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Hala Gorani Tonight
At Least 54 Killed In Turkish Wedding Attack; Turkish Official: At Least 22 Victims Under Age 14; Trump's Immigration Plan "To Be Determined"; Sarkozy Served As French President 2007-2012; Irish Officials Investigated For Ticket Scalping; Ralph Lauren, Speedo Drop Lochte After Scandal; Syria's Children Of War; Extremist Groups Target Children In Conflict Zones; Canada's Stolen Daughters; Tree-Eating Beetles Threaten Ancient Polish Forest. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired August 22, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[15:00:23] JONATHAN MANN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Jonathan Mann sitting in for Hala Gorani from the CNN Center. This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
Thanks for joining us. Turkey is trying to come to terms with the deadliest attack of what's already been a bloody year. We are learning new
details about the victims of a suicide blast and killed 54 people at a wedding celebration.
The groom and bride survived and returned to their home which overlooked the scene of the attack. Then emotion overcame them eventually forcing
them back to the hospital.
The number of children killed only adds to the horrors, 22 of the dead were under 14 years old. Just after the bombing, Turkish officials said the
attacker was also a child, but that report is now coming into question.
Senior international correspondent, Frederick Pleitgen, is following the story. He joins us now from London. Fred, after an attack of this kind of
brutality, it would be wrong to focus on just one detail, the identity of the killer, but still was it a child or wasn't?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. You're absolutely right. It would be wrong to focus just on one detail,
but certainly the fact that the Turkish authorities came out and said that they were fairly certain that the attacker was between 12 and 14 years old.
It was something that really underscored how horrific many people internationally felt this attack was. And so therefore, it's quite
interesting now that Turkish authorities at least to a certain extent appear to be somewhat backtracking.
The prime minister of the country now saying it's unclear which organization might behind the attack. Remember in the first place they had
said they believed that ISIS was behind the attack.
As far as the age of the attacker is concerned, the prime minister is now saying at this point it's unclear, and I'm quoting here, whether the
attacker was a child or an adult. But there is a rumor that it was a child and that security forces are focusing on and trying to find clues related
to them.
So they certainly still are trying to investigate in that direction, saying it could possibly have been a child. But at this point in time they say it
is unclear whether it was a child or an adult.
Nevertheless of course the horrific attack, as you mentioned, some 54 people killed, many of them under the age of 14. And that's something that
the Turkish authorities have said and something that they certainly are standing by -- Jonathan.
MANN: Can you imagine that poor couple, their home overlooking the blast site.
PLEITGEN: Absolutely and it was the place that they returned to today. It was the home where the groom's parents live and where they were supposed to
have lived after the wedding took place and where the blast took place, we're showing footage now of the absolute horror that this bride and groom
faced.
The bride collapsing, too weak to carry on, after coming back to the blast site, overcome by emotion. She was rushed to a hospital for further
treatment and actually had to stay there because she was just so overwhelmed.
The Turkish -- pro-Kurdish people's Democratic Party saying that one of the people there was a member of its party. Of course, it is something where
the Kurds are saying they want better protection from something like this.
When you have events like this that are hit by attacks of this magnitude, which is of course causing absolute horror there in that town of Gaziantep,
which is so close to the Syrian border -- Jonathan.
MANN: The authorities are blaming ISIS, but the people of Gaziantep, some of them at least, are blaming the Turkish president, Tayyip Erdogan. Why
would that be?
PLEITGEN: Blaming the Turkish president or at least saying the Turkish president or the Turkish authorities aren't doing enough to protect the
Kurds. There certainly was a lot of anger that was unleashed. There were some rocks that were apparently also thrown at Turkish authorities, a
protest that took place.
The Kurds are saying, look, they believe that first of all they're not getting enough protection from attacks like this. Remember, this is not
the first high profile attack that happened in that area.
They're also saying that they believe there's a climate that is being created there in Turkey or that is starting to become prevalent in Turkey
that really focuses on the Kurds and singles them out.
They believe that some of the attacks that are taking place are a result of that climate in Turkey as well. Again, unclear at this point in time
whether or not ISIS is behind it.
There certainly are some people who are say this bears the hallmarks of an ISIS attack. Certainly the Kurds very, very angry not just at those who
perpetrated these attacks but the authorities as well -- Jonathan.
[15:05:04]MANN: Fred Pleitgen, live in London, thanks very much.
Twenty two children lost their lives in that blast, but even for the survivors life is irreparably altered. I'll speak to a UNICEF deputy
executive director about how to help the kids caught up in conflict. That conversation coming up in about 20 minutes' time.
Now to signs that Donald Trump may be ready to soften one of the central promises of his campaign. The Republican presidential candidate has fired
up his supporters by talking tough on immigration and he insists he's not flip flopping now. But as Sunlen Serfaty reports Trump is taking a second
look at forced deportations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONENT (voice-over): Donald Trump's campaign signaling a possible softening of his controversial position on the forced
deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They will go out. They will come back. Some will come back, the best, through a process. They have to
come back legally.
SERFATY: Trump's hard line stance a signature issue of his campaign since the beginning. Now his new campaign manager indicating that policy is not
set in stone.
DANA BASH, CNN GUEST ANCHOR, "STATE OF THE UNION": Let me play something from what Mr. Trump has said previously. Listen to what he said back in
November.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're going to have a deportation force. You're going to do it humanely.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will people get ripped out of their homes? How?
TRUMP: They're going back where they came. If they came from a certain country, they'll be brought back to that country. That's the way it's
supposed to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Will that plan include a deportation force, the kind that you just heard in that sound bite and that he talked about during the Republican
primaries?
KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: To be determined.
SERFATY: Key Trump surrogate Senator Jeff Sessions confirming that Trump is wrestling with the issue after a meeting with Hispanic advisers on
Saturday, ahead of a big policy speech later this week.
JEFF SESSIONS, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: He listened to a lot of people. I don't think he made any commitments. He's thinking it through. I think
that's the right thing.
SERFATY: This potential shift coming as Trump attempts to broaden his appeal among African-American voters.
TRUMP: I've asked the African-American community to honor me with their vote. You're living in poverty. Your schools are no good. You have no
jobs. Fifty eight percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?
SERFATY: Polls show his campaign way behind with this key voting bloc. Following a string of controversial comments about minorities.
TRUMP: They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. Look at my African-American over here. This judge is of Mexican heritage.
I'm building a wall, OK? I'm building a wall.
SERFATY: Trump's now more muted, scripted style reserved for policy, not for his opponent Hillary Clinton.
TRUMP: She will never be able to fix the ISIS problem that her policies created. For one thing, she doesn't have the strength or the stamina.
SERFATY: All this as Trump and his surrogates continue to raise unsubstantiated questions about Hillary Clinton's health.
RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Go online and put down "Hillary Clinton illness," take a look at the videos for yourself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: Sunlen Serfaty. Let's bring in CNN political commentator, Ryan Lizza, Washington correspondent for the "New Yorker" magazine. Good to see
you once again. Everyone seems to be talking about this, Donald Trump going soft on immigration. What's happening?
RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I don't think it's really clear what's happening, to be honest. We seem to have a dispute or we seem
to have an argument inside the campaign with the new campaign manager going out on Sunday and saying that probably the most controversial part of his
immigration proposals in the primaries is this deportation force that he has publicly modelled on an Eisenhower program that essentially had the
military going into people's homes and rounding them up and sending them back to Mexico.
Now his new campaign manager said maybe that's on the table now. On the other hand, they're telling every reporter that has called the campaign
that nothing has changed, that everything Donald Trump has said about immigration previously is the same.
And I think the clarifying moment will be when he gives a speech on this issue. You know, often in traditional campaigns when you have big policy
disagreements inside with the candidate and the policy advisers, things don't get clarified until the candidate has to sit down and put it on paper
and give a speech.
And maybe that's what will happen here, but I think if you go to the Trump website, his original -- what he said about immigration policy still
stands. So confusion right now. I think you have some aides trying to argue he needs to change, but they haven't settled on that course yet.
MANN: In fact I can't remember whose, but he called into somebody's program and said he's trying to come up with something fair. He's trying
now, months into the campaign, to come up with something fair?
[15:10:07]It sounds like a procrastinating high school student whose paper is due tomorrow morning. I mean, is he really improvising this late into
the campaign?
LIZZA: That's what a little surprising is that -- he's been running for 14 months. This is his signature issue, immigration. He was very steadfast
on what he believed on the immigration issue in the primaries. I think you can argue it's probably the issue more than anything else that fueled his
victory in the Republican primaries.
And he's got a campaign manager now in Kellyanne Conway, who is a little bit more of a traditional Republican, I wouldn't exactly call her a pillar
of the establishment, but she's got more links to the establishment.
And she has in the past been in favor of the comprehensive immigration reform that most Republicans have given up on. So I think this is her
influence. I think she's saying, look, Donald, you are going to lose 80 percent of the Hispanic vote, that's lower than Mitt Romney who got 27
percent.
You can't win states like Colorado, even a state like Arizona can be in danger, so maybe you need to adjust your language a little bit.
I think that's the debate they're having in the campaign, is what policy concessions can Trump put on the table to start winning some of these
groups that he's just getting slaughtered with.
MANN: Let's talk about some news on the Clinton side of the campaign. Word today that the government actually has more e-mails, an awful lot more
e-mails, that we didn't know were out there, that no one has seen, and they're going to start releasing them. This problem isn't over, in fact I
wonder if it's about to get bigger.
LIZZA: Absolutely. You know, Jonathan, over the weekend you and I were talking about what could change the dynamics of the campaign, it was
looking pretty good for Clinton. Something like this, a major fallout from some e-mail that she had previously not released, and she had deleted and
the FBI has recovered.
You know, that's a lot of e-mails, right? Who knows what's in that. So far, with the e-mails that have been released, we've noticed that Hillary
Clinton has been a very careful e-mailer.
She knows from years of being investigated not to put anything down in writing that could be in any way incriminating. So, you know, I'm a little
-- I'm skeptical that she's done anything like that.
But thousands of e-mails, you know, we often talk about October surprises in campaigns, if there were a list of October surprises, this is probably
one you want to keep an eye on.
MANN: One of the things that has emerged from the e-mails is a certain coziness between the Clinton State Department, the Clinton Foundation, the
family philanthropy, and donors to the Clinton Foundation.
And it seems today now officially Bill Clinton is saying today they're going to be a lot more careful if she's elected president, and he's going
to step down from the foundation which he created.
Are they acknowledging that there is something awkward about the arrangement that they've been sustaining while she was secretary of state
and even a candidate for the presidency?
LIZZA: Yes, but it raises the question of why didn't they do that while she was secretary of state. Obviously a secretary of state is not as
influential as being president, but still, the obvious conflict of interest has always been there.
This is not a new issue. When Barack Obama chose Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state, this was the big issue. It took a lot of work for the
White House and the Clinton folks to for instance make public all the donations and then to come up with a memorandum of understanding about how
the foundation would operate so it wouldn't cross these lines.
Well, a lot of people at the time, including I'll give a shout-out to "The Washington Post" editorial board, said it wasn't good enough. That there
is still an inherent conflict of interest.
And frankly that her husband should get out of the business of taking money from countries that Hillary Clinton is going to have a policy impact over.
And, you know, it's taken now, what, eight years, and the Clinton folks have finally come to the same conclusion, because guess what, there's been
a lot of reporting that there were conflicts of interest.
That there was at least the appearance of a conflict because money was flowing into the Clinton Foundation and at the same time Hillary Clinton as
secretary of state, surprise, surprise, was dealing with issues that those same countries cared about.
And look, if you are Saudi Arabia or any other country and you want to influence American policy and Hillary Clinton is the secretary of state,
maybe giving a donation to the Clinton Foundation isn't a bad idea.
And that is not to pooh-pooh all the good work that the Clinton Foundation has done. That is undeniable, but it's an obvious conflict of interest
that they need to clean up.
MANN: It does make you wonder. Ryan Lizza of the "New Yorker," thanks very much.
LIZZA: Thanks, Jonathan.
[15:15:01]GORANI: After the break, the French has a phrase for it, de javu, Nicholas Sarkozy wants to be French president again. What are his
chances? We'll talk about it.
And controversy swirling around the Olympics even after it's over. We'll tell you about fresh allegations of ticket scalping at the highest levels
and more when THE WORLD RIGHT NOW continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MANN: Welcome back. This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. A familiar face has thrown his hat into the ring for next year's French presidential election.
Former President Nicholas Sarkozy will try to make a comeback after being ousted by Francois Hollande back in 2012.
Sarkozy declared his candidacy Monday as he released on social media excerpts from his new book. For more we go now to Christian Malard, a
French journalist and international diplomatic consultant joining us now from our Paris bureau. Good to see you once again. Let me ask you how
surprised are you? How surprised anyone in France.
CHRISTIAN MALARD, JOURNALIST AND INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC CONSULTANT: I am not surprised at all, Jonathan. It's the story of the comeback kid. As
you said previously, it's de javu. Sarkozy was preparing for a long time his comeback, trying to get a revenge on what he called probably the
(inaudible) reliable candidacy of President Hollande next December.
Tonight, Hollande is very satisfied. He has his best political enemy who is going to run. He does think that in spite of the fact that he has many
contenders from his own party fighting against him, he doesn't care.
He does think tonight that he has a chance to beat his best political rival and probably he is right. We are in France in a situation which is similar
to the one in the United States.
You have in the United States Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton who are the most unpopular candidates, Republican and Democratic side. In France, we
might have Hollande and Sarkozy, the most unpopular candidates according to all the polls of opinion we had until now.
MANN: Mr. Sarkozy has changed and France has changed in the time since he was president. He was center right. Now it seems his rhetoric has moved
him closer to the far right on issues like immigration and the role of Muslims in French life. Tell us about that.
MALARD: You are totally right, Jonathan. You remember when Sarkozy lost the presidential election. Hollande and only 1.6 million ahead of
Hollande. Sarkozy lost because a lot of the traditional right wing Republican voters went to vote for Marianne Le Pen in the far right.
What is Sarkozy doing today? He tried to recuperate part of this electorate especially all the more so has we have a very difficult
situation to tackle in France versus terrorism, Islamic networks.
[15:20:02]So he is the man, he wants to appear as being the man (inaudible) to be the toughest versus Islamist fundamentalist networks, against
terrorism, probably far better definitely than President Hollande and his government.
MANN: He was in the unusual position of having tried and failed to win reelection as president. He lost after a single term. Is he any more
popular today than he was then?
MALARD: No. No. As I alluded to, Sarkozy and Hollande are very unpopular and these two guys are going to run. Right now on the Republican side, on
the right wing side, the former prime minister and former secretary of foreign affairs, mayor of Bordeaux, still has the favor of the right wing
traditional electorate.
The question is we are eight months from the elections, May 2017. Will Mr. Jupee (ph) hold on to his advantage in the polls? It's difficult to say.
Many things may happen, again, in the struggle against terrorism. We may have to face some terrorist actions in France.
So it's depending on many unexpected events we can't talk about right now. But it's going to be a big fight on the right wing, definitely, 13
candidates at the primaries. And a few coming up on the left wing side facing Monsieur Holland, denying what he has been doing for the last five
years and criticizing his mandate, saying, it's a social, political, economic failure.
MANN: I'm struck by the fact that Jupee was prime minister, we were both still wearing short pants, none of these men among the three leaders for
the nominations seem like new faces. There are some new faces coming up. Do the French want a change? In the United States, Americans really do
seem to want change.
MALARD: Yes, the French want change too, it's clear. These people you alluded Mr. Jupee (inaudible), former prime minister too are not belonging
to a new generation, a new political generation, definitely.
So when you talk to people in France, and you know this country very well, Jonathan, they tell you, whatever may happen, on the second round you will
have to face whoever, you will have to face Marine Le Pen in the far right. We'll see the results.
In this population in France, inside the population, we have a real frustration. People are so if fed up with the way the right wing party,
the left wing party and governments have been dealing with our economic and political affairs, and especially also the Laxism they have been charged
with concerning the struggle against terrorism.
MANN: Christian Malard, we'll be watching the campaign. You'll be along with us the whole way I'm sure. Thanks so much for being with us once
again.
MALARD: Thanks, Jonathan.
MANN: Several European leaders are meeting in Italy with a message for the rest of the E.U. Britain's exit will not lead to the demise of the
European Union, according to Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Minister Renzi met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President
Hollande on an aircraft carrier to discuss the impact Brexit might have on the European Union along with on working a way forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEO RENZI, ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Many thought that after Brexit, Europe was finished, but that is not the case. We
respect the choice of British citizens, but we must also write a page for the future. That is why internal security, external security, the fight
for a common defense, and cooperation between intelligence services, better integration for the national defense industries, and the European community
security project are an absolutely priority.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: In a historic first, the International Criminal Court has classified destroying cultural artifacts as a war crime. The decision follows the
trial of a jihadist who pleaded guilty of destroying monuments in Mali's ancient city of Timbuktu. He could face up to 30 year in prison. Timbuktu
was ransacked in 2012 by an al Qaeda-affiliated group. The city is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A major update today to the incident involving Ryan Lochte and those three other American swimmers at that gas station in Rio. If you're Lochte, it's
an expensive one.
Speedo USA, the company that makes swimsuits, is dropping its sponsorship of Lochte. Speedo said in a statement that it can't condone his behavior
and hopes he learns from the experience.
For his part, Lochte says he respects Speedo's decision. Ralph Lauren also said it will not renew its contract with Lochte either.
From swimmers behaving badly to new allegations of high level ticket scalping. Four top Irish Olympic officials are staying put in Rio after
Brazilian police confiscated their passports. One of them is actually behind bars in a notorious prison. The charges on the table, ticket
touting, elicit marketing, and running a cartel.
[15:25:06]CNN's Don Riddell is in Rio with all the details. Don, the Olympics are over, but the scandals aren't. What's been happening?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORTS: Yes, the Olympics far from over for these four Irish men, very senior members of the OCI, Olympic Committee of
Ireland, and in particular for Patrick Hickey, a rather unpleasant experience. He was arrested last week.
He actually fainted as he was being arrested and was therefore taken to hospital. He has as you say now being transferred to a high security
prison here in Rio and is awaiting his fate. He's 71 years old.
He denies the charges against him. He has been accused, as you say, of ticket touting, running a cartel, and illicit marketing. Three other
senior members of the OCI are also staying put in Rio.
They can't leave. They have surrendered their passports and laptop computers and also their cell phones as this investigation continues.
An independent inquiry has also been opened up on the Irish end to try to get to the bottom of this. This is not at all how the Irish wanted their
Olympics to be ending. It's a very busy day at Rio airport with many delegations and athletes leaving over the next day or so, but not these
guys.
MANN: Let's talk about Lochte. It's not going to cost him the shirt off his back, but I guess he's lost his swimming trunks. Tell what us what
Speedo has decided.
RIDDELL: Yes, well, they are one of a number of corporate sponsors to day to end their association with Ryan Lochte in fairly short order. I mean,
towards the end of last week, we had a big tabloid newspaper in the United States running with the headline, "liar, liar, Speedos on fire," which is
not the association that a major brand like Speedo is looking for. So they along with Ralph Lauren and also the Gentle Hair Removal Company have ended
their association.
Speedo making it pretty clear what their position is, in a statement that concluded with the line, "We cannot condone behavior that is counter to the
values that this brand has long stood for. We appreciate his many achievements and hope he moves forward and learns from this experience."
It's been a very, very expensive day for Ryan Lochte and is by no means the end of it for him. The USOC gave their final presence conference here,
Jonathan, yesterday, in which they briefly acknowledged the situation and said that further action would be considered when they got back to the
United States.
They're all on their way home now. I think they didn't really want to make any more of it while they were still here and take even more of the
spotlight away from all the other American athletes who had such a phenomenal games.
But when you look at the Michael Phelps, for example, the Olympics' most decorated athlete ever, he's had several indiscretions in the past few
years which have resulted in bans between three to six months.
I think Lochte can expect that at the very least. And given that his misdemeanor took place at the games themselves and cost his team so much
good publicity and just gave their media team a nightmare to have to deal with, I think he can expect a bit more than that.
MANN: Don, you're in one of the liveliest cities in the world. I'm curious, is it feeling a little quiet in Rio today? Has everyone gone
home? Do you think like the party is really over?
RIDDELL: Yes, it does feel like that. Not helped by the weather either, Jonathan. We knew that the summer Olympics were being held in Rio's
winter. By and large we've had great weather, but it's really turned.
I mean, during the closing ceremony last night it was raining a lot. It rained all night. The temperatures really dropped. It kind of feels like
a sort of sad, gray day here, which is a shame. That's not really helping.
You can't deny that the Olympic Games are now over and a lot of people will be leaving. We are, though, still looking forward to the paralympics,
which are going to be commencing here in just over two weeks' time.
But we know that there are concerns around that. We've been hearing recently that the ticket sales are really struggling at 12 percent.
They're really struggling for the funding.
Some of the arenas and areas have been closed ahead of the paralympics. That's an unfortunate post script to the Olympics. We've had a great time,
but it does feel like the party is over at the Olympics.
MANN: We had a great time watching. Don Riddell, live from Rio, thanks very much.
And there is still more Olympic controversy of a different kind grabbing international attention, an Ethiopian runner's defiant protest against his
government. He crossed his arms above his head after winning silver at the men's marathon Sunday.
It was a sign of solidarity with his native people which has been protesting against the government's land development plan and it's facing a
violent crackdown. Now the athlete fears for his life. The Ethiopian government says he's a hero and quote, "shouldn't be at all worried."
Still ahead, born into conflict. Many are forced to flee, others are left behind to face the bloodshed. We look at the harsh reality of children in
war.
[15:30:02] And later, Canada's dark problem of sex trafficking, where isolation makes indigenous women a prime target for exploitation. Stay
with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MANN: Welcome back. Here's a look at the hour's top stories. The Turkish prime minister says authorities don't know if the attacker who killed 54
people at a wedding celebration on Saturday was a child or an adult. There are indications the suicide bomber was a youngster. Authorities say 22 of
the victims were under 14 years old.
U.S. Olympian Ryan Lochte is losing sponsors over a false account he was robbed by police in Rio during the Olympics. Speedo USA is dropping its
sponsorship of Lochte. Lochte says he respects Speedo's decision. Ralph Lauren has also said it will not renew its contract with Lochte and the
parent company of Gentle Hair Remover will be its partnership as well.
The summer games next head east, Tokyo's new governor received the Olympic flag at the closing ceremony Sunday. And a special appearance by Japan's
prime minister set the tone for what may lie ahead in four years. Will Ripley has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dressed as Super Mario may have set the tone for Tokyo
2020. But few Japanese actually saw it live. Half a world away and 12 hours ahead of Rio, the Olympic closing ceremony was right in the middle of
Tokyo's Monday morning commute and an approaching typhoon.
Outdoor Olympic viewing parties were cancelled, but a few gathered inside. We hope to see all of Japan's technology showcased in the next Olympics,
says Witchi Suzuki (ph), watching the closing ceremony on a huge HKTV.
(on camera): You can see every tiny detail in HK.
(voice-over): HK just a sample of the high tech cool Tokyo 2020 organizers are promising. Super high speed Maglev trains, far faster than today's
bullet trains. Robots doing everything from giving directions to driving taxis. Ambitious technology projects Japan hopes will impress crowds and
boost the economy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are going to make these games innovative.
RIPLEY: (Inaudible) Fujisawa is one of Tokyo 2020's executive directors. He says new technology and five new Olympic sports will draw new fans.
Winning the Olympic bid three years ago was supposed to be Japan's badly- need comeback after years in the economic doldrums and the disasters in March of 2011 that killed thousands and shook Japan to the core.
[15:35:06]But problems have plagued Tokyo 2020 ever since, a scrapped Olympic stadium design, logo plagiarism allegations, construction delays,
even a bribery investigation.
(on camera): Has Tokyo bounced back from that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think so, yes. People are excited about it, and people are very much looking forward to Tokyo 2020.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Problems do persist. Many are worried about the growing multi-billion dollar price tag when Japan already has a huge
national debt. The responsibility of cutting costs falls largely on Tokyo's new governor, the first woman to hold the job.
We don't know if our new governor can do the job yet, says this man, but we need more transparency when it comes to the Olympics.
YURIKO KOIKE, TOKYO GOVERNOR: We know the problem, and we are looking for the solution.
RIPLEY: Now she carries an Olympic-size burden. And with Tokyo Tower decked out in full Olympic colors, the countdown is officially on. Will
Ripley, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: The 5-year-old Omran Daqneesh photographed shocked and bloody after being pulled in the rubble of his in Aleppo. He has become the face of
Syria's children. Those displaced, those unable to escape, those not lucky enough to survive. That includes Omran's older brother who died from his
wounds over the weekend.
Their children born amidst the barrel bombs, and who grew up knowing nothing about the war. Nima Elbagir's report is disturbing, but she takes
us into an Aleppo hospital to witness the start of one of those lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two lives. One heartbeat sustaining both. Nesa is 9 months pregnant. She was
already on her way to the hospital when the air strike hit. Nesa's arm and leg are broken. Her belly sprayed with shrapnel.
But what about her baby? Nesa's wail pierces the silence. The doctors keep on going. The baby, out into the bright lights, silent and still.
They fight on, the little chest pummeled, up and down, harder and harder.
His airways cleared, anything and everything. Then a flutter. Blood in the umbilical cord. Color floods his little body. Cries of "God is great"
break the tension.
A moment of triumph over the specter of greedy death stalking the city streets. A moment that here in Aleppo must be waged again and again. Nima
Elbagir, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: A new life amidst of devastation of Aleppo. Both the baby and the mother survived this near death experience. But what kind of life now
awaits the newborn? Impossible to say.
Justin Forsyth is the deputy director of UNICEF joining us from the United Nations in New York. Thanks so much for being with us. Does anyone know
how many kids are born in or live in war zones right now?
JUSTIN FORSYTH, UNICEF DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: We don't know the exact number. It's difficult to say. But we know that over 30 million children
have been displaced because of conflict and war. I've just got back from south Sudan. I was out in very, very remote areas.
And I saw firsthand the terrible consequences of that war on children as we've just heard about Aleppo. In that part of the world, there aren't
even hospitals that function. I want to one hospital that had been looted in the war. There was one bed in the pediatric ward.
Children there were dying of malnutrition, malaria, easily preventable diseases, all as a consequence of that war. So thousands of thousands of
children around the world everyday die or are injured in terrible wars.
MANN: What's the psychological impact even for children who are physically healthy enough to endure it?
FORSYTH: Terrible. I mean, children self-harm, they wet their beds, they shake, literally shake in fear.
[15:40:06]We saw that little boy in the back of the ambulance has become a symbol of conflict in Syria, how shocked the innocence on his face, but is
the innocence in his eyes, the fear.
And I saw children in South Sudan just a few days ago who had seen terrible things. They were sitting quietly in the corner, shaking. We do this
child therapy with them, we do child friendly spaces to try and bring them out of themselves. They draw pictures of what they've seen.
Some of these children are also recruited, like in South Sudan and other places in the world, to be child soldiers. They're forced to kill people.
They're forced, even some of the young boys I met, to rape people.
So they commit atrocities and that further -- they're like double victims of these terrible wars. We've seen that also in the middle east where
children are forced to be bombers, these suicide bombers, and also in Northern Nigeria, Boko Haram have used many children to blow up other
people.
MANN: I want to ask you about that because, of course, in the news, this latest atrocity in Gaziantep, Turkey, where more than 50 people were killed
and the president quickly blamed the attack on what he thought was a suicide bomber aged between 12 to 14. It's not entirely clear that that's
happened, but if it were, it doesn't sound like you would be surprised.
FORSYTH: No, we wouldn't be surprised. We don't know if it's the case in Turkey, but in Northern Nigeria, we know there's a huge surge in the number
of children used by Boko Haram as suicide bombers, I think over 40 this year alone and a similar number last year.
These children are forcibly recruited. Some of them have development challenges and are not some of them told they're going to be suicide
bombers because they're remotely detonated.
Often it's girls now in Nigeria selected for this terrible task, and they're sent into big crowds and then blown up to kill other people.
They're victims of this conflict.
Some of the children that have been -- that have got away from Boko Haram are also deeply traumatized. The ones that have been lined up to be
suicide bombers that have been rescued, sometimes they go on to be victimized by their community, even though they are the victims.
We've got to see these children as victims. They may have been indoctrinated, they may have been forced to do these terrible deeds, but
they're not responsible for their actions, adults are manipulating them.
MANN: What becomes of these children? What kind of adults do they grow into?
FORSYTH: Well, some of them never recover. But we work in many parts of the world including in Aleppo right now, we've helped 3,000 children with
psychosocial support to overcome trauma. We have 10,000 children in Aleppo going through child play in child friendly places so they overcome some of
the trauma.
In South Sudan, even in these terribly remote faces with very little facilities, we're helping children. We helped last year 2,000 children
come out of the armed groups and then reengage with their communities.
I met a mom and dad of a 14-year-old child soldier and I met him briefly. They said he couldn't concentrate for more than 15 minutes. He had gone to
school for the first time in 14 years, he was very excited by it.
He was demonstrating all the signs of trauma. He wasn't able to sit still. He couldn't concentrate. He was also aggressive at times to other
children. We have to spend years helping these children recover from what they've been through.
MANN: Justin Forsyth of the UNICEF, thanks so much for talking with us and good luck with your important work.
FORSYTH: Thank you.
MANN: Next on THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, half of all sex trafficking victims in Canada are indigenous people. We take a look at how police are trying to
track them and help. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:46:16]
MANN: Welcome back. This week on the CNN Freedom Project, we're exploring a little-known aspect of sex trafficking in Canada. The disproportionate
impact on Canada's indigenous people.
But first in context, nine out of ten Canadians live in the south of Canada, in cities close to the U.S. border. But Canada's indigenous people
are scattered across the north.
While they make up just 4 percent of the population, indigenous people make up about half of all sex trafficking victims in the country. Many are
trafficked from remote cities to larger cities in the south. CNN's Paula Newton has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At 3:00, 4:00 in the morning, you'll see them out here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of it people here, they'll struggle with different things.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You'll see older men just sitting in cars, idling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody wants to be out here doing what they have to do.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Words of comfort and support. They echo most nights through the streets of Winnipeg.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you sleep yesterday?
NEWTON: Debbie Combi (ph) is a community outreach worker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want a ride home or anything? No? Are you OK? You need anything else?
NEWTON: Kirt Chapiko (ph) is a police detective, part of an elite unit trying to counter sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
DETECTIVE KIRT CHAPIKO: This is our regular route. We drive in this area, and the other areas that have high levels of exploitation.
NEWTON: They are both leading a transformation, a new way to fight human trafficking. The approach firmly focused on victims and most of the ones
they meet here come from Canada's minority indigenous community.
CHAPIKO: Two females on the south side of Notre Dame. They're walked westbound. They are going to be at the crosswalk shortly.
NEWTON: We ride along with Detective Chapiko and observe as undercover officers meet with two women they believe could be trafficking victims.
CHAPIKO: Passenger door is closed. They'll be heading westbound.
NEWTON: What's different here than in past years, the intent. They are not out to prosecute but to protect, trying to understand how and why these
women are being sexually exploited.
CHAPIKO: It's the misconception that a lot of people have, that they want to be out there. But they truly don't want to be out there.
NEWTON (on camera): They don't have a choice?
CHAPIKO: They don't have a choice.
NEWTON (voice-over): Law enforcement officials acknowledge a history of bias and racism that prevented police on the streets from truly
understanding how and why indigenous women are vulnerable and at risk.
DEPUTY CHIEF DANNY SMYTH, WINNIPEG POLICE SERVICE: There is bias at the police service. We recognize that there's implicit bias. We certainly
have taken steps to try to address that in myriad of ways. We have a team that's dedicated just to outreach, just to being out there and trying to
get to know who is out on the street, trying to establish a relationship with them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hopefully it will be a busy night.
NEWTON: To do that, they've teamed with community workers like Debbie, once a trafficking victim herself. She explains outreach is neither quick
nor simple.
DEBBIE CUMBY, NDINAWE OUTREACH TEAM: We're controlled by, you know, our traffickers. A lot of people call them their boyfriends or drug dealers.
And, you know, you owe money, and you have a choice. You get beaten or killed or you go out and work.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We'll get started. We have about 68 kids that are missing this morning.
NEWTON: The new approach on the streets of Winnipeg is supported by the government.
[15:50:02]Jennifer Richardson runs Tracia's Trust, Manitoba's strategy to combat sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of children.
Crucially the provincial government has committed more than 10 million Canadian dollars each year to fund it, a huge sum for a population of only
about a million people.
This groundbreaking endeavor focuses on prevention, intervention, and legislation, while trying to tackle the question of why indigenous people,
small minority of the population represent more than three quarters of all human trafficking victims in Manitoba.
Both independent and government studies have detailed poverty, addiction, family violence, and sexual abuse as key factors.
JENNIFER RICHARDSON, TRACIA'S TRUST: When you look at the context of their environment and what is going on in the (inaudible), the level of violence,
level drugs, it's almost like mental terrorism. The kids are acting out what they're engaged in.
NEWTON (on camera): And they've been terrorized.
RICHARDSON: Right.
NEWTON (voice-over): We learned the two young women the detectives approached are indigenous. The police will now follow up with social
agencies.
CHAPIKO: OK. Copy that.
NEWTON: That's what's different and revolutionary about the approach here in Manitoba. A first in Canada, it uses targeted funds, but also words,
deeds, and training to help fight human trafficking in a whole new way. That prioritizes the needs of victims.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You be safe.
NEWTON: Paula Newton, CNN, Winnipeg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: Tomorrow you'll hear the story of a survivor who was pulled into the sex trade at just 11 years old.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I always get excited coming back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): An older girl. Someone who presented to be her friend was actually preying on her, luring her with drugs and
trafficking her for sex.
(on camera): What would happen if you refuse to have sex with anybody?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You would get raped by a few of them at once.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. We'll be back with more right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MANN: Welcome back. Poland is holding off on a controversial plan to save one of the world's oldest forests. The government's solution to save the
forests from beetles, which are destroying it is to cut down ancient trees. Our Phil Black explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sunlight seeps through the forest canopy, softly enveloping some of Europe's oldest trees. It feels
like time here is standing still. Man has interfered little with this ancient ecosystem.
The Bialowieza primeval forest, a UNESCO world heritage site is located in Poland's far-east and stretches into neighboring Belarus. It is the best-
preserved forest in Europe, some say in the world.
BOGDAN JAROSZEWICZ, DIRECTOR, GEOBOTANICAL STATION, UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW: The area which is now covered by Bialowieza Forest is unique from this
point of view, that it is covered by forest since the last negotiation.
BLACK: The forest is also home to Europe's biggest mammal, the endangered European bison. There are almost 600 in this forest.
[15:55:09]They are not alone. This place is an ark of natural wonder. There are fears it could all be threatened by one of the forest's tiniest
creatures, the bark beetle.
Since 2012, the beetles have attacked almost one fifth of the spruce trees, the worst infestation in decades. The Polish government initially
responded with a highly controversial policy. It tripled logging quotas in parts of the forest that aren't already strictly protected.
The thinking goes infested trees should be cut down to prevent others from being attacked. That only inspired fury from environmentalists and concern
among scientists who believe humans should not intervene.
JAROSZEWICZ: The forest has existed for 4,000 years. If the forests were dominated by spruce, spruce bark beetle was always part of it. Such a
cycle of bark beetle outbreaks took place during the 20th century almost each decade and that's a normal, natural cycle. A natural forest will deal
with the problem.
BLACK: That's an argument some foresters refuse to accept.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There is a conflict in ideologies. A passive ideology and one that is aimed at actively protecting the forest.
If we don't set a clear goal, the conflict will drag on.
BLACK: Locals are also split over the best approach. Some want a complete ban on commercial logging.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a place that needs protection. We have a conflict, we have a problem. It needs protection. As we live here, we
think that it's our responsibility to give our voice.
BLACK: The debate has inspired the government to pause and reassess its policy. Logging has been suspended temporarily. For now, the quiet of the
forest is left undisturbed, as it hopefully overcomes the assault of the bark beetles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. That was Phil Black reporting. I'm Jonathan Mann. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
