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Truck Attack Strikes Jerusalem; Ft. Lauderdale Shooter Went to FBI for Help; 195 Chibok Schoolgirls Still Missing 1,000 Days Later; Wet, Cold Weather to Hit California; Previewing the Golden Globes. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired January 08, 2017 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00] BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Do it yourself terror, that is how one Israeli minister characterizes the latest attack in Jerusalem. Four people
were killed when a truck plowed into them. We're live for you this hour in Jerusalem to hear from the Israeli national police spokesman. That is up
next.
Plus, they are not the only ones trying to hack us: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump isn't swayed by his latest intelligence briefing. Agencies
say Russia was behind cyber attacks and leaks that embarrassed his opponents: the Democrats.
Also: a moment that many families dream of. It's been 1,000 days since a mass kidnapping of girls in Nigeria, but only a fraction have made it home.
A full update from Lagos this hour.
A very good evening from the UAE. It's just after 7:00 here. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. We begin with a deadly attack in
Jerusalem where a truck has rammed into a group of people.
The surveillance video captured the moment it happened. At least four people were killed, three of the dead are female soldiers: the other, a
man. The driver of the truck was shot and killed, authorities say, and this is the truck itself. You can see just how large it is and how the
front is damaged, an Israeli minister has called the attack an act of terrorism.
Well, our Oren Lieberman is live in southern Israel for us with the details -- Oren?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, let me walk you through what happened here. It was right around 1:30 p.m. local time
when police say this truck driver took his truck, drove it along Armonat Si (ph), which is a popular walkway right near East Jerusalem, essentially in
the heart of the city, and then drove it off the road into a group of soldiers and others who were just getting off a bus and standing on the
walkway.
We know the horrible results of that ramming attack. We know, according to police, and Magen Devita Dome (ph), Israel's emergency services, that four
people were killed, all in their 20s, three females. They were soldiers as well as one man, 13 others were injured, three of those seriously. All of
the injured also in their 20s.
Police say the attacker was shot and killed at the scene.
This happened on a popular walkway, a walkway that has a beautiful view of the old city of Jerusalem and on a nice day like today would have been busy
not only with soldiers, but also with security forces and with pedestrians enjoying the day. Also worth noting on the back side of this walkway is
one of the major United Nations compounds in Jerusalem -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Who is responsible? Do we know at this point?
LIEBERMANN: There has been no claim of responsibility. We have seen a statement from
Hamas, the militant jihadist group that runs Gaza. They praised the attack, but did not claim responsibility for it, suggesting this may be a
lone wolf attack, and that has doesn't come with the backing of any terror organization, which means it's much harder to pick up
on intelligence. It's somebody working individually, or working in a small group and not necessarily thinking through an entire attack, but simply
doing and doing something impulsively without a lot of warning.
That's been a major focus of Israeli security forces trying to profile and figure out who is
likely to carry out one of these lone wolf attacks to try to prevent them. Even so, we've seen it has been
difficult, even as the number of ramming attacks and stabbing attacks has dwindled, there have been lone wolf attacks, some deadly like this one,
that have still happened.
ANDERSON: Oren Lieberman is in southern Israeli for you this hour. Jerusalem's mayor -- thank you -- has just issued a statement saying there,
quote, is no limit to the cruelty of the terrorists who use every means to murder Jews and damage the routine life in the capital of Israel.
Going on, quote, "those who incite and those who support terrorism must pay a heavy price."
And more on this story as we move through the hour.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says he wants to build closer ties with Russia, even after a U.S. intelligence report concluded Moscow interfered
in the 2016 presidential race. On Saturday, Trump tweeted, quote, "having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only
stupid people or fools would think that it is bad. We have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am president, Russia will
respect us far more than they do now. And both countries will perhaps work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues
of the world."
The U.S. Intel report concluded President Vladimir Putin directly ordered an effort to help Trump win the White House.
CNN's contributor and former Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty joins us now from Moscow.
And Russian lawmakers, Jill, ridiculing the findings. What are they saying?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, they have. I mean, at least one who is
pretty well known, Alexei Pushkov, has really pushed back and demeaned it. And in fact one of his quotes was that it was -- the mountain gave birth to
the mouse. In other words, the report was nothing that it was supposed to be cracked up to be, and then also you have quotes coming from Margerita
Simonyan who is the editor-in-chief of RT, that's the Russian Television Network, that was mentioned very liberally in that report. And she said
essentially it's out of date information, pointing to the fact actually that many of the details about how RT works, which was accused of being a
propaganda organ came from 2012, which is way before obviously Donald Trump even decided to run for president.
And there's been a lot of mockery, which has been used quite liberally by the media here. And
I think, you know, Becky, the whole idea is they are not going to engage on specifics because, number one, there are not a lot of specifics in that
public report that they can point to, but also they don't need to.
I mean, essentially what they want to do is say -- it is false, misleading and overall political.
ANDERSON: When I am president, Russia will respect us far more than they do now. And both countries will perhaps work together to solve some of the
many great and pressing problems and issues of the world, tweeted Trump over the weekend after this report had been released.
What is the perspective on Trump on Moscow at this point?
DOUGHERTY: Well, that's something that would be music to their ears. I mean, they do want a better relationship and President Putin has said many
times that Russia and the United States should work together on the big issues that are confronting the world.
One of them, of course, would be terrorism. He wants very much to have some type of coalition with the United States to fight terrorism.
But, you know, other U.S. presidents have said almost verbatim the same thing, let's work on the big issues. When you get down to specifics --
I'll give you an example, the Iran nuclear deal. Obviously, Russia, the United States, helped to negotiate that. And so they both support it.
Donald Trump is opposed to it. Does that mean now that Donald Trump is opposing something that Vladimir Putin supports? Yes, it does. So how
does he square that?
These are the types of specifics that are going to come up in less than two weeks when Mr. Trump becomes the president of the United States, and that's
where you're going to get the complication.
ANDERSON: Fascinating times. Jill Dougherty is in Moscow for you this evening. Jill, always a pleasure. Thank you.
Well, since the end of the Soviet Union, Russia has had a history of destabilizing breakaway
regions in former Soviet Republics. The results so-called frozen conflicts. The largest of these is in
eastern Ukraine.
CNN's Ivan Watson takes us to an industrial port there and shows us why it is a coveted prize for Russian-backed separatists. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hot molten metal: for more than a century workers have been churning out steel at the steel at the
(inaudible) iron and steel works in eastern Ukraine. The former Soviet factory looms over this port city of This company alone employs some 17,000
people.
These colossal steel works are a critical part of the Ukrainian national economy and they are located less than a half hour's drive away from the
front lines in the war against Russian-backed separatists.
The head of the steel works tells me the Ukrainian armed forces repelled several previous separatist attempts to capture the factory. It's been
more than two years since Russian-backed separatists declared two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. The subsequent war has displaced
around 2 million people and claimed around 10,000 lives.
Among the dead, dozens of fighters from Ukraine's Azov regiment, remembered here in a recent torch-like ceremony rife with the regement's Viking
symbolism, now incorporated under the ministry of defense, these Ukrainian nationalists as an all-volunteer militia with members like Stanislav
Yemako.
[10:10:35] STANISLAV YEMAKO, AZOV REGIMENT: Before this war, I lived in Crimea, and I -- and I did history student University of Culture of Crimea.
WATSON: The former history teacher says he took up arms after Russia's annexation of
Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. He says he's defending his country against what he calls the imperialism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
YEMAKO: I think Putin understand that without Ukraine, without Ukraine territory they will not -- they cannot build Russian empire.
WATSON: Despite a crease-fire, international observers document hundreds of daily violations, committed by both sides, around the Russian-backed
separatist regions. In the former Soviet Union, this is called a frozen conflict.
MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI, FRM. PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA: And this is a copycat situation.
WATSON: Former president of Georgia, Mikhail Saakashvili argues the separatist regions in Ukraine are similar to other Russian-backed breakaway
regions in the former Soviet republics of Georgia and Moldova.
SAAKASHVILI: Russia decided it doesn't need borders, Russia decided that it needed basically margins, and its threatening the Soviet -- former
Soviet countries says it's margins and actually -- and that's -- and that's basically spreading chaos.
WATSON: Despite the chaos of the war over the last two years, the front line city of Mariupol looks rather calm. There's even a new coffee shop in
town opened 15 kilometers from the front lines. Its young owner may look like any other hipster, but last year, 23-year-old Bugdan Chaban (ph) was
out fighting for Ukraine after separatists took over his home city of Donetsk.
His says the new cafe is a form of unarmed defiance against the enemy that is standing at this city's gates.
Ivan Watson, CNN, Mariupol, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I want to get you back now to our top story this hour: the truck attack in Jerusalem that has left at least four people dead and 13 wounded.
For more on the investigation, the details of the attack and the investigation into that, the Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld
joining us now live from Jerusalem. And Mickey, what more can you tell us at this point? I know this is an ongoing investigation. We've got the
very sort of bare minimum of details today.
What can you tell us?
MICKY ROSENFELD, ISRAELI POLICE SPOKESMAN: What I can confirm is that the Israeli national police are continuing an investigation into the attack
which took place just after 1:30 Israel time. As a result of that deadly attack, we confirmed that unfortunately four people were killed, three of
them female, and one man. The terrorist himself was shot and killed at the scene as a result of a fast response from those soldiers and security
personnel that arrived at the scene. There was still an immediate threat and an immediate danger and, therefore, the response had to be fast and had
to be quick.
Since then, our police officers were on the scene. Our forensics worked at the scene, which was ere cordoned off for several hours and, of course, we
identified and confirmed the number of people that have been killed.
Also I can confirm that the hospitals in and around Jerusalem opened up immediately in order to receive those that were injured and more than 11
people taken to hospital in different conditions.
We've also confirmed the terrorist himself was from East Jerusalem and that's part of the ongoing investigation which is continuing several hours
after the attack.
ANDERSON: Micky, a statement from the prime minister suggests the Jerusalem truck attacker was associated with or a supporter of the Islamic
State group. What more do you know about his associations or affiliations? I know there is a gag order in place but what more can you tell
us about the attacker?
ROSENFELD: That's correct. There's a gag order taking place to the ongoing investigation. What we have confirmed until now, and our police
units have been in and around the different areas, he was from East Jerusalem, his identification. We're still looking into, but
what we can confirm until now is one of the most severe attacks that have taken place in Jerusalem in the last couple of months with four people dead
on one day.
Would I like to an could firm over the past few months it's been relatively quiet in Jerusalem and police patrols and operations have been taken place
to try to find potential attackers and potnetial terrorists. We've been tracking social networks constantly in order to try to get to individuals
and our security levels and measures will continue as long as necessary in Jerusalem in order to prevent any future attacks.
ANDERSON: Mr. Rosenfeld, this attack does bear the Hallmarks of attacks that we have seen in Europe, not least that of the Berlin Christmas market
and in Nice earlier on in the year, both of which attacks were claimed by supporters, or at least seen to have been conducted by supporters of
Islamic State. If this were to have been an attack inspired or in support of IS, would that be the first
time in Israel?
ROSENFELD: Well, in terms of ISIS activity, what I can confirm is that there's been a number
of Israeli Arabs have been arrested over the last course of the last year, year and a half, as part of
ongoing police operations and internal security operations, but we're talking about low level, we're talking about individuals that are trying to
make contact and transfer information either from Europe or other parts of Europe itself, but there are no potential ISIS cells that are active here
in Israel and that's due to our strong security measures that are being implemented and the way we do get to those potential terrorists.
But, unfortunately, and what we saw today, was a sporadic attack carried out by a lone individual, one terrorist who took the opportunity with a
truck and you can see that when those terrorists take advantage of the situation, and they see an innocent group of either soldiers or innocent
group of civilians who are on the front lines all the time, unfortunately, the results can be deadly as we saw today.
ANDERSON: The Israeli education minister Naftali Bennett has called this DIY terror on this
network several hours ago. Can you explain what you believe he means by that? And is this the new normal, unfortunately, for Jerusalem?
ROSENFELD: We're talking about a lone individual, a terrorist who either - - and that's part of the investigation, whether he got hold of that vehicle and how he got hold of that vehicle, how he reached that area, did he plan
the attack ahead of time? Was he possibly going, or heading into a different, other area? What we do know until now, however, is that he saw
the soldiers getting off the bus, getting organized with their bags, where they were preparing or an educational day out, and then what they did is
took advantage and rammed that truck into that group of soldiers horrifically enough.
We also saw CCTV footage of the attack itself where we can see the attacker himself driving the
vehicle again over those soldiers in order to try and kill as many as possible.
So, we can see how horrific and blood-orientated that specific terrorist was. We're capable of stopping those types of terrorist attacks, but when
you have a lone individual who carries out a terrorist attack inside the innocent civilians or police officers or soldiers the
response has to be rapid and quick in order to prevent any further potential danger or life-threatening
situation.
ANDERSON: Micky Rosenfeld for you. Of course, our sympathies are with the families of those killed and injured today. Thank you for joining us.
Still to come, the suspect in a Florida shooting wasn't unknown to the FBI. I'm going to tell you why the agency once took away the same gun that he
then used to kill five people. We're going to take a very short break. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:21:01] ANDERSON: Right, you're back with CNN. This is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson for you at 20 past 7:00 here in Abu Dhabi.
Well, a man accused of killing five people at a Florida airport on Friday has confessed to planning the shooting, that's according to court
documents, at least. They show he bought a one-way ticket to Fort Lauderdale, loaded a gun from his checked bag and opened
fire near this baggage claim.
The suspect, Esteban Santiago, could face the death penalty. He is a U.S. veteran. And relatives say he returned from combat with mental health
issues. He went so far as to ask for help from the FBI, turning over the same gun used in the shooting.
Well, relatives say Santiago was a changed man when he returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. CNN spoke with his brother who lives in Puerto Rico. He
says despite the voluntary mental health evaluation, Santiago still didn't get the help that he need. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRYAN SANTIAGO, SUSPECT'S BROTHER (through translator): I want to clarify this with
the Puerto Rican peel and for all the people in the world, that the federal government already knew his reaction, they already knew the thoughts that
he was having and how they weren't good. He, himself, went after them to ask for help, and they did nothing. They had him hospitalized for four
days and then they let him go.
How are you going to let someone leave a psychological center after four days when he saying hat he's hearing voices and that the CIA is telling him
to join certain groups?
This was in November. He was a peaceful person, amicable. Everyone who knew him would say the same thing, that he was an amicable person. He
would always help me. He would always do favors for people.
Various people have supported me, telling me that they know him and that they didn't treat him in enough time. These are people who know they
didn't treat him, who know what veterans suffer from when they come back from the war.
There are several of them who get help and several others who, well, don't get the same follow-up. Not everyone has the same reaction when they
return from war, some better and some not so much.
It's too early to know our family's plans. We haven't been able to speak to them. The authorities have them, a government agency has come here to
give us the notice that we can't speak to them. I'd like to talk to them. It's the first thing I want to do, talk to him to see how he's doing. I
don't know when the trial will be. I was told soon, maybe.
They are saying, well, some channels are saying he was Muslim. What happened was when he went to Iraq he bought a scarf. He bought it as a
souvenir and he took the photo with it as a memory of what he bought in Iraq. That is it. He didn't belong to any radical group. We were born
under the Christian faith.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, court documents show that the suspect told officials he loaded his gun in a bathroom after he arrived in Fort Lauderdale and shot
the first people he saw in a baggage claim area.
Sheldon Fox with CNN affiliate WSVN spoke with a survivor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHELDON FOX, WSVN: Casings were flying all around us, she says. The grandmother of 13 from near Green Bay, Wisconsin, had just landed in Fort
Lauderdale for a vacation in the sun, but she wound up in the hell that was terminal two's baggage claim. walking among
dead and the wounded without a scratch, her husband was also uninjured.
I sat next to her on the plane, the woman says. And nearly ten hours later while waiting at Port Everglades to find a ride to her hotel, she told 7
news the rest of the story.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the ladies that was killed was my seat mate on the plane and she was standing right next to me.
FOX: In the baggage claim.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the baggage claim.
I gave her a gift. She turned around, I turned around and zip my -- and the pops started and
we hit the ground and I turned around and she was shot in the head and killed.
FOX: That shooting victim's husband was shot too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her husband was shot shot in the face. The guy next to him shot in the cheek, the guy next to him was face down. He was dead.
FOX: It's part of an accused masked killer's path of destruction.
He reloaded and he's walking just with his arms straight out, stone-faced.
FOX: Did the man say anything when he was firing?
UNIDENTIIFED FEMALE: I didn't hearing anything. People were just yelling get down.
I have a strong belief in a higher power and I know someone was watching over us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, that was Sheldon Fox with CNN affiliate WSVN.
Well, the pope marked the day Catholics believe Jesus was baptized this Sunday. With an
intimate unscripted ceremony, he baptized some of the children of Vatican employees to honor the
bapttism of the lord.
When one baby cries, the pope said he thinks a cry was Jesus' first sermon.
Well, Britain's Queen Elizabeth attended Sunday church service today for the first time after
more than a month after out of the public eye. So-called -- sorry, the 90- year-old monarch missed Christmas and New Year's services as she battled a severe and lingering
cold. My colleague Max Foster reports from London for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Changing of the guard: it's one of the routines here at Buckingham Palace and it seems the queen is
back in her routine as well. She's not staying here at the moment, she's up at her private estate at Sandringham in Norfolk, but she hasn't been
seen in public for more than a month. That was until Sunday.
She's had a very heavy cold and she missed some crucial benchmark really, church appearances over the Christmas period. The palace said she had a
cold, but there was fear because of those non-appearances that it was something more serious.
That doesn't seem to be the case, because on Sunday she came out. She walked quite briskly and she looked pretty well.
So the queen back out in public. She will be back here in London in February to start a fresh
round of official engagements for 2017.
Max Foster, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Right.
The latest world news headlines are just ahead you viewers. Plus, a car bomb rocks a rebel-held Syrian town on the border with Turkey. The latest
on the situation there is after this.
And we'll have more of Donald Trump's reaction to alleged Russian hacking. Going hear from a top Trump adviser on what it means for his ties with the
Kremlin. That's all coming up. Taking a very short break. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
[10:32:05] ANDERSON: A massive car bomb in northern Syria has killed about 50 people and wounded 80 more. The explosion rocked the rebel-held city of
Azaz (ph) on Saturday. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the blast, but ISIS has targeted the city along the Turkish border in the past.
Well, CNN's Ian Lee has more now for you on that from Istanbul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, the deadly truck bomb bears all the hallmarks of an ISIS attack -- an explosion near a courthouse
and market in the northern Syrian city of Azaz (ph). ISIS frequently targets civilians, which make up a
majority of the more than 50 people killed.
And nobody yet has claimed responsibility, although, ISIS has attacked the city before. Azaz (ph) is known as the hub for rebel fighters. The Free
Syrian Army who controls the area has come under criticism for not providing enough security. The town just lies on the other side of the
border with Turkey.
Turkish state media reports dozens of the injured were transported to the Turkish city of Hillis while the most serious were sent to Gaziantep.
This comes just a little over a week since the New Year's Eve shooting in Istanbul. ISIS claimed responsibility for that attack that killed 39
people.
Turkish authorities claim they have identified the man speculating he may have come from Central Asia, but they haven't released his identity to the
public and he is still at large.
ISIS claims the attack is in retaliation for Turkey's role in this neighboring civil war. Currently, Turkish troops alongside FSA fighters
are battling ISIS militants in the northern Syrian city of al-Bab. The terror group has put up a stiff resistance in the week's long battle.
Turkey's armed forces claimed to have killed hundreds of ISIS fighters while more than 40
Turkish soldiers have died since the beginning of Operation Euphrates Shield last August.
Now, this comes at a shaky moment for the cease-fire, which continues to hold between Syrian rebels and the Assad regime. Russia announced it would
begin withdrawing forces from Syria, according to state media. Rebel groups, though, have complained of the Syrian regime's violations they say
since the ceasefire came into effect December 30.
Now, if it holds, and that's a big if, peace negotiations are set to begin in Kazakhstan later
this month -- Becky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Ian Lee reporting to you from Istanbul.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is powering ahead with plans to improve U.S.-Russia relations when he takes office in 12 days time, that's despite
U.S. intelligence findings that Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election.
Well, CNN's Jake Tapper talked about that hacking report with Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway last hour. And he asked her is Trump now persuaded Russia
did it? And if so, what is he going to do about it? Here's what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[10:35:11] KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP SENIOR ADVISER: Jake, if you read his entire statement that followed the briefing on Friday, he makes very clear
that Russia, China and others have attempted to attack different government institutions and businesses and individuals and organizations over a series
of time.
He specifically mentions the Democratic National Committee, because that's why we're having this conversation. I don't want any of your viewers to be
misled into thinking that somehow the Kremlin and the Republican Party or the -- that -- that they had -- the -- the Kremlin was dealing with any of
the hackers and bringing that information back to Moscow, and somehow that anybody who allegedly attempted to influence our elections actually did.
If you read the full report, they make very clear, Mr. Clapper in his testimony made very clear on Thursday under oath that the -- that any
attempt, any aspiration to influence our elections failed. They were not successful in doing that. And it's a very important point. We're talking
about this because we had embarrassing leaks from the DNC e-mails. There were no fireworks in that report because there was no firewall at the DNC.
TAPPER: Well, what they said, what the intelligence community said is that there was no evidence that Russia was able to penetrate any of the voting
machines and affect the outcome that way.
But they made no conclusion whatsoever, they said they didn't have any evidence and it wasn't in their charge to determine whether or not the
information that was hacked by Russia that was ultimately leaked to the public, whether or not that changed any votes.
And if you listen to what Mr. Trump had to say on the stump all the time, he invoked WikiLeaks dozens and dozens of times to try to suggest that the
WikiLeaks had said that there were things that Hillary Clinton was doing or had done that were untoward.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: All you have to do is take a look at WikiLeaks and just see what they said about Bernie Sanders.
WikiLeaks just actually came out. John Podesta said some horrible things about you. And, boy, was he right. He said some beauties.
WikiLeaks that just came out, and she lied. Now she's blaming the lie on the late, great Abraham Lincoln.
TAPPER: So, I guess what I'm confused about is, how can you say that the hacking had no impact on the election when Mr. Trump kept invoking
WikiLeaks, which was printing, publishing things that the Russians had hacked?
Obviously, he thought it was going to have an effect on the election.
CONWAY: Well, having an -- it had an effect on his debate answer, it had an effect on the Clinton campaign, because it was quite embarrassing to watch
her closest advisers question her judgment, question whether she would ever find her voice, wondering aloud why she was testing 84 slogans to find out
who she was and what she would run on.
This guy had make America great again and never changed. And I know that's very embarrassing. And it shows them calling Chelsea Clinton, some of them,
a spoiled brat. That's very uncomfortable.
But that's what was hacked. The RNC -- apparently, there was an attempted hack on the RNC, I'm informed, but they had the efficient cyber-security
firewalls in place.
Jake, CNN's own reporting showed this week that the FBI asked the DNC to have access to its information, to its server, I guess, and to its
information, and the DNC refused to turn that over to the FBI, according to CNN's own report.
So all of this amounts to a very simple fact, which is that alleged attacks, alleged and aspirations to interfere with our democracy failed.
And they failed. And we know that, because Donald Trump won because...
TAPPER: What do you mean alleged attacks?
(CROSSTALK)
CONWAY: ... to do with the hacks.
And Hillary Clinton -- but, look, if you look at CNN's own polling data for one year before the election, Hillary Clinton was viewed by a majority of
Americans as unlikable. And she was viewed by a higher number, over 60 percent, as not honest or trustworthy. That had nothing to do with Moscow.
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: Absolutely, there are dozens of reasons why Hillary Clinton is not the president-elect and Donald Trump is.
But what I guess I don't understand is why there is this reluctance by president-elect Trump and people around him to acknowledge Russia did this.
You said it was an alleged attack. I don't know why you're saying alleged.
CONWAY: No, no, alleged -- alleged to interfere with our democracy. In other words, they didn't succeed.
Even if you read "The New York Times" and "Washington Post," people are admitting, cyber-experts certainly are saying, Jake, that...
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: But why invoke all those WikiLeaks if...
CONWAY: ... they did not succeed.
TAPPER: But why invoke all those WikiLeaks that were the work of Russian intelligence, according to our intelligence agencies, why invoke all those
WikiLeaks unless Mr. Trump...
CONWAY: He didn't know that at the time. He said he didn't know who the source was. And he's right. Look, what if it were not Russia.
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: But you were trying to change public impressions of Hillary Clinton, right?
CONWAY: Pardon me?
TAPPER: Mr. Trump and you and others were trying to make an argument against Hillary Clinton using the work of Russian hackers.
CONWAY: Oh, you know what, Jake? With all due respect to Hillary Clinton, we didn't need WikiLeaks to convince the American people that they didn't
like her, didn't trust her, didn't find her to be honest.
She did that all on her own. She got this party started by setting up an illegal server and opening it to hacks, for -- for -- for intelligence and
security information that's much more serious than what a political party would have on its server. So, she started it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: Kellyanne Conway speaking to my colleague Jake Tapper just about an hour ago.
Well, meanwhile, the Trump transition team standing by a conservative columnist who has been tapped for a Trump national security communications
position in the Trump administration. A CNN investigation found Monica Crowley plagiarized large portions of her 2012 best-selling book "What the
Bleep Just Happened?"
Multiple passages in the book appear to be lifted from other sources, including news articles, other columnists, and websites.
Now, a Trump transition spokesman says any attempt to discredit Monica is nothing more than a politically motivated attack that seeks to distract
from the real issues facing this country.
Well, Trump has pointed out the staggering amount of violence over in Chicago in the past. And now know there is a frankly sickening story out
of the city. A group of teenagers streaming a video of themselves live on Facebook torturing and taunting a mentally disabled teenager. The video
drags on for a painful half an hour. All four people linked to the attack have now been told they will not be allowed bail.
Our Rosa Flores has this report, but I've got to the warn you some of it is disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[10:40:32] ALONZA THORNTON, CHICAGO RESIDENT: It was kind of shocking to know it was here.
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alonza Thornton says his grandmother lives in the same building where this shocking video was
broadcast on Facebook live Tuesday...
(SHOUTING)
FLORES: ...showing a white teenage victim with mental health issues being abused by four black individuals.
THORNTON: Heard about it, word of mouth, that it was in the area and actually coming here today knowing that it was here, it's appalling.
FLORES: The suspects face a slew of charges, including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and hate crime. The
judge denied the suspect's bond scolded them in open court saying, "I'm wondering where was the sense of decency that each of you should have had."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're sorry this happened to the family.
FLORES: One family member of the two female suspects, who are sisters, apologized outside court. Inside, the suspects showing no emotion, even
when prosecutors described their alleged every move in open court, from suspect, Jordan Hill, picking up the victim as this McDonald's in a Chicago
northwest suburb on New Year's Eve to Hill allegedly beating the victim before these cameras started rolling.
(SHOUTING)
(CRYING)
FLORES: Once they did, according to prosecutors, Hill even asked for ransom.
ERIN ANTONIETTI, ASSISTANT STATE'S ATTOREY: The defendant held communiques with the victim's mother and demanded $300 ransom in exchange for getting
her son back.
FLORES: When a neighbor called police, that's when prosecutors say the victim got a window of time to escape.
(on camera): Neighbors tell us this is the house where the abuse happened. They also pointed out. on the same night, there was a separate fight. the
blood from that fight still remains.
(voice-over): A tough neighborhood in a city that is no stranger to violence.
And now, a call for justice for a teen who police say is still traumatized by the torture he endured.
(on camera): As for the victim, I spoke to the family spokesperson and he tells me that the victim is with his family and they're asking for privacy
and prayers.
Rosa Flores, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: In the U.S., more than 3 million people are in an ice storm warning as storms create dangerous conditions on both coasts. Much of the
east coast blanketed in snow and ice on Saturday. More than a foot of snow was recorded, for example, in the Boston area. Well, treacherous
conditions caused many traffic accidents like this 20-car pile-up in Middleton, Connecticut. And on the west coast, two separate storm systems
threatened to bring large amounts of snow, ice and heavy rain.
Well, California could see its worst flooding in decades. CNN's meteorologist Alison Chinchar joins us now. Alison, with the very latest,
if you will.
ALISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, absolutely. So, let's start with the flood threat. We have all of this area, this is about 7 million people
under either a flood or a flash flood watch all the way through the next several days, because as you said we are
going to get not one but two separate waves of moisture coming in.
Now, the first wave is really going to be our winter wave. This is where we're going to get
the significant amount of ice and also snow. In fact, a lot of these areas could pick up in excess of 30 to 60 centimeters of snow, but some could
pick up as much as 100 centimeters of snow, especially in the Sierra. And then in terms of rainfall, we're talking widespread results, over 100
millimeters, but some areas picking up as much as 250 millimeters of rain.
And again, just in a few short days. Ice also going to be a factor for several of these areas. We're looking at a forecast amount of at least an
additional centimeter, but some of these areas have already picked up about that in the last 24 hours, especially around the Portland, Oregon, area.
And again, widespread power outages possible because of that.
As you can see, a lot of forecasted rain and snow going forward. Reno, Nevada also going to be a concern. An avalanche warning has already been
issued for that area just because of the expected snowfall amounts that will arrive into these areas.
The reason for this, we get what's called an atmospheric river, intense amounts of moisture coming in from the Pacific, some of which originating
as far back as, say, Hawaii. And that's what's really going to ramp up a lot of that moisture.
We're also been talking snow on the other side of the world. Take a look, this is the system that came through and brought intense amounts of snow to
portions of southern Italy, into Greece and also into Turkey as well, especially right around the Istanbul area.
We had some delays at the Istanbul airport over the weekend. Look at all of this snow that came down, again incredible amounts. And it's not going
to go away any time soon. In fact, the forecast is to actually bring even more snow to this region. Now, most of the areas will see about
10 centimeters or less, but we could see some areas pick up more than that.
The seven-day forecast for Istanbul has snow chances for at least four of the next seven days -- Robin.
ANDERSON: More weather ahead this hour. Turkey grappling with its own seasonal chill.
Travel in Istanbul grinding to a halt thanks to a snow storm.
And a grim milestone, I'm afraid, it's been 1,000 days since Boko Haram abducted the Chibok schoolgirls. Some are back home, but almost 200 remain
missing. What's being done to get them back is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Some fancy statues are waiting a lucky few. Today marks the big night for
the movie industry as Hollywood movers and shakers gather for the Golden Globes. And this year a title from right here in the Middle East has made
the cut, the Iranian film The Salesman is competing in the best foreign film category. It's a local take on the classic play Death of a Salesman.
The Golden Globes widely seen as an indication of how the Oscars might go.
Well, you're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. Welcome back.
The Golden Globes means Hollywood awards season, then, is in full swing. Here's CNN's Stephanie Elam with a wider sneak peek at the ceremony for
you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The glitz, the glamour, the Golden Globes. Hollywood's annual kickoff to award season looks to honor
the best in film and television.
With seven nominations, "La La Land" leads the pack on the motion picture front.
MATTHEW BELLONI, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: It takes a very traditional medium, the Hollywood musical, which has been around for a
century, and it really does reinvent it for a modern audience.
ELAM: The Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling-led movie is up for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, alongside "20th Century Women," "Dead Pool,"
"Florence Foster Jenkins" and "Sing Street."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We all love and all pride in this house.
ELAM: "Moonlight," a gritty coming-of-age film, has six nominations, including one for Best Motion Picture Drama, along with "Hacksaw Ridge,"
"Hell or High Water," "Lion" and "Manchester by the Sea."
[10:50:02] CUBA GOODING JR., ACTOR: People do admire me, Johnny.
ELAM: With five nods "The People versus O.J. Simpson, American Crime Story," dominates the TV categories, including a nomination for Best
Miniseries or Television Movie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My reign has just begun.
ELAM: For the fourth year, "Game of Thrones" is up for Best Drama Series. The epic fantasy will face off with newcomers "The Crown," "Stranger
Things," "This is US" and "Westworld."
JIMMY FALLON, HOST, THE TONIGHT SHOW: I get to wear this tuxedo.
ELAM: Taking a stab at the master of ceremonies' duties this year, Jimmy Fallon.
FALLON: I'm already practicing wearing it every single night and just handing out awards to random people.
ELAM: The late-night host follows previous Golden Globe emcees Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
BELLONI: What makes the Golden Globes fun is this sense that anything can happen. And that goes with the host as well.
ELAM: From first bottle to last trophy, the show should live up to its title as Hollywood's biggest party.
Stephanie Elam, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Right, live from Abu Dhabi, you're watching Connect the World. Coming up, wrap up warm, folks, we are going to take you inside an ice
festival in China.
And then we'll take you somewhere else to show you a frozen city you may not recognize. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: A happy homecoming: this was the scene when 21 Chibok girls and a baby were finally reunited with loved ones in time to celebrate
Christmas and ring in the new year.
The girls were freed after more than two years in Boko Haram captivity. Once freed, they stayed in Nigeria's capital Abuja for 10 weeks of
government-sponsored care.
Well, that the outcome the world had hoped to see, but now 1,000 days since they were abducted by the terror group almost 200 schoolgirls still remain
missing.
For more, CNN's Isha Sesay joining me now from Lagos in Nigeria.
We've got good news and then, of course, we are reminded of the bad news as well. What do authorities know about these girls, these 200 girls who are
still away from their families and kidnapped? Do they know anything about their whereabouts at this point?
ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Becky. Well, to be precise 195 girls remain unaccounted for. And as to their exact whereabouts or what exactly has come about them, very few details have
emerged which, you know, as we mark this grim milestone we must remember the parents, we must remember the loved ones of these missing girls who
have endured such heartache for such a long time.
On the part of the authorities, of course, they were able to negotiate the release of 21 girls, the ones you mentioned, that CNN traveled home with
just before Christmas.
So they have been in contact with Boko Haram. It led to the release of those two dozen -- or 21 girls, I should say, plus also worth pointing out
to our viewers, that three other girls have also been reunited but not as part of those negotiations.
Nonetheless, the government has made contact with Boko Haram, and our understanding is
negotiations continue, Becky, but what state those talks are in nobody knows. There has been very little, if any, information from government
authorities since the end of last year when those 21 girls were released. This is something that is deeply troubling to bring back
our girls, the grass roots movement here in Nigeria has led for the global outcry for the return of these girls.
In fact, Becky, I just want to show you something that they put out in a statement a short time ago in which they cited their concerns at the
government, what they say complacency and lack of urgency when it comes to the issue of reuniting these girls with their families. And really when
you look at the lack of information it is troubling, Becky.
[10:55:44] ANDERSON: So, to confirm, the government saying they will be returned and reiterating the president, his resolve to ensure all of the
girls are returned. But you're telling us very few details about where they are, who they are with and when their return might be facilitated,
correct?
SESAY: Yeah, correct.
I mean, listen, the girls are with Boko Haram. I mean, what has complicated matters in recent months has been this talk of an internal
division within Boko Haram, a power struggle, if you will, and a breakdown into factions. B ut our understanding from sources is that the girls are indeed with the Boko Haram leader Abu Bakr Shekau. That is our
understanding, that he is leading the negotiations.
The long-held belief in all of this is that the girls were somewhere in Sambisa Forest there in the northeast, but nothing has been confirmed, and
we just don't know whether this latest rounds of talks to release more girls is yielding any fruit, whether any progress is being made.
You know, hopes are being expressed but for the families, Becky, for the families, for the lost ones, hope is not enough. They want to see their
children. It's been 1,000 days.
ANDRESON: Isha Sesay in Lagos for you tonight, Isha, thank you for that.
All right. Today's Parting Shots for you viewers and cold weather and lots of it. Well, we have certainly had some very chilly nights, it's got to be
said here in Abu Dhabi lately. It doesn't even come close to the situation in Turkey right now.
Look at these images, if you've ever been to Istanbul, you'd be forgiven for not recognizing Turkey's largest city seemingly at a standstill covered
in snow with traffic chaos and flight cancellations, but a world away in China a very different scene. The city of Harbin (ph) celebrating
the cold weather during its annual ice sculpture competition. 32 teams, 11 countries going head to head and creating some pretty stunning pieces along
the way.
That's it. I'm Becky Anderson. From the team, it's a very good evening. CNN, of course, continues after this short break. Don't go away.
END
