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Brutal Siege Of Rebel Stronghold Appears To Be Over; Russia Announces Syrian Control Of Aleppo; Ceasefire Follows 2 Weeks Of Rapid Regime Advances; Trump Touts Cabinet Picks On "Thank You" Tour; Trump Picks Rick Perry For Energy Secretary; Kanye West Visits Trump To Talk "Life"; Trump Picks Secretaries of State for Energy and Interior; A Protest in Brazil Turned Violent; Rex Tillerson Criticized for Russia Ties; Star Wars Rogue One Hits Theaters Across the World; New Reports Reveal the Trump Team is Struggling to Book Inaugural Performers. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 14, 2016 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, civilians rushed to escape Aleppo, after Syrian troops forced out the rebels. One battle may be over but the war goes on.
He went from striking deals, as Vladimir Putin to the U.S. State Department, maybe. Critics pounce on Donald Trump's choice for top diplomat. And Kanye West stopped by Trump Tower for some Face Time with the President-Elect, but other big-name musicians might just be keeping their distance.
Hello, everybody, great to have you with us. I'm John Vause. We're now into the second hour of NEWSROOM L.A.
The siege of Eastern Aleppo appears to be over with the U.N. calling it a complete meltdown of humanity. Thousands of Syrians fled the regimes final push into rebel-held areas, many more are still trapped inside the city after two weeks of rapid gains by regime forces. Russia's Ambassador announced the fall of Aleppo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VITALY CHURKIN, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: The military activities in Eastern Aleppo have stopped. So, there is no question about some sort of cessation of hostilities or special humanitarian operations. The Syrian Government has established control over Eastern Aleppo, so now, the stage has come for practical humanitarian initiatives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: ITV's Dan Rivers is on the ground in Aleppo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, ITV NEWS CORRESPONDENT: On a day of horrendous bloodshed in Aleppo, President Assad's men are celebrating. As these fighters emerged from battle, across the city came reports of unimaginable horror. ABDULKATI ALHAMDO, SYRIAN TEACHER: Assad militias are maybe 300
meters away. No place now to go. It's the last place. Really, I don't know what to say, but I hope - really, I have - I hope you can do something for Aleppo people, for my daughter, for the other children.
RIVERS: These pictures give a sense of the violence that don't show alleged atrocities that the United Nations is convinced of being perpetrated as the battle rages. U.N. claims women and children are being shot and stopped short of accusing serial of war crimes, if proven that's exactly what such massacres would be.
This is as close as we're allowed to get today to the besieged rebel east. We can't see what's going on there with our own eyes, but we know through dozens of videos and testimonies from people still trapped inside, this is one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Civil War in Syria, a day in which every shred of humanity seems to have deserted Aleppo.
I challenged one soldier about the claims of mass executions.
The United Nations claims civilians are being killed by the Syrian Army. What do you say to that?
HANI FANOOS, SYRIAN ARMY SOLDIER (through translator): As you can see, the civilians are being killed here. They wouldn't be coming back on a country as soon as they heard the Syrian Army freed this area, they feel safe and are comfortable coming back.
RIVERS: This is Bustan al-Pasha, a neighborhood broken by this war, where children wander lost along streets with which they want to play. Life is slowly returning here five days after the battle to retake it, but no one here would dare criticize the army or speak of the violence it may have matted out.
FATHAYA HASMI, ALEPPO RESIDENT (through translator): The army help us. They spread safety and stability in this neighborhood and in the country. So, may God save our President, may God bless him and the army.
RIVERS: But this city has plunged into an abyss where even the most vulnerable children have not been able to escape. And now, the biting cold of the Syrian winter is compounding the misery for those still alive. When the full facts are finally uncovered, the fall of Aleppo will rank as one of the most shameful episodes in the Middle East's tortured history. And what's worst is the world knew, but failed to act. Dan Rivers ITV News, Aleppo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: And for more on Aleppo, CNN's Muhammad Lila is live in Istanbul. Gayle Tzemach Lemmon with the Council on Foreign Relations is with me here in Los Angeles and Lina Sergie Attar Co-Founder of the Karam Foundation, joins us via Skype from Chicago. Thank you all for being with us.
Muhammad, first to you, what's the latest on these evacuations. It doesn't seem to be going according to plan.
MUHAMMAD LILA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Well, this evacuation plan was sorted out and supposedly finalized late last evening between Russia, some of the opposition groups and Turkey mediating both sides. We understand that the buses are ready right now on the ground in Aleppo ready to take some injured civilians as well as some of the rebels outside of Eastern Aleppo. The buses are there, but from what we understand, there's been another delay. This is probably the second or third delay now in terms of when people will actually start leaving, start being evacuated from Eastern Aleppo. Now, in terms of why there's a delay, there could be all sorts of speculations. But the fact on the ground is we do know that people have not started evacuating Eastern Aleppo just yet.
VAUSE: OK. Lina in Chicago, there is now this delay in evacuations. Hard to imagine what these families, with their kids, these men and women and children who've already gone through so much, what they're going through now is just another level or another layer, if you like, of uncertainty.
LINA SERGIE ATTAR, CO-FOUNDER KARAM FOUNDATION: Absolutely. I can't imagine what a family in Aleppo feels right now, leaving their homes, leaving everything they've known, leaving the destruction and the trauma that they lived through over the past years, and especially in last few months and the constant bombardment and the uncertainty of what to do and what choices that they did have, and now to be taunted even with this evacuation plan, and not being able to leave, is really excruciating.
VAUSE: Gayle, this has been a crushing wind for Bashar al-Assad, and there's now speculation that, you know, these tactics which he used, you know, targeting civilians, hitting hospitals and schools, it worked in Aleppo, he will repeat these tactics for the next rebel stronghold and the next.
GAYLE TZEMACH LEMMON, SENIOR FELLOW THE COUNCIL OF FOREIGN RELATIONS: Right. Then right now, used to people fleeing to Idlib. And then there's, of course, also concern that the next defensive will be in Idlib. So, for how long are you buying safety, right?
And there is real fear that the siege versus surrender is actually showing to be incredibly effective and there is no counter right now. I think, you know, you see ISIS took Palmyra, so there's a question about of whether these forces are spread too thin, but there's no question that Aleppo is in incredibly symbolic victory for the regime.
VAUSE: So, if these buses do arrive, and assuming that this all is just a delay, these people - many of them could be heading into the next target site.
LEMMON: Well, that's the question, right? I mean, even talking to US Administration officials. You know, they said you know, where people are going to go that's safe? There is no place and no other country wants to take them in either.
VAUSE: Muhammad Lila, to you in Istanbul, you said what are the conditions for these refugees or these internally displaced people as they head - as they leave their homes and try and find safe refuge someplace?
LILA: Well, it's a very difficult situation, you know. The Red Cross has come out and said that they're having a very difficult time providing for the internally displaced people that are in the government-held areas, and these are areas where there's already government channels, there's humanitarian corridors, there's a safe way to deliver supplies to those areas, and yet, even in those areas, they're having a hard time keeping up.
You have families of 5 people, 8 people, 10 people who have escaped or fled from the Eastern part of Aleppo only to be housed in abandoned factories, for example, where they are given nothing but blankets to survive this very cold winter, in some cases, they only got running water just a few days ago, so the situation is very perilous. Although, on the other hand, we should say that there are some displaced people that the Syrian Army has allowed to return back to their homes in territories that they have re-captured. So, there is that small element taking place as well, but in terms of the families now that are evacuating Eastern Aleppo, where they're going, are there going to be any government services there or are there any going to be any relief organizations on the ground. All of these are very big question marks.
VAUSE: Much of these was played out on social media and many inside Aleppo use social media to say goodbye. Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALHAMDO: No place now to go, it's the last place. I hope we can speak again to Periscope to you again. At least, we know that we are free people. We wanted freedom. We didn't want anything else but freedom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This may be my last video. More than 50,000 civilians who rebelled against the dictator, al-Assad, are threatened with field executions or dying under bombing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): Everybody who can, please speak to your government, to his country to put pressure to stop the aggression, stop the killing, to stop the war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So, Gayle, even with this ceasefire in place, is there still a threat for civilians to be arrested, to be tortured, to be killed?
LEMMON: Well, I think with this conflict, you have seen carnage upon devastation upon heartbreak playing out in real-time, on YouTube and on television channels, right? I mean, none of these has been a mystery to people, but the world's will to intervene and to do something to stop what's happening to civilians is what has been wanting, and I don't see that changing anytime soon, with Russia changed backs on the ground. VAUSE: It did, indeed. And one of the interesting things about this
ceasefire is negotiated by the Turks and by the Russians, and in fact, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister at one point, he seemed to be fed up with U.S. calls for an end to the violence, for the cessation of hostilities. Listen to the Russian Foreign Minister.
(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: The Russians do seem to becoming increasingly critical, and not just with the United States but of western governments around the world.
LEMMON: They have always been all-in. First as an international community that's barely wanted to dip their toe in the water. I talked to an Obama Administration official tonight who said we're left to begging Russia to let things stop in Aleppo. That's what the Administration has been left to with this policy option, because, you know, there was a desire to not get involved from the very start and the President said, guaranteed me, they're getting involved in this or they won't make things worse, and I'll do it, but you can't guarantee me that due to his staff, and it's true. They couldn't.
VAUSE: Lina, for people on the ground when they hear, you know, the Foreign Ministers sort of becoming agitated at calls for a ceasefire, and when you hear that, what's your reaction?
ATTAR: I can't-it's very hard to speak after almost six years of fighting and hearing people's chants and hearing the people that you just played now doing their final goodbyes. These are our people. These are the people who are saying one day, we are free. That was - that -- those few days of freedom where they came out, peacefully chanted for freedom and dignity -- those two things, and the world stood by watching in silence. Watching the only word that we could use for what's happening in Syria. That should be used every single day by every person talking about Aleppo and about Syria is genocide, and it's on everybody's chant, it's on every government's chant not just Assad's, not just in allies, it's on this administration and this administration should be ashamed of itself for this legacy of loss of life and destruction of historic civilization and loss of so many places in Syria, and on this administration's hand. And I'm very, very angry, and I'm very sad, and I just hope one day, Syrian people will live in peace and with justice.
VAUSE: What we heard from the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nation, Samantha Power shares some very strong words not just for the Syrian regime but for the Russians and for Iran as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SAMANTHA POWER, UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: To the Assad Regime, Russia and Iran, your forces and proxies are carrying out these crimes. Your barrel bombs, and mortars and airstrikes 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 shame you.
Instead, by all appearances, it is emboldening you. You are plotting your next assaults. Are you truly incapable of shame? Is there literally nothing that can shame 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, powerful words, but do they mean anything at this point?
LEMMON: I mean, how much could words mean if you're facing execution? You know, this is a war that has ran out of adjectives to describe it, years ago, right? And what you see now is Administration Officials in Washington, I think, in some ways showing the exhaustion and the frustration of a policy of non-intervention. And Russia and Iran that absolutely are not bound by the International Laws and that have changed facts on the ground in Syria and created a reality that has made negotiating a peace even more difficult.
VAUSE: And Muhammad Lila in Istanbul, how is it seen in the region? I mean, the Russians get the blame for the deadlock at the U.N. Security Council, but is that how- it's obviously that's how it's seen in Damascus.
LILA: Well, John, that's a very good question. I think it actually speaks to the heart of the different narratives of how this war is playing out. I mean, we heard those very strong comments at the U.N. on both sides. I think the U.N. spokesperson said it best when he said it's not just the failure of the U.N. Security Council, this is a failure of humanity. But you have to remember, there are two competing narratives; one, on the ground is that Assad is a dictator and he's attacking his own people, bombing hospitals and civilians and starving people; but the other perspective which is the perspective that the Russian subscribe to other parts of the world subscribe to maybe even people within Syria might subscribe to, is that, Syria is dealing with a group of terrorist who don't belong in the country.
So, those of the two perspective, and there are arguments to be laid on both sides, but that, in part, explains why there's a deadlock at the Security Council. Because when you're dealing with such opposing perspective and you see things in terms of black and white, there's very little middle ground there and unfortunately, in the middle ground, are the lives of tens and hundreds of thousands of civilians who has been suffering as the other panellist have said now, for six years. VAUSE: And with that, finally for you, Lina, you know, the suffering which has been going on, it will continue. Do you expect it to simply get worse?
ATTAR: You always expect it to get worse in Syria, unfortunately. I think that we are going to see a bombardment at Idlib. It's already happening. People are talking about it, because Aleppo is taken, you know, their center stage, but there is a chemical attack in Idlib two days ago, where over a hundred people were killed, many of them children, and we expect that the regime will go all in and continue with its allies to the complete destruction of Syria, and the complete execution of a people that is in opposition of this dictator that he's been in power with his family for 46 years.
There's a war in the media about these narratives but there really is -- at the end of the day, there's the truth, and the truth has a history and this revolution has a history, and our people had - have a history and I think everybody knows that this is the most documented conflict of all time. And people can go back and they can look at the atrocities that happens from day one and how people are being killed and how escalated, and who was killing people with barrel bombs and with chemical weapons, and with massacres and executions, and we can go down the line and see what happened in Syria. And history will show what the truth is.
VAUSE: OK, Lina, we'll leave it there, that last word for you. Thank you very much for that, Lina, Gayle, and Muhammad in Istanbul, thanks to you all.
We'll take a short break. When we comeback, Donald Trump taking a victory lap in Wisconsin, bragging about his Cabinet and their great I.Q.s
Plus, why even some republican say Trump's pick for the Secretary of State might just be too cozy with Putin.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON RIDDEL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Don Riddell with your CNN WORLD SPORT headlines. Let's start with Premier League action from Tuesday with implications at the top of the table, Arsenal have had a very impressive season so far. But we have discovered their Kryptonite -- it's mercy side, Alexis Sanchez got Arsenal off to a good start against Everton, but The Blues fought back and went into the break on level terms, Sheamus Coleman scoring just before the interval, and Ashley Williams settled it with a late header four minutes from time. It is the first goal Arsenal had conceded from a corner this season, 2-1 the final score for Everton.
Now, in the wake of Professor Richard McLaren publishing his damaging follow-up report on Friday, alleging a widespread and coordinated culture of doping in Russian sports. Latvia said it was pulling out of February's Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championship in Sochi, Russia, and South Korea is threating the same.
Well, now the sport's governing body, the IBSF has announced that the event has been pulled from Sochi, but it remains to be seen where and when it will be held.
And finally, the young Afghan boy went viral in a video of him wearing a plastic bag makes it look like Messi's Argentina jersey, got the chance to meet his idol on Tuesday, when Barcelona were playing a friendly in Qatar. Murtaza Ahmadi walked on to the pitch with Leo Messi and the team, and he was in the pre-match photo as well.
That is a quick look at your sports headlines, I'm Don Riddell.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Donald Trump is filling more cabinet post, and bragging about his picks on Tuesday. He nominated former Texas Governor Rick Perry for Energy Secretary.
Montana Congressman, Ryan Zinke to head the Interior Department. And picked ExxonMobil CEO, Rick Tillerson, to be Secretary of State.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Rex will be a fierce advocate for America's interest around the world, and has the insights and talents necessary to help reverse years of foreign policy, plunders, and disasters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Joining me now, Los Angeles Talk Radio host, Ethan Bearman. Ethan, again, thanks for sticking around. You know, it's interesting the back story here between Tillerson and Trump. Apparently, he - the two men had never met, he wasn't even on the radar. Many within Trump's inner circle were unhappy with the possibility of Mitt Romney becoming Secretary of State, so they brought Tillerson in. The two met, they hit it off, and then we're off to the races.
ETHAN BEARMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, what's interesting about that is Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates both pitched Tillerson to the Trump team, and that makes me wonder, is George W. Bush behind this, trying to push, you know, have a little influence on Donald Trump?
VAUSE: Yeah. For Houston, Texas. There's also James Baker who is also recommending, who work with, you know, the first Bush. So, maybe there is sort of some back to the future.
BEARMAN: Yes. I mean, it's just interesting to see the power play actually happening there, because Condoleezza Rice, remember, is very much - she was an anti-Trumper, and she has great respect to tremendous Secretary of State herself. And to push Rex Tillerson in, well, there's a consulting contract in there as well.
VAUSE: OK. We also heard again Donald Trump, you know, talking about Tillerson, he's going to fix all - everything bad that Hillary Clinton did, and John Kerry did. And he also sorts of made a virtue of what has been a very big criticism of Tillerson, which is his closeness to Russia. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Rex is friendly with many of the leaders in the world that we don't get along with, and some people don't like that. They don't want them to be friendly. That's why I'm doing the dealing 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: He's going to be very special.
But in some ways, I mean, you know, Trump is right. It is -- you know, it is good to have a Secretary of State who can go and deal with not necessarily friendly governments. And Barack Obama did that, Hillary Clinton did that. Much to some criticism from the Republicans. So, maybe the Democrats should hold their fire a little bit when it comes to Tillerson.
BEARMAN: Well, you know, I mean, clearly, Rex Tillerson has -- is comfortable going to different countries and interacting with different leaders, that is something positive for a Secretary of State. But you have to look at the connection and how deep that connection is with the country like Russia. Vladimir Putin has been taking very aggressive moves - we look at Ukraine and Crimea, we look at what's happened in Syria that you were just talking about. Russia is behind it, the money that Russia drive from these deals with ExxonMobil, that, I think, is something that is very concerning.
VAUSE: Because in some ways, those deals are paying forth his military and -
(CROSSTALK)
BEARMAN: Yes.
VAUSE: -- and the invasion of Crimea also funding maybe Syria as well. Trump also, very proud of his cabinet choices saying it's the greatest cabinet ever. Of course, it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And I believe we're in the process of putting together one of the great cabinets. Certainly, a cabinet with the highest I.Q. that anybody has ever - I mean these are seriously great people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: OK. Well, I suppose it's a big one. So, let's get to his latest nominee former Texas Governor Rick Perry, he - he's been tapped for the Department of Energy, this was Rick Perry very famous moment in one of the debates during the 2012 Presidential Primary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK PERRY, FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR: Third agency of government, I would - I would do away with the education, the --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Commerce.
PERRY: And commerce, and let's see.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my.
PERRY: I can't. The third one, I can't. Sorry. Oops.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, the department he can't remember was energy. That's what he was going to abolish, that's the department he's now heading. I mean, if you look at Trumps pick so far - I mean, who's next? Bernie (INAUDIBLE) for, you know, Securities and Exchange Commission?
BEARMAN: Yes, that's a perfect follow on Rick Perry, isn't it?
VAUSE: Walter White for your DEA. I believe was the -
(CROSSTALK)
BEARMAN: I love (INAUDIBLE) that was a great one. But look, Rick Perry has a terrible record when you look at the environment, when you look at energy, he in 2006 fully supported TXU wanting to build 18 new coal power plants in the State of Texas, and it was an uprising by the mayors that actually stopped that. I mean, if you're interested in the environment at all or if you're -- well, then you're concerned about Rick Perry.
If you'd like to go back to the 1960s pre-Nixon era, Clean Air Act, then you love Rick Perry --
VAUSE: He's the guy.
BEARMAN: Yes.
VAUSE: He's also the guy who wants the nuclear waste stop in Texas. He's been behind the Dakota pipeline, and, you know, since he's been out of office. It was interesting, you know, the parade of people who are going in to Trump Tower today, we were meant to have this news conference on Tuesday about Trump's business ties, that didn't happen. But, the President-elect did have time for a meeting with Kanye.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: Just friends, just friends. And he' a good man. He's been doing well, long time. We've been friends for a long time. Life is this person.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you (INAUDIBLE)
KANYE WEST, AMERICAN RAPPER, SONG-WRITER AND MUSIC PRODUCER: I just want to take a picture right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE) VAUSE: I just want a picture, is this just a distraction? I mean, some people said maybe this is the - you know, the Nixon meets Elvis moment of our generation, Trump meets Kanye, perhaps, I don't know. What do you think?
BEARMAN: Well, I think Kanye is a long-time fan, apparently, of Donald Trump. If we are to believe him -- I mean, here's the problem with Kanye right now. First off, he's a musical genius in his own words and he's very successful. He just got released from the hospital, is this the best way for him to continue to get better is meeting with Donald Trump?
VAUSE: Maybe not.
BEARMAN: Maybe not.
VAUSE: We'll leave it at that. Ethan, thanks for coming in.
BEARMAN: Thanks, John.
VAUSE: We'll take a short break. Next on NEWSROOM L.A., Aleppo's future now that it has fallen to the Syrian government. We'll take a look at what could come next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles, I am John Vause with the headlines this hour.
Donald Trump continues to form his cabinet, he is tapping ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State, and former Texas Governor Rick Perry as Energy Secretary.
Also on Tuesday, Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke accepted Trump's offer to be Interior Secretary. A protest in Brazil turned violent Tuesday, police fired tear-gas in the capital city of Brasilia.
Demonstrations were held in 15 cities across Brazil, many are angered by new law which caps government spending on social programs.
Russia says the Syrian government now controls rebel-held eastern Aleppo. Turkey helped negotiate the ceasefire deal which allows civilians and rebel fighters to evacuate.
And the residents have already left the east and the government- controlled twist Aleppo. So, where does this now leave the once besieged city of Aleppo? Nick Paton Walsh has a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The heart and the agony where barrel bombs randomly hit doctors or children, where food became a weapon.
It has fallen to its persecutors.
(CAR HONKING)
Eastern Aleppo in regime hands is a turning point for the war. There are three ways how. First, the rebels have lost an important home. They have two choices to run to.
A Turkish-backed enclave to the northeast where rebels fight mostly ISIS and of the regime. Or a province of Idlib where the Syrian affiliates of al Qaeda plays a dominant role.
This group formally called in this front are being bombed and blacklisted by the United States. It will be hard for the west to give help to any rebels so physically close to al Qaeda.
A second big change happening. What's left now of those moderates who began this fight against Assad?
The Russians and Damascus haven't and won't care either way. This is exactly what they want. To label all rebels as terrorists. Moscow tried this in Chechnya to make success.
Moderates, separatists were targeted, radicals committed atrocities by the Beslan hostage crisis, allowing Moscow to pursue an only military solution against a movement they now call terrorists.
It didn't end in a problem. The radicals came back nastier with ISIS now in southern Russia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WALSH: In fact, Moscow must surely be concerned, its savage-role in Aleppo may make more Jihadists target it in years to come.
All the same, where so many troops and so much fire power assembled now, why would the Russian and Syrian forces pack up to the stop?
The rebels stronghold in Idlib whose city center was seized only last year, it's just a half hour drive-way.
The third point is that there isn't much of a reason to stop. The west, an alternative plan for Syria is in collapse.
Trump's minimal comments on Syria have been focused on targeting ISIS. He seems to admire Putin, making a Kremlin regular, his Secretary of State nominee.
Britain, France, the gulf all seem rather less on Syria as Obama ready to leave office.
They look here, the leadership on Syria. But its new occupants may willingly inherit a fait complete in this torturous war handed to him from elsewhere.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE) VAUSE: And you could help Syrians caught, out of this brutal civil
war. CNN has a list of aid organizations on the ground helping families escape the danger and receive basic supplies.
Head to CNN.com/impact to find out the list, back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Supporters of Rex Tillerson on a highlight of long career and business, his critics do as well.
Already, the CEO of ExxonMobil and possible future Secretary of State is found too friendly with Russia. Here's Jim Sciutto.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rex Tillerson doesn't just have a personal relationship with Russia's leader.
REX TILLERSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, EXXONMOBIL: Thank you for a warm welcome.
SCIUTTO: As head of the world's largest oil company, he also has a personal interest in one of the principal foreign policy questions facing the Trump administration.
Whether to continue economic sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Crimea and military intervention in eastern Ukraine. Sanctions that Tillerson opposed as Exxon CEO.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does drop some red flags and certainly Mr. Tillerson should divest himself of his holdings at Exxon so that we -- there's no conflict of interest at all.
SCIUTTO: Tillerson's nomination follows --
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Wouldn't it be nice if we actually did get along with Russia?
SCIUTTO: Trump's repeated praise for the Russian president on the campaign trail.
JOSH EARNEST, PRESS SECRETARY, WHITE HOUSE: Throughout his campaign, the president-elect indicated his intent if elected president to pursue warmer relations with Russia.
So, what better way to do that than to choose somebody who has been awarded the order of friendship by Vladimir Putin to be your Secretary of State.
SCIUTTO: The nomination comes at a precarious time in U.S.-Russia relations. U.S. Intelligence agencies are confident that Russia hacked Democratic Party's organizations and individuals before the U.S. election.
With the approval of the senior-most Russian leaders and the intelligence community has growing confidence.
Officials tell CNN that Russia's intention was to help Trump. GOP Senator John McCain who has called for a full semi investigation of the hacking says Tillerson's ties to Putin are troubling.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I have obviously concerns of reports of his relationship with Vladimir Putin who is a thug and a murderer.
SCIUTTO: CNN has learned that Intel agencies believed Russian hacking was intended to help Trump is based in part on the fact that Russia also breached Republican lawmakers and party organizations.
So, it did not release most of that hacked information. Asked about that assessment today, Trump's transition spokesman told us --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe they hacked these other entities successfully, and maybe they didn't find anything worth releasing.
But we're all sitting around having this parlor game of "what ifs". And the fact of the matter is that it's devoid of a lot of facts.
SCIUTTO (on camera): Russian officials have welcomed the Tillerson nomination.
Sergey Lavrov; the Russian foreign minister is saying, referring to both Tillerson and Trump in his words "these are pragmatic people Russia believes it can work with them."
Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: For more on where the U.S. relationship with Russia is heading, we're joined now by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher from California, he is the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia.
Congressman, thank you for being here. Let's pick up on the delegations of Russian hacking during the election.
Shouldn't this be an issue which is about politics, something which would concern every American including the president-elect.
REP. DANA ROHRABACHER (R-CA), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE & EURASIA: Well, I think that this issue that's been brought out now is just an excuse by Democrats who lost the election.
And the fact is there was nothing in these hacks, no matter who did it.
Whether it was the Russians or someone else who was engaged and as we know, the FBI and the CIA can't agree on who actually did this hacking.
But the hacking produced what? It produced information that was factual, and not some folly information that caused the people to lose the election.
So, I don't -- frankly, I don't get really upset that somewhere, someone released information that was secret, to be kept secret by one of the political parties.
And that the people got more truthful information to guide their decision-making when they went to vote.
VAUSE: Well, if Donald Trump had lost the election, but won the popular vote, and the CIA had found maybe evidence that Iranian hackers were meddling to help Hillary Clinton win, will that be something we should have investigated?
ROHRABACHER: If anything that was presented to the American people was truthful, and whether it was hackers, no matter where the hackers came from.
Whether it was domestic or general, if it was truthful, it's fine. The fact is the American people, you -- look, the news media did not do a lot of research into what was going on to enter charges against Hillary during the election.
In fact, if you had -- there was more investigative journalism done by these hackers in disclosing some of the corruption that was going on in Hillary's entourage than any of the journalists who were totally committed to defeating Don Trump.
VAUSE: OK, let's move on. We now have a Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson who has very close ties to Russia. We know that Donald Trump is saying he wants better relationship with Russia.
So, should Moscow now be expecting that there could be some sanctions relief coming their way? Those sanctions which were imposed after the Russian invasion of Crimea. Is that a priority now?
ROHRABACHER: Well, I want better relations with Russia as well as people are well aware of.
And I think that we need to prioritize what our goals are and where we're going to focus our efforts.
And right now, we have a radical Islamic movement that is murdering thousands of people and will murder tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Americans if they get their chance.
That should be our top priority, and because the Russians have the same and common enemy as we do, and they are losing people as well to radical Islam, we should be trying to cooperate with Russia rather than trying to find every excuse in the world to not to cooperate.
And to basically turn them into our enemies. I don't want any cold war. Let's try to cooperate and defeat the guys who are trying to kill our people now.
VAUSE: Well, let's talk about what Russia is doing right now in Syria because there's a lot of outrage that the Russian military has been backing the Syrian regime for all out brutal, offensive on Aleppo.
I want to play for you what Ambassador Samantha Power said at the U.N.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMANTHA POWER, UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Up to a hundred children are reportedly trapped right now in a building under heavy fire.
Terrorists clearly. Young children, they must be terrorists because everybody being executed, everybody being barrel-bombed, everybody who has been chlorine attacked, you're going to be told they're all terrorists.
Every last one of them, even the infants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The point the ambassador is making is that right now in Syria, the regime there, the Assad regime backed by the Russians do not differentiate between the people they call terrorists and innocent civilians; men, women and children.
Who according to the U.N. are being exploited.
ROHRABACHER: Do you want me to comment on that?
VAUSE: Yes, please.
ROHRABACHER: OK, well, listen, Assad is obviously a tyrant, and he is obviously facing an upheaval and a revolt among certain people inside his own country.
And he is brutally repressing that revolt. How many other countries are we allied with that would do exactly the same thing or have done exactly the same thing?
One thing we have to note, Assad is not our enemy. He is -- he may be brutalizing his people, but he is not our enemy. Radical Islamic terrorism is our enemy. And Assad happens to be their enemy as well.
To try to be more realistic(ph) at a time when another group of people are trying to come in and murder a country and destroy the United States of America, that's not even a choice anymore.
But for some reason, they want to focus on people who are not our enemies, who -- and get us away from the commitment to defeat radical Islamic terrorist who murder people even in our own country.
VAUSE: OK, I guess that is the definition of America first. Congressman, thanks so much for being with us.
Next on NEWSROOM L.A., when Kanye met the Donald. The rapper won't be performing at the presidential inauguration, that raises the big question, who will?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, METEOROLOGIST: Weather watch time, I'm meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.
Get ready for a couple blast of winter weather across parts of the northern United States.
The snow showers still in place across parts of the upper Peninsula area of Michigan while back towards the west.
We're getting some high elevations now rolling in. And the Gulf Coast states getting some beneficial rainfall.
The big story everyone will be talking about across parts of North America will be the arctic blast of air.
Not only just one shot, but his second shot potentially to follow suit there later into early next week.
So, this looks like a multi-day event setting up here when it comes to how cold the temperatures may get.
And notice in the U.S. capital, high temps will struggle to get up above zero from multiple days in a row.
And once it does want to warm up ahead of the initial -- the incoming second storm route, looking at attempts once again to plummet into early next week.
So, this is what it looks like as far as the precipitation is concerned, some Lakenheath(ph) snow showers across the Great Lake.
Says still getting some good contrast between the air temperature and the water temperature below it.
And around the western United States, the storm track is wide open, the door right there for northern California into parts of Oregon.
And thanks, the National Weather Service is issuing series of alerts here for Winter storm watchers, warnings and advisories across much of the highest of elevations here with the heaviest rainfall expected right there north of San Francisco.
And the heaviest snow showers around portions of the cascades.
VAUSE: The wait is almost over for "Star Wars" fans. "Rogue One" hits screens across the world this week.
The first reviews were released on Tuesday. CNN's Brian Lowry praised the film saying, once it actually gets going, the pacing moves briskly and doesn't went up.
The second half of the movie built on intensity showcasing the homes of dazzle visuals, but a few sequences that proved genuinely thrilling.
But the "New York Times" -- the film producer A.O Scott(ph) wrote this: "all the pieces (INAUDIBLE) like a Lego figures in a box.
The problem is that the filmmakers haven't really bothered to think of anything very interesting to do with them.
A couple of nine-year-olds could come up with better adventures and probably also better dialogue."
There you go, "New York Times" not happy. Kanye West will not be performing at Donald Trump's inauguration in January.
The rapper's meeting at Trump Tower sparked rumors he'll be on the line. But the chairman of Trump's presidential inaugural committee says he's not on the program.
The inaugural organizers are also denying media reports, says scrambling to find some A-list stars for the big day.
Shubert Ed Lewis(ph) joins me now, he is an entertainment journalist, pop culture, contributor to "Access Hollywood Live".
I haven't seen you for a while.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been a long time.
VAUSE: Thanks to come in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for having me.
VAUSE: OK, so it looks like if all these reports are accurate. But the Trump inauguration will be left with talents like Ted Nucher(ph), Kid Rock, maybe Garth Brooks.
No offense, but why all the A-listers running a mile.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I mean, let's party like it's 1817, because that's kind of the -- that's kind of the talent that we're getting.
To paraphrase John Legend, "creative types turn to be more inclusive and to stray away from bigotry and hate."
And the president that we have elected ran on a platform that was very divisive and that contained elements of bigotry, of racism, of hatred, of misogyny.
And if you are a female artist, if you are a Katy Perry, a Lady Gaga, if you are a Beyonce, any self-respecting woman, how could you perform at this inauguration after the things that Trump has been recorded as saying.
And then look at your fans, especially Lady Gaga who owes a lot of her success to the LGBTQ community that has supported her.
She would be going against her fans to perform for this guy, and I don't think there's enough money that can make them do it.
VAUSE: Well, the moment that they're offering money -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have to --
VAUSE: But how?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Money is being --
(CROSSTALK)
Yes, now, they're throwing away bags of cash --
VAUSE: Yes, well, and with that in mind, yes, the Lady Gaga comment, Elton John was, you know, rumored at one point to be performing "Rocket Man". His publicist then put out the very statement, "incorrect, he will not be performing."
I mean, there isn't just like a reluctance to the job. There is a very visual side, I am not going, I will not be there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's a running from this horrible, toxic cloud. You have to remember that Trump has actually made it a point to attack the arts.
He went after Hamilton and called it an overrated show, even though it's been sold out since its initial --
VAUSE: Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Run. He attacked the people on "SNL". Mike, the -- you don't attack actors and actresses and artists and then think that these creative types are going to want to stand in January in Washington D.C. and sing for a tyrant.
You run on a tyrannical platform, it would be like somebody singing for a tyrannical king, I don't think they want to do that.
VAUSE: Well, let's go back. Let's party like it's 2009.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK --
VAUSE: The queen of soul Aretha Franklin --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Re-re --
VAUSE: Oh, yes, singing "My Country, 'tis of Thee" at Obama's first inauguration, take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
ARETHA FRANKLIN, SINGER: My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And that's together mostly because of the big blue bow -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes --
VAUSE: It was also amazing. If you look at the bow, Steven Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Shakira and of course Beyonce.
I mean, again, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
BEYONCE GISELLE KNOWLES-CARTER, SINGER-SONGWRITER: At last, my love has come along.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: OK, I just wanted to play this stuff because --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No!
VAUSE: It's a --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a great, no, but it's great. But think about it. You got Beyonce singing "At Last", a song that made famous by Etta James and it's for Obama.
And you have the first black president and it fits --
VAUSE: Different times.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Different -- we are in a very different time. And the artists that they are reporting like the Kid Rock or a Garth Brooks.
Do they have large fan bases? They absolutely do. But it's very telling when Obama has Shakira who is Latin, who is -- you have Aretha, you have Beyonce, you have a multi-ethnic group of A-listers or performers and Trump can only get one certain group --
VAUSE: Right, very quickly though. Should they be performing for the president and the event as opposed to the man?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The -- I have always said that you respect the office of the presidency.
We (AUDIO GAP: 00:00:47-48) we vote and we -- take our liberties for real --
(CROSSTALK)
This is our -- this is the guy that's supposed to represent us. However, he ran a campaign and has said things that I personally don't feel represent me as an American or American values.
So, these artists have every right not to sing or perform for someone they feel does not have their interest at heart. Does not represent their fan bases, and does not represent their
music.
VAUSE: OK, we will leave it there, Wilson(ph), thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you --
VAUSE: Thank you, always good to have you come in, appreciate it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles, I am John Vause, stay with us, I'll be back with more news -- oh, yes, I'm not going anywhere, but after this.
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