlehem, people are angry and not heeding his words.

Erin McLaughlin CNN Bethlehem.

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BARNETT: Federal safety investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the cargo ship El Faro. U.S. Coast Guard says the ship sank during a storm with 33 crew members on board.

CHURCH: Officials are still searching for survivors. So far only one of the life boats has been found along with one victim.

BARNETT: Now, investigators looking into the campus shooting in the U.S. State of Oregon now turned their attention to the gunman's mother.

CHURCH: Her online posts reveal a fascination with guns, which she stock piled in her home. And her son may have had a developed mental disorder. Sara Sidner has more.

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SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hours after the Umpqua community College massacre, the mother of the twenty six years old gunman shown here taking to the police broke down.

UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was bawling, and she looked really upset. I can't blame her. I mean, this is insane.

SIDNER: Now, there are new details about what she knew about her son's mental health and access to guns, before he went on a rampage, killing eight students and a teacher. A series of online post linked to his mother, Laurel Harper, reveals he had a developmental disorder on the autism spectrum and there were plenty of guns of all types in the house.

In a post from at least three years ago, Harper boasted about her arsenal of weapons on a Yahoo answer discussing thread, about state gun laws, saying, I keep two full mags in my Glock case and the A.R.'s and A.K.'s all have loaded mags. No one will be dropping by my house uninvited without acknowledgment.

Police say they found eight guns at the home she shared with her son, and six at the crime scene. She made clear her son was familiar with gun laws. In an answers.com posting, where someone asked hypothetical question, about who police would charge if 10 people shot simultaneously at one person killing that person, she posted in part, at the very least, they would be charged with accessory to murder. At the worst, they would be charged with felony murder. Citing quote, my son, who has much knowledge in this field.

She and her son shared more than knowledge of guns and gun laws. They also shared a developmental disorder, Asperger's. According to post linked to her e-mail. My son has Asperger's. He is no battling idiot nor is his life worthless. He is very intelligent and is working on a career in filmmaking. My 18 years' worth of experience with and knowledge of Asperger's Syndrome is paying off. I am a nurse. In another post she says in part, I have Asperger's and I didn't do so bad. It wasn't easy, understatement, but it can be done.

This case bares striking similarities to Sandy Hook gunman, Adam Lanza, who killed 27 people before taking his own life. Both live with their mother, had a deep interest in guns, and were believed to have Asperger's. CNN's multiple attempts to reach Laurel Harper have been unsuccessful. But the shooter's father told CNN he was surprised his son had access to guns.

UNINDENTIFIED MALE: I had no idea he had any guns whatsoever. And I am a great believer that -- that you don't buy guns. Don't buy guns. You don't buy guns.

SIDNER: The mental disorder Asperger's is part of the autism spectrum. And we should note here that scientists have never linked violent behavior with that disorder.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN Sara Sidner reporting there. New York Attorney General is looking into the hugely popular Fantasy Sports companies, Draft Kings and Fan Duel. It comes after a New York Times report that a Draft Kings employee may have used inside information to win $350,000 dollars on Fan Duel.

BARNETT: One thing to keep in mind is this multibillion dollar industry is largely unregulated. And now, the Attorney General wants to know how the companies store their data, and who has access to it. Both companies say they banned employees from playing fantasy games for money.

CHURCH: Well, they have been driven from their homes, Afghan civilians fleeing the fighting in Kunduz. Ahead what they're finding once they reach the capital.

BARNETT: Plus, the U.S. vice president faces a report he played the sympathy card to help his presidential bid, his response after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BARNETT: Welcome back. To those watching from all around the world and our neighbors here in the U.S., this is CNN Newsroom. I'm Errol Barnett. CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. And it's of course time to pick and

range stories we have been following.

The Russian defense ministry now says it is willing to cooperate with the U.S.-led coalition on air strikes in Syria. NATO and the U.S. have expressed deep concern about Russia's expanding presence there. Details of the cooperation have yet to be worked out. Announcement came as Russia carried out a fresh wave of intense air strike into Syria's Hama and Idlib provinces. BARNETT: In the coming hours, Volkswagen is expected to tell German regulators how and when it will fix up to 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. Volkswagen recently admitted installing software that makes the vehicle emissions appear cleaner than it really is.

CHURCH: Reports quote the Palestinian president saying he does not want an escalation with Israel after a recent spike in violence. Clashes intensified recently in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank raising concerns of a possible uprising in the region.

BARNETT: The Pentagon is taking responsibility for the deadly airstrikes in northern Afghanistan on Saturday. The commander of U.S. Forces there told lawmakers the airstrikes in Kunduz on Doctors Without Borders Hospital were a mistake. Twelve medical personnel and 10 patients were killed.

CHURCH: The battle for Kunduz has lasted for more than a week now, as government forces struggle to take the city back from the Taliban.

BARNETT: It's renewing attention to the U.S. mission there and how long it should last. This is also taking a heavy toll on civilians. Nic Robertson reports many are escaping to the capital and finding little help there.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Chased out of Kunduz, the city's lawmaker comforts residents.

The government doesn't have any plan to help these people, she tells me. They have nothing. They left it all behind in Kunduz.

In protest, they set up a makeshift camp outside Kabul's Ministry of Power and Water. It's not their only complaint against the government.

They tell me they saw soldiers running away from the Taliban. Residents left to fend for themselves. My father was shot by the Taliban, he tells me. We couldn't get to his funeral.

ROBERTSON: Is the Taliban getting stronger these days?

RESIDENT: No. Taliban not strength. But government ... is weak. Supported there, yes. Some. Some government supported ... the Taliban. Yes.

This Parliamentarian has suspicions about how they entered and captured the city. Ethnic divisions may have played a role in helping the Taliban.

ROBERTSON: How were the Taliban able to get into the city and take the city so quickly?

Lawmaker Aziz tells me that Taliban captured it easily within two or three hours. The government, she says did nothing for three days, allowing the Taliban to loot stock piles of tanks, vehicles, weapons and ammunition ROBERTSON: Whatever the facts about how the Taliban took Kunduz, right now the people of the city are vulnerable. They feel let down by their government.

I asked if they want American help.

ROBERTSON: The Americans, they hit the hospital but they're supporting the Afghan army. Do you want the Americans to continue to help the Afghan Army?

RESIDENT: Yes, we do. He says. But if they hit more hospitals, then no.

ROBERTSON: Do you still want American forces here to help the government? Do you still need American forces to help the Afghan Army?

She tells me, the Afghan Army is not really capable of stopping the people she calls terrorists. At the moment, we need help. But please, please, she adds, stop killing civilians. Nic Robertson, CNN, Kabul, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: For more we are joined by retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Bob Maginnis. Thank you, sir, for talking with us. Now, we just heard local Afghans say their army can't handle the terrorists. America's top commander in Afghanistan told congress on Tuesday the Taliban and ISIS are getting stronger. So does the U.S. need a radical wreathing perhaps in Afghanistan?

LT. COL. BOB MCGINNIS, RETIRED U.S. ARMY: Well, I think that President Obama is rethinking this at the request of the former chairman, the Joint Chiefs, General Dempsey. You know, but these are tough questions, you know? We've been in part, in Afghanistan since 2001. And we've spent a great deal, many billions of dollars and lost thousand of lives.

But we have to ask the question, long-term, is the best interest of the United States served by keeping a force that is capable there? That's what General Dempsey is arguing.

At least 5,000 as I understand, and they would be set up in a lily pad like an environment where they would really go after the counter- terrorism mission, you know, go after ISIS as it emerges there. Taliban. Al Qaeda, and so forth.

CHURCH: Ad so I do want to ask you about the hospital, the Medecins sans Frontieres Hospital that was hit. Now, we understand, from the United States, it was a mistake. We know the military had the coordinates to this hospital. What went wrong? How was it hit do you think?

[03:35:04] MCGINNIS: You know, obviously the Department of Justice is doing an investigation, so is General Campbell, he was the Senior U.S. Commander there. The AC-130 is an incredibly accurate weapon system, so I don't think, you know, they missed their target. What happened here is that evidently based upon what I understand from General Campbell is, you know, the Afghans called on a particular grid quarter, they called on a particular target. And it would appear that someone didn't match that target that was identified with the no fire, or the preclusion areas that were identified earlier and should have been coordinated.

CHURCH: Yeah, it is a tragedy for sure, and we do want to get to the bottom of it, but I want to go to another big story involving the United States and allied forces, the growing tensions with Russia. And here is what the NATO Secretary General said when he was asked about two Russian interventions into Turkish airspace. Let's listen for a moment.

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JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO GENERAL SECRETARY: It's unacceptable. It is dangerous and it's a reckless behavior. And it adds to the tensions we see.

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CHURCH: So, sir, we're hearing there, dangerous and reckless. How dangerous do you think these violations of Turkish airspace are? And why do you think Russia went into the airspace? They're saying it was due to weather.

MCGINNIS: Well, it could be because they were using visual navigation in a foreign country which they're not very familiar with or the GPS, you know, failed them. Either one is unacceptable and given the high stakes that are involved here. What I'm concerned about is, you know, confrontation between a NATO jets, and Russian jets.

In this, whether Syrian or Turkish airspace, that could be very, very dangerous. Keep in mind, NATO as, under article five, if one country feels attacked in a sovereign territory, the other countries have to come to its rescue. And Turkey is a NATO ally. So we face some very dangerous situations here, especially if we begin to see a ground operation and there is every indication right now the Russians are beginning to build up their capability there, on the ground with armaments and personnel along with the Iranians and, of course, Hezbollah. So, given that, given the air operations, this could really get out of hand very quickly.

CHURCH: All right, Lieutenant Colonel Bob Maginnis, thank you so much for speaking with us. We do appreciate it.

MCGINNIS: Thank you.

BARNETT: Now, a political website says U.S. Vice President Joe Biden leaked his son's dying wish for political gain. The story Biden's spokesperson calls "categorically false" but we'll break down all the latest information for you after this break.

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[03:40:00] CHURCH: The rain has now stopped in South Carolina but at least 11 dams have breached or failed following days of drenching rain. Fifteen people have died in the historic flooding in the state, and two others were killed in North Carolina.

BARNETT: More than 800 people are living in shelters at this moment. Officials warn some rivers might not crest for another two weeks which could cause even more flooding.

CHURCH: Well parts of Northeastern China have been dealing with thick smogs since Monday. Here's what it looks like in Beijing.

BARNETT: Yikes. Xinhua News Agency reports that China's weather observatory continue to issue a yellow alert for smog in Beijing and in neighboring areas on Wednesday. In China, a yellow alert is more serious than a blue alert but is less serious than orange or red.

CHURCH: And parts of Southeast Asia are dealing with heavy smog of their own.

BARNETT: That's right. Our meteorologist, Pedram Javaheri, has that part of the story. Pedram?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, guys. Yes, you know this is a story, of course, that we've touched on so often when it comes to what's happened across portions of Indonesia, Malaysia, and working it's way even Kuala Lumpur where we've had, of course, fires set across portions of western Sumatra by farmers there, intentionally to clear land.

Unfortunately, the thermal signature of the fires and the way the winds travel in this portion of the world, will carry all of the smoke downstream as it becomes a major problem. But we've seen footage of what this all looks like on the ground.

But CNN'S Matt Rivers, actually, had a perspective that he's sharing with us here where you see the aerial view of what it looks like from a drone's view looking down towards this region. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT RIVERS, CNN BEIJING CORRESPONDENT: Apocalyptic scenes. Vast areas of forest burned in Indonesia. The ground still smolders. This video from Greenpeace shows what's causing hazardous air pollution in Indonesia and its neighbors. For weeks, a thick haze has engulfed the western part of the country, here with a barely visible view of West Kalimantan.

In neighboring Riau province, parents have taken their small children to temporary shelters. Indonesia's disaster management agency says more than 135,000 people in the country are suffering from respiratory problems. But the haze has spread to Singapore, Malaysia and parts of southern Thailand.

Air quality in some parts, dangerous to breathe. Schools have been shut and governments have advised people not to go outside. Indonesian authorities have arrested executives from several companies suspected of starting the illegal fires to clear land for palm oil and pulp wood plantations. The neighboring governments say more needs to be done.

NAJIB RAZAK, MALAYSIA'S PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Only the Indonesian government is the best party to take action against the culprits considering their access to the evidence.

RIVERS: Indonesia deployed thousands to fight the fires. The disaster management agency says planes are on stand by to seed clouds to make artificial rain. Weather conditions aren't cooperating.

WILLEM RAMPANGILEI, INDONESIA'S NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY CHIEF (through translator): At the south of the equator, there is not enough cloud, so our aircrafts cannot be utilized at the maximum capacity.

RIVERS: Greenpeace says it's not just people who are suffering. One of the areas on fire is next to a park that's home to a large population of wild orangutans.

Indonesian officials say they are doing their best to put out the fires and track down on those responsible. But as the haze continues to blanket the region, frustration is growing. Matt Rivers, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JAVAHERI: Yes, of course any little rainfall helps the situation and the satellite images showing you from above speaks extensive nature of the smoke that has taken over, the haze that's taken over this region and your quality index still sitting in the unhealthy to moderate scale. Some areas across Kalimantan where we saw some of the images there with children being impacted by, they're still sitting in the hazardous category.

There's some rain in the forecast so there's some improvement here, but again so much in the way of the active fire zone that even a rainfall here, although it helps, it's not going to put everything out, and this had become a major problem now across this region, guys.

[03:45:00]

BARNETT: Yeah, and such a risk for children and the elderly as well.

CHURCH: Absolutely.

BARNETT: Pedram, thanks for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BARNETT: Joe Biden's office is strongly denying a report about his presidential ambitions and his late son.

CHURCH: The website, "Politico," reports Biden himself was the leaker who told "The New York Times" about a conversation he had with his dying son. Now in it, Beau Biden reportedly urged his father to run for president. A Biden spokesperson slammed Politico's story calling it "categorically false and offensive."

BARNETT: Now, we'll keep you posted on that story. Meantime, Hillary Clinton is on the attack. The Democratic presidential frontrunner has released a new ad. It focuses on the man expected to become the next House speaker, Republican Kevin McCarthy. It also capitalizes on his gaffe about Benghazi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee. What are her numbers today?

Republicans have spent millions attacking Hillary because she's fighting for everything they oppose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Our CNN political analyst, Josh Rogin, joins us now from Washington, D.C. to talk about what's happening in this very early presidential race. Josh, thanks for much your time.

First, I want to know what you make of this claim by "Politico" out now that Vice President Biden himself leaked the detail that his son's dying wish was for him to run for president. I mean, that would and does establish a powerful narrative, what do you make of that?

JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, the timing of the leak is what most people are focused on. It seems that the biding camp is nearing its decision, the vice president is expected to make his decision either this week or next week.

The political article was disputed by Biden's office today, but the bottom line is that there's a very few number of people who would actually know what happened in a private discussion between the vice president and his son on his deathbed. So it's plausible that this story at least came from, not Biden people, close to Biden.

The bottom line here is that the narrative of Biden's run is affecting the race already, and if he doesn't run, that a lot of people are going to be surprised.

BARNETT: And we still wait for that official announcement. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton seems to be having a good week. A humanizing performance on "SNL," "Saturday Night Live" and now an attack ad playing off the gaffe Republican representative Kevin McCarthy made, tying Benghazi to Clinton's slipping poll numbers. Is this a surprise, Clinton's good week?

ROGIN: Well, there's - it's a long campaign and there are going to be good weeks and bad weeks. This certainly comes after several bad weeks for the Clinton campaign. And it really is the result of a gift from Kevin McCarthy, the presumptive next Speaker of the House. Right now, in Washington, McCarthy is being interviewed by his own caucus, along and two other candidates, Jason Chaffetz and Daniel Webster for the job of speaker which should be his.

He really performed an unforced error. He gave the Clintons a talking point. It's costing him in his race. And the Clintons are taking that poll and a running win. As well they should. It's really the first bit of good luck they've had in quite a long time.

BARNETT: It is interesting to see the political landscape shift and change as time moves on. Josh Rogin, our political analyst. Thanks for your insight today from D.C.

ROGIN: Thank you.

BARNETT: And we are just one week away from the first U.S. Presidential Democratic candidates debate, live here on CNN. Viewers here in the state, be sure to set your DVR for Tuesday night at 8:30 pm, eastern or watch it live. We are back after this.

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[03:50:00]

PATRICK SNELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, I'm Patrick Snell with your CNN World Sport headlines.

The Liverpool appears to be closing in on the priced signature of one of the game's most sought-after manager, Jurgen Klopp. The Reds are hoping to complete negotiations within the next 48 hours before naming the 48-year-old as Brendan Rodgers successor is being reported that Klopp would want to bring in Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz as part of his coaching staff.

The race to become the next FIFA president has taken another twist after one of the candidates, the South Korean Chung Mong-Joon will be facing suspension from the body's ethics committee. Chung, who is a former FIFA vice president said, he's being charged with violating six articles from the FIFA code of ethics in connection with support for South Korea's 2022 World Cup bid and the proposal to launch a global football fund on the confidentiality rules. FIFA's yet to make any statements on Chung's case, the 63-year-old denies all claims made against him.

And at the Rugby World Cup on Tuesday, Romania making their own piece of history. They took on Canada, even giving them a head start as well. The North Americans were 15 points to nothing up in this one but that merely fueled their opponent's hunger, who then rattled off the next 17 points for a famous win. Number eight, Mihai Macovei, went over for two tries before Florin Vlaicu's penalty sealed it.

That's a look at your sports headlines. I'm Patrick Snell.

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BARNETT: A London art gallery has dedicated an exhibit to football legend, Pele, in honor of his 75th birthday.

CHURCH: CNN's Isa Soares sat down with him to talk about his legacy and the state of his beloved sport.

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PELE, RETIRED BRAZILIAN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER (through translation): It brings me great joy. I'm very emotional, but at the same time, it's a huge responsibility. What we are showing here is the good side of the athlete, the positive side of the athlete, that can serve as an inspiration for the youth of today.

It's not just about playing sport, being a singer, et cetera, you need to be a good person, you need to have good role models.

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Do you ever think a young boy from Minas Gerais would be such an icon worldwide?

PELE: I never thought something like that would happen to me. Thwarted most I ever thought I could become, my dad was a good footballer, he scored a lot of goals. His name was Dondinho. He was famous in Brazil, in Minas Gerais.

SOARES: He was your role model?

PELE: Yes, he was my role model. I always wanted to be like him, but what happened, until this day, only God can explain.

SOARES: How much has football changed? What's your take from this?

PELE: In the past, it was a profession filled with love.

SOARES: And now?

PELE: Now, it's just a profession. There isn't that love of playing for my club, playing for my country. Obviously, a footballer needs to make a living from the game. It's different from my time. I had many offers to play for Real Madrid, AC Milan, Manchester United. However, Santos was doing well, I was playing well. I didn't want to leave. Nowadays, payers leave very early. You don't have that loyalty anymore.

SOARES: Have players lost their passion for the game?

[03:55:00]

PELE: The player has lost his passion for his country, for his club. But for football itself? No. He'll continue to play and have passion for it. But nobody is loyal to a single club anymore. Now, they play for the country or club that pays the most money.

SOARES: If you weren't a footballer, what would you be doing?

PELE: I really love composing music.

SOARES: I saw - the guitar. PELE: Composing and playing guitar. Playing the violin as well. So perhaps if I wasn't a footballer, I would have composed music and sung. As a Brazilian, of course, we love samba. It's always the most cheerful music.

SOARES: How would you like to be remembered by people?

PELE: I think the forms of presentation here at the exhibition are different, but the message is always the same, the poor person who has succeeded in life.

SOARES: Humble ... hard-working ...

PELE: Exactly.

SOARES: That's the message?

PELE: That's the message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Wonderful. Now to the U.S. where a very lucky woman is all smiles after claiming the Michigan Powerball jackpot of $310.5 million.

CHURCH: Wow. Fifty-year-old Julie Lynch came forward on Tuesday to claim her price. She took the lump sum option of $197.4 million in cash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIE LYNCH, JACKPOT WINNER: I can't believe it. I have to go back to work and get verified from a couple other co-workers and just couldn't believe it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And Lynch had worked at a fiberglass factory as a supervisor.

BARNETT: Now, I understand she was actually working the overnight shift when she found out and won ...

CHURCH: It's hard for us, right?

BARNETT: That's it for us everyone, I'm Errol Barnett.

CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. The news continues.

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