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Isa Soares Tonight
Top Biden Officials Hold Crisis Talks in the Middle East As the U.S. Defends Israel's Actions in Syria And Raises Hopes of Nearing a Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Deal; Families in Syria Desperately Search for Loved Ones Imprisoned By the Assad Regime; Time Magazine Names Trump Person of the Year. Fall of Assad Regime, a Major Blow to Russia; Trump Opposing in Using U.S.-Made Weapons to Strike Inside Russia; Mysterious Drone Sightings Across New Jersey. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired December 12, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
JESSICA DEAN, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Jessica Dean in for my colleague Isa Soares. And tonight, top
Biden officials hold crisis talks in the Middle East as the U.S. defends Israel's actions in Syria and raises hopes of nearing a Gaza ceasefire and
hostage deal.
Then a stunning moment inside a secret Syrian prison as families search desperately for their loved ones. CNN makes an extraordinary discovery. And
Donald Trump named "Time Magazine's" person of the year. The President- elect making a guest appearance at the New York Stock Exchange.
Right now, Syria is entering a new political chapter after the rebel uprising that swept away a dictator. And top U.S. officials are in the
region to discuss the Syrian transition as well as other regional issues. U.S. National Security adviser Jake Sullivan meeting with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
Earlier, he defended Israel's moves in Syria, including its airstrikes on military targets and moving ground troops beyond the demilitarized buffer
zone. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is now in Turkey, earlier held talks in Jordan where he spoke about the importance of a unified
effort in Syria, and a, quote, "inclusive transition".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: The Israelis have been clear about what they're doing and why they're doing it. I think across the
board, when it comes to any actors who have real interests in Syria, it's also really important at this time that we all try to make sure that we're
not sparking any additional conflicts.
JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, UNITED STATES: What Israel saw was an immediate threat. The collapse of a structure that had been in place
for a long time, and the potential for that vacuum to be filled by a direct, proximate threat right across its border. So, it moved in to fill
that threat. That from the United States' perspective is logical and consistent with Israel's right to self-defense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Meanwhile, a Turkish-backed rebel coalition in northern Syria known as the Free Syrian Army has just begun a four-day ceasefire around the city
of Manbij, which is located northeast of Aleppo. After the fall of Assad's regime, families across Syria began their search for missing loved ones who
had disappeared under the brutal dictatorship.
CNN's Clarissa Ward and her team are giving us an exclusive look inside a secret prison in Syria, where they made a startling discovery behind a
locked cell door.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Deep in the belly of the regime's Air Force Intelligence headquarters.
(on camera): These are English letters --
(voice-over): We are hoping to find traces of Austin Tice; an American journalist held captive in Syria since 2012. It's one of many secret
prisons across the city. This specific branch was tasked with surveillance, arrest and killing of all regime critics.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are all cleaned out.
WARD: We don't find any hints of ties, but come across something extraordinary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't tell, though, it might just be a blanket, but it's the only cell that's locked.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is he going to shoot it?
WARD: The guard makes us turn the camera off while he shoots the lock off the cell door --
(GUNFIRE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dress up.
WARD: We go in to get a closer look. It's still not clear if there is something under the blanket.
(on camera): It moved. Is there someone there? Is that a sad move? Is someone there? Or is it just black (INAUDIBLE) --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Touch it if it's someone? Hello!
WARD: OK, let's just ask (INAUDIBLE) --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's opening --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, it's OK, it's OK, it's OK --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK, it's OK --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Journalist --
WARD: "I'm a civilian", he says, "I'm a civilian."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK, it's OK --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK, it's OK --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: He tells the fighter he is from the city of Homs and has been in the cell for three months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK --
WARD: OK, you're OK --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: You're OK --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK?
WARD: You're OK, you're OK --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: You're OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD (voice-over): He clutches my arm tightly with both hands.
(on camera): OK --
[14:05:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: OK, does anyone have any water?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: Water? (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) -- OK, it's water, it's water. OK, you're OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: OK, you're OK.
(voice-over): We start to walk him outside, "thank God you are safe, don't be afraid", the fighter says. "You are free".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: "This is the third prison they brought me to", he says. "The third prison". After three months in a windowless cell, he can finally see the
sky.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: "Thank God, the light", he says. "Oh, God, there's light. Thank God there's light."
(on camera): OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: OK. Sit. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: Stay with me, stay with me --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD (voice-over): Repeats again and again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: "For three months, I didn't know anything about my family", he says. "I didn't hear anything about my children". The fighter hands him something
to eat. He barely lift it to his mouth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK --
WARD: His body can't handle it.
(on camera): OK, you're OK.
(voice-over): His captors fled during the fall of Damascus, leaving him with no food or water. That was at least four days ago. "I'm shaking. My
face is shaking", he says. The rebel tells him there's no more army, no more prisons, no more checkpoints. "Are you serious?" He says. (SPEAKING IN
FOREIGN LANGUAGE) Syria is free, he tells him. It's the first time he has heard those words.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: He tells us his name is Adel Herbel(ph), and that officers from the much-feared Mukhabarat Intelligence Services took him from his home and
began interrogating him about his phone. "They brought me here to Damascus. They asked me about names of terrorists", he says. "Did they hit you?" The
fighter asked. "Yes", he says.
As a paramedic arrives, the shock sets in. "There's nothing. Everything is OK, the Red Crescent is coming to help you", this man assures him. "You are
safe, don't be afraid anymore. Everything you are afraid of is gone." Tens of thousands of Syrians have disappeared in Assad's prisons up until 15
minutes ago, "Adel Herbel(ph) was one of them. He is still petrified.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) --
WARD: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid", the ambulance worker reassures him. "Every car I got into, they blindfolded me", he says. It is the end of
a very dark chapter for him and for all of Syria. But so many ghosts remain. Clarissa Ward, CNN, Damascus.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: And as Clarissa mentioned, thousands of people have been released from Syrian prisons this week including one U.S. citizen who had been
reported missing in Hungary. Travis Timmerman was found walking barefoot in the streets of Damascus. He tells reporters he entered that country without
permission as a pilgrim, and was promptly detained for several months.
Now, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is working to bring him home. And CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is tracking this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): A U.S. citizen that went missing in Hungary has turned up in Damascus. Travis Timmerman, a Missouri
native, 29 years old, a U.S. citizen was found disoriented, barefoot and wandering south of Damascus in a field. He has spoken to media. He has
spoken to residents in the area. I want you to take a listen to this interview with "NBC" to get a sense of his state of being.
TRAVIS TIMMERMAN, U.S. RESIDENT RELEASED FROM SYRIAN JAIL: After that, I entered into the Syrian border illegally.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK --
TIMMERMAN: I crossed the mountain between Lebanon and Syria, and I was living in that mountain for three days and three nights with no food or
water. And I was seen by a border guard whilst I did that. And then that's when I was arrested. I was sent to a Syrian prison called Philip
Philistine.
[14:10:00]
ABDELAZIZ: Now, as you heard there, Timmerman does admit that he illegally crossed into Syria from Lebanon under the very tight control of President
Bashar al-Assad's regime. Anyone crossing into Syria would absolutely be stopped by security forces. That's what took place a few days after he
arrived in Syria.
Timmerman was then taken to a regime prison, he was held there for seven months. He says he was treated relatively well, given food, given water,
given bathroom breaks. But he says he heard the sound of people being tortured in that prison every single day. Now, when rebels liberated
Damascus, he among others was able to break out of prison.
The U.S. says it is aware of his case and is providing support on the ground. An extraordinary tale and a welcome end for his family. Salma
Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: U.S. National Security adviser Jake Sullivan is cautiously optimistic about the possibility of a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.
Earlier, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top officials in Jerusalem to discuss securing a potential deal. And this all
comes as a diplomatic source tells CNN, Hamas and Israel are, quote, "talking seriously". Our Jeremy Diamond has more now from Tel Aviv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, with just over a month left in President Biden's term in office, his National
Security adviser Jake Sullivan sitting down with the Israeli Prime Minister to see if a hostage and ceasefire deal can be reached before Biden leaves
office.
And Sullivan struck a tone of cautious optimism, saying that he believes that there is optimism in the air, that there is cause to believe that a
deal can indeed be reached, and that he believes the Israeli Prime Minister is indeed ready to reach a deal. He gave a number of reasons for why things
have changed, for why there is more optimism in the air.
He said that following the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, that Hamas seems to have changed its negotiating posture somewhat,
recognizing that it was no longer receiving the support of Hezbollah and that perhaps other actors that it had hoped would come into play in its
defense ultimately will not.
At the same time, he also indicated that there were changes on the Israeli side as well, noting that Israel has killed Hamas' leader Yahya Sinwar, and
that some of its other military successes in Gaza may have made Israel more willing to reach for an agreement. Now, at the same time, Sullivan did
caution that the United States has said that a deal was close, that a deal was at hand before, and ultimately it didn't happen. So, here was that more
cautious side that he voiced.
SULLIVAN: We have been in a place before where American officials have stood before podiums and said, we are close and we were close, but we
didn't get there. I believe we are close again. Will we get there? It is not yet clear whether we will or we won't, but we are determined to try to
drive this across the finish line.
DIAMOND: And I asked Jake Sullivan what new concessions Israel and Hamas have made at the negotiating table so far? He refused to confirm or comment
on any specifics about the negotiations, making clear that they're trying to keep this close to the vest at this critical juncture. But at this
critical juncture, he is now headed to Doha, Qatar, and to Cairo, Egypt, where, of course, the two key mediators in these negotiations are based, as
he said it, to try and, quote, "put us in a position to close this deal this month."
And so, that is ultimately the aim here of the U.S. administration to get to a deal potentially as soon as in the coming weeks. And, of course, to
get the Americans who have been held hostage in Gaza out as well. He actually confirmed tonight that of the seven Americans who are in Gaza, we
know that four of those have already been confirmed dead.
The three other American hostages, Sullivan said, are indeed believed to be alive. Some hope, perhaps now for their families that they can get out as
part of this deal, if indeed it can be reached. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: Jeremy, thank you. And still to come tonight, Donald Trump is basking in the glow of an honor he once said he'd never receive while
offering up a detailed preview of his presidency. And after the controversial pardon of his son, President Joe Biden making a historic
clemency move for others. We'll have details after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:15:00]
DEAN: Donald Trump says he vehemently disagrees with President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to strike in Russia. He made
those comments as part of a wide-ranging interview after being named "Time Magazine's" person of the year. The President-elect also told time he will
consider January 6th pardons on a case by case basis.
Trump then rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate the magazine's honor. And when asked about FBI Director
Christopher Wray's resignation announcement, he said, quote, "I wish him well." There's a lot to discuss here with Michael Smerconish, host of
"SMERCONISH SATURDAYS" on CNN.
Michael is also a CNN political commentator. Great to have you here.
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you.
DEAN: So, we just were talking about this "Time" person of the year interview. It's really wide-ranging, and it gives us really new information
and some more details about what we can expect from the Trump presidency both on day one and also long, you know, further into that presidency.
On the topic of immigration, he told the "Time Magazine" editors that he'll only do what the law allows, but that I will go up to the maximum of what
the law allows. He also said he'd be using sheriffs and National Guard. Michael, obviously, the American people knew full well what his plan for
immigration is. He was very clear about it.
They voted to put him into office. What do you think this is going to look like if he does, in fact, start using local law enforcement and National
Guard to assist in these deportations?
SMERCONISH: Jessica, can we start with the recognition? I'm not going to say the honor because, as you well know, the definition of the "Time"
person of the year is the individual who most impacted the news for better or for worse. And what's interesting to me is that President-elect Trump
today in connection with ringing the bell was asked about this, and it was as if he won an Academy Award, right?
It's as if he got an Oscar and he wanted to thank the Academy. He treats it as if it's an honorific, as if you've done a really good thing here and we
need to recognize you. The Ayatollah won it in 1979. In the course of World War II, Hitler and Stalin -- in fact, Stalin twice got it -- no, I'm not
comparing Trump to either.
I'm simply saying it's a recognition of your impact. It doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good thing. Do I think by that definition, he deserved it?
Yes, I do. I think he deserved it and the other nine finalists on the list couldn't hold a candle to how much impact he had. The answer to your
question is, I don't know if the American people, despite how they voted and what they're saying in the polling, have the stomach to see what might
unfold on televisions in the first 100 days of this administration.
If families are separated or if entire families, some of whom are here and are citizens, those born on our shore are nevertheless deported, that
remains to be seen.
[14:20:00]
DEAN: Yes, it certainly does. And when he was on "Meet the Press" last weekend, they asked him about that and he indicated he would deport those
entire families if they had mixed status -- just send them all back together. So, to your point, if -- we don't know what exactly that's going
to look like, but we are certainly going to see a very different immigration situation once he takes office in January.
I also thought it was really interesting. You're talking a little bit about his head space, how he sees this honor, but we also got a deeper look into,
I think, kind of his psyche when they were asking about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and they just asked him simply, do you trust him? And
the President-elect said, I don't trust anybody.
SMERCONISH: I was surprised by that. I thought given the relationship that's existed between the two, that he would have gone in a different
direction and spoken of, you know, the respect that he has for Prime Minister Netanyahu, even when they have disagreements. I mean, I get where
he's coming from, the former businessman that he is, he approaches everything in a transactional way. Everything is a negotiation.
And I guess his mindset, if you go back to the "Art of the Deal" days, when he wrote that memoir, is that he trusts nobody.
DEAN: Yes, clearly, he made it -- he made it implicitly clear it was that and then he just -- he moved on. I also want to ask you about this news
that President-elect Trump has invited Xi Jinping to the inauguration. I want to play a clip and then we can talk about it. Let's listen to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've invited a lot of great people and they've all accepted. Everybody I've invited has accepted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Xi as well?
TRUMP: I don't want to say, but very good relationship. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: It's hard to hear him, Michael, so if you couldn't see, he was just saying everyone he's invited has accepted it and they pushed him to say
President Xi as well, and he said we have a very good relationship. It's worth noting that since 1874, no foreign leader has attended a transfer of
power ceremony that's typically reserved for diplomats. What do you make of him inviting him?
SMERCONISH: Well, I was thinking when I heard that response, I know a few of the dignitaries who will be there, who probably would gladly give up
their chair for President Xi if he'd be willing to trade places, because, Jessica, think what an uncomfortable moment this is going to be.
When you imagine President-elect Trump on the 20th of January in such close proximity to President Biden, to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
to Vice President Harris, there are just no words for the level of awkwardness that I think is going to flow. You remember the report was that
President George W. Bush said that was some strange expletive upon hearing Donald Trump's first inaugural address.
So, like throw Xi into the mix, I suspect that like Biden would say, you can have my chair or Harris would say, please, sit right here.
DEAN: It is. It's kind of wild. And just considering what a faux obviously the communist party of China is to America, and just -- there are some real
China hawks that he's bringing into his administration. It is -- it is really an interesting dynamic.
SMERCONISH: It is. I mean, it's exhausting, right? Here we are now, beginning the holidays, and you and I have been on this treadmill
discussing the campaign for the last year, year-plus. And then the election is finally over and Trump wins, and just because of the nature of the
appointments that he's made and the -- well, the characters that he's -- and that's not necessarily a negative thing, but the individuals that he's
putting in the cabinet, it's just continuous and it will go right through the 20th.
And then of course, on the 20th of January, it starts the first 100 days. And my impression is that he's learned from his first experience and that
he is going to hit the ground running, and that there will be a frenetic pace to the type of change that he wishes to bring about especially through
executive order.
DEAN: Yes, that's certainly my sense as well. And it will be -- it will be a very fast-paced 100 days. All right, Michael Smerconish, as always, thank
you so much.
SMERCONISH: Thank you for having me.
DEAN: Outgoing President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of some 1,500 people and pardoned 39 individuals. Mr. Biden, who controversially
pardoned his own son, Hunter, earlier this month, has been under growing pressure to act before he leaves office. The White House called President
Biden's action the biggest single-day of clemency in modern history.
Sources telling CNN that nearly 1,500 individuals were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and were found to show a clear
commitment to rehabilitation. The 39 people being pardoned were convicted of non-violent crimes. The President says more pardons could be coming in
the weeks before he leaves office.
CNN's parent company Warner Brothers Discovery announced a major restructuring. It is splitting off its cable networks from its streaming
business into two separate divisions starting in mid 2025. CEO David Zaslav saying this will provide more flexibility in an ever-evolving media
landscape.
[14:25:00]
Shares of Warner Brothers Discovery up more than 10 percent on that news, and CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter is here with more. Brian, this
is a bit of a Meta moment I think, for all of us, because obviously, we work for Warner Brothers Discovery and we are part of its cable networks.
But just first, walk us through kind of your reaction to this news, what you think it means.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: It comes just a couple of weeks after Comcast, one of the other big cable distributors and networks in the
United States announced a spin-off of its cable channels, at least, most of its cable channels. What Warner Brothers Discovery is doing today is not a
spin-off.
It's kind of an internal re-organization or restructuring, but would make it easier to sell the cable networks or other assets in the future. That is
the great unknown here. But that's what Wall Street analysts and investors have been looking for, for quite some time. The Warner Brothers Discovery
stock has been starting to rebound after declining for months and months and months.
And as you said today, it is up 10 percent-15 percent on this news, that's because Wall Street types believe that some of these channels, some of
these assets are going to be better valued in the future. Meanwhile, streaming services like this company's Max, that seems to be the growth
area.
That's what Zaslav describes as the growth area. He says it's separating the company into basically two halves, will make it easier to run both. And
here's what I think this kind of boils down to, Jessica, and I say this having not talked to any of our bosses about it, but here's the impression
I have having covered this industry for a long time.
When you're getting ready to buy or sell a house, you know when you're -- let's take selling a house. When you're about to sell a house, what do you
do? You tidy it up, you make sure all the rooms are ready, everything is in the right place. But you also do that if you're having friends or family
over.
So, is this getting ready for a sale, or is it getting ready to have friends and family over? Is it getting ready to grow? It could be either of
those, that's basically what it comes down to.
DEAN: Yes, that's such a great point because we don't know, of course, exactly what the future holds. But Brian, I've been so struck just in the
last couple of months and then especially after the election, it just feels like what has been kind of a slow burn of this industry evolving, changing,
has really started to move at a quicker clip, a faster clip especially --
STELTER: Yes --
DEAN: You mentioned that "NBC" spinning off its cable networks.
STELTER: And Zaslav made no secret before the election of his interest in seeing a better regulatory, or rather a deregulatory environment that would
allow for more of these media M&A situations. Comcast was talking about doing this before the election, and then after the U.S. election went
through with it.
Now, here we are in December, Warner Brothers Discovery announcing this restructuring. We're seeing changes at Paramount as well. Basically, all
the major media companies in the United States are also global assets that have streaming services. And as they prioritize streaming, they're trying
to figure out what to do with traditional cable.
Of course, the thing about a channel like CNN or "TNT" or "TBS" or the other Warner Brothers Discovery assets is they are also valuable in the
streaming world. So, as this restructuring happens, there is a reality here that all these assets, all these channels, all these shows, they have a lot
of value in the new world order.
But that new world looks a lot different than the old-fashioned way of distributing television. So, you see all --
DEAN: Yes --
STELTER: These companies really trying to do the same thing, trying to unlock value and figure out how to distribute old shows, in some cases in
new ways.
DEAN: A brave new world, we will be a part of it, we hope. Brian Stelter, thanks so much, we appreciate --
STELTER: Thanks --
DEAN: It. Still to come tonight, Ukraine is facing its third Winter at war. We're going to speak with the Secretary General of the Norwegian
Refugee Council on his recent visit to southern Ukraine. Plus, what's the future of Russia's influence in Syria now that Bashar al-Assad is out? Our
Fred Pleitgen is in Moscow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: As new leadership takes over in Syria, toppled dictator Bashar al-Assad is said to be in Russia. The Assad dynasty ruled
Syria for more than five decades, and Moscow was one of its major supporters, as CNN's Fred Pleitgen explains, the fall of the regime is a
major blow to the Kremlin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (VOICE-OVER): A warm embrace by two leaders feeding off each other. While the Russian
president kept Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in power, Vladimir Putin became one of the most powerful players in the Middle East.
We are now making no difference between Russian blood and Syrian blood, Assad said in 2017. Now, Putin has granted the deposed dictator asylum in
Moscow, but their relationship is over, Russian Middle East expert Ruslan Suleymanov tells me.
RUSLAN SULEYMANOV, RUSSIAN MIDDLE EAST EXPERT: Russia is no longer interested in Mr. Assad. I'm sure that the Kremin will hide Mr. Assad. And
as Russia wants to build up links with the new government in Syria.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The Kremlin is indeed refusing to comment on Assad's exact whereabouts. But in a 2019 investigation, the anti-corruption
group Global Witness claimed members of Assad's family purchased at least 19 apartments and high rises in the Moscow City area.
PLEITGEN: Moscow City is something like the financial district of the Russian capital, but these skyscrapers don't only offer office space for
large companies, there are also residential buildings with very luxurious apartments.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): And the Assad family has been affiliated with the Russian capital for years. The dictator's oldest son, Hafez al-Assad,
studying at Moscow State University.
We found his dissertation from that university on the topic of mathematics and physics online. This official document from Russia's Ministry of Higher
Education showing the dissertation was defended less than two weeks ago on November 29th. Exactly the same day, rebels took over Aleppo, Syria's
second largest city, ringing in the Assad regime's lightning demise, and possibly the end of Russia's role as a dominant power in Syria and in the
Middle East.
The Kremlin today saying to them the war in Ukraine is what really matters.
The special military operation is an absolute priority for our country, the Kremlin spokesman said. As for Russia and the Middle East, Russia maintains
a dialogue with all countries in the region and we intend to continue doing so.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump says he vehemently disagrees with Ukraine using U.S.-made missiles to strike inside Russia. Mr. Trump called
it, quote, "a very big mistake" in an interview with Time Magazine and questioned President Joe Biden's decision to allow Kyiv to use those
powerful long-range weapons known as ATACMS. He also said the U.S. was, quote, "escalating the war and making it worse."
[14:35:00]
Meanwhile, Russia is vowing to respond to Ukraine's latest ATACMS missile strike on an air base in the Rostov region on Wednesday. The recent
escalation has put leaders across Europe on edge, with NATO's security general issuing a stark warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: I'll be honest, the security situation does not look good. It's undoubtedly the worst in my lifetime, and I
suspect in yours too. We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years.
Danger is moving towards us at full speed. We must not look the other way. We must face it. What is happening in Ukraine could happen here too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: My next guest has been visiting southern Ukraine and says the surge in violence has made it more difficult to provide desperately needed
humanitarian aid as people there face their now third winter at war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAN EGELAND, SECRETARY GENERAL, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL AND FORMER U.N. UNDERSECRETARY FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: In Odessa, Ukraine, and this is
the destruction now only two weeks ago. Again, civilian houses being completely devastated. The toll on the civilian population is increasing.
It's a cold third war winter and the energy and the heating and the water supply is also being bombed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: So, let's bring Jan Egeland now, the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. Jan, thanks so much for being here. We were just
watching a clip with you in it. We are seeing more civilian deaths there in Ukraine at any time since October of 2022. I don't have to tell you, you
were just there. Help us understand the gravity of the situation for Ukrainian civilians at this moment in time.
EGELAND: Well, there's no doubt in my mind after having now visited Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, which is a frontline community, that this third
war winter will be the worst. People will be freezing, people have -- are exhausted. They're really tired of being pummeled every single week by
indiscriminate warfare from the Russian side, in Kherson, which was this provincial city that was first taken by the Russians two and a half years
ago, then taken back, liberated by Ukrainian forces, and since then been on the frontline.
They've had 30,000 impacts, 30,000 explosions. And there is not a house which is not affected. Ambulances have been hit civilian, cars, schools.
This has to end, but it has to end in a way that is acceptable to the Ukrainian people.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: Right. And I -- just the way you're describing all of this, you can't help but think about the psychological
impact that has on people, even if physically they're OK, the psychological impact of 30,000 strikes of your school getting bombed, of your car,
whatever the case may be, three years of this.
EGELAND: Absolutely. I mean, people say we don't sleep at night. I mean, every night we have to go in the bomb shelter. Every week we think we may
lose a loved one. But then, also many people have returned to their places even though they are unsafe because they say this is home. This is where we
have our ancestry. That we have the graves of our ancestors here. And it's become too expensive to be refugees in Western Ukraine or even elsewhere in
Poland.
I think it's of utmost important that the United States and the and the European countries, the European Union, Norway, my own country, keeps up
solidarity with the hard-hit Ukrainian civilian population, because it's not getting better, it's getting steadily worse.
DEAN: And you said this has to come to an end in a way that is OK and good for the Ukrainian people. What is your sense of where they are on this?
Clearly, they want this to be over, of course, but I guess the question is, at what cost? What are they preparing to accept in order to make sure this
is over?
EGELAND: Well, I mean, there would be many opinions about that. Many of the brothers and fathers of the families I meet have been in the trenches,
fighting now for more than two years. Others have evaded conscription.
[14:40:00]
There are families who also split. You know, there are the millions of Ukrainians that are in Russian held, Russian occupied areas that they have
relatives on the other side. They haven't been able to see each other for a very long time.
When I was here last year, there was one border crossing where you could, across the front-line, go as a civilian. And I was there and I saw families
going in either direction. Now, it is impossible. This is a split society. They need humanitarian aid, and there needs to be sense now on the Russian
side, stop the attacks on civilians.
Just four days ago, when we came, we had to go in the bomb shelter in Odessa because there was ballistic missile alert. We came out of the bomb
shelter three hours later. We heard that a hospital had been destroyed in Zaporizhzhia and another community in Southern Ukraine.
DEAN: And I hear you speaking about the humanitarian aid. We know there needs to be more to the civilians there in Ukraine. Help illustrate just
the basic -- what they are lacking. Obviously, they don't have power in a lot of places, in a lot of situations, but in terms of food, water, what
are they able to get access to? And it sounds like what you're saying is you have seen it get progressively worse over these last three winters.
EGELAND: Yes. Now, I mean, it's a nearly 70 percent of the energy supply is gone. It's obliterated from the bombing. It's a war crime to target
civilian infrastructure, which is water, heating, electricity, but it happens all the time. They need that, of course.
We specialize in providing cash assistance because it's the most direct, most effective, most cost efficient. And we're helped a lot by USAID. And
I'd like to pay credit to the American, people through USAID providing massive support to the Ukrainians over these last two years.
I pray that continues now in the coming years, because even as there is a ceasefire next year, the deprivation is there, the houses are devastated
destroyed, damaged, there is no windows there, there is a lack of everything. We need to be there and we are scaling up now as the Norwegian
Refugee Council in the frontline communities since there are so many elderly there, so many disabled there that we need to reach.
DEAN: All right. Jan Egeland, thank you for your insight on all of this. We really appreciate your perspective.
EGELAND: Thank you.
DEAN: Still to come, pioneers of business, sports, and tech are the focus of a new CNN series, Visionaries. And tonight, we hear from Kristine
Tompkins, the iconic conservationist and former CEO of Patagonia.
And we're going to head to New Jersey to find out why those drones and others like them are causing concern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
DEAN: This week we've been spotlighting pioneers of business, sport, and tech as part of a new series, Visionaries. In Argentina, CNN Chief Climate
Correspondent Bill Weir spent time with former Patagonia CEO Kristine Tompkins as her conservation team worked toward a milestone years in the
making, transporting a wild jaguar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the upper corner of Argentina, a team led by CEO turned conservationist Kristine
Tompkins is taking a jaguar named Mini into the air.
WEIR: Do you want to describe the passenger behind us, Kris?
KRISTINE TOMPKINS, PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER, TOMPKINS CONVERSATION: Yes. Bill, you are sitting, I'd say, eight inches from the head of a wild female
jaguar.
WEIR: Who's awake?
TOMPKINS: Who is awake.
WEIR: If everything goes according to plan and she hooks up with all these other jaguars --
TOMPKINS: Yes. The males. Yes.
WEIR: -- what a story she's going to have to tell them.
TOMPKINS: Yes. She's going to be a big talker.
WEIR: You're not going to believe what happened to me.
TOMPKINS: You won't believe what happened to me.
WEIR (voice-over): Mini's new home is El Impenetrable National Park, which Tompkins Conservation helped create a decade ago. According to the group
This region has the second largest continuous forest in South America. Only the Amazon is larger, and it's also disappearing fast, and with it a
population of jaguars.
WEIR: OK. Mini the jaguar.
TOMPKINS: OK. little jaguar.
WEIR: We are here.
WEIR (voice-over): Ranchers hunted big cats so relentlessly there wasn't a single jaguar spotted in Corrientes for 70 years. That's when extensive
work by Kris and her team began, reintroducing the cats. Now, there are a couple of males, eager to mate, and Mini, the female, is crucial to saving
the species here.
WEIR: And so, the stories around jaguars, is it changing? Is it -- do you still have ranchers who resent you for this?
TOMPKINS: Not in Corrientes. That was a big thing for us. We were so prepared here in Corrientes when the first jaguars, if -- when we could
finally release them, which remember, it took us, I think eight years to actually release a jaguar. But anyway, it turned out --
WEIR: Because of the politics?
TOMPKINS: No, just --
WEIR: Or just the logistics?
TOMPKINS: -- it took so long. And how do you move jaguars? Nobody had ever moved jaguars and nobody had ever asked Brazil for wild jaguars. So, this
took years of work. So, now, all of that is slick. Things happen very quickly now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: And you can see more of Kristine Tompkins interview on Visionaries this weekend. Still to come tonight, it's not a bird, it's not a plane, but
what is it exactly? We've got details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
DEAN: The FBI is investigating dozens of drone sightings over New Jersey. People across the state have been sharing videos like these, taken over the
last few weeks, showing what appear to be drones flying at night. The White House has now addressed these sightings. Here's what they're saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER: We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national
security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: So, officials say there is no threat, but some people are very unsatisfied with that answer and want to find out what is going on. New
Jersey Assemblyman Brian Bergen spoke with CNN's Pamela Brown earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN BERGEN, NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLYMAN: There are tons of these drones flying over the State of New Jersey and we don't know where they're coming
from, where they're going to, and who's flying them. Law enforcement, in my opinion, and the whole government, state police, Department of Homeland
Security, the governor, they need to take this way more seriously and find out what's going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: With more on this story, here's CNN's Gary Tuchman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Questions abound about what these moving lights in the sky are, but there seems to be
certainty about what they are not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It definitely wasn't a plane because it was too low and it was also going back and forth and then forwards and backwards.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Mark Taylor is the mayor of Florham Park, New Jersey.
MARK TAYLOR, MAYOR, FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY: They look like a small car. to me. Their wingspans are probably six feet across.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): What they appear to be are drones, clusters of unidentified drones flying much lower than a plane would.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the creepy part is not that it's just a drone, that they're so large.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): In New Jersey's Ocean County, sheriff's deputies took their own video of the drones.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We saw something flying a little low. So, we took some video of it, you know, and not really sure what it was. Definitely some
flying low and fast.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Lower, faster, and larger than a recreational drone, says the deputy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was coming in our direction. It spun around 180 degrees, went back out the other way. Then it kind of looped around and
then took off past us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Planes, they have, you know, a white tail light coming from them and each wing has a different color, whether it be red or green,
whatever it is, it's different.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Understandably, there is concern. The drones are occasionally flying near military facilities. But the Pentagon knocked down
this social media post. New Jersey Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew, who claimed on X that the drones are, quote, "possibly linked to a missing
Iranian mothership."
SABRINA SINGH, DEPUTY PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: There is not any truth to that. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and
there's no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): But it's all still a mystery. Homeland security and FBI officials in New Jersey have just met with state and local lawmakers.
They and the state's governor have stressed the drones do not appear to threaten public safety. Nevertheless --
TAYLOR: People are calling myself, my home, you know, it's just -- it's one of those things where they are alarmed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's definitely something and we're just going to be looking into it a little bit more t see if we can figure it out.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Gary Tuchman, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: Real mystery. The holiday season is all about the spirit of giving and author James Patterson is doing just that. The bestselling novelist is
awarding hundreds of independent booksellers a bonus. He praise them for their hard work, saying, booksellers save lives, period.
[14:55:00]
Workers will receive a $500 reward. Patterson is a passionate advocate for literature, donating millions of dollars to schools and libraries.
And you know our love for literature runs deep here on the show. We're going to bring you Isa's latest book club on Friday. She sat down with
author Taffy Brodesser-Akner to discuss the inspiration behind her new novel, "Long Island Compromise."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAFFY BRODESSER-AKNER, AUTHOR, "LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE": I didn't want to write about his kidnapping, but it kept sneaking its way in because what is
a better way to talk about money than to say that money is supposed to provide you with safety, but it also puts you in danger. But then there's a
ransom, which assures your safety again. So, is the money good or is it bad? And that's a question I was trying to ask.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Be sure to tune in for more of that conversation with Taffy. It's tomorrow. In the meantime, thanks so much for watching tonight. Stay with
CNN. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
