Return to Transcripts main page

WOLF

Audio Released of Sunken Ferry; Diplomatic Deal Not Followed in Donetsk; Anti-Semitic Threats; Ferry Survivors and Families Cope with Guilt; Flyer Demands Jews Register in Ukraine; Deadliest Day of Mt. Everest History; Still No Wreckage Found from Flight 370

Aired April 18, 2014 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, divers are facing huge challenges trying to get inside the hull of that sunken South Korean ferry as they desperately search for survivors. Meantime, new audiotapes are giving us new insight into the crew's early response.

Also right now, demonstrators in Eastern Ukraine say they're not part of the international deal to calm tensions. They say they'll stop occupying key government buildings only when Kiev's interim government resigns.

This hour, we're marking six weeks since Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared and still no wreckage has been found. Not at all. Now, officials are talking about widening the search area again and bringing in more underwater vehicles to help.

Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Washington. New details emerging today of the moment when a ferry began to capsize off the coast of South Korea with hundreds of teenagers aboard. The country's "Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries" today released this desperate exchange between the ferry crew and dispatch.

(BEGIN AUDIOTAPE)

SHIP (translated): Please notify the Coast Guard. Our ship is in danger. The ship is rolling right now.

DISPATCH (translated): Where is your ship?

SHIP: Please hurry. Absolutely hurry.

DISPATCH: Yes, OK. We will contact you. This is group 12.

SHIP: Ship rolled over a lot right now. Can't move. Please come quickly.

We're next to Byeongpung Island, Byeongpung Island.

DISPATCH: Yes, understood.

(END AUDIOTAPE)

BLITZER: The death toll has now risen to 29, 273 people are still missing. Rescue divers were able, today, to get into a part of the sunken ship and pump air into the hull.

Let's go to CNN's Paula Hancocks. She's in the port city of Jindu, South Korea.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, let's start with the search and rescue operation. Now, we know that this Friday divers did manage to get inside the submerged ship. We know that they managed to access the second floor, or at least parts of it, but they were unable to go any further because conditions are still not good, bad visibility, strong underwater currents. And, at this point, divers did not find any survivors and they did not find any bodies.

We also know that they have managed to pump some oxygen into the ship. Now, the thinking behind this is that if there are air pockets under the water, then they want to make sure that if there are any survivors within those air pockets that the air is replenished.

Now, of course, it is a desperately hard wait for dozens of relatives here at the harbor still. This is the third night that they have been sitting, waiting for any news.

Now, there have been very emotional scenes, very heartbreaking scenes. One woman screaming, just tell us, are they alive or are they dead? And this is the most basic of questions that, at this point, officials simply cannot answer. Close to 300 people still missing.

Now, as for the investigation, we know that the arrest warrants have been issued for the captain and also for two crew members. We have footage showing that the captain was one of the first to get off the boat. You have footage of him actually getting onto one of the ports here in Jindu. And, certainly, he will be looked at very closely. Officials saying he wasn't at the helm at the time of this accident, it was the third officer -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Paula Hancocks reporting for us from South Korea. More on the story coming up later.

Will words translate into action? That's the big question in Ukraine today. Diplomats made a deal in Geneva on Thursday that calls for pro-Russian protesters to disarm and give up the buildings they've seized.

In exchange, they'll get amnesty unless they have been convicted of capital crimes. Russia would be the key to making this happen. But already, there are signs on the ground that are raising serious doubts. The self-declared leader of the pro-Russian separatists in one city said he has not agreed to the deal at all. And the U.S. president also appears skeptical. President Obama saying the U.S. and its allies have to be prepared to respond if Russia continues to meddle in this neighbor's affairs.

Our Senior International Correspondent Arwa Damon is joining us now from Donetsk where so much unrest has been going on. Arwa, what are you seeing? What's the latest there on the ground?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, despite that diplomatic dance that we saw taking place in Geneva, there's been absolutely no sign here or, in fact, across the 200 and some miles of Eastern Ukraine where various government, security, police buildings are under pro-Russian protester control, that they have any intention whatsoever of leaving.

We were speaking to some of them that are here and they were quite adamant that unless, as you were mentioning there, the government in Kiev steps down, they are not going to do so. Because, they say they, first of all, do not view themselves as being illegal -- illegally occupying these various buildings.

And they say that if we're going to talk about an illegal occupation of buildings, it's the government in Kiev that is illegitimate, that is the one that needs to step down. So, when it comes to the outcome of Geneva, it has not changed the situation on the ground here at all. And a lot of people we've been speaking to as well still remain extremely concerned about the future of their country -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, what about the fears? There are some serious fears, I take it, among the relatively small Jewish community where you are there in Donetsk after those anti-Semitic flyers were handed out ordering Jews to register, if you will. What are we learning about this?

DAMON: Well, CNN has spoken to the leader of the Jewish community here as well as a number of its members. They very much say that initially when those flyers were distributed, yes, understandably, there was a fair amount of fear. But now, they're viewing it much more as a provocative act. They say it was an isolated incident.

And they're quite angry, Wolf, because they feel as if they, as if their history is being manipulated and used to try to stir up tensions here. And, of course, it's especially sensitive in the Ukraine that saw massive massacres under Nazi occupation -- Wolf.

BLITZER: We're going to have more on this story coming up later this hour as well. Arwa, we'll stay in close touch with you, thank you.

Six weeks after Malaysia airlines Flight 370 disappeared, today, there are still no signs whatsoever of the missing plane. Here are the latest developments. The Bluefin 21 underwater drone is now in its fifth, fifth, mission, scouring the ocean floor. Crews say it covered about 42 square miles in its first four trips. The operators of the Bluefin 21 say no debris or wreckage has been discovered so far.

Malaysian's transportation minister says authorities are looking at deploying more underwater drones. Relatives of those onboard Flight 370 held another prayer vigil at a Beijing hotel today. Family members have drawn up a list of 26 questions. They want answers when they meet with Malaysian officials in Beijing next week.

It takes a full day for the Bluefin 21 to complete a single dive and for crews to download the data. The drone is going much deeper than expected in the search for Malaysia Airlines parts.

Our Correspondent Erin McLaughlin has been following all the latest developments for us. She has an update now from Perth, Australia.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, as of 9:00 a.m. this morning, the Bluefin 21 was in the water searching for any signs of missing Malaysian Flight 370. These searches can last up to 20 hours. It's now about 16 hours later, still unclear if it has concluded that fifth mission.

Meanwhile, we're learning more details about its fourth dive happening last night. It reached 4.7 kilometers beneath the ocean's surface which is significant given it was originally thought the upper reaches of its death capacity was 4.5. It had to cut its first mission short due to depth concerns.

But engineers analyzed the Bluefin 21's hardware, and they believe it can now go as deep as five kilometers which is important given that this area that it's currently searching is the most probable area in which they believe they can find the black box, based on detailed analysis of the pings. And it's important that the Bluefin 21 is able to search all portions of that particular area.

But there have been four dives so far. Not a single sign, as far as we know, of this missing plane as the search continues -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Erin McLaughlin, thanks very much. That fifth dive underway right now. More on this story coming up later this hour.

Just ahead, living with guilt after surviving a disaster. We're taking a closer look at the psychological trauma that can linger for years.

And anti-Semitic threats emerging in Eastern Ukraine. Leaflets handed out by masked men ordering Jews to register with the government. More on the story, that's just ahead as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Being rescued from a deadly situation is not the end of an ordeal especially when others have died. The vice principal of the high school taking the class trip aboard the ferry that was one of those saved from the sinking ship has a dramatic story. Tragically, he was found hanged from a tree at the school, an apparent victim of survivor's guilt. Just listen to these anguished parents waiting at the dock.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translator): He left saying, dad, I'll be back, he says. Now, he's in the sea. Please help my baby. My baby is crying with fear in the sea. Please save my baby. All of his friends are there. All his school friends. I want to jump in the sea, she says. Thinking about my child in the sea, how can I, as a parent, eat or drink? I hate myself for this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Awful, awful story. The guilt that comes from surviving a situation in which others have died can certainly be overwhelming.

Our Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is joining us now. Elizabeth, what is the psychological burden these families, these survivors are now carrying?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, I think we heard it best from that mom just now where she said, I hate myself for this. I want to jump into the sea. It's the anguish of losing a loved one and thinking, was there something that I could have done? And, of course, there wasn't but, still, we're human beings, we're not always logical. The guilt just takes over.

You know, the stories we've been hearing, Wolf, are just so overwhelming. There, for example, was a six-year-old girl whose seven-year-old brother and mother helped her get her life jacket on. And now those -- the mother and the -- the mother and the brother now cannot be found. There was a mom by the name of Catherine Kim whose child didn't want to go on this field trip and she encouraged the child. And now, she feels the guilt of having encouraged that.

And also, there was a 71-year-old woman, a young man, a stranger, three times tried to pull her out and on the third time, succeeded. When she came out, what she said is why did so many young people die when I, an older person, survived? And, unfortunately, there's just -- there's no way to answer these questions -- Wolf.

BLITZER: I know you've been speaking with some mental health professionals. What do they say can be done about this?

COHEN: You know, some people on their own can -- I don't want to use the term, get over it, but can -- you know, you always -- some people might always have this anguish and this guilt but they're able to function, other people will need help.

Some people, it helps to recount the incident. For example, if a survivor was on the boat, recounting being saved from that boat. Other people, recounting it is not such a great idea and for them it's getting distance that helps. But everyone is different. And it's also different culture to culture.

BLITZER: Elizabeth Cohen, helping us better appreciate what's going on. And that culture-to-culture angle is critically important as well, thank you.

More on this story coming up later.

Another disturbing turn meanwhile in Eastern Ukraine. Flyers handed out in Donetsk, asking all Jews to register. We'll have reactions. Stand by.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING) BLITZER: In Eastern Ukraine, a disturbing sign, flyers passed out by masked gunmen, asking all Jews in Donetsk to register. It's causing international outrage. In a moment, we'll speak with Rabbi Marvin Hier. He's the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.

But first, Phil Black looks into who might have sent the leaflets.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This letter has injected the fear of anti-Semitism into Ukraine's crisis.

Chief Rabbi of Donetsk, Pinkus Rashetsky (ph), reads the text, which says, "All Jews over the age of 16 must register their identities, real estate and car ownership."

He tells me the notice was handed out near his synagogue on Tuesday by four men wearing masks.

He says when he first saw it, he felt shock and fear. America's ambassador to Ukraine described his reaction to CNN's Jake Tapper.

GEOFFREY PYATT, AMERICA'S AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: It's chilling. I was disgusted by these leaflets, especially in Ukraine, a country that suffered so terribly under the Nazis. It was one of the sites of the worst violence of the Holocaust. To drag up this kind of rhetoric again is almost beyond belief.

BLACK (voice-over): The notice is signed Denis Pushilin. Pushilin is the leader of the crowds occupying government buildings in Donetsk who want to break away from Ukraine.

Pushilin denies he's behind the leaflet, telling CNN it's a clear provocation.

The notice says Jews must register because they supported protesters in Kiev who drove out the country's former president.

Rabbi Rashetsky (ph) says the Jews of Donetsk believe they're now being used in a wider political game. He says the people who pray here are angry, because those competing to control the future of the country are repeating the mistakes of history -- Phil Black, CNN, Donetsk, Eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's bring in Rabbi Marvin Hier; he's the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center joining us from Phoenix right now.

So tell us what's going on. I know you've been checking with the U.S. ambassador in Ukraine and others.

What are you hearing, Rabbi?

RABBI MARVIN HIERARCHY, FOUNDER, SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: Well, no one knows the origin of the leaflets, but what is absolutely clear is that someone is using the oldest script available, injecting anti- Semitism and trying to blame the Jews for the crisis, for what is happening in the Ukraine.

We do not know whether this is attributed to those who are backing President Putin or extremists in the Ukraine. And you have to remember that Ukraine has a long history.

Most people probably do not know, 30,000 Ukrainians served in the Nazi police units that handed over the Jews to the concentration camps. And so there's a long history of anti-Semitism on both sides.

I think what is needed is the acting president of the Ukraine should simply go public and say, look, if anybody associated with Ukraine is behind this, we consider this to be an abomination.

And President Putin should do the same. And we haven't heard from the secretary-general of the United Nations. This is a very serious matter, injecting the canard of anti-Semitism into every current event.

BLITZER: Because some of the leaders and members of the Jewish community in Ukraine right now, we've spoken with some of them. They've been insisting that they don't really feel there's a lot of anti-Semitism.

Look, there's anti-Semitism all over the world, but they don't really feel right now there's a lot of anti-Semitism in Ukraine, despite the assertions by the Russian president and others in Russia that there is.

What say you?

HIER: I would say that it's -- to say that there's no end to Semitism today in the Ukraine, I do not support that claim.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Well, they don't say that there's no anti-Semitism, they say they don't feel there's a lot of anti-Semitism. And you and I know there's plenty of anti-Semitism all over the world, including parts of the United States, there are anti-Semites, as we recently saw in a suburb of Kansas City.

HIER: Right. Look, we can't dismiss -- we don't know who did this. It's possible that these -- that it came from pro-Russian sources. But it's also possible that it was done to make the Russians look bad.

So I think -- to put it straight -- where are the leaders of the people on both sides of the conflict to tell the world anti-Semitism has no place in our countries?

That's what has to be done. And it hasn't been done so far. And we haven't heard, as I said before, from the secretary-general of the United Nations. Sometimes when there's a crisis in other parts of the world, we hear from him. We should hear from him unequivocally that the United Nations condemns this.

BLITZER: You support sending in these international monitors, observers, into Ukraine to deal with this current crisis?

HIER: I think it's a very good idea. But I also -- it's amazing to me, in broad daylight, on Passover, four or five people distribute these leaflets.

Where are the police?

Nobody knows who did it.

Is there an investigation going on?

What is the -- where is the report on the investigation?

And who is investigating it?

BLITZER: Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, thank you, Rabbi, very much for joining us.

HIER: Thank you.

BLITZER: Up next, six weeks and no sign of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Now officials are talking about expanding the search area. Our experts give us their take.

And it was a tragic day on Mt. Everest. A massive avalanche hit right as a group of Sherpas, guides, were climbing the mountain. We're going to tell you what happened.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Washington.

It was right around this very moment six weeks ago when Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared. Here are the latest developments as far as the search is concerned.

The Bluefin-21 underwater drone is scouring the ocean floor now for a fifth time. First floor searches turned up no debris or wreckage from the missing plane. The search above the water continued today with as many as 11 planes and 12 ships involved.

In Beijing today, meanwhile, relatives of those on board the plane held a prayer vigil. They're demanding answers to more than two dozen questions when they meet with Malaysian officials next week.

We're heading into day 43 with no sign of the missing plane. Now officials are talking about bringing in more underwater drones, even widening the search area. Let's get some perspective from our experts. Peter Goelz is a CNN aviation analyst, a former NTSB managing director; Tom Fuentes is a CNN law enforcement analyst, former FBI assistant director.

So far no sign; it's the fifth mission right now, Peter. Is it time to bring in more underwater drones, if you will?

PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, if they're starting to get nervous, it probably is. I think if they're available, they ought to bring in another two or three.