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U.S. Afghanistan Deadline Coming to an End; FDA Approves Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine; G7 Leaders to Discuss About Exit in Afghanistan; Tension Felt in Kabul; China Mitigates Spread of COVID- 19; Israel's Third Booster Works. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 24, 2021 - 09:00   ET

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

Media; Animals; Israel; China>

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead here on CNN Newsroom, the turmoil in Afghanistan. America's August 31st deadline to pull out is fast approaching with thousands of people still waiting for evacuation flights.

Full approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine in the United States. What this means for vaccination efforts and the other vaccine already in use. And why the U.S. vice president is accusing China of coercion and intimidation?

Good to have you with us.

U.S. President Joe Biden has a vital decision to make in the hours ahead. Extend the deadline for pulling troops out of Afghanistan, or potentially leave thousands of people waiting to flee the country.

The U.S. has accelerated the airlift of Americans and their Afghan allies, but more than 6,500 people are still waiting at the Kabul airport to be evacuated. G7 leaders are expected to press for an extension during a virtual meeting in just a few hours from now.

And the U.S. military wants the decision by today, so it can coordinate the logistics of pulling out close to 6,000 troops, equipment and ammunition from the country. The Taliban warn there will be consequences if the U.S. is not out by next week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We are engaging with the Taliban, consulting with the Taliban, on every aspect of what's happening in Kabul right now. On what's happening at the airport, on how we need to ensure that there is facilitated passage to the airport for American citizens, SIVs, third country nationals, and so forth. We'll continue those conversations with them ultimately, it will be the president's decision how this proceed. No one else is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: We get more now from CNN's Sam Kiley who is in Kabul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): One of four Afghan soldiers wounded in a firefight after an unknown sniper killed a comrade who was guarding Kabul's airport. The attack followed warnings that ISIS posed a threat to the evacuation of thousands of foreigners and Afghans from the capital.

SULLIVAN: The threat is real, it is acute, it is persistent and it is something we are focused on with every tool in our arsenal.

KILEY: The reopening of the gates to the airport is likely to depend on how long U.S. and coalition forces can stay on to run evacuations. President Biden has said troops would remain until all Americans are out. But the Taliban has told CNN that U.S. troops would have to leave by August 31st and no extensions.

The urgency for evacuation is driven home by these, letters with the Taliban seals sent to the brother of interpreter who work for U.S. forces. Apparently, from a Taliban court, they demand first that he present himself, and when he fails to do so, deliver him a death sentence, all in the last three.

UNKNOWN: Their life was in danger.

KILEY: This Afghan-American is a sergeant in the 82nd airborne, originally from Kabul. He was an interpreter for U.S. forces for nine years before enlisting. His family was also threatened.

UNKNOWN: We got received two letters, threatening letters, that's why we are just moving out from the -- we moved two locations --

KILEY: His family was evacuated this week in a process where the high point is when safety comes from a white wrist band. It's a plane ticket already given to more than 38,000 people in a massive airlift. One during which there had been no American deaths. But the window for more flights to freedom, for foreigners and Afghans is fast closing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And that was CNN's Sam Kiley reporting from Kabul.

Well, France, Germany and the U.K. are all expected to pressure U.S. President Biden to keep American troops in Afghanistan beyond next week's deadline. They will meet virtually, later today, as part of a G7 gathering to discuss Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:05:07]

HEIKO MAAS, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): I think there are two things that are particularly important. Firstly, that we coordinate the further evacuation measures. Questions like how long will the evacuation mission last at all? Will it go beyond August 31st or not? How can we improve cooperation on the ground to ensure access to the airport?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH (on camera): Journalist Atika Shubert is standing by live at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, but we begin with CNN's international security editor Nick Paton Walsh in Doha, Qatar.

Good to see you, Nick. So, the Taliban want U.S. troops out by August 31st. G7 leaders want their withdrawal delayed, and now we learned 6,500 people are at the airport awaiting evacuation, but many thousands more still want out. So, how can any of these be achieved?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: This is the ultimate question. How big an operation does the United States feel it still has left to perform? We know that they are aware of potentially thousands of local employed Afghans -- U.S. embassy staff who are still out there in Kabul, waiting to get to the airport who must certainly qualify for Special immigrant Visa status. They are key.

And there are potentially tens of thousands more Special Immigrant Visa status people, who are either pending their applications or have them cleared. So, this is utterly key as the question for President Joe Biden. He has made loose promises to help them, but the clock is certainly ticking.

The status of the airport today, 6,500 on it, now that's like half as many as they managed to take out in the last 24 hours. There is no problem about getting out there as quickly as possible. The question is who comes on in their place.

I understand from a source familiar with the situation that over 300 Americans got on overnight. That's not a lot, frankly. That could be, according to U.S. officials yesterday several thousands are still out there, they were the priority yesterday, and Special Immigrant Visa applicants were not allowed on the base yesterday.

That since changed. SIV applicants, I am told, can now get on, but they have to find a way to do that. The gates of the airport are still closed, and there is it seems this sort of unofficial trickle that seems managed by Afghan Security Forces who also man the airport of Afghans coming on as well. That may explain how the numbers are often hard to follow because thousands, it seems, of Afghans have come on unofficially.

The question of course for the Biden administration, is how many more people do they think they can move, how many more people can they actually get to the airport safely through Taliban checkpoints, Taliban document checks as well, and when will do they begin to realize they have to wind this back down?

That will be the discussion. I'm sure the G7 meeting today if President Joe Biden hasn't already made up his mind. I can't see what the White House has to gain for protracting this operation apart from the lives that they will save. It's a P.R. disaster for them. And frankly, their own success, they are a victim of. When they do well, more people think they can get out and will come.

So, the question essentially is, how many more can you get on the airport before you have to start thinking about packing up your nearly 6,000 strong military contingent there who is going to take a number of days to get out, and do you then think, well, hang on, we can't do that in the time we have that's breach the Taliban deadline and stay until September. I doubt they would do that. And so, we are into a few days in which they have to decide how many more Afghans and Americans do they want to save. Rosemary?

CHURCH: It is a critical decision. Nick Paton Walsh, joining us there live from Doha. Many thanks.

So, we go to Ramstein Airport Base now to Atika Shubert. So, Atika, talk to us about what happened at the other end once people arrived from these evacuated flights.

ATIKA SHUBERT, JOURNALIST: Yes. We've been at the Ramstein Air Base now for a few days, and the numbers there have swelled. The arrivals are coming in very quickly, but the departing flights that would bring evacuees to the U.S., not so much. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHUBERT (voice over): In the last three days, at least 39 evacuation flights have landed at Ramstein Air Base. The number of evacuees now waiting here has swelled to nearly 8,000, all of them desperate to get to the U.S. To speed up mobilization, the Pentagon ordered some extra help.

SHUBERT (on camera): Delta Airlines waiting for passengers to board, but as you can see, this is no ordinary flight. We are at Ramstein Air Base, and that is part of the civil reserve that has just been activated. What is happening here is that military planes are bringing evacuees from Afghanistan to U.S. bases, and now commercial airliners like Delta will be flying those evacuees back to the United States.

[03:09:55]

But as we wait for a departure, the plane stay put. As of Monday night, the U.S. government says only one flight had left this base to bring evacuees to the U.S. from Ramstein, a military plane with 60 passengers. That's nearly 8,000 in and 60 out. A bottleneck.

The State Department responsible for processing Afghan evacuees says the combined resources of U.S. bases in Germany, Italy and Spain alone will be able to shelter about 15,000 Afghans as they wait transit to the U.S. But for now, what was supposed to be a 48-hour transit stop is taking much, much longer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHUBERT (on camera): Yes, there seems to be delays in processing a lot of the evacuees that are here. Some of them may be U.S. citizens, other Afghan citizens with those Special Immigrant Visas mentioned by Nick earlier, and others maybe in different categories. So, sorting all of this is taking a lot of time. It was supposed to only be 48 to 72 hours, clearly, it's taking a lot longer.

Now there may have been other departing flights this overnight or early morning, we have not heard of any so far. There could be some more scheduled today, but so far, we haven't seen any. And as you can imagine, for those in site it's incredibly persuading.

I've been getting a lot of text messages from evacuees who are frustrated and angry not only at the weight but at the very basic shelters and facilities that they have there. And of course, the longer this goes on, the more their frustration rises, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, totally understandable. Atika Shubert joining us there, many thanks. I appreciate it.

The United States now has its first COVID vaccine fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration. After Monday's announcement, President Joe Biden quickly urged business leaders in the public and private sectors to begin mandating the shot, saying it's time for reluctant Americans to get vaccinated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: A few -- millions of Americans who said that they will not get the shot when it's -- until it has full and final approval of the FDA, it is now happened. The moment you have been waiting for is here. It's time for you to go and get your vaccination, and get it today, today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH (on camera): Despite the best efforts of health officials to assure the public of the vaccine safety, skeptics remain.

CNN's Elizabeth Cohen has more on why this FDA approval could be a game-changer, and how it may hopefully change minds.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval for the first time to the maker of a COVID-19 vaccine. It's for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. And let's take a look at what difference it might make that now this vaccine doesn't just have emergency approval, they actually have full approval from the FDA.

The hope is that full approval, so not just emergency authorization anymore, but actual full approval like other drugs will make a difference in some unvaccinated people, who will say now I feel more confident I'm going to roll up my sleeves and take a shot.

Also, full approval legally allows Pfizer to market and to advertised this vaccine and pharmaceutical companies are good at doing that, advertising drugs and vaccines. Also, the hope is, is that more employers, more restaurants will feel comfortable requiring the vaccine now it does have full approval. And when there's more mandates, more requirements that more people will get vaccinated.

Now, let's take a look at who in the United States has not yet gotten even a single shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. When you look at folks in the U.S. who are eligible for a vaccine, that's anyone ages 12 and older, about 82 million people have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine, that's 29 percent of the eligible population.

And to be clear, COVID-19 vaccines in the United States are not only free, they are everywhere, they are very, very easy to find. So, the hope is, is that now that Pfizer has full approval that more people will roll up their sleeves.

Back to you.

CHURCH: Joining me now is Dr. William Schaffner. He is a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Division of Infectious Diseases. Thank you, doctor, for talking with us and for all that you do.

WILLIAM SCHAFFNER, PROFESSOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY: Good to be with you, Rosemary, always.

CHURCH: So now that the FDA has given full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 years and older, President Biden is urging the 82 million eligible Americans who are still unvaccinated to get their shots. How likely is it that many will do that and that institutions and venues will now feel empowered to mandate vaccines?

SCHAFFNER: Well, Rosemary, you can see that I'm smiling broadly because I'm so delighted that the Food and Drug Administration has given its licensure, its full approval to these vaccines.

[03:15:04]

That means it is in the same category as the tetanus vaccine we get every year, the influenza vaccine -- the tetanus we get every 10 years, the influenza vaccine we get every year. I think that there will be people on the fence who will now jump over and get vaccinated. I don't anticipate that tomorrow there will be a great line outside of our vaccination sites, but nonetheless, some people will be driven in.

What will be more important, I think, is that employers, colleges, medical centers, other venues will now take it upon themselves to make it a requirement to be vaccinated, to either be employed somewhere, or to participate in certain activities. You know, we are in a war against this virus. And so far, we have depended on a volunteer army, those who come forward to be vaccinated.

But Delta changed the war. Now we have to draft people. They are going to be obliged to participate, and it's very, very necessary if we are going to downturn this spread of the virus that's currently spreading very widely in this country.

CHURCH: That is a compelling argument just there. And doctor, as a result of a false cure for COVID being pushed by right-wing media hosts and online, some unvaccinated Americans are now risking their health and their lives by using a livestock anti-parasitic drug that's resulted in many calling a poison hotline and forcing the FDA to tweet this. You are not a horse, you are not a cow, seriously you all, stop it.

So, doctor, why do you think that some Americans would rather take the risk on a horse drug than take a proven vaccine for COVID that has a 99.9 percent chance of keeping us out of the hospital or dying?

SCHAFFNER: Yes, Rosemary, the psychology eludes me, and some people just want to be different. Some people are just abstinent and saying I'm not being told what to do under any circumstances. Others simply follow people who are influencers to them. And it's painfully sad because this is a drug that has been shown in good studies not to work. Therefore, you expose yourself unnecessarily to only the adverse effects of the drug. And people have become very sick by taking this medication. Please stop. Get vaccinated.

CHURCH: Did some doctors throw their arms up in the air and just wander sometimes when you have to work with and maybe save the lives of someone who is not listening to this scientific data and to advice from medical experts.

SCHAFFNER: Well, I will tell you honestly that there are people on the front lines in the intensive care units, not just the doctors, but the nurses and the technicians, who had from time to time take a deep breath because they are asking themselves that exact question. Why are you coming to us so sick when all of these hospitalizations could've been prevented?

And beyond that, by being sick and in the hospital, you are exposing the health care workers to risk. The whole thing is very frustrating to some. And then they take a deep breath and go back and care for the sick. My hats off to those folks.

CHURCH: It's just extraordinary, isn't it, doctor? And this full FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine means of course that the company can now advertised and market its vaccine in the hope of educating and encouraging more people to get their shots. Which is critical given more than 147,000 new U.S. COVID cases are now being recorded daily. A 1,000 Americans are dying each day on average.

How quickly might this be turned around if people do go out now and get vaccinated? And when might we get close to herd immunity, if ever?

SCHAFFNER: Well, herd immunity will require that among we, adults, that about 80 plus percent of us will have to be vaccinated. And we are quite away from that so far. We are at about 50 percent or a little bit above. So many people would have to very quickly become vaccinated.

I will permit them to save face, it was one thing back in the day but then came Delta. Delta changed everything. And now that we have to combat Delta it really is time for everybody to get vaccinated.

CHURCH: Dr. William Schaffner, thank you so much for your perspective. We appreciate it and appreciate you. [03:20:00]

SCHAFFNER: My pleasure. My pleasure.

CHURCH: It is cautious optimism, but optimism nonetheless. Israel's COVID booster shots appear to be working. Coming up, the early data and the hope it's inspiring.

Plus, it's opening ceremony day once again in Tokyo. But this time COVID concerns are casting a bigger shadow over the competition. A live report as the Paralympic games begin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH (on camera): Welcome back, everyone. New Zealand is fighting to contain a growing outbreak of the COVID Delta variant. It reported 41 new local cases Tuesday. The second day in a row the country has recorded its highest single day rise since April of last year. The prime minister has extended the national lockdown through Friday and defended the government's zero COVID strategy.

China is reporting just one new local COVID-19 case a day after it reported no such cases for the first time since July. And it could be a sign the country's worst outbreak since last year may soon be under control.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is in Hong Kong for us. She joins us now. Good to see you, Kristie. So, China just reported its first new local case after that long stretch of no new cases. What's the latest on this and what's the vaccination rate in the country right now?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, Rosemary, let's first talk about the new case numbers coming out of China. Because there is a significant downward trend that we are seeing. Earlier today we heard from Chinese officials that the country reported only one new local case of the virus. On Monday, reported zero new local cases of COVID-19 for the first time since July.

And all of this indicates that this latest outbreak in China is indeed tapering off in a country well known for its zero-tolerance approach to the pandemic. This latest outbreak it first started in around mid- July in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing. And it quickly spread to over half of China's 31 provinces, over 1,200 people were confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 including the Delta variant.

And as a result, China as we've seen in the last few weeks, has thrown its entire pandemic playbook at the outbreak. Sweeping pandemic measures have been kicking into gear including very punishing and restrictive lockdowns, prolong lockdowns as well, as well as quarantines, travel restrictions, mass testing campaigns that involve millions of people in cities across China being tested in just matters of days, as well as Chinese officials being punished and held accountable for failing to rein in the virus.

Earlier today, I spoke to a top virologist at the University of Hong Kong. His name is Jin Dongyan. He told me that it appears that this outbreak, the current one in China, is reaching an end.

[03:25:03]

He said that it does seem to be a vindication of the zero COVID-19 strategy, the zero-tolerance policy that China has. But as China has no choice because of the less than ideal efficacy of its home-grown vaccines. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIN DONGYAN, VIROLOGIST, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: They give up. Zero tolerance policy, it might be a disaster because it's actually very challenging for them to come to that leaving as the virus status, another major, major concern is the efficacy or effectiveness of their vaccines.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT (on camera): Jin Dongyan there of the University of Hong Kong. He also adds that China should be considering administering a third dose of its homegrown Chinese vaccines or administering messenger RNA vaccines like the ones produced by Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech in order to avoid another major uptick in cases.

But Rosemary, you asked earlier about the vaccination rate in China. We know China's vaccination rate currently stands at around 60 percent, about 1.9 billion doses of the vaccine for COVID-19, homegrown versions have been administered and its set to reach that milestone of two billion by the end of this week. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Interesting. Kristie Lu Stout joining us live from Hong Kong. Many thanks.

Well, Israel maybe turning the tide against the COVID Delta variant. Early evidence suggests its policy of offering a third booster vaccine dose is having an impact.

So, let's bring in journalist Elliott Gotkine. He joins us live from Jerusalem. Good to see you, Elliott. So what is the data revealing about the impact of Israel's three-dose vaccine policy? And how confident should we all be?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Rosemary, I think cautious confidence or cautious optimism is the byword to be used right now. Early data is encouraging in terms of what we've seen since Israel approved the third dose of the vaccine initially for over 60s on August the 1st, and then later on for over 40s.

So, what we've seen so far is that the R rate, this is the infection coefficient which shows how many people one infected person is infecting, that has been declining since the rollout of the third dose, from 1.36 to 1.19. If it gets down to one, that means that one person is infecting one other person and then things can start hopefully declining from there on in.

There was also a study carried out by McCurdy Healthcare, this is one of the big HMOs in the country, one of the big health care providers. And in the study, they found that among over 60s who had received the third dose, seven or more days previously, that the vaccine, the third dose, will enable them to be 86 percent effective against the disease, against COVID-19.

And then finally, there is another piece of data which is that we've seen a number of serious cases in Israel, these are people who have hospitalized as a result of being infected with COVID-19. That number is declining as well, 15 fewer people as of yesterday down to round about 664, though that number might be updated later today.

So that's the good news. And the leader of that McCurdy study I just cited said quite, you know, quite clearly the triple dose is the solution to curbing the current infection outbreak. That said, local media reporting this morning that over the last 24 hours there were almost 10,000 new cases of infections in Israel.

This is almost the highest level ever recorded in the country since the pandemic began.

And on top of that, as we approach September, we are going to see the reopening of the education system. And on top of that, you also have the start of the Jewish holidays, Jewish in the year and the like when people often travel around the country to be with friends and families.

There are concerns that the outbreak could continue to rise. But as I say, the key metric, if you like, the people watching, whether it's the R rate or the number of serious cases do seem to be heading in the right direction. And as they extend the availability of this third dose to people under the age of 40, there is hope that Israel will finally be able to get on top of this latest wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. And that a fourth lockdown will not need to happen. Rosemary?

CHURCH: As you say, cautious optimism. We will sure watch very closely, of course. Elliott Gotkine joining us live from Jerusalem, many thanks.

Well, the swift fall of Afghanistan was followed by a panicked race to Kabul's airport to escape. We will hear a firsthand account from a prominent Afghan filmmaker who fled the country. That's next.

Then the U.S. vice president tries to take the focus off Afghanistan and place it right on China. We're live in Singapore where she's been speaking.

[03:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: The British Defense Secretary says it is unlikely the U.S. President will extend evacuation from Afghanistan beyond next week's deadline. Those comments by Ben Wallace to Sky News come ahead of a virtual G7 summit today, where Joe Biden is expected to face pressure to extend the withdrawal. According to one official, Mr. Biden is being pressed by the military to decide whether he will keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond the August 31st deadline.

Those troops are currently deployed as security at Kabul's airport, and while evacuations have accelerated, about 6.5 thousand people, mostly Afghans, are inside the airport right now waiting to leave. The U.S. National Security Adviser spoke about the tireless effort now underway.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: We have established a network of transit centers in multiple countries, in the Gulf, in Europe. Where we are getting U.S. citizens on flights home, and we are running biometric and biographic background checks on Afghan evacuees before bringing them to the United States, or having them relocated to a third country.

All told, 26 countries on four continents are contributing to this effort, one of the largest airlifts in history. A massive military diplomatic, security, humanitarian undertaking. A testimony to the power and purpose of the United States and our allies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And for more perspective on what it's like to escape from Kabul amid the chaos, we are joined now by Sahraa Karimi in Kyiv, Ukraine. She is a prominent Afghan film director. Thank you so much for talking with us.

SAHRAA KARIMI, AFGHAN FILM DIRECTOR, KYIV, UKRAINE (on camera): Hi, good evening.

CHURCH: So, you were shocked by the sudden arrival of the Taliban in the capital, and you moved very quickly to get out, how difficult was it, for you and your family, to leave Kabul, and eventually, arrive in Kyiv?

KARIMI: So, it wasn't very easy because I was in bank in the morning and I was waiting to take money, but -- banks there are out of money so we were waiting. And then gunshot started and they told us the Taliban entered the city and the manager of the bank, he told me I need to get home because they know me, I am quite famous in Afghanistan, so they will kill me. So I ran and then I immediately called to my friends, Wanda (inaudible), she is president of (inaudible) film and TV academy, and she told me that Andre Earmark (ph) and other government -- from governmental friend, they told her that they are departing from airport at 4:30.

[03:35:28]

If I can get there, so they can take me. So, I have my -- only my brother family with me and some of my assistant in filmmaker, the used to worked with me, so I just called some of them, and I called my brother that let's go to airport. But at that time, still the situation was not that (inaudible), that we now we are witnessed but -- because people, they are confused because people they did not know if true that Taliban inside the city or not. Then I went to the airport with my family and my brother, and his

daughters and two of my assistance, so then after a few hours, they closed, and all employee of the airport, Afghan employed, they just left airport. And then thousands, thousands people, they just entered. I could not catch the flight at 4:30 because, we missed, because a lot of people without any checking, they just get inside the airplane to get out. So we missed.

Then with the help of Ukrainian government, the president office of Ukraine, and also Slovakia government and also Turkish government, they just help me to get to the next day flight through Turkish and to come to Kiev (ph).

I think the Ukrainian government they just wanted to get us out of this, so now we are trying to get some people to other countries because their relatives are in Europe. And I, myself, my family, they live in Canada, so I try to get my brother and his daughters to Canada. So, I myself, I have a citizenship in Slovakia, so go back to Slovakia. But we will have --

CHURCH: So what are your hopes now? Now, that you have gotten out, and that was obviously a nightmare scenario going from the bank, and rushing to the airport and trying to get a plane, missing that first one, and luckily, you have connections.

There are so many Afghan people trying to get out who don't have those connections. And now, of course, you hope to look forward to an incredible future. What do you think when you got on that plane, eventually arrived in Kyiv, what were the thoughts going through your mind?

KARIMI: So I just -- it is not anymore about me. You know, it is now about filmmakers, because I am still responsible of filmmakers, because I did not get any notification that I am not anymore president of Afghan film or something, or I am also filmmaker. So when I came here, we decided with Slovakia and (inaudible) TV and film academy in Ukrainian government, we decided to help other people. So, another 36 people we help to come, but about my future, I am still in a very big shock, and still solving some issues, so I lost everything. I lost everything.

I was working with different projects, they were different post productions. So, I left everything. I did not have even time to get like one -- even once cent from the bank. So what I witnessed, it was a humanitarian crisis, it was like people when they heard, because we have very bad memory with Taliban in past.

So for us, it is a nightmare to leave under the regime of Taliban. And we know that they are anti-woman, they are anti-art, they are anti- cinema and about my future, still -- I am filmmaker, I will make films, but I need to get out from this trauma that suddenly, because you know, in the middle of your day, you just escape, and you do not have any b plan, just escape.

Because it wasn't -- I also I want to stress that it was not about me, when I heard Taliban is coming, I just thought about my nieces, my brother's daughters, because they are small and they are teenagers. And I could not accept that they leave under the government of Taliban, or whatever they call them, simply because the Taliban, they do not know anything about women's rights, about art, about the value of cinema.

[03:40:07]

They just wanted, you know, they just want to show their (inaudible), they just takeover everything, but they don't know system, and it is a big, big mistake. And also, I am the voice now. I am the voice of not like my country, but filmmakers, women and all those talented girls that we tried hard a lot, at least in these past 20 years, we build a lot.

CHURCH: Right.

KARIMI: We had a very good life, and we had a normal life. We started to be like other Kabul specialist, we started to be like other cities in the world, and suddenly with just a few hours, they just take us from us.

CHURCH: Thank you so much Sahraa Karimi, for sharing your story. And now of course you can continue telling the world what is happening there in Afghanistan. We thank you so much for sharing this with us.

KARIMI: Thank you.

CHURCH: Good luck with everything. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz takes a look now at why the woman who don't make it out of Afghanistan really do have so much to fear under the Taliban.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER (voice over): After taking over, the Taliban vowed to govern Afghanistan by Sharia. When asked how that would differ from the group's rule from two decades ago this was the answer.

If this question is based on thoughts, ideology, beliefs then there is no difference. We have the same belief the group spokesman said.

The Taliban says it is forming an inclusive government that will ensure women's rights within an Islamic framework. But because Sharia is not a codified system of laws, what that means is entirely up to the Taliban themselves, says Professor H.A. Hellyer.

H.A. HELLYER, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE CENTER OF ISLAMIC STUDENTS: When we talk about Sharia in a public context, then again, interpretations for how that is applied as Islamic law, they differ tremendously across the board.

ABDELAZIZ: The group's record is bleak. The Taliban's draconian regime from 1996 to 2001 was widely criticized by Muslims and non- Muslims alike. In modern legislative applications of Sharia like other Muslim majority states provide little comfort. Take for example, Iran, a country ruled by strict Shia interpretations of Islam. There, the morality police subject women and girls to daily harassment and violent attacks, says Amnesty International.

In Qatar, women are denied the right to make key decisions about their lives, from marriage to work without a male relative, Human Rights Watch reports. And under Saudi's male guardianship system, women must obtain permission for some of their most basic rights. Men can even file cases for disobedience, rights groups say. But there has been a recent shift in the kingdom. A driving ban was reversed and travel restrictions on females eased in recent years.

HELLYER: There's certain interpretations that are held up and there are other interpretations that are equally valid in Islamic law that or not. Why? That is a public policy decision.

ABDELAZIZ: And that's exactly where the Taliban say they are changing. They want to engage on a global stage.

HELLYER: They also have to take into account the relationships that they have with powerful actors outside of the country.

ABDELAZIZ: That leaves the U.S. and its allies with one key piece of leverage. International recognition and legitimacy, hanging in the balance, the 20 years of gains and rights and liberties for the women and girls of Afghanistan.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The mess in Afghanistan is following the U.S. Vice President as she pushes new initiatives in Southeast Asia. Ahead, her take on the pull out, and why the U.S. is shifting its strategic focus.

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[03:45:00]

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Well, the U.S. Vice President is expected to leave Singapore and head to Vietnam in the coming hour. Kamala Harris has been holding talks with Singaporean authorities covering everything from new partnerships, to APEC, to the Myanmar military coup and she's making a strong effort to shift the U.S. foreign policy focus to China and deliver a win for the beleaguered Biden administration.

Manisha Tank is following the vice president's visit live from Singapore. She joins us now, good to see you, Manisha. So, Vice President Harris went after China in a speech she gave in Singapore. What all did she say about that and of course, the issue she just cannot avoid, Afghanistan.

MANISHA TANK, JOURNALIST: Yeah, well, Rosemary, actually this was the big event, many people here in the region and the people in the room that are about 100 of them, they were business leaders, academics, also senior members of the government here in Singapore waiting to hear this big foreign policy speech. You know, the fact that Kamala Harris, the vice president of the United States, is here in Singapore is very significant. This is a very high ranking representative of the United States to come here. And to really pitch what the future is meant to be in terms of the relationship with the Indo-Pacific region. And that is what the speech was all about.

However, it was actually proceeded before she got to her prime remarks, a by mentioned of Afghanistan, and that's very indicative over the fact that -- and she said it herself, the world was watching Afghanistan at the moment.

And she needed to address it, this was something that journalists really came at her with yesterday when she held a joint press conference with the Singapore Prime Minister. They wanted to know what her position was on it but she remained very focused on what is happening now and how the U.S. is evacuating refugees from Kabul and those who have assisted U.S. Forces over the years.

But let's get back to foreign policy. Yes, very strong words from Vice President Harris over China. And basically these words were meant to be heard in Beijing. They are connected to this history of disputes over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Let's have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Our vision includes freedom of navigation which is vital to us all. The livelihood of millions of people depend on the billions of dollars in trade that flow through these sea lanes each day. And yet in the South China Sea, we know that Beijing continues to coerce, to intimidate and to make claims to the vast majority of the South China Sea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TANK: And there you have it, Rosemary, very strong words, intimidate, coerce, all of it is making headlines in this part of the world today. But this is really all about outlining where the U.S. stands on the Indo-Pacific moving forward.

CHURCH: All right, Manisha Tank, many thanks. I appreciate it.

Well, from tragedy to triumph, after losing her lower legs to a terrorist attack, this athlete is headed to Tokyo as a Paralympian. She shares her incredible journey after the break.

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[03:50:00]

CHURCH: Well, COVID cases are skyrocketing across Japan just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paralympic games in Tokyo. Daily cases have been hitting near record highs over the last week. Straining an already overwhelmed health system and it's raising renewed concerns that the games could send infection rates soaring even higher. CNN's Blake Essig is in Tokyo and joins us now. Good to see Blake. And

of course, while Japan figures out how to keep everyone safe, you've had an opportunity to meet some of these Paralympian athletes. I'm not sure if you can hear me there. All right, Blake hasn't -- he can't hear me. So, we are going to actually throw to his story. Right now. No, we will come back to that.

From surviving a terror attack to becoming a Paralympian. Beatrice De Lavalette was just a teenager when she lost her lower legs in the 2016 Brussels bombing. Five years later, she's headed to Tokyo to compete with the U.S. Para-Equestrian Team, and she spoke with "World Sports," Amanda Davies about her incredible journey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEATRICE DE LAVALETTE, U.S. PARA-EQUESTRIAN TEAM: It was just a regular travel day. I got to the airport, did the self-check-in. Went to do the baggage drop off. The next thing I see is that everything is going really dark. And I remember the feeling of being lifted off the ground --

UNKNOWN: This is CNN breaking news.

UNKNOWN: We are covering a series of deadly explosions rock in Brussels. Two blasts at the airport.

UNKNOWN: Eyewitnesses describe to us some horrifying scenes.

DE LAVALETTE: A lot of chaos, a lot of smoke and fire, and darkness. At first I could not hear anything but I could see a little bit of what was going on. As time went on and I was able to start hearing, I could start hearing other people screaming for help. And then I remember them saying, well, there's one over here.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORTS (on camera): Beatrice De Lavalette was just 17 years old when she was heading home from Belgium to see her family, when four suicide bombers blew themselves up in Brussels, in multiple attacks at the airport and train station killing 32.

DE LAVALETTE: I was standing right next to the first bomber of the airport when the bombs went off and because of that I lost my legs and I have a spinal cord injury. And I think that I wouldn't be the person that I am today without the events that happened on that day.

DAVIES: Have you ever seen the footage back? Have you watched it back?

DE LAVALETTE: Yes, I did. I watched it with my parents about a year after the accident. For me it was really important to see it because I did not realize how close I actually was to the bomber. For me to see myself literally stepping right next to the guy, and moments later the bomb going off, was a bit of a realization of how lucky I really am.

DAVIES: If you had a message to him now, what would it be?

DE LAVALETTE: You are not stopping my life. But it was not easy. For about three weeks to a month after coming out of a coma I was just crying every day. Thank god I had my family there to support me and be there with me and help me realize that my life wasn't over. Knowing that I was going to be able to continue living my life, in a positive way, helped me a lot when I was in the hospital.

DAVIES: De Lavalette credits her family and some dark humor and her horses for where she is today. Horses have been part of her life since childhood.

DE LAVALETTE: The connection that you have with the horse, just that bond that you create, I mean, for me it's probably my favorite.

DAVIES: At what point did you decide to get back on a horse?

DE LAVALETTE: As fast as I could.

DAVIES: And what was that like the first time you got back on the horse?

DE LAVALETTE: Really uncomfortable, actually. I had no muscle, I was just skin and bones so being back on a saddle with no sense of balance was really uncomfortable. I had to learn how to ride it completely all over again. Because I was -- my body was so different and prior to the accident. So, for me it was just readjusting completely my whole way of riding and what I had learned my whole life?

DAVIES: From competing in her first para equestrian show in April 2017, just 11 months after the bombing, de Lavalette's now preparing to represent Team USA at the Paralympics.

[03:55:00]

What is the moment at the Paralympics that you picture in your head? Is it pulling on the track suit?

DE LAVALETTE: Being on the middle podium, for sure.

DAVIES: Are you on the top step?

DE LAVALETTE: Yes I am.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIES: Have you allowed yourself to think about that moment and what it would feel like?

DE LAVALETTE: Yes, I mean, through the past five years that's what's kept me going the most is knowing that I'm going to be at the top of the podium and being able to represent my country.

DAVIES: What will that mean to you?

DE LAVALETTE: It will probably make me cry. But it is going to mean everything. It is such a special moment. Just be able to represent the country and to do well enough to make the podium is going to be incredible. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: What an incredible woman and athlete there.

One of Britain's most colorful traditions is back instep. For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic the changing of the guard ceremony was performed at Buckingham palace. On Monday soldiers from the Coldstream Guards marched from their barracks to the queen's home accompanied by music to honor the country's Olympic team. Tourists gathered to watch the parade, the queen was not in attendance.

Well tourists are once again allowed to visit the Taj Mahal on weekends. India's iconic monument reopen on Sunday after a weekend curfew to curb coronavirus cases was lifted. Markets and other businesses were also allowed to open on weekends near the famous site. Many shopkeepers are relieved, hoping the visitors will bring some badly needed revenue.

And thank you so much for joining us this hour. I am Rosemary Church, I will be back with more news in just a moment. Do stay with us.

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