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Battle for Aleppo; Trump Takes Thank-You Tour to Wisconsin; Years of Fighting in Aleppo End with Rebel Retreat; New Video Shows Russian Special Forces in Syria; Trump's Climate Change Policy Could Benefit China. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired December 14, 2016 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:00:11] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles.
Ahead this hour, the fall of Aleppo as the Syrian dictator claims his biggest win in the civil war and civilians and rebel fighters scrambled to leave what was once the country's second biggest city.
The Donald Trump thank-you tour rolls into Wisconsin where the President-Elect bragged about his cabinet. One of the greatest ever, he said. All with great IQs.
And when it comes to climate change, why Trump's presidency could actually be making China great again.
Hello. I'd like to welcome our viewers all around the world. I'm John Vause. NEWSROOM L.A. starts right now.
The bloody siege of Aleppo appears to be over, leaving a city in ruins after months of violence and destruction. Thousands of Syrians fled the regime's final assault. Turkey mediated a ceasefire and an evacuation agreement.
Russia's ambassador to the U.N. announced the Syrian government reestablished control of the rebels' last urban stronghold on Tuesday.
You can see the areas the rebels lost in dark red. It's a big blow to the opposition but this war does not end here.
Muhammad Lila joins us now from Istanbul with the very latest.
Muhammad -- what do we know about the evacuations? When are they expected to get under way?
MUHAMMAD LILA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well John -- the evacuations were supposed to get under way about an hour ago but we understand they have been delayed. What we do know, the very latest from a CNN affiliate on the ground is that the buses to take -- that are carrying some of these rebels as well as civilians are ready and they're fueled up and they're ready to go.
But there are a couple of things hampering it. First is that it is pouring rain right now in Aleppo so that may be having an effect on delaying evacuations.
But also our affiliate on the ground tells us that there are no observers from the International Red Cross or the Syrian government that are on the ground right now to monitor this evacuation taking place and that's something that you would expect to be happening given that this was a very publicized ceasefire agreement. This was a very publicized evacuation. And the fact that there are no observers on the ground is an indication that unfortunately this evacuation could be delayed even further.
VAUSE: When it does get under way Muhammad, who will be the first to leave and where are they going?
LILA: This is a very good question. There's some conflicting reports about that. We believe the first batch of people that will be evacuated are about 100 or 150 people or so. These are people that are wounded and that would need immediate medical treatment.
After that we're not sure if the civilians will be the first batch to go or the rebels will be the first to go. And that's something that's very fluid and that's going to play out on the ground.
VAUSE: Ok. Muhammad Lila, live there in Istanbul with the very latest. Thank you.
And Fred Pleitgen now reports that while the guns have fallen silent to now, there is no peace for Aleppo's survivors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the fierce final push to retake eastern Aleppo, Syrian government forces sweeping former rebel-held areas. Their assault described by a U.N. spokesman.
JENS LAERKE, U.N. HUMANITARIAN OFFICE SPOKESMAN: In these hours it looked like a complete meltdown of humanity in Aleppo.
PLEITGEN: There are accusations of severe atrocities. The U.N. saying it has information that some 82 civilians including women and children were executed by pro-government forces during their advance.
Neither the Syrian government nor Russia have commented on the accusations.
After weeks of bombardment and house to house combat in which the pro- government forces took back most of the area the rebels held for years, an agreement to evacuate the remaining opposition fighters from the last small enclave they managed to hold.
Russia's U.N. ambassador --
VITALY CHURKIN, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. (through translator): The Syrian government has (AUDIO GAP) all over east Aleppo. So now the stage has come for practical humanitarian initiatives.
PLEITGEN: After years of war the once thriving city of Aleppo now a post-apocalyptic nightmare, much of it reduced to rubble.
Many civilians trapped in the besieged areas clearly fearing pro- government forces, some posting farewell messages online.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Assad militias are maybe 300 meters away. No place now to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This may be my last video.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This might be a close to if not the last communication.
PLEITGEN: And this little girl, seven-year-old Bana Alabed who had emerged as one of the voices of Aleppo.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN -- Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Well, for more on the situation in Syria, Rodger Shanahan from the Lowy Institute for International Policy joins us now from Sydney; CNN's Muhammad Lila is in Istanbul; and Gayle Tzemach-Lemmon with the Council on Foreign Relations is with me here in the studio in Los Angeles.
[00:05:06] Muhammad -- first to you. Let's talk more on the evacuations. What guarantees are there for the safety of those who are leaving Aleppo?
LILA: Well, it's a very good question. We know that this evacuation deal has been brokered by Turkey and Turkey has said in an official statement that they've been trying to guarantee some sort of humanitarian corridor, not only to enter humanitarian goods into the city but to guarantee the safe transportation of the rebels and the remaining civilians out of Aleppo and into Idlib Province or other parts of Aleppo Province.
So we know that Turkey has played a major role. They're mediating this deal and brokering this deal. But as far as exact guarantees go, that's one of those details that we just don't have yet.
And you can imagine, if we don't have those guarantees therefore the rebels on the ground maybe hesitant as well to take up this offer simply because well, if they go to Idlib or Aleppo, we know that the Russian air force is bombing some of those areas. So there's a big question mark there about what will happen to them once they leave Aleppo. Will they be safe or will they be targeted once they leave?
VAUSE: Muhammad -- stay with us.
Gayle -- this is a crushing win for Bashar al Assad. Will he now be encouraged to repeat these tactics, killing innocent men, women and children, destroying hospitals and schools pretty much at will for the next rebel-held area? Possibly, Idlib.
GAYLE TZEMACH-LEMMON, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Well, this is the question. Where do you flee to safety if you are trying to escape right now? And there is no place for people to go that is going to be safe for longer than the next offensive.
And you know, you've seen this strategy of, you know, starve versus surrender in town after town and they have now, you know, Aleppo is certainly symbolically a big win. And it makes people pay attention to what comes next. But it will not end this war.
VAUSE: And Rodger to you in Sydney, how emboldened right now is the dictator, Bashar al Assad.
RODGER SHANAHAN, LOWY INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY: Well certainly he's very much of the view that momentum is on his side as pointed out, a very symbolic view but it's an affirmation of the kind of tactics that the Syrian regime has been using in trying to separate the fighters who have interspersed themselves within civilian populations, in trying to separate them from the civilians by attacking populated areas. And once again, it's worked.
VAUSE: Yes.
And Muhammad in Istanbul, you mentioned the role that Turkey played in negotiating this ceasefire with the Russians. There is no U.S. involvement. And also we understand Turkey will take in -- what -- I think about 80,000 refugees?
LILA: Yes. And that's very important because you know, Turkey is certainly a major player in this conflict. It's been a major player for months, if not years now.
And we know that this actual evacuation deal -- there had been talks for several days, if not weeks, in Ankara between the opposition groups and the Russian government and Turkey. So without Turkey's involvement here, this deal would not have taken place.
And what's interesting about this is that we got confirmation from the Turkish government about this ceasefire agreement and the evacuation deal as well as indications from the Russian side, but there's been no official statement yet from the Syrian army or the Syrian government and that shows you just how critical Turkey is in terms of brokering this deal.
And the fact that they're taking 80,000 civilian refugees and putting them up in a shelter gives you an indication that Turkey is really in this for the long haul.
VAUSE: And Gayle -- what does this say to you about Turkey's role in all of this right now? And how it's changed over the years?
LEMMON: Absolutely. So Turkey has taken in three million plus refugees according various accounts. And the fact that, you know, Turkey and Russia are coming slightly closer together after having some very difficult months in that relationship I think shows you that Turkey both wants to make sure that it is part of shaping facts on the ground and does not want the U.S. to get too close to the Kurdish forces with whom he's working to route ISIS. So there are so many levels on which this whole conflict is playing out and it's moms and dads in Aleppo trying to get to safety or paying the price.
VAUSE: It's interesting to hear from the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. At one point he seemed fed up with calls from the United States for a ceasefire. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): With regard to Aleppo, you know, to be honest we are tired of hearing the complaints of our American colleagues from the current administration that it's necessary to cease hostilities immediately. But the Russians want to do it only after the corridors are agreed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Rodger -- the Russians seem to be coming pretty critical not just of the United States but of many other Western governments.
SHANAHAN: Well, certainly it is quite a tricky issue for the Russians, the military momentum is with them. They take a position as they have when they were fighting as the Soviets and we've seen the kind of Russian tactics since then in places like (inaudible) that populated areas need to be cleared of the elements.
[00:10:03] And when they have the military momentum which they have in Aleppo they're much less likely to agree to a ceasefire. And they do become critical of outside forces who try and tell them to have a ceasefire, we need to leave as that victory is within sight which has been the position in Aleppo.
VAUSE: Contrast what the Russian foreign minister said with the State Department spokesperson John Kirby still talking about a political solution to the Syrian civil war. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: The only way we get to peace in Syria is getting the opposition in the regime to sit down together and try to work this out. That's the way to get a peaceful, sustainable future for Syria.
And the United States has been and remains very much in the lead in the international community in trying to bring that about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It sounds like a broken record -- Gayle.
LEMMON: Right. I mean with enormous respect to Admiral Kirby, you know, you could have put that tape on in 2013, 2014, 2015 and now we're in 2016. And in the meantime, Russia changed the facts on the ground. And that is what the world is seeing tonight. VAUSE: Yes. We heard from the spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Rupert Colville. He basically said that one of the reasons that Syria is now in the situation that it is in right now is basically because of the U.N. Security Council. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUPERT COLVILLE, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION SPOKESMAN: Everybody's ability to do anything in Syria has been really shaped by the total paralysis and failure of the Security Council. For five years they've failed to cope with the situation. That's what the council exists for is to bring peace and security. And it's been completely deadlocked and ineffective. So I think that I think everybody recognizes that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And Rodger, big picture -- he's right. But in some ways that just seems way too simplistic, doesn't it?
SHANAHAN: Well, certainly. I mean that's the strength and the weakness of the United Nations. You've got a Security Council but when one of the combatants in the civil war has veto power in that Security Council, you can't really expect any resolution.
You know, the other issue as we've said before is, you know, Syria is so complex. It was complex when it started. It's even more complex at the moment. So when people call about telling the world that it should be intervening in Syria, nobody has yet come out with a coherent plan as to what form the intervention takes. Clearly you should support and that's the military intervention (ph) that we're talking about.
But as you said before, there has to be a political solution at the end of this. And if we can't get resolutions in the United Nations that just indicates how fraught the whole problem is and how essentially difficult it has been from the start. And it continues to be.
VAUSE: Well, at the U.N. Security Council tonight, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power, had very strong words for the Assad regime as well as the Russians and the Iranians. This is a long sound byte but it's worth listening to.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMANTHA POWER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: To the Assad regime, Russia and Iran, your forces and proxies are carrying out these crimes. Your barrel bombs and mortars and air strikes have allowed the militia in Aleppo to encircle tens of thousands of civilians in your ever-tightening noose. It is your noose -- three member states of the U.N. contributing to a noose around civilians.
It should chain you. Instead by all appearances it is emboldening you. You are plotting your next assault. Are you truly incapable of shame? Is there literally nothing that can chain you? Is there no act of barbarism against civilians? No execution of a child that gets under your skin that just creeps you out a little bit?
Is there nothing you will not lie about? Or justify?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Gayle -- they're powerful words. But how much responsibility does the United States and its allies. Ambassador Power never mentioned the U.S. role in all of this.
LEMMON: Look, Syria is the war that has run out of adjectives. No one could think of words to describe what is happening on the ground in its full horror. And for administration officials such as Ambassador Power who have argued for years inside for greater intervention, I think you are seeing the frustration and need the (inaudible) show.
But I think that the President could never get comfortable with you tell me that what I do won't make things worse. Right -- the ghost of Iraq hangs over everything that the United States has done in Syria and not done in Syria.
VAUSE: Ok.
[00:15:00] And finally to Muhammad Lila in Istanbul -- when these evacuations do get under way -- these refugees, these internally- displaced people -- what conditions will they be facing in the coming days and the coming weeks?
LILA: Well, I mean it's a massive operation to get relief to these people even in the government-held areas which has supply lines, which have humanitarian corridors that are already established.
There are families who show up, for example, and are housed in the western part of Aleppo in an abandoned cotton factory, for example. So we're talking about concrete blocks and blankets being handed out and a little bit of food and they just got running water a few days ago.
So these are some of the conditions that these people will be facing. And to use a line from a famous TV series, "winter is coming", and in fact winter is already here. So we're dealing with cold temperatures.
We're dealing with a massive influx of people from eastern Aleppo to the government-held areas. And there's a big question about whether the Red Cross or whether the Syrian Red Cross or Red Crescent will be able to manage with all of these refugees. And quite simply right now, they're having a tremendously difficult time.
VAUSE: Difficult days ahead.
Muhammad Lila in Istanbul, Gayle being with us here in Los Angeles and Rodger Shanahan there from the Lowy Institute in Sydney -- thank you all for being with us and shedding some light on what is happening right now in Aleppo.
You can help Syrians survive this deadly conflict. CNN has compiled a list of aid organizations on the ground helping families escape and also receive some basic supplies. Please head to our Web site, CNN.com/Impact. There you will find a full list of names of agencies that are helping. Again, that's CNN.com/Impact.
We'll take a short break.
When we come back Donald Trump takes his thank-you tour to Wisconsin and makes the case for his controversial choice for secretary of State.
And Trump has slammed global warming as a Chinese hoax. Ahead -- how his climate change policy could be Beijing's win.
[00:17:01](COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back everybody.
Donald Trump is adding more white men to his cabinet, prompting concerns about diversity in the White House. He's tapped ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be secretary of State and former Texas governor, Rick "Oops" Perry as Energy secretary. Also Tuesday, Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke accepted Trump's offer to be Interior secretary.
Trump was in Wisconsin to thank supporters for his surprise win in a state which typically votes Democrat. He also mentioned some high- profile visitors to the Trump Tower.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: Leaders and titans of industry, arts, sports, science are reaching out and want to find ways to help. I mean today is an example. In my office, the great Jim Brown, Bill Gates, Anna Wintour, Kanye -- that's right. Well, I like Kanye.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Everyone likes Kanye.
Joining me now California talk radio host Ethan Bearman. Ethan -- Donald Trump in Wisconsin, tackling some of the big issues that are confronting this nation. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: 18 months ago, I told my first crowd in Wisconsin that we're going to come back here someday and we are going to say "Merry Christmas" together. Merry Christmas. So, Merry Christmas everyone. Happy New Year. But Merry Christmas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yes, he won the war on Christmas.
Is this whole war on Christmas, merry Christmas thing -- it seems almost symbolic of his entire campaign in some ways.
ETHAN BEARMAN, RADIO HOST: It definitely in some ways. But really -- I mean this is trumped-up culture war that's been brought about by the Republicans now for a long time. I really do believe that nobody in the United States of America said don't say Merry Christmas. Nobody every said that.
We wanted to be more inclusive, so many people said happy holidays because I think there are something like 28 religious holidays in the months of December and January. So why not be a little inclusive.
Look, I've always said "Merry Christmas" to people. And I don't mind if somebody says merry Christmas to me, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa.
VAUSE: Exactly.
Ok. This thank-you tour was in Wisconsin. That's the home state of the Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. He was there along with Donald Trump, actually got invited not disinvited like the last couple of times. He got a shout out from the President-Elect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Speaker Paul Ryan -- I'd really come to -- oh no. I've come to appreciate him. Speaker Paul Ryan -- where is the Speaker? Where is he? He has been -- I'll tell you -- he has been terrific. And you know, honestly, he's like a fine wine. Every day goes by, I get to appreciate his genius more and more.
If he ever goes against, I'm not going to say that -- ok.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Ok. So it sounds like time heals all wounds providing Ryan toes the line. Is that the way?
(CROSSTALK)
BEARMAN: Yes. That's exactly the way. But actually importantly though, I mean a President Trump is going to need Speaker Ryan to be on his side. The Senate is very, very close between the Democrats and the Republicans he's going to need a clear path in the House. He needs Paul Ryan on his side.
So Paul Ryan also needs President Trump to get his agenda. They're going to have to work together. I mean I think this is a meeting of the minds that was going to happen regardless of the rhetoric from the campaign.
VAUSE: It's like all these movies where the inmates are chained together and they escape from jail. They hate each other but they can't escape each other.
BEARMAN: Yes. And they have to work together.
(CROSSTALK) VAUSE: They have to work together.
BEARMAN: They just have to -- yes.
VAUSE: Ok. Trump is also boasting about what an amazing cabinet he's now putting together. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Rex is friendly with many of the leaders in the world that we don't get a long with and some people don't like that. They don't want them to be friendly. That's why I'm doing the deal with Rex because I like what this is all about. And we're going to have somebody that's going to be very special.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Ok. Well, that wasn't actually the right sound byte but that was him talking about his choice as secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
[00:25:06] And the point here is, you know, Rex Tillerson can go out and talk to these, you know, unfriendly leaders much like Obama did when he came into power and, you know, he talked to the leader of Iran and was accused or criticized for it by Republicans. Is there a bit of hypocrisy going on with Democrats here criticizing Tillerson for his closeness to Russia?
BEARMAN: Yes. I mean what's good for the goose is good for the gander. And that's what's happening here with the Democrats and the Republicans. If it's the other side that does it, they're horrible. If my team does it, it's great.
But let's be honest. In the last few years we have seen what Vladimir Putin in Russia is willing to do under President Obama. So this is going to be very interesting. Rex Tillerson negotiated deals with Russia that ultimately funded the invasion of Ukraine, that funded Russia getting involved in Syria. I think there are some serious questions here about Rex Tillerson and his abilities as secretary of State.
I think he's a brilliant businessman that knows how to negotiate deals but I am concerned about that connection with Russia in this case.
VAUSE: Ok. Let's go to the sound byte about Trump now boasting about his cabinet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I believe we're in the process of putting together one of the great cabinets, certainly a cabinet with the highest IQ than anybody has ever -- I mean these are seriously great people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Ok. So with that in mind let's get to his latest choice. Former Texas governor Rick Perry as secretary of Energy -- in case anyone has forgotten, this was Rick Perry candidate for President back in 2012.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK PERRY (R), FORMER GOVERNOR OF TEXAS: The third agency of government I would do away with -- the Education, Commerce and let's see -- I can't. The third one -- I can't. Sorry. Oops.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The oops heard around the world.
I mean this is the department that he wants to abolish and he couldn't remember. So you've got this guy -- yet again, somebody else in charge of a department which they want to take apart.
BEARMAN: Rick Perry running the Department of Energy is one of the worst possible choices I could think of. As governor of Texas, he did anything and everything exclusively that the hydrocarbon industry -- he gave a little bit into the wind industry because a couple of his powerful donor friends gave him money so he made sure they got money as well.
I am actually beyond shocked, unless you look at it and think to yourself -- well I thought to myself maybe Donald Trump did this because he knows he can control Governor Rick Perry. Rick Perry will owe him for getting him out of nowhere land as afar as politics in concerned.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: He wasn't nowhere.
Very quickly --
BEARMAN: Yes. He lost.
VAUSE: -- Kanye was at Trump Tower today. There was a photo-op between Donald Trump and Kanye West. Apparently they've been friends for a very long time. This seemed to be a distraction because Trump was supposed to have this news conference on Tuesday to sort of talk about how he's going to separate his business ties.
So is this, you know from the presidency -- is this Donald Trump essentially throwing out bright, shiny baubles to distract us from what we should be focusing?
BEARMAN: Well, he's doing that every day right now. So it's hard to pin that on Kanye. But Kanye is an exceptionally successful music genius in his own words. And -- but in this case, we're going to have to have Kanye 2024 now instead of Kanye 2020. I don't know.
Kanye has spoken out for Trump. But he's also been at the White House with the Obamas. Maybe Kanye is playing both sides.
VAUSE: Yes, maybe but bowing to Donald Trump --
BEARMAN: Why not?
VAUSE: Why not. (inaudible).
We'll catch up next hour. Thank you.
BEARMAN: Thank you -- John.
VAUSE: We'll take a short break.
When we come back, thousands of Syrian fleeing east Aleppo after a brutal assault finally bringing the rebel stronghold to its knees. We'll have more on our top story in a moment.
Also, elite Russian special forces seen on video in Syria for the first time. Why it's a propaganda coup for the Kremlin.
That's next.
[00:28:58] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:32:25] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles, I'm John Vause with the headlines this hour.
Donald Trump is talking out his latest cabinet picks at a thank you rally in Wisconsin. He says secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson gets along well with world leaders. He's also praise his former rival Rick Perry who is being tapped to lead the energy department.
After years of brutal fighting, the Syrian government appears to have re-established control over rebel-held Eastern Aleppo. That's according to Russia's U.N. ambassador. Yesterday crashing defeat for the opposition, but the deal does let civilians and rebels fighters to leave.
Some of those civilians left the rebel-held neighborhood Tuesday in Eastern Aleppo. They are headed to government-held areas. The exodus came hours after the U.N. (INAUDIBLE) forces killed 83 civilians just ahead of the ceasefire and evacuation deal.
And a disturbing video airing on Russian TV showcases the nation's most elite Special Forces called the KSO. It shows graphic detail of the unit operating in Syria.
For more now, here's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These men were told by a Russian reporter ISIS fighters in Syria about to meet their deaths.
In an instant, they are cut down by sniper fire. This new video airing on Russian state TV shows something Russian authorities say has never been seen in public. A new elite Russian special operations unit called the KSO fighting inside Syria.
(on-camera): How elite is this unit?
MICHAEL KOFMAN, RUSSIA MILITARY EXPERT, CENTER FOR NAVAL ANALYSES: Well, in terms of Russian forces in general, it's the most elite unit that they have. And their missions are at one to fight behind enemy lines, take out key targets, disrupt the adversary but also to enable larger parts of the fight such as either gather intelligence, do recognisance or do targeting for conventional strikes.
TODD (voice-over): Here, three men identified as militants in a truck from the right a projectile and are pulverize. Video showed militants being assassinated by Russian snipers. Here an enemy sniper position is blown apart. The commanders are modelled after the U.S. Navy SEALS and Delta Force. The video captures them training, displaying their weaponry, (INAUDIBLE), noise-reduction headgear, modern bolt action sniper rifles and similar imaging capability to what U.S. forces use in battle.
LT. COL. DOUGLAS OLLIVANT (RET.), NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: They have this thermal capability that lets them see the enemy when they can't see them. They have the video talks about this that the enemy is blind and we can see him. So they bring this. They bring persistence surveillance. We see either UAVs or satellite shots elsewhere in the video.
[00:35:00] TODD: The unit's commander says these dead militants were wearing suicide vest. His commandos probe the bodies, disable the vest, look for intelligence, experts say a common practice among other special ops forces.
OLLIVANT: Certainly, you would want to go see what intelligence value you can get off these dead combatants.
TODD: The video shows Russians that they are Special Forces or Spetsnaz are trained in everything from scuba strikes to tactical assaults to parachute jumps. The fighting in Syria has allowed Vladimir Putin to show off Russia's capabilities from an aircraft carrier to precision bombing.
This video expert saying allows the president to crow about Russian's Special Forces tactics and technology.
KOFMAN: The value, it's a piece for domestic audience to show how Russian security services are fighting terrorist here and taking them out.
TODD (on-camera): That's a crucial piece for Vladimir Putin to justify Russia's intervention in Syria. The reporter claims some of the militants targeted in the video were from the former Soviet Republics and says the Special Forces are taking the fight to them in Syria to prevent them from coming back and targeting Russians at home.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Well, still to come here, Donald Trump's climate change policy and how it could be a win to China.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: When it comes to climate change, not only is Donald Trump a skeptic but the president-elect has made it clear he sees any action to slow global warming as being bad for business. For the incoming Trump team, it's fossil fuels for the future.
But the view from Beijing is just the opposite. Those biggest emitter of greenhouse gases sees low carbon and high-tech is a key ignorant prosperity. And they are pushing on with big investments in alternative energy.
Right now the U.S. has been seen as a global leader on climate change. If a Trump administration pulls back that could open the door to China to take its place.
Alex Wang joins me right now. He's an assistant professor of law at UCLA. He's taking a close look at everything that's happening in China with drastic climate change.
First thing, Alex, this is what the president-elect told "Fox News" about the science behind climate change. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm still open- minded. Nobody really knows. Look, I'm somebody that gets it. And nobody really knows. It's not something that's so hard and fast. I do know this. Other countries are eating our lunch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: OK. Let's just be clear right now, where does the science stand?
ALEX WANG, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF LAW, UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW: OK. We know what's going on with climate change, right? There's -- for a long time, we've known a lot of -- the science is overwhelming that there's -- that human activity is causing climate change.
VAUSE: OK.
(CROSSTALK)
WANG: Which (INAUDIBLE), we've got to get out.
VAUSE: OK. To compare that to what's happening in China right now, so even if Trump does pull out of the Paris agreement on climate change, you believe that China will still push ahead with trying to reign in greenhouse gases and move towards a low-carbon economy?
WANG: Right. So the politics in China on climate change are very different. If Donald Trump goes ahead with the pledges he's made on climate, he will be the only major admitting country that is denying climate science. [00:40:05] China's leaders don't deny climate science and very much they are embracing climate as a way to meet a lot of different goals from economic goals to public health goals to global soft power goals.
VAUSE: OK. Well, during the campaign, Donald Trump did make it clear he saw a prosperous future for the United States will be driven by fossil fuels. He also made the point that all this research, all this subsidies into green technology, into trying to work out how to deal with climate change is just a waste of money.
Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will also cancel all wasteful climate change spending from Obama plan. We're giving billions and billions of dollars away. We have no idea for what and others aren't doing so much, believe me. They are laughing. I'll tell you, that's what they're doing. They are laughing at us, including all global warming payments to the United Nations. Billions of dollars.
(APPLAUSE)
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VAUSE: So when the Chinese hear something like that, what's their reaction?
WANG: Well, it's the opposite of what China is doing right now. China believes that we're going to be in carbon-constrained future as other businesses do, other countries do. And they're investing on that premise. Basically, they think clean energy is going to be really important. It's going to be a big business in the future.
So they've been the largest investment clean energy for several years going on. Last year, they invested more than the U.S., U.K. and France combined.
VAUSE: So when they hear something like that, you know, they are not laughing. They are, what, seeing opportunity?
WANG: They are seeing opportunities. They're going to make clean energy for the domestic market and they want to export.
VAUSE: It just goes beyond, though, climate and the economy. This happens as it looks like it might with the United States pulling back and China taking a leading role. Does that have implications for diplomacy, for all other, you know, for essentially influence throughout the globe for China?
WANG: So we've had strange dynamic over the last few months. In Marrakech last month, the climate meeting in Marrakech. We have the Chinese lead negotiator admonishing the U.S., warning them not to back off and backing global trends by backing off on climate action. And so China has gone from a few years, both being viewed as a blocker of climate policy to now being as, you know, as a leader. And now the U.S. seemed to be in retreat in this next administration.
So China will -- China has already gone a real boost for their climate action that's really accelerated in the last few years. Now the U.S. steps out of the picture, then it has really leave the field wide open for China to be a leader on this.
VAUSE: You mentioned the leader of the senior representative from China. I had to quote you, this is what he said about the United States trying to, you know, not do the balance between the economic growth and environmental protection.
He said, "If they resist this trend, I don't think they will win the support of their people. And that country's economic and social progress will be affected. I believe a wise political leader should take policy stances that conformed with global trends."
But in some way, this is kind of what Donald Trump -- doesn't he elected to do this? This is how he won the election by appealing to people who don't believe in climate change, who want those coal jobs in Virginia.
WANG: Right. You know, I mean, that was part of the political strategy. But, you know, the week after the election Mitch McConnell already said, I don't know if this coal jobs are coming back. You know, it's partly campaign rhetoric. The trends, even the market trends in the U.S., are headed away from this.
You know, the power companies want to know that we're heading towards natural gas, clean energy, these types of things that --
VAUSE: That is the future.
Alex, thanks for coming in. Appreciate it.
And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause. "World Sport" is up next.
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