Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Protests in Iran; Airbase Shooting Probe; Australian PM Apologizes; Royal Family to Discuss Harry and Meghan's Move. Aired 3- 3:30a ET

Aired January 12, 2020 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello, welcome everyone, live from Studio 7 at the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Michael Holmes.

Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, protests in Iran: anti government demonstrators take to the streets after Iran admits it shot down a civilian plane.

The prime minister's apology: Australia's leader says he could've done a better job handling the country's bush fires.

And a royal family meeting to discuss Harry and Meghan's future.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HOLMES: Welcome, everyone.

From Kiev to Ottawa, even Tehran, Iran's government facing outrage after admitting it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet; 176 people killed, most of them from Canada and Iran itself.

Now that led to furious scenes like these in Tehran, local media reporting a vigil turned into a mass demonstration. Video showing protesters chanting for the supreme leader to step down and even quote, "Death to the dictator."

Iran initially denied it shot the plane down but a top general says, the jet was misidentified as a cruise missile. The country was on high alert after it fired missiles at U.S. troops in Iraq.

That in turn came after the U.S. killed Iranian General Soleimani. U.S. president voicing his support for Iranian protesters on Twitter and warning against the government crackdown.

Donald Trump also releasing that message in Farsi.

Canada's prime minister says tensions between Iran and the U.S. contributed to Iran shooting down the jet. But he also says Tehran should take full responsibility. Here was Justin Trudeau on Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: I am, of course, outraged and furious that families across this country are grieving the loss of their loved ones.

Many of these families have fled Iran, fled the regime, tried to build a better life for them elsewhere. And to have the regime that they have left behind accept responsibility for this is a bitter pill indeed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Meanwhile Ukraine's president is calling for the world to work together in the investigation. CNN chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward with more from Kiev.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Up until this point, President Volodymyr Zelensky had been very tightlipped, not wanting to say exactly who he held responsible for the downing of that Ukrainian flight.

But now he is taking a much stronger tone today, saying he was glad that the Iranians had come forward with the truth.

But now the impetus was really on them to make sure that investigators continued to have unfettered access to the site, to the wreckage, to continue their investigation, also pressing for the dead to be identified and brought back to Ukraine as soon as possible and finally mentioning the need to start the process of compensation, ensuring some kind of compensation for the many victims of this senseless tragedy.

We also heard today from Ukrainian Airlines, who, had fairly or unfairly, been facing quite a bit of criticism for their decision to fly that evening at all. As you may remember, this was in the wake of a barrage of nearly 2 dozen Iranian missiles being fired at various U.S. sites across the country of Iraq.

So certainly tensions were exceedingly high. But the Ukrainian airliner today pushing away that criticism, saying, hold on a second, we followed the letter of the law, we were not giving any indication or any reason to believe that we should not fly.

They went on to give a detailed slide show presentation, showing that they were exactly within the corridor that they were supposed to be for their flight path when they were ultimately shot down.

We do know as well that President Zelensky has spoken to President Hassan Rouhani. Again the impetus here, there is a sense of not quite relief but at least some kind of ability to move forward, now knowing who was responsible for this, why this happened.

[03:05:00]

WARD (voice-over): Taking off the pressure of looking into terrorism or possible technical failures. Now people here want to see judicial process begin whereby there can be some kind of compensation given to the many, many victims of this horrific tragedy -- Clarissa Ward, CNN, Kiev.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And now I'm joined from Kiev by Nolan Peterson, a former Special Operations pilot with the U.S. Air Force, also a foreign correspondent for "The Daily Signal," based in Ukraine, also the author of "Why Soldiers Miss War," which I am reading right now.

Good to see you, Norman, you're a former military pilot, I guess you've spoken to former colleagues.

When you heard a civilian 737 was confused with a cruise missile, how implausible is that?

NOLAN PETERSON, USAF (RET.), AUTHOR: First thanks for having me on. For me the big takeaway from this whole tragedy is that, while Iran has shown that it is proficient and proxy wars or gray zone warfare, their conventional military is not well trained.

The Iranian ground crew operating the Russian made Tor missiles, which U.S. intelligence suggests brought down the Ukrainian airliner, they should have been able to tell from their radar data that they were looking at a civilian aircraft.

A Boeing 737 on departure, like the Ukrainian flight, would have been flying at an air speed of about 250 knots, at a rate of climb of about 2,500 feet per minute. And for a well trained surface to air missile operator, a plane flying like that, relatively casually, so to speak, would clearly not be an American warplane or cruise missile.

HOLMES: Yes, it took several days for the Iranians to admit it was them. But it really does beggar belief, that military and probably political leadership did not know immediately they had done it, that they had shot down an airliner. They know when they're firing off a missile.

PETERSON: Correct. And this plane was flying smack dab in the middle of an air corridor, which is frequently used by civilian air traffic. Also the modern Tor missiles that Iran bought from Russia in 2005, they are equipped with technology to detect a plane's transponder, the radio beacon that identifies an aircraft in flight, which would have identify the Ukrainian jet as a civilian aircraft.

I think it's also important to note the Tor missile system is called a stand-alone missile system, which means it has its own radar to detect a potential enemy aircraft or cruise missiles. That means that the Iranian ground crew would have been cut off from Iran's larger air defense network, their radar network covering the entire country.

That means that ground crew, who were probably very nervous, just hours after Iran had launched ballistic missiles into Iraq, targeting U.S. troops, they were definitely on edge. And that they did not have the proper training, they were really prone to make a tragic mistake like we saw on Wednesday morning.

HOLMES: You are based in Ukraine, I know you spent a lot of time on the front line. This is a country that has gone through a lot in recent years.

How do you discern the mood in Ukraine over all of this?

How much of the test is it for President Zelensky and how has he done?

PETERSON: I think, obviously, immediately after this -- it came to light that it was a surface to air missile attack gone wrong, it conjured memories of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, shot over Ukraine's Eastern Donbas war zone back in 2014.

The ingredients of these two disasters have common ingredients: Russian missiles, poorly trained and trigger-happy ground crews and aircraft flying where they should not have been.

I think for many Ukrainians, this is just unfortunately another sad episode after six years of war in their country. I think Zelensky has done, from my perspective, a good job so far. He's obviously walking a fine line, trying to not exacerbate tensions with Iran.

And also to -- you know, the conflict between -- with Iran's with the United States and Ukraine's relationship with the United States has already been somewhat strained by the impeachment drama.

So I think for Zelensky, this is certainly a test. But it seems for me that the mood in Ukraine is one of relative relief that at least the truth is out there. And that a similar situation to MH17, years of denials by Russia, is not being repeated by Iran, which admitted just days after this disaster that they were responsible for the accident.

HOLMES: Good point; Russia still has not admitted to MH17. Nolan Peterson in Kiev, good to see you. Thanks so much.

[03:10:00]

PETERSON: Thank you for having me on.

HOLMES: Iran cites heightened tensions with the U.S. in its explanation for the accidental downing of the Ukrainian passenger jet. Just hours before, Iranian missiles were raining on an airbase in Iraq housing U.S. troops as well as Iraqi troops. Iran sent that strike as retaliation for the U.S. killing top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

CNN's senior international correspondent Arwa Damon got exclusive access to the al-Asad base and spoke with troops about moments leading up to the attack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These were living quarters, sleeping quarters, the troops that lived here lost everything. There was very little if anything that was salvageable because there was also a fire that ended up raging here for a few hours after the missile impacted in this particular area.

The reason why no one was killed, not here, not in any of the other locations of impact is because there was advanced warning. We don't know what, we don't know how that is very sensitive information. But we are told that hours before the attack even began, they knew something was happening. They just did not know specifically what it was going to be. So precautions were taken by 11:00 pm.

Troops who could hunker down or hunker down in bunker, some of them in Saddam-era bunkers. Others who had to man their posts because of the security situation. They were still out there. And then the strikes began at about 1:34 in the morning. This is the crater left behind by one of them. There are so many stories that we're hearing of heroic, so many stories that we're hearing a really extraordinary close calls.

Those who lived through this say that it's clear that Iran wasn't that concerned with trying to save us lives. A lot of these impacts did happen in places where they could potentially have caused significant U.S. casualties and this is Lieutenant Colonel Staci Coleman; we've been speaking all day.

And I mean, you were telling us what was that night like?

How do you even begin to describe it?

LT. COL. STACI COLEMAN, U.S. AIR FORCE: It's very hard to describe it. I will tell you, it was extremely scary. Some of my team and myself were hunkered down and one of those bunkers. And when the first wave started hitting you could feel the shockwave.

And even inside the bunker, the pressure was so strong that we watched our bunker doors sinking towards the inside of the bunker and then escape back out.

About seven of the impacts were in very close proximity to where we will hunker down and like I said, you could feel every last one of the shockwaves it was extremely scary.

DAMON: And very lucky or was it the training, the precautions that were taken that there were no U.S. casualties?

COLEMAN: I'd say it was all of -- I say it was a combination of God looking out for us. It was a combination of, you know, the little bit of Intel and advanced warning that we got. And then it was the smart commanders on the ground making on-spot decisions to get people out of harm's way.

DAMON: And how do you begin to describe or I mean, what this was like? And then, of course, what kind of security precautions you're having to take now given the situation?

COLEMAN: This was -- like I said, we knew something was happening, but we didn't know exactly what. As the time grew closer, we kind of thought we had an indication of what it might be, but we still weren't certain. So we had advanced warning that there may be some rockets followed by a base incursion. And so we had to keep our security forces out to make sure that that we were safe from that.

So there were a good number of folks out along the perimeter and within the airfield keeping it secure.

DAMON: Out there on the perimeter, keeping it secure while these missiles are coming in.

COLEMAN: Yes, they were outside during every last one missile strikes.

DAMON: Well, it would seem that it was very fortunate. And also as we've been saying because of this advance warning that exist, because of these precautions that were taken, there is this sense that -- well, this phase of what is unfolding has concluded. Everyone here is still very much on high alert -- Arwa Damon, CNN, Al-Asad Airbase, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: The U.S. says it's going to expel more than a dozen Saudi serviceman training in the U.S. This news following an investigation into last month's deadly shooting at an air base in Florida.

[03:15:00]

HOLMES: Authorities say a Saudi air force officer killed three American sailors before police shot and killed him. Some of those being expelled are said to have connections to extremist movements but they are not accused of aiding the shooter.

We will take a short break. When we come back Australia's prime minister is speaking out and he has got some regrets. Hear what he's saying now after weeks of backlash as deadly bush fires rage; we are live in Australia coming up.

Also the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have outlined their exit strategy but the next step is to get the royal family on board. What's next for Prince Harry and wife, Meghan.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HOLMES: Amid heavy criticism, the Australian prime minister Scott Morrison now says he could've handled aspects of his response to the bush fire crisis, quote, "much better." The admission comes as fires claimed the life of another firefighter, increasing the number of people killed to at least 28.

But there is some reprieve in the hardhit state of New South Wales, where cooler conditions are easing matters somewhat. Will Ripley is in New South Wales in the town of Nowra; he joins us live.

Will, you've been talking to American firefighters who have come in.

What have they said in a comparative sense about what they've seen in Australia?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In terms of the fire itself, in many ways, the terrain here in Australia is described as somewhat similar to the fires you see in southern California with one big difference: the scale and size of it.

I spoke with an American firefighter with more than 20 years of experience, another with more than 30 years of experience. Everyone that I've spoken to have said they've never seen a fire this large. That, of course, speaks to the new reality, around the world, that fires are happening with greater size and greater intensity than ever before.

Another important thing to note, I believe, is that there is this agreement between the United States and Australia to share resources in times of crisis like this. In fact, a lot of the Australian firefighters that I met here today have traveled to the United States, sometimes multiple times, to places like Montana, California, Oregon, where there have been major fires that they have responded to.

They were obviously there to fight the fires but they also enjoyed the cultural interaction. Now the Americans are expressing the same thing. They arrived at the airport, they were applauded; firefighters have told me that anyone walking around the streets, when people hear they hear them talk and realize they're from the United States, the first thing they do is come up and say thank you.

So they feel a heartfelt appreciation for the work they are doing here. They also feel that they are helping to make a difference because there is a sense of urgency, given the fact that even the weather conditions are offering a reprieve right now. If things heat up, fires could spark right back up again.

[03:20:00]

RIPLEY: And the fire season still has a month and a half or longer to go.

HOLMES: It is still far from over, good to have you there on the spot, Will. Will Ripley there in Nowra, a lovely town by the way.

At least nine people are dead after a dangerous storm system battered parts of the United States, more than 20 million people under a flood watch. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power across several states. The storm also spawning several tornadoes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HOLMES (voice-over): We'll take a break. When we come back, that family meeting for the British royals after Prince Harry and Meghan's announcement throws the palace into crisis. (INAUDIBLE). We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:25:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HOLMES: Welcome back.

The British royal family will have a big meeting on Monday to discuss the future of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex within the House of Windsor. Buckingham Palace has been in crisis mode since the couple's stunning decision to step back from royal duties. CNN's Anna Stewart reports for us from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ever since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention to step back as senior members of the royal family, crisis talks have been underway within the royal household.

The queen herself instructing that these happen at pace. But palace sources told CNN that these talks may soon bear fruit. The meeting is set at Sandringham, the queen's estate, on Monday.

It will be attended by Her Majesty, Prince Charles, prince William and Prince Harry. Notably absent will be Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex; she returned to Canada shortly after the shock announcement earlier in the week.

She is expected to be dialing in to this meeting from Canada. A range of possibilities will be discussed at the meeting. Although talks have happened very fast, the implementation of any one of these plans we're told will take some time.

Opinion in the U.K. has been highly divided over the Duke and Duchess' decision. Also the way they communicated it to the public and to the royal family. Critics of the Duke and Duchess say they should not be able to earn money independently and retain royal titles.

Some say they should have to pay rent on their Grace and Favor home in Windsor, perhaps they should also have to pay security costs as well, they're likely to balloon if they live between the U.K. and North America.

Many people also say however that they should do whatever they want and live wherever they like. In the past, any royal family member that has stepped down or stepped aside has been due to scandal or divorce. So we are in uncharted territory here. However the crown appears determined to navigate it and move on -- Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES: Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM and spending part of your time with me, I'm Michael Holmes and I will have your headlines in just a moment.