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Assassination Of Hamas Leader Puts Middle East On Edge; Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Agrees To Plead Guilty To 9/11 Attacks; U.S. Calls On Maduro To Come Clean On Disputed Election. Iran's Response to Haniyeh Assassination; Memorial Service Underway for Hamas Political Leader Haniyeh; Local Officials Pushing Back Against Secret Service Claims; Celebrities Take Starring Role in the Race for the White House; France's Leon Marchand Wins Two Gold Medals in One Night. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired August 01, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio H in Atlanta, I'm John Vause. This hour on CNN Newsroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There is nowhere that is too far for us to strike.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: That includes a government guesthouse. It seems in the heart of Iran, the Iranian capital Tehran hit by a single missile killing a senior Hamas leader.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: So I don't know is she Indian? Or is she black.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: A swing and a miss for Donald Trump and his latest racially motivated attack on his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tonight, I'm not going to worry about the polling numbers. I'm just going to have fun and see if I can get some viral moments.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And Kamala Harris is played by actress Maya Rudolph returning to Saturday Night Live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: At this hour in Tehran, a large crowd has gathered for the memorial service of Ismail Haniyeh, the Gaza based political leader of Hamas who was assassinated early Wednesday, what appears to be an Israeli targeted killing.
These are live images now from Tehran I believe are the memorial services which are underway at 8:31 a.m. in the morning. There have also been protests across the region after his death, which has been attributed to an Israeli airstrike.
According to a spokesman for Hamas, Haniyeh was killed in a direct airstrike in his room inside a government guesthouse in the capital. Israel has not claimed responsibility. But the New York Times quoting already and sources reports Iran's Supreme Leader has ordered a direct strike on Israel in retaliation.
And his assassination appears to be a stunning security failure by Iran and has triggered fears of greater turmoil across the region. There already been protests in a number of cities in the Middle East. And then his assassination could also derail efforts for a ceasefire and hostage relief deal in Gaza. Haniyeh was a key player in those negotiations led by Qatar and Egypt.
And Qatar's prime minister has asked how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not mention Haniyeh on Wednesday featuring a national address, talked about Israel delivering a crushing blow to its enemies, and says he won't give into calls to end the war in Gaza.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is following developments live for us from London. She joins us now this early hour. So Salma, we had these protests, sorry, mourners rather gathering on the streets of Tehran. This seems to be a fairly large turnout for her dear which says I guess what a lot about the mass popularity in Iran. I mean, it does seem, yes, he's lived in Gaza and yet we're having this huge turnout in Tehran.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, this is beyond the individual that is Ismail Haniyeh and it is much wider for the people you play those images of demonstrations from Turkey to other parts of the world. And what the indication is that for those who are coming out today in Iran, it is not just about Hamas, it is not just about Israel, it is about Iran. It is about its sovereignty being violated. It is about an attack on one of its guest as the Supreme Leader put it in a statement in it is about an image of unification that Teheran very much wants to portray to the world.
You have on the one hand Israel that has neither confirmed nor denied the killing of Ismail Haniyeh. And now the narrative is in Tehran's hand and just imagine what's going to play out over the next 48 hours. The pictures you're going to see because they smell honey, his body is going to go from Teheran, where there is a march a procession through the center of the city, the Supreme Leader himself overseeing the prayers and that procession, and then his body is transferred to cut out for burial where you're going to see yet more crowds at a mosque and a funeral service there as well.
But when it comes to that retaliation, that is really the huge question right now, John, is what does that look like for Iran? Let's go through the options. There's the possibility of course of a direct attack that could only lead to further escalation.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has said he will strike back his enemies. Iran could also choose to activate its tentacles in the region to use one of its proxy militias that would only expand the conflict.
So think of proxies like the Houthis in Yemen that could cause trouble on the Red Sea or Iraq, which may again be able to retaliate towards Western assets, American assets in the region. None of these options are good. All of these options lead to further escalation and when you speak of negotiations, mediation efforts to try to bring down the temperature.
[01:05:00]
Well, those are essentially nonexistent right now, John, because Ismail Haniyeh was killed, because the chief negotiator was killed. So serious worries about what happens next here, John.
VAUSE: Yes, Salma, thank you. Salma Abdelaziz there live for us in London. And more now on the fallout from Haniyeh's assassination. Here's CNNs Jim Sciutto.
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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST (voice-over): The stunning assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran is a bold strike at the very top of Hamas leadership. But it is also a test of the relationship between Israel and the US. Already strained by the ongoing war in Gaza.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It's something we were not aware of or involved in.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): Close observers of the region see an Israeli leader who now feels unencumbered by a U.S. president.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We're prepared for any scenario and will stand united and determined against any threat.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): Who's viewed in the region as a lame duck following his withdrawal from the presidential race. In the near term, the strike very likely disrupts the tenuous negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages. President Biden has made completing the deal a central feature of his final months in office. More broadly in ordering assassination strikes abroad, the Israeli
leader is showing his willingness to risk broadening the war. A senior U.S. official told me the Biden administration views such a risk as limited. The assessment is it none of the players Israel, Iran or its proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas truly want a regional war.
On Wednesday, White House senior adviser John Kirby downplayed escalation fears.
JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIOSN ADVISER: We don't believe that an escalation is inevitable. And there's no signs that an escalation is imminent. This is something that we've been concerned about since the seventh of October. It's not like we're brushing off concerns at all. We're watching this very, very closely.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): However, the recent history of the region shows that neither side ever fully understands the others red lines. As each side retaliates against the other and increasingly aggressive ways the danger of escalation grows.
To that point today, a senior Iranian official tweeted, undoubtedly the Israeli occupying regime will pay a heavy price. Enter one final variable to the calculus Benjamin Netanyahu himself. Even some Israelis questioned whether he wants to extend the fighting to delay any political reckoning for the October 7 attacks at home.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen's 35-year old son was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, he says Hamas and the Israeli leaders don't truly want peace and the stalling only helps Netanyahu's political future.
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, SON HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: I could find no legitimate reason other than to satisfy his domestic political partners to delaying any kind of progress real progress.
SCIUTTO: In the weeks just after the October 7 attack, a former senior Israeli intelligence official told me that Hamas leaders would never be safe again anywhere in the world. And it appears that that is coming to be true. If there is a potential silver lining here, there is some thinking that by taking out leaders of terrorist groups abroad that Netanyahu might be able to claim some sort of partial victory against Hamas and therefore be able to return to the negotiating table. But right now, the tensions in the region are extremely high. Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.
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VAUSE: Joining us live is Miri Eisin, a Senior Fellow with the International Institute for Counterterrorism and she's also a former spokesperson for the IDF and holds the rank of colonel as a reservist with the Israeli military.
Miri, thank you being with us.
MIRI EISIN, SENIOR FELLOW WITH THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR COUNTERTERRORISM, REICHMAN UNIVERSITY: Good morning. VAUSE: So beyond ceasefire negotiations and the impact it could have
Haniyeh's death could have on that. What would you expect to be the immediate impact on the war in Gaza itself from Haniyeh's death.
EISIN: Haniyeh himself has not really been in the Gaza Strip since 2017. The different terms that are used in Israel we call him the outside leader, as opposed to Yahya Sinwar who is the inside leader. I want to emphasize that because Ismail Haniyeh is an arch terrorists and terrorists should not feel safe anywhere. So the impact directly on the Gaza Strip right now, with Yahya Sinwar still in the lead. The one who shot calls the shots there is no different from yesterday or the day before. Israel will continue to act, A, to try to get back the hostages to find them. And yes, we'll talk about negotiations, but it's also to continue to impact a terrorist organization that calls for our destruction.
And in that sense, it's not just about October 7, it's about holding at this stage 115 Israelis and international citizens in the Gaza Strip. They can let them out right now this would have been over you immediately. This never should have started this way and so that will continue in the Gaza Strip.
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VAUSE: Haniyeh is at least reported to have been sort of a moderate here. He was one who was arguing for a ceasefire, actually arguing with other hardline factions within Hamas. And the fact that he is now dead, will have an impact on those hostage negotiations. But is that something that the Israelis actually wanted from this assassination?
EISIN: I completely protest the idea that Ismail Haniyeh was a moderate. Ismail Haniyeh call for the destruction of Israel in the exact same way that Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip does in the same, by the way (INAUDIBLE), put out his tweets from the last 24 hours. These are -- that's a country of 90 million people. This is the Palestinian people who lack leadership.
When we talk about Ismail Haniyeh in that sense, they want to arrive at a consensus. They all want a ceasefire, their ceasefire idea is that Israel stops, Israel does not attack them, that we all allow safe havens for terrorists. And Ismail Haniyeh was the same on that one. Was he more willing for them to stop their immediate fighting right now, perhaps, but it wasn't like he was saying, OK, stop everything, get back the hostages, which is what they should have done in the first place. That was not what his tone was. I think that is Iranians to present him as moderate and not as a terrorist and as a political leader.
VAUSE: Well, it's a moderate is relative, not an absolute. I want you to listen to Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, speaking Wednesday, not long after Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMIR SAEID IRAVANI, IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO UN: The Security Council must unequivocally condemn Israel for this horrible terrorist act as a more serious violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nation, as well as a grave breach of Iran's sovereignty and national security.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: We've heard a lot of that stuff before. But yes, Israel has not claimed responsibility yet for the killing of Haniyeh, why not?
EISIN: Why claim responsibility for anything inside Iran? If you go backwards, I'm going to say that I do not recall Israel taking responsibility for anything that has happened on Iranian territory over the last 10 or 20 years. And according to international press, there have been all sorts of attacks there.
First of all, the fact that Iran, a member of the United Nations uses in such a cynical way, its position, it's the destabilizer of the world. It's the one that and has presented before by at least, in that Article 4 (ph), what we're looking at right now is Iran continuing to do that they put out a tweet on April 14, when they directly attacked Israel, that they're legitimate and Israel is illegitimate.
Israel is trying to defend itself against countries, leaders, entities that call for our destruction, put on the tweets that they say that directly, not just the United Nations representative, the Iran representative of the United Nations. I use harmonized tweets himself, just go onto his website, go into his tweets, psyche likes to tweet, they say clearly.
VAUSE: Yes, very true. At the same time, he's the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking about the role of Iran is playing in its ongoing conflict with Hamas and Gaza and Hezbollah and Lebanon. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NETANYAHU (through translator): Since the beginning of the war, I have made clear that we are in a fight against Iran's axis of evil. This is a war of existence against the stranglehold of terrorist armies and missiles that Iran wants to tighten around our necks. In the last few days, we have dealt with crushing blows to each of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Are we at the point yet where Israel and Iran are sort of locked in this cycle of escalating responses. And if that's the case, is there an off ramp to this?
EISIN: There's always an off ramp. And I agree with John Kirby in that sense that it's not inevitable. And here, I really do want to call it out. Do we want to have this destabilizing Iran that calls for Israel's destruction, but it destabilizes the world and everybody's very intent on making sure that there isn't a war and I don't want a war. And none of us want an escalation. But do we want Iran to be calling the shots? Do we want the Islamic regime to be the one that gets to threaten everybody? And then we kind of cower down and say, OK, we all have to do what Iran says.
I'm not sure that that's good for the world. I'm positive that that's bad for Israel. We don't want the Islamic regime to be calling the shots to be defining what goes on. Having said all of that, no, it's not inevitable. Iran and the Islamic regime need to be contained by Israel contained by the world.
VAUSE: Miri Eisin, thank you so much for being with us. Appreciate your time.
EISIN: Thank you so much, John.
VAUSE: Well, the suspected mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States has reached a plea deal with prosecutors. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been in custody for more than 20 years, but putting him on trial became a major legal challenge, in part because he was tortured in secret CIA prisons. CNN's Oren Liebermann has details now reporting in from the Pentagon.
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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This is a major announcement from the Defense Department that the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and two of his co- defendants in planning and carrying out that attack have reached a plea deal with the United States.
Now, in announcing this pre-trial agreement, the Defense Department doesn't say the details of what's in the agreement itself, the Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, more commonly known as KSM, and his two co-defendants have agreed to plead guilty to charges of conspiracy, and will serve a life sentence instead of the death penalty that the U.S. had been pursuing for years. And this is a case that stretches out over more than two decades.
KSM was captured in Pakistan in 2003, along with several co- defendants, and then held in CIA black sites, and then in Guantanamo Bay for years. He was arraigned and charged back in 2008, with a number of charges, including conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, and much more.
But from that point on, the case itself began to drag out, first in a debate over whether it should be a military trial or in U.S. civilian courts, and then questions about torture that Muhammad faced as he was held at those CIA secret prisons in the early 2000s. And whether evidence obtained during that time would be admissible in court.
All of that delayed the trial that was finally set to begin in 2021, before it was delayed, once again with the resignation of two judges, and then the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. And that brings us to where we are now.
For two years now the U.S. has been pursuing the possibility of a plea deal with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his two co-defendants that announcement coming now. The plea deal itself allows the U.S. to avoid what would have been a very long and complicated death penalty trial. And it makes sure that KSM will remain in prison for the rest of his life.
One open question is where will he serve out that term along with his co-defendants. It has been a major point of the Biden administration to try to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility they have repatriated over the past several years, a number of the detainees held there, but there are still dozens left and that process seems to be a long way out.
So at least for now, it seems a possibility that KSM will remain at that facility. But long term that's certainly one question we'll look to have answered. Oren Liebermann, CNN at the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Donald Trump's latest attempt to win over black voters didn't seem to go as planned. Maybe it did, who knows. And especially for Black Journalists, Trump falsely accused his opponent Kamala Harris, of recently choosing to be black. That was just the start of the misleading claims and outright lies. CNN's Kristen Holmes walked us through what was a highly contentious Q and A session. Here he is.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A combative former President Donald Trump clashing with reporters during an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Chicago.
RACHEL SCOTT, SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, ABC NEWS: You have pushed false claims about some of your rivals, from Nikki Haley to former President Barack Obama saying that they were not born in the United States, which is not true. You have told four Congresswomen of color who were American citizens to go back to where they came from. Why should black voters trust you after you have used language like that?
TRUMP: Well, first of all, I don't think I've ever been asked the question. So in such a horrible manner. I think it's disgraceful that I came here in good spirit. I love the black population of this country.
HOLMES (voice-over): The half hour long question and answer session was marked by several pointed exchanges right from the start with Trump falsely questioning vice president Kamala Harris's heritage after being asked if he felt attacked by his allies, calling her a DEI hire were appropriate.
TRUMP: I really don't know. It could be. It could be. I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black and now she wants to be known as black. So I don't know. Is she Indian? Or is she black?
SCOTT: She is always identified as a black --
TRUMP: I respect either one. I respect either one but she obviously doesn't. Because he was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went -- she became a black person.
HOLMES (voice-over): The Republican nominee also pressed on past comments by his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance about childless Americans.
SCOTT: Did you know that he had these views?
TRUMP: I know this. He is very family oriented. But I know people with great families. I know people with not great families that don't have a family. And the people without the family are far better. They're superior in many cases.
HOLMES (voice-over): Amid criticism of Vance, Trump asked if he believed his running mate was ready to serve on day one?
TRUMP: Historically, the choice of a vice president makes no difference. You're voting for the President and you can have a vice president who is outstanding in every way and I think J.D. is I think that all of them would have been but you're not voting that way. You're voting for the President. You're voting for me. If you like me, I'm going to win. If you don't like me, I'm not going to win.
HOLMES (voice-over): The former president was also asked whether he stood by his pledge to pardon rioters who attack the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, likening the events of that day to recent protests in Washington over Israel's war in Gaza.
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TRUMP: Like about five days ago, we had an attack on the Capitol. Horrible attack on the Capitol. Red spray paint that will never actually come off, especially in the limestone. It will never have a builder I know about this stuff. They fought with police. They fought with them much more openly than I saw on January 6, what's going to happen to those people.
SCOTT: Would you pardon those people?
TRUMP: What's going to happen -- oh, absolutely. I would.
SCOTT: You would pardon those --
TRUMP: If they're innocent, I would pardon them.
SCOTT: They've been convicted.
TRUMP: They were convicted by a very, very tough system.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: A campaign event and historically black sorority vice president Kamala Harris responded to Trump's attacks, as quote the same old show, bringing hostility, anger and division to the American people. More details now from CNN's Arlette Saenz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Vice President Kamala Harris forcefully pushed back against former President Donald Trump's appearance at the NABJ convention in Chicago, portraying his moments on stage as divisive and disrespectful. It comes after Trump had baselessly questioned Harris's heritage and identity as a black woman. Harris said the American people deserve better. Take a listen.
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth. A leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts. We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us. They are an essential source of our strength.
SAENZ: Harris's husband second gentleman Doug Emhoff also forcefully pushed back on Trump. According to The Washington Post, he appeared at a fundraiser in Maine where he directly addressed Trump's when he called insults against him and his wife saying that Trump does not deserve a second term in the White House.
Now Harris was making her comments here in Houston, Texas at a gathering of Sigma Gamma Rho, that is a black sorority that is part of the Divine Nine. Harris herself is also a member of a Divine Nine sorority which she joined back when she attended Howard University in Washington DC.
This is actually the third gathering of a Divine 9 sorority Harris is addressed just this month. Part of the goal here is trying to mobilize black women in this election. Now, the Divine Nine does not endorse political candidates. But its vast alumni network, which includes black men and black women could serve as an organizing force heading into November's election against Donald Trump. Arlette Saenz, CNN traveling with the Vice President in Houston, Texas.
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VAUSE: When we come back, we'll head to Venezuela. Despite days of unrest and a widely disputed vote, Nicolas Maduro is moving quickly to certify his reelection and a third term in office very later from Caracas in a moment.
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VAUSE: The 17 year old suspect in a deadly knife attack in England is expected to be charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder through a court appearance Thursday. The brutal killing of three young girls, Monday, five days of sometimes violent protests from far-right anti-immigrant groups, even though Police say the suspect was born in Britain, and the attack was not terror related.
More than 100 people have been arrested across England and be clashes with police, which are left more than 50 officers injured.
The U.S. has among a growing list of countries calling on Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro to come clean about the disputed presidential election and release the full tallies of Sunday's vote. But a defiant Maduro is moving quickly to formalize his win as being the Supreme Court to certify the victory. Stefano Pozzebon has the latest reporting in from Caracas.
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STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: On Wednesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ask the Supreme Court to investigate over the publication of the routine tallies from the machine that were used in the presidential election of July 28. This was one of the urgencies expressed by the international community to try and clarify what really happened in that election.
Maduro was proclaimed a winner with 51 percent of the voter by the government align electoral authorities while the opposition said that they had collected about 80 percent of voting data and according to their own calculation, they had won with 71 percent.
By going to the Supreme Court, Maduro as a new player in the dispute about once again, the Supreme Court here in Venezuela. He's also been accused in the past of being stacked with government sympathizers.
He then went on a press conference with international media attacking his old traditional foes including the United States, Colombia narco trafficking, the European Union and any other country that demanded to see the tallies.
Here's what Maduro said about those countries that were interested in entering the Venezuelan disputes.
NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If North American imperialism and fascist criminals forces my pulse will not tremble to call the people to a new revolution with other characteristics. The people know it, they know it. I was not born on the day of the cowards.
POZZEBON: But behind the fire rhetoric, there has been real repression here in the streets of Caracas. On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said that they have received credible reports that up to 20 people have been killed in the protests that erupted after the proclamation of Maduro as the winner of the election early on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan Attorney General said that his office has arrested more than 1,000 people in the last three days in the same context of protest, protests that the opposition has said will continue over the next few days. For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Caracas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Still to come on CNN, with Iran's Supreme Leader accused Israel of killing a guest in our house. He meant it literally the stunning security and intelligence failure which led to the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back everyone.
In Tehran memorial services are underway for Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, assassinated while in the Iranian capital in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Prayer services were held a short time ago by Iran's supreme leader at Tehran University.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran's duty is to avenge Haniyeh's death because he was killed whilst on Iranian soil. Haniyeh is expected to be buried in Doha, Qatar on Friday.
The targeted strike on Haniyeh has caused tremendous outrage with mass protests across the region. A Hamas spokesperson says Haniyeh was hit directly by a rocket in the room of a government guest house where he was staying in Tehran. He was visiting for the inauguration of the new president.
Hamas vowed Israel would pay the price calling it a heinous crime.
Israel though has not directly claimed responsibility for the strike, but the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu certainly alluded to it on Wednesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN METANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): since the beginning of the war, I have made clear that we are in a fight against Iran's axis of evil. This is a war of existence against a stranglehold of terrorist armies and missiles that Iran wants to tighten around our necks.
In the last few days, we have dealt a crushing blows to each of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Hamas has seen deaths of key leaders in the past, but Haniyeh's assassination leaves the group without a main figurehead and dealing a serious blow to its operations.
Ben Wedeman has reported on Haniyeh's rise to power. He's also interviewed him. And here's more now from CNN senior international correspondent.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The dramatic assassination of a top Hamas leader -- longtime political chief Ismail Haniyeh, killed in the heart of the Iranian capital Tehran, aged 62. A major blow for the militant group Hamas, as they lose their main negotiator during crucial talks on hostages and a ceasefire with Israel.
Haniyeh spoke about the talks from Qatar in February. ISMAIL HANIYEH, HAMAS POLITICAL LEADER (through translator): Any flexibility we are showing in the negotiations is to protect the blood of our people and to put an end to their huge pain and sacrifice in the brutal war of extermination against it. In parallel, we are ready to defend our people.
WEDEMAN: Haniyeh had long been on Israel's target list along with the other key leaders behind the October 7 attacks on Israel which left 1,200 people dead and led to more than nine months of a brutal Israeli assault on Gaza. It had left nearly 40,000 people dead.
Haniyeh even felt the personal toll of the war. In April, Israeli airstrikes killed three of his sons and four of his grandchildren. He responded by saying, whoever thinks that by targeting my children during the negotiation talks and before a deal is agreed upon, that it will force Hamas to back down on its demands is delusional.
That message of defiance in the face of tragedy reflects how the Hamas leadership has evolved it says an Israeli filmmaker who met Haniyeh
SHLOMI ELDAR, FILMMAKER: Ismail Haniyeh, I think, he has been changed and that is story what happened to Hamas movement. He was one of the moderate leaders of Hamas, and he has been changed, especially after the military coup in 2007.
WEDEMAN: Born in Al-Shati refugee camp near Gaza city, Haniyeh's parents were refugees expelled from Asqalan (ph) which later became the Israeli city of Ashkelon.
Haniyeh joined Hamas during the first Intifada, an uprising against Israel in the late 1980s. He was imprisoned several times by Israel before returning to Gaza where he rose through the ranks of Hamas.
During an interview in 2007 when he was briefly prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority, Haniyeh told me that the U.S. should avoid escalating tensions in the region.
HANIYEH: The American administration is making a great mistake. This is a clear interference in internal Palestinian affairs.
WEDEMAN: He became political chief of Hamas in 2017, and was named a specially-designated global terrorist by the U.S. soon after.
[01:34:54]
WEDEMAN: Since 2019, he was exiled and living in Doha, Qatar and had played a role of international figurehead for Hamas, taking part in peace talks with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and meeting with other world leaders, including the emir of Qatar and the Chinese diplomat earlier this year.
The loss of Haniyeh from the core of the Hamas leadership has now dramatically diminished the chances of Israeli hostages being released and puts any hopes of peace in the region on hold.
Ben Wedeman, CNN -- Beirut. (END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: With us now Little Rock, Arkansas is retired U.S. General Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and founder of Renew America Together.
Good to see you, General Clark, thanks for being with us.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK (RET), FOUNDER, RENEW AMERICA TOGETHER: Thank you.
VAUSE: Notably Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed not just on Iranian soil, not just in Tehran, but he was killed while visiting the capital of Iran for the inauguration of the new president. And the first statement after Haniyeh's death from the Iranian supreme leader warned Israel, "You killed our dear guest in our house and now have paved the way for your harsh punishment."
And unlike the other leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, Haniyeh hadn't really kept a low profile. Hed been seen in public. Israel had the opportunity before now to kill him. So it seems the timing and the place of his death sends a very clear message to Iran from Israel.
What is that message and what are the concerns that the Iranians should have after this.
CLARK: Well, it certainly should frighten the Iranian leaders because it shows very precise information about what's going on to Iran.
If you have information that's so precise, that you can target the very room that he's sleeping in when he's there with a missile that's launched somehow from thousand miles away, maybe from an overhead drone, maybe with stealth, who knows.
But the point is it is a devastating strike by Israel, if Israel confirms it. Israel has not, so far as I know, confirmed it.
VAUSE: Here's part of an opinion piece on CNN.com about Iran's response. "The regime's response to Haniyeh's death will define its role as a regional power. And if it fails to appear potent enough, risks that slipping. A stealthy asymmetric strike weeks from now may not fix the damage done to its prestige."
So do you believe the stakes are that high for Iran right now and what are your thoughts on, you know, how Iran might respond to this killing of Haniyeh?
CLARK: I think Iran's in a dilemma also. I don't think any of the major parties want a regional war, not the United States, not Israel, and not Iran. Iran has its own nuclear weapons program to protect. Iran's -- the regime is shaky.
You know, the parliamentary elections that took place in the spring, in some cases, only 2 percent of the people voted in the second round of these elections. And then they're president was killed.
So the Ayatollah can't be feeling to secure about his own position there in Iran. This is a major consideration for him.
So yes, he wants to look strong. He doesn't want to on the other hand, start a war that's going to end up with his being thrown out of power.
And so he's got to balance off his response. What would that response be, don't know. But there's a lot of communications behind the scenes that we're not privy to.
And that communication goes through Qatar. It goes through Oman, it goes through other countries in the region it comes to the United States, it comes to Israel, sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly.
And as we saw in the strikes in April it was a little bit choreographed. Now will it be less choreographed this time? Will Iran really strike out in rage without coordinating, without thought for what happens next? I'd be very surprised if they were to do this.
VAUSE: Before we wrap up here, I should mention that Haniyeh was the chief negotiator for Hamas at the ceasefire talks in Doha.
And on that, here's the White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, SPOKESPERSON, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: These reports over the last 24 -- 48 hours certainly don't help with the temperature going down.
I'm not going to be Pollyannaish about it. We're obviously concerned about escalation. All of this adds to the complicated nature of what we're trying to get done and what we're trying to get done is a ceasefire deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: and with that in mind, "The Wall Street Journal" reports Haniyeh was the strongest voice advocating for a ceasefire, clashing at times with other Hamas officials in heated discussions since the war in Gaza began.
Presumably that's something which the Israelis are no doubt aware of. So could Haniyeh's death have an outsized impact on those talks, but an impact that the Israeli government was willing to make happen.
[01:39:46]
CLARK: Yes, but everybody in this region has multiple and often conflicting objectives. And so Israel wants a ceasefire but only on its own terms.
Hamas has never agreed with those terms. Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire. Israel wants the hostages released, and it wants to finish -- finish off Hamas.
So you know, we keep inching forward for this ceasefire. I hope it's going to happen. It's better for the people of the region. But -- but all parties still have fundamentally opposing objectives in this region.
So I think that we're in for more tit for tat before we close on a ceasefire.
VAUSE: General Wesley Clark, so good to have you with us, sir. Thank you for your time.
CLARK: Thank you.
VAUSE: Rescue operations are entering a third day in southern India where landslides have killed at least 178 people, including 26 children.
According to authorities in Kerala State, more than 200 people remain unaccounted for (INAUDIBLE) fears the death toll could rise.
India's minister of Home Affairs though has criticized local officials saying they failed to act on warnings a week earlier, predicting heavy rainfall and dangerous landslides.
When we come back, it's a "Saturday Night Live" tradition every four years, making fun of politicians in the race for the White House, and a familiar face will be back after getting a big political promotion.
Details ahead on CNN.
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VAUSE: A new round of blame the other guy seems to be underway as investigations and hearings continue into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The acting chief for the Secret Service testified before the senate Tuesday and suggested local law enforcement may have allowed the gunman to get too close and opened fire.
But as CNN's Danny Freeman reports, officials in Beaver County, Pennsylvania aren't having any of it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NATHAN BIBLE, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BEAVER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: It's extremely misleading to the American people. I mean, it makes our guys look incompetent.
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tonight, local law enforcement from western Pennsylvania, pushing back hard against the U.S. Secret Service, who blamed them for not stopping a gunman from shooting Trump.
RONALD L. ROWE JR., U.S. SECRET SERVICE ACTING DIRECTOR: We assumed that the state and locals had it. We made an assumption that there was going to be uniformed presence out there, that there would be sufficient eyes to cover that, that there was going to be counter- sniper teams in the AGR building. And I can assure you that we're not going to make that mistake again.
FREEMAN: Detective Pat Young leads the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit, which had a sniper in the AGR building on July 13.
The acting Secret Service director essentially said, "We assumed that the local guys on the ground had control of this situation. And we're not going to make that mistake again. What do you hear when you hear that comment?
PATRICK YOUNG, CHIEF DETECTIVE & EMERGENCY SERVICE UNIT COMMANDER, BEAVER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: I hear that the acting Secret Service director has no faith in local law enforcement and we have always consider ourselves partners in the mission of the Secret Service. However, that statement really hurts those relationships.
[01:44:55]
FREEMAN: Detective Young and Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible emphatic that their men followed Secret Service orders.
BIBLE: So to me, you're talking about a building that was 150 yards away with a clear line of sight to the stage. And for you to just say, well, the local guys have it. Everything that was done there by any of the local guys was done at the direction of the Secret Service.
FREEMAN: The two local law enforcement leaders specifically took offense when acting director of the Secret Service Ronald Rowe suggested all the local snipers had to do was look out the window.
ROWE: I'm not saying that they should have neutralized him but if they had just held their post and looked left, maybe -- it's a lot of maybes, Senator --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of maybe, but --
FREEMAN: What's your reaction to that? Should one of your snipers look left? Was it that simple?
YOUNG: It was absolutely not that simple. And the first thing that comes to mind is that we have not had any contact with Secret Service since -- actually since the last election cycle.
The acting director to say that this is where our guys were and this is what they've seen is a misrepresentation to the American people. We were never asked what we've seen or where we were from Secret Service.
FREEMAN: Detective Young and D.A. Bible says this image presented by the Secret Service to Congress is misleading. They say it reflects an angle their snipers did not have, and that their sniper was here at the far end of the AGR building looking straight out towards the crowd.
YOUNG: Their views in no way could have seen Crooks without pushing their heads outside the window and looking back. The videos and the exhibits presented to Congress are purely wrong. FREEMAN: Now, the concern is looking forward as President Trump announced he's planning another rally in Butler County.
Can you confidently say that something like this will not happen again, if that happens?
YOUNG: I cannot say that. At this point, me, along with the -- I'm sure the majority of the American people, have many questions as to what and how the Secret Service does their job.
For everything that they say that they did wrong, there's a but and that but -- is usually assigning blame to the local law enforcement or state police.
FREEMAN: Danny Freeman, CNN -- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: And ahead of this year's presidential election, a bipartisan crackdown on the use of A.I. in political campaigns is now underway. In recent months, more than a dozen Republican and Democrat-led states have passed new laws regulating the use of deep fakes and other material created with artificial intelligence.
The Department of Homeland Security has recently issued warnings over the ability of A.I. to deceive voters and congress seemingly has no appetite to take meaningful action before the actual vote. That (INAUDIBLE) to the state and depending on which state it happens in violators could receive prison time, hefty fines, or potentially forfeit their nomination or offers.
Recent changes on the Democratic ticket has a familiar face returning to "Saturday Night Live".
CNN's Brian Todd has details on that and look at the impact celebrity factors (ph) can have on elections.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She's won an Emmy award for her portrayal of Kamala Harris on NBC's "Saturday Night Live". And now, according to a source with knowledge of her plans, comedian Maya Rudolph is returning to the show this fall to reprise the role.
MAYA RUDOLPH, COMEDIAN: You see, this is what they do, Susan. They avoid taking any responsibility --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do not.
RUDOLPH: Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking.
TODD: Rudolph, the latest in an iconic line of comedians who have done impersonations of famous politicians on the show, like Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump.
ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: I'm going to set my alarm for 3:20 a.m. I go sit on my golden toilet bowl and tweet about it until completion.
TODD: And Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton.
KATE MCKINNON, COMEDIAN: Bartender, keep them coming.
TODD: And there are other indications that the celebrity buzz around Harris is ramping up on the campaign trail.
Grammy Award-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion performed on Tuesday night at Harris rally in Atlanta, part of a pattern of celebrity endorsements, analysts say, that the Harris campaign has embraced to court young voters.
MICHAEL WARREN, SENIOR EDITOR, "THE DISPATCH": She did a TikTok with Megan Thee Stallion after her rally. That's the sort of thing where, you know, she's -- Kamala Harris is going to be able to reach people that might otherwise, again, now be tuning in until maybe the last few days before the election, if that.
[01:49:48]
TODD: A source tells CNN Beyonce has allowed Harris to use her hit song "Freedom" at campaign events.
(MUSIC)
TODD: After Harris' event with Megan Thee Stallion, former president Donald Trump posted on Truth Social quote, "I don't need concerts or entertainers".
But Trump's campaign did have country and hip-hop star Kid Rock and wrestler Hulk Hogan make big appearances at the Republican National Convention. And one analyst says, Trump may have a strategy in mind by bringing those celebrities into his camp.
WARREN: These may not be, you know, the most popular with, with Gen Z particularly, you know, girls, college girls.
But men -- that's a big part of Donald Trump's coalition. And that's who he's trying to tap into with those celebrities. He does need those celebrities to validate him.
TODD: And there's still the celebrity who many political observers are watching for -- pop superstar Taylor Swift. She endorsed Biden in 2020.
Last year, Swift urged her fans on Instagram to register to vote. The group vote.org reported it saw a surge of about 35,000 registrations in just one day in response.
BRYAN WEST, TAYLOR SWIFT REPORTER, "USA TODAY": With Taylor, it's not just about her influence. It's for power, it's her ability to speak to a massive fandom.
and what everyone is wondering with her massive power and massive appeal is if she's going to speak out this election. TODD: The analysts we spoke to say the candidates could move more voters if they go beyond just getting the celebrity endorsements and actually have them appear at campaign events as often as they can.
They cite Megan Thee Stallion's appearance at Harris' rally and Kid rock's and Hulk Hogan's appearances at the Republican Convention as moments that generated a lot of buzz, especially potentially among younger voters.
Brian Todd, CNN -- Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Still to come a record-breaking night for Leon Marchand, the French swimmer winning gold, not once but twice and quickly becoming the talk of the Paris (INAUDIBLE).
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back.
Competition on day six of the Paris Olympics begins in the coming hours. Among the highlights: the women's gymnastics individual all- around final. U.S. gymnasts have won the event in every Olympics since 2004. And the trends should continue with gold medal winner Simone Biles and Suni Lee leading the way.
In the latest medal count, China on top with nine gold, followed by France with eight, and Japan with eight each. Team U.S.A. has five gold and the most medals overall with 30. Three of France's eight gold medals have been won by swimmer Leon Marchand, two of them in record- breaking time.
World Sport's Coy Wire is in Paris with highlights from day five.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: A French phenom makes history in Paris. First man to win two individuals swimming gold on the same day in 48 years, Leon Marchand, last year's world champ in the 200-meter fly facing world record holder Kristof Milak of Hungary.
And the hometown hero takes a second gold of these games by way of a new Olympic record in front of his hometown fans. Malik takes silver, Canada's Ilya Kharun takes the bronze, but Marchand, the Machine was not done.
150 minutes later, he's back in the pool for the 200 breaststroke and he does it again. Another new Olympic record. Zac Stubblety-Cook of Australia taking silver, Caspar Corbeau of Netherlands for bronze.
[01:54:50]
WIRE: What an unbelievable night for Marchand and all of France.
One of the most dominant swimmers in the world has ever seen 27-year- old Katie Ledecky winning another Olympic gold in the 1,500-meter free the world. And Olympic record order hasn't lost a race in this event in more than 14 years.
She beat out France's Anastasiya Kirpichnikova and Germany's Isabel Gose to tie Jenny Thompson with an eighth career Olympic gold, further cementing her legacy as the greatest female swimmer of all time.
Now, earlier, the Olympic triathlon finally happened after three straight days of cancellation and postponement of practice and competition due to unsafe water levels in the River Seine. Hometown France's Cassandre Beaugrand took gold for the women and Great Britain's Alex Yee took men's gold.
He commented on performing on the sport's biggest stage despite the uncertainty. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX YEE, GREAT BRITAIN OLYMPIC SWIMMER: For us, you know, I have probably the most peaceful venue of any race in the Olympics. And I guess that came with a small penalty of the risk of the and being dirty but I think, you know, the big difference between, you know, a lot of the challenges that we've heard before is that the governments been proactive in trying to clean the water rather than in other countries where we're seeing the opposite happen.
And so I think fair play to France and the government that you were able to hopefully create a legacy. And for that to live on, you know, post our race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Finally, in an extremely close battle in the men's gymnastics all-around final, its Japan's Shinnosuke Oka taking home the gold. It's Oka-San's second Olympic title in three days, having just won gold in the team competition as well.
Japan stacking them up. This is their fourth straight Olympic games that a man from Japan has won the event.
And that was the primer. For Thursdays women's final, the U.S. against the world. Suni Lee, Simone Biles headlining the first-ever Olympic all-around final, where two former all-around chance will go toe to toe right here at the Olympic Games in Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thanks to Coy Wire for that report.
I'm John Vause. Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Please stay with us. My friend and colleague Rosemary Church takes over after a very short break.
Hope to see you right back here tomorrow.
[01:57:05]
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