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President Biden Sticks to Original Schedule; Taliban Wants to Hold Skilled Afghan Workers; Evacuees Dealing with Inconveniencies; Aussies Tired of Repetitive Lockdowns; Israel Ramping Up Booster Vaccination; Terror Group Wants to be Recognized. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired August 25, 2021 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
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 on CNN Newsroom, evacuations are ramping up in Kabul as the U.S. president insists on meeting the August 31st deadline to pull out from Afghanistan.
For Afghans lucky enough to get out, some are finding themselves in overcrowded bases, the logistical hurdles to processing evacuees.
And later, the music world pays tribute to Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away.
Good to have you with us.
Well the window is closing fast for tens of thousands of Afghans hoping to leave their country on a U.S. military flight. U.S. President Joe Biden says he plans to stick to an August 31st deadline for pulling out American troops. The pace of the evacuation has increased dramatically with more than 21,000 people flown out from Monday into Tuesday.
President Biden says that he is worried about possible terror attacks on U.S. troops. Several hundred American forces have already left Afghanistan. But Mr. Biden is making contingency plans in case they need to stay longer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Every day we are on the ground is another day that we know that ISIS-K a seeking to target the airport and attack both U.S. and allied forces and innocent civilians.
Additionally, thus far, the Taliban have been taking steps to work with us so that we can get our people out. But it is a tenuous situation, we already had some gun fighting break out. We run a serious risk of it breaking down as time goes on.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH (on camera): Meanwhile, we are learning CIA Director William
Burns flew to Kabul to meet with a top Taliban leader on Monday. It's the highest-level direct contact between the U.S. and the Taliban since the militant group took over the country.
Although the pace of evacuations has picked up significantly, there is a growing sense of urgency with the withdrawal deadline just days away. And thousands of Afghans are desperate to get out.
Oren Liebermann has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The tide of Afghan evacuees flowing out of Kabul is at a new peak as the effort to move as many people as possible enters its final seven days, 12,000 people flown out in 12 hours. The U.S. alone flew out 6,400 people, averaging nearly 350 per flight. That's 15 times what the U.S. flew out a week ago.
Since August 14th, more than 70,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul, the airport which once had 14,000 people on the field waiting for flights now down to about 5,000. Though there are many more outside, desperate to get in.
But as the operation improves, the environment grows more tense. The military is monitoring threats from ISIS-K and others aware that crowds at the airport are a target for terror groups. And the Taliban are warning of U.S. to be out by the end of the month. Telling Afghans, they won't be allowed to pass the road to the airport.
ZABIHULLAH MUJAHID, TALIBAN SPOKESMAN (through translator): We have indigenous doctors, professors, academics, they are talented people. They are talent of this country. They should not leave this country. They should work on their own specialist areas. They should not go to other countries, to those western countries.
LIEBERMANN: One question the Biden administration hasn't answered, how many Americans are left in Afghanistan. The White House promised to evacuate every U.S. citizen who wants out, but the Pentagon refusing to say how many that is.
JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: I don't think there's a perfect number that we know with certainty of all Americans in Afghanistan.
LIEBERMANN: The sheer number of Afghans leaving the country has created its own set of problems, the lack of basic sanitation at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, first stop for many of those fleeing Kabul.
KIRBY: We recognize that things were in many ways still are not at the level of sanitation and good hygiene that we want.
LIEBERMANN: Meanwhile, Afghan evacuees beginning to arrive in the United States. In the past 24 hours, four flights landed at the Dulles International Airport outside D.C. with more than 1,000 passengers. With the part of the operation in the United States just starting, the Pentagon has only days left before it winds the effort in Kabul.
With 5,800 troops on the ground, and an August 31st deadline to get them out, the Pentagon knows the last 48 hours are critical. Focus how to get out thousands of troops who've made it possible to move tens of thousands of people.
[03:05:00]
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMANN (on camera): Several hundred U.S. troops have already left Afghanistan, but the Pentagon emphasizes this isn't the final withdrawal of those 5,800 troops. It's simply troops that are no longer required heading back to the U.S., since having extra troops in Kabul would pose an unnecessary risk.
For now, the mission remains the evacuation of Afghanistan. But sooner or later they will have to transition away from the evacuation and into the final withdrawal from those U.S. troops to end the U.S. military president in Afghanistan.
Oren Liebermann, CNN, at the Pentagon.
CHURCH: Meantime, leaders of the group of seven major industrialized nations met virtually on Tuesday to discuss how to handle the Taliban going forward, how to wrap up the messy exit and whether world powers should try to stick around a little longer to help Afghans escape the new regime.
CNN's Nic Robertson has the details.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: What this really does appear to be a potential moment where there could be a significant, perhaps the first big bust up between the Taliban since they got to Kabul and the international community.
The G7 made it very clear that for them a priority of the future relationship with the Taliban would depend on Afghans, who had helped coalition partners get to the airport and be allowed to leave. The Taliban saying, they do not want that to happen that they need to keep their doctors, their engineers, their academics.
So, blocking them getting to the airport it potentially puts a serious roadblock in how the international community gets along with the Taliban. This is how the British prime minister framed it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The number one condition we are setting as G7 is that they have to guarantee, right the way through, through August 31st and beyond, safe passage, safe passage for those who want to come out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now what the G7 said was that the Taliban should live up to their international obligations, that they should prevent terrorist from being able to set up inside Afghanistan, they should give humanitarian access across the country. And they also said that they should stand up for their human rights obligations for women, for children, for ethnic minorities, for religious minorities.
The European Council president Charles Michel framed it this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES MICHEL, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COUNCIL: And this will be subject to strict conditions regarding the deeds and attitudes of the new regime, both in preserving the political, economic and social achievements for the Afghan citizens and their human rights, notably of women, girls, and minorities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now President Biden said that thus far the Taliban had been working with the U.S., so this is a real pinch point, a really decisive moment. President Biden has said he won't take the Taliban at their word. He will see what their actions are.
So, this issue over the airport could become a really decisive issue, setting the stage for the future relationship between the Taliban and the international community.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Washington.
CHURCH: Joining me now is Roya Rahmani, she is an Afghan diplomat who served as Afghanistan's first female ambassador to the United States. Thank you, ambassador, for talking with us.
ROYA RAHMANI, FORMER AFGHAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: Well, more than 70,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan in 10 days. But with the August 31st deadline fast approaching for the U.S. to get out of the country, it is looking less likely now that all remaining Afghan allies will be able to leave, particularly given the Taliban will now no longer allow Afghans to go to the airport.
Is there any sense that the U.S. has some leverage left over the Taliban with this?
RAHMANI: Well, the leverage that the United States with the international -- with the rest of international community has, number one, the question of the recognition of the upcoming government. Secondly, it is the international assistance and how it would be provided to the new Afghan government, as well as the monitoring mechanism, the terms and conditions of the engagement with the upcoming Afghan government.
But most importantly, to secure that leverage, it's very important to secure the Afghanistan Kabul airport remains open. CHURCH: And Ambassador, you have been asking the international
community to focus, strategize and think outside the box. What do you think is possible at this juncture?
[03:10:01]
RAHMANI: Well, at this juncture, the immediate essential is securing access to Afghanistan. And that is true having a functional airport. If you abandon Afghanistan, which has happened to it before, of course once again we will be the primary victims. But the trait and the misery of it does not spare the international community. And that has been the unfortunate consequence of it that we have seen before.
So, at this juncture, given that we have very limited options left, ensuring that access to Afghanistan is not completely blocked, is absolute necessity and essential. And then approaches, as I have been calling for out of the box approaches, are those that we have not necessarily tried before, those that we have tried and failed or not necessarily bound to succeed moving forward.
So, we need to think in more creative ways with more limited resources and access to ensure that we can utilize the leverages that remaining the best possible ways they can be utilized.
CHURCH: And Ambassador, as you mentioned, the Taliban have already targeted some Afghan allies who helped the United States despite them claiming to be a kinder version of the earlier fighting force that we knew through the 90s. What is your biggest fear when it comes to what will likely happen to Afghan allies left behind? And of course, Afghan women, who have achieved so much over the last 20 years, many of them very well educated with careers.
RAHMANI: My biggest fear is that we are just pushing the burden of this crisis to the next generation, to the next administration, to the next whatever is to come. Because by overlooking the crisis it does not disappear.
So, my biggest fear is, that by losing the rights of women of Afghanistan, the very achievements that you spoke about, we are setting ourselves to another era and potential for growth of terrorism and extremism.
I am afraid that the majority of the Afghan population who have been brought up thinking about and inspiring to a better future would turn better and feel abandoned and betrayed. And in this new world where technology and the multiplicity of the truth exists that people find it so easy to group and regroup and find ways and causes to associate themselves.
This is going to turn into a way bigger regional crisis that we are seeing at this point.
CHURCH: Ambassador Roya Rahmani, thank you so much for your perspective.
RAHMANI: Thank you for having me. CHURCH: And thousands of Afghan evacuees are now at Ramstein Air Base
in Germany staying in tents as they anxiously wait for flights to the U.S.
Journalist Atika Shubert is there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ATIKA SHUBERT, JOURNALIST: Ramstein Air Base has rapidly transformed into a refuge for Afghan evacuees.
So, it's really from this vantage point that you can see just how much his operation has grown. When we got here on Saturday morning to see those first few flights arriving there were only a few tents over there. Now as you can see, it's grown. And it really just goes to show what a massive operation this is to bring in thousands of evacuees.
The number now waiting here has swelled to 7,000. All of them desperate to get to the U.S. Donia Laali said she fought her way into Kabul airport to get all the woman and her family out.
DONIA LAALI, EVACUEE: We saw lots of problems here, and I try and my family tried to come out because we are all women. There is no men with us. Because we are just women, and my two brothers they are in U.S. so we try to go and reach them.
[03:14:58]
SHUBERT: The quick transit is now much taking longer. Evacuees are tired and frustrated. U.S. citizens, green card holders, and those with approved visas are being given priority according to the State Department. But Nazif Maywand told us he has a visa and has been waiting for more than two days to board a fight.
MOHAMMED NAZIF MAYWAND, EVACUEE: We need showers, we need internet. The internet is not available over here. Somehow, we need to have contact with our family members that they are worried about us. We're not so relaxed over here. Things are not that good over here. I know that they're trying their best.
SHUBERT: To speed up mobilization, the Pentagon has activated the civil reserve air fleet with commercial carriers such as Delta to bring evacuees to the U.S. But as of Tuesday night, only a handful of flights have flown out of Ramstein, and with a total of just several hundred on board.
In the meantime, singalongs and football keep the little ones occupied, while their parents wary and wait.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And Atika Shubert joins us now live from Ramstein Air Base with the latest. Atika, what have you been seeing this morning, and have the numerous sanitation issues been addressed now?
SHUBERT: Well those commercial flights will be continuing. The question is how fast really can they process these evacuees and get them on those flights, that's where the bottleneck has been. And in the meantime, as you can imagine, it's very basic conditions inside this tent -- inside this tent city where people are living are basically tents. They are very robust military tents but tents nonetheless.
There are some toilets, mostly portable toilets but not really showers or some washing areas. There are three hot meals a day that are served. But I think the biggest complaint that I have heard from evacuees was that they were separated from some family members. Or that they didn't have internet and couldn't contact family back home.
So that sense of uncertainty is what really seem to bother a lot of evacuees. And of course, all of them saying they hope the process would speed up so that they get, could get to the U.S. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right. Atika Shubert bringing us the latest there, many thanks.
Well, about 100 Afghan evacuees arrived in Italy on Tuesday, understandably exhausted. But after a few hours there was laughter.
A police chief organized a volleyball game for the children in the airport terminal. The Red Cross gave the group COVID-10 test before they went into 10 days of quarantine. And nearly 300 evacuees arrived at an air base in Spain on Tuesday. The defense minister said Spain won't be able to rescue all the Afghans who served alongside its troops because of what she called dramatic aggression from the Taliban.
Well, the COVID Delta variant is proving to be a tough challenge for many countries. Coming up, growing outbreaks are putting the zero COVID strategy to the test in both Australia and New Zealand.
And Israel is opening up COVID vaccine booster shots to more people. The details on who's eligible for a third dose. That's next.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: After nearly two months of rising COVID cases globally, the World Health Organization says the number of new infections appears to be leveling off. More than four and a half million cases were reported in the past week about the same as the week before.
Almost a quarter of those new cases were in the U.S. where the infection rate is back to where it was in January, and that's putting a big strain on hospitals, especially in areas where vaccinations are low. But health experts say the U.S. can stem the tide of new infections if more Americans get vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand are dealing with surging cases of the Delta variant. The Australian state of New South Wales just recorded its worst day of the pandemic with more than 900 new cases and two fatalities in the past 24 hours. CNN's Will Ripley is monitoring the outbreak for us. He joins us now
from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Will.
So, of course a lot of frustration in Australia over the zero COVID strategy there that keeps plunging the country into these lockdowns. What's the latest on a possible shift away from that approach not only in Australia but also New Zealand?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It does seem to be reaching a tipping point in Australia, Rosemary, where you have protesters out on the street saying they're just not going to do this anymore. They had their freedoms given back to them.
Australia was one of the first to reopen their theaters, to have life feel normal after essentially her medically sealing their borders from COVID-19.
It's a strategy, as you mentioned in Australia, in New Zealand, here in Hong Kong, in mainland China that has largely successful up until the emergence of the Delta variant, which is highly contagious and has made it extraordinary difficult even for countries with tight quarantines.
Places like here in Hong Kong where if you come from a high-risk country, it's 21 days compulsory quarantine with six months in jail if you violate that order.
Still, there are ways that the virus slips through and when you have something so contagious, you have this growing public anger, how can the world continue to go back and forth? Lockdown, isolation, people who are unable to travel and unable to see family members, loved ones who live beyond the borders of where they live. Or can't go to work and can't leave their homes when these lockdowns commence.
That is why you have public officials in Australia in New South Wales, and elsewhere, starting to shift focus and talk about what they see as the solution here. The solution more people getting those shots in arms. This is the New South Wales chief health officer Kerry Chant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KERRY CHANT, CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER, NEW SOUTH WALES: The solution is in our hands. And I urge everyone in those local government areas who have access to that vaccine to fill those appointment vacancies and get a vaccine. If we get those high levels the modelling shows we will change, they are effective and we will see a decline in cases. We have a choice. If we embrace vaccination we will get there sooner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: Embracing vaccination, shifting away from zero COVID and instead focusing on hospitalizations and deaths. That is why countries with higher case numbers like the United States, the UAE, and others that are considered high risk by the government here in Hong Kong, if you travel to those places life feels normal, things are open. People are living. People are working. The job market is booming. Whereas, people here have this palpable sense of frustration,
wondering when this Groundhog Day cycle is going to end. New South Wales they just hit a milestone, a third of their population fully vaccinated. New Zealand, a slower vaccine rollout, they are still at about a fifth of their population.
But as they try to look through phase reopening of their borders, vaccinations, Rosemary, are the magic bullet here that people are hoping may not necessarily reduce people from catching COVID, but will certainly, in most cases, reduce the severity of their symptoms and help them to recover and get back out their faster.
CHURCH: Yes. And that is truly the key here, isn't it, not these draconian lockdowns.
RIPLEY: Yes.
CHURCH: Get vaccinated, it's easy. Will Ripley, --
RIPLEY: Absolutely.
CHURCH: -- thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
Well, Israel is opening up COVID booster shots to anyone over the age of 30. People must have received their second dose at least five months ago to be eligible.
[03:24:59]
Israel is trying to curb one of its worst outbreaks of the virus. The health ministry reported nearly 10,000 new cases on Tuesday, just shy of the country's all-time pandemic record set in January. The jump in new cases means roughly one out of nine people in Israel have tested positive since the start of the pandemic.
Well, the 16th Summer Paralympic Games are underway in Tokyo despite surging COVID cases in Japan. Like at the Olympics, Tuesday night is opening ceremony took place in an empty stadium because of the pandemic.
Japan currently is battling its worst COVID outbreak so far. Daily cases in Tokyo are now about three times higher than they were when the Olympics began last month. Still, Paralympics officials insist the games can be held safely.
Tuesday ceremony paid tribute to several Afghan athletes who couldn't be there due to the conflict in their country. With a Paralympics volunteer carrying Afghanistan's flag into the stadium.
And still to come, with the clock ticking down and an ominous warning from the Taliban, the situation at Kabul's airport is growing even more tense with thousands still desperately waiting for a flight out.
Plus, new worries for the Afghans who worked with the U.S. and its allies. The information that may lead the Taliban to their door.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH (on camera): Welcome back, everyone. Well the number of Afghans waiting at Kabul's airport for a flight out has fallen below 5,000. And will likely continue to fall now that the Taliban have said they will no longer allow Afghan nationals to leave. The militants say the crowds should go home, claiming they won't face retaliation.
With the pace of evacuations ramping up, U.S. President Joe Biden is standing firm on this Tuesday's deadline to withdraw troops. But he has also requested contingency plans in case the Taliban don't cooperate. And the deadline needs to be pushed back.
CNN's Sam Kiley is in Kabul and describes the scene.
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Time on the airfield of the airport so this is in a sense consistent with what they have been planning for, which was an evacuation or withdrawal of all U.S. forces, and the end of the evacuation by August 31st.
But the atmosphere has cranked up a level because any kind of extension to that has now been ruled out, particularly in the face of a Taliban announcement today that no more Afghans can come to the airport.
[03:30:08]
The Afghans are now forbidden by the Taliban to join the evacuation process. Now, the extent to which they choose to actually directly apply that remains to be seen. But certainly the numbers of people coming or arriving at the outside, at the outside perimeter of the airport are significantly lower.
There is a possibility, in the sense almost that they will run out here of people to evacuate, because there are not enough people able to get here in order to seek evacuation. But the atmosphere is very much soured now, because of the Taliban decision to start stopping Afghans from escaping the country.
The Taliban saying they do not see a need to leave, they basically also fear a brain drain and part of it may also be that they recognize the more people that the U.S. has to evacuate, the less likelihood there is of meeting that deadline. And therefore a greater chance of friction with the United States. They are trying to integrate themselves into the international community.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): The World Bank's financial support for Afghanistan is now on hold over doubts the Taliban will follow through on women's rights and other commitments. It's another financial blow to a country which relies heavily on foreign aid. A World Bank spokeswoman says, we are deeply concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and the impact on the country's development prospects, especially for women.
And this follows last week's move by the International Monetary Fund which froze the release of $450 million to Afghanistan under pressure from the Biden administration. The World Food Programme, warns millions of Afghans could face starvation by next month. The group's director says it has been successful so far moving food in, but he warns the program needs hundreds of millions of dollars to overt catastrophe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID BEASLEY, DIRECTOR, U.N. WORLD'S FOOD PROGRAMME: Because of COVID, conflict, economic deterioration, the numbers of people marching to the brink of starvation has spiked to now about 13 million to 14 million people. So right now, we need money, we need it desperately because we are running out of money. Our pipeline will break in the end of September.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: A senior World Health Organization official is also raising an alarm. He says, deliveries of medical equipment from abroad have been blocked by restrictions at Kabul airport, and that supplies are rapidly running out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMED AL-MANDHARI, WHO REGIONAL DIRECTOR: We have rapidly distributes lifesaving supplies and facilities (inaudible) in Kabul, (inaudible). The WHO, now only has enough supplies in country for last for one week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The increasingly dire situation will likely only fuel the flight of more people out of the country. According to the U.N. refugee agency, Pakistan is already hosting more than 1.4 million Afghan refugees, 780,000 are living in Iran and 117,000 are in Turkey. Within Afghanistan, more than 5 million people are internally displaced.
CNN's Anna Coren has covered Afghanistan for years and recently returned from Kabul. She joins us now live from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Anna. So evacuations are ramping up ahead of the August 31st deadline. But for Afghan allies it appears to be the end of the road, doesn't it? What more are you learning about the future faced by those left behind?
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yeah, Rosemary, we talk about this window closing. It would almost appear that the window has already closed. You know, Sam Kiley reporting there that the numbers are significantly reducing at the airport. That is because the Taliban is not allowing Afghans into that airport.
I am getting messages, Rosemary, from women, from other Afghans as well, pleading, how do I get out of here? Can you help me? What do I do? These are people who were hoping that their organizations, their -- you know, sponsored by the U.S. embassy, the State Department, would have helped, you know, organize to get them out of Kabul. That has not happened. And now they are left at home there, they are hiding, they are fearful
of just going out onto the streets to do shopping, in case the Taliban come looking for them. They are really, you know, fearing for their lives. These messages of desperation. One woman said to me, you know, Anna, I am terrified. I am feeling hopeless. What do I do? You know, I am just one person. There are many, many people receiving these messages of desperation.
[03:35:06]
You know, today we know that more than 70,000 people have been evacuated from Hamid Karzai International Airport since the 14th of August. You know, that was the day before Kabul fell. We got that number yesterday from the Pentagon. You know, 21,600 people were airlifted in a 24-hour period.
But if we are now just talking about thousands within the airport, that means that they can move those people within the next day, if not sooner. They will leave very soon. And then it will no longer be about evacuations, but rather a drawdown. Those U.S. Troops on the ground. You have 5,800, although we know several hundred left yesterday. You have got troops from other countries there.
The British, the Australians, you know, other coalition countries that had forces on the ground, helping with these evacuations. You have the Afghan troops, who have also been securing the perimeter of the airport. The Afghan commandoes who were fighting the Taliban. You know, these are forces that did not surrender to the Taliban. These are forces that will be expecting the United States to rescue them and evacuate them as well.
So this is a situation, Rosemary, where people are running out of time. And I am sure that, like hearing the Taliban yesterday, the Taliban spokesperson say that they will be stopping Afghans from coming to the airport for quote, their own safety -- much as terrify, all those people stuck there because they know they will not be able to get out.
CHURCH: Yes, it is just a heartbreaking situation. Anna Coren bringing us the latest there from her vantage point in Hong Kong, many thanks.
We'll just 10 days have passed since the fall of Kabul, and as the Taliban took control, an Afghan popstar has been able to flee. Now she is sharing her story. Singer and women's rights activist, Aryana Sayeed and her fiance feared they would be killed by the Taliban when they were initially unable to leave Kabul. After staying with family, they were able to fly out on their second attempt following a terrifying journey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARYANA SAYEED, AFGHAN SINGER AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST: So we were driving and we passed through about five Taliban checkpoints, one of them actually stopped our car. And it was like 11 at night. And one them, he just put a light through the car and the minute that he saw me with the little boy.
And obviously, I was covered with a hijab, you could only see my eyes and I was wearing glasses as well. It was just terrifying. You know, I was thinking, I was just shaking at that moment thinking, what if -- he is going to ask for identities and stuff like that. What am I going to do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And then once at the airport, Sayeed describe chaotic scenes, saying one woman even begged her to take her baby with her. Since arriving in the U.S., she fears for the millions left behind.
Well, the U.S. military tells CNN, it is worried, the Taliban have gotten hold of records and data they could use against those who fought against them, and enable them to identify and track down Afghans who worked with the U.S. and coalition forces.
CNN's Brian Todd explains the dangers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In addition to the U.S. made armaments they have got their hands on, new concerns that the Taliban have seized another, more subtle weapon that could help them track down and kill their enemies. Digital databases left behind on computers and hard drives. Records stored away that could be a treasure trove for the terror group.
THOMAS WARRICK, FMR. U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL: That includes things like tax records, who was on payroll, who talked to whom, who were the confidential sources of some of the police units. It includes who received payments and checks and where they came from.
TODD: Information that former intelligence officials say the Taliban are now likely using to fill in the intelligence gaps on who they're looking for.
MICHAEL PREGENT, FORMER U.S. MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: They can go in to the computer. And you know, they have smart people. They will pick an al-Qaeda guy, hey can you look at this and find out who. Who in Afghanistan had worked for the Americans and they put them in the target list?
TODD: The group Human Rights First has tweeted out a warning, saying they believe the Taliban has access to biometric databases and equipment in Afghanistan, quote, "including some left behind by coalition military forces." A concern echoed by a Republican member of Congress who served there.
REP. JIM BANKS (R-IN): The Taliban now has biometric devices which have the fingerprints, eye scans, and a biographical information of the Afghans who helped us over the last 20 years.
TODD: A defense official tells CNN, they cannot confirms reports the Taliban had seized certain handheld devices that contain biometric data like fingerprints and iris scans. Regarding the larger stores of data, experts aren't much worried that the Taliban had gotten their hands on the data of Americans since U.S. forces and diplomats likely destroyed most of that on the way out.
[03:40:09]
It's the information on America's Afghan allies they are worried about. Data which could be just sitting in the offices of civilian telecom companies in Kabul.
This is scattered all over everywhere. It is almost impossible to control. And it is impossible to delete enough copies, to really protect all the people you would like to see protected.
So, Human Rights First is urgently warning activist and America's allies in Afghanistan to protect themselves.
UNKNOWN: They can take steps to secure their identities, they can request their data be deleted by social media companies, who are aware of the threat that is happening right now and are taking extra measures to delete that information.
TODD: We reached out to the State Department and the Pentagon regarding Taliban data seizure. The State Department didn't respond. A defense official told us they have taken all prudent measures to prevent digital data, whether it's on phone records, handheld devices or other records from falling into Taliban hands. But they said the process is not perfect.
And also said, the U.S. military has legitimate concerns that data from biometric, phone records and other sources could help the Taliban track down those who had helped Americans in Afghanistan.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Footballs governing body, once steep in and (inaudible) with corruption is getting more than $200 million from a surprising source, the U.S. Justice Department which blew the lid off the first decades- long bribery schemes has determined that FIFA was not just a perpetrator but also a victim, and that its corrupt officials ultimately hurt footballs development.
Since 2015, prosecutors have charged 50 people and corporations from more than 20 countries with everything from racketeering, to wire fraud, to money laundering. Bu FIFA and regional confederations are now poised to receive this huge cash infusion from forfeited funds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIANNI INFANTINO, FIFA PRESIDENT: This is a great victory for FIFA, and a great victory for football. I want to sincerely thank the U.S. Justice authorities for their efforts, in this respect, for their fast and effective approach and bringing these matters to a conclusion. And also for their trust, generally. The truth is that thanks to the intervention back in 2015, we have been able to fundamentally change FIFA from a (inaudible) at that time to a highly esteemed and trusted global sport's governing body.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: But the award does come with a catch. "The New York Times" reports the 200 million will be kept in American banks, not Swiss, even though FIFA is headquartered in Switzerland. The money will be part of a foundation dedicated to growing the game through youth programs and community outreach.
Well, a mysterious incident in Hanoi delayed Kamala Harris's flight to Vietnam. We will explain what happened and discuss what she is pledging the U.S. will do in the region. Back in just a moment.
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[03:45:00]
CHURCH: U.S. Vice President, Kamala Harris is in Hanoi this hour. But her trip there was delayed several hours because of a possible Havana Syndrome incident. Harris met in the past few hours with Vietnam's president at the presidential palace in Hanoi and promised to take a strong stand against China's ambitions in the South China Sea. She is also meeting with the country's Prime Minister, where she just announced the U.S. is donating to Vietnam an additional 1 million COVID vaccine doses.
Kristie Lu Stout joins me now with the latest on the Vice President's visit. Good to see you, Kristie. So what more are you learning about this possible Havana Syndrome incident that delayed the Vice President Harris' flight to Vietnam and what she said when she arrived there?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): With regard to the Havana Syndrome incident, Rosemary, it's all very mysterious. I mean, what we know is this is an illness of unknown origin and manifests itself in a variety of symptoms like dizziness, like, nausea, even memory lapses, it has afflicted some, you know, hundreds of U.S. officials over the years.
And there was that three hour delay yesterday in Singapore, after the U.S. government said that someone in Hanoi had been targeted with this syndrome. But this was a reported case, not a confirmed case. That's all we know at this moment and that's why they decided to continue on with the trip in Southeast Asia.
Today, the U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has been meeting high- level officials in Vietnam, she has met already with the vice president, the president as well as the Prime Minister.
And on the agenda, a whole range of issues, you know, including climate change, including economic concerns, like global chip supply production, as well as security concerns. Top of mind of course is the South China Sea and China's continued assertions of sovereignty in that area. I want you to listen to this from the U.S. Vice President. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We will work closely with Vietnam to uphold the rules based international order, including freedom of navigation, an issue that we take seriously. And including, as it relates to the South China Sea. We need to find ways to pressure and raise the pressure, frankly, on Beijing. To abide by the United Nations convention on the law of the sea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Also on the agenda the coronavirus pandemic. And the United States today announced that it will donate an additional 1 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Vietnam. Also in the next hour or so, we are expecting the U.S. Vice President to formally launch a regional center in Vietnam of the CDC, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The United States had already donated about 5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Vietnam. But it is sadly not enough. You know, Vietnam was once a pandemic success story, but cases there, the death toll there has been rising, because of the highly contagious nature of the Delta variant.
And also because of the fact that just not enough vaccines are there in the country. As of now, we know only about 1.8 percent of this entire country of about 96 million people have been inoculated so far. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Yes, it is a problem there and in many countries across the globe, just not enough vaccines to go around right now. Kristie Lu Stout joining us there from Hong Kong. Many thanks.
Well, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has just arrived in the U.S. and will meet with President Biden at the White House on Thursday. Mr. Bennett's top goals during his visit are to reaffirm the strong relationship between Israel and the U.S., and to try to seek common ground with the Biden administration on Iran.
CNN's Hadas Gold is following the Prime Minister's trip.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN POLITICS, MEDIA AND BUSINESS REPORTER (voice over): This trip will be fast and furious but with incredibly high stakes, only about two days long. The Prime Minister will arrive in Washington on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, he will have various meetings with officials and on Thursday will be the big meeting with President Joe Biden. Israeli officials who briefed reporters prior to the trip said that there are two main objectives to this trip.
The first is simply the meeting. Getting to know President Biden, and continuing what they say is the strong relationship between Israel and the United States. The two leaders have actually never met before. They've spoken by phone, but it's incredibly important for the Israeli Prime Minister to show the Israeli public that a strong relationship with the United States will continue under this new Prime Minister.
[03:50:00]
The second probably the most important point of this trip in the eyes of the Israelis, is to press the United States on Iran. Now, Israel has long been opposed to any sort of return to the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, and Israeli officials told reporters that when they first started planning this trip a few months ago, they felt as the return to the deal was inevitable.
Now, they feel as though they have a chance to potentially try and prevent the return to the nuclear deal. Saying that they believe with a new hardline president in Iran, as well as the understanding that talks may be still, now maybe the chance to try and stop the return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will be presenting to President Biden what the Israelis are calling a holistic strategy to counter Iran, not only with their nuclear ambitions but also on what they call regional aggression. Their actions in places like Syria, like Lebanon, incidents that we have seen recently at sea.
The Israelis feel that time is of the essence here and that time is running out to try and stop Iran, not only for their nuclear ambitions, but also regarding these regional aggressions, these activities that we've been seeing in recent months.
That's why this trip, although it will be, quick will be incredibly important, of incredibly high stakes to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Still to come on "CNN Newsroom", tributes are pouring in for a rock and roll legend. Rolling Stones' drummer, Charlie Watts, after news of his death in London. We will hear from some of his top friends in music.
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CHURCH: Charlie Watts, the strong and steady drummer for the Rolling Stones has died at the age of 80. A statement from his publicist says Watts passed away peacefully at a London hospital surrounded by his family.
Watts played with the Stones for more than 50 years and was often called one of the greatest drummers of his generation. He anchored the bands blues rock sound along with bandmates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronny Wood. But he was always a reluctant rock and roll star.
He joked that he used his day job with the Stones to support his enduring love of jazz. Charlie Watts is survived by his wife, Shirley Ann Shepherd whom he was married to for 56 years, and his daughter, Seraphina.
Well, fellow musicians, celebrities and fans alike are reacting to Watts' death, paying tribute to the drummer's immense talent, unassuming style and kindness. Here is what Paul McCartney had to say about his friend and fellow British rocker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL MCCARTNEY, CHARLIE WATTS FRIEND: Charlie was a rock, and a fantastic drummer. Steady as a rock. Anyway, so, love you Charlie. I've always loved you. Beautiful man. And great condolences and sympathies to his family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And Sir Elton John posted a picture of himself with Watts with the caption, a very sad day, Charlie Watts was the ultimate drummer, the most stylish of men and such brilliant company.
[03:54:59]
Well, as children across the United States are heading back to school, mask mandates have become a flash point with some disputes over face coverings turning violent.
CNN's Rosa Flores takes a look at the escalating mask wars.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): When it comes to masks in schools, it's some parents who are behaving badly, having face to face confrontations.
And even burning masks. The tension and division mostly fueled by misinformation.
(CROWD CHANTING) Let them breathe, let them breathe.
FLORES: In Texas, a parent ripping off a teacher's face mask at school last week, according to the school district's superintendent.
TOM LEONARD, SUPERINTENDENT EANES INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, TEXAS: I don't want these mask wars being fought in our schools. I don't care right now what you believe.
FLORES: In northern California, an elementary school teacher had to get stitches for cuts and lacerations to his face, when an argument with a parent over masks turned physical.
UNKNOWN: The principal intervened and said, hey, it's time to go. Like you stop.
FLORES: Now the parent, facing multiple charges, including battery on a school employee according to the district attorney. The rage, spilling into school board meetings for months now. Like this one in Utah. UNKNOWN: So I taught Jr. High School and you don't scare me.
FLORES: In Pennsylvania --
UNKNOWN: Stop, stop. Please.
FLORES: In Tennessee and Wisconsin too.
UNKNOWN: Enough. This is inappropriate, these folks are your neighbors.
FLORES: With some meeting abruptly ending in the midst of screaming protests.
(CROWD CHANTING) No more masks, no more masks!
FLORES: And public officials openly threatened.
UNKNOWN: We know where you live, no more masks.
FLORES: But to combat this war over masks, this dad who says his five-year-old understands the concept of wearing face coverings.
UNKNOWN: And it's disappointing that more adults around here can't seem to grasp it.
FLORES: He is pleading for civility in a national conversation.
Here in Texas, the fight over mask mandates is in the courts with some of the largest school districts in these states suing Governor Gregg Abbott over his executive order on mask which bans mask mandates. Abbott, going straight to the Supreme Court, asking the justices to intervene. The high court say, not so fast, telling the Governor that he has to go through the appeals process. That is why some of the largest districts in this state have mask mandates right now, because the decisions from the lower court stand.
Rosa Flores, CNN, Houston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Why so hard to wear a mask indeed. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Do stay with us.
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