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New Developments on the Hunt for Moise's Assassins; New COVID Milestone; England Reaches First Football Final in Over 50 Years; IOC President Arrives Tokyo Ahead of Games; War in Afghanistan; Afghan Translators Now Targets of the Taliban; Saving Seahorses from Bottom Trawling; Rescue Efforts Transition to Recovery Operation; Container Ship that Blocked Suez Canal Resumes Journey. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired July 08, 2021 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:33]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Paula Newton.
Coming up right here on CNN NEWSROOM:
Late-breaking developments on the search for the Haitian president's assassins. Why this couldn't come at a worst time for Haiti.
A devastating COVID milestone as countries continue to open back up. Why the head of the World Health Organization says it's just too soon to relax.
Plus -- jubilation on the streets of London, as the three alliance marked a historic win.
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NEWTON: New details are emerging from the shocking assassination of Haiti's president. The country's ambassador to the U.S. says police have now killed several suspected attackers and arrested two others. Now, we are now told they are foreigners. But the motive for the assassination and who's behind it remain a mystery.
Images just posted online appeared to show the security operations at the president's home in Port-au-Prince after he was gunned down. We also reportedly have audio from the moments the killing unfolded.
Now, CNN can't confirm its authenticity, the frames you are about to see our black but the voices you will hear -- they're raising questions. The Americans on the accent is from someone who reportedly claimed to be from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: DEA operations, everybody back up, stand down. DEA operations, everybody back up, stand down.
(END AUDIO CLIP) NEWTON: Now, the U.S. has denied any involvement in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise and Haiti's U.S. envoy says it's believed mercenaries were impersonating, as that the DEA.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOCCHIT EDMOND, HAITIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: We can't say for certain those were professional killers. It was a well-orchestrated attack against the president. I wish I had known the motivations behind this senseless act of killing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, Haiti's first lady, Martine Moise, was also shot during the attack and has been airlifted to Florida for treatment. She's reportedly in critical but stable condition.
Right now, Haiti remains under a state of siege, which means martial law has been imposed and national borders such as one of the Dominican Republic are now closed. The president's assassination happened against a backdrop of political instability as well as extreme violence in the Haitian capital.
Melissa Bell breaks it down for us.
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The assassination brings to an end the turbulent rule of Haiti's president, Jovenel Moise, but leaves the impoverished Caribbean nation in turmoil.
For months, there have been protests around the country demanding Moise -- the President held on to power while the opposition claimed his continued rule was unconstitutional. His critics argued that according to Haiti's constitution, his five-year term as president started the day he was elected rather than the day he took office. But Moise is argued it was a year later that marked the true beginning.
Both the U.S. and the U.N. supported his claim to remain in power. But there had been widespread concern when Moise failed to hold legislative elections in 2019, leaving the country without a functioning government. And a constitutional referendum postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic still hasn't taken place. Moise's presidency was plagued with a number of other problems.
U.N. officials say the country has been rocked by an uptick in kidnappings for ransom and a wave of criminal violence in recent months fueled by armed gangs. Thousands were forced to flee their homes as shootings and arson spread across Port-au-Prince in June. The continued political instability has left Haiti's economy in shambles. The COVID pandemic contributed to a contraction of nearly four percent of the nation's GDP last year.
And a spike in COVID cases has prompted a new state of emergency.
[01:05:03]
All of this leading to a humanitarian crisis. According to the World Bank, nearly 60 percent of Haitians live below the poverty line. To make matters worse, Haiti is prone to natural disasters. The country never fully recovered from the catastrophic 2010 earthquake that killed over 200,000 people. And in 2016, Hurricane Matthew left hundreds dead and nearly 200,000 displaced.
As the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has a long history of dictatorships and coups. Now the assassination of its president leaves the country's future in doubt.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Jake Johnston is A Senior Research Associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. He's also the lead author of their blog, Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watch. And he joins me now from Washington.
Good to have you here, Jake, for your analysis.
It really was a shocking turn of events. If you look at what happened on their face, extraordinary even by Haitian standards, and that's saying something, but kind of try and take a step back for us and let us know what was going on in Haiti before this incident.
JAKE JOHNSTON, SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, CENTER FOR ECONOMIC AND POLICY RESEARCH: Yes, and thanks for having me. You know, so I think it's true. You know, many are sort of looking today at Haiti for the first time, right? But I think, you know, it's really important to understand that this is something that has been developing and ongoing for months and even years, right, in a context of near total media silence, right?
And so really beginning in 2018, you saw the rise of this unprecedented movement against corruption, nationwide protests, targeting officials from both Moise administration, as well as his predecessor, Michel Martelly's government, that government was met with brutal repression.
And since 2018, there have been at least 12 massacres in Port-au- Prince, right? They've largely targeted neighborhoods that were the center of these protests. And you've had local human rights organizations, as well as the United Nations document links between these armed civilian groups that have perpetrated the massacres with state officials, including police, former and current and government ministers, right?
Just last week, a prominent anti-corruption activist and a journalist were assassinated. And this has all been met with glaring impunity, right? So when you talk to Haitians who may be shocked but not surprised, you know, this is why, right? Haitians have been living every day in fear of their lives.
NEWTON: Yes, and as you said, glaring impunity. Certainly it was repressive and had been for quite a few years. And yet then we have this event. The big question is, who could possibly be behind this and why?
JOHNSTON: You know, look, I think, you know, it's really early to tell. There's a lot that we still don't know, there's a lot of unknowns, a lot of information still coming out, and a lot of fake news and rumors that are circulating rapidly, right? I think, you know, there's a number of dynamics to keep in mind here, right? Obviously, that there's been a conflict between the political opposition and the Haitian government, the Haitian president for some time now over a contested mandate, many of whom in Haiti consider his -- the president's mandate to have ended last February, right?
So there's been this political crisis brewing for some time. But I think it's really important to note that, you know, there are plenty of other fissures within the Haitian government and within the Haitian elite, right? And it's, you know, again, there's plenty of people who would have the means and certainly the motivation to have done this. The President has made a number of enemies in the last number of years.
NEWTON: Yes, just bizarre events, though, in terms of trying to figure out the motivation that is behind this. It has to be said, and we say it every time when we talk about Haiti, right, poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, just so close to American shores. And, you know, the title of your of your blog, we talk about reconstruction, something that Haiti has not been able to do really for decades. Was this really, in terms of the stagnation, had things really been getting even worse in the last few years in Haiti?
JOHNSTON: You know, well, look, I mean, I know, you know, every report about Haiti has to include the line that it's the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, right? I think a far more relevant fact is it's positioned as the first, you know, nation founded after a successful slave revolt, the first nation to successfully and permanently abolish slavery in 1804, right? And it's a country that has paid dearly for that historic achievement for centuries, right?
And when you look at the current environment in Haiti, the current situation in Haiti, it's impossible not to look at the role of international actors in bringing the situation to the current, you know, floor.
And I think, you know, again, you know, you look at Haiti, and many will look at recent events and declare Haiti must be a failed state, right? You know, I'd argue what we are seeing is really something else, you know, in aid state, a state that has been shaped as much by foreign intervention and foreign interference than by the Haitian population itself.
Really in previous decades, and since the Haitian earthquake in 2010, you've seen the virtual outsourcing of the entire public administration, NGOs, church groups and development organizations.
[01:10:08]
The Haitian police has largely been under international management for 20 years, right? So I think if anything has failed, you know, it's been this intervention of these foreign actors in Haiti. And I think, right now, after this tragic event, we see a lot of people calling for another intervention, right? I think this is entirely misguided, you know. It's Haitians who will be determining their future and Haitians who should be empowered to do so. And I think a solution imposed from abroad, you know, has failed in the past and is likely to do so in the future.
NEWTON: Yes, many have commented that the billions of dollars that was sent there from reconstruction after the earthquake would have been better spent in the hands of Haitians themselves. I have to leave it there now, Jake, but this is a continuing story, and I thank you for your -- lending your expertise.
JOHNSTON: Thanks for having me.
NEWTON: Now, former South African President Jacob Zuma is now in custody, police say he handed himself over late Wednesday just before a midnight deadline authorities would've harassed him. Zuma was sentenced last week to 15 months in prison for contempt of court by failing to appear at an inquiry into alleged corruption during his years in power. He denies his allegations and his lawyers challenged his sentence.
Football fans and rightfully so jubilant on the streets of London as England heads to the Euro 2020 final. More than 60,000 people packed Wembley Stadium to see the home team beat Denmark 2-1 in extra time. Next up, England versus Italy in Sunday's championship match.
CNN World Sport anchor Patrick Snell is watching it all with more than a little pride and interest I'd say. It's coming home, I guess? Or for this match?
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Well, it might. We'll have to see come Sunday when they take on the Italian national team, Paula. But, yes, allow me a smile at least. A wonderful season. If you're a fan of England, this is when it comes to football and the highest accolades in the game, it's very much a success starved nation, ever since they won the 1966 World Cup.
That was some achievement. But they've not been to a major final since. It was standing ovation of the fans there but the story of the game against a wonderful Denmark team really have won many international plaudits. It's the way they really equipped themselves when you consider happened to Christian Eriksen earlier in the tournament.
But England getting the job done here, too. One, they did fall behind a wonderful goal we call down scarred putting the Denmark ahead. But England will level, thanks to an on goal from Simon Kaer, and then it will be Harry Kane with a penalty. It was a contentious penalty I've had to say. He saw his initial effort saved by Kasper Schmeichel. It was on hand to tuck away the rebound and send England, looking at there, says it all. England and the fans into raptures, let's hear from Kane right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HARRY KANE, ENGLAND CAPTAIN: Well, I mean, they've got one more game to go. A fantastic tournament it's been so far. Different type of win today. We have to dig deep against a very good Denmark side. We got the job done. So, of course, one opportunity been Wembley for the final of our first European championship as a nation.
We've enjoyed this one. But of course the focus turns to Sunday. We recovered well and we should be prepared for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Yeah, got the job done indeed. Let's get back to these images from central London, because they are very powerful indeed.
Those English fans letting their hair down shall we say there and why not? No team has been through veil underachieving over decades, there's no question about that. I said earlier on World Sport, a victory more than half a century in the making Paul.
It won't be easy against the Italian national team. They're wonderfully coached by Robert Mancini. They are looking to win the tournament. They have huge inspiration. They looking to win the tournament for the second time in their history and the first since 1968.
Of course, they didn't qualify for the last World Cup. They have that as extra motivation. It's going to be a huge game on Sunday at Wembley. And, by the way, on Wednesday at Wembley, Paula, close to 65,000 fans inside the stadium there. Wonderful to see.
Back to you.
NEWTON: Yeah, what a post-COVID homecoming it is, and its' going to be quite a match on Sunday.
Patrick, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Now, with Euro 2020 and the Copa America wrapping up this weekend, the World Cup is tournament is up next, just 500 days away, if you can believe it. Is Qatar ready to host?
Becky Anderson speaks exclusively to the two people making it happen. That's Friday at 6 30 p.m. in Doha, and 4 30 p.m. in London, right here on CNN.
Now of major decision looms in Japan meantime.
[01:15:01]
We're waiting to see if the state of emergency will be extended in Tokyo. What that could mean for the Olympic Games just weeks away.
Plus, celebrations on the streets of New York. Coming up, one of the hardest hit cities early on in the pandemic is now honoring its essential workers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: More than 4 million people worldwide have now died from COVID-19. This latest milestone a stubborn reminder of the toll of the pandemic.
Now, according to John Hopkins University, there are nearly 8,000 deaths per day globally over the past week, a pace that is 57 percent higher than this time last year. That really is sobering to listen to that.
The U.S., Brazil and India make up more than a 3rd of all global COVID deaths. And as the dangerous delta variant now spreads, the head of the World Health Organization has this warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, W.H.O. DIRECTOR-GENERAL: The world is at perilous point in this pandemic. Some countries with high vaccination coverage are now planning to rollout booster shots in the coming months. They are dropping social measured and relaxing as though the pandemic is already over. However, compounded by fast moving variants and choking equity in vaccination, far too many countries in every region of the world are seeing sharp spikes in cases and hospitalizations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, several countries in Asia are seeing a concerning rise in COVID-19 infections. South Korea, Indonesia and China have all reported spikes in cases over the last few days, largely driven by the rapid spread of the delta variant.
CNN's Paula Hancocks has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you take a snapshot of Asian and looking at coronavirus than the pictures not particularly pretty at this point. We are seeing increasing daily cases. Particularly in places that have dealt very well over recent months with the pandemic.
The likes of Australia, for example, they have had low cases, largely because they have effectively shot themselves off from the rest of the world. What we're seeing now is that Sydney is extending its lockdown for another week, that will be until July 16th. That was one unvaccinated driver which picked up the delta variant from a flight crew and that is how that outbreak spread. The vaccination rate is very slow and very low in Australia, at this point.
China as well is recording its highest cases since January, 57 new cases. This specifically in China what they said is that the locally transmitted cases are from a region, a city which borders Myanmar. They believe that there are people coming across the border trying to escape fighting in Myanmar and bringing the COVID variants with them.
[01:20:06] Local authorities saying that they will try to make the restrictions tighter to stop people crossing that border. Indonesia is once again recording record highs in both cases and also deaths. The restrictions across the country have been extended and expanded. We understand today.
We did speak to people on the ground many said that it is extremely difficult to try to get relatives into hospital, and we're seeing a similar situation to what we saw in India, potentially not as bad but the fact that even if you get a hospital bed, quite often you are asked to bring your own oxygen. It appears that there is a shortage of oxygen there.
Now we know that the government is saying that they are trying to prepare extra beds to take the strain off the system.
Finally in South Korea, we see more than 1,200 new cases being recorded there. In the greater Seoul area, it is actually the highest number that we have seen since the pandemic began. Health officials saying that it is clusters involving those in their twenties and thirties.
Now, what we are seeing which is uniform across three of those countries is that the vaccination rates are particularly low. They have had a slow rollout, and now they are struggling and rushing to get their vaccination rates up to deal with this delta variant.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, South Wales.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: So, Japan is seeing a rise in COVID cases and that comes just ahead of the Olympics. There are now only 15 days until the start of the Tokyo
games and we are waiting to see if they will extend their emergency state for the capital city.
Now, the IOC president is expected to arrive at any moment now, a sign organizers are still pushing ahead with the games.
CNN's Will Ripley joins me now live from Tokyo.
I mean, this is significant not just because the cases are rising but the implications for Japanese hospitals, quite frankly, and, of course, for the games.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you have Tokyo seeing its highest case numbers and case numbers going up consecutively over the past two and half weeks at a time where they're going to be thousands of people from hundreds of countries converging on the Japanese capital in the days and weeks ahead of Tokyo 2020.
Now this announcement that a state of emergency will likely be declared for Tokyo and other prefectures later today by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, this is after he meets with his advisory board. Local media and news outlets are reporting that this is going to happen. It is going to mean that likely spectators, even local spectators, because foreign spectators were banned, but local spectators may be banned for most events and only special guest will be allowed, which would including dignitaries, and that sort of thing.
It is a huge blow to organizers who had been hoping that they could have 50 percent capacity, up to 10,000 people. They spent billions of dollars building an Olympic stadium in other venues that are going to sit largely empty, Paula, for the duration of the Olympic because that's how long the state of emergency is likely to be in effect, local media is reporting.
NEWTON: You think about all the planning, over the years, and I know you were there for so many of them, and now as you said no fans, definitely know foreigners and even know locals.
Will, you arrived in Tokyo to help us with our coverage, just give us a sense of what the protocols are like. How did you get in, and what you have to go through to be safe while you are there?
RIPLEY: I have to tell you, I have never had to go through as many hoops, even on trips to North Korea than I did to get to this trip in Tokyo, Paula, it's been extraordinary.
Yeah, you know, you have 4 days before the flight, you take a COVID test, 72 hours before, it has to be at a Japanese government-approved testing center, so you shop at the airport with this big stack of paperwork, they then carefully go through it, they go through every detail, someone came over to me and I had to download an app and fill an online heath questionnaire.
That was just to get on the flight. And it was empty. It was side to arrive and see all that has been billed, and yet it is eerily silent. And you had dozens of staff members, for every person who was passing through. Multiple locations where they check your paperwork, then you go and you take a COVID test, I had to take a COVID test every day, yesterday I took one, today I took one and I will continue doing that for the next week.
I have to stay in this hotel for 14 days, operating in a bubble with my team before we can get out into the field and pick venues. It is a lot of measures that are in place to try to prevent COVID from coming into the country, making a bad situation already worse.
NEWTON: Yeah, which unfortunately is a lot of medical professionals in Japan, outside of Japan, are worried what that will mean.
Will, it's good to have you on the ground and follow the games. We appreciate it.
Thousands of health care and essential workers are heard in the street of New York Wednesday, the city held a ticker tape parade to celebrate the hometown heroes who worked tirelessly and boy did they ever throughout the pandemic, while New York City was one of the first COVID epicenters in the U.S., it now reports its lowest rate of infections since the tracking began. Now, Colombia is rejecting some reforms recommended by the inter
American commission on human rights, it looked into government protests that rattled the country for more than 2 months this year. The Colombian government said no to separating its national police from the defense minister which the commission suggested.
The same goes for a recommendation to set up a new way to monitor human rights in Colombia. Now, as Stefano Pozzebon reports, the nation still bears deep emotional scars from the violence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST (voice-over): The night of May 1s, everything changed for Marlin Nino and her family, in the midst of a violet wave of protests that shook Colombia for 2 months, protests are triggered by tax reforms that evolved into broader movements against income inequality and police brutality. Nino's brother, Brayan, was hit by a gas canister shot from a police vehicle, according to preliminary investigations by the Colombian attorney's office. Witnesses told CNN they tried to revive Brian on the spot and took him to the hospital, but the 24-year-old protester was pronounced dead soon afterwards.
MARLIN NINO, SISTER OF BRAYAN NINO: In that moment I couldn't put myself together, the only thing I did was call my aunt and I told her my brother, my brother. They killed my brother. And then I was in shock.
POZZEBON: More than two months later, a police major is in custody in being investigated for Nino's death. But Marlin fears that it won't be enough and soon another family will have to mourn a loved one. Brian's case is one of hundreds of accusations against the police investigated by the commission of human rights, as part of a full inquiry into human rights abuses during Colombia's protests.
The inquiry found that the Colombian authorities up employed lethal force in several occasions that resulted in injuries, and in one case, the death of a protester. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Colombia's justice minister will soon raise a plan to zero tolerance for police abuse, but stopped short of supporting structural reforms.
First, we need to understand what really happened there and would cause the death. That is what our investigation and justice minister is for. And I welcome the investigation from attorneys to clear the facts in front of the country. As justice minister, I can assure you that we will never support murder.
The support is calling for full transparency over the issue of police violence, much of that will depend on the attorney general's office, they are the ones investigating the allegations. Whether they're able to bring the perpetrators in justice will have an impact far behind the court.
Mistrusts of Colombia's institutions dates back to more than 50 years of civil war. The government now claims left wing guerillas have filtrated marches to seek chaos, an accusation the Punta's (ph) movement firmly denies. But the time has come for a deeper reckoning says Ingrid Betancourt, a former presidential candidate was keeping up by rebel guerrillas and held for over 6 years.
INGRID BETANCOURT, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is part of what we could've expected, introducing people from the world to the civil society, and that we needed to adjust our institutions and now that people don't hear the sound of gun machines they want to be in the streets protesting for the rights.
POZZEBON: In 2016, Colombia embarked on a journey towards peace. But five years after the official resolution of armed conflict, the peaceful transition is yet to be fully realized.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Once praised by U.S. forces now denied a visa for, quote, lack of faithful service. One Afghan translator lives in fear that the Taliban will kill his family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they catch me, they're going to kill me, they're going to kill my kids, and they're going to kill my wife to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: And he is far from the only one, will have the story of the Afghans the U.S. has left behind. After spending months in Egypt, the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal is finally moving on to its next destination. We'll have an update, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:32:24]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Fighting in Afghanistan continues to intensify as the Taliban push for territorial gains in the north. Now, on Wednesday Taliban forces invaded the capitol of northwestern province of the Badghis. But the governor posted a video online claiming the city was safe despite gunfire in the background and reports of a prison break.
Now farther to the east Afghan Special Forces attempted to secure the capital of Kunduz as Taliban fighters reached the very gates of the city. Most districts in Kunduz are already under Taliban control.
Meantime, Iran hosted talks between representatives for the Afghan government and the Taliban on Wednesday. Iran's foreign minister said the country is now ready to be a mediator for the two sides before the fighting gets even worse.
And we're going to talk more about this with Aaron O'Connell, he served during the Obama administration as director for defense policy and strategy. He is also an Afghanistan war veteran. He is now associate professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. And good to see you.
Clearly, you've been at this awhile in terms of what is going on in Afghanistan. Where we are now we've had the troop drawdown almost complete and we also have tentatively perhaps some talk that we could get to some kind of a peace deal.
From all that you know, and in the position of the relative strength that the Taliban finds itself in now, what do they want? What are they looking for? What would satisfy them?
AARON O'CONNELL, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN: The Taliban is looking for nothing short of a full conquest of the country, that's their aspiration, their capabilities don't match those aspirations right now. But they want the full reimposition of a Wahhabist fundamentalist state that rules Afghanistan.
And they're going to talk that game as loud as they can while they are still on the ascendancy militarily, which is what is happening right now though.
NEWTON: And when we talk about what's happening right now, some people seem that perhaps they would be satisfied. And when I say some people I mean those allies at the table that are trying to get to a peace deal. That some kind of partitioning of Afghanistan might be viable.
So you know, the government keeps Kabul, provincial capitals, some of them anyway, and the Taliban keep some of the more traditional tribal lands. Do you think that is viable?
O'CONNELL: I -- there are natural ethnic cleavages throughout Afghanistan with the Uzbeks and the Tajiks to the north and the Pashtuns through the south and through the east.
[01:34:53]
O'CONNELL: But to be clear, both the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban are both dominated by Pashtuns right now. So that's an interior fight for the Pashtun community. So no, you can just partition and give the Pashtun lands to the Taliban because that includes the government and the --
NEWTON: But it is important -- but it's important to spell that out because at this point in time, as the Taliban seems to be in the driver seat, what can be accomplished at peace talks?
O'CONNELL: Very little at these peace talks. To be clear, the U.S. government already signed its peace deal with the Taliban which is really just a withdrawal agreement. These are the intra-Afghan talks that frankly have not been very serious.
The Taliban is saying they will present a peace plan. These are not serious negotiations because the Taliban is not treating them seriously and the State Department just issued a statement today urging them to do so because they are trying to win on the battlefield. Which I don't think is likely but that's why they're continuing to talk peace while fighting. NEWTON: While fighting -- that is clear. You are very point about what
the U.S. has done in terms of being at the table or not being at the table.
What about parties like Iran. We know there's a push from them today to try and get some kind of talks going?
O'CONNELL: Well, all of Afghanistan's neighbors actually have legitimate interest in stability in Afghanistan. And none of them want a full takeover by the Taliban that produces dramatic refugee crises.
So it's fine for them to be involved in discussions in the safety of their region as should Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan -- all of the surrounding countries.
The bigger issue is just what they hope to gain in hosting the Taliban in this situation which is surprising.
NEWTON: It is surprising then.
O'CONNELL: To a degree, I think so, yes. I think it's probably more for show than it is for an actual plan to produce a peace deal in Afghanistan anytime soon.
NEWTON: You know, I have to ask you, you served on the ground in Afghanistan but also during the Obama administration. Would you have envisioned where we are today? And what do you tell, to be frank, your fellow veterans who served in Afghanistan?
O'CONNELL: I did not think we would still be in Afghanistan 10 years after we killed Osama bin Laden. I was on the ground when that happened.
And I was sure we finally had found a way to declare an end to a war that was primarily and first and foremost, about protecting the United States from the transnational terrorist threat from al-Qaeda that the Taliban had then supported.
We drove them out of the country and they did come back. And I thought we were sort of in a very sticky spot in not being able to walk away. And I thought the killing of bin Laden gave us that opportunity. I was saddened that it didn't turn out that way over these last 10 years.
NEWTON: And it has been yet another decade as you rightly point out. Aaron O'Connell, thanks for this. Appreciate it.
O'CONNELL: Thank you very much for having me, Paula.
NEWTON: Now Afghan translators and interpreters who worked side by side with U.S. forces for people like Aaron O'Connell there during the past 20 years, now live under constant threat from Taliban.
While some are pleading with President Biden to take action now to relocate them, not all have been able to escape the Taliban's deadly grasp.
CNN's Anna Coren has their stories.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Standing in the (INAUDIBLE) valley in Uruzgan Province, Abdul Rashid Shirzad (ph) had just completed another mission with Seal Team 10.
The Afghan linguist working alongside America's military elite, translating for U.S. Special Forces. But according to Abdul his five years of service has now amounted to a death sentence after the U.S. government rejected his special immigrant visa making him a target for the Taliban.
ABDUL RASHID SHIRZAD, AFGHAN TRANSLATOR: If they catch me, they're going to kill me. they're going to kill my kids. And they are going to kill my wife too. It is a payback time for them, you know?
COREN: The father of three says his contract with the U.S. military was terminated in 2014, after he failed a polygraph test.
But his letters of recommendation from Seal commanders reflect a translator who went above and beyond duty. Describing him as a valuable and necessary asset, who braved enemy fire and undoubtedly saved the lives of American and Afghan alike.
SHIRZAD: This is Eli, he was one of our team members.
COREN (on camera): These guys were your American brothers?
SHIRZAD: American brothers, yes.
COREN (voice over): Abdul says he has no idea what he did wrong and never received an explanation. His visa rejection letter from the embassy stated lack of faithful and valuable service.
SHIRZAD: If we have peace in Afghanistan, if I have not served the U.S. military, if the Taliban were not after me, I would never leave my country.
COREN: Around 18,000 Afghans who worked for the U.S. military have applied for special immigration visas. But CNN has learned only half are expected to be granted.
[01:39:51]
COREN: The Biden administration is in talks with a number of countries to act as a safe haven while the visas are processed, a clear sign the government is well aware of the looming threat posed by the Taliban. But for Afghans who have been rejected, the danger is just as real.
Sahail Parda (ph) seen here dancing worked for 16 months as a translator for the army before he too failed a polygraph test and was terminated in 2012.
ABDULHAQ AYOUBI, FORMER U.S. MILITARY INTERPRETER: They were telling him that you were a spy for the Americans. You are the eyes of the Americans. And you are infidel. And we will kill you and your family.
COREN: 32-year-old Sahail confided in his best friend and fellow translator Abdulhaq. Both had joined the Afghans Left Behind Association hoping to raise awareness for their cases.
But on the morning of May 12th this year, Sahail left Abdulhaq a voice message -- was saying he was driving from Kabul to Hos (ph) Province to pick up his sister for Eid celebrations.
On the way the Taliban had set up a checkpoint, Sahail sped through, the villagers told the Red Crescent, the Taliban shot his car before it swerved and stopped. The militants then dragged Sahail out of the car and beheaded him.
Sahail's brother takes us to his grave on the side of a barren hill -- earth and stones, a reminder of a life violently taken in a country that has been left to fight this war on its own.
(on camera): There are hundreds of other Afghan translators who were terminated from their contracts for what they say was unjust cause. And while the U.S. government says it won't be reviewing those cases, they fear that if they stay in Afghanistan their fate will be the same as Sahail.
AYOUBI: We kindly request that President Biden save us. We helped you and you have to help us.
COREN (voice over): A desperate plea from a group of Afghans who once believed America would never desert them.
Anna Coren, CNN -- Kabul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Next, they mate for life, dance for their partner in the mornings and only the male gets pregnant. Why sea horses need protecting in today's edition of "Call to Earth".
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[01:44:44]
NEWTON: Today's "Call to Earth" looks at the extraordinary underwater world of sea horses. Now Rolex Awards Laureate Amanda Vincent is on a lifelong mission to protect these tiny creatures from the many threats they are up against.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMANDA VINCENT, UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA: I think the first time you ever look at a sea horse you're fascinated by them. They're almost mythical.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fabled fish of the ancient gods and now an aquarium favorite. Meet the tiger tail, the hedgehog, and the pygmy. Some of the 46 known species of sea horse that some (INAUDIBLE) have
struggled to identify due to their expertise in camouflage which helps them avoid predators.
VINCENT: They change color when they court. They form permanent pair bonds. The male and female come together and dance every morning. I mean these animals are the coolest fish, they really are.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One predator that sea horses haven't been able to avoid is humans. They have attacked in coral reefs, sea grasses and mangroves across the world are increasingly under threat.
VINCENT: The biggest single threat to sea horses is bottom trawling every day. Hundreds of thousands of trawlers scrape the ocean bottom and they remove everything in their path leaving devastation behind. And it's annihilation of fishing, pure and simple. It has to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amanda Vincent is a marine conservationist and one of the world's leading experts on sea horses.
VINCENT: I think I loved sea horses the moment I discovered that only the male gets pregnant. There's just something about that that grabs you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She has spent over 30 years studying these tiny creatures with big personalities.
VINCENT: We usually tell people not to touch a seahorse if you see it, but I've had to touch them in my professional work. And it's riveting. You tickle their little tails and they let go of whatever they are holding and they grasp your hand instead.
I mean when did you last have a fish hold your hand. It's just to feel an instant surge of connection with this animal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Vincent cofounded Project Sea Horse in 1996, a conservation and research organization which campaigns for stronger regulations on fishing practices and wildlife trade.
They have succeeded in changing national and international legislation to help protect sea horses and establish 35 marine protected areas in the Philippines, home to 10 species of sea horses.
During her research, Vincent uncovered a huge global trade in sea horses. A popular ingredient in Chinese medicine worldwide, including in her native Canada.
VINCENT: We tallied it up to be 20 to 30 million animals a year among about 80 countries. It was huge. In terms of number of individual animals traded, it's one of the biggest wildlife trades by far. So it was really important to take action.
We then generated the first ever export controls on marine fishes. That led a lot of countries actually closing down their sea horse trade legally. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After a lifelong crusade against harmful fishing
methods, Vincent is always on the lookout for sustainable alternatives. And she finds it here in the village of Steveston in Vancouver.
VINCENT: Hey, you've got black prawns.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have live black prawns.
VINCENT: They're caught by traps, no habitat destruction, no by catch of other animals. They are the only shrimp I ever eat.
So when were these guys fished?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Questioning where your seafood comes from is one way to help protect marine life, Vincent says.
VINCENT: If you can avoid eating anything connected with bottom trawling you will have done a great service to the ocean.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And for Vincent, serving the ocean means making us fall in love with these mysterious mythical creatures.
VINCEN: I find that when you talk sea horses, everybody cares. Essentially we are using sea horses to help save the seas. If we get it right for these funky little fishes, we will have done a lot for the ocean.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: She's right when she says they are almost mythical. Now let us know what you are doing to answer the call with the hashtag, "Call to Earth".
More news ahead here on CNN.
[01:49:07]
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NEWTON: The search and rescue mission at the south Florida condo collapse is now a recovery effort. Now the Miami-Dade County mayor says work at the site will proceed at the same speed and intensity. 54 bodies have now been recovered, 86 people are potentially unaccounted for.
More now from CNN's Leyla Santiago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tonight, after 14 tireless days, the search and rescue effort in Surfside shifting to a search and recovery effort.
A moment of silence held by rescue teams before the transition. CHIEF ALAN COMINSKY, MIAMI-DADE FIRE RESCUE: This decision was not an easy one as our hearts still hope to find survivors. But our experience and expertise indicated that was no longer possible.
SANTIAGO: Families informed this afternoon at their daily briefing with officials as bodies are more quickly being discovered now that the debris field has opened up after Sunday's demolition. Officials say that it's the right time to make the transition.
COMINSKY: This decision was not based on any other reason except on facts that emerged on the extent of the search and rescue operation.
SANTIAGO: Several survivors of the building collapse revisiting the site of the debris today. Families being assured the recovery effort will not slow down.
ASST. CHIEF RAY JADALLAH, MIAMI DADE FIRE RESCUE: The only thing that changes is just the term. The resources are still there. The men and women are still there.
DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY MAYOR: Our first responders have truly searched that pile every single day since the collapse as if they're searching for their own loved ones.
SANTIAGO: Miami-Dade Mayor Levine Cava visibly shaken today as the mission is taking its toll on everybody involved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you seen any indication from any of the bodies that have been recovered so far that any of them survived the initial collapse?
COMINSKY: No we have not.
SANTIAGO: As rescue teams continue clearing a way and searching debris at Champlain Towers South, Surfside mayor is still working to assure its sister building, Champlain Towers North, built with the exact same specs is safe.
CHARLES BURKETT, SURFSIDE, FLORIDA MAYOR: They're in there with ground penetrating radar and other tools to continue to assess the structural situation there at that building.
SANTIAGO; The building's collapse has raised questions about whether other seaside residential structures in Miami-Dade could be at risk. 40 of them have already been inspected, only one found with a structural deficiency.
LEVINE CAVA: There will be changes. There will be improvements made.
SANTIAGO: As for the recovery mission, teams continue to work around the clock to bring closure for families.
JADALLAH: As the chief and I have always promised to ensure that all of our loved ones are pulled from the rubble and reunited with their families.
SANTIAGO: Leyla Santiago, CNN -- Surfside, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now, you can help the collapse victims and their families. Please head to CNN.com/impact. You'll find links to charitable organizations verified by CNN. Again that is CNN.com/impact.
So that's a fire that broke out after a massive explosion at the port of Dubai and it is now under control. Officials say the blast happened Wednesday inside a container on a ship docked at the port.
There were no reports of casualties. Witnesses say the explosion jolted buildings as far as 15 kilometers away. Social media posts show the huge fireball that could be seen from afar.
A senior government official says the ship owned by a company in the Comoros Island was carrying cleaning products.
Now, one of the world's largest container ships is finally resuming its journey after it blocked the Suez Canal own for almost a week back in March. You all remember the story. The Ever Given was held while the canal authority and the ships owner and insurers worked out a compensation deal.
Ben Wedeman has details.
[01:54:48]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Exactly 100 days after the Ever Given was floated on the 29th of March, that massive 400-meter container ship that blocked the Suez Canal for six days has finally resumed its journey after the resolution of a legal tug of war between Egyptian authorities and the Japanese company that owns the ship.
Wednesday, representatives of the Suez Canal Authority and that Japanese company signed a legal settlement in a ceremony broadcast live on Egyptian TV. Now, initially the Suez Canal Authority was demanding compensation in excess of $900 million, which was to cover not only the cost of the salvage operation, but also in compensation for reputational damage done to the canal as a result of the blockage.
Later the canal authority lowered its demands to $550 million, but the precise details of the settlement remain secret. Now after a final inspection of the ship at Port Said at the northern end of the Suez Canal, the Ever Given and it's more than 18,000 containers will proceed to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and later to the U.K.
All is well that ends well, and perhaps all is forgiven for the Ever Given. At that Wednesday ceremony, the senior Egyptian lawyer for the Suez Canal Authority announced that the Ever Given will always be welcome in the Suez Canal.
I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN -- reporting from Beirut. (END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Fear of heights is pretty common but not for some athletes in Sweden with nerves of steel. Now, this is one of four men who crossed 2.1 kilometers on a tight rope at a height of 600 meters.
Quirin Herterich was the first to get across on Saturday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUIRIN HERTERICH, TIGHTROPE WALKER: So when I got closer to the end of this line I screamed loudly. I don't really know why. It's maybe a mix of emotions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: I'd scream too. The four German high-wire walkers are a team in the extreme sport called high-lining. And they get a new world record. It took them two days just to rig the line.
Now, the valley they traversed in Swedish flatland is also a popular hiking spot.
Now, tor Tokyo residents not excited by the Olympic -- at least there is a giant cat to watch, yes, a giant cat. A bill board in Shinjuku is featuring a giant 3D that appears to be perched on a ledge. Oh my gosh.
The idea was conceived by local businesses who wanted to cheer people up amidst the pandemic. The realistic-looking cat seems to have a calming effect on passersby.
It is certainly riveting. Look at that. Incredible.
Ok. I am Paula Newton. I want to thank you for spending your day with me.
CNN NEWSROOM continues right here with my friend and colleague, Rosemary Church.
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