Return to Transcripts main page

Erin Burnett Outfront

U.S. Testing Bunker Busting Bombs Despite Breakthrough; Officials: Five Arrested In School Massacre, 147 Killed; Man Missing For 66 Days Rescued From Ocean; Ferguson's Internal, Uncensored Emails Released. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired April 03, 2015 - 19:00   ET

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


[19:00:12] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT tonight, President Obama working the phones to sell his nuclear deal with Iran. This as the United States tests its most powerful bunker busting bomb. A bomb it says that can destroy Iran's most secret nuclear complex.

OUTFRONT tonight, one of the key architects of the deal. Plus, the first horrific images from inside that university where gunman massacred at least 147 innocent students. This is the death toll expected to surge, why were Christians massacred?

And new to CNN tonight, the uncensored e-mails from members of the Ferguson Police Department. We're seeing them tonight for first time. They are worse than you could have imagined. Let's go OUTFRONT.

Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, bunker busting bombs. CNN is learning tonight that despite the breakthrough with Iran on its nuclear program, the Pentagon is plowing ahead with its most lethal option. One of the most powerful bombs in the world. The military currently testing a bomb that can destroy targets deep underground like Iran's most secret nuclear facility. One official said today that the United States is now, quote, "more capable of destroying the nuclear complex than it was a year ago." Well, it sounds good but is this just a lot of tough talk?

As the President of the United States has tried to pull a major sales job, the President working the phones today making a very hard sell on the Iran nuclear deal at leaders in the Middle East. He called all them from Air Force One. He's also promising to sit down with the top four congressional leaders, members of Congress including influential Democrats are now saying, no. Today Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came out swinging charging that this deal guarantees Iran a bomb.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Such a deal does not block Iran's path to the bomb. Such a deal paves Iran's path to the bomb.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto is OUTFRONT. And Jim, the President is trying to sell this deal. He's trying hard. This isn't a guy who likes get on the phone and makes these sale calls and he was doing it all day. Because even Democrats now, we got about a dozen of them getting on board with Republicans saying, they want a say. They want to vote on this. They're not going to give him the right to do it. Does he have a chance?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And they are already in fact drafting bipartisan legislation to get a say, to get a review of this. Here's the thing. You know, in the current form of that legislation, it would add new sanctions if Iran does not comply. The President said any new sanctions he's going to veto that. But feeling that pressure, he is willing to grant some sort of review, some sort of buy in where they get a chance to review the deal and perhaps prescribe what would happen if Iran breaks the deal going forward but there's a lot of daylight between those positions now. That's going to be a real tough sale for him going forward, it's going to be tough to get Republicans and Democrats onboard for something that the President can exempt.

BURNETT: It's got to be pretty disturbing for him though that this is bipartisan. You have Democrats saying whether we like it or not, we want a say. We'll not going to let you go ahead with this on your own. And in Iran of course, there's all this focus on the celebration in the streets where certainly there are some people who view this, you know, you've been to Iran, I've been to Iran, the nuclear program is near and dear in the hearts of so many Iranians. Putting aside a weapons aspect. Just being a nuclear power. They get to be a nuclear power and they see it as sanctions will going to get away.

SCIUTTO: Absolutely. I'm sure you felt the same thing when you've been there, Erin. This is about the nuclear program that's a matter of pride but it's really about becoming a normal country again. Having all the rights, all the access that they have been denied through these sanctions. This like the kinds of cars you could buy, medicines you can get, countries you can travel to. A student visas you can get. That's sort of thing. And that's what they are celebrating, a chance not to be an international pariah state if this deal comes through. Of course there are others who would gain from this as well. Not just like the young kids, you've been seeing celebrating the streets. An enormous economic wind fall for the hard line government. We're talking tens of billions of dollars in oil revenue, et cetera.

BURNETT: Right.

SCIUTTO: I mean, this has an enormous wind fall and it would be the end of an enormous international coalition that's been squeezing Iran for years because of a nuclear program.

BURNETT: Right. Some of those politically powerful and connected, we'll going to get a lot of relief, those Begarian Zania (ph) stores I remember seeing in Tehran, we will have more shoppers.

SCIUTTO: And Lamborghinis and you name it.

BURNETT: That's right. And it's all there. All right. Thanks so much to you, Jim Sciutto. Perhaps the biggest

critic of this deal of course is Israel. A country that could have the most to lose if Iran gets a nuclear weapon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today saying the deal is a disaster, he says it threatens the existent of his nation.

Oren Lieberman is OUTFRONT live in Jerusalem and Oren, this deal is Netanyahu's worst nightmare.

[19:05:06] OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nothing subtle about the language Netanyahu has been using over the last few days and weeks especially in the last 24 hours. His harshest language to date about this deal. He said this deal would increase the risk of a horrific war, a terrible war. These are the strongest words he's used. And perhaps we can only expect that criticism to ramp up as we move forward over the next three months. Netanyahu has in his most recent statement also added a very interesting demand. He says look, if this continues, if the negotiations push forward as they seem to be doing, he says he wants or he demands that the final deal includes Iranian recognition of the state of Israel. The right of Israel to exist.

That's new and very interesting and could be very difficult to get if considered in these negotiations. Again, Netanyahu has been pushing back from the very beginning here. He's realized by now, he can't get Obama to stop the negotiations or end the negotiations. So, he's trying to push back where he can. And that's where we see him using his Congressional allies.

Again, Jim mentioned the Republicans there. House Speaker Boehner was here. Senator Mitch McConnell was here this week. A very strong show of support for Benjamin Netanyahu. He knows where his allies are, he knows exactly where to push. He's an experienced politician. And although it could be difficult for him to have some of his demands met because he wants to very much limit and disassemble Iran's nuclear infrastructure, he knows he can make this very difficult with the help of Congressional Republicans as President Obama tries to push this deal forward, Erin. He's also said the military option is still very much on the table.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much Oren Lieberman live in Jerusalem tonight.

And OUTFRONT now, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, he is a nuclear physicist. He was at the table throughout these negotiations. And Secretary Moniz, thanks so much for being with us. I guess that the bottom-line question is this, why are you satisfied or maybe I could even use the word happy with this deal?

ERNEST MONIZ, ENERGY SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, again, we had an objective. The objective was to block all four pathways to a bomb for Iran if they chose in fact to go that path. They claimed they're not going that path but obviously we want verification. So, through a combination of limiting their technology deployment, limiting their access to uranium stockpiles, limiting their access to plutonium and most importantly perhaps vastly increasing our access and transparency to all their nuclear activities, we feel very confident that we will immediately upon the agreement being installed, we will jump from a two to three month so-called break out time to a bomb, if they chose to go that way, to over a year for at least ten years.

BURNETT: So, the IAEA is going to be the watchdog, the ones who are responsible for going in and inspecting Iran's facilities. That group has been incredibly critical of Iran and its refusal to cooperate over the years even when Iran signed some sort of an agreement. It has not kept its side of the deal according to the IAEA. In 2005 that groups said Iran failed to provide sufficient information on its uranium enriching centrifuges. 2011, Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear device. 2012, they passed a resolution because Iran wasn't providing cooperation. Just this year, they say Iran failed to provide explanations over nuclear related work. And just in recent days in an interview again saying, they couldn't say what Iran's nuclear weapons plans were. That's a pretty damming record. How do you know they have changed?

MONIZ: Well, the issues that you raise involve what are called possible military dimensions and there you are certainly correct. There are a lot of unanswered questions. However, as part of this agreement, part of this negotiation, I should say leading to an agreement, the IAE has defined a list of questions that must be resolved in terms of this military dimensions if the sanctions relief is to follow.

BURNETT: And, you know, what? A lot of critics of this deal have pointed out, of course, is that there was a similar deal to this in the past that ended up with the country getting a nuclear bomb. That of course, North Korean, June 26th, 2008 President Bush lifted sanctions on North Korea. After Pyongyang said, well, we'll give you the details of our nuclear work but as part of the deal they got to keep a nuclear program and nuclear research like Iran does now. Here is what then President Bush said about that deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Today's a positive day. It's a positive step forward. There's more work to be done and we have to process in place to get it done in a verifiable way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: It sounds a lot like President Obama now who is saying if Iran cheats, we'll going to know about it. Right? This is about verification and not about trust. But of course, after that deal North Korea succeeded in getting a nuclear weapon even though it had signed on the dotted line. How can you assure the world that Iran will not be like North Korea?

MONIZ: Well, first of all, the level of access in transparency that we have in this agreement I think is really quite exceptional. And therefore that's how we have the confidence that we will in fact know what we need to know, when do we need to know it.

[19:10:16] BURNETT: Secretary, CNN is reporting tonight that 12 Democrats are now siding with Republicans on the sanctions issue. They're saying they will not vote in sanctions against Iran unless Congress gets to review this deal. That is something of course the President adamantly has fought against. Those 12 votes that are crucial. It's only one vote shy of a veto proof majority. That would obviously derail the entire deal. What do you say to Congress?

MONIZ: Well, I think the issue is, as I have been doing today and other members of the administration reaching out to Congress often member by member and making sure they understand what it is that we have accomplished in the negotiation to date, recognizing the steps that we need to carry out for the next three months to reach a full agreement. And have them judgment. We should think of this approach as the President has emphasized. It's not a deal of some specific number of years. It's long term agreement with many milestones to see if Iran can earn the international trust and return over a couple of decades to the family of nations that we trust to have only peaceful intentions.

BURNETT: Thank you very much, Secretary Moniz.

MONIZ: Thank you.

BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next, the massacre of nearly 150 students at the hands of terrorists. Christians targeted. The death toll expected to rise tonight. We are live with the first images from inside that school and that massacre.

Plus, how did a man survive 66 days lost at sea? Well, guess what? We have the coast guard officer who rescued him. That man pulling him up. That's our guest tonight. It happened to be his first day on the job.

And uncensored and outrageous. We're going to show you the racist e- mails that cost three Ferguson employees their job. We're seeing them for the first time, tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:15:54] BURNETT: Breaking news, five suspects have been arrested in the massacre on a college campus in Kenya. This as fears rise and the death toll could be about to surge already. One hundred forty seven are dead. That number is expected to jump. And tonight, we have the first picture from inside that campus where students were brutally massacred. Shot in the back of the head with reports of possible beheadings. Witnesses say the terrorists targeted Christians and let Muslim students go.

David McKenzie joins me live OUTFRONT from Garissa which is the scene of the attack. And David, when you arrived there, you saw the carnage, firsthand right in your face, what did you see?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Erin, what we saw was a steady stream, in fact that deluge of bodies being taken out of that university, put in trucks and taken to a tarmac where they are being air lifted to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. This area, this part of Kenya. In fact, the whole country is reeling from this devastating attack when four gunmen it seems went through and picked through those dormitories and executed those that they came across. They say they were speaking Swahili, the Kenyan main language which indicates they spent a lot of time here in Kenya, perhaps even were brought up here.

And they indiscriminately killed and then specifically killed, executing people in the back of the head and separating the Muslims from the Christians. As you say, five people been arrested now. It appears they are making some progress in this investigation. That's a long way off from sealing the borders from Somalia from a protection point of view because they are porous borders and they are being attacked by Al-Shabaab, the terrorist network in recent years and particularly in recent months. But this attack with near 150 dead and perhaps more is certainly the worst here in Kenya in more than a decade -- Erin.

BURNETT: And David, you talk about the arrests. As we said, the breaking news at this hour, five have been arrested. Do you have any sense of how many were involved? I mean, is that about the total or are we talking about a fraction of the number of people who were committing this atrocity?

MCKENZIE: Well, what we have known from previous attacks here in Kenya, doesn't take my people to commit a carnage like this. Because they don't care if they live or die. In fact, one witness telling us they said to them that we only have two objectives here, to kill and be killed. And they were pulling people out of their hiding places, assembling them and then giving them a religious sermon. Then they went through one woman said and some were really executed, the man, one by one, 20 of them.

And then they moved on to the women as well. They asked people to recite the Koran. If they were able to, then to say that they were Muslims, they were let free. If they didn't, they were shot. And one woman managed to escape from under a pile of dead bodies, more than 36 hours after this attack happened. They are reeling here from this attack. Still not knowing how many people might have die and where their loved ones are but the hunt goes on right now for anybody who could have been involved -- Erin.

BURNETT: David McKenzie, thank you very much. And David, talking about how they separated men from women, massacring the men first and then the women, not sparing them either but one of the tests being could you recite the Koran. And on this Good Friday the murdering of Christians is a major concern around the world. These attacks simply the most horrific as Christians have been beheaded, burned and shot.

Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dramatic pictures from inside the university show where the Al-Shabaab gunmen raged. Piles of clothing, bullet holes testaments to moment of terror.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We pray for those who are hurting at this time in hospitals and in homes.

FOREMAN: Outside, the faithful are gathering to pray even as families mourn. The response from Christians during this holy week is particularly pointed because witnesses say the gunmen came specifically for them.

Peter Pham is with the Atlantic Council and international affairs Think Tank.

PETER PHAM, DIRECTOR, ATLANTIC COUNCIL AFRICA CENTER: While the first targets at Garissa University College was a lecture hall where Christians met in the morning for voluntary prayer. They also then went through the rooms and ask people to separate themselves. And this has been a pattern in recent Shabaab attacks.

[19:20:12] FOREMAN: Witnesses say the same thing happened during the mall attack in Nairobi in 2013. And some security analysts say other extremists acting in the name of Islam are clearly going after Christians. ISIS has been tied to massacres of Christians. How many is unclear but dozens this year alone. And that makes places like Kenya prime targets. This nation is 85 percent Christian and Muslims here have long complained it being treated unfairly. That feeds the terrorist narrative. Such brutal attacks are mainly about protecting a beleaguered minority.

PHAM: It saves them from the odor of having killed Muslims which got them a lot of criticism especially in Somali.

FOREMAN: At the Vatican, even the Pope is hearing the rising concern this Easter weekend. Christians are of course not the only victims of homicidal violence in the world the priest says, but we cannot ignore that in many countries they are the most frequently targeted victims.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: All of this is ramping up tensions even in places where Christians and Muslims have lived alongside each other for many years and prompting leaders to call for calm against the fear of reprisals -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right, Tom. Thank you.

And joining me now the former FBI counterterrorism agent Tim Clemente. Tim, so we're just hearing, you know, you heard David McKenzie talk about how they went to this college campus. I mean, it's something they did. It's like animals. I mean, that to be honest. I mean, when you hear about people doing this. It sounds like animals. They separated the men from the women. Murdered one group, murdered the other. Shooting Christians in the back of the head, face down, reports of beheadings. And the test was, if you could recite the Koran, that was the only thing that might be able to save them. This feels like a new level of brutality.

TIM CLEMENTE, FORMER FBI COUNTERTERRORISM AGENT: Well, Erin, unfortunately, it's not for al Shabaab and it's not for Somalia, Islamic extremists as a whole. I mean, we've seen this thing as we've just mentioned in that report. In the mall in the west gate mall attack they did virtually the same thing, literally walking up to people and saying, who is the mother of the prophet? And if the person couldn't answer the question, they were shot. Or walking up and saying, are you a Muslim, if the person hesitated, they'll be shot.

Their brutality is unparalleled. ISIS is obviously a very brutal regime in Iraq and Syria. But al-Shabaab and their predecessors al- Ittihad al-Islami and other groups in Somalia have been notorious for their brutality. Unlike in Nairobi or in Kenya which has 85 percent Christian population, in Somalia it's about a 95 or better percent Muslim population. So they are the majority in Somalia and there's no reason for them to move into Kenya and they what they're doing. They do it because they're spreading absolute and complete terror and they're doing it very effectively --

BURNETT: You're seeing this though in Iraq, you're seeing this across the Middle East where Christian populations have been forced to flee. ISIS, you know, Christians in cages, they're burning them alive. The Coptic Christians, the Egyptians who were one after the other beheaded on the beach on film. And the reason was simply because they were Christian. I mean, this is a new level of visibility and religious targeting, isn't it?

CLEMENTE: Yes. I think it is. Here we are commemorating 2,000 plus years ago the persecution of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and we're seeing that these Christians are being attacked explicitly because of their faith in him. And you know, I'm a Catholic. I'm practicing Catholic and I've been to Kenya many, many times. And the easterly neighborhood in Nairobi is a huge ghetto that's primarily Somali immigrants. And if these people are speaking Swahili, they may have grown up. This is their home country they may be attacking. If they're attacking other Kenyans, having grown up there. So, this persecution is being spread throughout the world. I mean, we've seen it not just in Somalia and in Iraq as you've mentioned but look in Pakistan, how many churches, in Nigeria, how many Christians have been killed and churches burned. I mean, it's widespread. And it looks as if not much is being done to stop this.

BURNETT: All right. Tim, thank you very much. Very sobering and a weekend of course to think about it as so many around the world are prepared to celebrate the holy holiday of Easter. Be sure to tune in tonight at 9:00 p.m. for the special terror at the mall. A look inside the al-Shabaab siege of the west gate mall.

And OUTFRONT next, lost at sea for months and all but given up for dead. One man's amazing story of survival. My guest tonight is the officer who rescued him.

And Ferguson officials tonight release the original uncensored racist e-mails. We'll going to show you exactly what they said because we think it's important. Because when you actually see them, it's so much worse than just hearing some headlines of what they said.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [19:28:50] BURNETT: New details tonight about a miraculous rescue at sea. Fisherman Louis Jordan had been missing for 66 days and frankly they thought he was dead. Then he was spotted 200 miles off the coast of North Carolina on his battered sailboat. And in just a minute, I'm going to actually speak to the man who rescued Jordan. You see him there. But I want to begin with his story.

And Martin Savidge is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Frank Jordan hugs the son he thought was dead and by all rights Louis Jordan should be. The unemployed truck driver lived aboard his 35-foot sailboat near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Last January he headed out to sea he says, to go fishing. Bad timing.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: This reporter hanging on for dear life, hanging on to her vehicle there.

SAVIDGE: Remember those blizzards that blasted the east coast this winter? Well, they also caused huge waves at sea sending Jordan and his boat tumbling.

LOUIS JORDAN, RESCUED AT SEA: It capsized. And I broke my shoulder.

SAVIDGE: A rollover in a storm can be a sailor's worst nightmare as depicted in last year's

[19:30:00] Academy Award-nominated film "All Is Lost."

For Jordan, it was just beginning. With his mast and rudder broken, electronics fried, Jordan says he was on his own.

Weather records show he may have battled 19 more storms and weather fronts off the Carolina coast. He says he ran out of food and water, so he collected rain to drink and grabbed fish with his hands.

LOUIS JORDAN, RESCUED AT SEA: Put the hand slowly next to him and scoop him up real quick.

SAVIDGE: Then, Thursday, after 66 days, he was rescued by a container ship 200 miles from the nearest land. A Coast Guard helicopter raced to the scene, lifting Jordan from the deck and to this parents raising him from the dead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Passenger in the cabin.

SAVIDGE: But when Jordan walked from the helicopter into the hospital, he looked good, incredibly good.

KYLE MCCOLLUM, U.S. COAST GUARD RESCUE SWIMMER: You would expect sunburn, severe sunburn, blisters maybe, a bunch of medical issues that could possibly be wrong with him.

SAVIDGE: Rescue swimmer Kyle McCollum was the first to care for Jordan on the flight back to land.

MCCOLLUM: For him to be in his current state was pretty amazing.

SAVIDGE: Coast Guard officials say they have found no reason to doubt Jordan's story, noting his father contacted them January 29th to report his son and boat missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The selfie, here it is.

SAVIDGE: And Petty Officer McCollum got another view of Jordan only those on the rescue chopper could see, Jordan's face when they reached shore.

MCCOLLUM: When land here, he had the biggest smile and you could tell he's been through something serious.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: It was late this afternoon, Erin, that CNN was able to reach out again to the captain of the container ship that made the original rescue of Jordan. And essentially, we wanted to find out did his boat look so bad like it had been out there for 66 days. The captain said when they saw that boat, they actually thought it was a wreck, and were stunned when they saw man inside waving for their help. He definitely is a believer in this story -- Erin.

BURNETT: Wow, that's amazing. All right. Thank you so much, Martin, for telling that story.

Now, Jordan was hoisted off the container ship that discovered him, brought to land by the crew of a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. The rescuer you see bringing him up there on the rope was on his first day on the job.

He's Chief Petty Officer Derek Roth and he joins me now.

Derrick, I really appreciate you taking the time. What an incredible first day. There's no way you could have imagined this would happen. When we that video, we see you lifting Louis with that rope to safety. When he got on board, what did he look like? What did he say to you?

CHIEF PETTY OFFICER DEREK ROTH, U.S. COAST GUARD: Yes, ma'am. When he got on board, first off my official action was to try to get him out the door and get him in the helicopter. Our rescue swimmers are EMT and he's the one that's going to make the initial assessment.

But just looking at him, getting him in the basket he was real wide eyed. Didn't look like he was sure where he was.

BURNETT: So, he seemed disoriented in terms of his condition. What did he look like? I know there's all these questions. Some people -- obviously, there's chief behind you. But some people say could this story be true?

You heard there Kyle McCollum, one of your fellow Coast Guard officers talking about the rescue saying he almost looked too good to have been at sea for 66 days. What did he look like to you?

ROTH: Yes, ma'am. He looked, it's hard to say. When we're on our flight out I expected him to look worse than he was. I will say that. Yes, I expected to see somebody who was a lot skinnier. More sunburns and things like that.

But he looked tired. He was definitely scruffy. I'm sure everybody seen a picture of his beard and his hair. His eyes were drawn, bags under his eyes. He looked beat and he looked like he was relieved to be in that helicopter on his way home.

BURNETT: And I know this was your first day. Am I right? Your very first day on the job with the U.S. Coast Guard. What was going through your head when this happened to you?

ROTH: It's not in the Coast Guard. It was my first operational hoist as a flight mechanic. So, I was definitely nervous. Definitely nervous.

BURNETT: I'm sure you were. I know we have a little bit of delay.

But one thing I want to ask you, Derek, was -- did he say anything to you. I know you're talking about his skin and how he looked and the bags under his eyes. Did you get to talk to him at all?

ROTH: Yes, ma'am. Most rescue swimmer got into the cabin. He did his initial EMT assessment on him. He just started talking to him and trying to get information out of him.

[19:35:00] He seemed to be -- again, he seemed to be disoriented but he kept saying thank you. How thankful he was. He referred to his faith in God and in the Bible.

He said that was a big reason that he knows he was able to make it through. I just continued to say thank you. He did say he was hungry.

BURNETT: He did say he was hungry. Was he -- I believe he was reading the bible when he got on the helicopter. He wanted to read the bible?

ROTH: Yes, ma'am. It wasn't immediately after he got on, but once we got into flight and started moving, he did open up his book bag, and the rest and myself noticed him opened up a book, and it was a water- logged, tattered book, but it was -- it was the bible.

BURNETT: Water-logged and tattered, but it was the bible.

All right. Derek Roth, thank you so much. I really appreciate your taking the time.

Interesting in Derek's point of view. Obviously, some of those injuries might not have been consistent with being at sea but it sounds like he also believes in the story.

And OUTFRONT next, racist Ferguson e-mails, some targeting the president and Mrs. Obama. They are released today. They are uncensored and they are unbelievable.

And North Korea's Kim Jung-un reviving what's called a pleasure squad of young women to entertain him. We're going to tell you all about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:40:13] BURNETT: Racist e-mails that cost three Ferguson employees their jobs. For the first time tonight, we are seeing the uncensored e-mails with images from the Ferguson Police Department. These emails were part of the Justice Department investigation and include photos with some unbelievable jokes about the president and first lady, among others.

And I want to warn you that these photos and the jokes are offensive and they are disturbing. We believe, though, that it is important to discuss them so that you can see for yourself how ugly and frankly, how accepted the racism was amongst some in Ferguson Police Department. It raises troubling questions nationwide.

Ryan Young is OUTFRONT.

And, Ryan, these officials made fun of President Obama in a highly offensive way. One of the e-mails with the image -- well, I'll give you a chance to explain it to everyone.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, obviously quite shocking and, in fact, we're going to show these images in a second. As someone who has traveled to Ferguson more than a few times, talking to people there on the ground, they often thought that the police department was quite racist.

I can show you the photos for first time. You can look here, you can see this picture with Ronald Reagan and a monkey. And right below it, it says, "Rare photo of Ronald Reagan babysitting Barack Obama in early 1962."

Obviously, this is supposed to depict President Obama being fed by Ronald Reagan. This is one of the e-mails sent back and forth. And, of course, they believe the clerk of court and two high level officials inside the police department were sharing these photos, obviously, something that's disturbing and something that's shocking for people to see that was being traded on the e-mail system inside the county government.

BURNETT: Ryan, as you pointed out, being traded. There were so many of these. It wasn't uncommon. I mean, that's one of the most shocking things, that image of Ronald Reagan and monkey incredibly disturbing. When you hear it, it's one think. When you see it, it becomes worse.

I want to point out, though, we're showing just a fraction of these e- mails. But there was another one with an image for first lady.

YOUNG: I think it's important to point that out. We're only showing some of the images. You have the e-mail with Ronald Reagan and, of course, the monkey. And now, you have this other that's taking aim at the first lady, showing this photo that we blurred out obviously the chest. It shows women saying this was a high school reunion that would have the first lady involved.

These e-mails being traded back and forth and feeling open enough to have the culture inside the department that deals with a lot of African-Americans, because obviously Ferguson is made of plenty of African-American and black people, but just the idea they would be traded openly.

And then there's another one that compared dogs to welfare recipients and it talks about the fact one person is saying, hey, look, I have two dogs who need to be on welfare. They're unemployed, they're lazy and they can't speak English. And then, of course, it goes on to say, they received welfare for their two dogs as well.

So, you can see what's been traded back and forth. Obviously, the conversations are now coming to light. It's obviously going to spark more conversation now that this has been seen.

BURNETT: All right. Ryan Young, thank you very much.

And bringing -- joining me now is CNN commentator L.Z. Granderson.

L.Z., we had heard about some of these e-mails. It's one thing to hear them and that was disturbing, but to actually see these images and these photos is chilling.

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN COMMENTATOR: Yes, it is. I kind of smirk a bit to myself, because I don't think they were necessarily shocking, at least not to those of us who have been in Ferguson, have talked to the citizens, and believe what they have said.

And then once you saw from the Department of Justice, talk about how the black community was targeted, yes, you know you may have raised your eyebrow when you saw the photos, but at the end of the day, they're not shocking. This is information we knew about Ferguson. This is information that many African-Americans and minorities know kind of happens within some police departments around the nation.

BURNETT: I mean, L.Z., it's interesting because it's something that doesn't surprise you. But I think for a lot of people when they heard this story, they said, all right, these e-mails must have been pretty bad. But then when you see that image, for me it was the one of Ronald Reagan and you realize how cavalierly this was being exchanged and forwarded, that there was no sense that this was disgusting, and improper and if there was, it was no care at all. There was an assumption that anybody who would see this would think it was funny and appropriate, and that to me is shocking that that's happening now, 2015, 2014.

GRANDERSON: Well, Erin, I would tell you, that in Florida, just two years ago, as we're dealing with Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, there was a police department that had to fire police officers because they were dressed as KKK while wearing their police uniforms. [19:45:01] So, again, I'm not trying to, you know, say this guy is falling, that every police department is filled with racists, but the fact of the matter is that this is not unique. We have seen this time and time again, particularly in the south in terms of some police officer having this kind of real openness about their racism.

BURNETT: And I guess the bottom line of what you're seeing is this is much more pervasive. I understand you're not saying the sky is falling, but this is much more pervasive. Now, my question to you is, pervasive in what way, L.Z.? Beyond police departments? I would imagine your answer to that might be yes.

GRANDERSON: Of course, definitely yes.

I, as much as anyone, want to mover past racism, but you don't move past racism by pretending it doesn't exist. We cover the Trayvon Martin conversation and we try to pretend everything was equal when we know better.

When we look at what happened in Ferguson. The Jennings Police Department was disbanded because of racism. There were police officers in that department that was absorbed by the Ferguson Police Department. Why are we shocked that there's racism in Ferguson when we know they absorb racist police officers from Jennings?

So, again, the sky is not falling, but the only way we'll get past this problem is acknowledging that it is there.

BURNETT: All right. Well, L.Z., thank you very much. And these incredibly troubling emails, as we said, we chose to just show you all of you a few of them that we thought made the point about how cavalierly and how common this was in the Ferguson Police Department and our belief those images somehow brought this home in the way that the words we heard over the past few weeks could not do.

OUTFRONT next, Kim Jung-un bringing back an old tradition. It's called the pleasure squad. North Korea's prettiest young women are now available to him upon request. We have a special report on exactly what this is. That's next.

And 50 years ago, this was the car of the future, a driverless car. Well, guess what, the future has finally arrived. Next, we're going to put you in the driverless seat.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:50:54] BURNETT: OUTFRONT tonight, a show of force from Kim Jong- un. A South Korean defense official telling CNN that North Korea has successfully fired short range missiles for the second consecutive day. This as the Defense Secretary Ashton Carter for high level talks in Seoul on how to counter the North Korea threat.

And amid shocking reports that Kim Jong-un is reinstating his father's notorious, quote/unquote, "pleasure squads". This is what it sounds like, people. Legions of young hot women forced to do the supreme ruler's bidding. It is a Kim regime tradition. It was parodied in the movie "The Interview", but now a cruel realty in the hermit kingdom.

Sunlen Serfaty is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With tensions already high as the U.S. and South Korea conduct military drills, more saber- rattling towards the West.

Today, North Korea test-firing four short range missiles, traveling 84 miles before plunging into the sea. A Pentagon official saying, quote, "We urge North Korea to refrain from provocative actions that aggravate tensions and instead focus on fulfilling its international obligations and commitments."

Meanwhile, the North Korean leader is setting his sights on his personal indulgence. Kim Jung-un is now reinstituting so-called "pleasure squads". According to "Chosuniblo", a pro North Korea newspaper, a tradition enjoyed by his father and his grandfather, employing a group of young female companion handpicked based on good looks and measurements to be at their disposal right by their side for personal entertainment, whether by synchronized swimming or just a shower of affection.

GREG SCARLATOU, EXEC. DIRECTOR, THE COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA: Kim Jong-Il died in December of 2011. There is a mandatory period of mourning. So, it is possible that the son refrained from these practices in observance of those compulsory three years of mourning. Now that he's out of that period, he may be in the process of resuscitating these joy brigades.

SERFATY: And next month, Kim Jong-un will take his first trip outside the country as leader. He is due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia. His pleasure squad will not travel with him -- Erin.

BURNETT: Incredible story. Sunlen, thank you.

And OUTFRONT next, this SUV just drove itself from San Francisco to New York. The driverless car coming to a showroom near you a lot sooner than you ever would have thunk.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:57:29] BURNETT: In tonight's "I.D.E.A.", our series on innovative thinkers and new big ideas, the driverless car. Automakers are racing to fast track it, but one company's idea of coast to coast driverless road trip is miles ahead of the competition right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're all set for auto control.

BURNETT (voice-over): It's a new idea rooted in a decades old vision.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger, Firebird 2, move to electronic control strip in center lane.

BURNETT: Now, that vision is fast becoming reality. The big idea for Delphi, an auto electronics company, is creating the first driverless car to go across the United States. In this case, an Audi SUV on an old fashion road trip, complete with burgers and fries on a road trip --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the ultimate test and looking forward to the test itself. I'm also very much looking to the daytime.

BURNETT: San Francisco to New York, 3,500 miles, 99 percent of the drive, driverless. Technically, there is someone sitting in the seat because state laws demand that. He drives the car to the highway onramp. But then 20 cameras along with radar and a lot of computing power take over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, we're starting off on the longest leg of the trip. Passing Dallas, about 650 miles.

JEFF OWENS, DELPHI CTO: We found our system was a little scared of semi-tractor trailers, so it kind of edged a little far to the left.

BURNETT: Safety is the first question on almost everyone's mind.

OWENS: It has to be perfect. It's a little unusual feeling the first time the car makes a move, and it wasn't you, right? But quickly, five minutes, you get comfortable.

BURNETT: On a recent trip to the United Arab Emirates, I got a glimpse of this new reality. Here in Masdar City, where they're using similar technology to transform their transit system.

(on camera): This is a little car?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, this is personal rapid transit. How you get around the city. It's driverless, electric and solar powered. It comes when you want it and takes you where you want to go, and you leave it alone.

BURNETT: So, it's driverless?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BURNETT: Auto industry experts say this technology could grow to a $42 billion business in the next ten years. Other companies working on driverless cars too, including Google, Ford, and General Motors.

It's amazing but what if you're one of the people who actually loves to drive?

OWENS: I still think you'll have people to drive and I think that will always be an option.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: I have to admit, I'm one of those people. I just love to drive. But still, it's a neat technology.

OUTFRONT is now global. Our global edition airs on CNN international Saturday and Sunday, and this week, I'm going to speak to the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, about the Iran deal.

Thanks so much for joining us. Be sure to set your DVR to record the show so you can watch it anytime.

"AC360" with Jim Sciutto starts right now.