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Joe Biden Weighs Response To Deadly Drone Attack In Jordan; Israel Details UNRWA Workers Alleged Role In October 7th Attacks; Ukraine Struggles To Hold Lines Amid Ammo Shortages; Analyzing Ukraine's Push To Root Out Corruption; IDF Claims a Tunnel Ran Through Gaza Cemetery It Destroyed; North Korea Launches Another Round of Cruise Missiles; King Charles Leaves Hospital After Prostate Treatment; Princess of Wales Returns Home After Two-week Hospital Stay. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 30, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:17]

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

Just ahead, U.S. President Joe Biden is weighing his options as pressure grows for him to respond to the deadly attack on American troops in Jordan over the weekend.

One of Gaza's most critical lifelines could be under threat, as the list of countries pausing aid to the U.N.'s main refugee agency in the enclave continues to grow.

And CNN goes to the frontlines in eastern Ukraine where troops are holding off Russian attacks, even as their supplies dwindle.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. U.S. President Joe Biden is now weighing retaliation for a drone attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers and injured more than 40 others. Officials tell CNN that response is likely to be powerful.

President Biden huddled with his national security team on Monday as they weighed the options, officials blame Iran backed militants for the attack though Iran is denying any involvement.

The White House says the U.S. is not looking for a war with Iran but won't rule out the possibility that Mr. Biden is considering strikes within the country.

The drone strike on Sunday marks a significant escalation of tensions in the Middle East, and also marks the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in the region since the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The three soldiers killed have been identified as Sergeant William

Rivers, specialist Kennedy Sanders and specialists Breonna Moffett, all part of a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Georgia.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. will respond at, "A time and place of our choosing" and commented on what he called a volatile time in the Middle East after meeting with Qatar's prime minister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I would argue that we've not seen a situation as dangerous as the one we're facing now across the region since at least 1973. And arguably, even before that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Scott McLean is following developments and joins us now live from Istanbul. Good to see you, Scott.

So, what is the U.S. signaling it might do in response to these deadly attacks in Jordan as pressure builds for President Biden to retaliate?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning, Rosemary. Yes, so it's worth remembering that there have been more than 160 of these attacks by Iran backed militant groups in Iraq and Syria since October. And while there have been some 120 or so U.S. service members who have been injured, no one has been killed up until this point.

And so, it was easy for the U.S. to sort of brush these off as relatively minor. Their responses were more targeted, more deliberate.

Now, though, that you have three soldiers who are killed. The calculation is obviously a little bit different. President Biden, as you mentioned, is under pressure to stamp out these attacks once and for all.

But when we're talking about militias or militant groups in Iraq and Syria, diplomacy is not exactly an option.

Case in point, one militant group in Iraq backed by the Iranians, a group that the U.S. considers a terror group said that these types of attacks will continue until the U.S. leaves the region.

And in Iraq and Syria alone, the U.S. has more than 3,000 troops. Plus, thousands and thousands of more in the broader Middle East.

There is even pressure from Washington from some Republican lawmakers, senators who are calling on the U.S. to strike within Iran directly.

Now, this is something that the White House isn't ruling out. But officials have also made clear that it is not very likely, because they know that that would very likely spark a broader war.

Iran has also tried to distance itself from these attacks, saying that the resistance groups as it calls them, don't answer to Tehran. And in this specific case, it seems, Rosemary, that the U.S. may

actually agree. Officials have said that there is no direct evidence at this stage to suggest that Iran directed this attack on the U.S. base in Jordan, that it wanted to see an escalation.

One official summed it up like this, saying that, look, this is the same type of attack that we've seen 163 times on the 164th time though, they got lucky. But the reality is that this has escalated things with the killing of the soldiers and the U.S. says that it deserves a response. Here's White House -- White House official John Kirby, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[02:05:08]

JOHN KIRBY, PRESS SECRETARY, PENTAGON: We are not looking for war with Iran. We're not seeking in conflict with the regime in the military way.

And as I said in the opening, we're not -- we're not looking to escalate here. This attack over the weekend was escalatory. Make no mistake about it. And it requires a response. Make no mistake about that. I will not get ahead of the president's decision making.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: So, officials, Rosemary, have said that the U.S. response will be more powerful than previous strikes in Iraq and Syria, it will likely be in more than one country across more than one day, could even be a cyber-attack.

But obviously, the question for Biden is how to respond adequately without making the situation worse.

CHURCH: All right, thanks to Scott McLean joining us live from Istanbul.

Retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark is a CNN Military Analyst and former NATO supreme allied commander. He joins us now. Good to have you with us, sir.

So, in the wake of this deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan, President Joe Biden is vowing to retaliate and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that response will come at a place in time of America's choosing, calling it the most dangerous moment in more than 50 years, all this complicated by the need to prevent this Middle East conflict from further escalating.

How was that delicate balancing act achieved with those two conflicting goals? And what is the appropriate retaliatory action to meet this moment?

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: That's a really difficult problem that President Biden has, you want to strike hard enough that Iran won't do it again. But at the same time, you want to try to not give Iran an opportunity

to further escalate and draw in the United States more deeply. So, it's a tough problem.

And I'm sure the White House is looking at three options. Notionally, one is a really heavy option, go after Iran, pick the set of targets.

Another is a lighter option, hit four or five different militia points, and hit them again and again, over a period of two or three days.

And there's a middle ground that says maybe you hit a couple of Iranian assets in the Gulf, or maybe a Iranian command and control in Iraq somewhere. But you don't strike into Iran proper.

Those would be like three different packages. They're going to be debated, talked about, looked at for feasibility, impact, consequences, and so forth.

CHURCH: Yes, President Biden, he met with his national security team Monday to weigh these possible, retaliatory options. How did they work through those options? And how dangerous do you think this moment is that we're confronting right now?

CLARK: Well, I'll have to work through the options by first asking, are they militarily feasible? And what's the risk militarily for executing them? Can you do it successfully? And what are you going to take losses in doing it? That would be the first criteria.

And then the second would be, what's the impact going to be on Iran?

And then the third criteria would be, what's going to -- what's the impact in the region going to be?

And so, they have to weigh all that. You've got diplomatic considerations, you've got military considerations. And so, there's a lot in this.

But I think that this is a moment where we're going to see a much stronger U.S. response than the previous tip for tat.

Now, it may take a day or two more, because we're going to whatever it is we're going to put together and I would guess that it would be more than one set of strikes.

CHURCH: And some Republicans are calling for the U.S. to target Tehran and hit it hard with devastating military retaliation. What do you say to that?

CLARK: Well, I think that the Republicans do want to see a strike into Iran. A powerful strike at the Republican -- Revolutionary Guards command centers at the Shahed drone factories, radars, that would then send the signal to Iran that you're naked now, we can blow out your radars, you'll never see us calling again, etcetera.

Those kinds of strikes should be in the -- in the packages that the president's considering. If I were in as part of that chain of command, I'd be recommending a relatively robust set of strikes. What you want to do is cap this escalation now and say to Iran, you can't afford to go forward. So, call off the dogs.

CHURCH: And what we're learning about this deadly attack is that an enemy drone apparently entered the bass undetected along with a returning U.S. drone. How does that happen? And how do you prevent that from occurring again?

[02:10:08]

CLARK: Well, I'm sure our intelligence assets are really busy trying to determine how this did happen.

Conceivably, it could have just happened coincidentally, but it's more likely in my view, that actually, it was deliberate. They know the drone flight patterns over Syria, they have radar, they have other means of knowing what those flight patterns are. And someone figured out, hey, let's just tag along behind our -- that drone, and we'll get in. And they tried it and it worked.

So, you know, obviously the United States is going to change its procedures henceforth, but it's likely that this wasn't accidental.

CHURCH: And at the heart of all of this is Israel's war with Hamas making current efforts to negotiate a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages even more critical. How can those efforts be accelerated to help perhaps de-escalate this situation in the Middle East?

CLARK: Well, really, Iran has used this, and probably set up, in part, this attack by Hamas on Israel. It's all part of a larger Iranian campaign plan to drive the United States out of the region so that all of the Iranian assets can be focused exclusively on Israel.

And in the process, disrupting the other regional diplomatic initiatives that the United States and Saudi Arabia are pursuing. So, we have to recognize there's a plan behind all this.

Now, if we could get a reasonable ceasefire temporarily in Gaza, get the hostages released, that would be really good.

But for Israel, this situation in Hamas is, if you just can't live with it, you've got to get Hamas out of Gaza. Because that is -- it's a -- it's a threat to the existence of Israel. And the same thing is true with the Iranian backed Hezbollah in South Lebanon.

So, it'd be great to get the hostages released, take a lot of pressure off if you got to six weeks ceasefire is being talked about. But this is going to continue because Israel now sees the writing on the wall. The threat from Iran is closing in. And it's going to have to be dealt with.

CHURCH: General Wesley Clark, we appreciate your military analysis. Many thanks for joining us.

CLARK: Thank you.

CHURCH: Israel is revealing details of an intelligence report on the alleged involvement of some UNRWA workers in the October 7th attacks by Hamas.

An Israeli officials shared a summary of their investigation with CNN. According to the report, more than a dozen employees of the U.N.'s main relief agency in Gaza were allegedly associated with the attack, participating in various capacities including helping to kidnap hostages, setting up an operations room and supplying logistics.

It also alleges that some of them infiltrated Israel as part of the attack. The summary does not provide evidence to support its claims and CNN has not seen the intelligence that underlies the allegations and cannot corroborate Israel's claims.

CNN's Nic Robertson has details.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice over): More than 110 days into the ugly war Hamas's brutal attack triggered, Israeli allegations 13 U.N. staff took part are themselves threatening to bring more suffering.

According to a document shared with CNN, six UNRWA employees infiltrated Israel as part of the attack, four were involved in kidnapping Israelis and three additional UNRWA employees were, "invited via an SMS text message to arrive at an assembly area in the night before the attack and were directed to equip with weapons". Although it's not known if they showed up.

Israeli officials briefed U.S. counterparts Friday, who quickly paused UNRWA's funding. A dozen other countries have followed, raising concerns the agency's absence could escalate suffering in Gaza.

JAN EGELAND, SECRETARY GENERAL, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: The impact will be devastating of cutting aid to the organization that is the backbone of services to Palestinian civilians. There is no other organization including my own, where all there in Gaza that could take over what UNRWA is doing.

ROBERTSON (voice over): UNRWA is the only organization bringing aid into Gaza. Most of Gaza's two million residents depend on them. They provide food, water and shelter.

[02:15:05]

Desperation already so bad, a trucks offer looted before they reach warehouses. A cut in funding here is feared on a par with Israel's bombs.

This will mean more starvation, poverty and deprivation. This university professor tells us which ultimately means more death.

This decision means killing us, killing the human being, she says. This is a death sentence. This is the only thing we live on and you want to cut it?

UNRWA has fired nine staff over the allegations and is investigating two others. One person is dead, the U.N. promising a comprehensive and transparent investigation.

Israel's foreign minister is calling for UNRWA's director Philippe Lazzarini to step down and canceled a meeting with him Monday as other government lawmakers press for scrapping UNRWA altogether, a long held aim for some.

DANNY DANON, KNESSET MEMBER: For many years, we have said that UNRWA is involved with terrorism. They collaborated with Hamas for generations. The U.N. is in charge of the UNHCR which take care of all the refugees worldwide. Why do you need a special agency for the Palestinian refugees?

ROBERTSON (voice over): Egeland points to the ICJ, ruling Israel must enable humanitarian aid for Gaza.

EGELAND: There will be epidemic disease because of this, unless it is reversed. The stakes are enormous yet and I'm very disappointed with these donors who spent zero time in suspending aid to an entire organization for the sins of a few staff.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Ukrainian forces are doing whatever they can to survive with a dwindling supply of weapons and ammunition. We will give you a closer look at the brutal situation in the trenches and how a CNN crew came under fire, that's just ahead.

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CHURCH: (AUDIO GAP) "Investment in our own security". He spoke at a press conference on Monday alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and thanked the U.S. for its continued commitment to support Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, SECRETARY GENERAL, NATO: Russia's brutal war against Ukraine is nearing the two year mark and a Russian victory would embolden Iran, North Korea and China. That matters for Europe's security. And it matters for America's security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:20:04]

CHURCH: On the frontlines, Ukraine says its troops have gained ground in the Russian controlled Kherson region, expanding their foothold across the Dnipro River as they attempt to breach Russian defenses in the south.

But in battle scarred Eastern Ukraine, troops are often struggling to hold the line running short on supplies even as Russian bombs and artillery rain down.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen has the story and a warning, some images in his story are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): All-out warfare in unforgiving terrain. Forest battles in eastern Ukraine facing a near constant Russian onslaught Vladimir Putin's army trying to break through Ukrainian defenses.

Dmytro is one of those holding them up.

The situation is very active and very tense, he says, because the enemy has much more equipment and manpower. Basically, every day they tried to storm the positions.

A dead Russian soldier and a destroyed tank show just how close the Russians have come. It's a fight for survival and against the elements. The trench cold, wet and soggy. The only heat coming from candles the soldiers cower around gathering strength to face overwhelming Russian firepower.

They shoot direct fire, planes are flying, basically, they have it all, he says. But probably the worst are tanks when they fire, you don't even hear it. You hear an airplane when it comes over with a tank, you're in God's hands.

Artillery fire another threat here as we found out when we came under fire trying to make it to the area.

PLEITGEN: This is unfortunately something that when we work here in the east of the country happens all too often. We were getting ready to film here and then all of a sudden we heard what appeared to be outgoing artillery, but then a shell came in (INAUDIBLE).

We're now trying to make our way out of here as safe as possible. That means we have to keep distance between our cars. But we also of course have to keep moving the entire time to make sure that we can get out of here hopefully safely.

PLEITGEN (voice over): We believe a Russian drone spotted us and directed the artillery fire, but two can play that game.

Nazariy is a Ukrainian drone pilot, he guides Kyiv's artillery guns targeting Russian infantry, but also armored assault formations including main battle tanks. He says ammo shortages mean he has to be extremely precise.

It's no secret were starved of artillery shells, he says. We tried to work as efficiently and accurately as possible to hit the enemy's firepower.

Trying to fight back any way they can on one of the toughest battlefields of this war.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN in eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Despite Ukraine's pleas for more aid from allies, further U.S. funding remains tied up in Congress.

But on Monday, U.S. watchdogs from three federal agencies arrived in Kyiv, part of a visit to promote transparency and accountability of the American assistance that's already been sent to Ukraine. This is at least their second trip to the Ukrainian capital since the war began.

Well, their visit comes amid a broader push by Ukraine to increase transparency and root out corruption in the government.

On Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published his income information, it shows a drastic decline in his income following Russia's invasion. Zelenskyy has called on other public officials to disclose their income.

And over the weekend, Ukraine said it discovered a corruption scheme amounting to nearly $40 million. It involved ammunition paid for but never received. Boosting transparency is a critical step in Ukraine's bid to join the European Union.

And joining us now from Kyiv is Michael Boclurkiw senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Appreciate you being with us.

MICHAEL BOCLURKIW, SENIOR FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Good to be with you again, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, some U.S. resistance to funding Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression stems from corruption concerns in the country, particularly in the wake of a recently uncovered military procurement scheme involving tens of millions of embezzled funds. What's President Zelenskyy doing to root out and tackle this corruption problem?

BOCLURKIW: Sure, well, look, you know, he's done a number of things. Among them, he's fired the heads of various units of the military, for example, those who are involved in recruitment of men for the frontline.

Also, there's been problems on the border with people paying bribes to get out of the country, because men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave.

[02:25:09]

And the other thing he's done, he's replaced a few months ago the defense minister because under his predecessor, there were big cases of corruption.

But I've got to say, Rosemary, this one is pretty eye popping. $40 million for I believe it was around 100,000 artillery shells that never arrived. That money was sent to a very little known company in Western Ukraine called Lviv Arsenal. And then, apparently, that money went outside of the country and those

shells were never received. And by the way, that payment was given to the company before any of it was -- a part of that contract was fulfilled.

So, a lot of unanswered questions, it is working itself through the judicial system. A bale for one of the men was requested at $7 million, but that was turned down.

So, this comes at a very bad time as you pointed out, given that the U.S. and other bodies are trying to figure out whether to give more money to Ukraine.

CHURCH: So, how is this level of corruption possible and why isn't there a better process involved for receiving and tracking Western aid in Ukraine to avoid this level of corruption that threatens international confidence in Kyiv and runs the risk of ending any future funding and support?

BOCLURKIW: Sure, well, I mean, corruption for the longest time has been endemic on Transparency International's index, Ukraine still score is very low. I talked to a group of people the other night at a fundraiser, I mean, people here Rosemary are raising money dollar by dollar by dollar for specific units of the armed forces.

And you talk to these folks, and they say, well, a couple of things. I mean, number one, the penalties have to be a lot stricter for people who violate the law, who take money from the state budget and put it in their pocket, especially during times of war.

The four or five suspects in this particular case we've been talking about only face sentence of maybe 10 to 12 years. People here say that should be life, if not worse, right?

And then the other problem here, salaries are very, very low in the civil service. There's talk of maybe down the road providing a more Singapore style grade of salaries to civil servants, as well as looking to penalties for corruption so that it doesn't happen on this scale.

CHURCH: And President Zelenskyy also needs to crack down on corruption if he wants Ukraine to join the European Union. So, what's his plan? And is there still a chance he can get a better system up and running before the E.U. makes a determination that Ukraine is just too big a risk?

BOCLURKIW: Yes, well, just before coming on air, I checked the E.U.'s latest report, and they actually said Ukraine is making very good progress.

For example, reforming the selection process of how judges are appointed, corruption has been a very big problem there. But it has to be said and the E.U. recognizes this as during wartime where there's a hole in the state budget of $5 billion a month. It's very difficult to put all of these things in action, but it did.

The Europeans have given Ukraine a lot of credit, during wartime, at least going ahead and coming through with the reforms.

It is expected that Ukraine will meet all the deadlines on time. But you know, again, the big problem is the perception especially in the United States, where $60 billion is on the line and Republicans and Republican candidates have been saying Ukraine is very corrupt.

So, Zelenskyy has to do everything possible to clean up the system, but they are constrained by this time of war.

CHURCH: Michael Boclurkiw thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it and your perspective.

BOCLURKIW: My pleasure.

CHURCH: Still to come, the IDF invited CNN to show them a tunnel they claim ran through a Gaza cemetery destroyed. We'll tell you what our reporter found. That's next.

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[02:31:37]

CHURCH: The IDF invited CNN to show what they say was a Hamas tunnel underneath a cemetery, after a CNN investigation found that the Israeli military damaged or destroyed more than a dozen cemeteries in Gaza. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is no ordinary quarry. It's where the living once buried their dead. Gaza's Bani Suheila cemetery hollowed out by Israeli excavators.

DIAMOND: These for all graves; this was a cemetery. But the military says that they were forced to come in here because they discovered a Hamas tunnel running right underneath that cemetery.

DIAMOND (voice-over): But the Israeli military failed to prove that stunning claim during a three-hour tour of the area. They invited us here a week after we first uncovered this graveyard's partial destruction using satellite imagery, part of a CNN investigation that found 16 cemeteries in Gaza damaged or destroyed by the Israeli military.

BRIG. GEN. DAN GOLDFUSS, IDF COMMANDER: This whole area here is a military compound. From the mosque over there, underneath the graveyard, all the way down north and south, my forces, in the beginning, we tries to flank this area. We were fired from this area again and again and again. We couldn't understand why.

DIAMOND: So, that's how you determined that there was a tunnel here because you were being fired upon?

GOLDFUSS: Yes, sir.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Our journey to investigate the Israeli military's claims begins in the rubble of what they say was a residential building.

DIAMOND: Even just standing at the mouth of this tunnel, you can feel the humidity just like emanating here. And this is the way that we go in to what they say is an extensive tunnel system in Bani Suheila.

DIAMOND (voice-over): We descend into a dark, seemingly endless labyrinth.

DIAMOND: There's this tight spaces like this in certain parts of this tunnel, but then you get here and you have full headspace, pretty much. All throughout, you can see that there's electricity, there's telecommunications. The Israeli military says that this tunnel system actually leads to a Hamas command center, which they say was used by Hamas fighters to coordinate their attacks.

DIAMOND (voice-over): The Israeli military says this is that command center. Multiple rooms equipped with plumbing and electricity, maps like this once lining the walls.

DIAMOND: You can see a kitchen here equipped with a sink, running water, with the pipes running through the tunnel wall. You have a fan, plates. I mean, you could imagine this being in a house, but instead, it is deep, deep underground.

Where are we right now? I mean, what is above us?

GOLDFUSS: So, we are in a headquarters of a Hamas commander. Above us is a cemetery that I showed you from the outside.

DIAMOND: If you look at the satellite imagery of this cemetery, there is a wide area that the military has cleared. Why is that necessary in order to uncover these tunnels?

GOLDFUSS: We have to reach the tunnels. We have to reach the tunnels. We had to uncover the tunnels. We had to prevent from the enemy to flank us.

DIAMOND (voice-over): But there's no way for us to verify whether we are actually beneath the graveyard.

GOLDFUSS: All right.

DIAMOND (voice-over): General Goldfuss takes us back out of the tunnel, but not into the cemetery.

[02:35:00]

DIAMOND (voice-over): Instead, we leave the same way we came in before walking back to the enormous hole where the cemetery once stood.

GOLDFUSS: Please hold on.

DIAMOND: We are asking the General if we can actually see the shaft to the tunnel.

DIAMOND (voice-over): But the answer is no. DIAMOND: So?

GOLDFUSS: (Inaudible) sharing, which I don't want to do take pictures of, the security (inaudible).

DIAMOND: What about if we don't film it? We just look with our eyes.

GOLDFUSS: (Inaudible) I mean, you might fall in, the whole thing can collapse. While you have to walk to the edge, the edge is not secure, it can collapse. There is machinery, (inaudible). It is not something I am going to take a risk on. Sorry.

DIAMOND (voice-over): These Israeli military later provided this drone footage, showing the tunnel shaft we entered and another one nearby. CNN geolocated the footage using this satellite image. This outline shows where the cemetery once stood, and these are the two tunnel entrances, clearly outside the graveyard. As for the tunnel they say they found here, where the cemetery once stood, the military never provided any evidence.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Bani Suheila, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And we'll be right back.

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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. North Korea has launched a flurry of cruise missile tests this week, the latest taking place just hours ago. Kim Jong-un frequently presides over missile launches. In the past, he has been accompanied by his powerful sister. And lately, he's been bringing along his daughter. CNN's Will Ripley takes a look at the prominent females in his inner circle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korea's most powerful man making an emotional appeal to women. Kim Jong-un wiping away tears, urging moms to have more babies to boost the plunging birthrate. Pyongyang's patriarchy persists, observers say, but things may be changing in Kim's Korea. The North Korean leader bringing powerful women into his orbit, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui who recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kim's younger sister Kim Yo-jong, a close aide and trusted confidant, famous for fiery speeches.

And this dramatic demolition of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office, the younger Kim's meteoric rise likely fueled by her close brotherly bond and our powerful Kim family bloodline. The family photo that shook the world, the supreme leader revealing his daughter believed to be Kim Ju-ae, at a missile launch in late 2022. The first in a series of carefully-staged father-daughter photo-ops, elevating the profile of Kim's elementary-aged child, raising questions about succession.

LEE SUNG-YOON, WILSON CENTER FELLOW, AUTHOR OF "THE SISTER": Kim Jong- un is saying by appearing in public with his daughter, my nukes are here to stay and my power will be handed down to my progeny or maybe somebody else, his sibling.

[02:40:00]

RIPLEY (voice-over): For three generations, the man of the Kim family ruling North Korea within iron fist. Now, many wonder, could a woman be next in line? Could Kim be grooming his own daughter to someday take command of North Korea's growing nuclear arsenal?

SUNG-YOON: The power will be kept, this absolute power will maintain -- will be maintained in the family.

RIPLEY (voice-over): A family where the women seem to be faring better than the men. Kim's own uncle, Jang Song-thaek, seen half-heartedly clapping when Kim came to power. South Korean lawmakers said he was executed by anti-aircraft guns and possibly decapitated, Former President Trump claimed. Kim's exiled older half-brother Kim Jong-nam, assassinated by poison at a Malaysia airport. Whoever the next North Korean leader is, man or woman, Kim's top priority analysts say protecting his family's fortune and power.

RIPLEY: Historians on both sides of the political spectrum, left and right, agree that North Korea has essentially perfected the model of the totalitarian state. They have near-total control of information, very heavy propaganda. They surveil the population. It is a recipe experts say for success, for the next North Korean leader, whether they be a man or a woman, especially given the size of Kim Jong-un's nuclear arsenal.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Two members of Britain's royal family are recovering after hospital stays. King Charles and Queen Camilla waved to crowds gathered outside on Monday as he left after treatment for an enlarged prostate. Buckingham Palace says he has rescheduled public engagements to allow time for recovery. The Princess of Wales was more private with her exit, following a two-week stay for abdominal surgery, according to Kensington Palace. A spokesperson says Catherine is making good progress, but is unlikely to resume public duties until after Easter.

Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is coming up next. Then, I will be back in 15 minutes with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stick

around.

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