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Crucial Week Will See The First Public Hearings; Three Key State Department Witnesses Set To Testify In Televised Hearings; Nikki Haley Claims Tillerson And Kelly Tried To Recruit Her To Save The Country; British Teenager's Family Back In The U.S. Seeking Justice; Dunn Family Launching Legal Claim Against Trump Admin; Prominent White Helmets Backer Found Dead In Istanbul. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired November 11, 2019 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:00:12]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London. This is CONNECT THE WORD.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTENATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Hala Gorani. Becky is off today. Let's start with what's
going on in Washington. The city is bracing for the biggest week yet in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. For the first time key
witnesses will answer questions in public in the U.S House of Representatives.
Democrats say the televised testimony will back their claims that the President committed an impeachable offense. Republicans have their own
plan to defend Mr. Trump though. Suzanne Malveaux has details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: In just two days the House's impeachment inquiry is going public starting off Wednesday with
televised testimonies from top diplomat to Ukraine Bill Taylor and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent. On Friday, former U.S.
ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch will testify. The high stakes hearings, bringing some of the nearly 2700 pages of impeachment testimony
released so far to life. Highlighting allegations President Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine for political gain.
REP. DEBBIE DINGEL (D-MI): The American people need to understand what the issues are to get the facts, and we need to bring them along.
MALVEAUX: The President warning his Republican colleagues not to give an inch tweeting the July 25 phone call to the Ukrainian president was
perfect. Republicans don't be led into the fools' trap of saying it was not perfect, but it's not impeachable.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They shouldn't be anything. They shouldn't be impeachment hearing.
MALVEAUX: The tweet coming after this defense from one house Republican.
REP. MAC THORNBERRY (R-TX): I believe that it is inappropriate for a president to ask a foreign leader to investigate a political rival. I do
not believe it was impeachable.
MALVEAUX: Other GOP Trump allies already following the President's advice, previewing their strategy for impeachment hearings.
REP. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): The quid pro quo and not judgment is a red herring.
SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): There's always contingencies on aid.
MARIOTTI: Democrats disagree.
REP. JACKIE SPEIER (D-CA): This is a very simple, straightforward act. The President broke the law. This is a very strong case of bribery.
MARIOTTI: As House investigators fill in the schedule for the impeachment inquiry, Republican Congressman and House Intel Ranking Member Devin Nunez
also submitting a wish list of witnesses on behalf of the GOP, including Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter and the anonymous whistleblower.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): So if they don't call the whistleblower in the House, this thing is dead on arrival in the Senate.
MARIOTTI: House Intelligence Chairman Adam shift rejecting that request, saying the whistleblower will not be testifying, writing the inquiry will
not serve as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations that the President press Ukraine to conduct for his own political benefit.
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): We don't want to revisit conspiracy theories that people have relevant information to this investigation and the
President's conduct, of course, we want to hear from.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: And that was Suzanne Malveaux reporting. Let's bring in John Kirby, CNN Analyst and former Pentagon and State Department spokesperson.
How do you think it will change things that we're hearing publicly now from these witnesses, John?
JOHN KIRBY, CNN MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC ANALYST: I think the main difference here is going to be that the American people now can hear for
themselves what these witnesses have to say. And they can see the interchange just as importantly, between these witnesses and members of
Congress, both on the left and the right. So I think just in terms of transparency, this should be good for the American people to actually be
able to see and hear for themselves.
MARIOTTI: And Bill Taylor will be no doubt one of the key witnesses. We already know more or less what he's going to have to say that he was
concerned by that July 25th phone call. How are Republicans preparing a defense at this stage?
KIRBY: Well, I -- you know, it's a good question. How I don't know. I mean, I'm not -- I'm not very adept in the politics here of the impeachment
inquiry, I would -- I would probably just suspect that they're going to as they have been really going after a process here.
GORANI: Yes.
KIRBY: And I also think, quite frankly, and you're hearing this a lot more from the opposing side, that it's not -- it's not a criminal offense. And
again, it's just important to remember that impeachment is not about whether a crime was committed, you can, you know, a president can still be
impeached, even if a technical, you know, a crime has not been committed, but I think it's gonna be processed and I think they're going to be trying
to go after criminality.
MARIOTTI: Right. Sure. And they -- I'm sure you saw Nikki Haley over the weekend in an interview promoting the release of her new book, say that she
was asked by John Kelly, the former White House Chief of Staff as well as Rex Tillerson, the former Secretary of State to join
her and trying to sort of save the Republic.
[11:05:02]
Here's what she said in that interview, John.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI HALEY, FORMER UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: It should have been go tell the president what your differences are and quit
if you don't like what he's doing but to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing. And it goes against the constitution and it goes
against what the American people want. It was offensive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARIOTTI: Are you surprised to hear that basically two of the President's top lieutenants, according to Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to
the U.N., tried to recruit her to try to basically keep the president who they thought was reckless enough that he needed to be kept in check by the
top cabinet officials?
KIRBY: Yes. I mean, look at for allegation is true if it -- if it actually did happen that way that is inappropriate. And I think she makes
a strong point. I mean, when you sign up to work for an administration, when you're at that level at a cabinet official or an ambassador to the
U.N. or the Chief of Staff, I mean, your job is to execute the worldview and the policies of the president you serve. And if you can't do that
anymore, she's right.
You only have one option, and that's to walk away. Now, I don't know whether it's true or not. If it is true, it's troubling. I think there
could be room for interpretation here. You know, that perhaps Mr. Kelly and Mr. Tillerson, we're not necessarily trying to recruit her to oppose
the president, but rather to try to, you know, bring her on board with what they thought was a larger duty to also protect the institutions of
government, sometimes against the President's more base instincts.
Again, it's -- he said -- she said literally in this case, and we've already seen, Mr. Kelly come out, and, you know, deny these allegations and
say that he wasn't in fact, you know, recruiting anybody to undermine the president.
MARIOTTI: Yes. And we're hearing talk of the president maybe being interested in releasing another earlier phone call with the Ukrainian
leader, although what he said there that his call was pretty perfect with Zelensky before we saw the rough transcript, then, of course, it ended up
making a much bigger splash perhaps than the President had wanted. So it'll be interesting to see what comes out of that if it's released.
KIRBY: Yes. Look, I don't know that they will or not, he has also caveat at his interest in releasing it by saying, look, I don't want to make a
president out of this, so, I have to be able to have confidential conversations with foreign leaders. And he's right about that. I don't
know what's in this transcript that would lead him to believe it will be helpful. Just as I can't imagine why he thinks the transcript that he did
release is helpful to his case at all.
It pretty much lays it out very clearly, that he was looking for an investigation of political opponents and to get an interview with him and
to get -- and to get eight released. I mean, so I'm not sure what his purposes here, but I would tend to agree with the president that you want
to minimize their public release of transcripts of phone calls to the degree that you can so that you can continue to conduct foreign policy with
some measure of confidentiality.
GORANI: All right, John Kirby. Thanks very much for joining us.
KIRBY: You bet.
GORANI: And you can watch the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden answer questions at a town hall later on CNN. It starts at 2:00 a.m.
Tuesday in London, 10:00 a.m. in Hong Kong on CNN. Well, police in Hong Kong are standing behind a traffic officer who shot a protester right in
the chest. Violence in the city has reached unprecedented levels in the five months of protests. Police say the officer who shot the protester was
acting in self-defense.
He says he saw the 21-year-old carrying what appear to be a metal pole and fired when a protester moved forward and "touched the revolver." Police
say the wounded man is now out of surgery and that there is no immediate threat to his life. Will Ripley has more now on the violence and another
man was set on fire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Combat on the streets of Hong Kong, police vs protesters, a dangerous almost daily struggle that sometimes ends like
this. Three live rounds fired by a traffic officer, a 21-year-old protester hit in the torso. This 20-year-old university student saw it
happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was sitting there and suddenly two cops ran out and pushed on one people. Then when that protester was on the floor and the
cops are still shooting people and none of the protesters are holding any gears. And I don't think it is necessary to use the gun. It wasn't fair
to our people. We were leaving and we are not attacking those cops. And they just use violence to treat us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: On social media, the news spreads like wildfire. Soon the protesters start a fire of their own, you can easily spot the front liners
dressed in black, wearing full face masks in defiance of Hong Kong law.
[11:10:06]
RIPLEY: This no longer feels like a fight for democracy. This feels like a fight against the government, the police. The very institutions now
struggling to maintain public order. A public with many people who no longer trust their government. By the time Hong Kong Police race back to
the scene, the damage is done. Trash everywhere. Traffic stall flashes like this, erupting all over the city.
The inevitable pepper spray and tear gas do little to stop the chaos. New strict laws and stiffer punishments may deter some, but not all. It's like
a game of cat and mouse that never seems to end. The protesters run away. The police chase them and all the while the crowds are watching often
screaming insults towards the place. Hong Kong Police have suspended a police officer caught on camera riding his motor bike into crowds of
protesters.
Videos like this only fuel the anger, anger on both sides. Police are investigating this video showing a man apparently being doused with
flammable liquid and set on fire. Just before he was shouting, you are all not Chinese. What we don't see on the streets of Hong Kong is any attempt
at a higher level of discourse. All we see is this city growing more tense, more angry, more dangerous. Will Ripley, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Senior members of Bolivia's government, including the President are stepping down they say under pressure. That leaves everyone wondering
who is in charge and update on that in just a moment. And wildfires are raging in Australia leaving thousands under a state of emergency and with
their lives, potentially threatened.
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GORANI: In Iraq, three Italian soldiers are badly wounded after an explosion on Sunday. It happened near Kirkuk. The official say a device
exploded as their vehicle drove by. And further south in Nasiriyah, human rights group says at least four protesters were killed, more than 100
wounded in one incident.
[11:15:02]
GORANI: And in another, about two dozen students were injured when Iraqi forces accidentally detonated a tear gas cannon inside a school for girls.
Chaos across the country. Sam Kylie joins me now from Baghdad with the very latest. Sam?
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala, let's separate them out because as you say it is a chaotic picture of the
injuries for the Italian troops in all probability was the result of an improvised explosive device planted without much doubt by so called Islamic
State in the area around Kirkuk. They have been very active ever since they were driven out of Mosul way back about 18 months ago or more.
And so, that is that that, the issue with demonstrators notably point out there the four dead in Nasiriyah, 150 wounded according to human rights
groups and the accidental gassing of children that happened yesterday, I believe, is all part of this ongoing series of demonstrations that others,
you know, stretch from here, Baghdad, central Iraq, particularly across the south, intensifying in many ways in potential danger and violence as we saw
yesterday in Nasiriyah with the deaths of four people.
Mercifully, overnight here in Baghdad, things have been dialed down somewhat. And I think that that is in part due to joint statements
effectively or echoing statements, one from the U.N., the other from the United States to the -- to the government saying that urgent political
reform and early elections have to be conducted. And that's now been reinforced by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the spiritual leader
effectively of the sheer in the country, and it's mostly sheer who are taking to the streets or at least the streets are mostly energized in sheer
areas with Ayatollah Sistani, saying again that the government needs to reform that the protesters either shouldn't or wouldn't leave until they
had seen these reforms.
Calling for the government to reduce or end all violence against demonstrators. Really trying to endorse their mission, whether he's trying
to do that because he's kind of got to as the leader of this year, we're -- because a lot of the aspects of these demonstrations, Hala, are highly
antireligious. They're very secular expressions of frustration against the dominance within Israel -- within Iraqi politics of religious groups and
parties that will reflect the sectarian divisions, Hala.
GORANI: Yes. And who can blame these young men because I'm seeing all my young men on the streets for being so frustrated in a country that should
be so rich where they live in poverty and are often unemployed. And they're doing this at great personal risk. They've been -- there have been
hundreds of demonstrators killed and yet they're going out day after day after day. And this won't end until they feel they've gotten something in
return, right?
KILEY: That's absolutely right, Hala. I think that -- and I've spent the day before yesterday and the day before that out on the streets here, in
the Tahrir Square, the main focus of demonstrations here in Baghdad. One of the interesting things is that although it began with young men about a
month ago, these demonstrations, particularly back from the areas where they're crashing with security forces, there are the elderly, the middle
class, the middle aged, some people even bringing their schoolchildren, people have a very high education I spent -- spoke to one woman who was a
genetic engineer with a professor of genetic engineering, the actual chairman of the National Body all out on the street, all demanding an end
to what they see as a highly sectarian system of rule.
A highly polarized system of rule and a highly corrupt system a rule. In fact, the -- over the last year or so, the Iraqi economy is beginning to
show small signs of growth and these demonstrations will no doubt begin to level that off. But the reality on the ground is that there remains a
shortage of clean water, many areas around the outside of the capital unable to collect rubbish. There's no system of Public Administration.
All of that is collapsing. And it's no longer in the view of the demonstrators enough to blame the war against the so-called Islamic State
or the war of liberation against American occupation or the Civil War, the sectarian wars that have come before. A lot of these people out on the
streets, Hala, have come of age in the post Saddam Hussein dispensation very interestingly, they're trying to shake off the shackles they say, of
this sectarian energy here in Iraq.
GORANI: All right. And thanks for correcting me on that. They're -- that women are taking part especially in Baghdad as we saw images of them
demonstrating and families as well. Sam Kiley, thanks very much live in the Iraqi capital.
[11:20:09]
GORANI: Now to South America where the question is who is leading billet Bolivia? The Bolivian President Evo Morales suddenly announced his
resignation Sunday under pressure he says. He's even called it a coup after nearly 14 years in power. Celebrations broke out following weeks of
demonstrations because these demonstrators say the October presidential elections had irregularities and were not fair.
But the question now is who is leading the country? CNN's Patrick Oppmann has more from Mexico City.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVO MORALES, FORMER BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We are resigning. I am resigning.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA-BASED CORRESPONDENT: With these words. Eva Morales' nearly 14 years as president of Bolivia came to a close. He
declared himself the winner of Bolivia's presidential election last month. And now blame pressure from weeks of protests and accusations of fraud for
his decision.
MORALES: Said that my brothers and sisters, leaders of the movement towards socialism, won't be harassed, persecuted, threatened. I'm very
sorry for this civilian coup.
OPPMANN: Morales' announcement came just hours after the organization of American states published a report concluding that there were
irregularities in the presidential elections held on October 20th. The report cites failure and the chain of custody of the ballots, alteration
and forgery of electoral material, redirection of data to unauthorized servers and manipulation of information. These elements, the OEA said,
impacted the official count.
Opposition leaders openly accused Morales of orchestrating election fraud to secure an outright victory. In the first round of voting over former
President Carlos Mesa. Morales has denied the accusations. Mesa meanwhile called it a historic lesson. The allegations of fraud began when electoral
authorities stopped the quick count of balance on election night without any explanation.
Preliminary results indicated a potential runoff between Morales and Mesa. But when the county resumed Morales' lead had jumped. The electoral
tribunals explanations did not satisfy the public. The situation quickly escalated. Hundreds of protesters to the streets asking for new elections,
electoral centers were set ablaze and intense clashes between opposition and pro-government supporters were seen all over the country.
At least three people have died and hundreds were injured. From the beginning the Armed Forces said they would not confront the protesters. A
promise ratified Saturday by the head of the Armed Forces who then told Morales he needed to resign.
WILLIAMS KALIMAN, BOLIVIAN MILITARY CHIEF (through translator): We will guarantee you the union among fellow citizens, so we ratify that we will
never confront the people.
OPPMANN: Support from Morales was waning. On Saturday, some police units walked out in mass demanding Morales stepped down. And more on certainly
lies ahead following the president's resignation. Others who would be next in line, including the vice president and the leaders of both chambers of
Congress also resigned. Patrick Oppmann, CNN Mexico City.
GORANI: Well, CNN has learned that the second vice president of Bolivia senate says she is next in line for the presidency and is willing to do the
job but wants to hold a new election. So we'll see what happens there. In Australia, thousands of people face danger as they remain in the deadly
path of raging bush fires. Officials have declared a seven-day state of emergency and a catastrophic fire threat level.
Dry and windy conditions are making the situation worse and the look into the sky reveals that clouds of smoke are visible as far away as New
Zealand. Simon Cullen has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON CULLEN, CNN FIELD PRODUCER: These are fires on an unprecedented scale, already three people have been killed and at least 150 homes have
been destroyed. But authorities in Australia are warning it could get much worse.
SHANE FITZSIMMONS, NEW SOUTH WALES RURAL FIRE SERVICE COMMISSIONER: We continue to have more than 60 fires burning across New South Wales. More
than half of them remain uncontained.
CULLEN: The New South Wales government has declared a state of emergency for the coming week. As it prepares for catastrophic conditions on
Tuesday, fire authorities have issued the highest possible alert for the greatest city region and the rural areas on either side.
FITZSIMMONS: Life is at risk when it comes to catastrophic conditions. And as we've said, for decades now, we cannot guarantee a fire truck at
every home.
CULLEN: With Sydney skyline thick with smoke. The country's defense force has been put on standby to help and hundreds of schools have been closed as
a precaution.
[11:25:00]
TRENT MCKELLAR, PARENT: As you can see at the back of the school, in the event that if I did come through here and it grave dangers.
CULLEN: Viewed from space the plumes of smoke are casting long shadows over heavily populated areas, prompting a health warning from authorities
in the northern State of Queensland.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have not seen conditions like this before. It is extremely unusual. The fires are being fueled by hot dry weather on the
back of one of the worst droughts in decades. But it's the size and timing that has climate scientists concerned. The early start of the bushfire
season is becoming increasingly common. Lawmakers though say now is not the time to debate climate change.
HARRY CREAMER, PORT MACQUARIE RESIDENT: We've been telling the politicians the same message for over 10 years and they are not listening. We have a
prime minister and a premier in denial about climate change. This is real.
CULLEN: The trail of destruction from these fires is already immense and heartbreaking. And with summer still to come the likelihood is that it
will come continue where the forecasters are predicting conditions will be hotter and drier than normal. But the news fire weary residents want to
hear. Simon Cullen, CNN.
GORANI: Well, CNN's Chad Myers joins me now live from Atlanta with more on the weather and these -- the winds. I mean, it's a big problem. It's
making everything worse.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And the wind tomorrow will be the worst that we've seen since this fire storm started. A big cold front is
coming in from the south, north here in the northern hemisphere. That doesn't make any sense. But the southern hemisphere, the cold fronts come
from the south and it will switch the wind direction and make gust in the 100 KPH range. Go back you up about five days or so, maybe four.
We're going to see the wind out of the northwest. Then all of a sudden the clouds blow in a different direction to smoke blowing in a different
direction from the southwest. And this fans the flames and puts the flame and the fire on freshly unburned ground. This was NW -- the NSW said this,
we've simply never seen this number of fires burning in New South Wales at the same time. And that's their problem.
This is 100 to -- about 100 kilometers wide and almost 1000 kilometers long of fire that they have to try to contain and there's so many you can't put
enough firefighters in the way. Yes, we're talking about where it is, the fire bush fire season. Yes, it is now but it goes for another few months.
And it's right where, right here, this is exactly where all of the dry weather has been now for the last 18 months.
So dry, hot, windy. Three things you don't need for a bushfire season, but that's what we're getting. Watch the cold front come on by. It's going to
change the direction of the wind from just about -- I would say southeast to southwest. And look at these numbers 60 KPH, 50 KPH and we are going to
see gusts higher than that. And all of a sudden you shift the wind directions. Firefighters need to expect that change because all of a
sudden the fire was going that way. Now it could be coming that way, and they have to be out of the way. Hala?
GORANI: All right. Chad Myers thanks very much. When we return. The parents of a British teenager killed by the wife of an American diplomat in
the U.K., who then claimed a diplomatic immunity. They are planning to launch legal action in the United States. They say President Trump is at
the center of it. I'll ask him questions about that after break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:31:58]
GORANI: I want to update you now on a story that has been many headlines in the U.K. and the United States. That have Harry Dunn. The British
teenager who died when his motorbike collided with a car allegedly driven by the wife of an American diplomat here in the U.K. That Anne Sacoolas
then returned to the United States and claimed diplomatic immunity. Harry Dunn's parents have been leading the fight to bring Sacoolas back to the
U.K. and have even met President Trump at the White House.
They are back in Washington now about to launch legal action. The father of Harry Dunn, Tim Dunn and the family spokesperson Radd Seiger joins me
now. Thanks to both of you for joining us. And Tim Dunn again, our condolences to you and your family and the passing of your son Harry.
Radd, I want to start with you though, because what is the basis of this legal action that you're preparing?
RADD SEIGER, DUNN FAMILY SPOKESPERSON: Yes. Good afternoon, Hala. There's two things that the family are contemplating and doing here in the
United States this week. So the meeting with the U.S. lawyers tomorrow, the first claim is against Mrs. Sacoolas herself, the driver for civil
damages or compensation. And the second thing is a claim against the Trump administration itself.
It's difficult to overstate the extent to which the administration abused its power here by recalling the Sacoolas family back to the United States
after the collision. So that will be a complete exposure of this misconduct, so that the whole world can see the extent to which there was
lawless activity.
GORANI: But Tim, you met with the president, right? Ad you contend still that that he is somehow responsible for Ms. Sacoolas not being -- he
personally for Ms. Sacoolas not being sent to the U.K. to face justice?
TIM DUNN, FATHER OF HARRY DUNN: Well, yes, we had the meeting with the President and it came across in the meeting that they said, you know, that
she would not be coming back and they were quite firm with that decision I felt. But we still believe, you know, that there was no immunity to be
had. So we -- we're pushing on with this fight to try and get her to return to the U.K.
GORANI: Uh-hmm. You said that the President offered a check and that essentially tried to ambush you by having you meet Mrs. Sacoolas, that you
weren't aware she was there. But let's -- let me put on the air something that the President said that differs quite greatly from your account of
what happened at the White House and then -- and then I'll get your reaction.
DUNN: Sure.
SEIGER: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: My meeting with the family was really -- it was beautiful at a certain way. They did not want to meet with the person in question.
Unfortunately, they wanted to meet with her and unfortunately when we had everybody together they decided not to meet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:35:06]
GORANI: So Tim, are you saying that the President wasn't being truthful here?
DUNN: No, no, the President did offer me but we felt as a family that it was more like an ambush. We didn't know we were meeting the President when
we went to the White House. And we didn't know we were the answer (INAUDIBLE) would be there. And then all of a sudden, it was a greeting
and then answer goes into the room. Let's get it on. And it was like, actually, no, we don't want that.
We wanted it to be where there was mediators, lawyers or official people there that could help look after us both as our side and their side not
just to be chucked into a room and to see how it went. It was a bit, you know, we weren't prepared for that.
GORANI: Yes. And Radd, the family lawyer of Anne Sacoolas issued a statement and was driving on the wrong side of the road and he's terribly,
terribly sorry for that tragic mistake. Neither she nor Harry Dunn's family will ever be the same because of it. She wants to meet with the
family to apologize and take responsibility. So I'll ask Radd and Tim as well here. I mean, either of you can answer. Is this something you're
willing to accept?
SEIGER: Yes. So, Hala, I mean, first of all, just going back to that Trump meeting, he was -- he's being totally disingenuous there with his
comments. You know, if he'd given us the opportunity to consider whether we wanted to meet Mrs. Sacoolas that day, we would have considered it but
to invite us down on (INAUDIBLE) times is just ridiculous. But, you know, the family will always be open to dialogue with anybody but if there's
going to be a meeting with Mrs. Sacoolas as part of the restorative justice system that we have in the U.K., it will be back in the U.K. as part of
that process.
GORANI: Yes. But they've been quite clear though, Tim, that they will not allow her to be sent back. Would you meet with her in the U.S.?
DUNN: I can't answer that. I'd have to consult with the rest of the family and talk to her and we really still would rather she come back to
the U.K. and faced our justice system that is our main game here.
GORANI: Uh-hmm. And what about the foreign office, Radd? They've also issued a statement the FCO will oppose and seek costs for any judicial
review brought because the family have not identified any reasonably arguable ground of legal challenge. So you have the foreign office here
pushing back, what's your reaction to that?
SEIGER: Our reaction is crystal clear. They do not have a legal leg to stand on in the defense to this family's claim. Shame on them for putting
them through this legal battle. But it's clear it's going to end up in court in a few months' time at the high court in London if that's what they
want and that's what the family are prepared to do.
GORANI: And what are you seeking, Tim, from the foreign office?
DUNN: The truth and the reasons why that they decided and should go back. I want to see the timeline. I want to see the evidence or want them to
tell me why they thought it was right that the wife of a so-called diplomat was allowed to leave the country after killing my son.
GORANI: And I'm going to ask you one last question, Tim, because obviously there is no pain greater than losing a child. How is your family doing
right now?
DUNN: If I'm honest, we are struggling. As you can see, Paris, mom, Charlotte has not come to the U.S. with me. This time, his twin brother
Niall. They are both -- they're struggling at the minute. And I think grief is creeping on to them. This is really taking a toll on us as a
family and we're trying our hardest to get the answers we need so we can start to grieve properly.
GORANI: You felt you haven't been -- you feel you haven't been able to grieve properly.
DUNN: Not even started grieve, yes, I'm afraid.
GORANI: Tim Dunn, thank you so much for joining us. And Radd Seiger, the family spokesperson as well from Washington.
SEIGER: Thank you.
GORANI: We'll be right back
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:46:07]
GORANI: The major battle is effectively over just about a month after Turkey launched its military operation in Northern Syria. But the chaos
and violence certainly persist. Turkish soldiers are reporting car bomb attacks. They're even finding some newly planted explosive devices in
areas that have been previously cleared. The Turkish military took CNN for an exclusive look inside what it calls its safe zone inside the country.
Jomana Karadsheh has that.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The guns may have fallen silent here, but the battle for this corner of Syria is far from
over. There is a deceptive calm, but every step could be deadly. A few days ago a Turkish soldier was killed in a blast doing exactly what the
soldiers are doing. We joined the Turkish military on their mission to demine the town of Tell Abyad.
So this area was cleared once before by Turkish forces but what they're finding out is that there are cells that are still active in this region.
What they do is they still come back and they plant explosives. That is why their ongoing sweeps clearing operations taking place. And it seems
right now that forces here have found a device they're about to detonate.
The team isolates the site before safely detonating the bomb. Soldiers tell us they find 10 to 100 devices every day. Left behind they say by an
enemy determined to destroy Turkey's promise of a safe zone. We drive into town just hours after a car bomb exploded in the market. There were no
casualties this time. But people were still reeling from a horrific bomb attack just three days earlier.
People around here are telling us that they knew these victims. They were the local pharmacist, the shopkeeper and his children. A woman who was out
shopping with her children. And people here residents are terrified that this could just be the beginning of these kinds of attacks.
We're scared of what's happening. All this terrorism, he says. This man tells us a booby trap outside his home, killed his son. He's now scared
and has trouble sleeping at night. And this woman says her neighbors came back from Turkey expecting safety here. But those two mothers were carried
away in body bags along with their children. Is this the safety that Turkey promised? She asks.
And that's the point of these bombings say Turkish back Syrian forces. The SDF, the mostly Syrian-Kurdish fighting force is behind these attacks, says
Brigadier General Hassan al-Hussein. They're trying to show people that the area is not stable, not safe, so no one comes here. The SDF has
infiltrated even the ranks of the Syrian rebels, he says. Like this 20- year-old now in custody, making less than $100 a month, he was lowered not by politics, but by easy money to plant bombs on behalf of the SDF he tells
us.
We can't verify his allegations and the SDF say they're baseless, denying they had anything to do with any bombings. No one has claimed any of these
attacks over the past nine years of war, this little border town has seen it all. Changing hands multiple times. Now, it's Turkey's turn to try and
bring stability here. It's early days, and it won't be easy, especially for the civilians who once again have to pick up the pieces of their broken
lives. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Tell Abyad, Syria.
[11:50:03]
GORANI: A high-profile supporter of the Syrian White Helmets volunteer rescue group has been found dead in Istanbul. Turkish officials say James
Le Mesurier was found dead earlier today. There's file footage of him on your screen there from 2015. He was the founder of Mayday Rescue which
supports the White Helmets. This comes just days after the Russian Foreign Ministry denounced him, accusing him of being a spy with links to British
intelligence and terrorist groups something of course, she and his supporters and those who admire the group the White Helmets strenuously
deny.
Russia's influence reaches deep into the British establishment and successive governments in the U.K. have failed to act. That is the stark
warning issued in testimony to a parliamentary inquiry on Russian infiltration into British politics. Sources tell CNN, the cross party
Intelligence and Security Committee heard from multiple witnesses and they allege that Russia has built
A network of friendly British diplomats, lawyers, parliamentarians, and other big name influencers across the political spectrum.
Now, this has caused some controversy because the full parliamentary report has not been published. It's being held by the Boris Johnson government,
and that is causing some angry questions about the delay. The revolutions come at a sensitive time as Britain embarks on one of its most acrimonious
election campaigns and living memory. Here's CNN Nina dos Santos.
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NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN EUROPE EDITOR: Just weeks before Britain's head to the polls a bombshell delegation. Members of Parliament say Boris
Johnson's government is suppressing a report on Russian influence on U.K. politics. The contents of the report compiled by a cross party
Intelligence and Security Committee are bound by secrecy until Downing Street approves their release.
The intelligence services MI5 and Six made contributions. As did private citizens who are experts on the field. I've obtained some of their written
and oral statements here and the picture that they paint is a troubling one. They say that successive governments have turned a blind eye to
Moscow's targeting of political parties and research roles inside the House of Commons. And they claim that well-connected lobbyists, lawyers and
lawmakers have worked to help Russia infiltrate the British establishment.
One of the witnesses was the American born financier Bill Browder, who despite at one point, being Russia's biggest foreign investor felt foul of
the Kremlin 15 years ago. I spoke with him before the report was complete.
BILL BROWDER, CEO AND FOUNDER, HERMITAGE CAPITAL MANAGEMEN: The people who we've seen working to further Russian interests in the U.K., are some of
the people at the highest level of the establishment.
DOS SANTOS: Can you give me names?
BROWDER: I can give you lots of names but we started out with Lord Goldsmith.
DOS SANTOS: Peter Goldsmith was the U.K.'s Attorney General under Tony Blair. Browder claims that he was involved in a failed effort to help a
Russian avoid being on an E.U. sanctions list. Also mentioned in his testimony is a company cofounded by Lynton Crosby, a heavyweight in
Conservative Party circles. That business is alleged to have helped Goldsmith's work. Are you 100 percent confident of the evidence that you
have to support these claims?
BROWDER: I would not have submitted the claims If I didn't have confidence and the evidence backing it up.
DOS SANTOS: Goldsmith's law firm said it would not comment on client matters, but stress that everyone has the right to legal representation.
Crosby's company said that it was enlisted by Goldsmith and did not interact with Russian parties. And Crosby's lawyer said that he was not
personally aware of the research done by the entity he co-founded. Another witness to the inquiry accused the authorities of "Putting political
considerations ahead of national security." And testimony delivered in the wake of the poisoning of the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in
Salisbury, they say that Russia has managed to do what no terrorist organization has been able to thus far.
Deploying a chemical weapon on U.K. soil. And they claim that Russia presents "Potentially the most significant threat to the U.K.'s
institutions and its way of life." Analysts say it's high time that U.K. lawmakers tackled Kremlin interference.
ANDREW FOXALL, DIRECTOR, RUSSIA AND EURASIA STUDIES CENTRE AT THE HENRY JACKSON SOCIETY: I think during the Cold War, what Russia sought to do was
gather intelligence, what Russia has been doing since 1991 is trying to gather influenced and pushes long wanted to weaken the European Union
divide the transatlantic Alliance and unfortunately, Western public's and Western politicians are now doing those things for Putin.
DOS MANTOS: In Westminster, the raw over Russia was the subject to the contentious exchange during Parliament's last session before next month's
general election.
DOMINIC GRIEVE, CHAIRMAN, BRITISH INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY COMMITTEE: So for what purpose is the prime minister still considering it. It certainly
can't be the risk to national security, does the agencies themselves have said there is none?
[11:55:09]
CHRISTOPHER PINCHER, MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE: It is not as if, Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has had not one
or thing -- one or two other things to do during the last several weeks, notably obtaining a good deal for Britain withdrawing from the European
Union.
DOS SANTOS: Downing Street declined to comment and has repeatedly denied that the failure to publish the findings was politically motivated. CNN
has approached the Kremlin but not heard back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the order.
DOS SANTOS: With Parliament now dissolved, and the report kicked into the long grass. It may be many months before the committee's conclusions, see
the light of day. Nina dos Santos, CNN, London.
GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani, thanks for watching. I'll see you in a few hours on "HALA GORANI TONIGHT". We'll be looking a lot more into these
impeachment hearings that will be public for the first time starting on Wednesday. So tune in for that. Thanks for watching. And it'll be "THE
EXPRESS" after a quick break on CNN. Stay with us.
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