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Hala Gorani Tonight
Sources: FBI Investigation Continues Into "Odd" Computer Link Between Russian Bank And Trump Organization; 6,000 People Flee Western Mosul Friday; South Korea Removes President Park Geun-hye; Rural Town Turns To National Front; Pope Open to Allowing Married Men to Priesthood; Strong Jobs Growth in Trump's First Month; Woman Fights Child Trafficking in Orphanages; Remembering the Hillsborough Disaster; Colossal 3,000-year-old Statue Unearthed. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired March 10, 2017 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:03] HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones standing in for Hala Gorani live from CNN London and this is THE
WORLD RIGHT NOW.
Hello again, and we begin with an investigation by a highly secretive division of the FBI. Sources tell CNN federal investigators and computer
scientists are continuing to examine if there was a computer server connection between the Trump Organization and a Russian bank.
Questions about the possible connection were widely dismiss just months ago, but we've learned that the FBI's counterintelligence team is still
investigating, that's the same unit looking into Russia's alleged interference in the U.S. presidential election.
Let's get some more details on all of this now, CNN Money investigative reporter, Jose Pagliery, joins me how live from New York with some
exclusive reporting.
Jose, bring us up to speed with what we know so far. What's strange about this possible server activity?
JOSE PAGLIERY, CNN MONEY INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Hannah, what's odd about these communications is that the Russian bank repeatedly looked up the
unique internet address of a computer server in the United States used by the Trump Organization.
In the computer world, geek speak, it's just like looking up someone's phone number over and over again, while there isn't necessarily a phone
call or a reaching out of communication that usually indicates an intention to do that.
That is according to several computer scientists we spoke to for this report. Now a particular group of computer scientists who obtained these
leaked internet records and reviewed them, records they were never supposed to make public or see.
They were puzzled as to why a Russian bank was doing this. Their guess was maybe it was trying to send e-mail to the Trump Organization. Maybe it was
trying to reach out, but honestly, they couldn't tell.
Now let's put things in perspective, last summer during the presidential campaign raised the height of it that was when the Russian bank was looking
of the address to this Trump corporate server some 2,800 times.
That is more lookups than that server received from any other source. Now the only other entity that we know of doing internet lookups like this as
frequently was a server owned by Spectrum Health, a medical facility chain led by Dick DeVos, the husband of Betsy DeVos, who was later appointed as
U.S. education secretary by Mr. Trump.
Now those two entities alone made up 99 percent of the lookups, 99 percent, and that's why these computer scientists find that just plain weird that
these two entities would do that.
Now we reached out to the corporations involved and they made it very clear that they have never communicated by e-mail with the Trump Organization and
they have different competing explanations for what could happened here.
But they haven't provided any proof and they don't agree about what happened, for example, the Russian bank think that it was receiving Trump
Hotel email marketing last summer, it's an easy explanation.
But the proof hasn't been there, it hasn't provided CNN with a single email to back up that theory. Meanwhile, there was an American marketing company
that would have been sending those emails on behalf of Trump Hotels, but then they tell us that they weren't doing that during the summertime, which
is the time in question.
Alfa Bank in part has stressed that none of his top executives have any affiliation at all with President Trump or the Trump Organization. In a
statement they sent to CNN, they say that neither Alfa Bank nor its principles including Mikhail Fridman and Petr Avon, have or have had any
contact with Mr. Trump or his organizations."
So what we've got here is a potential computer link that remains a mystery. Nothing nefarious necessarily but lots of questions.
VAUGHAN JONES: I heard that you mentioned there about lookups, but where these servers between Alfa Bank and the Trump organization actually
communicating with each other?
PAGLIERY: Not that we can see, not that we can see, again, I mean, the way to think about this is almost as if I were looking up your phone number
over and over again looking up your address over and over again, you'd wonder why am doing that.
[15:05:08]It could be because I'm planning to call you or write you a letter, but it doesn't indicate that I am going to do that. So there's a
reason why on the internet you would lookup these dresses and that's what these servers were doing at the Russian bank and at this medical chain.
But we don't know that they actually communicated with the Trump Organization this way.
VAUGHAN JONES: Very interesting. We know the FBI investigation is still open. It's not close so clearly they are looking at something. Jose
Pagliery, thanks very much for bringing us the latest that we know of from your end.
Let's go Moscow now for a closer look at this bank, Alfa Bank, which is under investigation and its response, of course, to this CNN exclusive
reporting. We are joint by CNN international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen who is live for us there in Russia.
Fred, tell us about Alfa Bank, is this a state owned entity or does it have a level of independence?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It has a large level of independence actually, Hannah. It's not state owned at all. In
fact, Alfa Bank is one of the very few banks here in this country that actually does a lot to try to keep a distance between itself and the
Kremlin and between itself and the Russian government.
Now, of course, in the highly restrictive environment as Russia is not really very easy to do that so surely do have interactions with government
entities here on quite a regular basis, but they do try to keep a large level of independence.
And they are known for doing that and there are some indications that that's something that's recognized internationally as well. None of their
top executives or the bank itself are sanctioned.
Even though, of course, we know that some other Russian banks have been and some individuals as well have been sanctioned since the conflict in Ukraine
began, but of course, the west kept tightening sanctions against the Russian Federation.
And then the other thing that is quite telling as well as far as the level of independence of this bank is concerned is that despite the fact that, of
course, Russia and Ukraine have severed their ties since the Ukraine crisis really kicked into high gear.
This bank actually still has big business dealings in Ukraine and from the latest that we've been able to tell those business dealings have not
suffered since the Ukraine crisis and in fact seemed to be doing quite well -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: Lots of questions, lots of investigations going on in the United States at the moment, political, financial type potentially between
the U.S. and Russia. I'm wondering are they any questions being asked, any investigations being conducted in Russia?
PLEITGEN: Not really. I mean, there certainly aren't any government investigations that we know of, certainly not into Alfa Bank and certainly
not into this a specific issue that we've been talking about.
Now we do know and we can elaborate a little more in the investigation that apparently was conducted by Alfa Bank itself because it says, look, we
hired an outside company to look into what exactly happened there.
It seems as though the working hypothesis of that company was that yes, it indeed it may have very well been spam emails that were sent, advertising
emails that that might've been sent from this Trump server and that might have set up some sort of cyber security thing at the bank itself, which led
it to then make an inquiry, which is known as a DNS inquiry basically to see where some of these impulses are coming from.
Now from the latest that we have it seems as though the bank conducted investigation, it doesn't look as it really is found anything, but they've
said that that investigation is over. So certainly at this point time, we got in touch with them earlier today and we talked to them about our
reporting, and they say, yes, they were aware of CNN's new reporting.
They said they would get back to us if they had anything new to say, but then said, look, they talk the matter over. They didn't want add anything
to the statements that they've given so far -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: Fred Pleitgen live for us in Moscow. Thank you.
Now street by street, the Iraqi army is wrestling Mosul back from ISIS. Whatever success the troops may claim on that urban battlefield, though, we
can't ignore or overstate the human toll.
The government tells CNN that 6,000 people fled on Friday alone, and they are escaping a wasteland that look nothing like the home they remember.
Ben Wedeman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is how you get around West Mosul, you run. The soldiers here in the southern
neighborhood of (inaudible) are confident of victory. The situation here is very good says, Ahmed, ISIS has runaway. There are no problems in this
area.
His comrade, Ali, agrees. ISIS is finished, he says. The battle passed through here just a few days ago leaving massive destruction in its wake.
Attack helicopters are busy overhead.
(on camera): This is what the Iraqi military says is a deliberated area, but there's gunfire nearby and not a civilian to be found.
[15:10:07](voice-over): Just a few blocks away, most of the houses are empty and many of the few who stayed behind are leaving. There's no
running water, electricity, or food. (Inaudible) however staying put. She and her family hid out in their basement for 16 days while the battle raged
around them.
Their only food was cold porridge made of flour and water. The children were afraid, she recalls, we gave them and the old folks medicine to make
them sleep through the whole thing.
She's the exception. Thousands are fleeing the city every day. Our house was destroyed (inaudible) says. ISIS had forced out then it was hit by a
rocket.
Miriam (ph) left her home this morning and now enjoys a cigarette forbidden under the rule of ISIS although she says they weren't above a few sins of
their own.
They took pills. They drank alcohol. They oppressed us, she says, but when they came to you, they'd say God says this, Muhammad says that.
They're experimented being holier than thou has ended in this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUGHAN JONES: Well, Ben Wedeman joins me now live from Erbil tonight. Ben, 6,000 people fled today, but thousands more still trapped in the
crossfire. Is there any timeframe for securing all of Mosul from ISIS?
WEDEMAN: In terms of the timeframe actually no, there isn't. The Iraqi forces have made significant progress since the offensive began just under
three weeks ago. They've taken about half of the western part of the city, but there is no saying how long it will take to take the other half.
If you look at Eastern Mosul, which is roughly about the same size with a slightly larger population, it took Iraqi forces three months to drive ISIS
out of that part of the city. And now, of course, ISIS is completely surrounded, the city is surrounded.
And the assumption is that some will fight to the bitter end. Others however may in fact realize that there's no way out maybe it's better to
take up the offer announced by the Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi who said surrender and will give you a fair trial. If not, you're going to
die -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: So no clear timeframe, but what about a political plan for the aftermath of this military mission in order to try and get the thousand
people who have been forced out home again?
WEDEMAN: Well, if you look at the situation in Eastern Mosul, for instance, many people have returned and I wouldn't say life is back to
normal, but certainly, it's going in that direction.
The problem is in these areas that the Iraqi forces have liberated not only in Mosul, but in Fallujah, Ramadi, Tikrit, other Iraqi towns and cities is
that oftentimes there's not really a plan of follow-up.
Because for instance in Eastern Mosul, you have a problem something of a security vacuum. You have ISIS sleeper cells, who have been operating in
the eastern part of the city.
There have been a series of suicide bombings and the worry is that all this attention, all this effort is being put into the military campaign, but
there isn't necessarily such a hard cast --iron cast a plan to deal with the aftermath and that may be where the troubles begin all over again --
Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: Ben, we appreciate your reporting. Ben Wedeman live for us in Northern Iraq in Erbil, thank you.
Still to come on the program tonight, protest and celebration following the ousting of South Korea's first female president. Our correspondent reports
live from Seoul in just a few moment.
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[15:16:21]
VAUGHAN JONES: The ousting of South Korea's first female president sparked violent protests in Seoul leading two people dead and seven police officers
injured. The country's constitutional court upheld the impeachment of Park Geun-hye on Friday leaving her open to criminal charges. So what led to
the South Korean president downfall? Paula Hancocks takes a look back at Park's political career.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She grew up in the presidential Blue House, but more than half a century later, Park Geun-hye
leaves it in disgrace. Her father, Park Chung-hee seized power in a military coup in 1961, an economic hero to some, a (inaudible) dictator to
others.
In 1974, Park's mother was killed in an assassination attempt meant for her father. Just five years later, her father was also killed, shot by his own
security chief.
DUYEON KIM, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Park Geun-hye story actually began more or less promising, but eventually ended up as her becoming a tragic figure.
HANCOCKS: Park herself was attacked during an election rally in 2006, but she returned to the Blue House in 2013 as the country's first female
president. No husband, no children, she said she was married to the nation.
April 2014, tragedy struck, a passenger ferry sank off the coast of South Korea, hundreds drowned, most of them school children, a man-made accident
blamed on corruption and incompetence.
JOHN DELURY, YONSEI UNIVERSITY: That was sustained on her presidency. There was a palpable sense at that time that she wasn't there. It's not
the people expected her to magically save the ship, but there was a need for leadership.
HANCOCKS: Speaking to CNN a few months earlier, she laid out her priorities.
PARK GEUN-HYE, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT: I believe that one should value and place the outmost value on trust and confidence.
HANCOCKS: But she lost votes in the eyes of most last year in a massive corruption scandal centered around this woman, (inaudible), the daughter of
a cult-like religious figure, who have the trust and the ear of the president.
(Inaudible) is on trial for meddling in state affairs and extorting money. She denies the charges against her. The public reaction was shift.
Hundreds of thousands taking to the streets every single Saturday during the brutal Korean winter.
Massive and peaceful calls for her impeachment. Lawmakers agreed voting to impeach Park in December. Prosecutors want Park to be investigated as a
bribery suspect when she losses presidential immunity. Park denies wrongdoing. (Inaudible) protesters to keep the president in power but to
no avail.
(on camera): Corruption is nothing new inside Korea, every single president since democracy came to this country in 1988 has had some kind of
connection to corruption either directly or through a family member. But this time much of the public had had enough.
KIM: The South Korean public emotional outrage and anger is a reflection of feeling betrayed, feeling like their heartfelt democracy has instantly
and immediately gone down the train.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): The president's daughter who became president leaves office tainted by scandal. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUGHAN JONES: To the South Korean capital now, Alexandra Field is standing by for us. Alexandra, she'll go down in history, but will she go
to jail? What's the immediate future looking like for Park Geun-hye?
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She was not in the courtroom today when those justices unanimously agreed to uphold her impeachment. She has
been in the official residence of the president even since lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to impeach her back in December.
She is still there now. She will have to have to evacuate. She'll have to go back to her private home, but she hasn't left yet. Security is one of
the factors that will have to be figured in here when determining when she does in fact leave the Blue House.
[11:20:10]But people who were celebrating frankly her impeachment tonight are also calling for her arrest. They want to see her out of the Blue
House and they say they want to see her in handcuffs.
She was protected -- she had immunity as the president, but now that she has been stripped of her title, stripped of her position, she is stripped
of that immunity and that means that prosecutors can bring forward charges related to this corruption investigation -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: Alex, how fragile now is the political balance across the region? I'm thinking in particular, of course, of South Korea's northern
neighbors up the peninsula.
FIELD: Yes, look, the situation here has become increasingly fragile particularly in the last week. You just saw North Korea fire off four
ballistic missiles less than a week ago. Tensions on reaching a new high in this region between China, Japan, the U.S., and South Korea.
All expressing a great deal of concerns about what seems to be the acceleration of North Korea's missile program and their nuclear intentions.
So this is a fragile moment here. You've had this political stagnation for a couple of months now.
You did have the acting president come out, though, and addressed the people South Korea. He reflected on the divisions that are clearly being
seen among the people, who both protested very loudly for and against the impeachment.
He called for unity. He also addressed the Security Council here talking about the need to stay strong given the ever present threat of North Korea
and not to allow North Korea to seize on a moment of perceived weakness or division here in South Korea.
But the real question that brings all the slight mix, all this are really very urgent matter will be in determining who the next president is and
what their policy towards South Korea could be. Of course, the U.S. secretary of state will arrive here next week. North Korea and the U.S.
South Korea alliance will be a big topic of discussion then -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN JONES: No doubt. Alexandra Field live for us there in Seoul, the South Korean capital. Thank you.
To France now and the country is in full scale campaign mode as it gears up for April's presidential election. Far-right leader, Marine Le Pen is
hoping to channel the populace tides of Brexit and Trump all the way to Elysee Palace.
Melissa Bell traveled to Henin-Beaumont in the country's north, a rural town that has turned to the national front after century of socialist rule.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER SZCZUREK, HENIN-BEAUMONT DEPUTY MAYOR (through translator): Henin-Beaumont is all of France packed into one town. It's very rural.
It's used to be industrial. There's an agricultural sector that's disintegrated. There is also history of corruption in local politics.
It's a place that represents the French public opinion.
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Our guide to Henin- Beaumont is Christopher Szczurek, the town's deputy mayor since 2014 when the far right National Front took over after nearly a century of socialist
rule. It's once prosperous streets are deserted, the coal minds on which it was built closed. Unemployment is roughly twice the national average.
Henin-Beaumont was natural socialist territory. So what changed?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You can explain it by people being fed up in France and around the world, that's what is at the heart of this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): As a French man, I've seen roomers get more help than I do. I understand what she means when she says we need
to put a stop to this because in France we don't feel at home anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I think those who vote National Front don't admit to it. Today I thinks we stigmatized people. We vote
for National Front. I don't like having someone dictate my vote.
BELL: And sure enough many of the locals we spoke to were not willing to share their thoughts on camera. Not far from the town hall, this charity
helps some 600 families to survive. The food is sold at 20 percent of its normal price.
The man who created the supermarket says that to his customers many of whom are trying to survive on less than 400 euros a month, a corruption scandal
involving the last socialist mayor was just too much. For many the National Front suddenly seemed the only party worth voting for.
PATRICK NANIN, FOUNDER, EPICERIES SOLIDAIRES (through translator): It didn't bring an answer, but it brought a way out. Voters say to themselves
I've had enough, let's go to the other side. In many towns today, there are families that can no longer afford to live. That's the system we are
in where money rules and kills families.
BELL: Farida used to shop here, now this daughter of Algerian immigrants works here, but she says she still struggles to survive and she explained
that she is not put off by the National Front's anti-immigrant rhetoric.
FARIDA, EMPLOYEE EPICERIES SOLIDAIRES (through translator): We feel like we've been (inaudible). We've been lied to so much. She is credible,
though. Why would her words not be credible? Why? Because it's Marine Le Pen, I don't agree with that.
BELL: Back at the town hall, Christopher Szczurek says that Henin-Beaumont has led the rest of France is now likely to follow.
SZCZUREK: It's the way the wind is blowing whether it's France, Donald Trump's victory or Brexit. There is a real willingness for change in a lot
of countries.
[15:25:06]Globalization creates winners, losers and often it's the little towns, the rural ones, the ones that we don't hear of because the media
doesn't cover them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUGHAN JONES: Melissa is standing by for us now in Paris tonight. Melissa, Marine Le Pen is riding high in the polls, really, but I guess,
the complexities of the French electoral system could make it quite difficult for her if, indeed, she gets to any kind of second round runoff.
So just bring us up to speed with how all of the candidates are faring so far.
BELL: She does tend to lead the polls although Emanuel Macron, the centrist, independent, that everyone has sort of mocked when he went into
politics or went into this presidential race back in November. He is now neck and neck with her, sometimes just ahead of her in some polls.
Francois Fillon, the Republican candidate, this was a campaign that he had to lose. I mean, Hannah, it's extraordinary what's happened to the
Republican Party, but embroiled as they are in troubles of his particular judicial inquiry.
The one that hands over his campaign and fractions that that's caused within his party seemed destined to cause it no end of grief between now
and the presidential election associates have gone very far to the left choosing a candidate that many thinks has very little chance of making it
through over Manuel Valz (ph), the former prime minister, who'd to represent associates into this election.
And so Marine Le Pen, the big question is how popular is she? That question as you saw in that report, there is that issue of being able to
say what you think even in Henin-Beaumont where they've had a National Front mayor for now more than two years, maybe three years now, Hannah.
Most of the people we spoke to although all of them had nothing but good to say about what the town hall had done for the town since the National Front
had been in power, most of them voted for the National Front, all of them without fail, everyone we spoke to that day said, we will be voting
National Front in the presidential election.
And yet, very few would actually say so on camera and it is a reminder of the fact that that there is this vote out there in front even in natural
National Front territory that dare not speak its name, but that is likely to want to expect (inaudible) in the ballot box, and that is what Marine Le
Pen is counting on.
VAUGHAN JONES: Melissa Bell, thanks very much reporting there live from the French capital, Paris.
Still to come on THE WORLD RIGHT NOW tonight, Pope Francis softens his stance on requirement for priesthood as the Catholic Church faces a global
shortage of clergy.
And they may have been phony in the past, but it's very real now, word from the White House about President Trump's change of tone on the jobs report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:00] VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Welcome back. U.S. investigators want to know a Russian bank looks up the internet address to a Trump
Organization computer server thousands of times last year. One official calls the server relationship odd, but a computer expert say it could
amount to nothing.
Protests over the ousting of South Korea's president and violence in Seoul. Two people were killed and seven police officers injured in clashes after
the country's constitutional court upheld the impeachment of Park Geun-hye.
Pope Francis says he is open to married men becoming priests to combat a global shortage of clergy in the church. In an interview, the Pontiff said
the shortage was, quote, "an enormous problem for the church." But men who are already priests would not be allowed to marry.
Delia Gallagher has the latest now from Rome.
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Hannah, it's an important comment by Pope Francis that he would be open to the possibility of
Catholic married men becoming priests. He said it might go some way to helping the shortage of priests in certain areas around the world.
Now, it's important to note that this is not the same thing as saying Catholic priests can marry, which is usually what we mean when we talk
about married priests. The Pope has said that he upholds the long-standing tradition of a celibate priesthood, which means that priests can't get
married. But he is open to the possibility of looking at a certain group of married men -- in Latin they call them the viri probati, the tested men
of virtue and faith -- who could be ordained to the priesthood in certain circumstances.
We should say that these were comments in a newspaper interview given by the Pope, and so nothing has been yet done on it. If the Pope were to move
ahead with this proposal, he would presumably want to first talk to his bishops and debate the issue, and then write a papal document explaining
exactly how he intends to implement it -- Hannah.
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Delia Gallagher there for us, filling us out.
It's a bad news/good news day for the White House. Several states are legally challenging Donald Trump's revised travel ban, even after the
President's addressed some of the most controversial points of his original executive order.
The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee says he's seen no evidence to substantiate President Trump's claim that his predecessor,
Barack Obama, wiretapped Trump Tower telephones. He said this after meeting with the FBI Director.
And now, for the good news. The U.S. economy added 235,000 jobs in the first full month of Mr. Trump's presidency. Now, you may remember,
candidate Trump disparaged the whole idea of a jobs report. The White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, though was ready to address that
earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the past, the President has referred to particular jobs reports as phony or totally fiction, would the President believe that
this jobs report was accurate and a fair way to measure the economy?
SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Yes, I talked to the President prior to this. And he said, to quote him very clearly, "They may have been
phony in the past but it's very real now."
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: So let's separate the politics from the substance of this jobs report with CNNMoney Correspondent Paul La Monica.
He has described himself as the greatest for jobs that got ever created. I think that's almost a direct quote as well from the past. Is President
Trump right to take credit for this good jobs report from February?
PAUL LA MONICA, CNNMONEY DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, one month does not a great jobs president make. Of course, I think that there is some validity
to the notion that there's more confidence in the economy, and that may have translated to more businesses hiring. But let's be honest here,
Hannah, the economy was on solid footing, and Trump inherited that from President Obama. So I think this particular jobs report is as much about
the success of President Obama's second term as it is in the animus spirit that may be unleashed now that Trump is in the Oval Office.
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Yes. Paul, we just mentioned there in the introduction that, of course, he wasn't so keen on the jobs statistics when
he was campaigning, but now, of course, he loves them. But it's not just jobs as well, is it? The stock market's been rallying as well. Is that
attributable to Trump and his administration?
LA MONICA: I think that, partly, that is. There is a sense from a lot of corporate executives and even consumers that there's this hope that we're
going to get stimulus with infrastructure spending, that we're going to get tax reform for middle class Americans and businesses, and that also, maybe,
we'd get some regulatory breaks for the financial companies and health care companies. So that, I think, is credit to Trump.
But the market was doing well last year when people thought Trump was going to lose. So Trump can't have it both ways and say that, now, the market is
doing great because of him, but the rally last year, that was all, you know, fake math to go along with the fake news that he was talking about.
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: You know, the White House was out celebrating anyway. Paul La Monica, thanks so much, indeed.
LA MONICA: Thank you.
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Let's move beyond the jobs now to the week in review for President Trump. We've got lots and lots to talk about with
A.B. Stoddard. She's an associate editor and columnist for "RealClearPolitics" and joins me now live from Washington.
[15:35:04] Thanks for joining us on the program. A week in review. I mean, goodness me, where do we start? I suppose last Saturday with a
Twitter storm, and then since then we've had travel bans and ObamaCare repeal as well. Has the President managed to weather the storm of this
last week?
A.B. STODDARD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, REALCLEARPOLITICS: No, no. I think his self-inflicted wound of his accusation last weekend, that President Obama
illegally wiretapped his phones at Trump Tower, could be the worst thing that he's done to himself yet. And all of the news about the Republican
division over an ObamaCare replacement bill is not going to make this go away because on March 20th, FBI Director James Comey, who has already
spoken to the most important key, not only leadership figures in both parties and both chambers, but on the intelligence committees in Congress,
basically is going to be before a public forum and a hearing for the House's select intelligence committee and be ask this question. He will
answer it publicly.
He met with those eight people yesterday, and they've emerged from that meeting saying that they know of no evidence to support the accusation by
President Trump about President Obama. No existence of a FISA warrant in any wiretapping. And so this is something likely that the FBI Director
will be forced to say publicly. It will be more than an embarrassment to President Trump. And unless and until something changes, that's what he
has to look forward to on March 20th.
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Let's stay with these wiretapping allegations, of course, from last week. The leading Democrat on the House Intelligence
Committee says he hasn't, quote, "seen any evidence" to back President Trump's claims that he was indeed wiretapped by Obama during the campaign.
Our Manu Raju asked Congressman Adam Schiff if the FBI Director would be willing to discuss the issue during the hearing on March 20th. Take a
listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: He's certainly prepared for the question, and I don't see a reason why he can't answer it. He may even
welcome the opportunity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: I'm wondering if you think that the President regrets his tweets at all, especially given the fact that if he was hoping
that this was going to be happening quietly behind closed doors within the Intelligence Committee. It seems like it's absolutely not. It's going to
happen quickly and very, very publicly.
STODDARD: Right. Well, there are some reporting out of the White House that shows that, I mean, some private, you know, communications from the
press from White House staff shows that the President knows he made a mistake. If those reports are true, even if he knows that he made a
mistake, we don't expect him to apologize to President Obama or admit that this wasn't true, or even reveal what made him lead to this conclusion,
which was erroneous.
So it's not like Donald Trump to do that. I don't expect him to, but it will be sort of the most high-profile embarrassment for the administration.
As Congressman Schiff told that Manu Raju, saying that the FBI Director might welcome the chance to answer that question really shows that, you
know, he's not going to cover up. He's not going to make something up. He is going to have to say what we all know, which is that he met with the top
eight members and Senators yesterday and basically told them there's nothing there.
That's why they emerged from the meeting, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said today that he should just come out and say it now, and they
should sort of force the President's hand. I don't know think we can expect anything from President Trump, but it will be embarrassing.
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: The Obama administration mentioned, of course, as well, with regards to this notion of a deep state as well. Sean Spicer,
the White House Press Secretary, asked about whether deep state exists and is currently trying to undermine President Trump, he said, absolutely no
doubt. There are going to people left over from the Obama administration who are there trying to undermine the administration today.
What do you make of that? Do you think that's a fair comment?
STODDARD: Well, I do know that there have been leaks of classified information that are concerning and really should not happen to any
president or any administration. It's against the code of conduct that people in the intelligence committee are supposed to -- community, excuse
me, are supposed to follow. And it's against the law.
So that is different from the question of whether or not there's a widespread and deep, deep state that's working, you know, coordinating to
take down President Trump. I think that these leaks are of concern and they should be investigated. And when President Obama had leaks in his
administration, he was very frustrated and angered by them as well.
It happens to every president, and that is a material matter. But as for some giant shadow government, I think that's probably an exaggeration.
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: OK. A.B. Stoddard, it's good to get your take on all things over the last week. Busy week ahead, no doubt as well. Thanks
for joining us.
STODDARD: Thank you.
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Now, President Trump is apparently ready to try his hand at getting the Middle East process back on track. He spoke to the
Palestinian authority, President Mahmoud Abbas, on the phone today for the first time since taking office. Mr. Trump invited him to the White House,
but no date was set. Palestinian officials say Abbas will stress his concern about Israeli settlement buildings and the need for a two-state
solution.
[15:40:11] Well, Mr. Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to Israel is a long-time supporter of those settlements and he's now just one step away
from confirmation. Before Senate could vote David Friedman's nomination as early as next week after he won approval by a Senate committee, our CNN's
Oren Liebermann now reports not only does Friedman have deep ties to Israeli settlements, but President Trump himself also has some connections.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the shadow of the Palestinian city of Ramallah, this is the settlement President Trump has
supported. His name is not in any of the buildings, but his mark and those of his administration are here in Beit El, one of the oldest settlements,
home to 6,500 Israelis.
LIEBERMANN (on camera): Do you see Trump as positive for the settlements and positive for Beit El?
CHAIM SILBERSTEIN, BEIT EL SPOKESPERSON: Absolutely. I think that he loves Israel.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Trump donated $10,000 to the settlement's schools in 2003 according to tax filings from the Trump Foundation. Tax documents
show the Kushner Family Foundation, his son-in-law's family charity, also donated tens of thousands of dollars.
But Trump's pick for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has the deepest connections. Friedman's name is on some of the buildings here, so is his
father's. Friedman, a long-time supporter of a settlement school. He's even president of the school's fundraising arm, which raises some $2
million a year.
Critics question whether Friedman's loyalty of Beit El could conflict with what's in the best interest for the U.S., which considers the settlement
expansion unhealthy to peace.
SEN. TOM UDALL (D), NEW MEXICO: I would like you, for the record, to answer in writing whether you've separated your financial interests from
that of Beit El.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): On the conservative Arutz Sheva news outlet run from Beit El, Friedman, a regular columnist, has advocated for settlements,
illegal under international law, and against the Palestinian state. He compared liberal Jews to Kapos, Jews who worked for the Nazis during World
War II, accused the U.S. State Department of a century of anti-Semitism, and called the two-state solution an illusion for a nonexistent problem.
DAVID FRIEDMAN, NOMINEE FOR UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL: I regret the use of such language.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Friedman apologized for those comments during his confirmation hearing, even saying he'd support Beit El becoming part of a
Palestinian state in a peace deal.
SEN. EDWARD MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: If the land in Beit El was included in a two-state solution and that that land had to be returned to the
Palestinians, would you support the return of that land to the Palestinians?
FRIEDMAN: In the context of a consensual filigree to a two-state solution?
MARKEY: That's correct.
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
MARKEY: You would?
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Beit El's spokesman Chaim Silberstein standing by Friedman.
SILBERSTEIN: In his position as ambassador, he would certainly fulfill the requirements of that position and he would support what his government
decided.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: CNN's Oren Liebermann reporting there.
Now, a key Brexit negotiator, also the European parliament, has jested that British citizens should be given the option to keep the benefits of E.U.
citizenship. Guy Verhofstadt says he has received thousands of letters and e-mails from citizens who want to keep that relationship with Europe. The
British Prime Minister, Theresa May, is aiming to trigger so-called Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty by the end of this month and begin the two-
year tricky exit negotiations.
This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Still ahead on the program, once a victim of human trafficking, now she's fighting back. The remarkable journey of one
young woman trying to end child exploitation. Our CNN "Freedom Project" is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:45:44] VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Welcome back. You're watching THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
Now, we all like to think of orphanages as havens for children with no other place to turn, but some for-profit organizations masquerade as
orphanages, pulling children away from poor families in order to attract donations. In this installment of CNN's "Freedom Project," we meet a woman
who was abused in such a facility. She's now using her experience to fight modern-day slavery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been a long journey home for Teresia Wairimu. Orphaned at six, Teresia was living with her
aunt in this house when a man arrived at the door offering free education, food and housing, and room in a nearby orphanage. He was known in the
community as a child finder.
"I wanted Teresia to stay with me like a daughter, but I didn't have enough money," she says. "When I was approached by someone who could take her
into an orphanage, I didn't have a choice."
Food, education, and safety proved to be a false promise for Teresia. She says the orphanage director ensured that the lives or the orphans revolve
around foreign volunteers who travelled specifically to help children and are known as "voluntourists."
TERESIA WAIRIMU, TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR: Sometimes, you could be told not to go to school, our volunteer is coming. So you had to entertain that
volunteer. We used to not to go to school. We stay until they come.
SEVENZO (voice-over): She said she was ordered not to speak with volunteers about conditions of the school.
WAIRIMU: Sometimes, too, you might also be told, you won't eat. Because you fear the punishment.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Michelle Oliel was one volunteer. She says she raised thousands of dollars for the orphanage, money which she claims did
not reach the children.
MICHELLE OLIEL, CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STAHILI FOUNDATION: The children were often starving. The children were being forced to work.
Some of the children were not even sleeping at the orphanage but were going home and sleeping in porcupine holes, for example.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Not all orphanages are corrupt or guilty or trafficking. Still, the U.N. and other groups are now warning about child
trafficking to orphanages around the world.
OLIEL: The children are being commodified and placed in an orphanage for the sole purpose of bringing in donations and other various donated goods.
And this is done intentionally, this is not an accident. It's not an accident that most of the cases that we've dealt with, children have
families. They're exploiting vulnerable children, vulnerable people, vulnerable guardians.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Oliel set up the Stahili Foundation, an organization dedicated to the elimination of orphanages and reuniting children with
their families. The former orphanage is now empty.
Oliel says after pressure from Stahili and the surrounding community and faced with declining donations, the owner abandoned the orphanage. Police
have not investigated and no formal charges have been brought. CNN has been unable to reach them for comment.
ESTHER MUCHEMI, VILLAGE ASSISANT CHIEF: Child trafficking.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Meanwhile, a community that once handed children over, some even paying for places in orphanages, is now working actively
against recruiting anymore.
MUCHEMI: I would condemn each and every orphanage in every area. If we put away with the orphanages and demolish them, it could be of great help
to the society.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Teresia now works with Stahili Foundation helping trace children who have been trafficked to orphanages and assisting
guardians to support themselves and their families. Teresia is now at university. She hopes to become a human rights lawyer and advocate against
such orphanages.
WAIRIMU: According to me, the hidden agenda of orphanages became revealed like when kids start maturing up, getting older, they get to learn their
rights, and they can defend like themself.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Once forced into silence, Teresia has found her voice and purpose.
WAIRIMU: I'll be speaking out to many and many other generation and change the world.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Farai Sevenzo, CNN, Nairobi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: It's another incredible story as part of the CNN's "Freedom Project."
[15:50:01] Now, this coming Tuesday, March 14th is "My Freedom Day." CNN is partnering with young people around the world for a student-led day of
action against modern-day slavery. Driving "My Freedom Day" is one simple question, what does freedom really mean to you?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Freedom is being able to pursue independence and allow one to dream but having the rights of real education for all of us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Freedom means to me the ability to choose the life I want to live and to bring freedom to others.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Freedom, the ability to fulfill your potential and follow your dreams, regardless of where it leads.
TEXT: #MYFREEDOMDAY
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Well, join the project, join the conversation. We want to hear what freedom means to you too. You can post a photo or a
video and use the hashtag, #MyFreedomDay. March 14th, don't forget.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: It's once a disaster here in the U.K. and the very name of it still shocks the world of sports. Hillsborough. Three decades
ago, 96 people were crushed to death at a British football stadium.
Tragically, the heartbreak of loved ones did not end there as they faced a long and very painful battle for justice. But as Don Riddell now explains,
what they achieved was truly heroic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, most people, certainly of my generation in the United Kingdom remember the Hillsborough disaster. And
for a whole generation of people, it really was profoundly shocking.
And then, of course, for years and years and years and years, the narrative that was peddled was that it was the fans fault and they arrived late and
they were drunk and they didn't have tickets. And they were squarely blamed for what had happened.
This went on for decades. And so, as we were approaching the 25th anniversary, we were really keen to try and do a documentary, not just on
the disaster but more on the people who had really fought so hard to try and change this narrative, namely the families of the victims, the people
who had suffered the most.
And we got hold of Margaret Aspinall. Her son, James, had died. He was 18 years old. Just hearing about the disaster through her eyes and what James
and her family experienced on the day, that week, and in the 25 years afterwards really affected all of us quite profoundly.
MARGARET ASPINALL, MOTHER OF HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER VICTIM: We tried every legal avenue in this country to get to the truth. And it's not been easy.
It's been very, very difficult because there's times you do want to give up.
RIDDELL: Margaret was one of these people who basically just decided that she -- she was so furious about what had happened and the way that the
families have been blamed, that she was determined for her son to get to the bottom of it. And she said that this is what owed her son. It's
incredibly inspiring, that she just was determined that the truth be revealed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Don Riddell reflecting on the Hillsborough tragedy.
Now, archeologists in Egypt have unearthed an ancient statue of an Egyptian pharaoh buried, rather, beneath a Cairo slum. After thousands of years
buried in the mud, this massive find is now heading for a museum. Jonathan Mann reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[15:55:11] JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A discovery of colossal proportions! Archeologists have uncovered a colossus, a massive
eight-meter of what they believe to be Ramses the Second, one of Egypt's most powerful and celebrated pharaohs.
Ramses the Great ruled Egypt more than three thousand years ago, but the court-size statue was unearthed from this muddy hole in a Cairo slum just
days ago. The crowd looked on as experts used an earthmover to pull the statue's huge head out of the muck. Egypt's Antiquities Ministry calls the
found pharaoh one of its most important discoveries ever.
KHALED AL-ANANI, MINISTER OF ANTIQUITIES, EGYP: We found the bust of the statue and the lower part of the head. And now, we remove the head, we
found the crown and the right ear and a fragment of the right eye.
MANN (voice-over): The joint Egyptian-German expedition also found part of a life-sized limestone statue of Ramses' grandson. The discoveries
remained in Matareya, a working class part of eastern Cairo with unfinished buildings and mud roads, but experts say this area was once home to an
ancient city of the sun god.
DIETRICH RAUE, CURATOR, EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LEIPZIG: According to the pharaonic belief, the world was created in Matareya. And
that means that every king had to build here, make statues, temples, obelisks, everything.
MANN (voice-over): Archeologists are now working to recover and restore the remaining pieces of the Ramses colossus, hopefully in time for the
opening of a grand Egyptian museum next year.
Jonathan Mann, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Now, after a very smooth hour of telly, you'd be forgiven for thinking that T.V. always goes as planned. Well, you'll be
wrong. Take a look at this serious discussion on South Korea, which went something somewhat off the rails on a BBC. And a warning, keep your eyes
on the doorway.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ROBERT KELLY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, PUSAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY: Scandals happen all the time. The question is, how do democracies respond to those
scandals?
JAMES MENENDEZ, BBC WORLD PRESENTER: And what will it mean for the wider region -- I think one of your children has just walked in. I mean,
shifting sands in the region, do you think relations with the North may change?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUGHAN VAUGHAN JONES: Well, the guest, as you can see, tries to soldier on while swatting his child away. Cue the second child, who then comes
waddling in on a baby bouncer. A woman, as you can see, has just burst into the room to try to end the interruption and the disruption and
literally dragged the children away. Hopefully, those kids aren't traumatized by just trying to speak to daddy.
Thank you very much for watching THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. It's been a pleasure being in your company. And "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
