Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Ukraine Confirms Offensive Operations In Occupied South; U.N. Inspectors Head To Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant; U.S. Believes Russia Has Acquired Iranian Drones; At Least 5 Killed In Clashes In Baghdad's Green Zone; Pakistani Officials Estimate $10B In Damage From Floods; Pakistan Calls For Global Aid As Floods Impact Millions; Judge May Appoint Special Master in Mar-a-Lago Search; E.U. to Hold Emergency Meeting as Energy Crisis Intensifies; Tehran demands IAEA Close Probe in Order to Revive Deal; Study: Sea Levels to Rise Due to Greenland Ice Losses; NASA Postpones Artemis I Launch after Engine Issue; Williams Wins First Singles Match at 2022 U.S. Open; Two Air France Pilots Suspended after Cockpit Fight. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired August 30, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:00:50]

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Kristie Lu Stout live in Hong Kong. And head right here on CNN Newsroom, Ukraine strikes back, launching its long-awaited counter offensive to reclaim territory lost to the Russians. Live bullets and tear gas are fired inside Baghdad's green zone following clashes over a powerful Iraqi cleric quitting politics. And Pakistan pleads for help after devastating flooding leaves more than 1,000 people dead and much of the country underwater.

And we begin in Ukraine where a long-awaited counter offensive appears to be underway, with Ukrainian troops launching a series of attacks on Russian forces in the South. A Ukrainian military source tells CNN the soldiers managed to break through Russia's defensive line and retake four villages in the Kherson region. The sources Ukraine's eventual target is the city of Kherson, a strategically critical port on Ukraine's Black Sea coast. Kherson was the first major city to fall under Russian control in early March.

Western military gear is likely playing a key role in Ukraine's counter offensive plans. Long range weapons, including rocket launchers from the U.S. have allowed them to destroy critical targets behind Russian lines in the South. While Ukrainian officials are not sharing the details of the plans, they say the ultimate goal should be clear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): I am sure you all understand what is happening and what we are fighting for and what we want. Ukraine is returning its own and it will return Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Crimea and definitely the waters of the Black and Azov seas. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: A dangerous mission is also underway in a different part of Ukraine, as inspectors from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, make their way to the embattled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. This as new images reveal some of the damage within the complex including this, a massive hole in the roof of a building. At least three of their holes have also been spotted. It comes after weeks of repeated attacks around the plant that have raised fears of a nuclear disaster.

CNN's Melissa Bell is in Kyiv with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For many, it's a nightmare scenario. Shells landing just miles from Europe's largest nuclear plant. Zaporizhzhia's become a flashpoint in the war in Ukraine with both sides blaming the other for the artillery strikes that threaten the site and neighboring towns. Nine people were injured in shelling in the nearby town of Enerhodar on Sunday night, according to a Russian-backed official.

Last week, shells landed about 100 meters from Zaporizhzhia's reactors. CNN is unable to verify who's responsible for the shelling.

Ukraine claims the site's been turned into a military base. Satellite images today show Russian armored vehicles hidden by a reactor, a demilitarized zone, not under discussion, according to the Kremlin, but some hope is perhaps on the way. Early Monday, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi tweeted, that a delegation of experts would arrive in Zaporizhzhia later this week. They arrived in Kyiv today. The mission 14 experts headed by Grossi, one of the few diplomatic agreements to have come out of the war so far.

RAFAEL MARIANO GROSSI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, IAEA: I think now there is general recognition that we need to be there. We need to be there soon. Kyiv accepts it, Moscow accepts it.

BELL (voice-over): Ukraine's repeatedly called on Russia to remove its troops from the site with Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president's office describing Russia's actions as nuclear blackmail on Sunday.

[01:05:05]

In Zaporizhzhia, power has been a concern with nearby fires twice briefly cutting the plants external electricity that powers critical functions last Thursday. A total loss of power would be disastrous.

PETRO KOTIN, ENERGOATOM PRESIDENT: If we have cut off power supply from outside, and after that diesel generators stop. Then there will be completely the same scenario like at Fukushima.

BELL (voice-over): Grossi says the currently safety systems in place at the power plant remain operational with radioactivity levels within normal range. Even so, authorities are not taking any chances. In Ukrainian controlled territory, exercises this month in case of nuclear fallout.

Near Zaporizhzhia, locals have been collecting iodine pills to defend against the effects of a possible radiation leak. In a land that's no stranger to nuclear disaster, prudence is worth its weight in gold.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Kyiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Joining me now from Washington is retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and CNN Military Analyst Cedric Leighton. Colonel, thank you so much for joining us here on the program. We have Ukrainian forces who have been hinting at this for a while at this offensive in Kherson. So, are the Russians prepared for this, or could Ukraine find a weak spot in Russia's armor?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Kristie, the Ukrainians have definitely moved forward in an interesting way here, the Russians should have definitely been prepared for this. The Ukrainians have been telegraphing this for months now. And it's pretty clear that the Russians don't seem to be quite ready for this. You know, the Ukrainians can definitely find some weak spots in the Russian lines, they can go into areas that the Russians have defended, perhaps weakly. And they can move in a way that perhaps challenges the Russian forces that are arrayed in the south especially.

So that's going to be a challenge for the Russians. The Russians are, you know, potentially able to hold their own, but the Ukrainians have the advantage of moving forward in certain directions that the Russians may not anticipate. So it's going to be, you know, just from a pure analytical perspective, it's going to be very interesting to see exactly how far the Ukrainians can go, and also what the Russians will do to counteract them.

LU STOUT: Yes, Ukraine is indeed moving forward early on in this offensive, it's made some early gains. Ukraine has also received a great deal of weapons and support from Western allies. Do you think that's going to be enough to make even more significant gains during this offensive?

LEIGHTON: It could be. I think the big difference, Kristie is, you know, the types of weapons that the Ukrainians have been able to employ in this offensive. They, you know, started using drones early on in this war. If they can employ a variety of drones and tethered them even more effectively to their command and control networks in their intelligence networks, they will have a force multiplying effects that they otherwise wouldn't have had. So that's going to make a difference.

I also think that weapons like the HIMARS system, which are absolutely critical, from an artillery standpoint, are going to make another difference, they're more accurate, they have a longer range about 300 kilometers, that's going to make a big difference for the Ukrainians moving forward. And it could be something that the Russians will have difficulty responding to. And then finally, if the Ukrainians employ air assets, as in fixed wing, manned aircraft against these Russian positions, that could also affect the Russians in a negative way.

LU STOUT: And as these weapons are being deployed, and troops are on the move in the background, you have the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. You know, that situation remains very fluid, very volatile, how could that affect the battlefield for both Ukraine and Russia?

LEIGHTON: Of course, if there is an accident, or if the plant itself is hit directly or even indirectly by fire from either side, it could adversely affect the movements of either the Ukrainian or the Russian forces. If radiation is spread throughout the region, that could limit the ability of the forces to move in certain directions. Even the fear of an accident like, you know, like Fukushima, as was described by the head of the Ukrainian Atomic Energy Authority, that could very well be a situation that calls for a different move, a different tactic, perhaps a different avenue of approach, when it comes to actually going after the Russian position. So it could have an impact and it could potentially delay the Ukrainian advance.

[01:10:02]

LU STOUT: And a final question for you on Ukraine's bold battlefield ambitions, we know that the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, not only wants to clear Russian forces from the southern areas, but also from Crimea, which the Russians occupied since 2014. You know, can Ukraine achieve that and how?

LEIGHTON: It's going to be difficult, I think, for Ukraine, to achieve that with this offensive. They would need to have far more weaponry, far more troops, far greater number than they currently have, they would basically need about a three to one ratio at a minimum between themselves and the Russian defenders. And in the present time, it seems unlikely that they will be able to clear all the way down into Crimea and clear the Russians from that area there.

So what that would mean is they can perhaps achieve victories in the south in the area that was occupied since February of this year. But whether or not they can get into Crimea and keep Crimea, for Ukraine, that would be of course, another question. Eventually, I think they can do it. The problem is, is that they won't be able to do it in the near term unless they change tactics become more maneuverable, and also, of course, achieve clear victories by using weapons systems that may not be on the battlefield at the present time.

LU STOUT: Always appreciate your very clear insight here. Thank you so much. Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton, take care and thank you.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Kristie. Thank you so much.

LU STOUT: Giving Ukraine an edge on the battlefield, Russia is turning elsewhere for new military hardware. U.S. officials tell CNN they believe Moscow has acquired weapons capable drones from Iran, and will likely use them on the battlefield in Ukraine. But it's unclear whether there'll be a game changer for Russia. A U.S. intelligence officials believe many of the Iranian drones had technical problems when the Russians were testing them.

Now Iraq's capital city is reeling from some of the worst violence it has seen in years. Hundreds of protesters loyal to the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the heavily fortified green zone after al-Sadr announced that he would withdraw from political life.

The protesters clashed with security forces with at least five people killed. The military has imposed an open-ended nationwide curfew. More now from CNN's Ben Wedeman.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Iraq is once more teetering on the brink of the Abyss with intense gunfire Monday evening inside the once secure green zone in Baghdad, home to the Iraqi parliament, government ministries and diplomatic missions, including the fortress like U.S. Embassy. This latest outburst of violence followed a tweet by powerful Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr announcing that he was withdrawing from politics and calling for the closure of most of the offices of his Sadrist Movement, which won the largest bloc of seats in last October's parliamentary elections.

Iraq has been in a state of paralysis since those elections. They saw there is -- haven't been able to form a government refusing to negotiate with the other main Shia bloc, the coordination framework bloc, which has close ties with Iran. Soon after Sadr announced his withdrawal from politics, hundreds of his followers broke into Baghdad's green zone and into the Republican palace where the offices of the Prime Minister are located, and some took time to take a quick dip in the palace's pool.

The Army has declared a curfew. The Prime Minister has indefinitely suspended Cabinet meetings and Muqtada al-Sadr himself is declared that he will fast until the violence ends. Analysts believe Sadr who is called for the dissolution of parliament in early elections may be engaging in a bit of political brinksmanship. Monday's bloody clashes underscore the danger of going too close to the brink with much blood already spilled. Pulling back may prove difficult.

I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Rome.

LU STOUT: Abbas Kadhim is the head of the Atlantic Council's Iraq Initiative and joins us now from Washington. Sir, thank you very much indeed for joining us. First, let's gauge the temperature in Iraq which has been mired in political deadlock and now we have fresh violence. How dangerous is this moment for the country?

ABBAS KADHIM: Thank you, Kristie, for having. It is extremely dangerous.

[01:15:01]

I think Iraq has not had this kind of level of violence or the threat of violence that is related to the government formation process. Yes, Iraq has always taken its time to form a government after an election due to the demographic distribution of power, and also, the law itself and the regulations for forming a government, which always has been peaceful, and it was done through negotiation.

This is the first time we are seeing complete deadlock, and also the demonstrations, counter demonstrations. And also, unfortunately, in the last few hours, the use of our weapons, and that led to casualties unfortunately.

LU STOUT: As you point out, even before these deadly protests, Iraq has been in this political deadlock, you know, since Sadr's party won the most seats last year, but not enough to govern with a majority. So what's the political outlook for Iraq going forward?

KADHIM: This is, again, we are 11 months almost into the post- election, government formation process. And as time proceeds, basically, it gets even harder and harder. The problem with that even though Sadr won, but his win is really a small margin, about 22 percent of the total number of parliamentary seats. It was nowhere near a majority to form a government much less the needed two-thirds to elect the president and proceed with his own vision of a government.

So I don't see any way that the vision that he is trying to impose and he is not relenting on which is forming a national majority government as he calls it, not a sectarian fight across -- not a sectarian lines, there is no way it can be accommodated. And therefore, the outlook of this and the only possible scenario is that for all parties to be convinced that reality on the ground will prevent the -- anyone to impose their own vision of government formation and they will have to go back to a consortiation and negotiations and finally an agreement.

The sad part is that the longer these drags on, the longer it takes for these people to realize this simple fact, the more unfortunately lives we are going to lose and the more time that Iraqis will live in these harsh conditions where their needs are not met by the government.

LU STOUT: And the reality on the ground is grim. We have these new deadly protests in Iraq, taking place after Muqtada al-Sadr announced his resignation. Was his resignation a response to the retirement of Ayatollah Kadhim al-Haeri?

KADHIM: Partly. Muqtada al-Sadr after he handed all his 73 seats to his opponents, was left without any political leverage. He is out of government, he is out of the constitutional or legal process to form a government, therefore, the only thing he had left was the -- mobilizing his supporters to physically occupy the parliament and stop the government from conducting business, which he did.

Then the Iranians came in and forced this Grand Ayatollah, who has not much following in Iraq except for a significant number of followers from the Sadrist Movement that follow him and therefore the Iranians wanted to the illegitimate Muqtada al-Sadr using the retirement and the announcement that Ayatollah al-Haeri made, which was not only that he decided to retire, which is odd enough, normally, we don't have a history of people with his position to retire.

But even with that, he did not just leave it at retiring, but he took a couple of shots at Muqtada al-Sadr and his followers. And also, he ordered his emulators to follow the Supreme Leader of Iran, which added insult to injury.

LU STOUT: Abbas Kadhim, we appreciate your analysis. And thank you so much for joining us here at CNN.

KADHIM: Thank you.

LU STOUT: You're watching CNN Newsroom. And still to come, Pakistan assesses the damage as massive flooding affects millions. One minister says this is among the country's worst disasters ever. Plus, NASA postpones its highly anticipated Artemis 1 launch, the latest on the reason for the delay and when the liftoff might be rescheduled.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:22:10]

LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now Pakistani officials say deadly and widespread flooding has caused more than $10 billion in damages so far this year. Repeated floods over the summer months have soaked away buildings and destroyed homes across Pakistan. The International Rescue Committee says more than 70 percent of the people that contacted don't have access to enough clean drinking water. And Pakistan's climate change minister says the flooding is one of the worst disasters the nation has ever seen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERRY REHMAN, PAKISTANI CLIMATE CHANGE MINISTER: Literally one-third of Pakistan is underwater right now which has exceeded every boundary, every norm we've seen in the past. We've never seen anything like this. Even the 2010 super floods which had literally wiped out half the country was better than this. I mean, we are much worse today than 2010.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: CNN's Anna Coren joins me from here in Hong Kong with more. And Anna, the scale of the damage and the devastation just grows each and every day. What's the latest?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, as you said, you know, that financial toll $10 billion is what the Pakistani government thinks that these floods to date have cost. We know that the monsoon rains have been falling since mid-June. And they're not over yet. Yes, there is a reprieve the sun is out. But that doesn't mean that the damage isn't going to continue, let alone the loss of life. The human toll, you know, very conservatively, it stands at just over 1,000 people but there are areas that have been completely cut off, you know, communities that have been stranded that authorities, the military that has been mobilized haven't been able to to get to.

So there is a feeling that the death toll could be much much higher. 33 million people impacted, that's 15 percent of the population. And Kristie, millions of Pakistanis have been left homeless and destitute as the country deals with this climate catastrophe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COREN (voice-over): A young life hanging in the balance, winched across rushing water in Pakistan's flood-soaked Sindh province. Safely off the bedframe, it's an older man's turn. Lucky for some, but these floods have killed over 1,000 people since mid-June, including over 350 children, according to UNICEF.

ABDULLAH FADIL, UNICEF REPRESENTATIVE IN PAKISTAN: This is a calamity of proportions I think Pakistan has not seen. Some of the areas hit are also some of the most vulnerable areas of the country.

CORE (voice-over): Pakistan normally goes through three to four monsoon rain cycles each year. It has had eight in that time. And the wet season will drag on through September.

[01:25:03]

Extreme heat has baked the earth, the rain can't soak in, flash flooding comes next. The satellite images show the Indus River swelling, nowhere for the water to go and few routes to escape it. Highways through central Pakistan have been cut off, bridges broken as villages wash away.

In the northwest of the country, Army choppers rescue desperate people. Another person saved. Others scramble for the next helicopter.

FADIL: This is a climate crisis. Climate that has been mostly done by richer countries contributing to the to the to the crisis. And I think it's time that the world responded to support Pakistan in this time of need.

COREN (voice-over): As Pakistan and NGOs appeal for international aid, the weather forecast is finally brightening. All are hopeful for a break in the rain, a chance to further assess the damage. What is immediately obvious, the toll that climate change is taking. Pakistan's relatively low carbon footprint not enough to save it from the dangers of our warming world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Yes, the Pakistani government is definitely blaming this catastrophe squarely on climate change, man-made climate change, Kristie. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Prime Minister Sharif here set up a flood response coordination center. As I mentioned, he has mobilized the military to help obviously rescue but also set up tent cities, provide food, medical assistance, but there are so many people who have received no assistance or whatsoever.

There is a plea from the government for international assistance. They are begging for help and countries are responding. We know that China is sending aid. Thousands of tents. Australia, Canada and the U.K. is also sending humanitarian assistance. But Kristie, much, much more is needed.

LU STOUT: Yes, the scale of the suffering and the need is immense. Anna Coren, we thank you so much for your reporting. Take care.

And joining us now is Peter Ophoff, is the Head of the Pakistan Country Office for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Peter, thank you for joining us. Again, the scale of this disaster is immense. It's frankly frightening. Have you ever seen anything like this before?

PETER OPHOFF, HEAD OF IFRC COUNTRY OFFICE, PAKISTAN: First of all, thank you so much for having us. No, no. And I have been in the Red Cross Red Crescent for the last 29 years. I haven't seen anything like this. It is a serious situation. Pakistan is in dire need and the damages are here. And we will be in this for a long time. It's not months, but years that we're talking about.

LU STOUT: Well, in the short term, the rain is continuing. So immediately, could this situation in Pakistan get worse? Is disease the next wave of disaster there?

OPHOFF: Yes, there's always a chance to further waterborne diseases. That is definitely that. And that is also one of the reasons why the Red Cross Red Crescent through Pakistan Red Crescent had deployed mobile health units in the affected areas so that we can give immediate health support to the affected communities.

We have also in our appeal that we just launched for 25 million Swiss franc half an increase of this Mobile Health Unit to make sure people have safe drinking water by the deployment of water purification units. These things are really, really needed and there is a risk and we try to as much as possible to avoid any further damages.

LU STOUT: You're making this appeal for an additional $25 million in aid. And when the aid is on the ground, how do you deliver it, especially when so many roads and bridges have been washed away and communities literally cut off? How can you deliver the aid?

OPHOFF: Yes. No, thank you. And that it doesn't need a very valid point. Pakistan Red Crescent had pre-positioned stock in most of the district. So we were to some extent prepared, during our preparedness ready, we had emergency stock, which we could distribute straight away. So that assistance is being delivered and it's continued to be delivered. Because we are locally there with our staff and volunteers. For the new items that we are appealing for is to replenish that stock, but also to get it out as soon as possible wherever it is possible.

[01:29:42]

STOUT: Pakistan is appealing for aid, again your organization making an appeal as well. People who are watching this right now, how can they help? What more can we -- what can the international community do?

PETER OPHOFF, HEAD OF IFRC COUNTRY OFFICE, PAKISTAN: Yes. So indeed there is our update for the Red Cross Red Crescent, IFRC, appealed for the United Nations, there's the government appealing as well. What people can do is for anywhere in the U.S., go to American Red Cross and see the appeal from American Red Cross for Pakistan. In any other country, the national societies could be British Red Cross, could be Belgian Red Cross whoever, they're doing appeals as well.

So there's always a possibility to go through your national society and contribute to the appeals that are there to help people in Pakistan in this very, very, very difficult situation.

STOUT: Absolutely, it's a very difficult situation Peter and, you know, because of climate change, it's likely that a disaster of this scale will happen again and could become even more common.

If that's the case, what can be done to better prepare?

OPHOFF: Well, what we have done since the 2010 mega floods that were there and as the Red Cross (INAUDIBLE) we have worked with the communities to have a better resilience in place and better response in place as well.

People know what to do in case of disasters, where to go, how to put mitigation actions together. Early warning systems is something that really would help as well for the people. For less people to be affected.

And what helps each and every time in any disaster is the coordination and cooperation between the different stakeholders. That is very important.

But we will have to continue in Pakistan and other places in the world. You have to continue to create an awareness to make sure people know what to do. And also to be prepared like we did with our peoples (INAUDIBLE) ready in case of a disaster that we can be there straightaway, first to respond and help the people out.

STOUT: Powerful final point the need coordination, you need an early warning system, you need stocks and supplies not just in Pakistan but in communities all around the world being hit by the effects of climate change.

Peter Ophoff, we will leave it at that. but many thanks to, good luck to you and n your team on the ground in Pakistan, take care.

OPHOFF: Thank you so much.

STOUT: And you're Watching CNN NEWSROOM coming to you live from Hong Kong.

And up next the fallout continues over how former President Donald Trump handled classified documents after leaving the White House. Why the U.S. intel chiefs says officials are doing its damage assessment next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:34:52] STOUT: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kristie Lu Stout.

And new developments in the legal battle over the FBI search of Mar-a- Lago. The U.S. Justice Department has identified documents taken from the home of former U.S. President Donald Trump that potentially contain material covered by attorney client privilege. This as Trump allies questioned the timing of the search.

CNN's Sara Murray reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: The Justice Department suggesting it is already well underway in digging through boxes of documents seized from Mar-a-Lago.

SHAN WU, FORMER U.S. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: The point is well taken which is this is too late. We're already looking at this material and we've got a process in place to protect it.

MURRAY: In a court filing, DOJ says it has identified a limited set of materials that could obtain attorney-client privilege information. The progress report coming after former president Donald Trump's team asked a judge for a special master, to oversee the review of evidence uncovered in the search.

JAMES TRUSTY, DONALD TRUMP ATTORNEY: We have a lot of problems really accepting everything at face value that's coming out of the DOJ these days. It's a very politicized place I'm sad to say.

And there's still a need for a judge to get involved on every aspect of this.

MURRAY: This as the fallout continues over how Trump handled classified documents after leaving office.

SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): This guy we now know 184 classified documents, 25 of them top secret. And by the way, countries that want to do us harm want to see these documents.

MURRAY: Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines telling Congress officials are conducting a damage assessment of the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, including an assessment of the potential risk to national security that would result from the disclosure of relevant documents.

DOJ saying in its court filing, it's working alongside intelligence officials to facilitate a review of classified materials.

REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): This is disgusting in my mind and no president should act this way obviously.

MURRAY: Some of Trump's closest allies meantime are leaping to his defense like South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham --

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I will say this, if there is a prosecution of Donald Trump for mishandling classified information after the Clinton debacle.

MURRAY: -- Who suggested a Trump indictment would set political tensions aflame.

GRAHAM: There'll be riots in the streets.

MURRAY: While New Hampshire Republican Governor Chris Sununu questions the timing of the Mar-a-Lago search.

GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU (R-NH): Former President Trump has been out of office for going on two years now. I think this is a coincidence just happening a few months before the midterm elections and all that sort of thing. So, you know, this is unprecedented.

MURRAY: Republican Senator Roy Blunt ALSO raising concerns about the timing but admitting Trump should have returned the documents immediately.

SENATOR ROY BLUNT (R-MO): I understand he turned over a lot of documents. He should have turned over all of them. I imagine he knows that very well now as well.

MURRAY: Now, when it comes to that potentially privileged material that came out of the search at Mar-a-Lago, a judge has said she's inclined to appoint a special master in this situation so she's having a hearing on the issue on Thursday.

Sarah Murray, CNN -- Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: An elite Dutch soldier is among the latest victims killed in U.S. gun violence. Indianapolis police have identified the slain soldier as Simmie Poetsema, a member of the Dutch Commando Corps. The Dutch government says he died on Sunday after being shot outside an Indianapolis hotel. Two other Dutch soldiers were wounded. The troops were visiting Indiana for training at a U.S. base.

Police say they don't think the shooting was random. But so far they haven't reported any arrests in the case.

E.U. leaders plan to hold an emergency meeting over its energy crisis next week. They'll be gathering in Brussels on September 9th to discuss ways to tackle the problem as prices skyrocket across Europe. Many E.U. officials blame Russia for the deepening crisis and worry about access to electricity and heating in the colder months.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz calls the issue a top priority.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): We are in complete agreement that rapid action has to be taken. And I think that this will now succeed more quickly across Europe than under other framework conditions because we are naturally under pressure to act and I'm sure individual countries will handle it separately, but that we will act in a coordinated and fast manner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Officials also fear the energy crisis could trigger a deep recession.

The Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is calling on the International Atomic Energy Agency to drop an investigation before Tehran will agree to revive the nuclear deal. The IAEA probe centers around traces of uranium found at undeclared Iranian research sites.

CNN's Nada Bashir has more from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well U.S. officials have in recent days suggested that there has been some progress in multilateral efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal, Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi struck a someone less optimistic tone in an address on Monday telling members of the press that while Iran has not left the negotiating table, there is quote "no point in a nuclear agreement if a probe by the U.N. nuclear watchdog is not closed."

[01:40:01]

BASHIR: The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly called on Iran to fully cooperate with the agency's efforts to investigate unexplained cases of enriched uranium identified at three undeclared nuclear research sites in Iran in 2019.

In fact just last week, the agency's director general Rafael Grossi told CNN that the IAEA, would not drop the probe without technically credible explanations from Iran.

But despite this, Iran's president said Monday that the allegations raised by the U.N. agency must be closed adding that the Iranian government has no intentions of acquiring nuclear weapons.

Raisi's comments come as Iran continues to review the Biden administration's response to a text drafted by the European Union with the aim of reviving the 2015 deal.

Over the last few weeks, Tehran and Washington have traded (INAUDIBLE) responses on the details of the draft roadmap which would see sanctions against Iran lifted in exchange for the restriction of Iran's rapidly advanced nuclear program.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday that the U.S. government remains hopeful for a positive outcome. And that they are closer now than they were two weeks ago thanks to Iran's willingness to concede on a selection of key issues.

But of course there are still several sticking points to address. U.S. officials have told CNN that the Biden administration will only approve a deal that meets U.S. National security interests.

Nada Bashir, CNN -- London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

And up next a melting ice sea in Greenland is set to trigger a significant rise in sea levels around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now a new study finds that even if we stop emitting greenhouse gases now, global sea levels could still rise nearly a foot. Now the research was published in the journal called "Nature Climate Change" predicts that more than 3 percent of Greenland's ice sheet will melt in the near future. And scientists say it will cause least 25 centimeters of global sea level rise.

Meteorologist Karen Maginnis joins us now with more on this, Karen?

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Kristie, we see global climate reports all the time, we have for decades. They kind of ring all kinds of alarms.

But this one in particular, you can imagine what would happen if this indeed does occur. You know, suggesting that by the next century, we could see large Greenland ice sheet melt to the tune of over 3 percent.

[01:44:47]

MAGINNIS: Even if we do nothing, if nothing else changes and that happens, it could be devastating. They are suggesting that perhaps this is happening so rapidly that it could happen over the next 30 years because of what we have seen in the past 100 years.

Well, how immediate would it be? Yes, certainly 30 years is alarming in itself, but they are estimating perhaps by the next decade we could see that sea level rise between 25 centimeters and about 30 centimeters.

Well, what does that look like? That is about almost a foot of a sea level rise. And in places like Charleston, South Carolina, along the East Coast of the United States, this is the Ashley River, this is the super river.

I know this area very well. If there's a foot of additional sea rise, it is a human disaster. It is an environmental disaster. It is an economic disaster.

It would not be just here. All of these environmentally fragile areas would be impacted as well. So it is widespread, and definitely this particular climate report gets our attention.

All right, here's our latest typhoon. It is racing towards Okinawa. When I say racing it is moving along very quickly, 31 kilometers per hour.

It is going to move in the vicinity of Okinawa and then it will linger there for several days. Then it will start to move more towards the north into some cooler water, but in the meantime for shipping interest primarily this is where we see the greatest impact. So we will keep you updated on that.

Kristie, back to you.

STOUT: Karen, thank you so much for tracking the storm and also the pace of sea level rises affecting communities all over the world including your beautiful Charleston, South Carolina. It's just heartbreaking.

Thank you so much for giving us the forecast of what to expect.

NASA is now hoping for a launch this Friday for its Artemis 1 rocket, which will mark the U.S. space agency's first moon mission almost 50 years.

But first, the team will need to fix an issue with one of the rocket's four engines which forced them to scrub Mondays lift off.

We've got the latest from CNN's Kristin Fisher.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mission and lift off as the space shuttle Discovery --

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Engine number 2058 has helped propelled six space shuttles into orbit, starting with this slight back in 2006.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Scrub of the attempt of launch of Artemis 1

FISHER: But today the system that cools that engine was the primary culprit behind the scrub of the first test flight of the Artemis Moon rocket.

MICHAEL SARAFIN, ARTEMIS MISSION MANAGER: We need the engine to be at the cryogenically cold temperature such that when it starts it is not shocked with all the cold fuel that flows through it.

NASA says it is too soon to determine when it will try again, but Artemis mission manager Mike Serafin gave a classic NASA response when addressing if the next launch opportunity on Friday is still in play.

There is a non-zero chance we will have a launch opportunity on Friday.

FISHER: The Artemis rocket or SOS has largely been coupled together using left over parts from the shuttle program. The four RX 25 engines on Artemis I combined.

Flew more than 20 shuttle missions, NASA had hoped that by recycling these old parts they would be able to build this new rocket faster and more affordably. Instead, the SLS rocket is six years behind schedule, and billions over budget.

LORI GARVER, FORMER DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR: We know these shuttle parts were very finicky and expensive, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that putting them together differently was going to also be expensive and take longer than we hoped.

FISHER: Still, this rocket is the most powerful ever built. It is designed to return humans to the moon by 2025, and someday go on to Mars. Thousands of people converged on the Kennedy Space Center today in hopes of seeing it fly for the first time, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today was a very important day, meanwhile a lot of folks might be disappointed that the launch did not actually happen, a lot of good work really happened today.

FISHER: That's the administrator Bill Nelson who's own shuttle slide four times reminded that these kinds of delays are routine for any spaceflight, but especially a first test flight.

BILL NELSON, NASA ADMINISTRATION: This is a brand-new rocket, it is not going to fly until it is ready. Needless to say the complexity is daunting when you bring it all in to the focus of a countdown.

FISHER: Despite all of the technical issues, this rocket is still the only rocket in the world as of now that is capable of carrying people to the moon, and that is disclosed to be ready to launch.

SpaceX is developing a similar rocket, but it is not quite ready yet. Though that rocket called Starship is going to be fully usable, which would make it much more affordable to fly in the future.

Kristin Fisher, CNN at the Kennedy Space Center.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still ahead, Serena Williams takes support on what's expected to be the final tournament of her storied career. We have the highlights from the U.S. open next.

[01:49:54]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Welcome back.

Now Serena Williams storied career isn't over just yet. She is moving on to the second round of the U.S. Open after a convincing win in the first round of women's single play.

Let's bring in CNN sports anchor Coy Wire for more. Coy, so good to see you. And wow, Serena Williams she absolutely dominated. Can you just tell

us especially when you didn't get a chance to see it tell us about the athleticism, the emotion that was on court today.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, Kristie. It's almost unfathomable to think about the athleticism. First of all, I played nine years in the NFL, about the same age turning to be 41 next month. She is the mother of a child and she is still out there winning at the highest level.

It was an emotional scene as you mentioned. 29,402 fans on hand at the U.S. Open. It was the all-time night session record at the U.S. Open. There were celebrities in the house. Vera Wang, Hugh Jackman, former U.S. President Bill Clinton -- all to catch a glimpse of the G.O.A.T. they thought maybe one last time.

But you mentioned she is moving on, she powered through that emotional night. They had a tribute to her voiced by Oprah Winfrey. The moment was huge. It was not too big for her though she rallied to get the wind.

She will be moving on and we will get to see her at least one more time, Kristie.

STOUT: Yes, you know, when I think of Serena Williams, you know, you think about her power, her skill, her style, her ability to win. You know, this U.S. Open tournament, you know, it is likely going to be the final tennis tournament of her career. Is it too early, Coy, to talk about Serena's legacy?

WIRE: No, because, you know, we are seeing it at this very tournament, right, Kristie. You see Coco Gauff, you see Naomi Osaka and they are talking about the influence she has had on their lives.

Coco Gauff said after her win earlier that she would not be there today if it were not for Serena Williams. Ten of the 30 women in the top of WTA rankings representing America are black or biracial. And none of them are Serena Williams by the way.

We are seeing how she has impacted the sport. She started playing the sport at three years old in Compton California where there probably wasn't, you know, a tennis court around her to easily get to but it's that mindset, that mentality. You mentioned the fearlessness. She is bold. She is courageous.

Over the course of her career she has been an icon and she has motivated countless of others on this path and now as we watch her U.S. Open it is like watching the Beatles may be one last time. Watching Tom Brady maybe taking his last step.

We don't know when that's going to be, but to be able to soak it up we truly are privileged to be able to watch her continue to play a few more times here at the U.S. Open.

STOUT: Coy, so well said. Serena Williams an icon and hero to so many. Coy Wire reporting. Thank you. Now a Turkish court has placed a popstar under house arrest after the singer made a joke about the country's religious schools. The popstar widely known as Gulsen is facing charges of quote, "inciting or insulting the public to hatred and enmity".

[01:54:54]

STOUT: Now, the charges appear to be related to a moment from one of her concerts back in April. She joked about one of the musicians, a graduate from one of Turkey's religious schools where she said, quote, "That is where his pervert side comes from", unquote.

Gulsen denied the charges saying it was a joke. She apologized. Celebrities and cultural figures and her many fans have rallied around her, protesting the charges as politically motivated.

And Air France has suspended two pilots after they were involved in a fight inside the cockpit during a flight across Europe.

CNN's Scott McLean has more from London.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This actually happened back in June. This was a flight from Geneva, Switzerland to Paris, France, a little over an hour flight time. And there was some kind of a disagreement in the cockpit which flared up into a physical altercation, we don't know what kind of physical altercation.

But in a written statement, the airline described it in a much more benign way, saying that the pilots exchanged inappropriate gestures, though they've also confirmed that the pilots were not giving each other the finger, this was something that turned physical.

Now, the airline, Air France says that the flight continued on normally that the issue was resolved. It's not clear when or how Air France actually found out about what has happened, but it has gone ahead and suspended the two pilots while it looks into it.

This is not the only safety mishap for Air France in the news lately, last week the French air safety investigative agency called BEA released a report on an incident that happened back in December 2020 on a flight from the Republic of Congo to Paris, France. In that case a -- there was a fuel leak and safety procedure dictated that the pilot should have shut down the engine with the leak.

But that did not happen. And according to the report, that created a fire hazard. Now this was not an isolated case, the report detailed other incidents where pilots haven't followed the proper safety procedures. And taken together, it suggested there is a certain culture among some Air France crews which encourages a propensity to underestimate the extent to which strict compliance with procedures contributes to safety.

Now the report also tries to put things into context, and that is that Air France literally flies thousands of routes every day, and the number of flights, the number of crews being investigated in the grand scheme of things this very small.

Scott McLean, CNN -- London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kristie Lu Stout.

The news continues on CNN with Rosemary Church right after this.

[01:57:38]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)