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Turkey Rescuers Say Voices Still Being Heard Under Rubble; Relief Agencies Rush To Funnel Aid To Turkey, Syria; NATO Allies Vow To Support Ukraine "For as Long As It Takes"; Alex Murdaugh Defense Weighs Whether He Will Take The Stand; United Airlines Plane Plunges Toward Ocean Shortly After Takeoff. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired February 14, 2023 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And into the city today it was very hard to even find a single building that hasn't been impacted. You've got entire neighborhoods here that have been flattened. The level of destruction is just stunning here.

I mean, and you know, we're seeing -- we're starting to see this shift in focus of the mission from search and rescue, to potentially preparing for this to be a search and recovery, more than a week now, but, yes, you do have these miraculous rescues, as you mentioned. Just a few hours ago we met with U.S. volunteers who are here in Antakya and they told us that yesterday they helped save a 17-year-old boy who has been under the rubble for more than a week. And at the same time, you know, they say that it's something, like they have never seen before. They've certainly not seen anything on this scale. It's just so widespread.

They have so many buildings here that you don't even have enough rescuers to really carry out these search and rescue missions in these buildings. These American volunteers telling us that they really felt helpless here. They did try to do their part. They have saved at least three lives. But at the same time, they say there's so much to be done here. Even with about 100,000 rescuers across this massive earthquake zone, they say that is enough. And they just feel absolutely helpless, as do many people, here when it comes to trying to save the lives of those who still may be miraculously under the rubble, or retrieve the bodies of those who lost their lives. So, that their families are able to bury them -- Bianna.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: I'll take it. Jomana Karadsheh for us there in Turkey. Thanks so much.

And for more on the thousands of people who are needing medical assistance, who need some health care, let's bring in Avril Benoit, the executive director of Doctors Without Borders, United States. Thank you for being with us. First, as you just reported with 14,000 in hospitals reported according to President Erdogan, explain the disparity between what they need, and what's available now and how you're trying to fill that.

AVRIL BENOIT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS-UNITED STATES: Well, a lot of aid and effort is under way in Turkey. Our focus is actually primarily in northwest Syria, where we are now entering, as we just heard, the second phase of this from a medical standpoint. So that means you're going to have people with the effects of the injuries from the earthquake. But you'll also probably start to see more and more of the knock-on effects of people separated from their medications for chronic diseases.

You still have all of the other pressures on the health care system. You have the risk of cholera in northwest Syria. We just had a recent outbreak of cholera just in the weeks leading up to this particular disaster. And so, as the effort now is to retrieve bodies, and maybe the lucky few who survived, the ongoing medical needs will be long term.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: And saying in Syria, the medical community there was already strained prior to the earthquake because of years of war. How many equipped doctors, nurses, are there to help people?

BENOIT: Well, there are a lot of staff, medical staff who have continued, what we do know that at the facilities that they were working have either been destroyed or damaged, according to the World Health Organization. Some 48 health facilities in northwest Syria are unusable at the moment and will need to be repaired right away.

So the focus is to shift everyone who is able to work, including many of our staff. We had and continue to have, roughly 500 staff working in northwest Syria, to ship them from the places we had to evacuate, or that are too damaged to be able to work in, to the facilities that are still functioning. And so, that includes the maternity wards that are delivers babies. That includes the trauma hospital where is you've got the operating room theaters that are doing the surgeries. And all of the other services that are needed at a time like this.

BLACKWELL: You know, we put up a warning often when we show this video, the graphic video, because of the physical injuries that people are undergoing. But talk to me about the psychological first aid that your organization is offering. Because with something like this that is so widespread, I mean, the scope of the damage is jaw-dropping. There's going to be a lot of injuries that we can't see.

BENOIT: You're absolutely right. So, you can imagine that the days that some people were under the rubble in that terrifying moment being -- finally being saved, it's not over for them.

[15:35:00]

They have experienced something catastrophic. And that's not even to mention all of those who have lost family members, have lost their homes.

We know that this area of northwest Syria was already suffering extreme shortages of all kinds of medical services but also of mental health services. So the psychological first aid that we utilize in a situation like this, where you may only see somebody one time, but you're trying to get them through the day. Just to be able to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. It's a kind of a cognitive behavioral therapy that's adapted to the

cultural context, where you're trying to get them to focus on the future, on the rebuilding, on the hope that might still be there, even if it's still a small glimmer to reunite with family members and move on with their lives. So, it's a short-term intervention. But we know not only for our staff and the aid workers, for all the first responders in this disaster. Not to mention the communities themselves, the wider population, that there will be major needs for mental health services.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, it's such an important point, it's miraculous when we see survivors whether it's adults or children. But then the subsequent headline is they've lost family members in this as well. So obviously, they'll need a lot of help. And whatever help you provide is just so welcome. Avril Benoit, thank you so much for everything that you and your organization are doing.

BENOIT: Thanks for having me.

BLACKWELL: Sources tell CNN that attorneys for Alex Murdaugh are considering putting him on the stand to defend himself over the charges that he murdered his wife and one of his sons. We're live outside the courthouse, next.

[15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Well, as we approach the one-year mark of Russia's war on Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Joints Chief Chair General Mark Milley are in Brussels for a meeting of NATO allies looking into the next phase of the war.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Nic Robertson joins us now from Warsaw. So, explain what they see as this next phase of this war in Ukraine.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: One of the things is that the Ukrainians want an offensive soon in spring. So, an important part of that is getting the Ukrainians the equivalent that they need to do that. Another thing that is concern that while the Russians have lost a huge number of men and tanks and such like on the battlefield, their air force is still strong.

But for the NATO allies that the joint chiefs of staff and the defense secretary was speaking with today it's about getting all of the nations' contributing integrated any useful way. 11 nations contributing takes, 22 nations contributing armored fighting vehicles, 16 nations contributing artillery and ammunition, nine nations contributing air defense system.

So, you need integrated air defense. You need integrated training. And training is one of the things that we've been seeing Ukrainian troops get here in Poland. Important training on tanks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ROBERTSON (voice over): After just a week of training, Ukrainian tank crew show off their new skills on a Polish gun range. The first time their Leopard 2 training has been put on display. The crews pulled direct from Ukraine's Eastern battlefront.

Too soon to say what's best about the Leopard 2, Ukraine's tank trainer says, but the machine is good quality. And what is most important my soldiers like it a lot.

Their training fast tracked 12 hours a day six days a week compared to the Polish standard, eight hours a day five days a week. Polish instructors say the Ukrainians will be ready in a month.

KRZYSZTOF SIERADZKI, HEAD TRAINER, POLISH 10TH ARMORED CAVALRY (through translator): Most of them have some tank skills already, the Polish Brigadier in charge says, they're so keen to learn. We have to hold them back.

ROBERTSON: Increased time is rare if ever that tank crew's are race through their training like this. It's a sign of how much they needed at the frontlines that they're being accelerated through their Leopard 2 apprenticeships.

ROBERTSON (voice over): Poland's President who has been at the vanguard of pushing NATO allies to give Ukraine modern battle tanks and it is sending 14 of Poland's came to meet the Ukrainian crews and see their progress. His visit providing big publicity for Poland's commitment to Ukraine, and a flavor of what U.S. President Joe Biden will here when he visits next week -- a pitch for a join tank brigade.

ANDRZEJ DUDA, POLISH PRESIDENT (through translator): I hope that soon the brigades will be ready for Ukraine and also includes American Abrams Tanks so that Ukraine can counter the Russian offensive.

ROBERTSON (voice over): The tanks and the training, only part of readying this new force for war.

MARIUSZ BLASZCZAK, POLISH DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): The biggest challenge now is spare parts for these tanks. We are setting this task to the German defense industry.

ROBERTSON (voice over): For the Ukrainian tank crews patiently parked up and waiting through most of the Polish President's visit, priority is getting back to the war, even if that means the training is sped up.

[15:45:00]

VADYM KHODAK, MAJOR 4TH TANK BRIGADE UKRAINE (through translator): I think that the training time will be enough for us to get to grips with the technology, he says. We are lacking a lot of heavy armor like this if we get it will be much better.

ROBERTSON (voice over): On this training ground, perhaps more profound and tank skills honed history in the making, the foundations of a fully modernized NATO compatible Ukrainian army being laid. (END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (on camera): So, what we were watching there were 21 different tank crews getting trained. Now, we know the Germans have started training tank crews as well. And the commander there said it's going to take about a month to get these crews ready. But President Zelenskyy wants about 300 or 400 tanks. So the stinger in the tail of all of this, the training's done but it could be the end of the year before he gets enough tank and certainly the end of the year before he gets enough tank crews ready to use those tanks. And that gets, of course, to that issue that General Miley and Lloyd Austin are concerned about integrating and getting the force ready for the Ukrainians in a timely manner.

BLACKWELL: It is coming. Nic Robertson for us in Warsaw, thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, a terrifying moment on board a United flight after it plunged towards the ocean getting as low as just 775 feet from the water. All of those frightening details ahead.

[15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: There was more testimony today in the double-murder trial of Alex Murdaugh who's accused of killing his wife and son in 2021.

CNN's Randi Kaye is live in Walterboro with this new reporting. So, Randi, when could the defense make a decision about whether Murdaugh will indeed testify?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, they are considering it. They want to see -- from what I understand from the source familiar with this -- they want to see what the prosecution does in the next day or so. They're supposed to wrap up their case tomorrow actually. So right now the defense wants to see what they're going to do, and they believe it will be a last-minute decision is what I'm told as to whether or not they put Alex Murdaugh on the stand.

But this afternoon we've been listening to some very emotional testimony from Maddie Murdaugh's sister. Her name is Marian Proctor, very emotional. She was asked -- according to her sister -- Maggie was asked to go to Moselle -- the hunting property where the murders took place -- by Alex Murdaugh on the day of the murders. She said she had a conversation with her that day around 4:00. She said that Maggie had been told by Alex that they were going to see his father, who was dying.

She also shared what she thought was a pretty odd conversation she had with Alex in the days after the murder. She asked him if Paul and Maggie had suffered, and he said no, but then he said this. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIAN PROCTOR, SISTER OF MAGGIE MURDAUGH: I asked him, I said, Alex, do you have any idea who did this? We have to find out who could do this. And he said that he did not know who it was but he felt like whoever did it had thought about it for a really long time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Another key moment in her testimony was when she was asked about the kennel where is the murders took place. She told the jury that Alex Murdaugh had said -- he told her that he was not at the kennels earlier in the night, only much later in the night when he found his wife and son dead. T

hat is really interesting because he also told that to investigators, but of course you know, there's that recording from Paul Murdaugh's phone at 8:44 p.m. which the state and many witnesses have already said they recognize Alex Murdaugh's voice on that recording.

BLACKWELL: Randi Kaye for us in Walterboro, thank you so much.

So, this was terrifying, this incident on board a United flight is creating some new questions about safety.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, the plane plunged thousands of feet toward the ocean just seconds after taking off from Hawaii. CNN's Gabe Cohen has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another alarming incident in U.S. aviation. A United 777 diving toward the ocean just after takeoff.

ROD WILLIAMS, PASSENGER ON UNITED FLIGHT 1722: It certainly felt like a roller coaster.

COHEN: Rod Williams was traveling home from vacation with his family.

WILLIAMS: It's one of those things where you start counting your blessings, you start, you know, asking yourself is this the last time you're going to see your family.

COHEN (voice-over): The flight takings off from Maui December 18th, climbs 2,200 feet, then suddenly plunges 1,400 feet toward the ocean, falling for 21 seconds, reaching just 775 feet above sea level before abruptly leveling out and rapidly ascending once again. The plane, which can carry more than 300 passengers, was mostly full according to Williams.

COHEN: What did the pilot tell the passengers?

WILLIAMS: They got on the intercom and simply said, well, ladies and gentlemen, you probably felt a couple Gs' on that one, and everything is going to be fine, it going to be OK.

COHEN (voice-over): The crew itself reported the incident after landing safely in San Francisco according to the FAA. After its investigation, the pilots, who have a combined 25,000 hours of flight time, received additional training, but neither the FAA nor United will say why the pilots ended up in a dive, telling CNN those safety investigations are confidential. LES ABEND, RETIRED 777 PILOT/COHOST, "CANDID COCKPIT" PODCAST: They're

being corrected to prevent this behavior from happening again, which indicates to me that something occurred that could have been prevented by the crew.

COHEN (voice-over): Les Abend is a retired 777 captain from a major airline.

COHEN: What might have happened here?

[15:55:00]

ABEND: There's numerous that could happen, Gabe, in the cockpit that would cause a distraction. And they may have unintentionally lost control of the airplane to the extent that the altitude decayed.

COHEN (voice-over): It's unclear if weather played a role with a severe storm pounding parts of Hawaii that day.

WILLIAMS: It was torrential.

COHEN (voice-over): Hours earlier, 36 people were injured during extreme turbulence on board a Hawaiian air flight approaching Honolulu after a cloud shot up in front of the airplane in a matter of seconds and there wasn't enough time to avoid it -- according to the NTSB.

It's been a rough few months for the aviation world. From cancellations, to system meltdowns, two near collisions in New York and Austin and now this mysterious incident with little explanation.

COHEN: And we have just learned that the NTSB is now investigating this incident. So far, both the airline and the FAA have kept the cause confidential because the crew self-reported, part of a program to encourage more crews to do the same. Though, Victor, Bianna, with this NTSB investigation we expect there could be some more transparency.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right, Gabe Cohen, thank you so much.

GOLODRYGA: Thanks, Gabe.

And thank you for watching. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right after this short break.