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Isa Soares Tonight

Germany Says Russia is to Blame for an Attempted Drone Attack at Leipzig Airport Last Month; Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy Triple-Murder Trial Say They're Unable to Reach a Unanimous Decision; More Than a Thousand People Now Confirmed Dead in Nepal Following Last Week's Devastating Flash Flooding. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired September 01, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Max Foster in for Isa Soares. Tonight, Germany says Russia is to blame for

an attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport last month. We're live in Berlin with the latest.

Then jurors in the Lindsay Clancy triple murder trial say they're unable to reach a unanimous decision, but will keep deliberating. Plus, more than a

thousand people now confirmed dead in Nepal following last week's devastating flash flooding, with nearly 4,000 still missing, the search for

survivors is becoming increasingly desperate. That, and much more just ahead.

German officials calling it a high-risk situation, then that fits into a broader pattern of Russian destabilization operations against Europe. We

begin with this breaking news that Germany is now accusing Russia of carrying out a drone attack targeting the airport in Leipzig last month.

It's ordered retaliatory measures, including closing Russia's Consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin. NATO has already responded,

saying it will continue to strengthen our ability to deter and defend all allies against any threat.

The EU says it will discuss the attack with NATO on Wednesday, adding that EU Foreign Ministers are working on a joint response. The incident at

Leipzig Airport in early August caused major disruption and sparked security concerns across Europe.

The drone carrying explosives was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo plane. It was defused by a bomb disposal robot. That same day, a second flying

object actually hit a cargo plane near the airport, causing minor damage. German officials say the threat isn't over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXANDER DOBRINDT, INTERIOR MINISTER, GERMANY (through translator): We assume that Germany is the target of further hybrid attacks by Russia. It

must also be assumed that there is a willingness to cause even greater damage through hybrid attacks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: We're joined now by Fred Pleitgen, he's in Berlin. So, Fred, how can they be so sure? And what are the Russians saying?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Max. Yes, that was certainly a big part of that press conference that we saw

both by the German Interior Minister and by the Foreign Minister. Obviously, the Interior Ministry investigating all of this, and then the

Foreign Ministry announcing the counter-measures that the Germans are going to undertake.

And the part where the Germans actually talked about why they believe the Russians were behind this, was actually quite interesting. They did say

that first, of course, a lot of it is because of the work of the German law enforcement and also the German security services.

But they also said that, for instance, they did recover that drone at the Leipzig Airport, which obviously failed to explode. And they said that the

way that, that drone was manufactured, the way that it was made, but also the explosives that were found there as well, pointed to a high degree of

sophistication.

Also, they say, pointed to the way that the Russians operate inside Ukraine and in the war with Ukraine. They also said that then subsequent law

enforcement work led them to be fairly sure, with a high degree of probability that the Russians were behind this, that the Russians were

responsible for this.

One of the things that I took from that press conference that I thought was quite interesting is, they did say that the plot and the drone had a high

degree of sophistication, but they also believed that it was, quote, "low level agents or operatives on the ground that actually then did the work of

steering that drone, flying that drone towards that airport."

And you're absolutely right. The Germans did point out that they believe that this is not the end of it. They will retaliate. But they also said

they believe that they are under sustained hybrid attack. Here's what the Interior Minister said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOBRINDT (through translator): The federal government sees the need for appropriate and necessary action in this regard. The federal government is

responding to this hybrid attack in Leipzig in a proportionate and measured yet equally resolute manner. Let me make it clear, we are not at war, but

we are the daily target of hybrid warfare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:05:00]

PLEITGEN: German Interior Minister, Max, saying Germany is not at war, but under a sustained hybrid attack, as he put it. And you did ask about the

Russian response to all of this. I did get in touch with the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

She accuses Germany of searching for a pretext to do things against Russia, to sanction Russia. She says that Germany itself, as she put it, is tainted

because of its involvement in the Ukraine war because of what she calls terror attacks against Russian civilians, and also of course, aiding the

Ukrainian military.

The Russians also, by the way, saying that any anti-Russian measures, as they put it, will be met with a Russian response. Max.

FOSTER: And just briefly, Fred, we also heard about a sabotage attack on a power grid in Germany today. Is it?

PLEITGEN: Yes, totally unclear whether this is in any way, shape or form related. However, this happened near Berlin, also in the southern part of

the state of Brandenburg, where near a very large coal fire-power plant, there were apparently several homemade rockets that were discovered that

apparently fired towards a substation for that electricity grid.

The authorities there in that part of Germany said that two of those rockets apparently managed to damage some of that power grid, that there

was one part of that power station, that power plant that actually ceased to operate.

At the same time, they did say that there were no power failures in that region. They did discover some of these other homemade rockets as they

described them, and said that a lot of them failed to go off. The German authorities are saying that they are taking this very seriously.

They say they are not sure whether or not a foreign power, as they put it, might be behind this. But they also say that there are several other

explanations and possible perpetrators that could be in the mix in all of this as well. Max.

FOSTER: Fred Pleitgen in Berlin, thank you so much for those multiple updates coming from Germany today. Let's bring in Nico Lange; he's a Senior

Adviser with Rasmussen Global. He's a former Chief of Staff of the German Ministry of Defense. Thank you so much for joining us.

An interesting comment from the minister there in Germany saying it's not a war, but they are victims of warfare. When does it become war?

NICO LANGE, SENIOR ADVISER, RASMUSSEN GLOBAL: For Russia, it is a war. Russia does not make the distinction between hybrid warfare and real

warfare that we are using. And to be honest, I was expecting more from this long-announced press conference.

It's good that Germany finally made the decision to name Russia as the attacker for so many attacks that happened not only Leipzig, but, as the

minister said, for a pattern of attacks against our country. But when it comes to the consequences, I do not think that somebody in the Kremlin will

have a sleepless night today.

FOSTER: But this was an attack on Germany, arguably, wasn't it? Because it's a German airport? Maybe there was a Ukrainian target at the airport,

but at what point does NATO respond to this? I mean, this idea that they don't allow attacks on NATO territory, but this wasn't -- was an attempted

attack, wasn't it?

LANGE: Yes, and I think you are right. It was an attack on Germany. And we should treat this as if the explosives would have worked in the way it was

intended, because the intention clearly was to have a plane that was just refueled.

So, it was filled with kerosene, a plane to go up in flames with military grade explosives in an amount that would be enough to create a fireball at

Leipzig Airport. So, we are not talking about a hybrid attack in form of a cyber-attack, or sometimes the word "hybrid attack" is used to make it

sound small.

This was an attempt for a terrorist attack on Leipzig Airport, and now the German government said they have Intelligence information linking the

Russian government to this attack. And I think all of this is enough to say, let's have Article 4 consultations in NATO to talk about this and the

countermeasures, especially because the government said at the same press conference, we are expecting more of this to come. And the countermeasures

that were announced today --

FOSTER: Yes --

LANGE: They are by far not enough to send a message of deterrence.

FOSTER: No, it's just expelling diplomats effectively from what I could see, isn't it? I guess the concern for NATO, obviously, is that Russia is

testing them, and they don't want to start a war. But they are showing weakness, aren't they? From the Russian perspective, if Russia is trying to

test them and they can do things like this and NATO doesn't respond.

[14:10:00]

LANGE: A message of deterrence can only be measured with the perception in the Kremlin. I mean, it's not so much about what we think or if we think,

oh, we did a lot here and we are really going far. The communicative element of deterrence is what does the Kremlin perceive?

And I'm afraid that they will perceive weakness in all of this. They will not be happy with being clearly attributed for the first time. But this was

a long way coming. And it was about time that Germany finally did this. I do not really think that in Russia, somebody is worried about the Russian

House being closed.

I think they could not really believe that it is still open five years into Russia's war against Ukraine, and closing a consulate, expelling a few

diplomats is good, especially because Russia is very often hiding spies under diplomatic cover.

But it's also not a message of deterrence that clearly says, don't do this with us. It will have consequences for us. And if there is something coming

on the European Union level financially, or regarding the Shadow Fleet that was also mentioned, I hope it will be more severe than what we heard today,

so that Russia really has costs and consequences for what it does.

FOSTER: And Nico Lange, thank you so much for your analysis on a really momentous day there in Germany. Now, at least 12 people have been killed in

Ukraine by a new round of Russian attacks. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says seven of those people were killed at a railway depot in

Kyiv.

This comes as the leaders of China, Russia, India and others meet in Kyrgyzstan to discuss how to counter U.S. influence. Our Clare Sebastian

has the latest on Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy on Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Russia's President Putin is now openly talking about providing material support for Iran as the war

with the U.S. escalates, adding further evidence that this is a partnership that's deepening.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT, RUSSIA (through translator): We welcomed the conclusion of the Iranian-American ceasefire memorandum in June of this

year. Unfortunately, this truce has proven unstable and too fragile. During this difficult time, we are trying to provide you with the assistance you

need. We have already spoken with you about it, and we are supplying you with the necessary goods.

SEBASTIAN: And speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Kyrgyzstan, President Putin also said that Russia stands in solidarity with

the Iranian people in its fight for its national interests. Well, it was already clear that Russia was helping Iran.

CNN reported back in March that Russia had provided Intelligence on the locations of U.S. troops and assets in the Middle East, but the necessary

goods suggest perhaps more concrete support than that concerning for the U.S., of course.

Though Trump has tended to play down Russian assistance for Iran, and even more so for Ukraine, because as Putin was given this international

spotlight, shaking hands with world leaders, President Zelenskyy visited children in Kyiv, forced to celebrate the first day of the new school year

in a bomb shelter Tuesday, the sixth straight day of almost nonstop attacks in Kyiv and beyond.

Many of them involving relatively new jet-powered drones, much upgraded versions of the original Shahed drones supplied to Russia, of course, by

Iran. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: The U.S. military carrying out fresh strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran, the U.S. Central Command saying

that in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American troops deployed to the region, Iran has vowed

to retaliate for this latest round of U.S. strikes.

The war is now stretching into its seventh month with no end in sight. Let's bring in Kevin Liptak in Washington. The President saying yesterday

that this is not a full escalation of the war. So, how are they describing it today because it's certainly continuing?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right, and the President said that the response here would be limited. And in that comment from

Central Command, they did suggest that this was specifically related to Iran's efforts to influence the flow of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,

and to target American service members who are deployed in the region.

You know, these strikes began, I guess it was about two hours ago. CENTCOM did not specify what the exact targets would be. But we know in the past

that they've gone after missile and drone launch sites located around the Strait to try and degrade some of Iran's ability to continue firing

projectiles at commercial vessels that are trying to go through.

The President said that this is in response to Iran's targeting of American positions in the region, including bases in Jordan and sites in the United

Arab Emirates.

[14:15:00]

Those missiles were intercepted. They didn't cause any casualties or damage, but this is now the second time over the last three days that the

U.S. has struck Iranian targets. And it does lead to the question of whether this is the resumption of these back-and-forth nightly attacks that

we saw earlier in the Summer before that sort of month-long period of calm, which is now sort of punctured.

Now, President Trump on Truth Social is warning the Iranians against retaliation, saying that if the failed nation of Iran retaliates for this

very justified attack, that they would be hit again at a much harder and higher level. But it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that the

President says is waiting in the wings.

And he says that when this is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic state of Iran. But clearly, there will be repercussions of this.

You already seen the price of oil ticking higher. You've seen the major indices in the United States trading sharply lower.

And Iran, despite the President's warning is saying that they will retaliate. This is from the Armed Forces central headquarters of Iran,

saying that Iran would deliver crushing and devastating blows against the American enemy, and that the more the U.S. military persists in its

aggression in the region, that the greater and heavier the losses it will have to endure.

So, clearly, an escalation both in the rhetoric, but also in the actual military strikes in the region. And so far, there's really no clue of how

the U.S. or Iran will get out of this. There's clearly no durable solution that has reopened the Strait and has resolved all of the goals that the

President set out at the beginning of this conflict.

There's no indication that the two sides are talking diplomatically. In fact, the President has asked his team not to talk with the Iranians until

they think that they are serious about striking some sort of grand accord that would resolve the nuclear program.

And so, for now, it seems as if these tit-for-tat retaliatory attacks will continue in the absence of any sort of diplomatic solution.

FOSTER: Kevin Liptak, as ever, thank you so much for that update. Officials in Nepal saying the death toll from last week's flooding disaster

has risen to more than a thousand people. Search crews are becoming increasingly desperate. Nearly 4,000 people still missing.

At least 16 people have died and more than 500 unaccounted for on China's side of the border, and that is according to Chinese state Media. This

video, recently posted on social media, shows the powerful wall of water sweeping through villages and the devastation that it left behind.

Amid the darkness is an incredible story of survival, though, a young girl trapped for days under the debris was found alive and reunited with her

parents. They spoke with CNN's Will Ripley in Nepal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first, rescuers thought the faint cries coming from beneath the wreckage might be

a cat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

RIPLEY: But under all the mud and debris between two battered buildings, they found a little girl alive, five-year-old Manisha, trapped here in the

ruins of flood-ravaged Team Raid(ph) Nepal, for nearly 60 hours. They lay her on brightly-colored blankets. Rescuers crowd around her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

RIPLEY: And after nearly two and a half days, trapped amid the destruction, they begin feeding her one spoonful at a time.

LOK BAHADUR UCHAI MAGAR, FATHER OF MANISHA (through translator): Her face was not recognizable. She had injuries. Her condition was serious, had

multiple injuries and blood all around.

RIPLEY (on camera): What is it like as a father to look at a video like that and see your daughter in that condition?

L. MAGAR: She is my child. That's all I have to say. I have no words.

RIPLEY (voice-over): And this is Manisha now, CNN exclusively obtained these first images of her at a children's hospital in Kathmandu, battered

and bruised but alive and back with her mom and dad. They thought she was gone, but all that time she was waiting for them to find her.

GITA UCHAL MAGAR, MOTHER OF MANISHA (through translator): She says to me, the flood came and swept me away. She says, I called for mummy and baba,

why didn't you come to save me?

RIPLEY: The flood came without warning. Manisha was eating breakfast. Her mom, Gita, was at work. Her dad, Lok, was in the vegetable garden.

(On camera): What did that feel like? What did that sound like when the water hit your house?

[14:20:00]

L. MAGAR (through translator): At the time there was no sound coming. All of a sudden, it came like a tsunami, came from the top as it was coming, we

were able to save nothing. The difference was five seconds. I was running and within two seconds, the house was toppled and was taken away. I very

much tried to save my child, but I could not.

RIPLEY: So, where did you end up after the flood? How were you rescued and when did you reconnect with your wife first?

L. MAGAR: After running from there, I had headed towards the jungle already. I met my wife around 2:00 p.m., after running up to the forest, we

met. Then my wife asked me, where is the child? She started crying. She became unconscious for 5-6 minutes. She lost consciousness.

RIPLEY: Did you have any hope at that point that Manisha was alive?

L. MAGAR: No, at the time, I did not feel that Manisha was alive.

RIPLEY (voice-over): They searched desperately, hoping to find her body. All that time, Manisha was alive downstream.

(On camera): It's miraculous that given the force of that water, that she was able to have a place where she could survive.

G. MAGAR (through translator): It was miraculous. When the child was found, it felt like a miracle. I thought, there is a God.

RIPLEY (voice-over): But their house and everything they own is gone. Amid so much pain and loss here in Nepal, they know they're among the lucky

ones. Will Ripley, CNN, Kathmandu.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come tonight on the show, we're on verdict watching the trial of a mother accused of killing her three young children. Why jury

deliberations came to a screeching halt today. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: A major development today in a trial that's gripped so many in the U.S. and beyond. Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy case are once again

deliberating after telling the judge they were deadlocked and couldn't reach a unanimous decision.

Clancy doesn't deny killing her three young children in 2023, but her attorneys argue she was experiencing a mental health crisis and should not

be held criminally responsible for their deaths.

[14:25:00]

Prosecutors believe Clancy knew right from wrong, and the killings were premeditated. CNN's Brynn Gingras has the latest for us now. Brynn,

obviously, the longer it took for them to come up with a result, this seemed more likely. But what does it actually mean for coming to a verdict?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Nobody really knows. You know, remember, Max, they have those four different verdicts -- it's five,

rather, verdict options. It's not clear where every one of those jurors' lands are -- they -- do they have a group of people who believe one thing,

and then a small group who believe another, or are they spread across the board?

It's really not clear. All we know is that they came in today, 9:15 in the morning, as they always do where they were sent back to the deliberation

room, and it was only 45 minutes later, they sent that note to the judge, basically saying that they were deadlocked. And I want you to hear what the

judge said once he brought them into the room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM SULLIVAN, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE, MASSACHUSETTS SUPREME COURT: I know that this was a long trial, all right? I know there were over 80 witnesses.

There were over 300 exhibits. And -- but because of that, I'm going to ask you to go back out, keeping in mind all of the instructions that I gave you

to go out and to continue your deliberations at this time. All right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: And when the judge said that they were deadlocked inside that courtroom, there was an audible gasp. Our fellow reporters are in there.

They said the jurors have been extremely stoic. One woman actually came in, looked at the prosecution, looked at the defense and then just looked

straight forward.

Another person had their head in their hands. So, it does seem like they are going through some really challenging times in that deliberation room.

But look, this was just an informal request by the judge to go back and continue deliberating.

He has not officially read what is called in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Tuey-Rodriguez Charge, which he would actually have to

read to them, and that's legally how they would have to go back and deliberate. So, it's possible that is what happens next, but it's unclear

we could also see a verdict. So, we're still standing by.

FOSTER: Thank you, Brynn. That's a lot to digest. It's very complex. It's very emotional case. So, let's break it down with "Meidas Touch" legal

analyst Dina Doll. Thank you so much for joining us. Dina, the -- I mean, what Brynn is saying there is important, isn't it?

How many of the jurors are disagreeing with other jurors? But ultimately, it could just be one juror that's holding out. Am I right? Because it has

to be a unanimous decision.

DINA DOLL, MEIDAS TOUCH LEGAL ANALYST: Exactly. And that's why sometimes this situation does result in a verdict. And you think, how is that

possible? The jury just told the judge, we can't come to a decision. And then perhaps hours later, the next day, they come to a decision.

And that really is because there was only maybe one or two jurors that disagreed with the majority. But if you have something close to an even

split, that's the situation, where really most likely it doesn't matter how long you deliberate for, you will not come to a consensus.

And that's why it's unclear at this point. We know they're having a hard time coming to consensus, but we don't know how many disagree with each

other. So, we -- it's possible they could still resolve it.

FOSTER: Is there any way the judge can shift it to a majority verdict, or does that never happen?

DOLL: No, that's not possible under the law.

FOSTER: And in terms of the advice the judge is giving, sending the jury back to deliberate more. I mean, how often is there a shift of opinion

there when they have been considering it for several days already?

DOLL: Exactly. And that's why it's not a good sign for the prosecution that they're even at this point. They have had several days to deliberate

already. They've had weeks to look over the evidence and be able to answer -- they only asked one question.

So, it's not a matter of being confused about the evidence. They haven't asked any questions about the law, and they only asked to see the medicine

and the knife. So, at this point, they feel as if they have all the information they need, and they just don't know for sure how to decide the

facts as applied to the law.

And so, that's why at this point, like you said, the judge has already encouraged them once to go back to deliberate, most likely will then go

back a second time and give them a formal direction to do it. The judge can't -- there is a limit, however, to how long the judge directs them to

deliberate.

If he gives one more formal direction at that point, that will be it, because you don't want a defendant to ever say that the judge pushed them

toward a deliberation that kept on asking them to deliberate and forced them to come to a conclusion.

[14:30:00]

So, there is a balance here. There's a one hand of -- there's weeks of time and energy and cost and evidence that was put forward. You want to

encourage the jurors to continue to come and discuss and have a consensus, but at some point, you cannot direct them too much, because the jurors may

decide that this was a direction that they are forced to change their mind, and in which case that's an appealable issue by the defendant.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: And so, if they don't find agreement, come up with a unanimous verdict, a mistrial looks unlikely, what does that actually

mean? The case is over, so a new case, how does it work?

DOLL: Exactly. If there's a mistrial, then the prosecution can bring the case again, and that is likely what happens. The jurors do not have to

speak to the media or the attorneys, but they can, and it's possible if this results in a mistrial, the jury speak to the attorneys, and they find

out what the split is.

If the split is one person thought that the prosecution evidence was correct, and there should be conviction, and the rest, you know, bleeds and

acquittal, perhaps the prosecution will not bring the case again. But if there is any kind of a split that looked as if the prosecution had a very

good chance this case will be brought, it's also very possible we will never know what that split is. None of the jurors may decide to speak at

all. This a very high-profile case, perhaps none of the jurors want to insert themselves into the discussions after this that will surely come if

this results in a mistrial.

So, because of all the resources that were put, and frankly, because the state believed that this case should be brought to a criminal trial, they

will often not give up and they will just retry the case if it results in a mistrial.

FOSTER: Dina Doll, appreciate your thoughts on that. It's a huge case in America, and the whole world is gripped by it, and we'll wait to see what

the jury comes back with. Thank you.

Still come tonight on the show, we'll speak with a former Israeli brigadier general who says the ongoing secular attacks in the West Bank amount to

ethnic cleansing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:35:00]

FOSTER: Welcome back. I'm Max Foster.

Now, homes and cars set on fire. Families attacked. Olive trees uprooted. Land livestock seized. These kinds of crimes by Israeli settlers have

become a daily part of life for Palestinians in the West Bank, and now a growing number of influential Israelis say the government must share the

blame.

A New York Times report says former Israeli generals, intelligence officers, and government officials have been touring the West Bank to see

the situation firsthand. It says they're warning that the lawlessness is an existential threat to Israeli society, and they're accusing the government

of not only turning a blind eye, but actually enabling the violence.

Retired Israeli Brigadier General Ephraim Sneh joins us now. He says this ethnic cleansing. Thank you so much for joining us. Do you feel the

government and those supporters of what's going on in the West Bank have finally gone too far?

EPHRAIM SNEH, FORMER IDF BRIGADIER GENERAL AND FORMER ISRAELI DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER: Unfortunately, the government, you know, they support

those atrocities, those attacks on civilian population. At least they don't give clear order to the IDF to stop it in the tough way it should be taken.

That's the problem.

The basic problem is that those deeds, this ethnic cleansing is in the same spirit of the government policy. The government actually adopted the idea

that the Palestinians must be evicted from the West Bank. That explains it.

And if you listen to a senior minister in this cabinet, you understand that that's the problem. They don't take the measures because actually they

support the shameful deeds of the hardline settlers, the fanatic messianic settlers. Not all the settlers, but a very, very violent minority.

FOSTER: But we've got the election coming up and they clearly feel, and other opponents in the election also feel, that this a winning strategy for

the election. So, it's unlikely to change, isn't it, before then? Is there any going back on this for them?

SNEH: We all, I'm -- I belong to those who hope that after the election Israel will have a sane and responsible government that will take all the

necessary measures to stop it, to stop it immediately in a very, very clear and tough way.

But we have seven weeks for the elections. We are seven weeks away from the national elections. And the concern is that maybe just in order to prevent

the existence of the elections, those terrorists will enhance their activities in order to bring about an explosion of violence in the West

Bank that will make the elections impossible. We have to be aware that somewhere there is on the back of some people's mind the idea that if they

will succeed to ignite the explosion of violence, maybe it will spare them of the election that they are afraid of.

FOSTER: This hasn't just happened under Netanyahu's watch, of course, it's also happened under Donald Trump's watch. Do you think this sort of thing

would have been allowed under any other U.S. president?

SNEH: President Trump made it very clear that he is against those deeds. A part or at least one paragraph in his program says that the perspective

must be a two-state solution. So, I hope that he will take all the measures against the deeds which put his own plan in danger.

[14:40:00]

FOSTER: Ephraim Sneh, really appreciate you joining us from that very sensitive issue tonight and speaking so openly about it. Thank you so much.

Still to come tonight on the show, why the U.S. Army secretary is resigning six months into the war with Iran.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Multiple sources tell CNN U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to President Trump. One source said the decision

was unsurprising given the tension between Driscoll and the U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Driscoll is an Army veteran and longtime friend of

Vice President J.D. Vance. His departure has long been rumored. It comes six months into the Iran war with no end in sight.

Let's bring in Haley Britzky following this for us in Washington. I mean, obviously, the question is, was he forced out? Did he want to go out? Did

he want to leave? If he did want to leave, why did he want to leave? What have you heard?

HALEY BRITZKY, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Max, those are all questions that we are asking as well. But we have heard, as you

mentioned, that this has been rumored for a long time that the secretary was considering leaving. It was very unclear when. So, not a total

surprise, as one source said, given particularly his tensions with Secretary Pete Hegseth.

As you mentioned, Secretary Driscoll is a close friend of Vice President J.D. Vance. And Secretary Hegseth has seen that sort of as him going around

him and having his own relationships with the White House. We've reported over the last several months that Secretary Hegseth has shown sort of a

growing suspicion of military and civilian officials around him and their loyalties, not just to the administration, but to him as well.

And so, a source familiar with Secretary Driscoll's resignation said that in his resignation, Driscoll brought up concerns with the administration

surrounding Army transformation and readiness, meaning the Army's ability to sort of adapt and modernize to the battlefield and to demands of war,

and that Hegseth's blocking of those efforts, specifically by firing the generals who were responsible for them. So, we've seen a slew of Army

general officers getting fired under Secretary Hegseth in other services as well, but particularly in the Army.

Clearly, that was a main point of tension for Secretary Driscoll and the efforts he was making in the Army to try to modernize for the battlefield,

modernize equipment and personnel. And so, it sort of came to this boiling point, essentially, where Secretary Driscoll decided to submit his

resignation.

[14:45:00]

So, the White House, when asked about this, praised Secretary Driscoll, said that he had provided outstanding leadership during historic military

operations. But that does, Max, leave the Army without a confirmed chief of staff of the Army, a chief being the four-star general officer leading the

service, and without a confirmed secretary of the Army, all amid, obviously, this ongoing conflict with Iran, which, as we saw today, is

still continuing.

FOSTER: OK. Haley, thank you so much. A whistleblower is warning of mass voter disenfranchisement over the implementation of President Donald

Trump's executive order on mail voting. The unnamed whistleblower says in a report released a short while ago that the Postal Service is not ready for

the technical hurdles required by the order.

With little time left before the November midterm elections, huge batches of ballots could be rejected and undelivered. Mr. Trump has ordered the

U.S. Postal Service to work with Homeland Security to ensure that ballots are only mailed to verified U.S. citizens, though the order is being

challenged in court.

Now, with about two months to go until the crucial midterms, the Department of Homeland Security is launching a massive investigation into alleged

voter fraud. But for years, critics have repeatedly said fraud does not exist on a widespread scale and argue the claims are being used to

undermine elections. Our Priscilla Alvarez has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Department of Homeland Security has accelerated its efforts into investigating voter fraud as part of the

president's broader crusade on this issue.

Already, for example, the Department of Homeland Security has pushed states to share their voter rolls for audit, among other measures. And in this

case, we're learning that starting today, HSI, which is under the agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is going to launch a coordinated

criminal voter fraud surge initiative to pursue investigative leads, conduct field interviews and support timely prosecutorial review, according

to guidance that we reviewed. Now, offices in nine states will be following investigative leads. Those include, for example, Washington, Wisconsin,

Missouri, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New York and Connecticut.

Now, of course, the timing of this notable. It is only a few months shy of the midterm elections. And generally, federal governments have tried to

avoid any overt investigations into elections or while elections are on the horizon for fear of any sort of chilling effect. Now, that has been the

Justice Department's policy. And in this case, it's the Department of Homeland Security that is investigating and they're not obligated to follow

that policy. And there are exceptions for exceptional circumstances. And the department has been in this ongoing effort of rooting out what they say

is voter fraud.

Now, in a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the following, quote, "While ICE Homeland Security Investigations is not able

to comment on any active investigations, HSI is actively rooting out and investigating election fraud wherever it can be found." They went on to

say, that under President Trump, HSI is committed to restoring integrity to our election systems and ensuring that American citizens and only American

citizens are electing American leaders.

Now, it's worth noting, of course, that experts say that there is no evidence of election or rather widespread voter fraud that has occurred in

recent elections. However, the administration is continuing to tout their work on this and pushing forward with it. Late last week, for example, they

also announced the arrest of a Honduran national who they say falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen and registered to vote.

So, this continues to be a big effort by the administration and clearly one the Department of Homeland Security is going to be a central force in. Back

to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Priscilla Alvarez there. Voters in one U.S. state will pick today between the old guard and a man who's almost half the incumbent's age. The

Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary pits 80-year-old incumbent Ed Markey against 47-year-old Congressman Seth Moulton.

Markey first began serving in Congress in 1976, before Moulton was even born. Despite the age gap, Markey is seen as the favorite in this race with

the support of many prominent Democrats, including progressive senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. No members of the state's

congressional delegation have endorsed the more moderate Moulton.

Now, still to come tonight on the show, the trial against a U.K. man accused of drugging and sexually abusing his wife is set to begin

Wednesday. We'll take a look at the charges he and 12 others face.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:50:00]

FOSTER: Thirty years after rap icon Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, an ex-gang leader is convicted of orchestrating his killing. A

Nevada jury found Duane Keffe D Davis guilty of first-degree murder on Monday. He is facing life in prison. It took jurors just under three hours

to come to the verdict. The case against 63-year-old Davis was made based on his own words in interviews about the shooting and writings in his

memoir. The prosecution argued while he may not have been the shooter himself, Davis orchestrated Shakur's 1996 killing. He's set to be sentenced

in October.

The trial for a U.K. man accused of drugging and sexually abusing his has been delayed by a day. The jury was set to begin Tuesday but was pushed

back into Wednesday due to, quote, "unforeseen circumstances." Prosecutors have charged the husband along with 12 other men. Those men are accused of

taking part or facilitating the abuse. Police are not identifying the husband to protect his wife's privacy. Saskya Vandoorne has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: Twelve men from across Britain held the husband a drug and sexually abused his own wife, according to

prosecutors. Today all of them are due to go on trial alongside the woman's husband in a case expected to last until December. Authorities say the

husband in his 60s cannot be named to protect his wife's identity. He was charged with 48 counts spanning a 20-year period, initially denying them

all but he has since admitted to drugging and sexually assaulting her according to court documents.

He's pleaded guilty to five counts of rape, six counts of assault by penetration and three counts of sexual assault as well as sharing intimate

images of his wife without her consent. But he still denies dozens of the other charges including allegations that he conspired with 13 other men to

drug and rape her. Those men are aged between 28 and 73.

Most are accused of directly taking part in the sexual abuse while others are accused of helping to supply substances intended to render her

unconscious. Among them is a, paramedic Jonathan Kirk, who was photographed shaking hands with Prince Harry. Another is a former football club chief

executive called Karl Lindsay. The men now going on trial deny the charges against them.

A 13th man, Keith Fotheringham of Scotland, was also charged and has already pleaded guilty to all the charges he faced including conspiracy to

rape and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent. Today a jury in Manchester will begin hearing the case against them.

Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Manchester.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Heavy rain and gusty winds lashing the Texas-Louisiana border as Tropical Storm Edouard makes landfall.

[14:55:00]

The storm's compact size will limit its impact. The biggest threat is the flooding and rainfall in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. Sustained

winds are at 50 miles per hour. A level three or four risk of flooding has been issued through to Tuesday night and includes the city of Houston.

An orangutan has been rescued by locals in Borneo as wildfires sweep across the region. A farmer was en route to his ranch when he spotted this

orangutan writhing on the ground in a weak state on a palm oil plantation near the fire. The orangutan was then named Sampurna after the village

where it was found. Sampurna received oxygen through small tubes placed in its nose and is now being moved to a rehabilitation center for more

treatment.

Finally, tonight, King Haakon VIII has taken an oath before Norway's parliament following the death of his father King Harald. The new king was

driven in an open top car through central Oslo to the ceremony along the streets lined by soldiers and well-wishers. Harkin pledged to uphold the

country's constitution with his heir crown princess Ingrid Alexandra by his side because the queen is unwell after her lung operation.

Thanks for watching tonight. Do stay with CNN. I'll be back after the break with "What We Know."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:00:00]

END