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Biden and Putin Set to Talk in Geneva Amid New Tensions Over Belarus, Human Rights, Hackings; CNN Talks with American Imprisoned in Russia; U.S. Blames Russian Group for Cyberattack on Global Meat Producer; Report: Russia to Create 20 New Military Units; NATO Allies Hold Largest Exercise of the Year; NATO Chief Slams Russia & Belarus "Working Closely Together;" Russia Court Jails Another Kremlin Critic, Pending Trial; Human Rights, Belarus Expected to be High on Agenda When Biden and Putin Hold Summit this Month in Geneva; Belarusian Man Who Stabbed Himself in Court Back in Detention; Deadline Approaches for Proposed New Coalition; Incoming Mossad Chief: Iran Working Towards Nuclear Weapon; U.S. Senator Doubles Down on Support for Israel. Aired 11a-12p ET.
Aired June 02, 2021 - 11:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: New tensions and a renewed focus on Russia this hour. A very good evening from Abu Dhabi . Just two weeks before President
Vladimir Putin meets with U.S. president Joe Biden, Mr. Biden plans to bring up human rights, an American being held in Russia hopes that is a
step towards his freedom. CNN's exclusive interview with him is just ahead.
Another point of tension, Belarus. The NATO secretary general says Russia and Belarus are working closely together. Their two presidents met over the
weekend. Days after Belarus diverted a passenger plane and arrested a dissident.
And Russia and the U.S. engaging on another front and not in a good way. Russian hackers being blamed for another big attack on the U.S., more on
that is coming up.
Let's start this hour with CNN's Matthew Chance. Joining us now from Moscow with more on his exclusive interview. Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, thanks so much. We're talking about Paul Whelan here. He's a former U.S. marine who has been in a Russian
jail on charges of conviction -- convicted of espionage a couple of years ago. He's been sentenced to 16 years in prison.
He's currently -- its extraordinary access from a producer in Washington who he called because he spoke to her from his labor camp in Mordovia,
which is very remote region where he says he works in a prison sweat shop making cloths clothes.
He's now looking to President Biden and his upcoming meeting -- summit with President Putin of Russia in a couple of weeks from now to negotiate his
release.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE (voice over): For more than two years, Paul Whelan has languished in Russian jails insisting he's an innocent pawn in a political game.
PAUL WHELAN, FORMER U.S. MARINE IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA: I want to tell the world I'm a victim of political kidnap and ransom. There's obviously no
credibility to the situation.
CHANCE: Now the former U.S. marine has spoken to CNN from his remote Russian penal colony ahead of a much anticipated summit between the U.S.
and Russian presidents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: And if you could get a message to President Biden ahead of this meeting, what would it be?
WHELAN: Decisive action is needed immediately. The abduction of an American citizen cannot stand anywhere in the world. This is not an issue
of Russia against me; it's an issue of Russia against the United States. And the United States needs to answer this hostage diplomacy situation and
resolve it as quickly as possible.
So I would ask President Biden to aggressively discuss and resolve this issue with his Russian counterparts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: It was at this upscale hotel in Moscow in December 2018 where Whelan was detained by the Russian security services, the old KGB and
accused of receiving a flash drive containing classified information.
In a closed trial, he was sentenced to 16 years after being convicted of espionage. A trumped up charge, he says, intended to make him a valuable
bargaining chip for the Kremlin. Something Russian officials deny.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
WHELAN: It's pretty simple, there was no crime and there was no evidence. The secret trial was a sham. As I said, you know, the judge, when I was
sentenced, said I was being sent home. This was done purely for political motive. And it's really up to the government to sort out either an exchange
or some sort of resolution. My hope is it will be quick. It's been more than two years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHELAN: I have not had a shower in two weeks. I can't use a barber. I have to cut my own hair.
CHANCE: Ever since his arrest, there have been serious welfare concerns. The state of Russian prisons is poor. Now, Whelan tells CNN he spends his
days sewing clothes in a prison factory but that health issues, especially during the COVID pandemic are a worry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: So tell me, how -- how are you doing? How are you feeling?
WHELAN: I'm doing okay. I've got some sort of illness right now. I call it a kennel cough. It kind of comes and goes. In the barracks people have it,
get better and then have it again. And getting medical care here is very difficult.
UNKNOWN: Are there concerns about COVID still where you are? I imagine the vaccine hasn't reached you.
WHELAN: We have serious concerns about that. I just had one shot and I should have a second shot, I think, two weeks.
[11:05:00]
UNKNOWN: OK.
WHELAN: So that's -- that's a step in the right direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: A step in the right direction perhaps. But for Paul, it may still be a long road home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE (on camera): Well, Becky, the Russians have made no secret of the fact that there are prisons in U.S. jails that they also want released. One
of them has been convicted of conspiracy to smuggled in the United States. The other one is the most notorious arms traffickers.
And so those are the individuals in U.S. jails that potentially the Russians are prepared to swap for Paul Whelan and another American Trevor
Reed who's also being held here in a -- in a Russian prison. Becky.
ANDERSON: Matthew Chance is in Moscow for you. Thank you, Matt.
The plight of political prisons will generate some tough questions then for Vladimir Putin at was is this Swiss Summit a couple of weeks from now. Not
to mention suspected cyber attacks. The Biden administration pointing a finger at a criminal organization based in Russia after a ransomware attack
on one of the biggest meat packing companies.
JBS, the company involved, says its systems are now coming back online. Russian state media reporting Moscow and Washington are in contact over the
attack, coming just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline.
So a major part of the U.S. food chain targeted by ransomware. I'm connecting you now to Washington and CNN's Alex Marquardt. What do we know
about, at this point, about any high level Russian involvement here?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that there's high level Russian discussions happening between the U.S. and Russia.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow that's happening between the embassy here in Washington and the State Department.
But no link has been made to Russian government hackers, if you will. But the Biden administration is making it clear that even if this is criminals
who are carrying out these ransomware attacks on Colonial Pipeline, on JBS; that they are operating from Russia and that therefore, the Russian
government can crack down.
In fact, the White House said that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals. So this is something that Washington is very much
taking up with Moscow. It was somewhat dismissed by Vladimir Putin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, earlier today. But this is a significant attack,
Becky.
This is one of the world's biggest food production companies. It took out - - it took offline all of the meat packing facilities here in the u states. Shut down operations at all of their beef production facilities across the
country. It also affected operations in Australia.
JBS has said they are very quickly getting operations back up online. That the vast majority of their meat production plants will be operational
today. They've also said that no data was compromised in this attack that is being blamed on Russian ransomware hackers.
Let's just remind our audience what this means is hackers go into systems. They take control of them and then simply demand money. We don't know what
demand was made of JBS. And we do not know whether JBS paid a ransom. That is a question that we are putting to both the White House and to JBS.
Becky.
ANDERSON: So this, of course, just two weeks ahead of a summit in Geneva between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin. Alex, how does Washington navigate
this list which is as long as your arm of concerns, which all lead to Russia at this point?
MARQUARDT: Yes, it's just now how -- it's not just how the country is navigated; its how the company has navigated. So far what we've seen is
companies have been willing to pay these ransoms. That's why it's such a lucrative market for these criminals, why it's so attractive.
I was speaking with a cybersecurity expert who says that cyber criminals have given up other kind of crimes and come over to do ransomware because
it's simply so easy. And what we saw after the Colonial Pipeline attack was that the Department of Homeland Security put in place a security directive
to make sure that they are -- there is more communication and more cybersecurity for these types of critical infrastructure companies.
So the question is where this will then be applied to other parts of the critical infrastructure like food process, which is what we're talking
about today. But there's no doubt, Becky, that all of this is going to be part of the more broad cyber conversation that takes place between
presidents Putin and Biden in Geneva in two weeks time.
We just saw last week another series of attacks that was blamed not on criminals but on actual government hackers in Russia's intelligence
service, SVR. They used a portal that is used by the U.S. Aid agency in order to send out thousands or target thousands of accounts; 300
organizations, according to the department of homeland security.
[11:10:00:]
And that came after Russia was already sanctioned and punished for the SolarWinds breaches last year.
So it shows that Russia has no -- is not planning on slowing down these attacks any time soon, Becky.
ANDERSON: Alex, thank you. Worrying signs. Russia meantime showing its displeasure with the U.S. and its NATO meantime allies. Russian media
reports the Defense Ministry will establish 20 new military units, all in response to increase U.S. NATO activities near Russia's western border.
The new units will reportedly have 2,000 additional weapon systems. All of which will be in place by the end of the year. Let's take a look at one
those NATO activities that has Russia rattled at present. NATO forces this week held one of their largest exercises of the year, showing their
strength by flying over all of NATO's member states.
My colleague Nic Robertson brought access to U.S. forces as they took part in that mission. And he filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNKNOWN: (INAUDIBLE) at flight level 370 (ph).
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): 27,000 feet over Scotland.
UNKNOWN: Ed (ph), are you clear to contact already, sir?
UNKNWON: NATO (ph).
ROBERTSON: Flying at 275 naughts with British fighter jets for company.
UNKNOWN: Contact (ph).
UNKNOWN: Contact (ph). And looks like we're taking gas (ph).
ROBERTSON: A U.S. Air Force B-52 long range Stratofortress bomber refueling on a flight from Spain before returning to a NATO mission.
Operation Allied Sky, taking aircraft within sight of Russia.
ROBERTSON (on camera): It's part of large scale NATO mission involving more than 20 NATO members flying over NATO states and in part it's a
message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
ROBERTSON (voiceover): Two weeks ahead of President Biden's summit with Vladimir Putin, it's a timely statement of the steel backing Biden's
diploma diplomacy and puts NATO wings in the skies close to where a Belarus fighter jet forced a passenger plane to land, arresting a Belarusian
dissident and his Russian girlfriend, raising tensions.
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I'll be meeting with President Putin in a couple of weeks in Geneva, making it clear that we will not, we will not
stand by and let him abuse those rights.
ROBERTSON: The U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker took off from Southern England, half an hour ahead of the refuel. Both tanker and bomber, Cold War
era aircraft, older than their air crew.
But with east/west tensions climbing, just as relevant as when they were built.
CAPTAIN TODD BERGLUND, U.S. AIR FORCE: It's interesting. I mean all the generations of pilots that have been able the fly it. You know it's
updating every once in a while but she's reliable and if it's working. So no real need to change a whole lot.
ROBERTSON: The mission, according to NATO commanders intended to demonstrate what they call credibility of common defense and enhanced
readiness. For Captain Todd Berglund, a six year tanker veteran and his crew, this day like all others, in the stratotanker, nothing left to
chance.
BERGLUND: We have to be at a certain place on time with the right amount of gas all the time. So a little bit of pressure but, you know, we do it so
often, it just -- it kind of becomes a habit pattern and this is our profession so it's just what we do.
ROBERTSON: How much big NATO missions like this, Phase Putin is hard to measure. In a few weeks in Geneva, when they meet, Biden will be able to
judge. Nic Robertson, CNN, somewhere over the U.K.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the bad romance between Moscow and Minsk has put the NATO chiefs back up. Here is what he had to say after a meeting with British
Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENS STOLTENBERG, SECRETARY GENERAL OF NATO: It has to be clear that when the regime like the regimes (ph) misbehaves in the way they did, violating
basic international norms and rules, we will impose costs on them. And I also insure that the NATO leaders, when they will meet, this will be an
issue that we'll discuss.
At part -- as part of the response to the unacceptable behavior of Belarus, but also as part of their response to a more assertive Russia, because this
is part of the behavior. We also see Russia and Belarus are working closely here together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Busy times. That's the NATO chief standing next to the U.K. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
Meantime, Moscow jailing yet another Kremlin critic. Andrei Pivovarov was the director of Open Russia, which was dissolved last week. Well, now he
is facing -- in prison facing trial.
[11:15:00]
It is increasingly clear anyone who speaks out in Russia and Belarus, of course, are in for a very tough time.
We've learned of a new incident involving yet another detained critic this time of a Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, the family of Steffan
Latypov says he's been moved from a hospital back to detention after stabbing himself in the neck in a Minsk's courtroom on Tuesday.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen connecting us to the details. And I do want to warn you some of the images in Fred's report are disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, some very troubling scenes in that courtroom in Minsk as the activist Steffan Latypov
stabbed himself in the neck while he was on trial. And all of this happened after Latypov's father actually gave witness testimony and it was then that
Latypov himself started speaking and he said that he had been pressured by the authorities.
That they had threatened to go after him but to also go after his neighbors and his family as well. It was then that he stabbed himself in the neck.
And one of things about those trials in Belarus is very often, the defendant is in some sort of cage and in this case he then collapsed inside
that cage and workers in the courtroom went inside and got him out.
He was then carried on a gurney outside and a human rights group said that he was actually in surgery on Tuesday but that luckily his wounds were not
life threatening. Now all of this causing big uproar among the Belarusian opposition.
The opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, she called all this state terror and the opposition has been calling for tougher action against the
Belarusian regime, against Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus.
Of course all of this also coming after the government of Belarus forced that Ryanair jet to land to then get the journalist and activist, Roman
Protasevich off that plane and arrest him and his Russian companion as well.
The Belarusian opposition is saying that they demand tougher action against the government in Minsk, especially of the Biden administration and
certainly that's also something that a lot of opposition activists are going to be looking at when President Biden meets with Vladimir Putin. Fred
Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
ANDERSON: Well, the clock is ticking for the group of parties hoping to govern Israel. Coming up we'll update you on their efforts. And look at
what Benjamin Netanyahu could do to keep his job.
Also a Canadian socialite has been charged in the shooting death of a police officer in Belize. Why the officer's family says police are not
providing enough details. That is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Less than six hours from now, in fact five hours and 40 odd minutes we could find out on whether a new coalition is in line to lead
Israel. These two men; Centrist Yair Lapid on the left of your screen and right wing MP Naftali Bennett have until midnight to stitch together a
coalition of well I wildly divergent party.
[11:20:08]
If they can do it, and that is a big if, and the Knesset approves, their coalition would end 12 years in power for Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, ushering in a new era in Israeli politics.
We're joined now by Axios contributor, Barak Ravid who is in Tel Aviv. I just want to start by getting your thoughts on this potential coalition
government, Barak. What would it mean for Israel and indeed what would it mean for Palestinians?
BARAK RAVID, CONTRIBUTOR, AXIOS: Hi, Becky. Well, first for Israel is you have to take into consideration the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu was the
prime minister of Israel for the last 12 years.
Basically people who are now 30 years old never voted in an election where he did not win or that he didn't end up as the prime minister. So I think
that for the country itself itself, if Netanyahu steps down and there is a new government, I think that basically it will be pretty dramatic for
Israeli politics as a whole.
And, you know, for Palestinians or for the peace process, again, not that I see any peace process on the horizon, especially not with the next
government that will be basically paralyzed on big controversial issues but still Netanyahu was the, let's say, the arch rival of the Palestinian
national movement.
And I guess for many Palestinians if he leaves office, it will be a big day.
ANDERSON: That's fascinating. I want to get to something else that you've tweeted today. I quote, "Incoming Mossad Director David Barnea, we need to
say loud and clear Iran is working as we speak to implement its nuclear vision under an international shield with a nuclear deal or without it with
lies and deception. Iran is making progress towards a nuclear weapon."
Could it been Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said that. Those are -- this -- these words echoing the prime minister. He says he will continue to
oppose a nuclear deal with Iran even after the cost of friction with the U.S. I just wonder where you believe Washington is in all of this. What's
its calculus given Israel's position?
RAVID: Well, I think, first, Becky, as far as I understand, we are now today the fifth round of talks in Vienna. The indirect talks between the
U.S. and Iran will end.
At the moment, right now, there's not much progress. So it's not like there's a return to the JCPOA to the 2015 nuclear deal tomorrow. I'm not
even sure that it will happen before the Iranian elections in -- on June 18th.
And after the elections, who knows what's going to happen. And I think in any case the Biden administration unlike the Obama administration that went
into a fight with Netanyahu over the Iran issue, the Biden administration basically tells Netanyahu we'll hear you out.
We'll try to do whatever we can to take your thoughts into consideration but we're not going to fight you over this. We're not going to let you drag
us into a mud fight in the U.S. and U.S. politics.
Until now, I think that Netanyahu will try it again and again and again to drag Biden into a fight. It didn't happen yet.
ANDERSON: There will be much discussion over the aid -- Israeli aid in Congress. We've just seen the escalation of violence once again between
Israel and Hamas and we saw, you know, a separate front on the ground, of course, in Israel across Israel and the West Bank.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News that Israel intends to ask the U.S. for $1 billion in additional emergency aid and you have confirmed
that with your Israeli sources.
RAVID: Yes.
ANDERSON: And this, of course, after the Biden administration already approve some $735 million in arms sale. Let's just have a listen to what
Graham said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAMHAN, (R-SC) U.S.: This is what I'm going to do when it comes to Israel. As Hamas tries to destroy Israel, as Iran threatens the
existence of the Jewish state, I'm going to keep coming back here and saying more for Israel. Every time somebody tries to destroy Israel, I'm --
our response is going to be more aid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: Israel says the aid's needed to replenish the iron dome defense system and purchase additional munitions. You work your sources very well
in Washington. Is this going to go through?
RAVID: I think so. At least -- I don't -- I haven't heard from anybody in the Biden administration any reservations about arm sales to Israel, not
during the Gaza operation, not before the Gaza operation and not after the Gaza operation.
Obviously there are members of Congress and senators like Bernie Sanders and several others that do oppose or at least raise questions about arms
sales with Israel, but at least when it comes to the Biden administration, everyone I talk to tell me the same thing. There is no changing our policy.
We're not going to review any arms sales to Israel.
ANDERSON: There has certainly been a change in atmosphere, hasn't there though from some of the progressives on the -- in the Democratic Party and
that must be worrying Israel.
RAVID: (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON: Some other scoops from your reporting, these are important. It's good to have you to discuss some of these.
Seventeen Democratic senators have written to the Secretary of State Tony Blinken, urging him to press Israel to allow materials needed for
reconstruction and humanitarian aid into Gaza Strip. And I want to read a bit of that later. In order for this cease-fire to be durable and avoid a
renewal of the cycle of violence; it is critical, they say we improve the dire conditions in Gaza that only contribute to despair and further fuel
extremism.
We strongly urge you, they say, to step up the United States' diplomatic engagement to lead the international community and meet this moment.
RAVID: Yes, I think --
ANDERSON: The real meeting this moment, Barak, would be to lift the Gaza blockade, wouldn't it? Is that going to happen?
RAVID: Yes. No. The short answer is no, it's not. I don't see, at least in the short term, I don't see any big policy shift from Israel on Gaza, at
least until we have a stable government here. And as you know, this can take some time.
The current government is caretaker government. I can't really take any strategic decisions unfortunately. But I think there are two interesting
phenomenons in the U.S. right now in Congress.
First phenomenon, which is really fascinating, is that during the years usually Congress was the good cop when it comes to Israel. OK, it always
wanted to give Israel more aid or Israel leaders would go to congress when they had to fight with the White House and wanted Congress to weigh in.
The White House was the bad cop, which was -- which criticized Israel, et cetera, et cetera. And in the current crisis in Gaza, we saw a shift. When
the White House was the good cop, giving Israel backing and supporting its right for self-defense and in Congress, especially among Democrats, we saw
a lot of criticism. Much more from the administration.
This is the first phenomenon. And I think its matter of concern for many in the Israeli government. Second phenomena is that you see how the
Israeli/Palestinian issue became a totally partisan issue.
No Republican senator agreed to sign the letter you just read from, OK. And Republicans -- three Republican senators were just here several days
ago. They didn't even visit the Palestinian authority. They didn't visit Ramallah; they didn't meet with one Palestinian. They only met with
Israelis.
So you see how the Republican Party is totally on the Israeli side and the Democratic Party is shifting more and more towards -- say more balanced
approach or -- even tilting a bit towards the Palestinians and this is a very interesting phenomenon.
ANDERSON: Barak, very briefly then, I wonder how do you think Congress and the White House would deal with a new Israeli prime minister in Naftali
Bennett?
RAVID: Yes, first it's a bit if if Naftali Bennett will be the prime minister. We don't know yet if -- if it will happen, OK. I give it right
now let's say 30 percent chance that Naftali Bennett will be the prime minister.
But if that happens, the main change will be that the Israeli prime minister will not be a person who is involved in U.S. politics for 40
years. OK, that's -- that was Benjamin Netanyahu. For 40 years he was part of impartial (ph) of the U.S. domestic political debate. And if he's
not the prime minister, it's a whole different ball game.
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: Fascinating. It's always good to have you sir.
RAVID: Thank you, Becky.
ANDERSON: Big fans of your reporting. Thank you.
RAVID: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Ahead on the show, the Canadian socialite implicated in the shooting death of a police officer in Belize. The mystery now involving
the partner of Andrew Ashcroft who is the son of British billionaire, Lord Michael Ashcroft.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IVAN DUQUE, COLUMBIAN PRESIDENT: We have to attend the people that have been badly affected economically and socially by the pandemic. And we are
engaging into dialogues with young people throughout country. And we want to build a national pact so that we can attend their employment needs,
their education needs and also to promote the leadership to have political participation and representation.
And the legacy is also connected with the idea of getting Colombia back to work, back with vaccination so that we can recover from this bad event. My
legacy is to be able to close social gaps for the most people in need.
And we have to build a national consensus. And that's why I'm not only calling for the young leaders but also from local authorities, national
authorities so that we can build a pact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We are following developments on a tragedy in Belize in which a police superintendent and father of five was shot dead. Now police have
reported charged Canadian socialite, Jasmine Hartin, who is the long time partner of Andrew Ashcroft in the death.
Andrew is the son of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft. Well, let's connect you now with CNN's Paula Newton in Ottawa in Canada. What do we
know at this point?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, that's the trouble. Henry Jemmott's family told me look, we don't know a lot and -- and there is a
Canadian socialite, as you point out, at the center of all of this and they want answers from her. They say she is the last person to see their
brother, their father alive.
And right now, Becky, this family bluntly says they are not buying what she's said so far about his death.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON (voiceover): Police superintendent, Henry Jemmott, was a father of five and a law enforcement veteran. His friends and family say they are
stunned by his sudden death and equally shocked that a police officer could die this way.
Jemmott's sister, Marie Tzul, holds on tight to family members during an interview with CNN from Belize. She tells me none of the circumstances make
any sense to her.
MARIE TZUL, SISTER OF SLAIN OFFICER: My family right now is really hurt. We are missing our brother. His children is missing him. We're devastated -
- really devastated by this.
NEWTON: Police in the Central American country confirmed Jemmott did not die in the line of duty but instead in what they describe as an incident.
The details disclosed that Jemmott and a woman were drinking alone on the pier and both were fully clothed.
Details beyond that are scant.
Police in Belize say they have charged Canadian socialite Jasmine Hartin, seen here being transported while in custody. Hartin's lawyers says his
client is cooperating.
UNKNOWN: The charge is manslaughter by negligence. It is -- bail has been denied. We appeal to the Supreme Court as is normal.
[11:35:00]
NEWTON: What is not normal, says Jemmott's family, are the details as outlined by police.
UNKNOWN: Police found the female on the pier. She had what appeared to be blood on her arms and on her clothing. And inside the waters right near the
pier, police recovered the lifeless body of Mr. Jamal with one apparent gunshot wound behind the right ear.
NEWTON: Police say Hartin, covered in blood, was in an emotional state when they first arrived but will not disclose what she told them, if
anything. Jemmott's family says they want to know more from Hartin, the long time partner of Andrew Ashcroft, the son of British billionaire Lord
Michael Ashcroft.
Hartin and the Ashcrofts have been fixtures in Belize for years. Jemmott's family says their brother knew Hartin and the Ashcrofts. The details of how
he died though, they say, do not point to an accidental death.
UNKNOWN: What we don't know why they did not charge her for murder. They should have take that to court. Murder. Let they play out in the court and
the court will decide.
NEWTON: Police say they continue to investigate underscoring he was also their beloved friend and colleague and Jemmott's family says they want
answers on the devastating loss of a father, brother and devoted police veteran who police indicate may have been kill by a bullet from his service
weapon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON (on camera): You know Becky, I don't have to remind you what a prominent family the Ashcroft's are in the U.K. not just for their wealth
but obviously for their connection to politics, pacifically the conservative party.
At the heart of this is this Canadian socialite. It's not clear. They keep saying that she's a partner and that she does share children with Andrew
Ashcroft. There a lot of questions right now. And at the heart of this and no matter how much of a tabloid story this may be in the U.K., it's a
tragedy of this man and the father of five who is now dead with very little explanation.
And the family told me, Becky, look, he's a police veteran of more than 20 years. He was very safe with his gun and they refuse to believe that this
could have been an accident.
ANDERSON: Thank you. We'll talk about (INAUDIBLE) moment. The U.S. military is apologizing for a mistake made by some of its most elite
fighters after it raided a factory in Bulgaria that makes machines for processing olive oil.
You can see it on this surveillance video with the incident. The highly trained soldiers on a training exercise earlier this month at a Bulgarian
airfield where they thought they were supposed to seize the building.
As part of it, the U.S. military says no shots were fired. The Bulgarian president is more than a little furious because civilians were involved and
demanding an investigation.
Well, just a few hours now until a major deadline on a new Israeli government. My next guest is an Israeli lawmaker seen here in a
demonstration against Jewish settlements. And you may be surprised at his view of a possible unity government.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:40:00]
ANDERSON: What we learned in four recent elections, reaching a consensus in Israeli politics is no easy task. Since Sunday, there's been a lot of
speculation about the most serious challenge in years to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rule.
Yair Lapid has until midnight, Israeli time, to form a government in a coalition that covers a wide ranging political spectrum and it could mark
the end of Mr. Netanyahu's term as Israel's longest serving prime minister.
But not so fast. Let's bring in my next guest. Ofer Cassif is a member of the Knesset with the joint list. That's a number of Arab and Israeli
parties and plans to vote against that unity coalition. He joins us via Skype (INAUDIBLE) in Israel. Excuse me.
You've said you would vote against any unity government between Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. Explain your reasoning if you will.
OFER CASSIF, ISRAELI PARLIAMENT MEMBER, JOINT LIST: Yes, of course. Good evening. First of all, we said throughout the way -- through the years,
actually, that we want the get rid of Netanyahu as a prime minister, that's true. That's for sure. We know that this guys is dangerous and for Israel
and for the region.
But we want to get rid not only of the person but of his way. Unfortunately, the upcoming government, so it seems is going to follow more
or less the same path of Netanyahu's. And then nothing proves it more than the current who is going be the first prime minister in this rotation
government, which is Mr. Naftali Bennett.
Naftali Bennett is a -- belongs to the extreme right messianic part of the Israeli politics. And we cannot support such a government that is -- that
headed by him. And again, this is not a personal issue, this is a political issue. We cannot but reject and vote against a government that
apparently is going to follow basic lines of a far right that we cannot endorse what so ever.
ANDERSON: This coalition doesn't need to Joint List. Let's be quite clear about that. It might were a number of MPs prepared to break rank, as it
were; because it needs of course 61 Knesset members were the president to accept this as an opportunity.
It would include (INAUDIBLE) Ra'am List. That is an all Arab list. How do - - how do -- does the joint list differ from that other list at this point? And are you surprised by their inclusion?
CASSIF: Thank you. First of all, it's too early to know if they are going to be included because it seems at the moment -- at the moment it seems
that there are other demands, which are very quite minimalistic, I should say, are not accepted by their future companions. So I wouldn't be
surprised if at the end nothing it's going to happen out of those negotiations.
But we're different from a Ra'am in many respects. First of all, Ra'am, as you said before is an all Arab party or -- and we are -- although we
consist of three different parties very different ideologically (ph) speaking. But we are -- we are three parties in which at least two of a
Jewish-Arab party.
My own party, Hadash, is a long standing Arab-Jewish movement. I'm very proud to be in this -- in a such a movement. The only consistent Arab-
Jewish movement in Israel. So this is one difference.
Another difference, which is even more important is the political difference as far as ideology and the political views are concerned. We are
progressive. We support not only in regard to Palestinian-Arab minority within Israel but in regard to the whole population.
We support progressive lines as far as the economy is concerned, social questions are concerned. We support the democratization of Israel in the
sense that Israel should be a state that belongs to its citizens as a whole. This is not exactly the same in regard the Ra'am.
[11:45:00]
So the political and ideological differences are quite great and one of the consequences of those differences is that we cannot as I said before you
said it correctly even before me we cannot support such a government because this government is like this.
Ra'am is less problems if ever to support such a government. If hypothetically of course, e would have a joint negotiations; we would of
course demand a political changes and ideological changes, which Ra'am doesn't require.
So there are many differences to sum up what I said in one sentence. The major difference is the ideological and political difference between us as
a leftist movement and Iran which is an Arab right movement, this is one thing. And accordingly there are differences in regard to the upcoming
government.
So this sums up more or less the differences between us. As you can imagine it's much more complicated but it would be beyond this span (ph) to talk
about those I believe.
ANDERSON: Listen, Israeli politics are complicated. You did a good job in describing that and --
CASSIF: I surely hope so.
ANDERSON: ---as quickly as you did. Yes. Gideon Levy has -- Gideon Levy has described you as Knesset leftist of a new strip. You have heavily
criticized Israel's actions against Palestinians and Gaza, the West Bank and indeed Israel proper.
And you have said that you are shocked when so many countries in the world refer to Israel as a democracy. Within that frame work, how do you view
your political project and that of the Joint List's.?
CASSIF: I would say that our project -- if I tried to find a resemblance, you know, from America history, because that will make it easier on the
viewers to understand. I would say we follow, for instance, the history -- the great history of the -- in the United States of those for instance who
oppose slavery. Those who oppose the Jim Crow laws. Those who oppose the Deep South KKK rule and those who supported democratization, racial
equality, et cetera.
This is us. Unfortunately, Israel and especially under Netanyahu, resemblance more and more exactly those who just appealed as those who we
would have opposed where we there. Because just to give you one example, which is the most simple -- the simple one, although there are others,
Israel cannot be regarded as a real democracy as long as no less than 50 percent of the population between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean
live under the Israeli rule with no citizenship and basic rights.
And of course of I mean the Palestinian people who live under the Israeli occupation. People must understand between the Jordan River and the
Mediterranean there are about together something like, I believe, a 16 or 14 million people.
More or less half of them are Palestinians. Mostly in the occupied territories from 1967. That means East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaze
Strip. They have no citizenship. They have not basic rights. And under Israeli rule would that be regarded in America today as a democracy? I
guess not.
And this is only the tip of the iceberg because even their attitude towards the Palestinian (INAUDIBLE) and minority within Israel who are formally
citizens, even the attitude of the governments -- the different government but especially of Netanyahu's towards them is an attitude of a -- of a
Jewish supremacist.
So that cannot be regarded as democracy a last the (INAUDIBLE) community headed by the United States administration don't refer to this issue an
important one. And I hope very much so that in the near future that's going to change on behalf of the Palestinian people and the people of
Israel as well.
We care a lot about justice. And of course justice includes the people of Israel as the Palestinian people in the occupied territory. This is our
interest, not solely the Palestinian interest but the Israeli interest too. Put the pressure on the Israel government to end the occupation and -- and
bring democracy to our state.
ANDERSON: You participated in an East Jerusalem protest against the Sheikh Jarrah expulsions of Palestinians a few weeks back. And you were met with
violent aggression where the Israeli police brutally beat you and punched you. And we have video of that. We are showing it now.
[11:50:00]
In just over five hours time, there is the possibility of a new so-called change coalition. If that is accepted passed and voted for, Naftali
Bennett would be the prime minister of Israel going forward. What could your message be to the international community about Palestinian rights?
The root causes of the recent escalation. What would your message be about how they would deal with Naftali Bennett as prime minister?
CASSIF: Naftali Bennett, as i said before, he belongs to the extreme right. Is even to the right in comparison to Netanyahu. In that sense this
is the reason, as I mentioned before, that we the Joint List are going to vote against such a government.
But as far as the international community is concerned, whoever the prime minister is, whatever government it is that exists, I would appeal to the
international community and say very clearly we need your support for democracy and justice and that means Palestinian state alongside the state
of Israel in the all occupied territories from 1967 and democratization of Israel.
This is the interest of the region. This is the interest of the Palestinian people and this is the interest of the people in Israel. This is something
I would like very much to emphasize. This is also the interest of Israel and Israeli society. This is not anti-Israeli. This is poor Israel. To be
in behalf -- on behalf of both peoples here, the Jewish people who live here and the Palestinian people.
The common interest is the two state solution in which the Palestinian people will be liberated from the border occupation and Israel and the
Israeli society as a whole will be liberated from the occupation.
ANDERSON: OK.
CASSIF: No comparison. Of course the Palestinian people, they are the victims of the occupation but we pay the price metaphorically and as
literally. And in that regard, I appeal to the international community and to President Biden, if he listen. Do your best to end the occupation. This
is our interest. Not the settlements and not the extreme right. Our interest is peace and justice.
ANDERSON: With that, we're going to leave it there. We thank you very much indeed. We'll be right back.
CASSIF: Thank you so much.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Brazil's deep love for football is well known, isn't it? But how much football can it handle right now? Well, president the Brazilian
president, Jair Bolsonaro has announced that four states will host this year's Copa America. Now that has sparked debate over the country's
readiness for the football tournament.
It was a quick turn of events days ago. Just days ago, organizers announce it was being moved from Argentina. All this is happening as COVID rages in
Brazil, of course. And if you're a regular viewer of this show, we regularly report on the situation there. CNN Brazil reporter, Anthony
Wells, in in Sao Paul, which declined to host matches.
And we know the situation to be particularly bad. Anthony, how can this be a rational decision? This tournament was moved from Argentina because of
the COVID crisis because they couldn't cope to Brazil, which we continue to report on as a real COVID disaster.
[11:55:00]
ANTHONY WELLS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, how are you? Good to be speaking with you. Yes, last night local time, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro
came forward and confirmed that this year's addition of the Copa America will be held on Brazilian soil.
A few hours later, Brazil's chief of staff announced that the tournament would be held in four cities. Goiania, that capital of the state of Goias;
Brasilia, which is the capital of Brazil; as well as Rio and Cuiaba, which is the capital of the state of Mato Grosso.
To answer your question, Brazil does have a lot of experience hosting massive international soccer tournaments like the 2014 FIFA World Cup as
well as the 2019 edition of the Copa America that Brazil won.
But a lot of questions come forward on whether the nation, right within a middle of the pandemic with over 460,000 COVID-19 deaths that can put
together a tournament of this scale in just around 11 days or so. So the tournament is set to begin on June 13th. And the final will most likely be
played on July 10th at the iconic Maracana Stadium in Rio. Back to you.
ANDERSON: Thank you. I've got some amazing video to show you from California. A black bear protecting her cubs versus a teenager protecting
her dogs. Who do you think won? Take a look at this.
This now viral video you can see the moment, you can see the moment, a mother bear with her cubs encounters a group of barking dogs as the bear
cub scramble for safety, the mother swats at one of the pups before grabbing mom.
But17-year-old was Hailey Morinico was having none of it. She raced over pushing the bear off the wall and barreling away with her dog. She spoke to
CNN a little bit earlier and answered the burning question, just what was she thinking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAILEY MORINICO, CALIFORNIA TEEN WHO FOUGHT BEAR: Honestly, there was nothing really going through my mind except that I had to protect my dogs.
The bear he was picking up this dog, Valentina (ph) and she was literally off of the ground and I had to do what I had to do.
So I knelt down and had about I would say two seconds to think and the first thing that popped into my head was to push the bear off the ledge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well you got to do what you got to do. A lucky escape for the teenage since wildlife officials will always tell you never ever approach
female bears with cubs. That's advice that I will gladly follow and I hope you will too. Take care where ever you are watching the stay safe and stay
well. It's a very good evening from Abu Dhabi.
END
