Return to Transcripts main page
Hala Gorani Tonight
Cyclist Shot During "March Of Return" Protest; U.N. Imposes Sanctions On Libyan Human Traffickers; IDF Defends Its tactics, Says It Aims To Minimize Fatalities; Dutch FM: CNN Paved Way For U.N. Sanctions; Amazon Gets a Slice of Premier League TV Rights; Secretary Of State Pompeo Speaks At Briefing. Aired 3-4p ET>\
Aired June 07, 2018 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:24] HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Well, everyone. I'm Hala Gorani. We continue our coverage of the Trump/Abe meeting at the White House today.
And of course that all-important historic upcoming meeting with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to happen in Singapore on June 12.
President Trump said he hopes it will mark a bright new future, quote, unquote, for Pyongyang and the world. Trump spoke just moments ago after
meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Now, the president repeated that he is prepared to walk away if he has to, but he's hoping for the best case scenario. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We could absolutely sign an agreement. We're looking at it. We're talking about it with them. We're
talking about it with a lot of other people, but that could happen. But that's really the beginning.
It sounds a little bit strange, but that's probably the easy part, the hard part remains after that.
Normalizing relations is something that I would expect to do, I would hope to do, when everything is complete. We would certainly hope to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, Mr. Trump says it was the easy part. This was the easy meeting. Things will be a lot less magnanimous at the G7 this weekend in
Canada. Then, of course, we have to look forward to that meeting and that summit with Kim Jong-un.
Sarah Westwood is in Washingotn. And Donald Trump was also asked about that letter that Kim Jong-un sent him and revealed some of what was in it,
and his hopes and expectations for the Singapore summit on June 12. What did we learn?
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know now that President Trump is very optimistic heading to Singapore at the beginning of next week. He
hopes that the meeting will go well. It will be the first step in a long journey towards normalization of relations between the U.S. and North
Korea.
He also made clear that he is willing to walk away from that summit if he doesn't get a desired outcome or a good sense from Kim Jong-un during that
Singapore summit.
It's still unclear, though, what exactly success looks like for this White House, because the White House, the Trump administration, has sort of moved
back and forth from saying at one point, you know, that they would never agree to lift any of their sanctions unless denuclearization was complete.
Now they're saying potentially there could be more of an incremental process.
But certainly you saw him and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promising to work together alongside South Korea, and particularly China, to make
this more of a multilateral process, ultimately, to bring North Korean to the table and talk about denuclearization.
GORANI: All right, you can see that it will take more than one meeting. Sarah Westwood in Washington, thanks very much for that.
Let's get more. Jamie Metzl joins me. He's a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former executive vice president of the Asia Society.
He's been following this story closely.
What did you make of what Donald Trump said: it will take more than one meeting, but he's working with China, he praised the South Korean president
-- what stood out, as far as you are concerned in what the U.S. president said regarding this upcoming summit?
JAMIE METZL, SENIOR FELLOW THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Ultimately, it seems that the United States has given up on the idea of getting North Korea to give
up their nuclear weapons and has signed on to this process of gradual confidence building. It was very, very -- as a matter of fact it was
unlikely that North Korea was ever going to commit to giving up their nukes that now that the pressure is really off the North Koreans, that maximum
pressure, in the president's own words, is basically finished as a policy, the issue is what next?
Now that we will have -- the United States will have given North Korea a lot of what it wants by the very fact of the meeting, that Kim Jong-un will
have legitimacy, sanctions will be eased, and there's a very real possibility that a lot of daylight will emerge between the United States
and Japan and possibly South Korea. And if we're going to address the issue of nuclear weapons later in the process, then that's essentially the
same deal as past presidents have negotiated.
GORANI: Right, but he's presenting it in a very different way. And one of the surprising things he said is he hasn't -- he feels no need to prepare
for this, that it's all about attitude. What does that tell us about how he's approaching this historic summit?
METZL: That if the United States is willing to accept a nuclear armed North Korea, then we can have the same deal that we would have 20 or 30
years ago. But this is a very complex, strategic negotiation where for the North Koreans, their future and their existence is at stake. And these
guys are brilliant, smart negotiators, and they have Donald Trump's number.
I mean, it's not a coincidence that everybody comes to the United States and flatters President Trump, as President Abe just did. Kim Jong-un's
letter, I'm sure -- we haven't seen it, but I'm sure it was a very flattering letter. And they are going to give...
[15:05:20] GORANI: He said it was nice, it was basically nice and courteous and warm. So -- but not much content, according to the
president. It seemed like basically that was it, that he said that the letter was just a nice greeting.
METZL: Yeah, but when they meet with the president, they are going to offer a series of quote, unquote concessions that the president is going to
be able to tweet out as a win, or as a perceived win. And if the president isn't aware of the details, there a very high likelihood that he is going
to fall into a trap.
President Abe, for example, mentioned not just long range missiles, but other types of missiles. So if the North Koreans say, look, we are going
to decommission our ICBMs so the United States will no longer be threatened by our missiles, and therefore by our nuclear weapons, but the mid-range
missiles remain, that's going to cause a lot of consternation in Japan, even though from the perspective of President Trump he's going to be able
to tweet that out as a win.
So, the details are really important.
GORANI: Right, but we've seen, as with Macron, for instance, relationships with the U.S. president can be very warm one day and then deteriorate the
next. I mean, I wonder when the two men meet and how -- whether or not Donald Trump takes issue, takes umbrage with something that Kim Jong-un
says or does, how potentially -- because it's going to be very fragile regardless.
METZL: It will, but I think that's very unlikely to happen, because the United States is coming to this meeting with incredible gifts for the North
Koreans in exchange really for very little. I mean, we don't know everything, but from all intents and purposes it looks like the North
Koreans have given up anything, haven't made any major concessions.
So the North Koreans will get the legitimacy, they'll likely get the peace treaty. And they're not going to give up anything other than something
that -- things that are either symbolic or in some way in their strategic interests.
So, the North Koreans...
GORANI: But you have to verify -- I mean, regardless of the deal, regardless of what the North Koreans promise, whether it keeps their short
range missile capability or not, there has to be something verifiable there, right? And that takes years. And it's a very complex operation.
METZL: Yeah, the question is verifiable what? If they say they're going to up their ICBMs -- but the North Koreans have no intention, they've not
declared any intention, they've never mentioned giving up their nuclear weapons, other than some -- at some vague point in the future where they no
longer feel any threat.
So, as far as I'm concerned, North Korean denuclearization isn't even remotely on the table. And the...
GORANI: But what's the deal that the Americans want right now, the Trump Administration? If it's not on the table, and we're hearing top officials
from the Trump administration say we want verifiable -- we heard it from Pompeo, the secretary of state -- irreversible denuclearization. If the
position of the North Koreans is forget it, we're never going there, then what can be agreed in Singapore?
METZL: Yeah, so the U.S. position has changed over the last week. It was a week ago that Secretary Pompeo was talking about denuclearization.
Nobody is talking about that, that's why there have been the reports on CNN.com and elsewhere, that Pompeo and John Bolton are now fighting.
And so when President Trump says this is going to take many meetings, it's going to take time, it's going to take confidence building measures, that's
essentially the same agreement that has happened in the past.
So, there's no reason to believe...
GORANI: But ultimately what I mean is the end goal, the end goal has to be something having to do with denuclearization, otherwise what's the process
all for?
METZL: Well, that's the big question. So, the end goal for the North Koreans is to have a series of meetings and legitimation, and weakened
sanctions, and divide the United States from our allies.
There is an open question about whether the actual goal of the United States from the president on down, with the tone set by the president, is
actually denuclearization, or having a series of high profile meetings that have a political impact at home in the United States.
GORANI: Quick, last one, because we're going to talk about this in a second, the -- have you been following the Emmanuel Macron, the French
president's, tweet storm today? Because it has been remarkable. He's talking about G6+1. He's talking about the six G6 partners. This is one
of the tweets in French, "the six countries of the G7 without the United States, a bigger market than the U.S. market. We must not forget this."
I mean, he's floating ideas out there that a few weeks ago would have seemed unthinkable.
[15:10:02] METZL: Well, every action has its reaction. President Trump, while coddling our adversaries, is basically declaring war on our closest
friends and allies, and this is what's really at stake. This administration is taking and ax to the post-war political order and the
United States' role as a central pillar of peace and prosperity around the world. And so our allies can be expected to fight back and that's what
we're seeing.
GORANI: I get it, but are they going to -- is there going to be a G6 now without the strongest, richest, most powerful country in the world?
METZL: They can't do it. I mean, the United States is too woven into the international system. But when we start picking fights with our closest
friends, very bad things happen and our adversaries are strengthened.
GORANI: Well, we'll see. It's going to be, I think, in some cases potentially quite an awkward meeting between Macron and Trudeau and Donald
Trump after all these tariffs were announced.
Thank very much, Jamie Metzl, appreciate it.
Donald Trump is apparently so looking forward to his meeting with Kim that he views tomrorow's summit with his G7 partners as a distraction.
The Washington Post is reporting Mr. Trump has complained privately that he doesn't want to be lectured on disputes over tariffs and trade. The
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron met earlier today in Ottawa saying they'll work to avoid a trade war
between friends. But Mr. Macron also took aim at the tariffs that President Trump ordered against American allies in the name of national
secuirty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): The basis that were used to justify these measures, and the attempt to present them as
respecting international trade law, or being an argument of national security, this is an inappropriate excuse.
And this article allows the U.S. president to undermine the procedures, and that is why we are going to contest this decision with the WTO.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Let's get more now from CNN's Melissa Bell.
So, it was a flashy bromance just a few weeks ago, it has deteriorated very quickly.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Deteriorated substantially, and it appears, Hala, that really what pushed it over the edge after climate
change, after Iran, were these tariffs. After all, and this is something Emmanuel Macron said in Washington, and he's repeated it again in Ottawa
today, friends do not put tariffs on friends, it's as simple as that. It's a matter of principle he said today alongside Justin Trudeau.
And I think in a sense this is the continuity with what we've seen. Yes, he's chosen a different approach to his European partners in his approach
to Donald Trump, much more friendship, much more outreach, much more hand stretching and open arms, but he's also never hesitated to sort of stand up
to him.
Remember when the United States announced its withdrawal from the Paris accord, Emmanuel Macron took Donald Trump's campaign slogan and turned it
against him. He's really never hesitated, also, almost in being provocative towards the American president.
The real question is whether the divergences between them have simply, this time, grown too strong. And it appears that with tariffs they might have,
Hala.
GORANI: I mean, if you look at his Twitter page, it's one after the other, whether it's implicitly sort of throwing shade President Trump's way, or
explicitly floating ideas like G6+1, saying -- he was talking about hegemony, that this is something that he will always fight again, in
obvious reference, I guess, to the United States.
Also talking about, you know, that potentially there could be an agreement, some sort of text signed at the G7 that might not include the United States
as a signatory. I mean, that's quite remarkable.
BELL: It is remarkable. And that phrase, G6+1, which essentially explains the dynamic of us as we enter this particular summit, Hala, in a very
different way to even the one that we saw last year, you'll remember, with Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump first met at that NATO summit in Brussels
and then the G7 in Sicily. Things have changed again so much in just a year, the alliances are different, the skepticism from former allies is
greater, and the bridges on so many friends appear to have been burned.
And so we approach this G7 in a completely different world than the one we last saw them meeting, not least because Emmanuel Macron's strategy of
reaching out to the American president appears to have spectacularly sort of failed.
GORANI: Yeah, Melissa Bell in Paris, thanks very much.
Well, it's not just the U.S.'s relationship with France, it's also the U.S.'s relationship with Germany after the new U.S. German ambassador made
some controversial comment, talking about potentially having the desire to be a non-traditional diplomat, maybe interfere in the public discourse and
even politics in Germany. So, the spokeswoman at the State Department was asked about the U.S.'s relationship with Germany, whether it's a strong
relationship and why. And she -- a lot of jaws dropped and a lot of eyebrows were raised when she answered this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[15:15:14] HEATHER NAUERT, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: When you talk about Germany, we have a very strong relationship with the government of
Germany. Looking back in the history books, today is the 71st anniversary of the speech that announced the Marshall Plan. Tomorrow is the
anniversary of the D-Day invasion. We obviously have a very long history with the government of Germany, and we have a strong relationship with the
government.
And so we want to reaffirm the strength of our relationship with Germany.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So, obviously, a very peculiar historic event to reference when talking about a positive and strong relationship with Germany -- the D-Day
invasion of June 6, 1944, that certainly is something that surprised people, including many in Germany itself.
Still to come tonight, this man, David Davis, has been the face of Brexit on the British side. There are reports that he nearly quit today after
furious argument with the prime minister. We'll tell you why next.
And after night upon night of scenes like these, a victory for protesters in Jordan. The government has buckled. More on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well, the long and bumpy road to Brexit has reached another, yet another, critical point.
The British government has released the plan on one of the most contentious issues: the Irish border. It lays out a one year emergency plan of last
resort, a backstop, that would prevent a hard border. It would end on December 2021. This standby agreement would see the whole of the UK, not
just Northern Ireland, remain aligned with EU rules. It would be put in place only if there were a delay in implementing a deal.
It all sounds technical, but the reason this is such a big deal was the huge fight that it caused in the British government. Now, if you follow
the Brexit story, you know this man, David Davis, the Brexit secretary. He threatened to quit unless there was some sort of date that was included in
the announcement in the proposal that would put an end to the emergency scenario with the Irish border.
Remember, this is just a proposal. It would have to be agreed by the European Union. Let's bring in Nina Schick. She's a political
commentator.
So, for people not following every incremental development of the Brexit story, what is the UK proposing here exactly in layman's terms?
NINA SCHICK, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Essentially, the UK will be leaving in March 2019, and has already accepted that there's no way the new deal is
going to be ready by then. So, there's going to be a two-year transition period, which is essentially a status quo.
Even then, the idea and the likelihood, by far, I think, is that there's going to be no new deal. So, you now have a backstop option. What happens
when the transition ends. The UK has left and there's still no new deal. Everyone agrees there can be no hard border in Northern Ireland.
So, the EU proposed, and Ireland also pushed for this, in that instance, the backstop would be that Northern Ireland basically remains in the
European Union's customs union, or single market.
The UK has said, no, no, no, that's politically impossible, because we can't allow our country to be divided, basically less putting a border in
the Irish.
But the big argument in the cabinet was about David Davis obviously being one of the leading Bexiteers saying that that has to be time limited, this
cannot become the status quo because Bexiteers are worried that this backstop would de facto become the reality.
[15:20:46] GORANI: So, am I missing something? I mean, if you have an emergency deal that's in place until a wider, more permanent deal is
negotiated, how can that be time limited, because then what happens?
SCHICK: Well, essentially...
GORANI: I mean, I don't understand how that's even possible?
SCHICK: If you look at what was in the British draft, you know, David Davis does a lot of grand standing, threatened to stand down, but if you
actually look at the draft of what the UK has put forward, there is nothing in legal commitment, because it basically says the backstop will be time
limited only if the new deal is in place. So, this is all amounts to a lot of hot air about nothing.
But I think the fundamental thing to remember is that the cabinet still hasn't agreed on what its position is going to be on the future
relationship with the EU.
GORANI: And I ask this question all the time from political commentators and experts such as yourself, explain to me -- I still don't understand --
if the UK is -- if Northern Ireland is part of the UK and the Republic of Ireland is part of the EU, after Brexit and after the UK as a country exits
the EU, how is Northern Ireland -- how can Northern Ireland and Ireland not have a hard border?
SCHICK: Absolutely, this is the impossible square that everyone is trying to circle. If Britain's position is to leave the customs union and the
single market, there has to be a border either on the Irish Sea or on the island of Ireland.
GORANI: Exactly.
SCHICK: And this is the impossible question that everyone is fudging, fudging, fudging...
GORANI: But there's no answer.
SCHICK: There is no answer. The British government has thus far said technology will solve it. That clearly...
GORANI: What does that even mean?
SCHICK: Well, HMRC has already said the kind of technology that the UK says it wants to put in place would not only cost billions every single
year, but it hasn't been developed. The staff to administer...
GORANI: But, yes, but even if it does exist, this technology, you either have a hard border wtih customs checks and passport checks whether it's a
drone or a computer doing it or a human.
SCHICK: Absolutely. Well, this is the -- you hit the nail on the head, this is the fundamental problem with the Brexit negotiations. And time and
time and time again we keep coming back to the question of the Irish border.
GORANI: All right, that and so many others that still need to be resolved.
Nina Schick, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate your analysis.
Now, to the Middle East. And protests have taken the streets of Amman by storm every night this past week. And it seems they have finally worked.
Today, the new Jordanian prime minister has announced he will withdrawal a controversial tax bill, one of the key demands of protesters. Jomana
Karadsheh joins me now live from Amman with the latest.
And these protests in Jordan are -- I mean, unusual, right? And they were relentless. They just did not want this increased tax.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They were absolutely incredibly, Hala. And even up until last night with the change in
government, and we still saw thousands taking to the streets in Amman. And right now, you know, looking outside our live position, it's just all
stopped. It seems like life has returned back to normal. Roads have been opened up, these roads that have been blocked by security forces over the
past week. And today's developments really an unexpected one. We saw the prime minister following his meeting with the leadership of the senate and
parliament coming out an announcing that he's going to withdraw this controversial income tax law bill saying that basically this is something
that they're not going to rush, it is something that requires real national dialogue with all the different stakeholders, to make sure that they reach
a fair formula after looking at all the taxes that people are already paying.
And I have to say, talking to people here today, they really feel proud of what their countrymen and women have been able to accomplish in just a
matter of days.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARADSHEH: It's been a week like no other in Jordan, from scenes that need little translation like this one when a group of protesters showed us their
wallets -- some empty, some with less than two dollars -- to anger rarely seen on the streets of Amman.
The demonstrations that remained largely peaceful made history, bringing down a government and reversing, at least for now, that controversial
income tax law bill aimed at cutting Jordan's $37 billion debt.
This has been a spontaneous movement. This is not really organized by any political group or entity. It's quite a diverse crowd. You see people old
and young, proudly parents even bringing out their children to these demonstrations.
We met families like Ava Washde's (ph) who told us that they were protesting for their children's future.
"Within 10 days of getting your salary you spend it. It doesn't even last until the middle of the month," mother of two Ikta Samma Dewashde (ph) told
us. Then debts begin to build. It's not enough for school tuition, rent, fuel, and groceries.
"I rent my house," her husband Muhdan (ph) told us. "I've been married for 12 years and I haven't been able to build a house or buy an apartment."
Thursday's announcement by the newly appointed prime minister withdrawing the tax bill meant victory for the protesters, but it's not an end to
Jordan's economic troubles. The demonstrations may have been triggered by the tax law, but they were the result of years of frustration with the rise
in the cost of living, especially after IMF-backed austerity measures were enforced, bringing constant increases in energy prices, more sales tax on
basic commodities, and an end to bread subsidies.
Officials say slowing foreign aid and the refugee crisis contributed to their billions of dollars in debt, but say years of bad economic planning
and corruption are also to blame.
Much hope now rides on the country's new prime minister who has promised change. But there's no easy fix for Jordan's financial troubles,
especially with an emboldened population that seems to have reached its breaking points.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KARADSHEH: And you know, Hala, so many Jordanians are feeling very optimistic and positive about this new prime minister Omar Razzaz, not just
because they feel that he is the right man for the job, the right man for the moment, because of his impressive background when it comes to economic
issues holding some senior positions with the World Bank, it's also his attitude, his approach where he seems to be trying to break down these
barriers between government bureaucrats and the people trying to involve them in decisionmaking. And this is really something unheard of here.
GORANI: It's going to be interesting to see if this is enough, enough to satisfy protesters if their situation doesn't improve.
Jomana Karadsheh in Amman, thanks very much.
Still to come tonight, Amazon gets in the game by snapping up some broadcasting rights to English Premier League football matches. Why is
that significant? We'll tell you later.
Also, a lifetime of dreams shattered in an instant by an Israeli bullet. We'll see how a Palestinian cyclist who rode to a protest in Gaza ended up
an amputee.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:14] HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Hoping for the best but prepared for the worst. That is U.S. President Trump's stand going into
next week's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Just a short time ago after meeting with the Japanese premier at the White House, Mr. Trump
said he's hoping for an agreement and a normalization of ties down the road. But he says he'll walk, if he has to.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If the summit does go well, will you inviting North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un to the United States?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, the answer is yes to the second part of your question. But certainly if it goes well. And I
think it would be well received. I think he would look at it very favorably, so I think that could happen. All I can say is I'm totally
prepared to walk away. I did it once before. You have to be able to walk away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: And a reminder that we're waiting to hear from the U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, shortly. You can see the images there from the
briefing room. Likely, he'll take questions, as well. And most likely he'll speak about the upcoming North Korea summit in Singapore. So we'll
bring you that when the briefing starts.
He dreamed of waiving the Palestinian flag at an international sporting event. But instead, a bullet forever changed the life of a young cyclist
in Gaza. Alaa Al-Daly is one of thousands of Palestinians wounded by forces during recent protests. Our Ben Wedeman tells us how sniper fire
changed his life forever.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: His dream was to become a professional cyclist, to finally escape, if only briefly, the narrow confines of his
native Gaza. As part of the Palestinian cycling team at this year's Asian games in Indonesia.
The dream I've been pursuing and training for, says, 20-year-old Alaa Al- Daly, disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The dream shattered when an Israeli bullet ripped through his right leg on the 30th of March at the first of the weekly Great Marches of Return.
Doctors had to amputate. Alaa had ridden his bike to the demonstration. Joining tens of thousands protesting Israel's blockade which has created
what critics say is the world's largest open air prison as virtually no one can come or go. He insists he was well away from the fence that separates
Gaza from Israel.
Since then, the Palestinian health ministry claims Israeli gunfire has killed more than 120 people including journalists and medical personnel and
wounded more than 4,000.
DR. ADNAN AL-BORSH, SHIFA HOSPITAL: A gunshot bullet in his leg. This bullet distracted all soft tissue, nerves, arteries, bones.
WEDEMAN: Dr. Adnan Al-Borsh takes me on a tour of Gaza City Shifa Hospital.
AL-BORSH: So now we have about 25 amputations, but this number is increasing. Increasing because of the severity of injury and the lack of
medications such as antibiotics.
WEDEMAN: Jordanian surgeon Bassam Harasha is operating on one of the wounded.
BASSAM HARASHA, JORDANIAN SURGEON: Inside the issue, this type of bullet is doing explosion and this explosion, effect of this bullet is doing
massive destruction in the soft tissue and bone. So most of the patients, they underwent amputation. We have no chance to save like other bullet
injuries which is traditional bullet in the outside this area.
WEDEMAN: Many of the bullet wounds appear to be from 7.62 millimeters sniper rounds fired by Israeli forces. At close range their effect is
devastating to the human body.
Dr. Bssam Almasri (ph) has treated the injured from Gaza's many wars.
The bullet itself is different from before, he says. We used to find intact bullets. Now we don't. Now they're just shrapnel.
Israeli army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus insists their tactics are intended to minimize fatalities.
LT. COL. JONATHAN CONRICUS, ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESMAN: Each sniper fires only at orders of commanders. The snipers fire at the feet or the legs of the
assailant who try to penetrate into Israel and again, using only standard ammunition, which are according to international law and used by other
militaries as well.
[15:35:03] WEDEMAN: Israeli officials say the protesters threw Molotov cocktails and stones at Israeli soldiers positioned along the fence. No
Israeli soldiers were killed or injured during the protests. Prominent Israeli human rights lawyer, Michael Sfard believes the Israeli army could
have avoided the use of lethal force.
MICHAEL SFARD, ISRAELI HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER: Our people among the protestors who wanted to get to the fence, wanted to cross the fence and
maybe wanted to cross the fence in order to do some bad things. Yes, I guess is the strongest army in the Middle East. It has lots of tools. It
can apprehend those people. It can put them to trial and even incarcerate them to long prison terms. It can use tear gas, it can use water guns. It
can do so many things.
WEDEMAN: The Israeli government accuses Hamas which controls Gaza of using the protesters as pawns to penetrate the fence and attempt to return to
their homes of more than half a century ago.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the army's actions saying no country would allow threats to its sovereignty. Still the Israeli army
claims it used restraint.
CONRICUS: The IDF has been defending Israeli communities and Israeli civilians against multiple attacks from Gaza towards Israel over the last
two months. Throughout these attacks, we have been using different measures. Lots of Control measures and as a last repost, we have used
sniper fire in order to stop the most dangerous of threats from breaching the border and coming into Israel. I'd like to emphasize that we have been
using standard ammunition only, nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. Standard sniper ammunition only.
WEDEMAN: Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sitta here from the American University of Beirut Hospital where he heads the department of reconstructive surgery. He has
decades of experience treating the wounded from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq in addition to Gaza.
DR. GHASSAN ABU-SITTA, SURGEON, AUB HOSPITAL: Almost identical cases of complex injuries to the limbs leading protracted and repeated surgical
interventions and really complex surgical interventions, because of the amount of tissue destruction that these high velocity bullets produce.
WEDEMAN: What's not in dispute is that Israeli forces have wounded thousands of Palestinians, many now handicapped for life.
ABU-SITTA: If you permanently cripple that individual, not only are you taking away their ability to contribute economically, they become an
economic burden. If they're in their 20s or late teens, then that's a lifetime of economic disability.
WEDEMAN: And that lifetime of disabilities just now taking its first steps.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: We have some breaking news. It's the first time that's happened in history. The United Nations is international sanctions on six people
for their role in trafficking migrants through Libya to Europe. It's unprecedented. These sanctions follow CNN's shocking expose of slave
auctions in Libya last year. Nima Elbagir broke the exclusive reporting and is following the international fallout.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Inside smuggler where houses in Libya squalling and desperate. African migrants can wait here for days, weeks,
months even, before continuing onto Europe and for mercy of human traffickers.
CNN was granted access to the warehouses by the owners of the property. For the safety of our contacts, we agreed not to identify the location.
Human traffickers come across by cameraman. Their patience is limited.
They have money to make and they don't want witnesses.
For years now, these networks have held Libya to ransom. Their crimes resonating far beyond its borders. Shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. Human
cargo brought to shore in body bags. A litany of death breaks in violence.
Then last October, we filmed a slave auction. $500. $550. Migrants sold off to the highest bidder. Finally, the world sat up and took notice. The
Netherlands has been working for the last year, pulling all of this together. Alongside their code designating states, the U.S., U.K., France,
and Germany. They've been spearheading this sanctions effort. These documents obtained by CNN outlined the case they've put forward against
these men.
[15:40:18] Risk of death, brutal conditions, inhumane treatment. The sanctions include an asset freeze and travel bans. Ermias Ghermay
(INAUDIBLE) accused of heading the east African network. An arrest warrant has been issued in Italy. Fitiwi Abdelrazak, another (INAUDIBLE) whose
network is believed to reach all the way to the United States. He is the subject of several criminal investigations. And the following men all
Libyan. Ahmad Al-Dabbash, a militia leader accused of counting ISIS members amidst his ranks. Mus'Ab Abu-Qarin, aka, The Doctor, linked to the
worst migrant shipwreck in the Mediterranean, 800 people in total drowned. Mohammed Kachla, a multimillionaire running an infamous migrant detention
center. Abd Al Rahman Al-Milad, aka, al-Bija. A commander in the European Union funded coast guard in Zawiya. Sending the message that enough is
enough. That the African migrant's lives have value.
In this morgue in southern Libya, there is no one to claim the bodies or the corpses of dead migrants pile up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the clinic, we receive up to two bodies a day. Crimes of murder.
ELBAGIR: In death, as in life, the migrants are in limbo.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This year specifically there's been such arise in deaths. Arising crimes against migrants.
ELBAGIR: There's no way of knowing who these men were. No way of letting their families know that they're gone. International sanctions are of
course just a start. The hope is they will lay the foundation for future criminal prosecution. For justice. At the very least, they send the
message that these people do matter. That the world finally does care.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: And Nima joins me now live in the studio. So this is really unprecedented, right? The U.N. is imposing sanctions on individuals for
human trafficking, human beings from Libya.
ELBAGIR: it's all under the umbrella of human trafficking. But when you look at the crimes as they're broken down, I mean, they're pulling sex
slavery, slavery, murder. The commander in the Zawiya Coast Guard is actually accused, alleged to have taken down the boats filled with migrants
run by his rival traffickers. I mean, it feels like the Wild West when you look at some of these crimes.
GORANI: It's so lawless there. And by the way, I spoke a few weeks ago while we were waiting to be able to report this with the Dutch foreign
minister, Stef Blok and he acknowledged that your reporting and CNN's reporting, over the last year, was something that was very useful in
bringing this case to be considered by the United Nations. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEF BLOK, DUTCH FOREIGN MINISTER: I'm very glad to Netherlands who was able to initiate this important initiative to effectively -- burnish human
traffickers active in Libya. It was CNN that draw the attention to this terrible -- well, you may actually call it a slave trade that has been
going on in Libya for far too long. And as Netherlands is currently member of the U.N. Security Council, we propose to them to impose sanctions on six
of the worst perpetrators. And that will mean that this crime won't be left unpunished.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Why did it take so long? Because this was several weeks ago and it was blocked. At least along the way.
ELBAGIR: It was held, I think the diplomatic way of putting it. So the entire initiative has been months, in fact, I think an entire year. So the
Netherlands has been working with the various partners, the U.S., the U.K. to bring it together. And then it goes in front of the sanctions committee
which has to vote unanimously. And that point, we understand from diplomatic sources that Russia put a hold. They said they felt that it
wasn't sufficiently thought through in terms of the information that was put forward. When in fact, when you look at this, this is incredibly
detailed, because it needs to be. They're hoping that some of this will form the basis for criminal prosecutions. And then Russia decided to move
the block.
GORANI: The same reasons? What were the reasons?
ELBAGIR: Well, the reason so far are known only to Russia. They have not really shared them.
GORANI: A quick one. I also asked Stef Blok about this coast guard, the head of the coast guard in Zawiya. And the coast guard receives EU funds.
So I said, this is problematic if you have European money going to a coast guard operation with a man like that running it. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[15:45:14] BLOK: Indeed, the European Union is supporting the Libyan government in fighting human trafficking and one of the ways they're doing
and that is part of the European community. One of the ways they're doing that is in helping the Libyan coast guard in being more effective, but also
being effective in a way that is accordance with international law and human rights. And indeed, one of the six people on the sanction list is
active for the Libyan coast guard. This shows that we will go to whatever place or organization concern in finding and punishing the people
responsible. Even if it is an organization that we are working together with in other fields because we believe it important that the Libyan -- the
coast guard functions well and it can play its role in fighting human trafficking. Within this coast guard there is a criminal that is active
and should be punished. We don't shy away and we put this person on the sanction list.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: OK. So, these individuals, six of them?
ELBAGIR: Six of them, right.
GORANI: So now will it will be sanctioned. Will it have an impact on their operation? They've had a heads-up, presumably.
ELBAGIR: They have had a heads-up. Those we're speaking to say that it's not just about movable assets or money. It's also about immovable assets.
Some of these people, we believe, own property inside the European Union. So now that will no longer be accessible to them. It shows you the level
of impunity that we're dealing with here. And it sends a very direct message even if you are helping Europe with its migrant problem like the
Zawiya coast guard commander. You will not be on the reach of repercussions and consequences.
Nima Elbagir, thanks so much in your reporting and the team's reporting there that informed the dossier that the Dutch presented to the U.N. and
was ended in the sanctions imposed on individuals for the first time ever. So congratulations, once again.
Now, we'll be right back with a lot more news. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Amazon now has a slice of the broadcast rise to English Premier -- English Premier League football. After signing a deal to air 20 matches
this season in the U.K. from 2019.
Samuel Burke joins me now with details. So we usually don't cover stories like, you know, right to air 20 matches. But this is Amazon and it's
taking a slice of a pie. It's a new player in this very lucrative game.
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. This is a seismic shift. And think about this. You can buy your stocks on
the same platform that you can now watch a series about a transgender family and watch soccer games. This is a huge shift, because if you look
back, other companies have used this strategy. Sky when it was a starting cable satellite player, it bought the same rights and that's how it became
the big player it is.
[15:50:11] What you have here is if you have an Amazon Prime membership which costs about $106. In the United Kingdom, you don't have to pay
anymore. You get 10 games on one weekend, ten --
GORANI: I got to stop you. We will talk about this a little bit later, but the U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo has just made an appearance in
the briefing room at the White House. Let's listen in.
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: -- for far too long. President Trump has been and continuous to be committed to ridding the United States
in the world of threats posed by North Korea's weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. This programs threaten our homeland, our
allies and partners, and the broader non-proliferation regime.
North Korea's past activities also make clear that it is proliferation to other actors that creates a risk, in addition to the primary risks. It has
supporting infrastructure that is also of concern.
In early 2017, the Trump administration decided on a policy we have referred to as the maximum pressure campaign. The campaign enacted the
strongest economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea in history. The goal was to set the conditions for the DPRK to make a strategic
decision to denuclearize as the best means by which it will achieve its own security.
American leadership rallied the international community to send a strong message to Chairman Kim Jong-un and the world that we would not stand for
the DPRK's illegal weapons programs. The President's bold decision to meet with Chairman Kim Jong-un grew from this incredibly strong and targeted
campaign. The President's policy directly led to the historic summit that will take place on June 12th in Singapore.
Back on March 8th, Chairman Kim Jong-un expressed his desire to meet with President Trump as soon as possible. And then on May 9th, I met with
Chairman Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang and explained America's expectations for denuclearization.
At that time, we also secured the release of three Americans. Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim, and Kim Hak-song. We view this as a sign of goodwill from
Chairman Kim Jong-un.
The United States and North Korea have been holding direct talks in preparation for a summit, and North Korea has confirmed to us its
willingness to denuclearize. A comprehensive whole-of-government effort in support of President Trump's upcoming summit is under way. White House and
State Department-led advance teams are finalizing logistical preparations and will remain in place in Singapore until the summit begins. The
President continues to follow every development closely and is getting daily briefings from his national security team.
The fact that our two leaders are coming to the table shows that the two sides are very serious. The diplomatic model we've used to date is
different from past efforts. Our efforts give us hope that we can find real success where past efforts have fallen short.
President Trump is hopeful, but he's also going into the summit with his eyes wide open. We've seen how many inadequate agreements have been struck
in the past. And you can be sure that President Trump will not stand for a bad deal. The United States has been clear, time and time again, that
complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the only outcome that we will find acceptable.
The President recognizes that North Korea has great potential, and he looks forward to a day when sanctions on the DPRK can begin to be removed.
However, that cannot happen until the DPRK completely and verifiably eliminates its weapons of mass destruction programs.
President Trump and Chairman Kim will certainly also discuss security assurances for the DPRK, establishing a peace regime, and improving
relations between our two countries. Until we achieve our goals, the measures that the world, alongside the United States, has put on the regime
will remain. In the event diplomacy does not move in the right direction, these measures will increase. Throughout the entire process, the United
States has been unified with Japan and South Korea in response to the threats from North Korea.
I will be traveling with my -- excuse me, I will be traveling to meet with my Japanese and South Korean counterparts after the summit to continue to
coordinate with them. I will also stop in Beijing following the Singapore summit. I'll provide them with an update and underscore the importance of
fully implementing all sanctions that are imposed on North Korea.
President Trump recognizes North Korea's desire for security and is prepared to ensure a DPRK free of its weapons of mass destruction is also a
secure North Korea.
[15:55:05] President Trump has made it clear that if Kim Jong-un denuclearizes, there is a brighter path for North Korea and its people. We
envision a strong, connected, secure, and prosperous North Korea that is integrated into the community of nations. We think that the people of the
United States and North Korea can create a future defined by friendship and collaboration, and not by mistrust and fear.
We believe that Chairman Kim Jong-un shares this positive vision for the future, and we are committed to finding a path forward. And we assume and
hope that that belief is sincere.
We're looking forward to being in Singapore in just a few days.
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: As a reminder, we'll take a quick few questions before the secretary has to depart.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
POMPEO: Yes, ma'am.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What progress have you made in narrowing the gap in your understanding of denuclearization and North Korea's definition of
denuclearization? Has there been progress in bringing that definition closer together?
POMPEO: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you describe that a little bit?
POMPEO: No.
SANDERS: That was quick. Jon Decker.
JON DECKER, JOURNALIST: Thank you, Sarah. Thank you, Secretary Pompeo. As you mentioned in your remarks, North Korea, in the past, has reneged on
prior agreements that it's made with the U.S. government. So I have two questions for you. The first question has to do with your experience
meeting with Kim Jong-un. Do you trust him? And my second question has to do with the negotiations that are upcoming with North Korea. Who, in your
opinion, has the upper hand in the negotiations, and why?
POMPEO: So with respect to your first question, I've had the chance to meet with Chairman Kim Jong-un twice now. I can tell you he is very
capable of articulating the things that he is prepared to do, present clearly the challenges that we all have to overcome. It's why the two
leaders are meeting. It's the opportunity to lay those out clearly between the two leaders so that we can see if we can find a path forward together
that achieves the outcomes that both countries want.
And your second question?
DECKER: Who has the upper hand in the negotiations?
POMPEO: Yes. We don't think about it in terms of who has the upper hand. We know this has been a long, intractable challenge. It's gone on for
decades. The President has said repeatedly, previous administrations weren't prepared to do what we've done already. It's not about who has the
upper hand. It's about trying to find a way where the two sides can come to an understanding, where we can get concrete steps, not just words, that
resolve this challenge.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Secretary, first of all, the President said that he doesn't believe he needs to prepare very much ahead of this summit. Do
you think that's a prudent approach?
And also, I want to get your reaction to Rudy Giuliani's comments that Kim Jong-un got back on his hands and knees and begged for the summit to go
back on whether you think he should be weighing in on these international affairs and whether you agree with that assessment.
POMPEO: So with respect to your second question. I took him as it being a small room and not being serious about the comments. I think it was a bit
in jest and --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think it could jeopardize the summit or --
POMPEO: We're moving forward. We're focused on the important things. I know Rudy. Rudy doesn't speak for the administration when it comes to this
negotiation and this set of issues.
With respect to your first question, you know, progress -- we're making progress, inch by inch. And we're going to travel there. This is
different. The approach that President Trump is taking is fundamentally different. In the past, there have been months and months of detailed
negotiations, and it got nowhere. This has already driven us to a place we've not been able to achieve before.
SANDERS: Dave Boyer.
DAVE BOYER, JOURNALIST: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. The President said today that if the Singapore meeting goes well, he'd like to bring Kim Jong-
un to Washington, possibly, for further meetings. Has Kim Jong-un invited the President to come to North Korea?
POMPEO: So I don't want to talk to you about the conversations that have been had between the North Korean side and the United States. I'll leave
that for the President to talk to.
But I do want to get to -- and this comes back to the other question that you asked about the President's preparation. So in my previous role -- and
I've said this before, you can look it up -- there were few days that I left the Oval Office after having briefed the President that we didn't talk
about North Korea. So over months and months, days and days, President Trump has been receiving briefings on this issue about the military aspects
of it, the commercial, economic aspects of it, the history of the relationship. And in the past few months, there have been near-daily
briefings, including today, where we have been providing the President all the information that he needs. And I am very confident that the President
will be fully prepared when he meets with his North Korean counterpart.
BOYER: Just having met the man twice now, what can you tell us about what opinions you've formed of Kim Jong-un as a person?
[16:00:07]
END