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Hala Gorani Tonight
Trump To Meet Kim Jong-Un On June 12 In Singapore; Israel, Iran Fires Rockets Targeting Golan Heights; Assad Points To Russia As Mideast Peace Mediator; At Least 44 Dead After Dam Bursts In Kenya; Pentagon Releases Report On Deadly Niger Mission; Trump Overseas Triumphs and Tribulations; Trump Starting Off On New Footing With N. Korea; Magazine Apologizes To Monica Lewinsky Over Event Snub; Sources Say Michael Cohen Used Trump To Lure Clients; Controversy After Black Student Questioned At Yale; Sexual Abuse Survivors Healing Through Film; Harry & Meghan Traveling Around U.K. Ahead of Big Day. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 10, 2018 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:35]
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone. Live from CNN London. I'm Isa Soares sitting in for Hala Gorani.
Tonight, we have the date and we have the location. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un will meet in four weeks' time. Find out where in just a few
minutes.
That comes after President Trump welcomes home three U.S. citizens detained in North Korea.
Also, tonight, the most direct confrontation between Israel and Iran today ratchets up the tension in the Middle East. We are live for us this hour
in Golan Heights as well as in Tehran.
But first, it is a date for the history book, June the 12th, the location, Singapore. That's when and where Donald Trump will meet North Korea's Kim
Jong-un. The U.S. president tweeting that information out earlier.
Now he says together they will try to make their face-to-face meeting a very special moment for world peace. While this information coming in just
hours after the release of three Americans who had been held in North Korea.
President Trump and First Lady Melania were there to welcome the men in the very early hours of this morning. Mr. Trump says their release is a
positive time from Kim Jong-un. Here's what he had to say to reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I think he did this because I really think he wants to do something and bring their
country into the real world. I really believe that, John, and I think that we're going to have a success. I think this will be a very big success.
It's never been taken this far. There's never been a relationship like this, and we're starting from here. But I really think a lot of progress
has been made and we'll see what happens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, let's get out to Washington for the details. Our Jeremy Diamond is live there for us. Jeremy, good to see you. So, now we have a
date and a location for the meeting, and of course, this announcement coming on a day, as we played for our audience there, three American
detainees were freed from North Korea. Give a sense of what the reaction has been to this in D.C.?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, there really does appear to be a sense of cautious optimism spreading across Washington as we
prepare for this summit between the president and Kim Jong-un.
And the release of these prisoners today seems like a step in that direction, a step in a positive direction, certainly that's how the
president held it this morning saying that he believes that the U.S and North Korea are heading on to a new footing, those were the words that he
used early this morning when he greeted those three former American prisoners.
You know, the president and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have all said that they believe that things are changing, this is not just the talks that have
happened in the past, and indeed this will be the first talks between a sitting American president and the North Korean leader.
So, there is a lot of optimism sweeping through Washington right now, but the president always cautioning every time he talks about this that it
could fall apart, it could get scuttled, as he said yesterday.
So, there is certainly that understanding that things could change, and nobody really knows what exactly Kim Jong-un is willing to give up in order
to denuclearize and in order to get the sanctions relief that he's been so seeking.
SOARES: So cautious optimism, Jeremy, but from a timing perspective, of course, this coming after President Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear
deal, how much is this a win for him politically at home at least?
DIAMOND: Yes, certainly, from a political perspective, the president has been having a really good week. You know, there had been some concerns
from diplomatic corners in Washington both Republicans and Democrats about the president's decision to withdraw from the Iran deal. But on a
political perspective, it certainly serves him well, that is something that he promised during the campaign, of course.
And despite repeatedly almost withdrawing from the deal, the last few times when deadlines came up with regards to these sanction waivers, the
president ultimately opted to remain in the deal and negotiate further with the European partners to try and fix this agreement.
But this time, the president was -- you know, most of his stuff were under no illusions that he would perhaps remain in the deal. It was pretty clear
from several months now that the president would withdraw from this deal.
And so, you combine that withdrawal with the release of these prisoners with a date and location now set for this historic summit and the president
from a political perspective is doing quite well with his supporters and perhaps even more broadly.
SOARES: Doing well with his supporters, but how he has been criticized at all given his language that we heard this morning, he went from calling Kim
Jong-un, a rocket man, to suddenly saying he was excellent. Does he believe that he cracked the code when it comes to Kim Jong-un?
[15:05:10] DIAMOND: You know, we will see, right, we will have to wait a see whether the president truly believes that. I think there is a question
always when the president uses his rhetoric, whether it's praising Kim Jong-un or criticizing him.
There is a question about how much he really believes it and how much it's about shaping the optics around this potential summit, shaping the optics
around this decades' long conflict. You know, we know that this administration has put forward this maximum pressure campaign on North
Korea.
And the president through his rhetoric added his own flourish to that campaign, which was largely crafted by professional staffers that the
National Security Council and within the administration.
But the president added to that maximum pressure with "Little Rocket Man," flourishes that came often at the last minute that were not included in his
speeches. So now we're seeing him go the other direction, where him and officials in the administration are working towards this summit.
And the president is adding to that some praise of Kim Jong-un congratulating him for the release of these prisoners and suggesting that
he is perhaps, you know, more agreeable to actually ending this decade's long conflict. So, we'll have to wait and see.
SOARES: We'll have to until June the 12th indeed. Jeremy Diamond, thank you very much. Good to speak to you.
Another top story that we're following here this hour, Israel's prime minister says Iran crossed, I'm quoting here, "red lines" and paid the
consequences. Benjamin Netanyahu now speaking about a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran that has the entire region on edge.
Now Israel says it destroyed almost all of Iran's military capabilities in Syria in a series of strikes overnight. It calls it retribution for
rockets fired earlier by reigning forces in Syria towards Israeli occupied Golan Heights.
Now Israel says it also attacked Syrian anti-aircraft units attempting to shoot down Israeli planes. Netanyahu said that the strikes were meant to
send a message. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We are in an ongoing scenario and our policy is clear, we will not let Iran base
militarily herself in Syria. Yesterday, I passed a clear message on to the Assad regime, our operations are against Iranian targets in Syria. But if
the Syrian army will act against us, we will act against them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Israel went on to say the Iran elite Quds Forces was behind the rocket attack. No comment thus far from Iran, all this coming less
than two days after Donald Trump pulled the Unites States out of the Iran nuclear deal. So, what does this all mean?
Let's get more now from Frederik Pleitgen live for us in Tehran and Oren Liebermann is at the Golan Heights. Oren, I want to start with because
very (inaudible) behind you tonight from what we saw in the early hours of last night. Give us a sense of exactly what Israel said happened
overnight.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, all of this started just after midnight when the Israeli military says some 20 rockets were fired by
Iranian forces, the Quds Force, an elite force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard towards military targets near where I'm standing right now,
essentially the front line on the Golan Heights for the Israeli military.
The Israeli military says they intercepted a number of those rockets with the iron dome aerial defense system. Others fell before they reached or
crossed over from Syria. Israel's response which we witnessed in part from almost this exact same spot including surface-to-surface missiles,
artillery fire that we heard echoing across the valley here between the Golan Heights and Syria.
And we saw Syrian anti-aircraft fire as well as what appeared to be some sort of rocket or anti-aircraft missiles. That lasted for hours in what is
in all likelihood the first direct confrontation between Israel and Iran. It lit up the sky here behind us.
It lasted until the morning. Israel says it hit a number of Iranian targets in Syria including intelligence posts, command and control
headquarters as well as rocket launchers. As you pointed, it is a very different scene here tonight, bizarrely almost deceptively quiet.
Now the international community has stepped in, it's no surprise that the U.S. firmly sided with the Israelis on this one and said they have the
right to defend themselves. But the Russians took a much more even-handed approach speaking both with Israel and Iran.
Russia has that ability not only because of its presence in Syria, but because of its relations with Israel and Iran, it's influence in the
region, Russia said restraint for both sides, essentially back off here, let's not let this continue, in an effort to make sure that this dissipates
instead of escalates.
As I said, it has so far been a quiet night here. It is still fairly early in the evening, anything can change, but the hope here from both Israel and
from Israel's assessment, Iran is that this ended in a violent fashion last night.
SOARES: And we'll go Moscow in just a minute to get the reaction from there, but I want to bring in Fred. Fred, give us a sense of what the
reaction has been where you are, any acknowledgement from Tehran that they were behind the attack from the Golan Heights?
[15:10:05] PLEITGEN: Well, there's been no acknowledgement whatever so far, Isa. And of course, we all know it's very late in the evening here in
Tehran already. It's interesting because throughout the course of the day, we were waiting to see whether or not there would any sort of official
acknowledgment, any sort of statement by the Iranian government, authorities and indeed by the Iranian military.
And so far, there's been nothing at all. It's interesting because there were actually public appearances by members of the Revolutionary Guard
throughout the day, and they gave statements pertaining to the nuclear agreement.
Of course, the U.S. exited a little over a day ago, but they did not mention any sort of skirmishes that would have gone on in the Golan Height.
The same is true for Iranian state media. They did talk about the fact that there were Israeli strikes on Syrian territory.
Some outlets were portraying those as strikes between Syria and Israel. They also did not say that Iran was part of it. There was one network that
said that yes, the Israelis blame the Iranians, but they also said that they were still waiting for some sort of statement to come from the Iranian
authorities.
So, certainly, so far, at least officially there's been nothing forthcoming. The only thing that could maybe we seen as something that
might be close to speaking about that situation that went on there last night in the Golan Heights is there was a call today between Angela Merkel,
the chancellor of Germany, and the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani.
Where Rouhani apparently said that Iran does not want any new tensions in the area, region, obviously pertaining to the greater Middle East, which
means Iran and then potentially also Syria as well.
But it's unclear whether or not he was just talking about the conflicts of the nuclear agreement and the U.S. just exiting the nuclear agreement or
whether or not he was talking about what may have happened or what happened there in the Golan Heights and in Syria as well.
But, of course, Isa, all of this comes at a time of very heightened tensions that a lot of concern here in Iran certainly among the regular
people who were out in Tehran for the better part of the day, and we spoke to folks, and a lot of them said, yes, they are extremely concerned.
But not just about the fact that the U.S. pulled out of nuclear agreement, but of course, also about their own economic situation. The currency here
in Iran has tanked, the Real, and prices are going up.
And now the Iranians fears that not only could their country be isolated even more internationally, but there could also be military tensions
brewing as well -- Isa.
SOARES: Fred Pleitgen there for us in Tehran and Oren Liebermann there for us. Thank you very much. See you both. Thank you, Gentlemen.
Now Russia is positioning itself as mediator in the conflict between Israel and Iran as you just heard Oren Liebermann say. A move no doubt welcomed
by the Syrian president himself. Bashar al-Assad gave an interview to a Greek newspaper just before the strikes overnight.
He said wisely the shift in Russia will help prevent the Syrian battlefield from turning into World War III. Mr. Assad said, "Maybe it's not a full-
blown third world war, but it is a world war. Maybe it's not nuclear, but it's definitely not a cold war. It's something more than a cold war, less
than a full-blown war." Well, President Assad also (inaudible) because allies, of course, are Iran and Russia.
Let's go to our Matthew Chance who's in Moscow for us this hour. Matthew, Russia was notified in advance of the attack by Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu. Yet, it so providing it seems (inaudible) of what happened on the Golan Heights, what exactly is it saying?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Isa, the Russians are not confirming that they were notified in
advance of Israeli strikes inside Syria, but certainly the day before they took place, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister was right here
in Moscow, he was attending Russia's annual Victory Day Parade as the guest of honor.
And afterwards he had very intensive conversations and talks with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and so he clearly left that detail believing
that he had the green light to carry out the military action that he subsequently went on to carry out.
But again, the Russians are not confirming exactly that they had those discussions specifically. The Russian Defense Ministry, though, has issued
its account of what it says took place in Syria, or it says that Syrian air defense units downed more than half of the 70 missiles that the Russian
Defense Ministry says Israel fired at targets inside Iran.
And said that 28 Israeli planes took part in the action and fired 60 air- to-surface missiles against different parts of Syria. Israel it says also launched more than 10 tactical surface-to-surface missiles.
And so, we're getting pretty high degree of detail from the Russians about what actually happened militarily on the ground in Syria. Remember, the
Russians are very entrenched on the ground in Syria. They have expressed their alarm at what happened, and they've called for restraint on both
sides from the Iranians and from the Israelis as well.
SOARES: Yes, and like you pointed out, Russia provides massive military as one diplomatic backing to Assad's regime in Syria.
[15:15:06] But could it act potentially, Matthew, as a peacemaker, mediator, between both countries? I mean, how realistic is this?
CHANCE: It's a good question. I mean, certainly, the Russian Foreign Ministry today said sort of in off the cuff comments that it is contact
with all sides in the conflict. Obviously, Russia has very good relations with both Israel and Iran with whom its fighting side by side on the ground
in Syria to support Bashar al-Assad.
And it also has, you know, very strong interests in wanting to mediate and to ease the tensions and the confrontation that is taking place there. Not
least the fact that if the war were to broaden in Syria, its client, Bashar al-Assad would be threatened potentially as would Russia's military assets
that its carved out in Syria, it's naval and its air bases, it wants to maintain them.
And it wants to sort of bring a degree of stability and control into Syria and it spent a lot of money and spent a considerable amount of lives
achieving that so far. So, this is a new development from the Russian point of view, and unwelcome one, which could bring more instability and a
broader conflict in Syria, which you would want to avoid.
And so, yes, I think it would be interested in mediating an end to this confrontation, but whether it would be accepted as a mediator I think is
unclear.
SOARES: Very much so. Our Matthew Chance there for us. Good to see you, Matthew. Thanks very much.
Still to come right here tonight, houses in pieces, and bodies pulled from the mud. We'll go live to Kenya after a dam burst there.
And it was an ambush that claimed the lives of four U.S. soldiers. Now the Pentagon is trying to explain what exactly went wrong. We'll have all the
details for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Now a disaster in Kenya. Searchers are going through mud and muck. They're looking for anyone trapped after a dam burst on Wednesday
inundating a town. It flattened homes and killed more than 40 people. It happened as East Africa is getting drenched by seasonal heavy rains.
Our Farai Sevenzo is there and brings us the very latest. Farai, do set the scene for us where you are, how bad is it?
FARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isa, we are in Nakuru, which is up in the river valley of Kenya. This place is called Solai, it's a tiny
village, was part of a farming community, and many people who live there either work on the farm or they're small scale farmers.
And of course, the heavy rains that have been affecting Kenya and indeed the entire East African region, in one dam on this farm burst overnight as
they were sitting down for dinner. And this is what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEVENZO (voice-over): A search and rescue operation is under way in Kenya after a dam burst killing dozens and sweeping away homes.
[15:20:09] It happened in the farming town of Solai, located in the country's river valley, about 150 kilometers northwest of the capital of
Nairobi. The Patel Dam gave way late on Wednesday just as residents were sitting for their evening meals.
KIPSANG KIPLANG, DAM BURST SURVIVOR (through translator): I found people running away and thought they were running after a thug. A few minutes
later, I stop my motorbike then heard a huge sound coming from the mountains. I thought they were explosions or someone firing a gun. Little
did I know it was the sound of buildings which were being destroyed.
SEVENZO: The dam wasn't strong enough to hold rushing water caused by weeks of torrential rain and flooding. Kenyan authorities and humanitarian
organizations have airlifted the many residents to safety and provided aid to isolated communities.
Heavy rainfall and floods have East Africa hard in recent months. The Red Cross estimates up to 500 families have been displaced in this disaster,
while at least 200 people have died and nearly 260,000 have lost their homes in Kenya, just this month due to the heavy rain and landslides.
Forecasters say the flooding could continue to get worst as the Rich Valley and Lake Victoria basin are set to receive more rainfall over the next few
weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEVENZO: Isa, the tragedy is very far from over, because even as we arrived at this place, the mud was everywhere, sticking to our shoes,
boots. But of course, that's nothing compare to the bodies that are coming out of there.
Many of them shouting we're here. We understand from the governor that 40 people are missing, 41 have been admitted with serious injuries because all
their houses are just above where this dam was and now they're watch out for other dams in the area that they don't fill up too fast and affect
other people this badly. There will be more for you in the coming hours.
SOARES: And Farai, you say that it's expected to get worse before it gets better. What are officials doing to stop it from getting worse?
SEVENZO: Well, you know, the only official who can stop it from getting worse is God, because when I speak to you, many of the time we talk about
drought in East Africa and Somalia and Wanda, Kenya, but now what has happened is that the rain has come to make up for all those months of
drought and it's not stopping any time soon.
According to the weather reports here, there's another week of this to go on and of course, the displaced and many -- over 2,000 displaced in Solai,
and other areas are watching out to make sure that they are safe and know that these dangers can happen at any time.
SOARES: Yes, of course, and the fears with the search and rescue operation continues, that the death toll could increase. Farai Sevenzo there for us,
thanks very much, Farai.
Now the Pentagon has released its final report on the attack in Niger that killed four U.S. solders last October. It said a series of individuals
(inaudible) institutional failures led to those deaths.
Let's bring in David McKenzie for the details. He is live for in Johannesburg. David, this was a horrific ambush and the outcome of this
investigation has been a long time coming. Talk us through what the conclusions were.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we haven't seen the full report, and it's over 6,000 pages long, according to the Pentagon,
Isa. But what we do know is based on the public statements and the documents they have released is that there were several institutional
serious failures both in terms of the command and control and in terms of the preparation of those special operations forces both before they left
the U.S. for the mission, and on the ground with their partners from Niger.
To remind our viewers, this happened in October last year, this dramatic ambush by ISIS (inaudible) groups. They came onto those forces, perhaps
the most serious allegation in that investigation is that duty officers on the grounds fabricated or at least hastily put together their reasoning and
the nature of their initial mission.
Saying that it was something relatively benign, but in fact it was potentially this capture and kill mission of a leading ISIS-linked member.
Take a listen to the investigating officer who briefed reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GENERAL ROGER L. CLOUTIER, CHIEF OF STAFF, U.S. AFRICA COMMAND: All of our soldiers fought valiantly that day and there were a series of
contributing factors to what occurred in Tongo, Tongo, but none of those contributing factors are the direct cause of the enemies attack in Tongo,
Tongo. The direct cause of the enemy attack in Tongo, Tongo, is that the enemy achieved tactical surprise there and our forces were outnumbered
approximately three to one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: And that usually outnumbering force, they still manage to hold them off for some time. It seems also that as we reported on the ground in
Niger some months ago, that the French response was key here.
[15:25:08] Those low flying mirage fighter jets that couldn't engage in the action because they couldn't tell who is on the ground that scared off as
it were some of the enemy forces and could have managed to save what would have even more terrible situation for the U.S. an Nigerian soldiers -- Isa.
SOARES: David, you were among the first CNN reporters on the ground following that ambush, does the report that you see at least the synopsis
of what we have seen from that report matches what you saw, uncovered in Niger?
MCKENZIE: Well, very much so, a lot of it is very much linking up to our initial reporting as to what some of the issues were on the ground and some
of the stopgaps. You had this long delay when between when the action was happening and when the ground forces managed to get in and help them.
This is a very remote area on the border of Niger and Mali, and very insecure. A rapid response member of the Nigerian military who we spoke to
said when he arrived on the scene, he was very surprised how lightly armed the Americans were given the experience that Nigerians had in that area.
They've come into contact with the enemy several times. And that's one of the takeaways that the Pentagon of this whole investigation that they are
going to give their solders the opportunity for better force protection, heavy armored vehicles, which at times isn't realistic in that sort of
terrain.
But there is a sense that they are going to possibly curtail some of those more risky operations in the short term, with so many American boots on the
ground fighting or giving assistance to local forces against ISIS-linked and al Qaeda-linked groups.
It does seem that they kind of being more cautious with both their command and control and how those forces operate on the ground and what they are
doing on the ground. Because they again stressed that the threats from (inaudible) and other parts of Africa are both significant to those country
and possibly internationally -- Issa.
SOARES: Yes. It seems lesson, of course, are being learned following from that ambush. David McKenzie, thanks very much, David.
Now 104-year-old Australian scientist and pro-euthanasia campaigner, Dr. David Goodall, has died in Switzerland. Goodall, a grandfather of 12,
raised $20,000 in donations to fund the journey to Europe from his home in Perth, Australia.
Speaking to CNN early this week, Goodall explained why he had chosen to end in his long and accomplished life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get up every morning, I find a bit of breakfast and then, well, generally speaking I just sit. What's the use of that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And you can see that full report at cnn.com.
And still to come tonight, Trump's foreign affairs, a series of successes and controversies abroad for the U.S. president even as he faces escalating
investigations back home. We discuss that next.
And there's new controversy surrounding Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen, was he pitching his access to the president to get new clients? We'll have that
story for you too after a very short break. Do stay right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:45] SOARES: Now, finally a date and place have been set for the highly anticipated meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader
Kim Jong-un. It comes less than a day after North Korea freed three American detainees whom President Trump himself greeted when they landed in
Washington. But then there are the controversies on who could forget them, dumping the Iran deal and moving forward on opening a U.S. embassy in
Jerusalem. Decisions that have drawn both praise as well as criticisms from key allies and all of President Trump's foreign policy moves comes he
faces increasing pressures at home, let's not forget that, from the Russia investigation.
Jamie Rubin, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state and contributing editor for Politico joins us now from Washington. Jamie, good to see you,
thanks for being with us. There's a lot for us to get through in terms when it comes of foreign policy. Let's try and break it all down. What we
have seen is that President Trump making rather brash, let's say, risky moves on the world stage, from pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, to
negotiating nuclear summon with North Koreans. Would you consider some of its foreign policy decision is a win for him or always it's soon perhaps,
Jamie, that we're talking about breakthroughs?
JAMIE RUBIN, FORMER U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, I think he has tended to give a lot of big hype to anything that happens. I think
receiving three prisoners is a very good thing and we should all be pleased by it, but this sort of thing has been happening, unfortunately with North
Korea taking Americans and then giving them up quite a few times over the last decade. I think what you're really seeing is that he thinks his
unorthodox approach is working. So for example with the embassy in Jerusalem, he's saying, well, everybody told me if I did this, that
terrible things would happen and it didn't happen. Well, that's not exactly right. What's true is that if there were a peace process, if there
were a real opportunity to get peace between Israelis and Palestinians and President Trump were to do this, I think it really would be a disaster and
it would ruin the chances of peace, but right now there's no peace process to be ruined by this decision. In fact, the Israelis are fighting a hot
war in the North, as you know over the last 12, 24 hours. And the Palestinians have been protesting and dying in Gaza, so there's no peace in
the Middle East for the embassy to ruin. So I think he's exaggerating what the critics claim and then saying see, nothing happened.
SOARES: Jamie, are you saying that his decision then to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal that that has had an impact on what we're seeing in the
Golan Heights?
RUBIN: Well, I think there's no question the Iranian regime will feel less constrained with the United States having pulled out of this agreement and
the whole agreement itself being in jeopardy. And imagine if the agreement fully falls apart. What everyone should really think about today is that
over the last 12 hours, Israelis and the Iranians have exchanged a hot set of series gunfire, artillery fire, missile fire. Now imagine if Iran had
nuclear weapons as they were heading towards until this agreement came and took place or they may again go towards with Trump's decision to pull out.
That would be an ever, ever more dangerous situation for the Israelis and for the world. So the Iran decision is clearly a case of the United States
shooting itself in the foot, because we don't have an alternative. The alternative that has been mentioned is somehow that the United States and
its European allies are going to convince the Iranians to not only do what they said they were going to do in the agreement, but to do 10 other things
the United States wants. That's not going to happen. So it's not serious. Where there is reason for optimism, and we really don't know what's going
to happen is North Korea. That is a potential where there's something new happening. We've never seen before, a president meeting a North Korean
leader and maybe this North Korean leader is going to surprise all the experts and actually give up a live weapons system that he spent billions
building. I don't really think that's likely, but it's certainly possible.
[15:35:05] SOARES: And staying with North Korea in what relates with North Korea, it seems, Jamie, that Americans seem pleased with the job he's
doing. I just want to show our viewers a CNN poll in terms of how he's fairing when it comes to North Korean policy, how Trump is handling North
Korea, 53 percent approved, 35 percent disapproved. He hasn't won already. But in the eyes of many at home, at least, this is a huge win.
RUBIN: Well, interesting that number sounds about right to me, but I don't think the number would have been the same if you used the poll about six
months ago when he was threatening to go to war, a nuclear war with North Korea, so now he's done something that is very unorthodox, exactly the
opposite of what he was saying six months ago, a year ago and the opposite of what many in the Republican Party have been talking about for decades,
which is to give North Korea the platform of an American president standing side by side. I'm for negotiations with North Korea and I think it's a
good thing and I think we should give President Trump a chance to make some progress.
But if you peel below the surface and look at what is really going on, we should also remember that over the last year, North Korea has developed a
very dangerous capability, a ballistic missile, capable of hitting the United States and probably carrying nuclear weapons that they now have
dozens of. That's the new factor over the last year. If these negotiations work and succeed in pulling that North Korean dangerous
capability back and having him give it up, I think I would be happy to applaud it. What I'm worried about is that it will be one meeting, it
won't achieve all that we would want and then where are we when you've already had the summit?
SOARES: So, Jamie, do you think then from what you're saying it sounds that perhaps President Trump may be going into this meeting way too
optimistic. Do you think that he believes that he's cracked the code when it comes to Kim Jong-un? Do you think he should be slightly more cautious?
RUBIN: Yes. Look, President Trump doesn't suffer from being under confident. That's never a problem that he has. The problem here is that I
think you put all these things together and some of the damage that could have come from the Jerusalem decision, from the Iran decision, hasn't yet -
- he hasn't yet seen the damage of pulling out of this agreement. Right now, it just looks like he pulled off what he said he was going to do.
These things take time. Foreign policy is not a snapshot, it's more of a long term movie and this movie is going to get worse and worse on Iran
because of his decision. And North Korea, we just don't know what's going to happen. I don't think he knows and I think what we've seen so far is
encouraging, but I would not bet the farm that North Korea has suddenly give up in one fell swoop, a missile program and a nuclear program that
they've spent decades and billions and billions of dollars to build up. And that is the fall that we may face if Donald Trump suddenly realizes,
oh, my God, he's not going to get that. Then what you worry about is that there will be a letdown and anger and frustration. And then the situation
could be worse than when it started. That's the risk.
SOARES: And, Jamie, very quickly, I know he's facing also growing legal pressures at home when it comes to Russia investigation. Do you believe
like some do perhaps that he's using foreign policy to distract and change the narrative? Is this something that you agree with?
RUBIN: Well, it's hard to know exactly what modifies presidents in a given day. There so many foreign policy problems you could choose for. The way
I would frame it is somewhat different, is that in foreign affairs, on the international stage, the power of the presidency is strongest. You can
have the most affect by what you do when it comes to legislation and budget and legal matters and scandals and all of that. They go on forever and
ever and ever and the president's power is limited. Well, in foreign affairs, the president's more power is strong. And so like many
presidents, when things are closing in on you, you try to choose what you can have the most impact on. I'm not saying he's wagging the dog or
choosing things for reasons that he would different, but it's a question of American presidents using their power.
SOARES: Jamie Rubin, always great to get your analysis. Thanks very much coming on the show.
RUBIN: You're welcome.
SOARES: Now, President Trump is also dealing, as we're saying, with controversies on the domestic front. And now his personal attorney centers
of a new scandal. It appears Michael Cohen used his relationship with Mr. Trump to lure deep pocket clients insinuating that they could effectively
buy the president's aide by hiring him.
CNN Sarah Westwood has been reporting on this front and joins us now from Washington.
So, Sarah, talk us through how Michael Cohen was able to let's say capitalized on Trump's victory.
[15:40:04] SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, after the election, Michael Cohen apparently saw an opportunity to line his pockets
based up his perks and needs to the president and he seized that opportunity. Sources are telling CNN that Cohen pitched himself
aggressively to clients as someone who is very close to the president who had the inside track to someone who has mostly a mystery to most of
institutional Washington, even though it's not clear that Cohen actually ever enjoyed the level of access after inauguration day that he was
pitching to clients. It's important to remember that at the time he was making these pitches to American companies and even some foreign companies
that paid him, this was the time when companies were desperate for ways to make inroads with the new incoming administration.
SOARES: And of course, we're not just talking about small change, are we here Sarah? We're talking about lucrative deals with powerful people, but
also leading companies from pharmaceuticals to telecommunications companies.
WESTWOOD: That's absolutely right. Michael Cohen accepted a generous payment from Novartis, a pharmaceutical giant, even after Novartis says it
learned from just one meeting with Cohen that Cohen was not going to able to provide the level of access that he had promised, similarly Cohen
accepted another large payment from AT&T, although AT&T claims that the only reason they sought out Cohen's services was to try to gain some
insight into how best to approach a president that was still a mystery to a lot of corporate America at that time.
SOARES: Sarah Westwood following the story for us. Thanks very much, Sarah.
WESTWOOD: Thank you.
SOARES: Now, a U.S. lifestyle magazine is apologizing to Monica Lewinsky after majorly botching an event invitation. Ms. Lewinsky, a former White
House intern who had a fate, remember, with former President Bill Clinton created a stir online yesterday with this tweet. This is what she wrote.
"Dear world, please don't invite me to an event, especially one about social change and then after I've accepted, uninvited me because Bill
Clinton then decided to attend/was invited. It's 2018."
Well, it didn't take long for the Huffington Post to find out that that town and country magazine were the event's organizers and have indeed have
told Lewinsky's invite to its annual philanthropy summit. The magazine issued an apology today, said, "We apologize to Ms. Lewinsky and regret the
way the situation was handled."
Still ahead right here on the show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TANISHA LAMBRIGHT, ACTRESS: -- raped, I've been robbed, I've been stabbed before. I've danced before. I've bene homeless before. I've starved
before.
SOARES: She's a victim of sexual abuse who's finding healing through the power of film. We'll bring you that story after the very short break, you
stay right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Now, the U.S. is dealing with a new controversy involving race. It happens at the prestigious Yale University. A white student called
campus police to report a black woman was sleeping in a dormitory common room. That woman were turned out to be a student just taking a nap.
Streamed her experience on Facebook while she was being questioned. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[15:45:07] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have an absolute right to document.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't have a right to take my picture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not taking your picture. This is Facebook live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what we're going to do. That's fine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need to go back to (INAUDIBLE) writing my paper.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you got your ID on you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Can we see that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to at least cooperate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to make sure that you belong here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Let me open my apartment for you, so that you can see that I belong here. I don't think there's need for you to be here.
You probably need to commit her to an institution, that's the only reason she has to be here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) show us your ID here, and we'll be on our way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you Yale student?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course I'm a Yale student. How else do I get in here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a Yale supervisor. I'm just asking.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Well you have three other cops here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, just for the call and I'm the supervisor. So it's going to be OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know it's going to be OK. I know I'm not in trouble. I (INAUDIBLE) this university. I know I'm not in trouble. I
haven't done anything wrong. I'm not going to be harassed, because I think exactly what it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Yale says police followed the proper procedure but says the incident is a reminder that more needs to be done to make the college truly
inclusive.
Now, lawyers for three African-American Airbnb guests are calling for an investigation after they were questioned by police in California. A
neighbor apparently became suspicious and called police when she saw the guests leaving the house with luggage. They say it was just one example of
the racial profiling that they say is rampant in America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY FYFFE MARSHALL, FILMMAKER: It was just a crazy moment. I feel like it happened to the -- it happened to the right people. Because we are the
people that were on this movement before. We were -- me, Donisha and Komi were on a movement to stop this and so now they're in this situation, we
hope that we can use this platform to stop this from happening anymore. From the waffle house, from what happened in the waffle house to what has
happened in the Yale dorms, to all the things that are coming up, it's getting out of hand. And now it seems as a black person, you can't live.
There's nothing you can do without being calling the cops because you're suspicious for doing whatever you're doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, authorities say the police officers acted appropriately.
Now, I want to tell you about a powerful drama, "Hold Me Down" is based from the lives of some young African-American women were turned to
prostitution after lifetime of poverty as well as abuse. One best short film at the Harlem International Film festival last night and here's Becky
Anderson with much more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hold Me Down captures a day in the life of a young mother woman working in an illegal strip club just to
make ends meet. But it's not just another film about the sex industry.
All of the women in the film are real-life survivors of sexual violence or domestic abuse.
LAMBRIGHT: I've been through rape, I've been robbed, I've been stabbed before. I've danced before. I've been homeless before, I've starved
before.
ANDERSON: This is the harsh reality that shocked the film's young Swedish director almost 10 years ago. He saw the dark sides of the American dream
as a 19-year-old student in New York what he thought was just house party in Harlem.
NICLAS GILLIS, DIRECTOR OF HOLD ME DOWN: I witnessed a young woman have sex with a stranger on the floor of a crowded room. When I asked her if
she was OK, she told me that she had a 2-year-old daughter and that this is what she had to do to survive.
ANDERSON: The film draws on interviews with hundreds of women in the sex industry, were turned prostitution for lifetime of trauma. All of them
grew up in impoverished inner city communities and all of them are black.
LAMBRIGHT: When you're born in poverty in black America, in a ghetto, it's really not that bright of a future.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You get money in here. You're gorgeous, put your head up.
LAMBRIGHT: I wanted to honestly be a voice, be an inspiration to these women, if you will.
ANDERSON: According to a prominent civil rights group, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, more than half of all women of
color experience some form sexual violence in their life. For Niclas, the odds were stacked against his cast, something that was obvious even during
filming.
GILLIS: It was really difficult to deal with the fact that, you know, every three weeks, one of the women involved would go through something
really terrible, being evicted or beaten or raped, losing their jobs or being put out on the streets. And whilst I was there as sort of life
vests, my help was really nothing compared to this stormy ocean of everything that went against them.
[15:50:06] ANDERSON: The film doesn't have a Hollywood style happy ending, but in real life, at least some cast members are now in higher education
and most of them wants to continue acting, changing their lives one step at a time.
Becky Anderson, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And Hala Gorani continues after a very short break, do stay right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Now, parts of Europe oftentimes called the land of chocolate. But even a chocolic would consider what happened in Poland a little out of
control, to be honest. A truck carrying 12 tons of liquid chocolate overturned on a highway and caused a major traffic incident. Now, while
literal rivers of chocolate may sound like a dream, as far as authorities are concerned, the situation is more sticky than sweet. The driver was
treated for broken arm. Lucky no one else was hurt. And as one firefighter ominously warned, once it hardens, chocolates worse than snow.
Surprised no one was actually licking that floor.
Now, since the moment they announced their engagement, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been the couple of the moment, generating headlines and
interest in Great Britain, as well as beyond, let's be honest, ahead of their wedding next week. The couple has been touring the U.K. and more
surprisingly, they're attracting large and enthusiastic crowds. Our Nick Glass has all the story for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY CHARLES ALBERT DAVID, PRINCE OF WALES: I fell in love with Meghan and so incredibly quickly. It was a confirmation to me that all the stars
were aligned, everything was just perfect.
NICK GLASS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After the talk of romance, they've been showing us how they feel in person. Harry just bouncing around, Meghan's
smiling away of a good tag team happily working the line. Unusually for a royal couple both publicly very tactile, as with a certain Princess Diana,
Meghan likes to hug. This 10-year-old was singled out in Birmingham, she wants to be an actress one day, just like Meghan.
ARTHUR EDWARDS, PHOTOGRAPHER: It reminded me of Diana actually in those early days with Diana. I remember that to her Wales. The way that was
(INAUDIBLE) but she threw herself into it. And I see the same with this young lady.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, sir. My hand of Prince Harry (INAUDIBLE) at me, because I guess it's a pretty cool photo.
GLASS: The Harry and Meghan road show around Britain is clearly been lot of fun, infectiously Sir Harry buoyant lots of thumbs up and waves, Meghan
had fans before, but nothing, absolutely nothing, quite compares you for serious royal wedding fever. But cutely camera aware and camera friendly,
she's become the first choice cover girl for British celebrity magazines week after week. And if he didn't before, Harry is learning to love dogs.
Meghan has brought over her beagle mix, as well as her photogenic smile.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Both of them and then your children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they're lovely. I've got some lovely photos of them as well and they're charming, absolutely charming.
MEGHAN MARKLE, RETIRED AMERICAN ACTRESS: Hi, how are you? Nice to see you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations.
MARKLE: Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
PRINCE HARRY: Oh, you're friends now. OK. Where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from London, originally.
GLASS: It was a rare intimacy here, a spontaneity, a royal couple happy to banter?
[15:55:01] PRINCE HARRY: Should you be on your work then. Would you tell someone's going to see you here?
MARKEL: On your camera. Oh, very sweet. I love that.
GLASS: As a successful TV actress, Meghan Markle was a U.N. advocate for women's rights.
MARKLE: Women need a seat at the table. They need an invitation to be seated there. And in some cases, where this isn't available, well then you
know what? Then they need to create their own table.
GLASS: Now she's marrying into the British royal family to care for the political institution, but that's evidently hasn't inhibited her. She has
a new platform as one of the so-called Fab Four, William and Kate, Harry and Meghan.
MARKLE: I think right now in the climate that we're seeing with so many campaigns, I mean, Me Too and Time's Up, there is no better time than to
really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered.
GLASS: These have been a frenetic few months for Meghan Markle, baptism, acceptance into the Church of England and a little wedding to plan Windsor
Castle. And along the way, she's been getting to know us and we have been getting to know her.
Nick Glass, CNN, on the road with Harry and Meghan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And if like us, you just can't get enough of the royal wedding, you'll love this latest creation from Legoland in Windsor, a team of 11
model makers spent a whopping 600 hours creating this incredible miniature version of the wedding using nearly 40,000 Lego pieces. They created a
replica Windsor Castle complete with all the main characters of the day including Prince Harry like Markle, as well as the Queen. You can see that.
This display is on at Legoland until November of this year.
And that does it for us, thanks very much for watching. Do stay right here with CNN, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" with Paula Newton is coming up next. You
are watching CNN, we are of course the world's news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(CLOSING BELL RINGING)
[16:00:02] PAULA NEWTON, CNN HOST: The Dow (INAUDIBLE) a 200-point win for this Thursday, it's going up on those industrials. It is Thursday, the
10th of May.
Tonight, tensions between Iran and Israel keep oil markets on edge --
END
