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President Obama Calls for Political Unity in Last State of the Union; Iran Releases 10 U.S. Sailors; The Child Soldiers of ISIS; Drone Shot Down Over South Korea. Aired 8:00a-9:00a ET
Aired January 13, 2016 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:10] KRISTIE LU STOUT,HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, and welcome to News Stream.
Now, Iran releases 10 American sailors held after apparently straying into Iranian waters.
President Obama uses his final State of the Union Address to call for unity, asking Americans to reject the politics of fear.
And one of the most horrifying weapons used by ISIS, a former child soldier speaks out.
And we begin with the release of ten U.S. sailors from Iranian custody. Now, these are pictures released in Iran that apparently show the
American sailors a U.S. official tells CNN that they were escorted by Iranian boats to a rendezvous point before boarding the warship, the USS
Anzio.
Now, the Iranian navy says it rescued the sailors when their boats Iranian waters near Farsi Island. An Iranian media report the foreign
minister has called for the U.S. to apologize for the incursion.
Now, Nic Robertson has been monitoring developments for us from London. He joins us now live. And Nic, what led to the release of these
10 Americans?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDNET: The Iranians at one point had demanded that the United States needed to apologized. And it's
not clear that that has happened. So quite how if there was a mechanism that led to their release quid pro quo, such as the Iranians suggested, an
apology, we don't know that.
But we do know that the Iranians said that at one point that these sailors had acted unprofessionally and provocatively. They also said that
they were questioning them, interrogating them to see if they were there on an intelligence gathering mission.
But they subsequently then said, no, it was because their navigational equipment on both vessels had broken. So what Iranians have said here,
whatever was said to them before, they've clearly made it a very straightforward statement, essentially saying we don't think they were here
on nefarious activities, therefore they're free to go and I think it's interesting that U.S. Secretary of Defense, Secretary Carter, in his brief
statement about this pointed out how U.S. sailors often in the line of duty help sailors from other navys around the world if they're in distress.
Now, he didn't say that the Iranians had helped them because they were in distress and therefore this was a quid pro quo on that basis.
But that does give you an idea of the context that this is being framed in at the moment, Kristie.
LU STOUT: The sailors have been released. They are unharmed. This does not appear to be any sort of hostile act. But it does come at a very
sensitive time as these two countries, U.S. and Iran, try to implement the nuclear deal. Could be there be any sort of knock-on effect on that
agreement?
ROBERTSON: You know, I think one way that we can judge the strength of the
relationship between particularly U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart, the Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, is how quickly
this was resolved.
And it was resolved in relative terms relatively quickly. When the Iranians captured 15 British sailors back in 2007, they held them for 13
days before releasing them. So therefore the Iranian, this particular situation here the Iranians have acted by their own standards quite
expeditiously to release the U.S. sailors.
So you can read into that that there was an effort not to upset this delicate and highly criticized from hard liners in Iran, Republicans in the
U.S., criticize this nuclear deal, parts of which are expected to be signed off on fairly soon that would show that Iran has removed enriched uranium
from Iran and taken down, dismantled parts of research facility, both things that could sort of speed making a nuclear weapon.
So it certainly seems that from the Iranian perspective, that going -- that deal going south somehow because of the way that this played out would
have meant that they would have lost billions of billions of dollars of frozen assets that would be unfrozen. That it seems from their point of
view that that was not worth risking holding these American sailors too long and creating a bigger storm about this.
LU STOUT: Yeah, too much at stake. They definitely want the lifting of economic sanctions. Nic Robertson joining us live. Thank you very much
for the update and for your insight there.
Now, two militant groups have claimed responsibility for a deadly bombing near a polio vaccination center in southwest Pakistan. At least 14
people were killed. Government officials say almost all of the victims were police officers.
And the Pakistani Taliban and Jandala (ph) both say they were behind the attack. Militants have targeted polio workers ever since U.S.
intelligence used the vaccination program to help find Osama bin Laden in 2011.
Now, turning now to Turkey where local media reports 68 people have been detained over suspected links to ISIS, another person is being held in
connection with Tuesday's deadly explosion in Istanbul. Germany now says ten of its citizens were kill in that suicide bombing making it the
deadliest attack on Germans aboard in more than 13 years.
Now again, Turkey blames ISIS for the attack. Let's bring in Arwa Damon now. She joins us live from Istanbul. And Arwa, one person has been
detained. So, are we closer to finding out who did it and why?
[08:05:50] ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is what
we know at this stage, that the Turkish authorities have said that one person has been detained throughout the course of their investigation, that
they are continuing to very aggressively pursue any and all other leads.
In terms of who carried out the attack, well we do now know that the suicide bomber is a Syrian national of Syrian origins, born in 1988 and
according to Turkish authorities is a member of ISIS.
You also, separately, had this massive sweep that happened spanning across seven provinces in which 68 people were detained, among them three
Russian nationals.
What we do not know at this stage is whether or not this most recent sweep was as a result of the attack that took place yesterday in the heart
of Istanbul's historic and touristic districts.
The country's minister of interior has also said that over the course of the last week, some 220 people believed to there links to ISIS or are
members of ISIS were also taken into custody.
Now, Turkey for quite some time has been launching these kinds of massive sweeps rounding up hundreds of people whom it says have ties to or
links to terrorist organizations. But the fact that yesterday's attack did take place shows just how vulnerable the country is.
German's interior minister also in Turkey visiting the scene of the attack, visiting with some of those who were injured, saying in a press
conference that they would not be advising their countrymen, they would not be advising Germans not to visit Turkey, but that if they were to do so,
they should be careful about where they go, try to avoid certain crowded areas.
This is understandably a very difficult time for Turkey that is facing security challenges on multiple levels. And with this attack, even though
ISIS has not yet claimed responsibility, there is this very clear message, Kristie, that the impact of it is not necessarily meant to just target
Turkey, target its tourism that is a vital industry here, but even those foreigners who are coming here, even people beyond Turkey's borders, may
not necessarily be safe.
LU STOUT: Including, especially in this instance, German nationals traveling abroad there in Turkey.
Now, Turkish officials, Arwa, they believe as you reported, it was carried out by a suicide bomber with ties to ISIS. But ISIS has not
claimed responsibility for this blast. Is that unusual?
DAMON: They haven't claimed responsibility for this blast and nor interestingly have they claimed responsibility for any of the other attacks
that happened in Turkey where the Turkish government has said that ISIS was responsible.
And, yes, this is something of a divergence from how they normally operate where they are fairly quick to claim responsibility for attacks
that were either directed by them or even if they were just simply inspired by ISIS.
There is a lot of speculation and different kinds of analysis out there as to why this may in fact be the case. One is sort of thinking that
perhaps even though Turkey is going after ISIS targets, the organization may not want to further aggravate Turkish authorities, rub it in their face
per se, given that Turkey does still remain one of the key transit points.
Another line of thinking is that perhaps at this stage ISIS is not claiming responsibility because it does want to fuel various different
conspiracy theories out there that perhaps the Turkish regime is somehow linked to directly ISIS or perhaps that by not claiming responsibility,
that is allowing these conspiracy theories to fuel some of the other underlying tensions that do exist in this country.
LU STOUT: CNN's Arwa Damon reporting live from Istanbul. Thank you, Arwa.
Now, Barack Obama called for Americans to reject the politics of fear in his final State of the Union Address.
The U.S. president used the primetime televised speech as an opportunity to appeal to legislators and voters on both sides of the aisle
for an end to the country's partisan divide.
White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski has the breakdown of Mr. Obama's address.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[08:10:08] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president of the United States.
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Entering the Capitol for his final State of the Union address, President
Obama was met with such energy it took a good five minutes to get started.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let's bring this to order. For this final one, I'm going to try to make it a little shorter.
(CHEERS)
OBAMA: I know some of you are anxious to get back to Iowa.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: I've been there.
KOSINSKI: He acknowledged the difficulties he's faced.
OBAMA: We won't agree on health care anytime soon. But --
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: The applause right there.
KOSINSKI: But wasted no time in repeatedly, sharply digging Republican candidates for their criticism.
OBAMA: Anyone claiming that America's economy is in decline is peddling fiction. Well, so is all the rhetoric you hear about our enemies
getting stronger and America getting weaker. And our answer needs to be more than tough talk or calls to carpet bomb civilians. That may work as a
TV sound bite, but it doesn't pass muster on the world stage. And we need to reject any politics, any politics, that targets people because of race
or religion.
KOSINSKI: A sentiment that interestingly was echoed in the Republican rebuttal by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
GOV. NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist
that temptation.
KOSINSKI: Donald Trump tweeted that the president's speech was, "boring, slow, lethargic." Senator Ted Cruz didn't attend it but said this.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will apologize to nobody for my commitment to kill the terrorists.
KOSINSKI: One of President Obama's goals here was optimism, which lately, the White House uses to try to build a contrast with how they see
the Republican field.
OBAMA: Sixty years ago, when the Russians beat us into space, we didn't deny Sputnik was up there. We didn't argue about the science or
shrink our research and development budget. We built a space program almost overnight and 12 years later, we were walking on the moon.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: That spirit of discovery is in our DNA. Let's make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.
KOSINSKI: That statement brought both sides of the aisle to its feet. In a room filled with guests as diverse as a Syrian refugee, nuns suing the
administration over Obamacare, American Muslims, and Kim Davis, the president conceding that the politics remains a barrier.
OBAMA: It's one of the few regrets of my presidency, that the rancor and the suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better.
KOSINSKI: Calling on individual Americans to set aside cynicism and vote.
OBAMA: Because I believe in you, the American people. And that's why I stand here as confident as I have ever been that the state of our union is
strong. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: As we just heard -- and that was CNN's Michelle Kosinski reporting there, there was a rare moment of bipartisan unity on Tuesday
night. President Obama as well as the Republican governor offering a rebuttal afterwards, they appeared to find common ground when it comes to
Donald Trump. As Nikki Haley put it, quote, "you don't have to be the loudest voice in the room to
make a difference."
You're watching News Stream. Still ahead on the program, tensions appear to be rising again on the Korean peninsula. Why South Korea says it
fired warning shots near its border with the north.
Plus, children traumatized by the brutality of ISIS. We'll hear from a young survivor who escaped a life of violence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:15:35] LU STOUT: Now, tensions are rising on the Korean peninsula. And South Korea says it fired warning shots at an unidentified
aircraft near its border with North Korea.
An official with the South Korean defense ministry tells us they believe it was a drone dispatched by North Korea. Apparently warnings were
first broadcast before the south opened fire.
Now, after those warning shots, the aircraft immediately flew back north.
Now, CNN's Paula Hancocks is following developments from Seoul, South Korea. She joins us now.
Pauls, this incident at the border, was this another North Korean drone? And what was it doing?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It could well be, Kristie. This is certainly the suspicion. And if it was, then it's
certainly not the first drone that we've seen from North Korea. Back in 2014 in March and April, there were three drones that were found, not in
the air, they were actually crashed and they had landed on the ground. So, the south were able to take a good look at them.
They were very basic. There was no sophisticated technology to them. And they had cameras on board. And two of them had photos of key military
installations, key targets, the presidential compound. So clearly they had been circling these areas and experts believe that this was the way the
North was getting intelligence.
So, that potentially could be what we saw today.
Another development as well, there was also some propaganda leaflets that were found in the early hours of this morning in Seoul, in some of the
northern cities, basically denouncing South Korea for raising the tensions because they have started these propaganda broadcasts on the border again.
Now, the South Korean groups have often used these propaganda balloons to send anti-regime messages across the border. It does look as though the
North is taking that tactic, which infuriates it, and using it against the South.
So that is potentially what we're seeing here, as well -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: So tensions continue to rise, especially after that H-bomb test claim made by Pyongyang.
And today South Korean's president is asking for action, especially from China. What did she say?
HANCOCKS: Yes, she basically said that this could not be solved without China. She has said that without China's will, there is no way of
stopping a fifth nuclear test or a sixth nuclear test. So she really is putting responsibility squarely on China asking for more help.
She's also calling for new and powerful sanctions, something that South Korea has done in the
past. They want to see stronger sanctions against North Korea to try to prevent this from happening again and she's also asked for the
international community to try a different approach, to do something different to what they have done in the past. Clearly what they have done
in the past isn't working, because North Korea was able to carry out this fourth nuclear test -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: Now, so she wants China to take a tougher line. What about South Korea? Will
South Korea take a tougher line, especially in regards to the Kaesong industrial zone it runs with North Korea?
HANCOCKS: Well, all we've seen so far of Kaesong is that they have restricted entrants. So, they're working on the bare minimum at the
moment, the minimum number of South Koreans that need to be there so that production is not halted.
So at this point they haven't closed anything down.
Remember, back in 2013, when tensions were very high, they actually closed the Kaesong industrial park. It's a joint venture between the north
and the south, the north relies on it heavily for hard currency. It's a real money earner for North Korea, so they don't want to see it closed.
And when they did reopen it, the south and north agreed that they wouldn't allow tensions between the two to close it once again.
But we have seen restrictions certainly up until this point.
LU STOUT: All right, Paula Hancocks reporting live from Seoul. Thank you, Paula.
You're watching News Stream. Still to come, shops like these are a familiar sight in Hong Kong and the city is a major hub for ivory trading.
But it looks like all that is about to change. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:23:14] LU STOUT: Welcome back. You're watching News Stream.
Now, wildlife activists are celebrating a major victory. Hong Kong has announced that it
is phasing out the sale of ivory. Now, the city already bans the import and export of ivory, but
hundreds of shops are allowed to sell stocks that were acquired before 1989.
Our Ivan Watson has reported on that. And he joins me now. And Ivan, just how does Hong Kong plan to phase out the sale of ivory here?
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the announcement has just been made by Hong Kong's chief executive, Kristie. And it is an
announcement that is being applauded by wildlife conservation groups and even some lawmakers.
The announcement was made at the chief executive's annual policy speech. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Are you proposing a ban on the lawful, legal sale of ivory in Hong Kong?
CY LEUNG, HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE: We will take steps to ban totally the sale of ivory in Hong Kong. There will be a total ban.
As to the matter of timing, we'll do it expeditiously, as quickly as we can, but as this will, as you will probably appreciate, will require
legislative amendments.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Wildlife activists say there is no time to waste. They argue at the rate that elephants are being poached in Africa, that this largest
of mammals to be walking the Earth could be extinct in the wild within a generation and these wildlife activists have long alleged that Hong Kong is
a major smuggling route for poached ivory into China where there is still a demand despite the fact that it is illegal right now -- Kristie.
[08:25:01] LU STOUT: It is curious how Hong Kong has been this major smuggling route, this dark heart of the ivory trade, because the import and
export of ivory was already banned here. So how was the ivory trade able to thrive up to now?
WATSON: Yeah, in fact the international trade of ivory has been banned since 1989. But despite that, you still have, according to last
year's figures, at least 413 licensed ivory dealers within Hong Kong, Kristie.
Now, they will all argue that they buy and sell ivory for domestic use from stockpiles of tusk that was coming from elephants killed before 1989.
But one wildlife group, Wild Aid, it conducted a year long investigation in which it came to the conclusion it was accusing some of
these dealers of effectively laundering poached ivory from Africa that was then being smuggled in and out of Hong Kong. And this is an excerpt from a
report we did last October. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: What does this video tell you?
ALEX HOFFORD, WILDAID: The legal trade of ivory in Hong Kong is masking an illegal trade.
WATSON: Hours of video filmed on hidden cameras obtained by Wildaid and shared with CNN, include this clip, which appears to show a Hong Kong
ivory dealer boasting how easy it is to launder ivory by swapping legal, pre-1989 elephant tusk for freshly poached ivory smuggled in from Africa.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WATSON: In a separate video, a merchant offers to get fresh shipments of ivory from Africa.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can buy smuggled ivory any time, but do you dare to receive them? If you dare, then I will send them. I will send them to
you from Africa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Now, Kristie, this is likely to be of course resisted by the hundreds of people, families who likely rely on this as a source of income.
However, one lawmaker here in Hong Kong is urging the population to support this proposed ban with the argument that if you stop the demand, that would
likely stop the killing that continues at a rate of estimated tens of thousands of wild elephants killed every year in Africa, Kristie.
LU STOUT: And that is the next challenge for the government, getting these consumers or potential ivory consumers on board with this plan.
Ivan Watson reporting for us. Many thanks indeed for that and take care.
You're watching News Stream. Still ahead on the program, ISIS is using children as soldiers. A very chilling story here. Our investigation
into the battle to bring them back home.
Plus, we have got new details on the capture of El Chapo. What Mexican authorities plan to
do about actor Sean Penn's secret interview with the drug kingpin.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
[08:31:38] LU STOUT: Now, amid the violence in Iraq, there is a lesser known battle
under way, the fight to bring home children forced to kill for ISIS.
Now, those who are free from the terror group still live in fear. Our senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir joins us now from Irbil.
And Nima, you met and talked to some of these children who survived the brutality of ISIS. What did they share
with you?
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Krisite, it's really hard to get any figures for the number of children that ISIS has
forcibly conscripted into their ranks, but authorities say that it could be something as close to 600, 700 just from one small region of the Kurdish
region in northern Iraq.
Those who are making it back, only a handful, less than 100, some have been bravely speaking
to us. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELBAGIR (voice-over): 5-year-old Sara was captured alongside her mother by ISIS.
Now free, when her parents aren't looking, she runs to cover her face. It's what their ISIS captors taught her at gunpoint.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ELBAGIR (voice-over): Al Farouq Institute in Raqqah: ISIS claims it is their main child soldier training facility.
"To jihad, to jihad," they're chanting.
In this propaganda video, spread out on either side of an ISIS trainer, blank-faced rows of children sit. One boy shakes visibly. Others
unable to raise their gaze.
These are the so-called cubs of the caliphate, ISIS' army of child soldiers.
"And by God's grace," he's saying, "in the coming days they will be at the front lines of the fight against the nonbelievers."
The Gweyr front line, south of the Kurdistan regional capital, Erbil, the Peshmerga commander tells us this is one of their most contested front
lines.
ELBAGIR: Just the other side of that river there, that's where he says the ISIS positions are. Just the other side of that broken bridge and it's
from there, he says, that desperate children are fleeing, making their way through that river, swimming through the river, under cover of dark,
risking their lives to make it here to safety.
ELBAGIR (voice-over): But not all manage to escape.
AZIZ ABDULLAH HADUR, PESHMERGA COMMANDER (through translator): Many times when we are fighting ISIS, we see children at the front line.
They're wearing explosive vests.
ELBAGIR: What's it like for you to have to open fire on children?
HADUR (through translator): They are brainwashed. When they make it through our lines, they kill our fighters. It's an unbearably hard
decision. You don't know what to do. If you don't kill them, they'll kill you.
ELBAGIR (voice-over): U.S. military sources tell CNN, as ISIS comes under increased pressure on the battlefield, they are relying on child
soldiers to fill out the ranks.
This 12-year-old boy was featured in the Al Farouq Institute propaganda video. He says he was training to be a suicide bomber.
Now reunited with his mother, he's asked us not to broadcast his face or his voice. He's asked that we call him "Nasir," not his real name.
[08:35:04] "NASIR," ISIS CHILD SOLDIER (through translator): There were 60 of us. The scariest times for us all were when the airstrikes
happened.
They'd lead all of us underground into the tunnels to hide. They told us the Americans, the unbelievers, were trying to kill us but they, the
fighters, they loved us.
ELBAGIR (voice-over): This, of course, was all part of the indoctrination. His ISIS handlers would tell him they were now his only
family.
"NASIR" (through translator): When we were training, they would tell us our parents were unbelievers, unclean, and that our first job was to go
back and kill them, that we were cleaning the world of them, of all unbelievers.
ELBAGIR (voice-over): "Nasir" says the youngest of the boys was 5 years old, none of them exempt from the grueling training.
"NASIR" (through translator): We weren't allowed to cry but I would think about my mother, think about her worrying about me and I'd try and
cry quietly.
ELBAGIR (voice-over): Highly stylized and romanticized, ISIS has released a number of videos, showcasing its child army. But the reality is,
of course, very different.
HADUR (through translator): When they arrive to us, they are so skinny they barely look human. They tell us they've been living in a hell.
ELBAGIR (voice-over): Back at the camp, Sara's mother hopes her little girl will evenly forget about the headscarf and the face covering and the
men with guns, who threatened her life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ELBAGIR: The heartbreak is, Kristie, that even after they fled ISIS, Kurdish authorities tell us there simply isn't the capacity here to provide
those children with the support that they need.
LU STOUT: Yeah, and it's absolutely chilling just to hear the stories of what the little boys went through and what they were forced to do and
the little girl obviously still scarred.
But let's talk more about Sara and her story. How did she, this a 5- year-old girl, taken by ISIS, how did she manage to escape?
ELBAGIR: It was her mother who fled, her mother and her brother. There are still two other brothers who are still in ISIS' hands. And we
heard that story again and again.
All of those children that we interviewed, the happiness, the joy for those parents at having been freed, at having had their children back was
always tempered by that loss, so many of these families have been splintered and Sara you saw is still completely traumatized, still acting
out the behaviors that were beaten into her by ISIS.
She's also asking where her sisters are. And nobody at this point, Kristie, can answer that question.
LU STOUT: Nima Elbagir reporting for us on the brutality of ISIS targeting, terrorizing and
brainwashing these young children. Nima, we thank you for your reporting.
Now, you're watching News Stream. And still to come on the program, El Chapo and his last hideout. We're going to take a look at how the
Mexican drug lord managed to slip away from the house before he was eventually captured by Mexican authorities. You've got that story and
more. Do stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News STream.
Rolling Stone magazine has released the entire video interview Joaquin Guzman gave while on the run. Better known as El Chapo, the Mexican drug
lord was recaptured last week following a raid by Mexican marines.
CNN's Martin Savidge has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexican authorities released this new mug shot of El Chapo, showing the drug kingpin with his head shaved and
wearing prison clothing. Meanwhile, Rolling Stone Magazine released for the first time the entire on-camera interview with El Chapo conducted at his
mountain hideaway in Sinaloa state last year. The person asking the question is not actor Sean Penn but one of the crime boss's own men. Also
new, a CNN crew was allowed into El Chapo's safe house which Special Forces raided last week.
The images reflect the violence inside as Mexican marines battled gunmen room by room. There were bullet holes on the walls. The furniture
and everything else is tossed about. The video also reveals the remarkable escape tunnel that allowed El Chapo to get out of the house before being
captured sometime later. It took 90 minutes of searching to find the tunnel's entrance hidden behind a mirror in a large closet and blocked by a
steel door that looked like it belonged to a vault.
The tunnel has several inches of water on the floors since it connects to the sewer system. Another large water tight door keeps the floor from
completely flooding during heavy rains. Authorities say El Chapo's elaborate plans allowed the drug lord to flee. In the end, he found there
was no escape.
Martin Savidge, CNN, Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now, Lego is changing one of its policies after refusing to sell its plastic blocks in bulk to the Chinese artist and activists Ai
Weiwei. Now, the toy company says it had a longrunning policy of not fulfilling bulk orders for projects with a political agenda. That policy
is now ending.
The Danish toymaker was heavily criticized for its refusal to sell Ai Legos for an exhibition in Australia.
And that is News Stream.
END