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Khashoggi Verdict; Boeing CEO Ousted; North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy; China Denies Allegations of Forced Prison Labor; Bethlehem Celebrates Birth of Jesus; No Christmas Mass for Notre Dame Cathedral. Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired December 24, 2019 - 03:00   ET

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

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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello, everyone. I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Five people are sentenced to death in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi but critics argue the masterminds of the killing are still walking free.

A cry for help inside a Christmas card. Prisoners claim that they are being forced to work in a Chinese factory.

For the first time in more than 200 years, Christmas mass will not be celebrated in the Notre Dame cathedral.

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STOUT: When it comes to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia says justice has been served. It sentenced five people to death over the death of the journalist in Istanbul but a growing chorus of critics are crying foul because the verdict clears the crown prince and his associates.

Khashoggi's fiancee tweeted the ruling is not acceptable and advances a cover-up. The lead U.S. investigator called it a mockery that allows the masterminds to walk free. Nic Robertson tells us why many aspects of the case remain a mystery.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): The verdicts, including five death penalties, eye-catching, but not yet convincing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): First, the death sentence for five of the defendants who committed and participated in the murder of the victim. May he rest in peace.

Second, imprisoning three of the defendants for covering up this murder and violating regulations, for a range of sentences that total 24 years. ROBERTSON: But no names released of the guilty, the only ones named, those found not guilty, significantly, two of them close to the Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, MBS, former senior adviser Saud al-Qahtani and ex-deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri blameless, apparently distancing the crown prince from CIA claims he had a role in "The Washington Post" columnist Jamal Khashoggi's killing.

The verdicts validating what Saudi officials said all along, a rendition gone wrong.

Ahmed al-Assiri, deputy head of Saudi's GIP intelligence agency, also close to MBS.

Despite the verdict, many questions remain. Where is his body? Who killed him and how?

What we do know, a Saudi hit team entered the consulate a few hours ahead of Khashoggi. The hit team included intelligence officer Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, in charge, forensic Salah Mohammed al-Tubaigy and more than a dozen others, including Mustafa al-Madani, the body double, who dressed in Khashoggi's clothes, left by the back door laying a false trail.

In reality, Khashoggi had been killed minutes after entering the building. His last words after being attacked, I can't breathe, I can't breathe, before he was dismembered by Dr. Tubaigy's bone saw.

His remains were believed to be driven off in black vans shortly after, from the consulate to the nearby consul general's residence. His girlfriend, waiting outside, raised the alarm.

Turkish authorities listened to audio recordings from the consulate, then rushed to the airport, questioning members of the hit team about to leave on private jets and searching some of their baggage, but found nothing and let them leave.

In the following days, the Saudi government denied killing Khashoggi, the consul general even taking reporters on a hokey tour of the consulate. Eventually, 16 days later, Saudi authorities finally gave Turkish investigators permission to search the consulate and the consul general's house. There was evidence of a cover-up, but no body.

In the coming weeks, local farms were searched, a consulate vehicle recovered from an underground car park, but still no leads. All questions lead back to Saudi, where the hit team fled.

Finally, after more than two-and-a-half weeks, Saudi authorities admitted Khashoggi was killed by Saudi officials.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was killed in the consulate. We don't know in terms of details how. We don't know where the body is.

ROBERTSON: The year-long trial lacked transparency, done behind closed doors with no cameras and no international monitors. Many questions remain, not least, where is Khashoggi's body?

(on camera): Turkish officials are saying the verdict fails to meet their expectations and falls short on justice and accountability.

Britain's foreign secretary also had a note of caution, saying that Saudi Arabia needed to hold all those responsible to account.

(voice-over): Amnesty International also calling the verdict a whitewash.

A U.N. special rapporteur tweeting, "It's anything but justice," in a long thread laying out the crimes committed.

Those likely to face the death penalty include intelligence officer Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, in charge of the operation and forensic doctor Salah Mohammed al-Tubaigy, AKA, the bone saw doctor, who allegedly dismembered Khashoggi's body inside the Saudi Consulate.

No indication if body double Mustafa al-Madani, who dressed in Khashoggi's clothes, left by the back door, laying a false trail, was one of those convicted of a cover-up, or one of those more than 20 questioned, half of whom were released.

Other surprises include the acquitting of the consul general, who, four days after the killing, took reporters on a hokey tour of the consulate -- Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

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STOUT: Boeing is shaking up its leadership a week after saying it would halt production of its 737 MAX. CEO Dennis Muilenburg is being forced out. He has been the face of the crisis in the wake of two fatal crashes.

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STOUT: Boeing says the change was necessary to restore confidence in the company as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers and all other stakeholders. He's being replaced by David Calhoun, named chairman back in October.

U.S. president Donald Trump is in Florida for the holidays, waiting for the impeachment trial in the Senate and he's using his vacation to lash out at Democrats and spar with unlikely opponents. Jim Acosta has more from Washington.

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Playing golf down in Florida, President Trump is teeing off on Democrats who are still holding up an impeachment trial in the Senate, tweeting: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gives us the most unfair trial in the history of the U.S. Congress and now she's crying for fairness in the Senate and breaking all rules while doing so. She lost Congress once. She will do it again." But Democrats aren't ready to give the president a mulligan, pointing to new administration e-mails discovered by the Center for Public Integrity. In the e-mails, budget official Michael Duffey orders a hold on military aid to Ukraine roughly 90 minutes after Mr. Trump had his infamous phone call with the leader of that country.

Duffey writes: "Based on guidance I have received and in light of the administration's plan to review assistance to Ukraine, including the Ukraine security assistance initiative, please hold off on any additional DOD obligations of these funds, pending direction from that process."

He goes on to say: "Given the sensitive nature of the request, I appreciate your keeping that information closely held to those who need to know to execute direction."

Democrats now want Duffey to testify.

SCHUMER: If there was ever an argument that we need Mr. Duffey to come testify, this is that information. This e-mail is explosive. A top administration official, one that we requested, is saying, stop the aid, 91 minutes after Trump called Zelensky and said, keep it hush-hush. What more do you need to request a witness?

ACOSTA: In a statement, an administration spokesperson insisted the freeze was in place before Mr. Trump's call, saying: "The hold was announced in an interagency meeting on July 18. To pull a line out of one e-mail and fail to address the context is misleading and inaccurate."

MARC SHORT, CHIEF OF STAFF TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: So, yes, there was a delay. There is nothing new in these e-mails about the timing truly, Chuck. There was a lot of e-mails and back-and-forth exchanges about timing of this. The aid was released.

ACOSTA: The president is also playing defense with a key part of his base, evangelical voters, after the publication "Christianity Today" doubled down on its criticism of Mr. Trump as an immoral leader, writing in a new post: "It is one thing to praise his accomplishments. It is another to excuse and deny his obvious misuses of power."

Republicans see the criticism as an outlier among the Trump faithful. A group of evangelical leaders released its own letter slamming "Christianity Today," saying: "Your editorial offensively question the spiritual integrity and Christian witness of tens of millions of believers who take seriously their civic and moral obligations."

The president was also keeping his eye on younger conservatives at the Turning Point USA Conference over the weekend, but Mr. Trump also spun up some major falsehoods when he mocked the use of windmills, claiming they contribute to climate change and that almost none are produced in the U.S.

Wrong on both counts, as wind is one of the cleanest sources of energy and creates American jobs. TRUMP: I never understood wind.

I know windmills very much. I have studied it better than anybody. I know. It's very expensive. They're made in China and Germany mostly. Very few made here, almost none.

But they're manufactured. Tremendous -- if you're into this -- tremendous fumes, gases are spewing into the atmosphere.

ACOSTA: On another front, the White House is praising Saudi Arabia's decision to sentence five people to death in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A senior administration official said it was an important step in holding Khashoggi's killers accountable.

But human rights groups and some critics in Congress are accusing the Saudis of continuing to cover up the death of Khashoggi, especially whether the crown prince was actually behind the murder -- Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.

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STOUT: Another powerful storm is threatening the Philippines. Expected to strike on this day on Asia, Christmas Eve. We'll have the latest on the conditions.

Plus, is North Korea's so-called Christmas gift really going to be a nuclear test. What an inside source tells CNN -- when we come back.

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STOUT: Welcome back.

Right now a powerful storm is barreling toward the central Philippines. It's expected to strike on Christmas Eve. That's today as a typhoon as a category 1 hurricane.

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STOUT: China, Japan and South Korea are reaffirming their commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. The Japanese prime minister stressed the importance of supporting dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea.

Pyongyang warned it would send a Christmas gift. Would not say exactly what it. A missile test, a nuclear test, something else entirely?

Will Ripley got some insight from a source that is familiar with the regime's leadership.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets with his military's top brass, ordering them to bolster the overall armed forces of his country, discussing the sustained and accelerated development of military capability.

CNN obtained new satellite images showing increased activity in this facility tied to North Korea's ICBM program. Not one but two apparent engine tests. According to South Korea, at this known launch site, sparking discussion that there is a bigger test to come.

Chances of a highly provocative launch like an ICBM or a nuclear test very low. A sources familiar with their position tells CNN. North Korea cryptically promised a Christmas gift to the U.S. if there was no diplomatic breakthrough.

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RIPLEY (voice-over): The most likely gift, a new headline approach in dealing with the U.S., negotiations seen as a waste of time. Kim taking a wait and see approach dealing with Trump, perceived as politically vulnerable moving into an election year.

When President Trump revived his old nickname for him, North Korea returned the rhetorical fire, calling his comments "the dotage of a dotard," which means "old, senile lunatic."

John Bolton told Axios, "President Trump's approach on North Korea has failed to slow Kim's nuclear program."

Three face-to-face meetings, in Singapore, Vietnam and the Korean DMZ, yet Washington and Pyongyang remain deadlocked over sanctions and denuclearization.

The source familiar with North Korea telling CNN, "Denuclearization is off the table. And the bar to return to talks is significantly higher."

On the week before Christmas, this appeal to Pyongyang from Trump's point man on North Korea.

STEPHEN BIEGUN, U.S. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR NORTH KOREA: Let's get this done. We are here. You know how to reach. Us

RIPLEY (voice-over): Last-ditch diplomacy. Hitting an all too familiar dead end.

RIPLEY: In the end the person that makes the decision about whether to launch or not is Kim himself. He could probably push the button at any time if he wanted to. Just because North Korea might not be prepared to launch this week does not rule out a launch in 2020, a sensitive time for Trump -- Will Ripley, CNN, Hong Kong.

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STOUT: Christmas cards are meant to spread holiday cheer. But a little girl in London found a card with a disturbing message inside, raising concerns of forced labor in China.

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STOUT: Welcome back.

China is denying reports that inmates in Shanghai were forced to produce Christmas cards for a British retailer. This issue all came to light when a little girl in London opened a box of Christmas cards and found a distress message from one of the prisoners. David Culver has more.

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DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Inside Qingpu prison, new allegations of foreigners being forced into labor. China's foreign ministry calling the claims fabricated, adding, no foreign prisoner has been put into forced labor in Qingpu prison at all.

The call for help, handwritten a Christmas greeting card sold by the British supermarket Tesco to benefit charity. It was 6-year old Florence Widdicombe who discovered the message at her home inside of London.

WIDDICOMBE: I was sitting at the table opening my Christmas cards and I was writing in them to my friend. And at the seventh or eighth Christmas card, I found that somebody wrote in it.

CULVER (voice-over): The message reading, "We are foreign prisoners in a Shanghai prison force to work against our will. Please help us and notify human rights organizations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If anyone were in a position where they needed to essentially smuggle a note out, saying they had grave human rights concerns, then, of course, that is a real worry, isn't it.

CULVER (voice-over): Florence's dad said the card as the reader to get in touch with British journalist Peter Humphrey, so he did. Humphrey, a former fraud investigator was jailed for two years on what he calls bogus charges at Qingpu prison in 2013.

PAUL HUMPHREY, FORMER FRAUD INVESTIGATOR: What they are doing is assembling the cards, a mix of cards, and then putting them into the packaging, sealing it and then packing these into shipping boxes.

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HUMPHREY: And this is being done without Tesco knowing about it.

CULVER (voice-over): In 2013, CNN reported on a similar incident, a woman in the U.S. bought Halloween decorations and found a letter claiming to be from a Chinese labor camp inmate. The author, pleading for someone to contact human rights

organizations. But in this Christmas card cry for help, Tesco responded quickly, a spokesperson saying the company was shocked, adding, quote, "We abhor the use of prison labor and would never allow it in our supply chain."

The supermarket chain severing ties with the Chinese print company that provided the cards. Tesco said the supplier was audited as recently last month and was found to be in compliance.

CNN called that supplier and a representative said, quote, "We have never been involved in such activities that the media reported," adding, quote, "We think someone is smearing us."

It is a sentiment echoed by China's foreign ministry, which claims Humphrey is behind it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is a farce made up by Mr. Peter Humphrey.

CULVER (voice-over): David Culver, CNN, Hong Kong.

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STOUT: The holidays won't be the same in Paris this year. Just ahead, why an iconic cathedral won't be celebrating Christmas mass anytime soon.

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STOUT: The West Bank town of Bethlehem will host its annual celebration of Christmas in the coming hours, the festivities will include parades, religious services and a midnight Christmas vigil. For more, let's go straight to the scene.

Oren, Christmas is drawing near. Describe the scene there in Bethlehem.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is still quite early here on Christmas Eve in Manger Square in Bethlehem. We are at the Church of the Nativity. But Manger Square is filling up a little bit. A few hundred have come out to enjoy the festivities, still a bit empty but a long way to go until the highlight of the evening, midnight mass.

Christmas carols playing throughout the morning as well as a rehearsal that came through short time ago. It has lent to a festive atmosphere. It's not just a religious and spiritual celebration but an economic one as well.

We spoke to officials who said that tourism numbers are up 15 percent this year, a reason to celebrate. Hotels are booked, all the tourist shops, bookshops, celebrating a good year for them. They have that to look forward to throughout the course of the day and enjoy over the course of the past year.

More celebrations build towards midnight mass. There was an expectation over the course of the last week that it would be a rainy day but it turned into a beautiful day here in Bethlehem. We hope it stays that way.

A point worth noting, a group of about 500 Gazan Christians were hoping to travel from Gaza through Israel to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas here. First, it appeared Israel would let them in, then wouldn't. A couple of days ago the word 500 Christians from Gaza would be allowed to celebrate in Bethlehem in front of the church. It will be a celebration for them as well, one we'll be watching through the day here -- Kristie.

STOUT: It is lovely to see and hear the holiday cheer there in Bethlehem. Oren Liebermann, thank you so much.

For more than 200 years, Parisians have celebrated Christmas mass at the historic Notre Dame cathedral. But the church, as you know, was gutted by the horrible fire in April. So parishioners will be attending services at another church nearby. CNN's Melissa Bell has more.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First caught on social media, the flames quickly took hold. As tourists and Parisians alike looked on aghast and helpless, Notre Dame burned. The more than 850 year old beams that held up its nave known as The Forest went up in smoke.

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BELL (voice-over): And to the gasps of the onlooking (sic) crowd the cathedral's 19th century spire collapsed.

For nine hours, the fire raged. But by morning the crowds who gathered to inspect the damage found that much of the edifice still stood. The French president announcing an ambitious timetable for reconstruction.

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): We will rebuild our Notre Dame cathedral even more beautiful. I want it completed within five years. We can do.

BELL (voice-over): Eight months on, the rebuilding work is not even begun. It has taken this long just to secure the building. With three weeks lost over the summer when fears of lead poisoning led to the closing of the site.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reconstruction will begin in a year's time, more or less. Because the building is still fragile, because of the scaffolding that is weighing on the walls and so all of this means a lot of dexterity, professional work. Once again, we have fantastic teams. BELL (voice-over): Last week, a giant crane was cemented nearly seven feet deep to allow a new scaffolding to be built. Only then will the old one be removed. A delicate operation since for now it is holding the structure up.

From inside the nave, the scale of what has to be done is all the more clearer that will be silent on Christmas Eve for the first time in 216 years. For now, there is little hope that Christmas mass will be celebrated here anytime soon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is exceptional. I mean, this has not happened for 850 years. Such a blaze. The tricky part is how to know how to go as fast as possible, without going too fast because you really have to make sure that everything will stand for at least another 850 years.

BELL (voice-over): As for what it will look like, the jury is out. Architects are vying for a chance to redesign the cathedral spire. And whether or not the future Notre Dame will be very different to the old. It is achieving the five-year deadline that looks like nothing short of a miracle -- Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

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STOUT: We thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM this Christmas Eve. I'm Kristie Lu Stout, I'll be back with the headlines in just a moment.