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Justin Trudeau Apologizes For Wearing Brownface In 2001; Saudi Say Weaponry Ties Iran To Attack; Trump Orders New Sanctions On Iran; Yemen's Houthis Offer Details Of Attack; U.S. President Revokes Authority To Set Emissions Standards; U.K. Supreme Court Weighs Parliament Suspension; Airline Mechanic Had ISIS Material on Phone; Saudis: Drones, Missiles Manufactured by Iran; High Turnout of Arab Voters in Israel's Election; U.S. Navy Confirms UFO Videos are Real. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired September 19, 2019 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: -- publicly apologizing after almost 20-year-old photo emerges show him wearing brownface makeup, a scandal which could take a toll on his run for a second term.
Plus, show and tell in Riyadh. The Saudis displayed the debris from Saturday's airstrike or the main oil production facility, claiming it's proof the weapons were Iranian made, but something short of directly accusing Tehran.
And Donald Trump travels to California on a fundraising trip. And while he's there, revokes the state's rights and set its own vehicle emission standards. This is the latest round and he's ongoing battle with California.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was already facing an uphill struggle to win a second term in office, and his chances of reelection may have just taken a major hit after a photo showing him wearing brownface makeup.
Here's the image posted online by Time Magazine. In 2001, Trudeau was photographed at an Arabian Nights theme party held at a high school where he was teaching. CNN affiliate (INAUDIBLE) the photo from the West Point Academy yearbook. Trudeau admits it was a "racist" and a dumb thing to do and he is deeply sorry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER, CANADA: In 2001, when I was a teacher out in Vancouver, I attended an end of year Gala. The theme was Arabian Nights. And I dressed up Aladdin costume and put makeup on. I should have known better, but I didn't, and I'm really sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Trudeau has also admitting wearing makeup for high school talent show in performance of the Jamaican song Day-O. So for more and all this, we're joined by Canadian Politician Laura Mae Lindo. She is joining us from Ontario. She sits in the Ontario Assembly with the New Democratic Party.
So Laura, thanks so much for taking time to be with us. I want to --
LAURA MAE LINDO, ONTARIO NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY: Thank you for having me.
VAUSE: Thank you. I want you to listen a little more from Justin Trudeau and the apology which came in the last couple of hours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUDEAU: I take responsibility for my decision to do that. I shouldn't have done it. I should have known better. It was something that I didn't think was racist at the time. But now I recognize it was something racist to do and I am deeply sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Too many, that would sound like a fairly reasonable statement. The standards and norms in society is constantly changing. What was once acceptable can often end up causing outrage years later. The question is, should he have known it at the time that it was offensive?
LINDO: So I would challenge that maybe that's not even the question that we need to be asking ourselves. I'm wondering if that really what we need to be asking ourselves is if the current prime minister understands how racism operates.
It's one thing to say that you are sorry, because you have done something that is harmful and offensive. It's another thing to not follow up that apology with real concrete actions. And I think that that's the piece that's missing and that's what to be honest, (INAUDIBLE) response to finding, you know, being told about the photos as well, so much more powerful and so much more meaningful than the apology from Mr. Trudeau.
VAUSE: I'm just confused though, because we heard from the Council of Canadian Muslims tweeting, seeing the prime minister in brown face, blackface is deeply saddening. The wearing of blackface, brownface is reprehensible. It harkens back to a history of racism and Orientalist mythology which is unacceptable, a very fair point.
But you know, your point that you know, actions speak louder than words, Trudeau has been an advocate for the minorities as prime minister. You know, under his leadership, Canada opens doors to thousands of Syrian refugees when other countries closed their borders.
In the grand scheme of things, should the man be judged by his deeds as prime minister or his actions as a 28-year-old?
LINDO: Well, I would -- again, I would argue that if we are going to judge, the Prime Minister, who as the Prime Minister has to be held at such just a higher standard, given what it is that his responsibilities for the nation, then we have to look at the entire record.
Yes, the borders were opened for Syrian refugees, but no, the supports for their healthy settlement in many provinces weren't necessarily sufficient to last for as long as they are here. Part of my credit portfolio is Citizenship and Immigration and I work closely with folks that are settled -- in settlement organizations. And we still have refugees that now because the excitement of opening those borders is over, are still struggling to find employment, are still struggling to get their kids and registered into schools, to find housing.
So there's bigger -- there's bigger issues about -- that we have to also look at. I would also want us to take a second to think about another commitment that the Prime Minister made and it was to our first people, to First Nations folks across the country who have experienced colonialism and continued to experience the impact of colonialism. Truth of Reconciliation Commission's report came out with a number of calls to action. The Prime Minister said we're going to follow through and we still have communities -- First Nations Communities that have been under boiled water advisories for like 25 years.
[01:05:49]
VAUSE: OK, just to sort it off because we're short on time. Would you say that Trudeau has done some good deeds? Some may say he has done a lot of minorities, for the indigenous population. This is a moment in your opinion where he can do a lot more.
LINDO: I think that everybody strives to do good deeds, but I think that it's really, really important for us when we're striving to do good deeds to make sure that the -- that the actual impact of the mistakes that we are bound to make are taken seriously. And I think that that's the piece that was missing for me in the apology.
There was still a discussion about -- the focus was on him. The focus was on these pictures coming to light. This wasn't him standing up and saying I'm a leader and I want you to know that in my learning, this is what my journey has looked like. This was a bunch of pictures that got produced seven days into a national election.
If you compare what he said to meet response you'll see what leadership can look like when it comes to anti-racism work.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: So there's a fair point with regards to the apology. And certainly, it was a hasty apology. You know, the council or the Canadian Council of Muslims actually you know, thanked Trudeau for making the apology so quickly after they called for it. I guess maybe there's an opportunity for him to make a full apology in the days ahead.
I just want to also -- how much of this is sort of an element of (INAUDIBLE). You know, Trudeau is this very liberal politician. He's cast himself almost sort of the anti-Trump. There was a lot of mockery last year I think when he went to India. He wore traditional dress along with his wife and three children. Or is this a case of the private Trudeau, the real Trudeau being different to the carefully crafted public image.
LINDO: Well, this is part of the pattern that we're seeing come out more and more that there is the politician that puts a public face forward and says and does all of the right things to make us feel like we are loved and cared for, and behind closed doors there's another understanding of how he has to be whether it's respectful or not respectful.
It doesn't even matter what we call the behavior. The point is that the impact is real. And what I do want to see and what I think a lot of racialized folks want to see are actions. Like I don't want a fuller apology, I want actions that show me that we are going to address racism in Canada and it's a challenge.
VAUSE: It's a challenge all around the world. Canada is no different. It is interesting the comparison between what is happening in Canada and what is happening in the United States with the leadership but that's a discussion for another time. Laura Mae Lindo, we appreciate you being with us so much. Thank you.
LINDO: Thank you so much.
VAUSE: Just as he was arriving in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Secretary of State described the weekend airstrike on the kingdom's main oil facility as an act of war, his toughest language today. Adding, regardless of who carried out the attack, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible.
Meantime, back in the U.S. President Trump seems to be taking a much more cautious, a much more software approach. From the Pentagon, here's CNN's Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Standing next to his new National Security Adviser, President Trump still stopping short of military action against Iran for its alleged attack on Saudi oil facilities.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're really at a point now where we know very much of what happened.
STARR: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shortly before landing in Saudi Arabia for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told reporters that the strikes on Saudi oil facilities were an Iranian attack on an unprecedented scale calling it an act of war.
MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: There were no Americans killed in this attack. But anytime you have an act of war in this nature, there's always risk that that could happen. STARR: However, Pompeo did not provide details definitively showing
the attack was launched from inside Iran. Today, Saudi defense officials showing the world remnants of what they say are alleged Iranian missiles and drones used in the massive attack that disrupted world oil markets. Iran denies involvement but the Saudis insist the weapons are of Iranian origin.
[01:10:07]
LT. COL TURKI AL-MALKI, SPOKESMAN, SAUDI DEFENSE MINISTRY: The attack was launched from the north and was unquestionably sponsored by Iran,
STARR: While via Twitter, PRESIDENT Trump announcing he is imposing more sanctions. The Pentagon has been told to ensure plans from military options are up to date but there is no indication of emanate U.S. military action. Several officials telling CNN any strikes would have to be a coalition effort and President Trump wants the Saudis involved.
ROBERT O'BRIEN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, WHITE HOUSE: We're looking at those issues now and getting briefed up.
STARR: What to do next about Iran may be front and center for Robert O'Brien, the U.S. hostage negotiator Trump named as his new National Security Adviser.
TRUMP: He did a tremendous job on hostage negotiation, really tremendous like unparalleled. We've had tremendous success in that regard.
STARR: One senior White House official says it shows Trump wants a consensus-builder not a showboater, a tick perhaps a predecessor John Bolton a well-known hawk.
O'BRIEN: A peace restraint posture that will keep the American people safe when many challenges around the world today.
STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Joining me now from Telluride in Colorado, CNN's Intelligence and Security Analyst, also former CIA operative Bob Baer. Bob, it's been awhile. Nice to see you.
ROBERT BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST (via Skype): Hi, John.
VAUSE: OK. So the U.S. President, he's doing this old strategy of saying something significant then immediately denying that he said it at all. But the big headline coming from this administration at least one that's trying to put out there said it's ready for military action.
Maybe that came one step closer on Wednesday with that show and tell in Riyadh by the Saudis. Here's part of it. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL-MALKI: This UAV is the Iranian. UAV data work and all the components that we have recovered and we have analyzed through our expert. It showed the capability of the Iranian regime. Some of the components here the Iranian regime and the IRGC, they are trying to erase the information. However, we have collected enough information to know what's behind it. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So is it Iran?
AL-MALKI: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it Iran?
AL-MALKI: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: OK, the reporter you heard at the end there, that was CNN's Nic Robertson. And he asked that question twice to the Saudi defense spokesperson. You know, they had -- and they twice basically refused -- he twice refused to answer that question. He ignored it.
The fact the Saudis are choosing their words so very carefully here claiming the weaponry was Iranian made but stopping short of saying the source of the attack was Iran, it still being determined. The Saud crown prince has not named Iran as the guilty party. Why the cautious approach?
BAER: Well, one, John, is Saudi Arabia cannot retaliate against Iran on its own. It needs the United States. And clearly, at this point, President Trump is backing away from a military action. This is all -- look, John, he got himself into this situation by pulling out of the nuclear treaty, by helping the Saudis in Yemen. I don't know why he's surprised but frankly, we simply don't have the forces in the Gulf take on Iran.
You would need more aircraft carriers, more air assets, more troops. We are very vulnerable across the Middle East for Iranian attacks, and he doesn't want to go into the election in -- with a war with Iran. I mean, it would be quite a thing that war.
VAUSE: Oh yes. And I just from your perspective, from what you heard and saw on Wednesday, was the Saudi presentation of slam dunk?
BAER: It's not a slam dunk but it did surprise me -- frankly, the whole attack did. I mean, the Iranians must be feeling their oats at this point or they're desperate to get out of sanctions, one of the two. But simply using cruise missiles which we know the Houthis can't build and these advanced drones, they've left a fingerprint all over this, and they simply don't care.
And that's why there's -- the tensions are so high in the Middle East, is there go to war with the United States with Saudi Arabia. And if they were to bring their full forces against the Gulf, Arabs, they would flatten places like Dubai, Riyadh, and the rest of it.
VAUSE: So not only are the Iranians continually denying any involvement putting the blame on the Houthi rebels in Yemen, not only are they warning of the immediate retaliation of any U.S. military response, it now looks at the one sort of slim chance for diplomacy on this, you know, the meaning next week at the U.N. General Assembly, this possible your slim chance of a meeting between Trump and Rouhani, that's off the table as well. Did you actually think that meeting was even going to happen?
BAER: Well, with Trump you never know. He may have thought he was going to make a grand deal like with he did North Korea. It wouldn't have amounted to anything but I could have seen him meeting Rouhani and walking out of there, and said, we've solved all of this. But I mean, the fact is -- let's go back, there's no technical data showing where these missiles were launched from. That's just extraordinary. I mean, you know, with the 5th fleet in the Gulf, something like that should have been picked up. So, this was a very capable attack, they must have come in very low. And as well as the launches weren't picked up by satellite. And that's what the Iranians mean, and says you can't prove it came from Iran, and you can't prove where it came from. Maybe there are components, maybe they're not.
I mean, there's a good possibility this attack came out of an air force base in Iraq, which is controlled by Iran, we just don't know. It's just an absence of intelligence. And the American credibility is so low in the Middle East that you're not going to get the Europeans based on this Saudi intelligence or whatever you want to call it, or technical analysis, to join in this. They're very reluctant, too, in the first place. That leaves the United States and Saudi Arabia solve this.
But I'll tell you this, John, if the Iranians did carry out this attack, and they do get away with it, you're going to see the Arabs are just -- are going to be at their mercy. And you're going to see eventually, they're sending emissaries to Tehran to see what sort of deal they can get. Because right now, it doesn't look like the United States is going to backup Saudi Arabia on this. And this is why they're not coming out particularly strong against Iran.
VAUSE: You can see the action so far, very concrete action taken so far, is this announcement of maybe tougher sanctions on Tehran? You know, these sanctions have been in place. And they've been getting tougher since U.S. withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal last year. I want you to listen to President Trump at a campaign rally on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: To protect America's security, I withdrew the United States from the horrible one-sided Iran nuclear deal, it was no good. And we oppose the toughest ever sanctions on the Iranian regime. Watch how that works out, folks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: There seems to be a fairly compelling argument that the way it's worked out is that by, you know, leaving Iran no choice but to seize oil tankers and launch airstrikes because of those tough economic sanctions. They're looking for leverage. It doesn't make it right, but is there any options?
BAER: Well, exactly. And they've said, If we can't export oil, no one in the Gulf can. They were very clear about that. And that's what they've done. I mean, the Iranians are a formidable enemy. And backing out of that agreement without any sort of plan was pure idiocy, frankly.
VAUSE: Yes. Absolutely. Bob, thank you. Appreciate being with us, Bob Baer.
Meantime, the Houthi rebels in Yemen continue to insist they carried out the attack on Saudi Arabia. Military spokesman offered up evidence, which he says backs up that claim, including photographs, apparently showing the target before the attack. And the Houthis laid out their strategy for this devastating strike, which they say involved a decoy aircraft to distract Saudi air defenses, and that allowed drones and missiles to hit their targets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YAHYA SAREE, SPOKESMAN, HOUTHI MILITARY (through translator): The second deterrent balance operation, which targeted Saudi oil installation is a perfect example of the capabilities of our forces. In terms of planning and implementation, the destruction of the targeted facilities is far greater than what has been announced. Americans sought to publish fabricated pictures of the operation aftermath as part of attempts to downplay it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The Houthi spokesman added that the Saudis struggled for hours to bring the fires at the facility under control. Well, for Republicans, it's all about state rights, except when it's not. U.S. President triggers what could be years-long legal battle over who has the right to set vehicle emission standards, the state of California or the federal government? Also ahead, new revelations in the case of an airline mechanic charged with sabotaging a commercial airliner. Is there a connection to the terror group of ISIS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:20:00]
VAUSE: Three former executives from Tokyo's TEPCO power company had been cleared of negligence in the 2011 Fukushima disaster. According to Japan's NHK, they were accused of failing to implement safety measures. All three have pleaded not guilty. It's the only criminal case to come from the 2011 meltdown, which was the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
Anyone who remembers the 1990 hit movie "Pretty Woman"? Probably won't remember much about the opening titles when Richard Gere drives his lawyers Lotus sports car down from the Hollywood Hills only to get lost on Hollywood Boulevard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yes, L.A.'s air quality was really that bad 30 years ago. And even that was an improvement from the days of acid rain in the -- in the 1960s. One of the main reasons why California has slowly and steadily improved the quality of its air, dates back to a federal waiver granted decades ago, allowing the state to set its own vehicle emission standards. That is until now. On Wednesday, that came to an abrupt end with a presidential tweet.
"The Trump administration is revoking California's Federal Waiver on emissions in order to produce far less expensive cars for the consumer, while at the same time making the cars substantially safer." All those Rolling Stone magazine put it with this headline, "Trump moves to stop California from fixing what he's breaking."
The reality is President Trump has been trying to roll back tough vehicle emissions and fuel efficiency standards, which were imposed by President Obama on carmakers as part of the auto bailout in 2009 through the financial crisis. But a few months ago, California did it and run around the White House, striking a secret deal to carmakers who agreed to voluntarily abide by those type of standards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): We're winning. And that's the frustration he's having, we are winning, he is losing. And we're winning because we have the law, science and facts on our side. And we have not only the formal authority, we have the moral authority. And that's something missing in this White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Host of the Catastrophe! podcast and geologist, Jess Phoenix is with us down from Los Angeles where the air quality is pretty good right now, right?
JESS PHOENIX, HOST, CATASTROPHE! PODCAST: Yes, things are nice and clear today.
VAUSE: Yes. OK. I want you to listen a little bit more from President Trump. This is in a tweet on how great life will be once all these pesky emission standards are gone. "Many more cars will be produced under the new and uniform standard, meaning significantly more jobs, jobs, jobs! Automakers should seize this opportunity, because without this alternative to California, you will be out of business."
And that would be great if it was 1919, not 2019. Because just on that argument alone, the job (INAUDIBLE) companies producing more cars, and that's debatable. That's not what a 21st century economy actually needs. And there's a reason why the automakers are not jumping for joy of this. PHOENIX: Yes, it's basically trying to roll us back to some sort of mythical, you know, days of yore. And we are in the 21st century, like you said. We need green jobs, sustainable jobs, and consumers nowadays, we actually care about the kind of pollution that our cars put out, emissions matter and consumers around the world would actually be very upset if suddenly it was, oh, our cars are going to pollute more. Having more efficient standards actually is allowing people to drive more like they want to. The cost of fuel is not -- it's not getting that much cheaper at all. So, it's better for people and the environment to have cars that are more fuel efficient. End of story.
[01:25:19]
VAUSE: Yes. I remember because at the time, you know, this was -- the concession that the Obama administration got out of the automakers, you make your cars more fuel efficient, consumers spend less on fuel, and then we'll give you the bailout, we'll give the money you need to keep going. It was part of a grand bargain.
PHOENIX: That's exactly right. And, you know, that's why we have government regulation. At least, ideally, it's to make sure that corporations which don't have consciences, act in the best interest of the public, otherwise, you know, we would've have more and more disasters like cars with airbags that don't work or without seatbelts. And this emission standards, emissions regulations, is just another benefit for the public, that we actually -- we need that in the modern era. We can't continue to just basically build, build, build or drill, drill, drill without consequences. We're in a different time.
VAUSE: And all this is -- all these is likely end up in court for years, right? But is there a feeling in California that there's a level of payback coming from the White House, because you know, California is the state, which has consistently stood up to the Trump administration on a range of issues, be it immigration, sanctuary cities, and the environment?
PHOENIX: Oh, yes, for sure, 100 percent. Trump is very unpopular here. And, you know, there's a few people who love him. But that's -- you're going to find that anywhere. The majority of Californians are very solidly in the Democratic side of things. And we care about the environment, we prioritize this. We often vote to do things like eliminating plastic drinking straws, eliminating plastic bag usage at grocery stores. We do that, because we love our environment here. We love the mountains and the beaches and the desert. I mean, we have a gorgeous state, and we don't want Donald Trump or anyone to take that away from us.
VAUSE: You know, and, you know, improving the quality of the air in California is an incredible success story. You know, it is one of the things that has worked out so well in California. It's palpable, the difference. But there's sort of a, you know, a high level of willful ignorance, if you like. If you want to ignore the science of climate change, you want to ignore the reality of what's happening before your eyes. So, it seems fitting that a 16-year-old environmental activists, Greta Thornburg, was the one to plead with lawmakers in Washington to listen to the experts. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRETA THORNBURG, CLIMATE ACTIVIST: I am submitting this report as my testimony because I don't want you to listen to me, I want you to listen to the scientists. And I want you to unite behind the science. And then, I want you to take real action.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And the reality is, you know, for the most part, there is one major political party, which does not believe in the science and it's the Republicans. And it seems inexplicable why.
PHOENIX: Well, that's the funny thing. And I love that you used the word belief, because science essentially facts and evidence doesn't care what you believe in. It's true, you know, facts are facts. So, they have nothing at all to do with faith or belief of any kind. And it's just so -- it's so upsetting these days to see an entire political party for political and financial gain, just abandon hard data and facts that have very real impacts on the lives of millions of Americans and people around the globe. This is -- the Republican Party is no longer the party of fiscal responsibility and states' rights. When you see it making choices that are going to undermine American automakers and undermine California's ability to set its own standards.
VAUSE: And it was Nixon who set up the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency in the first place, a republican president, we should note. How much that party has changed. Jess, good to see you.
PHOENIX: You, too, John, thanks.
VAUSE: Still to come, the Brexit battle now in Britain's top court. Supreme Court Justice hearing arguments over the Prime Minister's decision to suspend Parliament, was it legal, was it not?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:31:37]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm John Vause with the headlines this hour.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologizing after a phot emerged of him wearing brownface during a party at a school where he taught in 2001. Mr. Trudeau says it was racist, it was dumb and he should have known better. And he's asking Canadians for forgiveness. He faces a tight reelection campaign for a second term as prime minister.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the attack on Saudi's oil facilities an act of war, and says Iran will be held responsible regardless of who actually carried out the strike. Tehran (INAUDIBLE) denying involvement but the Saudi military says debris recovered from the attack proves the missiles and the drone were made in Iran.
President Trump says he will revoke California's authority to set its own vehicle emission standards. He claims it will make cares less expensive. State officials all called the movement political vendetta and promise to challenge it in court.
The European Union is warning the U.K. is facing a no deal Brexit unless it can put forward some realistic proposals. E.U. lawmakers have approved a third Brexit extension if -- a big if -- if it is needed. But British Prime Minister Boris Johnson insists the U.K. will be leaving the E.U. October 31st with or without a deal.
The E.U.'s chief Brexit negotiator is warning a no deal Brexit would have some serious consequences.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- these are consequences of Brexit (INAUDIBLE) you know, theoretical.
It has often been set that they are innumerable and often underestimated in terms of the social and human impact, financial and budgetary impact, to have legal and chemical impact. They are considerable, and that is something that is covered in (INAUDIBLE) today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So the clock ticks down to that Halloween deadline, the U.K. parliament is not in session because it's been suspended by the prime minister for five weeks. And now the highest court in Great Britain is hearing arguments over whether that move by Boris Johnson was in fact lawful.
CNN Matthew Chance reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the second day that the British Supreme Court has been hearing arguments about Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend, or prorogue parliament for five weeks -- a move that sparked anger amongst his critics, and became the latest flash point in the continuing battle over Brexit dividing this country.
The government is arguing that its ability to suspend parliament in this way so whatever period and for whatever reason is a matter of political judgment not law. It's been supported in that view by the high court in England.
The problem is across the northern border in Scotland, the Scottish court reached the opposite conclusion saying not only that they can put the suspension is a matter of law, but that Boris Johnson broke it, illegally suspending parliament, to limit parliamentary scrutiny of his Brexit strategy. A tricky job of the Supreme Court here in London to decide which view should prevail. It all has potentially serious consequences for the British government threatening to deepen a constitutional crisis facing this country.
[01:34:49]
And it's also fueling public divisions over Brexit with protesters from both sides outside the court, making their voices heard. Supporters of Remain saying the matter shows how Prime Minister Johnson will break the rules to push through Brexit no matter what. Brexiteers saying this is all an attempt to halt Brexit in its tracks.
Matthew Chance, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Now to the federal case against an aircraft mechanic charged with sabotaging a critical system on board an American Airlines jet. Initially he claimed he did it because he wanted the overtime pay to fix the problem but what came out in court paints a far different picture.
Here's CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Prosecutors dropped a bombshell in open court telling a federal judge the 60-year-old airline mechanics had an ISIS video on his and had forwarded it to someone else and sent a message to an unnamed person asking Allah to use all of his might and power against non Muslims.
Prosecutors say Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani also visited Iraq this year and sent $700 to someone living there.
Alani, a mechanic for American Airlines, was arrested earlier this summer accused of trying to sabotage a plane with 150 people on board.
Authorities used surveillance video to identify Alani, prosecutors accuse him of gluing foam into a tube which measure speed. The pilots were rolling down the runway in Miami when they suddenly aborted takeoff due to faulty readings. Experts say if it hadn't been caught, it could have brought the plane down.
PETER GOETZ, FORMER NTSB MANAGING DIRECTOR: You have to know how fast the plane is going to do a successful take off. It's a very dangerous malfunction.
TODD: Prosecutors also said they found an article about the deadly Lion Air crash in Indonesia last year on Alani's phone. They say it referenced the same type of air data module system he was accused of sabotaging. The federal government said that Alani had told coworkers his brother was a member of ISIS and he went to Iraq to see his brother.
Prosecutors say Alani's roommate told them he went to Iraq because his brother had been kidnapped, no terror-related charges have been filed.
In court documents, prosecutors initially said he confessed to sabotage due to a pay dispute, and wanted to get more overtime fixing the flaw he created. But analysts say investigators may now be looking into whether he was somehow radicalized.
JAMES CARAFANO, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION: We've also seen these organizations be very creative and innovative and we've seen more outsourcing as they themselves cannot (INAUDIBLE) a 9/11 type operation, they essentially reach out to other people that kind of do things for them.
TODD: Terrorist groups from Al-Qaeda to Isis are known to be fixated on trying down American planes. And the threat of a terrorist getting a job with an airline to pull off an insight job has always been a major security concern.
For example, the deadly Metro Jet Crash in Egypt in 2015, claimed by ISIS, might have been perpetrated by a mechanic, according to Reuters.
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: They see (INAUDIBLE) inside potentially very helpful recruit in launching these kinds of attacks or some track record of theirs.
TODD: An airline official told CNN, Alani was vetted before he was hired and nothing derogatory was found in his background check.
American Airlines says the mechanic they have been fired. He has not yet entered a plea and the judge has denied him bail. In court, Alani's defense lawyer said he never meant to harm anyone. That he only wanted overtime pay.
The defense lawyer said Alani agreed to the search of the phone where the ISIS was found and the lawyer asked if he was such a terror threat, why wasn't he ever on a no-fly list?
Brian Todd, CNN Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: We're following two major storms right now. In Bermuda, nearly 28,000 people do not have electricity. Rain and strong winds from Hurricane Humberto are lashing the islands, the wind is so strong, look at that. Just snaps the (INAUDIBLE) in half.
Tropical depression Imelda dumped (INAUDIBLE) rain on parts of Texas, caused an isolated flooding. More rain and the threat of flash floods are expected in Texas as well as Louisiana which is the storm's next path.
Meteorologist Derek Van Dam joins us with more. Let's treat this is just like that.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Well, that was only the second time I've seen that footage and it's amazing to see what the force of nature can do. You know, one of the most deadly parts of a tropical system and the
most dangerous parts of course, is the heavy rain and the flash flooding. And you saw some of the consequences in Houston there. Look at the rainfall totals in Southeast Texas topping 500 mm in some locations.
And by the way, with these slow-moving tropical storms that move from ocean to land they often spin up little tornadoes and this one near Houston formed yesterday. You can see the funnel cloud here and a little bit of debris starting to fly in the area as well. Some minor damage reported across that region.
So that has been a concern. There have been also other tornado warnings within this tropical system as it continues to churn across south Eastern Texas. Lots of heavy rainfall overnight. You think about the time, people are commuting to work, 6 to 9 a.m. in the morning.
We have a potential for flash flooding in and around Houston. But the heftiest of rain falls really according to our computer model right along the border of Louisiana and Texas.
[01:40:03]
VAN DAM: Also watching Humberto, you saw the video of the snapped palm tree just a minute ago. It is racing north and east of Bermuda. Bermuda -- pretty much in the clear from the storm but wow, the wind dust reported from Humberto nearing the 200 kilometer per hour wind mark, wow that is just really incredible considering that the eyewall was actually north of the island. You can see tropical storm Gerry we're monitoring this just east of the Lesser Antilles and the Windward islands the National Hurricane Center has hoisted tropical storm watches because we believe where this projected path it could skin the northern portions of the Caribbean making its exit away from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and away from the southeastern United States but as a category one Atlantic hurricane.
And you know, John -- I said it before, I will say it again, welcome to the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, five different areas of weather that we are monitoring.
VAUSE: -- A freeway is not big for hurricanes at the moment, moving through the Atlantic. Couldn't think of the word. Thanks -- Derek.
Well still to come, an extraordinary news conference in Riyadh as Saudi Arabia lays out its case for your ride's connection to the airstrike on its oil facilities. We will speak directly from the Kingdom's defense military. And we'll see the evidence, the basically basic implication Tehran it's a implicates Iran.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Saudi Arabia says debris recovered after the attack on its oil facilities ties Iran to the strike. In the Saudi capital on Wednesday, the defense ministry laid out parts of 18 18 drones and seven cruise missiles. And they say Houthi rebels in Yemen don't have the expertise to carry out this attack.
CNN's Nic Robertson sat down with the spokesman from the Kingdom's Defense Ministry.
Here is that part of that interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Iranian -- because you have looked at circuit boards or you've seen these missiles before?
LT. COL. TURKI AL MALKI, SAUDI DEFENSE MINISTER SPOKESMAN: We looked to everything. So the expertise and the ministry of defense they look to everything. And as soon as the boards -- there are many things that we can work it out with the panel of experts and we can prove it for the international community that those components is Iranian components or it is being used by the Iranians or is being given to their proxies in the region.
ROBERTSON: How confident are you that you're going to find the point of origin where they were fired from?
[01:44:53]
AL MALKI: Because we do have the indication and from the indication that we have given today comparing the range for the assets, talking about the UAV (ph) or talking about the cruise missile, we know exactly how far it can go.
ROBERTSON: And things like the motor on it here is one of the things that tells you how far it can go.
AL MALKI: Well there are other capabilities in the system or the assets you put it together and you know exactly and some of the information is not too reasonable to talk about the operational capabilities --
ROBERTSON: But you're confident. You're fine where they start --
AL MALKI: You can't accuse say, and under the international law a country without having the evidence. We have given a lot of evidence to the panel of experts. We have giving the evidence to the international community, showing the involvement of the Iranian regime. The indications -- one of the things we have shown it in the brief, the direction of that attack --
ROBERTSON: From the north.
AL MALKI: From the north and the how positioned as the attack which is showing advanced capability and the cruise missile. And there's no way it coming from the south. It's not just assumption. But we are talking about facts and figures that we do have it and we can release it right now. And we are working with it.
ROBERTSON: If it's the north and that is either Iraq or Iran. There's a launch site. AL MALKI: Well, it's not about saying Iraq or Iran this time. But we have the evidence just coming from the north. We are talking about the cruise missile over there which is three cruise missiles has landed short from a gate. that is proof it is not coming from Yemen.
ROBERTSON: What is going to be the response to Iran?
AL MALKI: The response, are talking about the international community response because we said this attack is not just against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is not just against Saudi Aramco. It's -- again, it is against the international treaty and again it's the security of the global community (ph) --
ROBERTSON: And you feel --
AL MALKI: So the ability to change national community, to lead her and find ways -- I think we have a common understanding a And we are working with our allies to stop Iran from their hostile act in the region and the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: CNN's Nic Robertson speaking there with Lieutenant Colonel Turki Al Malki, who is a spokesperson for the Saudi defense ministry.
Well, amid growing tensions between Washington and Tehran, CNN sits down with the Iranian foreign minister. That full interview with Javid Zarif is at 11 Thursday morning in London; 6 p.m. in Hong Kong and you will see it only here on CNN.
They've heard about Tuesday. And as we head into, Friday still too close to call the result in Israel's election. The latest projection showed Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party trailing Benny Gantz's Blue and White Party by just one seat. Neither man has the 61 seats needed to form a coalition government and a majority in the Knesset. Final election results are expected in the coming hours and if the results are as tight as expected, it may take weeks before Mr. Netanyahu or Mr. Gantz form a coalition government.
And while we wait to see what happens, CNN's Becky Anderson is following this surge among Arab Voters in this election. She spoke to an Israeli activist and a Palestinian entrepreneur living in east Jerusalem to get their thoughts on what is behind the movement.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Palestinian authorities published an official announcement, and I quote "go out to vote to topple Netanyahu".
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: These words from the Israeli prime minister on the eve of the vote. Earlier in the week, he claimed the Arabs tried to steal the last election. Unopposed from his Facebook messaging services said that Arabs quote, "Won't to annihilate us," end quote,.
Netanyahu said he did not authorize that but scare tactics his critics say are part and parcel of his strategy, betraying the 2 million or so Arab citizens they say as enemies of the state. Despite that this election has seen a high turnout by Arab voters.
I sat down with Israeli citizen Shandi Ott and Adnan Jabbar, an entrepreneur living in east Jerusalem, to get their thoughts on what is behind that voter surge.
SHANDI OTT, ACTIVIST: The environment is our own general so much hatred and so much racism and the fact that the joint list unified and created a very, very clear statement that in this election, it is a fight for life and it does not matter what your specific views are.
But if you are against occupation, if you are against racism, if you're against an assignment, you believe in equality then "rock to see injustice". You're going to vote for the dreamers (ph).
ANDERSON: Adnan, you live in Jerusalem. You both leave in Jerusalem and yet you can't vote. Why?
ADNAN JABBAR, ENTREPRENEUR: Because I am a resident of Jerusalem, I am not a citizen. I don't have a Israeli passport. I have a document, it is a red color, it is called in Israel internal document. I need a visa to go anywhere and I cannot vote for Israeli government, for the Knesset.
[01:49:59]
OTT: I think -- I mean I think the apartheid reality you are describing, I think this is why people who could have voted went out and voted because I think a lot of people including myself who one we don't mind Democracy . and voted. Because I think a lot of people including -- there is no democracy.
[01:50:06]
OTT: There is no democracy here when millions of people who live under Israeli control can't vote. That's not democracy. And yesterday was our Celebration of democracy. And with that they feel is Livia and I are limited amount of people. I do have the right to vote and everybody (INAUDIBLE). And I'm trying to vote with people like you in mind hoping that one day there will be democracy or hoping that one we can both be --
ANDERSON: How do you feel about that will there be democracy here one day for you, Adnan?
JABBAR: I don't know how much time it will take to have this. And who will force the democracy? Is it going to be Palestine? Are they going to have the Democracy for me in Israel so it wasn't going to be Israel. They're going to give me democracy in east Jerusalem. I still don't know?
ANDERSON: Adnan, do you feel valued by members of the Knesset who are Arabs?
JABBAR: I think that I am not included in their agenda. I don't hear anything much about me and I can't do anything about this, as East Jerusalem with the plan of Judaism Jerusalem is also my identity as Palestinian ends, it's also like demolishing this slowly and wife died slowly.
OTT: The conditions you are describing, it is worse than I could ever imagine. I grew up in the United States. I live here in Israel today and the things that that me and my and all the activists, and obviously the Palestinian activists that we're working with see everyday, I think I don't think most people sitting at home in the United States have any idea are happening in Jerusalem.
ANDERSON: How optimistic are you that things will change here?
JABBAR: I am hopeful person. I want to make impact and I am not waiting for any government to support me or stop. I want to work towards improving peoples lives and that is what I am going to keep on doing.
As a Palestinian in Jerusalem, I had to go through checkpoints every day to go study. For example in (INAUDIBLE) University I had to cross set points every day. I struggle but I want to achieve something. I want to change the status quo. And that's how I -- how I live now. And that's what I want to do.
OTT: One thing I think I told -- we can learn from the join list in terms of the future in terms of optimism. In terms of the future reality that's better to all of us. And I think one thing (INAUDIBLE) does that, it dismantled the entire structure that the current state Israel relies on and that is the division between Arabs and Jews and even with among different groups of Arab and Jews, constantly trying to incite hatred between people.
Once you dismantled the idea somehow that there has to be a conflict in this land, I think that is my only hope in actually one day getting to a more peaceful and more better future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Israeli activist Shandi Ott there along with Palestinian business Adnan Jabbar, sharing their insights on Israel's general election with Becky Anderson.
Still to come, we are probably not alone in this galaxy and now U.S. video from years ago apparently shows UFOs. (INAUDIBLE) real ability of them going (ph). Something he was trying to survive the crash. Flying across the night sky.
[01:53:48]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: It's been a longtime coming but the U.S. Navy has finally fessed up that at least some of the images of UFOs are in fact real, not everyone who spotted something strong in the night sky was a whack Job, apparently.
CNN's Randi Kaye has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Images of that rotating thing captured by U.S. Navy Aircraft. Sensors, locking in on the target. Commander David Fraver, saw it first hand during a training mission describing it like a 40 foot long tic tac, maneuvering rapidly and changing the direction.
COMMANDER DAVID FRAVER, U.S. NAVY PILOT: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We both looked up the right side of our airplane, we saw a disturbance in the water and a whit object, oblong pointing north -- the north observe was first sited in 2004. Then similar objects again in 2015.
Footage of the sightings declassified by the military weren't made public under December 2017 by the New York Times and a group that researches UFOs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole screen look on my esse (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going against the wind. The wind is 120 miles to the left.
This is extremely abrupt like a ping-pong wall bouncing off a wall. The ability to hover over the water and then start a vertical climb from basically zero up towards about 12,000 feet and then accelerate in less than two seconds and disappear is something I had never seen in my life.
KAYE: The Navy says it still doesn't know what the objects are, and officials aren't speculating. A Navy spokesman simply confirming to CNN the objects seen in the various clips are aerial phenomena or UAPs.
The U.S.O. reports were first investigated by a secret $22 million program, part of the Defense Department budget that investigated reports of UFOs. The program has since been shut down but it was run by a military intelligence official who told CNN, they found compelling evidence we quote, we may not be alone.
Randi Kaye, CNN -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. Please stay with us.
The news continues on CNN with rosemary church right after this.
[01:57:32]
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