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U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Visits Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant; G7 Ministers Agree to Cap Price of Russian Oil; Clashes Between Ethiopian Government & Tigrayan Forces Escalate; CNN Speaks to Ethiopian Ambassador to U.S.; Court Filing: Federal Agents Retrieved 11,000 Plus Government Documents from Trump's Mar-a-Lago Home; NASA: Moon Rocket ready for Launch. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired September 02, 2022 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Welcome back to the show. I'm Eleni Giokos. I'm in for Becky Anderson here in Abu Dhabi.

Now, Ukraine's nuclear operator says a second reactor at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plants is up and running that announcement just minutes ago,

bringing some sense of relief after the reactor was shut down on Thursday morning, during what Ukraine says was heavy shelling by Russian troops

occupying the plants.

The news comes a day after an IAEA team finally made it into the plant. This is video of nuclear inspectors touring the facility on Thursday. Five

of the original 14 will remain there until Saturday. Today, Ukraine accused Russia of denying inspectors access to the plants crisis center while

Russia's Defense Minister claims Ukraine is using Western weapons to attack the plants. Melissa Bell reports on the IAEA's high stakes visit and the

uncertain aftermath.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The shelling began a dawn around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plants, the worst that the town of

Enerhodar has seen, since it was occupied in March, according to its Mayor. Briefed on the situation, but undeterred, IAEA inspectors decided to head

through the front line, nonetheless.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're moving now.

BELL (voice over): The 14 strong team seeing for it as it traveled the artillery and mortar fire that led to the shutting down of one of the

plants lost two functioning reactors. After an hour's long delay on its way, the IAEA inspectors arrived a glimpse at last into a plant that's been

occupied by Russian forces for months.

RAFAEL GROSSI, IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL: It is obvious that the plant and the physical integrity of the plant have been violated several times. And this

is something that cannot continue to happen.

BELL (voice over): Which is why he said 5 members of his team had stayed behind to ask more questions, and to dig deeper. In a plant controlled by

Russian forces, but man by workers who say that it's been almost impossible for them to do their jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We feel like hostages, we actually can't do our jobs. We can't carry phones, flash drives, and memory cards. And God forbid, if

you look at a soldier the wrong way, you can be thrown into the basement.

GROSSI: The Ukrainian employees, I was with them throughout the day. Of course, they are in a difficult situation, but they have an incredible

degree of professionalism. I see them calm and moving on.

BELL (voice over): The plan he said for the IAEA to establish a permanent presence at the plant, and to make good on his word to its workers, that

the U.N. nuclear watchdog is now there to stay.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: And Melissa Bell connecting us this hour from Kyiv. Melissa, thanks for joining us now. We should hear more details on the visit in a few hours

when IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi holds a news conference in Vienna. We're going to hear about the findings, the security of the plant itself and of

course encouraging that that nuclear reactor is now back online.

BELL: That's right. At the very least, there does appear to be some progress insofar as since he left the plant about 24 hours ago Eleni. There

has been calmer than there had been apparently. So it seems before his arrival.

And certainly that reactor one of the last two remaining ones that have been damaged in the shelling yesterday that had been switched off as a

result is now up and running again. So that is the good news already, we will learn more about the exact shape of the permanent presence to come and

exactly how he intends to have that happen.

And for the time being his achievement is quite a big one. As you suggest it was a high stakes visit, it wasn't clear whether the team would make it.

They did so at substantial risk to themselves. And in the end, the very fact of having not just on the Ukrainian front line but on such a sensitive

point of it around that nuclear power plant an independent international presence is a big step forward.

And I think something of an achievement six months into a war where the international community's had very little of a foothold anywhere along that

front line and very little visibility on it and very great deal of difficulty in making itself heard or its presence felt. At the very least

this is the achievement of Rafael Grossi so far Eleni.

[11:05:00]

GIOKOS: Yes Melissa, what is also interesting that the finger pointing continues, which is, of course a concern. You say the shelling has subsided

for now. But is it a worry where you see the Russians blaming the Ukrainians and the Ukrainians doing something very similar? Does this mean

that the situation becomes a lot more delicate?

BELL: I think that was exactly a delicate is exactly what his mission was throughout maintaining that impartiality. And in fact, you saw him choose

his words very carefully as he came out of the plant. He'd seen what he needed to see and what everyone thought of the war, everyone needed to

agree that this could not be happening on the frontline.

Also speaking about what he's heard of the workers and bear in mind that we spoke to a number of them yesterday, who will tell the same story for

months now. They've not been able to speak to the outside world, they are worried about being listened to they have their phones taken away from

them, they get to work, their working conditions are very difficult.

And just to be able to have him around no doubt is something that will be a huge comfort to them. But of course, there is that questions of the claims

and the counterclaims. And I think that's been one of the big problems so far.

And in particularly Eleni, the accusations and it's not just from Kyiv, but this is the understanding of American intelligence as well, is that the

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant had been being used as a military base for Russian forces.

It's something also from speaking to some of the workers there now in some of those has managed to flee, that they backed up and what they told us

yesterday that military equipment had been kept there, that they had seen attacks carried out from the plant that some of the Russian shelling had

come from the territory of the plant itself.

That is an accusation we've been hearing from Kyiv and again, backed up by American intelligence over the course of the last few months. And so the

very fact of having international independent inspectors there who are there to, as engineers, make sure that this plant functions properly will

certainly make it much more difficult.

First of all, for Russian forces to continue using it as a military base but it will also mean that all of those accusations and counter accusations

will be much harder in terms of seeing them going forward simply because the international community is there in one shape. And I think that dispels

at least some of the fog of war, if not the war itself, since it sits on that very active frontline, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Melissa Bell, thank you so much. The G7 just fired the latest volley in the diplomatic war with Russia. G7 nations agreeing to impose a

price cap on Russian oil. A joint statement says the cap is designed to reduce Russian revenues and Russia's ability to fund its war of aggression,

whilst limiting the impact of Russia's war on global energy prices.

Ahead of that action, a stark warning from the Kremlin, which says Russia will stop oil exports to any nations that can impose a cap. Anna Stewart

has been watching oil prices since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She joins us now from London.

Anna, you know, policy decision making in boardrooms doesn't really help with implementation. And really one hot, very big issue to implement is, is

giving one price to one country and different prices to everyone else. How do they plan to get around the logistical hurdles?

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in terms of the logistics of this price cap that remains to be seen, there isn't a huge amount of detail.

They want to bring together a coalition of stakeholders in countries and try and work out the technical details of where that price cap should be

and really how to implement it.

But it is interesting to consider that actually all the sanctions we've had already and many oil embargoes from countries around the world, in terms of

Russian oil, really haven't done much in terms of closing the gap in Russian revenue.

So at the moment, according to the latest research from Google, Russia is making $600 million a day that's just from oil. And it says if you add oil

and gas revenues together this year, it may reach a record $285 billion. That would be a record that would exceed last year's figure by more than

1/5.

And this is because energy prices are so high. So you see the logic here with the idea of a price gap because you keep oil in the market for those

countries that haven't banned Russian oil, but you do bring those revenues down. But as you say the implementation is really difficult.

GIOKOS: Anna I'm also just curious about, you know, some of the issues they are going to encounter, and I think the list is really long. And there's

always ways to circumvent right? A lot of these rules that are put in place even the hardest and stringent of sanctions not everyone's going to play

ball.

STEWART: Of course not and you know what, this is what we've seen from round and round of sanctions. There are always holds there are always ways

to circumvent them. So I would say that before picking too many holes in this but as you say there is really a long list.

First of all, the G7 doesn't cover all of the nations around the world. Of course it doesn't particularly of course China a huge economy which could

help by offering Maritime and Insurance Services is the G7 prepared to implement sort of secondary sanctions on countries that help Russia sell

oil above price cap that isn't in the details of this yet.

[11:10:00]

STEWART: Also in terms of implementation, what about side deals? This is something we see a lot when you see price caps, this sort of sanctioning of

a country. What about a country saying, OK, we'll pay Russia the price gap or below, but we will also offer them a great deal on some goods that we

want to export them. It's very hard to prove that.

And then, of course, when we look at oil markets, the real power there is from OPEC. And how are they going to respond to this? They don't like oil

prices falling. And of course, that is one of the main designs of this is to stabilize prices. And already we're looking at Saudi Arabia, potentially

looking at output cuts as a result of the oil price falling considerably since June. Although of course, you see there, it's up to date perhaps that

is the expectation that it will do just that Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yes. $94 a barrel falling I mean, that's still relatively high. I'm wondering where it's going to settle? Anna Stewart always good to see you

thank you! Ukrainian prosecutors have identified a Russian war crime suspects thanks in part to reporting you saw right here on CNN.

Back in May, we showed you a video of Russian troops gunning down two civilians in the outskirts of Kyiv. Now prosecutors have announced the name

of one suspect saying CNN reporting played a key role in their investigation. Sara Sidner has a story and a warning that her report

contains some graphic and disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Ukrainian prosecutors say this is the moment an undeniable war crime was carried out by Russian soldiers.

This video clip obtained by CNN has yet to be seen by the public.

It shows Russian soldiers firing at something alongside a business they have just overtaken on the outskirts of Kyiv turns out their target are too

unsuspecting and unarmed Ukrainian civilians who they shoot in the back.

We first reported on this portion of the video in May, showing the business owner dying where he falls, and the guard initially surviving, but bleeding

to death after making it back to his guard shack. Both men had just spent the last few minutes speaking calmly with the Russian soldiers who appeared

to let them go. But we now see two of the soldiers returned and fire on them.

YULIA PLYATS, VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: My father's name is Leonid Alexievich Plyats (ph). SIDNER (voice over): The guards' daughter, Yulia told us then

she wanted the world to know her father's name, and what the Russians did to him.

SIDNER (on camera): Yulia, have you seen the video?

PLYATS: I can't watch it now. I will save it to the cloud and leave it for my grandchildren and children. They should know about this crime and always

run into who our neighbors are.

SIDNER (voice over): And now, the Bucha prosecutor's office says with the help of CNN's story, it has finally identified one of his executioners. The

suspects name, Nikolay Sergeevich Sokovikov. Ukraine has informed Russia that their pre-trial investigation has zeroed in on Sokovikov as the

perpetrator of the cold blooded killing.

While prosecutors will not reveal exactly how they identify this particular soldier. We have seen one part of the process being used by Ukrainian

officials, facial recognition technology. The Ministry of Digital Transformation gets an image loaded into the program they created and it

scrubs social media looking for a match.

Once they have a match of a soldier dead or alive, they try to corroborate it with friends and family on the soldier's social media sites.

We have identified about 300 cases he says. The identification of the latest suspect for war crimes was months in the making, but it is at least

one step towards justice for the families who have had something taken from them they can never get back, the life of someone they loved. Sara Sidner,

CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: Russia's Defense Ministry has not responded to CNN's requests for comments, either to Sara Sidner's story or our reporting back in May. Now

just ahead a conflict resumes after a ceasefire disintegrates. I'll be talking live with the Ethiopian Ambassador to the U.S. about renewed

fighting in the Tigray region that's coming up next. And the U.S. says Iran's response wasn't constructive as the two sides try to work through

sticking points in the nuclear deal.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:15:00]

GIOKOS: Clashes between Ethiopian fighters and Tigrayan forces are escalating. The Tigrayan Military Command says government forces have

launched a new offensive. In Ethiopia's Northern Tigray region a recent ceasefire in the meantime collapsed last month dashing hopes of peacefully

resolving the nearly two year war.

And the fighting has spread beyond Tigray's borders into the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. The Ethiopian Ambassador to the U.S., Seleshi

Bekele Awulachew, I will let you joins me now live from Washington D.C. Ambassador really good to see you, thank you so much for taking the time!

And as we just mentioned, there was major hope during the ceasefire, there would be a negotiation, a peaceful resolution to the fighting. Could you

take us through what kind of talks are being held over this time and what went wrong?

SELESHI BEKELE AWULACHEW, ETHIOPIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Thank you very much, Eleni, for giving me the opportunity. In the run up to March 24th -

August 24th you know, you remember it must end for Ethiopian government declared a humanitarian truce based humanitarian access, stop to the fight.

And then this was maintained until August 24th when people live once again, started to reignite the conflict.

GIOKOS: So you're saying that the TPLF reignited the conflict. So it wasn't a breakdown in talks - it wasn't a breakdown in talks. Is that what you're

saying?

AWULACHEW: Yes, it's not a breakdown in toxicities basically, the attack that was launched from TPLF, you can see you know, the level of invasion

that was covering the entire almost entire Northern Amhara region and that of Afar in two directions first, then expanded to the five different

directions - around up to August 24th basically.

I was working on the peace talks establish the Peace Committee, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, and many high officials

prepared the roadmap actually to sit together to make the peace happen.

GIOKOS: So sir - I mean, and you must also understand that the TPLF is pointing fingers and saying that they are not the ones that reignited this

conflict. And we know that this is a delicate moment. So you know, there's going to be finger pointing. But I'm curious over this time during the

ceasefire why didn't the Ethiopian government restore critical services?

And for people to understand we're talking about banking, we're talking about telecoms, we're talking about consistent access to electricity, where

the reporting that we're hearing is that Tigray was difficult to enter and get out of and almost impossible to send money to. I know, aid agencies

were able to extend food but I want to talk about critical services and why you didn't restore those?

[11:20:00]

AWULACHEW: Look, this is in a warring regions, there is no peace established in the Tigray region. Basically, the government was trying to

work out actually a different way of restoring service until the peace gets established and permanent ceasefire established.

And among those you can see, fuel was being supplied, money was transferred through third parties. There were also other talks, how to re-establish

other services like the electricity, telecom and so on?

So to serve the party, there was agreement with World Bank resourcing so that this could come into effect. For example, you obviously can support

those kinds of reestablishing services imagine how could you establish? When the other party is occupying and preventing the movement of normal

civilians from Ethiopian side.

GIOKOS: I want you - I want you to take a listen to what the W. H. O. Director has said about the crisis and the severity of what people are

going through in Tigray. I want you to take a listen Ambassador.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, W.H.O. DIRECTOR: I can tell you that the humanitarian crisis in Tigray more than Ukraine without any exaggeration.

Nowhere on Earth 6 million people are sealed off nowhere from basic services from their own money from telecom from food from medicine. This is

the worst disaster on earth as we speak.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: And this is - this is an important statement coming through from Tedros. He also said that he can't send money to his family and that he

doesn't know whether his friends and family are alive or dead because he can't establish communications. Is that in your mind something that you're

that is top of your concerns for the Ethiopian government?

AWULACHEW: Ethiopian government is equally you know, concern for the people of Tigray as a legitimate and democratically elected government. As the

voice you were playing back to me is actually the Former Executive of the TPLF and not trying to work towards establishing peace rather aggravate the

conflict and simply siding--

GIOKOS: But he is the Director of the W. H. O. sharing his personal thoughts and experiences.

AWULACHEW: In this current conflict is not impartial. He's only talking one side. You know, during the previous wave of attack of humanitarian wave in

Amhara and Tigray region.

In Amhara and Darfur region, he hasn't spoken a single sentence. When 2000 schools 40 hospitals 453 health stations 1850 health hospitals were

dismantled. As W. H. O. Director General that shouldn't be impartial. He was always talking using the media's available instrument at his disposal--

GIOKOS: Because people can't get access, right? So the average the millions of people can't get access to can't make phone calls, they can't get money.

So that's why it's an important story, right? And that's why we asked him the question, will you be willing to restore services to the Tigray region

because I want to go through the conditions that the TPLF has labeled out.

Let's quickly go through them. I'm going to put them on the screen so that our viewers can see. It's essential services, unfettered humanitarian

access, ending to war crimes, we you know, we can read them on screen and end to war crimes, as you said accountability for crimes and genocide and

restoration of boundaries.

Is the Ethiopian government willing to look at these and agree with these conditions? Or is there something in this list that you cannot deliver on?

AWULACHEW: Look, Ethiopia is open for unconditional, no condition to sit down and peace talk. And then even at reserve, you know, the most

challenging issue immediately. For example, if your services are mostly operating. It is ready to prepare that and work out. But please understand

that the services those which are possible without involvement of human being have been given.

[11:25:00]

AWULACHEW: For example, fuel, the fuel was you know, transported to Mekelle through the World Food Program you said and so on. And it was deposited

there of 570,000 liters were looted and used now for, you know advancing the war into Amhara in Afar region. This is not necessary for--

GIOKOS: I know, I know that we've heard that there was fuel alleged fuel, you know, taken by the TPLF. But I want to talk about those other critical

services, you say you've got no preconditions, right.

So, you know, and again, we go back to what are these negotiations, how the talks going, you've got nothing that you want to put on the table. So then

why would that negotiations break down in your mind? What do you think the biggest sticking point is so that we can go through these, these seams to

figure out what the last --solution is?

AWULACHEW: Negotiation didn't take off? The hindrances are simply a tactic, you know, taking this humanitarian service, which is a separate issue, as a

precondition. While you need technicians to get in into the region, repair the damage and so on.

You know, in the first eight months is when the National Defense Force was there and protecting the, you know, the workers, these were restored, you

know, investing billions of barrel, or about $2 billion.

GIOKOS: Yes.

AWULACHEW: This was made possible. How do you protect these technicians? We lost a few of them during the previous period.

GIOKOS: And Ambassador, you know, our hospital was hitting to dry last week. Could you give us details on this and what your response is to this

because the TPLF says it was the Ethiopian government.

AWULACHEW: What I know is, it's not true, it is propaganda because that was not hit. But what happened is actually--

GIOKOS: So do you think--

AWULACHEW: Let me let me tell you, the real story is the human wave, the human wave invaded Amhara and Tigray in Afar region in North in, you know,

hundreds or thousands, tens of thousands were flooding, and dismantling all the possession of a weapon in Amhara region, especially. Villages were

burned down.

GIOKOS: But I'm asking about an airstrike on a hospital. I'm asking about the airstrike on a hospital. Could you tell us whether the Ethiopian

government was involved in that airstrike?

AWULACHEW: I don't know where you get this information on airstrike. But I haven't got this information that the airstrike went into hospital hitting

hospitals.

GIOKOS: The hospital actually, the hospital treated about this and said that, sorry, sorry. So Ambassador, just to give you context, I apologize

for interjecting. We were showing visuals about this hospital actually tweeted there was an airstrike and it was struck down and we're showing

visuals of the destroyed building. And we can see the images here. And that was in Mekelle. I want to quickly move on because we've got so much to talk

about is Eritrea involved in fighting in the north.

AWULACHEW: Not at all, where we don't have information on that, we hear on social media et cetera. You know, people --has got this behavior of

attracting, you know, Eritrea in to intervene to the conflict by sending you know, some experiments in--

GIOKOS: Do you want Eritrea involved in this fight? Do you condone Eritrean forces involved in and if they are and not to your knowledge but say they

are, what will the Ethiopian government do? What is your then stance on Eritrea getting involved?

AWULACHEW: You know, between Eritrea and the rest of Ethiopia is accepted in the Tigray region. There is Tigray region itself, Ethiopia has no access

to look at those issues lately. But you know, the truth is, inform TPLF not to provoke Eritrea.

Missiles were thrown into them in previous cycles. Now in this sort of cycle against us they have started, I don't know.

GIOKOS: Ambassador I want to ask you, you know, you're the ambassador to the United States and having conversations with the U.S. as well. This has

had a big economic toll on Ethiopia from what we understand you've lost some donor funding as well.

What is the relationship with the U.S. right now? You've had conversations as well with the Assistant U.S. Secretary of State. Could you take us

through what the messaging is, in terms of creating a lasting peace, peaceful solution to this?

AWULACHEW: In terms of lasting peaceful solution instead of appeasing this or that, you know, tell exactly what is happening in - of attack.

Condemning TPLF shows as they sit, come back and sit for the pistol that will be the solution for this difficult third round of work.

[11:30:00]

AWULACHEW: We are discussing on various issues. Of course, we explain, you know, a government which has got huge responsibility in terms of protecting

civilians, protecting the integrity and sovereignty of the country.

This is an attempt to an open, you know, on open declared attempt of dismantling Ethiopia in terms of--

GIOKOS: Ambassador, sorry, one last quick question. You say you have no pre conditions. Would you want to see the complete dissolution, dismantling

surrender of the TPLF?

AWULACHEW: That would be, you know, part of the pistol. It's not, you know, to put--

GIOKOS: So that is a condition that you would have, you don't have that condition or you would want that condition?

AWULACHEW: We don't want any condition for pistol, which we have opened.

GIOKOS: OK.

AWULACHEW: Yes, we have to see that.

GIOKOS: Ambassador, thank you very much. I appreciate it. I know it's a complex conversation. There's so much to go through. And I really

appreciate you joining us today. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you, Ambassador.

AWULACHEW: Thank you.

GIOKOS: All right, coming up classified documents that mixed in with personal items. The surprising details we're learning about the FBI search

of former President Trump's home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: Argentina's vice president is safe right now just hours after having a loaded gun shoved in her face and it was all caught on camera. You

might find it disturbing to watch.

It happened late Thursday outside Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's home as she greeted supporters. As you can see, the man put the gun in her face and

pulled the trigger. For some reason the gun did not fire. Stefano Pozzebon is following the story from Bogota Colombia for us.

I mean, shocking video, to be honest, such a close call. Stefano, what is the latest on the investigation?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: Yes, the latest who said the suspect has been identified Eleni as a 35 year old man, he's facing attempted murder

charges. But and while we still have to hear from Cristina Kepner this morning, we know that the judge who is in charge of the investigation into

this case has been visiting her at her residents at her house just where these apparent attack took place.

[11:35:00]

POZZEBON: We're waiting still to hear her. We know her supporters are out in numbers today to show support on a national day of holiday that was

declared late last night to allow the country to rally together and to show a unity support for the vice president.

I think it's worth paying attention to the words that the President of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez used yesterday to categorize this apparent

assassination attempt, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERTO FERNANDEZ, ARGENTINA PRESIDENT: Today, a little after 9 pm, a man tried to take the life of the vice president of our nation two time former

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. This is the most serious attack we faced since recovering our democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: So Fernandez, the President of Argentina calls it the most serious attack the nation faced since the restoration of democracy, this is

happening at a time of increased polarization and political tensions in Argentina.

Fernandez de Kirchner, the Vice President is facing an investigation for corruption charges, dating back to when she was the president of Argentina,

about a decade ago. And just the last week a prosecutor requested a 12 year sentence on her, you can see that the tension is mounting up.

But as the economic situation gets worse for Argentina, and now the nation really needs to come together and stem these pressure, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Stefano Pozzebon, thank you so much. Last hour, a judge in the U.S. state of Florida unsealed a detailed inventory from the FBI search of

Donald Trump's home.

We're learning that federal investigators retrieved more than 11,000 U.S. government documents from the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate. 27

taken from his office were marked classified in some way, including seven with top secret markings.

The inventory list also indicates that classified documents had been commingled with personal items and other materials in boxes. And we can see

some of that evidence in this photograph on your screen right now.

Let's get straight over to our Kara Scannell is in New York. Kara, I'm going to repeat this, 11,000 U.S. government documents from the Mar-a-Lago

estate, commingled intermingled with personal items. This is incredible information that's coming out.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: Yes, it really gives you a sense of the kind of chaos that exists within these documents. And I'm just going to read one

of these boxes, there were 37 boxes or containers that the FBI detailed and then went through the inventory of each of them.

And one of them, it really kind of captures this commingled issue. In one box, there were 30 magazine or newspaper press articles from 2008 to 2019,

there were 11 U.S. government documents marked with confidential classifications, 21 with secret classification markings.

But also in the box for three articles of clothing, one book and then other governments in photographs that were not classified. So kind of gives you a

sense that it sounds like a lot of things were just tossed in a box.

And certainly not the key thing here is that these classified and secret classification documents were not maintained in the proper way that they're

supposed to be which is either in a skiff or you know, handled with care not supposed to be mixed with personal effects.

And that kind of is what is at the heart of this investigation. And the other thing is just the sheer volume of documents need more than 11,000

that were non-classified.

But our presidential records that are government records that the former president had taken with him to Mar-a-Lago. So we also are learning that

this was not just a situation where there was, you know, a couple of boxes of documents, but in fact, and this is what the FBI obtained when they went

in with that search warrant.

And of course, there have been issues about whether the former president's team had been providing the FBI with all the records. The FBI obviously was

saying they didn't, that's why they had to go in and execute that search warrant.

But we're getting a sense now that they've got all this additional material, and that's a lot of material that they've had to go through.

And it just tells you how much the president had taken with him when he left Mar-a-Lago when the narrative put forth by the former president's team

is that you know, if anything was accidental, or he didn't take that much.

So, you know, the initial delivery to the National Archives, which had asked for this first for 15 boxes, we're now learning that there was a

significant amount of material that was still at Mar-a- Lago, that even after that initial request, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yes, Kara Scannell, great to see you. Thank you so much. Now to the back and forth on reviving the Iran nuclear deal, U.S. government officials

say they're now reviewing Iran's response to the proposal.

And will communicate through the EU rather than negotiate in public. The U.S. State Department said Thursday Tehran's response was not constructive.

Iran and the U.S. have been exchanging responses albeit indirectly on sticking points to fully implement the deal.

[11:40:00]

GIOKOS: CNN's Natasha Bertrand joins us now live from Washington with more details. It is a vital point right within this nuclear deal. We know that

for Iran, it's that IAEA report on that undeclared enriched uranium on certain sites.

And whether that inspection is going to go ahead and the report will come out. Give us a sense of what is happening in the public sphere and how the

EU is going to help facilitate some of those sticking points.

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, it seems like it's really one step forward two steps, two steps back here, U.S. officials are telling

us that the response that the Iranians gave to their response just last week is not constructive at all.

And they're looking for a way forward here. But it seems as though the Iranians have gotten increasingly hard line on certain positions that they

appeared poised to drop just last week.

For example, the question of the IAEA probe, it remains to be seen just how serious they are about closing that before any deal comes to the table,

even though just last week in their previous response to the U.S. it was not in their written comments, it did not seem like it was going to be an

issue.

Similarly, it seems as though they have dropped this demand for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that military arm of Iran to be removed from the

Foreign Terrorist Organization list by the U.S. State Department. It seems like that is no longer demand.

And so the U.S. was feeling pretty optimistic about the status of the talks up until this point. But now that they have received this response from the

Iranians, they are saying, it does not seem like there is a way forward here as soon as we had hoped.

Of course, there were EU and American officials who were saying that a deal could be closer now than it has been in the past. And some were even saying

it could come as soon as this week. Obviously, that is not no longer the case.

The U.S. is looking for a way forward here. But the question of kind of the scope, the parameters of sanctions relief, how that is going to work and of

course reassurances that a future U.S. president administration is not simply going to pull out of the deal. Those are still major sticking points

here, Eleni.

GIOKOS: All right. Good to see you Natasha Bertrand. Thanks so much. Right, just ahead NASA officials say Artemis 1 is ready for launch tomorrow. I

will be talking live with Astronaut Zena Cardman about this historic moment in space exploration that's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: NASA plans to try again on Saturday to get the Artemis 1 rocket off the launch pad if the weather cooperates of course. Monday's launch was

scrubbed due to a variety of technical issues. NASA says those problems have not been addressed and here's the mission manager, take a listen.

[11:45:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE SARAFIN, ARTEMIS 1 MISSION MANAGER: There's no guarantee that we're going to get off on the third, but we're going to show up and we're going

to try and we're going to give it our best.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: The unmanned spacecraft is seen as an early scouting mission to the moon ahead of eventual manned landings. NASA says putting astronauts back

on the moon for extended periods will be critical training for future missions to Mars. I'm really excited about this interview.

NASA Astronaut Zena Cardman joins me now live from the Kennedy Space Centers, you know, great to see you. Thank you so much for taking the time.

I was really disappointed about Monday, but I know there's so many variables that we have to take into consideration. Are you excited about

tomorrow? Do you think we can actually get it done?

ZENA CARDMAN, NASA ASTRONAUT: I'm absolutely excited about this next attempt. And of course, Artemis 1 is a test flight and getting it right is

really important. We have a lot of things to sort out launching rockets is a complex and tricky thing to do.

And so slips and scrubs are not uncommon. And I'm just really excited for the data that we're going to get from this next attempt.

GIOKOS: Yes, let's talk about some of that data. I was actually thinking how ironic it actually is that you know what female mannequins are going to

the moon before actual woman go, but it's really vital because they're going to have thousands of sensors.

They're going to test for radiation and the impact it's going to have on women's bodies. Could you take us through some of that vital data?

CARDMAN: That's right, the Artemis 1 mission is going to not only test the vehicle and the rocket itself, but it's also testing what the environment

is going to be like for all astronauts who will be on the Artemis two and Artemis three and beyond missions. We need things like data on radiation

acceleration, all of the forces that are going to be experienced by all four of those crew members going either around the moon for Artemis two, or

actually landing on the surface of the moon for Artemis three.

GIOKOS: Yes, I mean, there's so much, you know, to look forward to and there's so much testing that will then I think, I'm not sure how many times

it's going to circle the moon or go around the moon.

But I know that the whole point is to eventually head to Mars. Could you take us through the process and how this trip is going to be vital for

future projects?

CARDMAN: The Artemis missions are really an important step in getting humanity beyond the moon to a place like Mars.

GIOKOS: Yes.

CARDMAN: We've gotten pretty good at low Earth orbit. So we have the international space station orbiting about 250 miles up, we've had

continuous occupation of the ISS with United States, all international partners for about the last 20 years a little bit more than that.

But going to the moon and going to stay for long durations is really difficult. We've never done that before. And so figuring out how to operate

in deep space for longer and longer periods of time is going to be an absolutely critical step before we go thousand times further to Mars.

GIOKOS: Yes, I mean, and also on the shuttle, there are going to be so many other things, right. So we're looking at some cells, some algae. And I find

it really fascinating just that we're doing conducting all these tests to see how they respond. And what are the things that you're looking most

forward to in terms of the outcomes?

CARDMAN: There's so much exciting science happening on the Artemis missions. And in - in general, I mean, we're in space, but everything that

we do in orbit is to benefit Earth and the people back home.

So on the Space Station right now, we have all kinds of research going on things like bone density loss, that's great for osteoporosis, bone density

loss research, for people here on Earth and just learning how to operate in an environment like that. When we go to the moon we'll have all of these

opportunities for incredible geoscience, understanding what was going on Earth several billion years ago, the moon is kind of like a time capsule

for what was happening for its history.

GIOKOS: I mean, let's go back to the mistakes right? On Monday or the problems, there wasn't one specific engine that was you know, not able to

call at the right temperature. Lot of the equipment was actually repurposed.

What do you make of this the fact that NASA had to adopt take this approach? And then what is you know, the plan for the next Artemis mission

that will actually have humans on board?

CARDMAN: Yes, it's of course, not surprising that we encountered some unexpected technical issues on a rocket that we haven't launched before. So

our last attempt, we discovered a couple of things.

One was a hydrogen leak that's been resolved, we understand how to fix it, we fixed it. The other big one was getting engine number three, four of the

rockets core stage cools down to the right temperature, and so this happens during engine bleed process that we're not going to do earlier in the

countdown.

And that should hopefully resolve it. And you know of course any test that we do it's just really important to get it right before we put people on

board.

[11:50:00]

GIOKOS: Yes, absolutely. We wish the two female mannequins Helga and Zohar all the best and we wish the NASA team all the best for tomorrow. We're all

rooting that this is going to actually happen tomorrow. So have a fantastic weekend and hopefully all things go to plan.

CARDMAN: Yes, thank you, we hope so too.

GIOKOS: All right, just ahead, mass lockdown. 150 COVID cases 21 million ordered to stay at home. China's enforced zero COVID policy in all its

glory stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: 21 million people in one city in China are now under lockdown as Beijing forces its hard line zero COVID policy. All residents in the mega

city of Chengdu have been ordered to stay at home except for mandatory testing.

Today the city reported 150 new local COVID cases. About a third of them were asymptomatic. Kristie Lu Stout has more.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 21 billion people are confined to their homes in Chengdu in China's largest city wide lockdown since Shanghai

is ended in June. And the apparent trigger on Wednesday Chengdu reported 156 local cases of COVID 19.

On Friday reported 150 new local cases of the virus. The city has launched mass testing for all 21 million residents. They've been asked to stay at

home until at least Sunday, except for going out to take the test.

Only one person in each household with a negative COVID test result can get groceries once a day. All businesses are closed except essential services

like supermarkets, hospitals and pharmacies and factory production has been affected. In fact, Volvo cars have a factory in Chengdu and are suspending

production.

And it's not just Chengdu, other major Chinese cities have stepped up COVID restrictions this week. In the high tech hub of Shenzhen authorities have

shut down the world's largest electronics market.

And in the northern port city of Dalian a lockdown is in effect for about 3 million residents. Despite the cause China is still holding fast to its

zero COVID policy. Local authorities across China have been under huge pressure to prevent COVID 19 outbreaks before the 20th Communist Party

Congress set to start on October the 16th.

This is when President Xi Jinping is expected to secure an unprecedented third term as leader. Some Chinese hope that the country's zero COVID

restrictions could be relaxed after the Congress. But Beijing has not offered any timeline on a possible shift in policy, Kristie Lu stout, CNN,

Hong Kong.

GIOKOS: Right. So I want to clarify something I said in my earlier interview with the Ethiopian ambassador to the U.S. The airstrike that we

were referencing took place near a hospital in the capital of Ethiopia's war torn Tigray region late on Tuesday.

And we have no evidence it hit the actual hospital while we were discussing that strike, we inadvertently showed another video of a strike on a

kindergarten a few days earlier than that strike. We apologize for that error. All right, thank you so very much for joining us that was "Connect

the World" CNN continues after the short break, stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END