Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

FBI Releases Dramatic Videos from January 6 Riot; Former Afghan Translator Faces Deportation from U.S.; Container Ship That Blocked the Suez Canal Finally Set to Sail. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 07, 2021 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:32:42]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: More than four million people in Florida are under a hurricane warning at this hour as Tropical Storm Elsa takes aim at the northeastern Gulf Coast. Those warnings are staying in effect even as Elsa weakened to a tropical storm early Wednesday morning. Elsa is expected to make landfall within the next few hours in Florida's Big Bend area. Forecasters are warning of a potentially deadly storm surge along with heavy winds, rain and a chance of tornados.

Well, six months now since the January 6 insurrection in Washington and we are getting a look at dramatic new video from that riot at the U.S. Capitol.

CNN's Brian Todd has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Exactly six months sense that horrific day.

TODD: Riot police just kind of came to the foot of the steps and moved more rioters off the steps.

TODD (Voice-over): The Justice Department releasing more new video from January 6, this time showing the moments that D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone's badge and radio were stolen from him. Moments when Fanone is being severely beaten. The video shows a rioter's left hand grabbing the badge, then the right hand grabbing his radio by the antenna. Other new video just released shows rioters harassing guards, chasing them down a hallway, threatening the guards before the rioters break into a Senate chamber.

This comes as more than a dozen current and former U.S. Capitol Police officers, security officials, lawmakers and aides tell CNN that six months after the insurrection, not nearly enough has been done to address the security failures exposed by the Capitol attack. Sources tell CNN the U.S. Capitol Police Department still needs a cultural and operational overhaul and morale is really low. Since January 6, the Capitol Hill police have lost an average of three officers a week, quote, "We're losing guys left and right," one officer told CNN. CHARLES RAMSEY, FORMER PHILADELPHIA POLICE COMMISSIONER: Part of the

morale issue is the fact that they just didn't feel like they were prepared. And so what leadership is going to have to do is really communicate with the rank-and-file and reassure them that, you know, there are changes being put in place. But people need to see the changes, they need to feel the changes.

TODD: Meanwhile, threats against lawmakers have gone up this year. And over the past few weeks, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have warned of potential violence this summer, tied to false conspiracy theories that former President Trump will return to office in August.

[04:35:10]

RAMSEY: Some of those folks are dangerous. And so you can't take it lightly. That's part of what the Capitol Police has to be able to do and not just to be able to shore up the building.

TODD: The heavy security fencing around the Capitol has been gradually scaled back. Outer fencing was removed by the end of March. And there are reports the current fencing will be taken down in the coming days.

In the investigation, Justice officials say more than 535 people have now been arrested in connection with breaching the Capitol, assaults and other charges. Significant conspiracy cases are being built against members of far-right extremist groups, including the Oath Keepers.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: The Oath Keepers are people that the Justice Department says worked together to arrange for guns to be planted around Washington, D.C. primarily at hotels -- in a hotel in Virginia across the river. And that they move together, members of this group got together to come to the Capitol on January 6.

TODD (on-camera): But there are still hundreds of rioters who have not yet been identified by law enforcement. And the dragnet for them is still in full force. And the suspect who planted two pipe bombs near the Capitol the night before the riot still has not been apprehended. Law enforcement experts telling us they are concerned that person might try to strike again.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: When it comes to the Capitol riots, Republicans have falsely blamed Antifa, Black Lives Matter, even the FBI. But most Republican lawmakers have voted against an independent investigation in both the House and Senate. Democrats have established a select committee and they say there must accountability.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STACEY PASKETT (D), U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRATIC DELEGATE: This was an attack on the Congress. This was an attack on our House. And who are we as members of the House if we do not try and protect our House. If we do not utilize the power that is invested in us, the responsibility that we have to ensure that individuals who not only attacked the Capitol but attacked our democratic institution and our democratic process are brought to justice.

REP. JASON CROW (D-CO): There has to be accountability of this. It doesn't matter what Trump's enablers or those who want to sweep this under the rug want to try to say happened, we all know what happened and there is plenty of video, there's plenty of eyewitness accounts, and it's extremely painful for especially those officers who were beaten so brutally, one lost his life, another one took his life shortly after the event, so thinking about them and their families and the way people are trying to gloss over it is a very painful thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Time is running out for thousands of translators who worked with the U.S. in Afghanistan. They risk being hunted down by the Taliban unless the U.S. can relocate them. One translator made it to the U.S. years ago but now faces deportation all because of a piece of bread.

CNN's Omar Jimenez has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZALMAY NIAZY, FORMER AFGHAN INTERPRETER: You have engaged in a terrorist activity.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A short sentence that could end up being a death sentence.

JIMENEZ (On-camera): How did that make you feel?

NIAZY: It blow my mind. How can they say that? Just they should have told me that you don't deserve to live in this great country.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Zalmay Niazy or Zy as he's known worked as an Afghan interpreter for the U.S. Military for roughly two years starting in 2007 and came to the United States in 2014 making a home for himself in Iowa.

NIAZY: I just want to be alive.

JIMENEZ: But his story started much earlier when the 33-year-old was just 9. And he says he and other kids were forced by the Taliban to get them bread.

NIAZY: A motorcycle stopped right by our house and there were five, six of us, and said every one of you are going home and bring a piece of bread. Otherwise we will burn this house and we will do this. And I was scared. I had to. I thought I was a hero. I protected my family. And the bread was not bigger than a cellphone.

JIMENEZ: Zy told that story during his asylum interview with U.S. officials and now the United States says he engaged in terrorist activity. Niazy suspects they're referring to the bread incident.

NIAZY: I applied for political asylum, it's my right. I want to be alive.

JIMENEZ: His future in the U.S. is in question. Years after that interview, the Homeland Security Department sent him this document saying, "This is not a denial of your asylum application, but your asylum application has been referred to an immigration judge for adjudication and removal proceedings."

The immigration judge will evaluate your asylum claim independently and is not required to follow the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services evaluation that Niazy had engaged in terrorist activity.

[04:40:04]

KEITH HERTING, PARTNER, HERTING LAW: What they'll do is instead say rather than deciding whether or not you meet all the statutory requirements for an asylum, we're going to say that you aren't eligible to walk into the country in the first place.

JIMENEZ: Back in Afghanistan, Zy says the Taliban still threatens his family. They killed his uncle.

NIAZY: I couldn't see that picture. It was always a shock for me.

JIMENEZ: Now he fears he may suffer the same fate if the Biden administration deports him back to Afghanistan.

NIAZY: By the U.S. government I got tagged a terrorist. By the Taliban, I got tagged a U.S. spy. I am human, too. I want to be alive.

JIMENEZ (on-camera): If you were sitting across from President Biden right now, what would you say to him?

NIAZY: You are the leader and promises made but the promises have to be kept.

JIMENEZ (on-camera): Now President Biden has said that Afghan interpreters who risked their lives for the U.S. are welcome here. Separately when we asked the United States Citizen and Immigration Services about Niazy's case, they told us asylum applications are confidential and they don't discuss what is inside them.

Moving forward, Niazy awaits a court date with an immigration judge but his attorney says even if they lose, they will appeal because at their core they believe his life is worth more than a piece of bread.

Omar Jimenez, CNN, Des Moines, Iowa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, the journey resumes after a four-month delay. Coming up, the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal is finally ready to move on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The container ship that blocked the Suez Canal for six days back in March is finally set to leave Egypt. The owner of the ship and the insurers reached an undisclosed compensation agreement with the Canal Authority. The Ever Given is one of the world's largest container ships. It became wedged diagonally across a stretch of the Canal disrupting global trade.

[04:45:07]

And Ben Wedeman has details now from Beirut.

And Ben, of course we all remember all those extraordinary images. So how was this resolved and what is the latest?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, at the moment there's -- we're on standby for a ceremony where the agreement will be signed between the insurers and the Suez Canal Authority to finally settle this matter. Now in March, the Ever Given blocked the canal for six days/ Causing quite a crisis in international shipping but, it was resolved relatively quickly.

So all is good -- all is well that ends well. Now, there was a good deal of bickering between the Egyptian authorities and the insurers. Initially Egypt was demanding $916 from Ever Given's insurance company. That included $300 million for the salvage effort and $300 million for the reputational damage to the Suez Canal Authority. Eventually the Egyptians lowered their demand to $550 million. The insurance company counteroffered with $150 million. But because of the terms of the agreement that was finally worked out, the actual sum of the settlement we still do not know.

Now in theory, at some point this afternoon this 400-meter-long ship will continue its voyage up north to the Mediterranean and eventually to the Dutch harbor of Rotterdam. Now it contains around 18,000 containers with a value of almost $800 million. And this incident as I said was resolved relatively quickly, but it underscored just how vulnerable world trade is to this almost 200-kilometer-long water way linking the Red Sea with the Mediterranean -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: And no doubt lessons were learned. Ben Wedeman joining us live from Beirut, many thanks.

Well, U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to meet with key security leaders Wednesday to discuss the latest major cyberattack. The White House is moving quickly to finalize a government-wide strategy on how to respond to ransomware attacks that would deter companies from paying out to cyber criminals.

Now this comes as the Biden administration is grappling with a significant ransomware attack on the U.S. firm Kaseya by hackers believed to be based in Russia. The White House says it's in contact with high-level Russian officials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: As the president made clear to President Putin when they met, if the Russian government cannot or will not take action against criminal actors residing in Russia, we will take action or reserve the right to take action on our own.

The intelligence community has not yet attributed the attack. The cybersecurity community agrees that REvil operates out of Russia with affiliates around the world so we will continue to allow that assessment to continue.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, the first game of the NBA Finals has wrapped and one team just earned its first victory there in decades. That plus an upset at Wimbledon and a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the European Championship. That's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:52:46]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar has died at the age of 98. He passed away in Mumbai after a long illness. Kumar is being remembered for his great contribution to Indian cinema. He because one of Bollywood's biggest stars by the 1950s and went on to receive eight Film Fair Awards for Best Actor.

We are following new developments in Britney Spears' legal battle to obtain control of her finances. The pop star's court appointed attorney has submitted a petition to resign. He's represented Spears throughout her 13-year conservatorship. His resignation comes nearly two weeks after the singer's explosive testimony where she called the conservatorship abusive. Spears' longtime manager also resigned Tuesday saying the singer intends to retire.

Well, the Olympic journey to Tokyo has come to an end for Sha'Carri Richardson. USA Track and Field revealed their Olympic roster Tuesday and the sprinter's name was not on it. She had hoped to perform in the 4x100 meter relay because the one-month suspension she recently received for a positive THC test would have ended before that event in Tokyo. But the U.S. team says all athletes must adhere to the current World Anti-Doping Code even though they argued the rules regarding THC should be re-evaluated.

Richardson had previously secured her trip to Tokyo for her signature 100-meter dash event, but was disqualified because of the suspension.

Well, Richardson isn't the only black female athlete facing challenges ahead of the Olympics. In recent weeks, the governing body for aquatic sports refused to allow the use of a swimming cap designed for natural black hair during international competitions. A U.S. Olympic hammer thrower was also criticized for protesting during the playing of the national anthem. And two Namibian sprinters were ruled ineligible to compete in a race due to naturally high testosterone levels. Some experts say it all shows how sports policies failed to take into account athletes of color and the dehumanization that black women and girls sometimes face.

[04:55:10]

Well, the NBA Finals are under way with game one in the books and basketball isn't alone. Several major sports leagues around the world are heading into the final stretches of competition.

CNN's Patrick Snell has that in our "Minute in Sports" -- Patrick.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, thank you. We start with game one action from the NBA Finals with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns going head-to-head. And Greek superstar Giannis was fit to start for this one, 20 points on the night for him for the Bucks. The Suns' Chris Paul meantime with a night to remember, 32 points (INAUDIBLE) as the Suns secured their first win in the NBA Finals since 1993.

Joy and elation for Italian football this Wednesday as Roberto Mancini's men booking their spots in Sunday's final of the European Football championship against either Denmark or England. Just under 58,000 inside of Wembley for this first semifinal against Spain. Federico Chiesa with a superb strike for the Italians who would go on to win it on penalties. England meantime have never won the European Championships. The English, though, in fine spirits after their big 4- nil win over the Ukraine in the quarters as they prepare to take on the Danes later today.

To the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, and the women's semifinals are set. Four men's quarter finals will be taking center stage as well later today. Among them Swiss legend Roger Federer taking on Poland's Hubert Hurkacz. a surprise winner on Tuesday over Russian star Daniil Medvedev.

And with that, Rosemary, it's back to you.

CHURCH: Thank you so much, Patrick. Appreciate it.

And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Be sure to connect with me on Twitter @RosemaryCNN. "EARLY START" is next. You're watching CNN. Have a great day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:00:00]