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Syrian Civilians Begin Evacuating Destroyed City; Brutal Final Assault on Besieged City Appears Over; Trump Picks Three More White Males for Cabinet. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired December 14, 2016 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:19] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles.
Ahead this hour, the fall of Aleppo. The Syrian dictator claims his biggest win in the civil war, as civilians and rebel fighters scramble to leave what was once the country's second biggest city.
The Donald Trump banking to roll into Wisconsin where the president- elect brags about his Cabinet. One of the greatest ever, he said. All with great IQ's.
And when it comes to climate change why a Trump presidency could actually be making China great again.
Hello, everybody. I'm John Vause. Great to have you with us. We're now into the third hour of NEWSROOM L.A.
Four years of brutal fighting for control of Aleppo may be at an end. Thousands of Syrians fled the regime's final assault on rebel-held neighborhoods. Turkey mediated a ceasefire and evacuation agreement, though activists report there has been a delay in the departures.
Russia's ambassador to the U.N. announced the Syrian government regained control of the rebels' last urban stronghold on Tuesday.
You can see the areas the rebels lost. It's in dark red. It's a bit of blow to the opposition. But it does not mean the war is over.
Jomana Karadsheh is in Amman, Jordan. She joins us now with the very latest.
So, Jomana, what do we know about the delay? What is causing the evacuation not to go ahead as planned?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, it's about three hours now since that first evacuation was supposed to take place. This was supposed to be the first batch of people being evacuated out of Eastern Aleppo. Supposed to be a group of 150 people. That includes about 70 injured people in addition to their family members. And so far according to activists that has not happened. The buses are there ready to take people out but there has been no movement yet. It is unclear what the reasons for this delay is.
Of course it's interesting here, John, that this was a deal that was mostly brokered by Turkey. It was between the Russians and the Syrian opposition fighters. But we've not really heard from the regime since this announcement has been made. Nothing on Syrian state media so far but I can tell you that residents, activists, people the few that we've been able to reach this morning are anxiously waiting to get out of Eastern Aleppo, John.
VAUSE: And Jomana, you mentioned Turkey's role in negotiating this ceasefire with the Russian and they did it without any U.S. involvement.
KARADSHEH: U.S. or U.N. involvement it would seem at this point. We've heard this yesterday from officials. It would seem that it was Turkey that took that mediation role, that it has involved.
There have been reports in recent weeks, John, of Turkey working hard trying to bring both sides to the negotiating table, trying to work out some deal here. And it would seem that Turkey did manage to reach this agreement.
Of course it would be very interesting in the coming hours to see the other players involved in this conflict and, you know, where they stand on this. Of course, you know, you're talking about it's not just, you know, the Russian side. Of course that has a lot of leverage when it comes to the Syrian regime -- over the Syrian regime. But you also have other players including Iran and other militias that are fighting alongside the Syrian regime. So we'll have to wait and see what the reaction is going to be and if, you know, there's more from their sides on this agreement.
VAUSE: And very quickly, the Turks are negotiating this ceasefire but also offering to take in thousands of refugees -- more refugees from Syria.
KARADSHEH: Well, that is going to be a very important thing. But we know -- what we do know here, John, we have to mention is that these evacuations are going to be to Idlib Province and of course we've heard from some activists that is going to be also to the Aleppo countryside. So it's not yet clear if any are going to be headed to Turkey yet.
VAUSE: OK. Jomana, thank you. Jomana Karadsheh, live from Amman, Jordan with the very latest.
And Fred Pleitgen reports, while the guns have fallen silent for now, there is no peace for Aleppo survivors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the fierce final push to retake eastern Aleppo, Syrian government forces sweeping former rebel-held areas. Their assault described this way by a U.N. spokesman.
[02:05:04] 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 announcing the deal.
VITALY CHURKIN, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. (Through Translator): The Syrian government has established control 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, 7-year-old Bana Alabed who has emerged as one of the voices of Aleppo.
BANA ALABED, ALEPPO RESIDENT: Stand with Aleppo. Please stop the bombing.
PLEITGEN: 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.
Muhammad, first to you, let's talk more on the evacuation. What guarantees are there for the safety of those who are leaving Aleppo?
MUHAMMAD LILA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 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. So -- 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. They're trying to separate the fighters who have interspersed themselves within civilian populations. They're trying to separate them from the civilians by attacking populated areas. And once again it's worked.
VAUSE: It's interesting to hear from the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, at one point he seemed fed up with call from the United States for a ceasefire. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(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 becoming increasingly 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 Grozny that populated areas need to be cleared of armed elements.
[02:10:06] 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 when they believe that victory is within sight which is being 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. And 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, who you should support, and that's the military intervention 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 within 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 today, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Samantha Power, had some very strong words for the Assad regime as well as the Russians and the Iranians. This is a long sound bite 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 shame 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 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, they're powerful words. But how much responsibility does the United States and its allies there? 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 can 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 the exhaustion 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.
[02:15:02] VAUSE: OK. 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 -- they're 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.
And 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 his secretary of State.
And Trump has slammed global warming as a Chinese hoax. Ahead, how his climate change policy could be Beijing's win.
(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 the state which typically votes Democrat. He also mentioned some high- profile visitors to Trump Tower.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: Leaders and titans of industry, arts, sports, science are reaching out and want to find ways to help.
[02:20:07] 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: Eighteen 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.
VAUSE: Yes, he won the war on Christmas. This whole war on Christmas, Merry Christmas thing, it seems almost symbolic of his entire campaign in some ways.
ETHAN BEARMAN, CALIFORNIA TALK 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 ever 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.
VAUSE: Happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa.
BEARMAN: Exactly.
VAUSE: OK. This thank you tour is 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.
(CROWD BOOING)
TRUMP: 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. (CROWD BOOING)
TRUMP: 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 tows the line. Is that the takeaway?
BEARMAN: Yes. That's exactly it. 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 is going to happen regardless of the rhetoric from the campaign.
VAUSE: It's like one of 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.
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: And I believe we're in the process of putting together one of the great Cabinets. Certainly a Cabinet with the highest IQ that anybody has ever -- I mean, these -- 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 is 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, the -- 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: Yes. 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 wanted. Yes, 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 far as politics in concerned.
VAUSE: He used to be with "Dancing with the Stars."
BEARMAN: Yes.
VAUSE: He wasn't nowhere. Very quickly --
BEARMAN: Yes. He lost.
VAUSE: Yes. 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 meant to have this news conference on Tuesday to sort of talk about how he's going to separate his business ties.
[02:25:03] 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, so we're going to have to have Kanye 2024 now instead of Kanye 2020. I don't know. Kanye has spoken out for Trump.
VAUSE: Yes.
BEARMAN: And -- 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, like most of it. Thank you.
BEARMAN: Why not? Thank you, John.
VAUSE: Here's some sad news now. Actor Alan Thicke has died on Tuesday at age 69.
Thicke was best known as TV dad Jason Seaver on the '80s sitcom "Growing Pains." But his five-decade long career also included writings, composing, even hosting his own talk show. He apparently wrote the theme for the TV show. Now most recently he appeared on the "Full House" reboot "Full House." On Twitter, his co-star Bob Saget called Thicke a good husband, father, brother and friend.
And time for a quick break. "STATE OF AMERICA" with Kate Bolduan is next for our viewers in Asia. And next here on NEWSROOM L.A., Donald Trump's pick for secretary of State is raising question on both sides of the aisle. A top House Republican from California has his take in a moment.
And Trump claims global warming is a Chinese hoax. Now how Beijing might just profit from Trump's climate change policy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:30:14] VAUSE: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.
The headlines this hour --
Donald Trump is talking up his latest cabinet choices at a Thank You rally in Wisconsin. He says secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson, will get along well with world leaders. And he also appraised his former rival, Rick Perry, who he has now chosen to lead the Energy Department.
Tillerson can expect some tough questions when he goes before the Senate for confirmation hearings. Some top Republicans have concerns about his business ties to Russia. President Vladimir Putin honored Tillerson with Russia's Order of Friendship after the Exxon CEO signed deals with the state-owned oil company.
Republican John McCain is not impressed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R), ARIZONA (voice-over): Frankly, I wouldn't accept an award from Vladimir Putin because then you kind of give him credence and credibility to the butcher, this KGB agent, which is what he is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: For more on where the U.S. relationship with Russia is heading, with joined now by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, of 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 allegations of Russian hacking during the election. Should this be an issue, which is about politics, something that would concern every American, including the President-elect?
REP. DANA ROHRABACHER, (R), CALIFORNIA: Well I think that this issue has 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 Russians or someone else who was engaged -- and as we know, the FBI, the CIA cannot agree on who actually do this hacking -- but the hacking produce what? It produced information that was factual and not some phony information that caused the people to lose the election. So, I do not -- frankly, I do not get really upset that somewhere, someone released information that was secret, to be kept held secret by one of the political parties, and 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 any evidence that Iranian hackers were meddling to help Hillary Clinton win, would that be something that should be investigated?
ROHRABACHER: If anything that was presented to the American people was truthful, whether it was hackers, no matter where the hackers came from, whether they were domestic or general, if it was truthful, it is fine. The fact is the American people -- you --- look, the news media did not do a lot of research into what was going on, in the charges against Hillary during the election. In fact, if you have more -- there was more investigative journalism done by these hackers in disclosing some of the corruption that was going on in 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, very close ties to Russia. We know that Donald Trump has said he wants better relationships 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: Will, I want better relations with Russia, as well, as with people are well aware of. And I think that we need to prioritize what our goals are and about where we are 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 to get their chance. That should be a top priority because the Russians have the same 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 a new Cold War. Let's try to cooperate and defeat the guys who are trying to kill our people now.
[02:35:05] VAUSE: Well, let's talk about what Russia is doing right now in Syria. There's a lot of outrage that the Russian military has been backing the Syrian regime for an all-out brutal offensive on Aleppo. I want to play for you what Ambassador Samantha Power said at the U.N.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POWER: Up to 100 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 barreled bombed, everybody who being 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, children, who according to U.N. are being slaughtered.
ROHRABACHER: You want me to comment on that?
VAUSE: Yes, please.
ROHRABACHER: OK. Listen, Assad is obviously a tyrant and he is obviously facing an upheaval, a revolt among certain people inside his own country, and 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 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 moralistic 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 is not even a choice anymore. But for some reason, they want to focus on people who are not our enemies, and get us away from the commitment to defeat radical Islamic terrorists, who murder people in our own country.
VAUSE: Okay. I guess that is the definition "America first."
Congressman, thanks so much for being with us.
ROHRABACHER: Thank you.'
VAUSE: And still to come on NEWSROOM L.A, how China might get benefits from Donald Trump's climate change policies.
(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. The incoming Trump team it's fossil fuels for the future. But the news from Beijing is just the opposite. The world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases see low carbon and high tech as a key to economic prosperity. And they are pushing on with big investments in alternative energy.
Right now, the US has been seen as a global leader on climate change, but if the Trump administration pulls back, that could open the door for China to take its place.
Alex Wang joins me right now. He's an assistant professor of law at UCLA, taking a close look at everything that is happening in China with regards to climate change.
First, Alex, this is what the president-elect told FOX News about the science behind climate change. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[02:40:12] TRUMP: I will stay open-minded. Nobody really knows. Look, I am somebody that gets it. And nobody really knows. It is not something that's so hard and fast. I do know this. Other countries are eating their lunch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Let's just be clear, right now, what does the science say?
ALEX WANG, ASSIANT PROFESSOR OF LAW, UCLA: OK, so we know what is going on right there. For a long time, we've known, a lot of the science is overwhelming that there is -- that human activity is causing climate change. We've got to get that out.
VAUSE: OK. So, compare that to what is happening in China right now. Even if Trump does pull out of the Paris agreement on climate change, you believe China will push ahead with trying to rein in greenhouse gases?
WANG: Right. Politics in China on climate change are very different. If Donald Trump goes ahead with the pledges he has made on climate, he'll be the only major country that is denying climate science. 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: During the campaign, Donald Trump did make it clear he saw the prosperous future United States will be driven by fossil fuels. He also made the point that all this research, all these subsidies into green technology into trying to work out how to deal with climate change just a waste of money. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I will also cancel all wasteful climate change spending from Obama/Clinton.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: They are giving billions and billions of dollars away. We have no idea for what. And others are not doing so much. Believe me, they are laughing out there. That's what they are doing, they are laughing at us. Including all global warming payments to the United Nations, billions of dollars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: If the Chinese did something like that, what is their reaction?
WANG: It's the opposite of what China is doing. China believes that we will be in a carbon constrained future, as other businesses do, other countries do, and they are investing on that premise. They think clean energy is going to be really important. It's going to be big business in the future. So, they been the largest investor of 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're not laughing. They're seeing opportunity?
WANG: It's the opportunities. They are going to make the energy for the domestic market and they are want to export it.
VAUSE: This goes beyond climate and the economy. If this happens, as it looks like it might, with the United States pulling back and China taking a leading role, does it have implications with diplomacy for all other, essentially, influence around the globe for China?
WANG: Right. So, we have had a strange dynamic over the last months. In Marrakesh, last month, the climate meeting, we have the Chinese lead negotiator admonishing the U.S., warning them not to back off, and bucking global trends by backing off on climate action. So, China has gone, from a few years ago, as a blocker of climate policy, to now being seen as a leader. Now the U.S. will be in retreat in the sense of the administration. China will --- China has already gotten a real boost for their climate action that has really accelerated in the last few years. If the U.S. steps out of the picture, then it is really leaves the field wide open for China.
VAUSE: All right, Alex, appreciate it.
WANG: Thank you.
VAUSE: And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.
"World Sport" is up next.
And at the top of the hour, the news continues with none other than Max Foster. He's in London.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WORLD SPORT REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:00:10] MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: The supposed liberators call it a ceasefire. The United Nations calls it a meltdown of humanity.
END
