Return to Transcripts main page

One World with Zain Asher

Ukraine Claims Some Success In The Opening Stages Of Its Counteroffensive; Former Italian PM Passes Away At 86; Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Maintains Innocence Of Any Wrongdoing; Philippines' Mt. Mayon Rumbles Again; Four Young Plane Survivors Now Recovering In Bogota Hospital. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired June 12, 2023 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:14:05]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I'm Zain Asher in New York, and this is ONE WORLD. You've been watching our live coverage of the

indictment of Former President Donald Trump. We'll continue to follow that story and bring you any updates as and when we have them.

For now, let's turn to some of our other top international stories. Ukraine is claiming some modest success in what may be the opening stages of its

counteroffensive. It says that Russian forces are on the defensive in the southeastern region. Kyiv says it recaptured a string of villages along the

border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, and it's accusing Russian troops of blowing up a small dam in the east in order to stall the Ukrainian advance.

Meantime, water levels continue to recede in Kherson nearly one week after the collapse of the crucial Kakhovka dam. But evacuation efforts are still

ongoing. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more now on the Ukrainian counteroffensive that Volodymyr Zelenskyy signalled, is now underway.

[12:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the pace of operations on the battlefield certainly seems to be increasing as far as

the Ukrainians are concerned. We've been hearing from official Ukrainian sources, is they say that they've taken a string of villages on the south-

eastern part of the very long front line here in this country. There were several videos that were put out of Ukrainian units entering some of those

villages, putting up the Ukrainian flag and saying that they had, quote, liberated those towns and villages.

So, the Ukrainians certainly say that, at least in some areas of the front line, they are the ones that are on the move. And it's quite interesting

because we've also been hearing not from the Russian Defense Ministry, but from Russian military bloggers who are usually very well informed and also

keep in contact with many of the frontline units on the Russian side. And they also say they are quite concerned about some of the gains that the

Ukrainians have been making, especially in that southeastern sector where they are saying that the Ukrainians are pushing forward.

However, those Ukrainian gains certainly do seem to be coming at a price. The Russians are saying that they've destroyed a great deal of armor of the

Ukrainians as those units were trying to move forward and also Western- donated armor, including Leopard 2 main battle tanks provided by the Germans, but also Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, as well. So,

definitely, tough battles that are going on along this very long frontline.

And it still is unclear whether or not this is Ukraine's big push or the big counteroffensive that they've been preparing for such a very long time.

Ukraine's president this weekend did indicate that that could be the case. However, the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency seemed to strike a

different tone, putting out a video just sort of sitting in his chair and then writing, coming on the screen saying that plans love silence.

Obviously, the Ukrainians indicating that if this is the big offensive, they're not willing to talk about it.

On the whole, however, it does seem to be clear that, right now, the initiative on pretty much all fronts of the battlefield is with the

Ukrainians, the Ukrainians moving forward, for instance, also in the town of Bakhmut, which of course has seen such heavy fighting over the past

couple of months. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Silvio Berlusconi is being remembered as a larger-than-life figure who changed Italy. The former Italian prime minister passed away at the age

of 86. A state funeral will be held Wednesday in Milan. One former prime minister says that Berlusconi wrote, quote, significant pages of Italian

history.

Current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says that Berlusconi was, above all, a fighter. Italian President Sergio Mattarella calls him a great political

leader. CNN's Barbie Nadeau takes a look back at the extraordinary, flamboyant, and certainly very controversial life of Silvio Berlusconi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Jesus Christ of politics. The best political leader in Europe and the world. That is how

Silvio Berlusconi once described himself. And without a doubt he was a powerful political operator and businessman who sparked more than one

scandal.

And despite a string of legal trouble and dubious friends, Berlusconi always managed to bounce back. He made his name as a business tycoon. He

owned the famous A.C. Milan football club for 31 years. At one point he was the richest man in Italy.

SILVIO BERLUSCONI, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF ITALY (through translator): I have always been adored by those who have worked with me.

First elected as prime minister in 1994, he was quickly removed when his coalition partners pulled out. But he was elected to the top job twice more

in 2001 and 2008, becoming Italy's longest serving prime minister since World War II. And voters brought him back to power in 2022 as a coalition

partner with Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini.

Charming and with a flippant sense of humor, Berlusconi's off-the-cuff remarks and missteps with protocol were often criticized. He welcomed the

newly elected U.S. President in 2008 by complimenting Barack Obama on his quote, suntan, and left German Chancellor Angela Merkel waiting during a

NATO summit.

And his close friendship with Vladimir Putin got him in hot water after he disclosed he had reestablished his friendship with the Russian president in

late 2022 after Putin sent him 20 bottles of Russian vodka for his birthday. He later blamed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for

starting the war, putting him at odds with Meloni.

The prime minister often surrounded himself with beautiful women. Allegations of a relationship with an 18-year-old aspiring model, which he

strenuously denied, triggered a painfully public divorce. And revelations about his so-called bunga bunga parties landed him in court on charges of

abuse of power and having sex with an underage prostitute, allegations he also denied.

[12:20:00]

BERLUSCONI (through translator): It is absurd to think that I have paid to have rapport with a woman.

NADEAU (voice-over): Meanwhile, the Eurozone was going through a financial crisis. Italy was hit hard and the government's debt ballooned 120 percent

of the GDP in August 2011. The Italian Prime Minister promised to crack down on tax evasion and introduce other austerity measures, but it was not

enough.

Berlusconi lost his majority in Parliament and was forced to resign as prime minister in November 2011. In 2012 he was convicted of corporate tax

fraud and banned from public office. Months later an Italian court found Berlusconi guilty on the charges stemming from the bunga bunga parties. An

appeals court later overturned the conviction.

He was voted out of parliament in 2013. Two years later, convicted of bribing a senator a decade before, but never served time since a statute of

limitations timed out in the same year. At the age of 82, Berlusconi managed another comeback. He led his Forza Italia party in the European

elections and won a seat in parliament. A month before he turned 86, he led his party back to power as the junior partner of the current ruling

coalition.

In the summer of 2020, a few weeks away from turning 84 years old, Berlusconi was struck by COVID-19 and was hospitalized for 12 days. He

called that experience the most dangerous test of my life and boasted to journalists that his viral load entity of the virus --

BERLUSCONI (through translator): -- was the highest one amongst tens of thousands.

NADEAU (voice-over): Few could match the one and only Silvio Berlusconi. And even though the quote Teflon Don, as he was known, was in and out of

the hospital in his later years, he always managed to look remarkably younger than his years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: A divisive figure who is known, I guess, for his brazen disregard for the law. And Barbie Nadeau joins us live now from Rome. So, what does

this mean for his Forza Italia party and also the coalition they have with Giorgia Meloni?

NADEAU (on-camera): Yeah, that's an interesting question. You know, he was the one that's really the cornerstone of the party. Obviously, it's his

party, but he was the one that really wanted to stay in this coalition with Giorgio Meloni and Matteo Salvini, two other very divisive figures in the

Italian political scene.

It remains really to be seen what happens because it remains to be seen whether his daughter, Marina Berlusconi, is going to enter politics. That's

been a rumor that's floated around the political circles here for many, many years. And, you know, the Forza Italia party is Silvio Berlusconi.

There, you know, a lot of members of his party came from other parties. It really is going to be interesting to see if they stay or if they go to

other right-wing parties or center-right parties.

Right now, nobody's talking about that, of course. He was supposed to have a meeting, a very important meeting on the day before he was hospitalized

last Friday -- the day after, I'm sorry, he was hospitalized last Friday, in which his high officers were going to be discussing what happens post-

Berlusconi. Now, actually, that's going to be a priority. But none of that's going to take place until after the funeral, which will be held

Wednesday at the Duomo in Milan. Zain.

ASHER: What happens to his business empire? I mean, did he ever publicly indicate who would take over his company after he died?

NADEAU: Well, his daughter, Marina, is very much involved in his business enterprise. For the various times he was prime minister, three times in

fact, he had to sort of divest at those moments from that. And so, there's quite a well-oiled machine.

Also, Berlusconi, Silvio Berlusconi, was a very smart man, a very business- minded man. And you can bet that every single penny of his estate is going to be accounted for. I'm sure his various wives and lovers have all had to

sign NDAs and things like that in terms of what they'll receive. His first wife who has never spoken publicly about her settlement, lives very

comfortably, and I'm sure all the women in his life will, as well. as well as his five children.

You know, his affairs will have been taken care of. This man's been very unwell for the last year or so, having been diagnosed with leukemia, we've

been told a few years ago. So, you can bet that his affairs are taken care of. Whether we ever find out exactly how, that remains to be seen. Zain.

ASHER: Right, Barbie Nadeau, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, still to come here on ONE WORLD, Republicans have long championed

their party's staunch commitment to law and order, but does Donald Trump's indictment call that into question? We'll explore that with Republican Adam

Kinzinger ahead.

And also, the Former Scottish First Minister says she's innocent of any wrongdoing after her arrest and release without charge. We'll have more on

Nicola Sturgeon ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: Hello and welcome back to ONE WORLD. Let's catch up on the headlines. Three U.K. diving enthusiasts missing after this dramatic boat

fire have died. That's been confirmed by the tour operator. The vessel caught on fire in the Red Sea off of Egypt on Sunday. Twenty-six others

were rescued, including this man, take a look here, who jumped to safety. I'm not sure if we actually have his photo, but early reports blame the

fire on an electrical short.

Iraqi lawmakers have approved a record $153 billion budget covering three years. It's the largest in the country's history. The budget is expected to

create more jobs in the public sector, but a Kurdish lawmaker says Iraq's budget deficit is also at a record high at $49 billion.

All right, Donald Trump is on the move. He's left his New Jersey home and is on his way. He's in the air right now, flying to Miami, where he will be

arraigned in a federal courthouse on Tuesday. He faces 37 counts ranging from willful retention of national defense information to conspiracy to

obstruct justice.

The outcome of this unprecedented case involving a twice-impeached, twice- indicted former U.S. president goes far beyond Donald Trump himself. It will almost certainly have an impact on the future of the Republican Party,

one that has positioned itself for decades as a champion of law and order.

The case is dividing Republicans, a handful taking a wait and see attitude, while still others are spreading, without proof, claims about the so-called

weaponization of the Justice Department. Even before the details of Trump's indictment were released, some House Republicans rushed to his defense.

Others, like the GOP's top two Senate leaders, have remained silent.

An especially tricky tightrope for Republican presidential candidates, who may be fearful of alienating Trump supporters. Many of them have

prosecutors than of Donald Trump himself. One potential candidate who may be fearful of alienating Trump supporters.

[12:30:00]

Many of them have been more critical of prosecutors than of Donald Trump himself. One noticeable high-profile criticism, however, came from the ex-

president's former attorney general. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL BARR, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: If even half of it is true, then he's toast. I mean, it's a very detailed indictment, and it's very, very

damning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Time now for the exchange and my discussion with CNN Senior Political Commentator Adam Kinzinger. He's also a Former Republican

Congressman who voted to impeach Trump the second time around. He joins us live now from Houston, Texas.

Thank you so much for being with us. So, my question to you, Mr. Kinzinger, is what do you say to a significant percentage of Republican voters who

look at what's happening today and will say, you know, this is obviously a political witch hunt. These are clearly Trumped-up charges. Obviously, many

people have been making the comparison to Hillary Clinton's email probe. Of course, we know that those two cases are very, very different. However,

there is a significant percentage of Republican voters who believe that Donald Trump is being persecuted here for political reasons. What do you

say to them?

ADAM KINZINGER, FORMER U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: Well, I mean, it's just simply not true, you know, first off. And the sad thing is, I mean, there's

every day I still am shocked at what my party believes at the mistruths they buy into at the defense of this very flawed man.

I mean, you know, one of the things that Donald Trump tries to portray is strength, like he's some strong, but for as strong as he tries to portray

himself, he's been the victim of literally everything. Everything's a witch hunt. Everybody's out to get him like he has no control over this.

So, what I tell my fellow Republicans is, look, it's not true at all. Either Trump is the biggest victim in the history of the country and

frankly with the most powerful job in the world or he's actually corrupt. And the truth is he's corrupt and you know, what I believe and what I know

is that, yes, at this moment there's going to be a significant part of the Republican base that just rallies to his defense, it's tribalism, but in

the long run their kids and their grandkids will never ever believe the garbage conspiracies that they do because that will wear off and that's

what I try to look at the historical context here.

ASHER: But will it wear off sooner than that? So, obviously we know that Donald Trump is going to sort of try to exploit this, you know, just in

terms of raising money and obviously talking about, as I mentioned, this is a political witch hunt, trying to get his voters to rally around him, his

base to rally around him. Of course, we know that it will benefit him in the short term, but let's say six months from now, is there a point at

which Republican voters get tired of all the drama?

KINZINGER: We should have been tired of this five, six years ago, but I do think it's possible. So, here's what I see as a possible scenario if the

Republican party basically ram dumps Donald Trump, and that would be if the numbers begin to show, as they already do show, that he can't win a general

election. If people are just getting fatigued of all the, you know, the victim, all the drama that exists every day.

And if another Republican candidate can make the case that they are better than Donald Trump. And right now, that's the weirdest thing to me, is you

have all these people running against Donald Trump, all coming out and defending him, because they're scared to death of him.

So, look, I think it's possible that the Republican Party turns against Trump. I mean, there's still this case in Georgia, there's still the

January 6th cases, potentially. But I guarantee you, I mean, I guess I can't guarantee anything, but I get about as close to a guarantee as I can,

that if he wins the Republican nomination, he's not going to win the general election. There's not a single person in the United States of

America that did not vote for Donald Trump in 2020, that now intends to vote for him. I would say it's actually quite the opposite.

ASHER: I mean, although you could argue that Joe Biden has also lost popular support, as well. But let's talk about the sort of strategy among

Donald Trump's political opponents that you were just touching on there. I mean, it's interesting because Mike Pence has come out and said, look,

Donald Trump should never be president ever again. He should never, ever be reelected. You also have Ron DeSantis who has also, especially after he

made his announcement, come out and sort of started criticizing Donald Trump, as well.

But when it comes to talking about these charges, everybody, I mean, almost everybody is literally defending him. As you point out, they don't want to

lose his base. If you want to win over somebody's base, you cannot attack their hero. Is that a smart strategy, do you think?

KINZINGER: Well, I think it's a really dumb strategy. So, you know, I've lived this in Congress and I can tell you what they're feeling right now,

which is this idea that, okay, I'll make a little nuanced attack on Donald Trump, but then I'll, you know, like a compliment sandwich, you have nice

hair, I don't like you, you have great shoes.

[12:35:00]

It's like a compliment sandwich, but for Donald Trump. So, if you're going to attack him, you have to pad it on each side with, you know, yes, but

it's a witch hunt or the DOJ and, you know, Joe Biden's worse. So, I understand the feeling because they're just scared to death. The wrath of

the base is real. Trust me, I felt it.

But you're not going to win that away. You're not going to out-Trump Trump. You know, you're not, he's not -- nobody's going to take him down.

ASHER: Or are they just hoping, are they just hoping that Donald Trump at some point falls on his sword and that somehow they can inherit all of

Trump's supporters? I mean, that's what the strategy here, right?

KINZINGER: That's exactly the strategy, is the hope that he collapses and then they've never ticked off his base, so, now the base is going to come

to that. But by the way, quick reminder, that's exactly what happened in 2016. Nobody attacked Donald Trump because they thought that he would --

there's no way Donald Trump could ever win. And we want his base of support. So, this is like an eerie repeat of 2016.

ASHER: And as you point out, you don't believe that it's going to work. So, when you have people like Representative Andy Biggs coming out and saying,

look, this is, this is, we've the war phase or Former Senatorial Candidate Kari Lake coming out and just talking about armed resistance. Are you

concerned about that kind of rhetoric? How that might, especially in the context of January 6th, right, how that kind of rhetoric will play out in

the streets in an already extremely divided country?

KINZINGER: I'm, yeah, I'm really concerned. So, as you mentioned, I've lived January 6th. I've been to war. I'm a veteran. I know, many of your

viewers are familiar with war. And trust me, the people that are calling for war are the ones that have never experienced war.

But the other thing is the U.S. has this really unique, we were formed on this idea of revolution, the idea of taxation, you know, with

representation, not without. And it's a pride of where we are, but if you have people that are out convincing you, if you're convinced that an

election was stolen, and you're convinced that, you know, wrongly, but you're convinced of it, I think it's just a matter of time until people

turn even more violent. I think January 6th was actually the most foreseeable event possible. So yeah, I'm very worried about that and I

think we have to continue to speak out about it.

ASHER: Former Representaive Adam Kinzinger, thank you so much. We appreciate having you on the show.

KINZINGER: You got it.

ASHER: All right, Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she is innocent of any wrongdoing. Sturgeon was arrested and released without

charge Sunday in connection with a probe into the Scottish National Party's finances. This is the third high profile arrest in this investigation.

Sturgeon's husband and the party's treasurer were arrested in April and then released.

Scott McLean is joining us live now from London with the very latest. So, walk us through what is at issue here, the heart of this matter in terms of

what happened or what may have happened to approximately 600,000 Pounds that was donated to the SMP back in 2021.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so this was a crowdfunding campaign and the dollar figure is 660,000 British Pounds, so, more than $800,000

dollars. And the question, according to the British Press Association, is what exactly happened to this money? And so, all of this police

investigation really stems from the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party and some of these questions.

The arrest and interview of Nicola Sturgeon is not completely out of the blue, Zain, because as you mentioned, her husband was arrested, interviewed

for more than 11 hours. The party treasurer was also arrested and interviewed. Both of them were then released without charge.

Sturgeon's home in Glasgow was also searched by the police back in April. They even set up a tent right in front of the house and then now, you have

her arrest on Sunday. She was held for more than seven hours in question by police. She was also released without charge pending further investigation.

And we actually have a statement from surgeons. She said that the situation was deeply distressing. She said that she was innocent. She also wrote in

part that she is quote, grateful that so many continue to show faith in me and appreciate that I would never do anything to harm either the SNP or the

country.

Now, she says that she will continue to do her work as a member of the Scottish Parliament, though some in her own party are frankly suggesting

that she ought to renounce her membership of the party, at least temporarily. She's not going to get any pressure to do that, though, from

the current party leader, the First Minister, Humza Yousaf, who said this afternoon to the BBC that he is not going to suspend her membership because

she has not been charged with anything.

Now, her resignation as party leader back in February came as a huge shock, as you know, to British politics, A, because she has been quite successful

in her work over the last eight years, winning a couple of elections, having some electoral success. But also, it was just back in January that

she was asked about the shock resignation of the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

[12:40:00]

And Sturgeon said at that time that, look, she still has plenty left in the tank. And she also said this, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLO STURGEON, SCOTTLAND'S FORMER FIRST MINISTER: If I ever reach the point, what she has clearly reached, where I think overall, I just can't

give the job everything it deserves, then I hope I have the same courage she's had in saying, okay, this is the point to go. But just for the

avoidance of all doubt, I don't feel anywhere near that right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: So, it was pretty weird then, then a few years later, you had Nicola Sturgeon abruptly announcing her own resignation as first minister

and the leader of the Scottish National Party. But in her parting press conference, she was asked point blank whether or not the police

investigation had anything to do with her decision. And she said very clearly that the answer is no.

Now, all of this is of course a big blow to the Scottish National Party and the leader, as I mentioned, Humza Youssef. On Friday, he actually reacted

to the news that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned as a member of parliament and he tweeted that Westminster is consumed with this third-

rate political soap opera. Of course, now, he has his own drama to contend with in Edinburgh, Zain.

ASHER: Yeah, there's been so many issues with the SNP just in terms of the turmoil. I mean Alex Salmond was also arrested back in 2019. There's been a

lot of division and a lot of questions over the best way forward for the independent movement. All right, Scott McLean, live for us there. Thank you

so much.

All right, coming up, survival against all odds. Four children stuck in the Amazon for 40 days are actually found alive after surviving a plane crash.

Reaction from their father in a live report from Bogota.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: One of the world's most active volcanoes is rumbling again. Mount Mayon lies about 330 kilometers southeast of Manila. It's been spewing

sulfuric gas and lava for the past 24 hours. You can see the glowing crater of the volcano and hot molten lava flowing. Experts predict an eruption

within weeks or even days, actually. Nearly 13,000 residents of Luzon Island, basically everyone, in their six-kilometer danger zone have been

evacuated.

[12:45:00]

Officials in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania say it could take months to repair a section of a highway that collapsed on Sunday. This is the I-95 in

Philadelphia, which was heavily damaged when a fuel tanker truck caught on fire. The city's mayor says that no injuries or deaths have been reported

so far. Local and federal investigators are now trying to find out what exactly started the fire. CNN's Danny Freeman has more from Philadelphia.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The big questions that we don't have an answer to yet are still why and how did this fire and this collapse

happened. The governor and the city were not giving answers during a press conference Sunday evening, but I will tell you what we do know about how

all this went down.

Basically, just before 6:30 Sunday morning, there was a tanker truck that was sitting underneath I-95. That tanker truck then caught fire, and that

fire is what ultimately led to the collapse of the northbound lanes on I- 95. And the governor told us on Sunday that southbound lanes also are not safe at this moment.

Now, currently, the truck is still trapped underneath that wreckage. We've been hearing all throughout the day, jackhammering and heavy machinery

working through the day to sift through that rubble. And while there have been no reported injuries, the governor said they are still working to see

if anyone was actually alive in that truck when this collapse happened.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said that there are 500 tons of concrete mess now sitting on the ground. That's what officials have to

sift through. Take a listen to what Governor Shapiro said when he laid eyes on this incident first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH SHAPIRO, PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR: Remarkable devastation. And I found myself, you know, thanking the Lord that no motorists who were on I-95 were

injured or died. Just a remarkably devastating site, one that our first responders, law enforcement, and others contained very, very quickly. They

got people out of harm's way. And now, under leadership of Secretary Carroll and others, the hard work of clearing the site, rebuilding it would

be underway and we're going to move as quickly as possible.

FREEMAN: Now, Governor Josh Shapiro said that this cleanup could take, quote, some number of months, and just for some perspective, this is going

to be a traffic nightmare. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said that this stretch of I-95 carries about 160,000 vehicles every single

day. It's likely the busiest in the State of Pennsylvania. Danny Freeman, CNN, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

ASHER: We're learning more details about an incredible story of survival in Colombia. Four children who survived 40 days in the Amazon jungle after

their plane crashed are now recovering in a Bogota hospital. They were located by rescue teams on Friday. Doctors say the siblings will be under

medical supervision for the next two to three weeks. The Georgian's father spoke to the media on Sunday. He says that his kids were able to survive

because of their upbringing as indigenous people and their connection with nature.

Let's bring in Journalist Stefano Pozzebon in Bogota. Stefano, this is extraordinary. I mean, I have no words. This is extraordinary. I mean, when

you think about the jungle, which is home to jaguars, ocelots, venomous snakes, how on earth did these four kids -- first of all, they survived the

plane crash, and then they survived for 40 days. Just walk us through what they relied on for food and how they navigated the various threats in the

jungle.

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST (on-camera): Yes, there are plenty of hazards in the Amazon rainforest, Zain, and it's just that I don't have any other

words to describe this myself either, just extraordinary and a remarkable statement of survival. Actually, talking about the terrain in the Amazon,

this morning here in the hospital where the kids are still recovering, they arrived here on Saturday early in the morning.

But I was saying this morning, we had a chat with a special forces general, who oversaw the operation to bring the kids back to safety. And he said

this when trying to describe the difficulties that his men had to overcome to find these four children. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEDRO SANCHEZ, GENERAL, COLOMBIAN AIRFORCE: We conclude with the evidence that maybe they walked about 20 kilometers. We compare the evidence with

the tracks of GPS, we say, oh my goodness, we were very close to the kids, maybe about 100 feet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: Just so you see, very close, just 150 feet away, that's about 50 meters. And not being able to find them because of the rainy season, the

general told us that some days it rained for more than 16 hours of pouring rain because of the thick vegetation, the bushes in the forest, not been

able to find them.

[12:50:00]

And also, I think, it's quite extraordinary that the kids were able to walk for more than 20 kilometers as the general said before being found and

rescued. Now, he's just expecting to hear a little bit more perhaps from the family if they wish to come out of the hospital and talk to us again

but the kids are finally safe and they will be here in this hospital for the next two to three weeks as they recover and it's just a very good

feeling and a good story for us in Colombia. Zain.

ASHER: Yeah, there needed to be, I mean, literally a miracle every single day, every single day for them to make it and they did. Stefano Pozzebon,

live for us there. Thank you so much.

POZZEBON: Thank you.

ASHER: All right, coming up, their traditions have become famous. Now, the Maasai want you to come visit how they're defining Africa's future while

honoring the past, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: In Kenya, some leaders of the semi-nomadic Maasai community are hoping tourists who come for the safari will stay for the culture and the

historic traditions featured in the Maasai festival. CNN's Laila Harrak has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A jumping dance by Maasai warriors. It's just one of the traditions practiced by one of East Africa's most

famous indigenous communities. This Maasai cultural festival in Kenya aims to preserve. While held near the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, a popular

tourist destination known for its wildlife in Kenya, organizers say the gathering celebrates the rituals and customs passed down by generations of

Maasai, but also importantly looks to the community's future by trying to boost tourism in the area.

MICHAEL MARKO, TOUR GUIDE: We used to get our stories from our fathers, we used to get tales from our grandmothers, and today we are seeing the

culture that we have been used to be told. We see if this continues and if this event goes well, we will be hosting many and many Maasai cultural days

for us and other generations to come.

HARRAK (voice-over): Dressed mainly in vibrant reds and adorned with beads, this is the iconic image of the Maasai.

[12:55:00]

But their historically semi-nomadic way of life raising cattle, sheep and goats in parts of East Africa is under threat in recent years. There are

frequent droughts and some Maasai in Tanzania say they have been forcibly removed from their land for hunting, investment and conservation reasons.

Organizers hope the festival in Kenya is a reminder to younger generations to embrace their past and a chance for the people visiting the country to

learn that Africa's safari animals aren't its only treasure.

JOSHUA OLE KAPUTA, MASSAI FESTIVAL ORGANIZER: When you come into this country, and you don't see a Massai, then you've not visited Kenya. So, I'm

saying, Kenya is Massai and Massai is Kenya. Yeah.

HARRAK: Laila Harrak, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Thank you so much for watching ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher. Amanpour is up next. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END