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CNN NEWSROOM

U.S. Forces Targeted Jihadi John; Beirut Bombers Says Sent by ISIS; Update on the Migrant Crisis; Aung San Suu Kyi's Party Wins Majority in Myanmar Elections; U.S. Forces Targeted Jihadi John; Russia Could Be Banned from 2016 Olympics; Trump Talks Immigration Plan, Takes on Carson; Obama Weighs in on Trump Immigration Plan; Utah Same-sex Couple Fights to Keep Foster Daughter. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 13, 2015 - 02:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:12] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news, the ISIS militant known as Jihadi John targeted in a U.S. air strike, but it's still unclear if he is dead or alive.

Plus, a deadly bombing in Lebanon. More than 40 people killed. A suspect says he was sent by ISIS.

As we speak, more than 7,000 Kurdish soldiers are fighting to retake a key Iraqi city from ISIS control.

From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

A good day. We are following the breaking news out of the Pentagon this day, claiming U.S. forces targeted the notorious killer among ISIS ranks known as Jihadi John. This, after a drone strike in Raqqa, Syria. His real name, Mohammed Emwazi. He terrified the world as part of a murderous media show appearing in ISIS videos allegedly beheading his hostages. He is a British citizen believed to have been born in Kuwait. The Pentagon has not yet confirmed his death.

Barbara Starr has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Pentagon said in a brief late-night announcement it conducted an air strike against Jihadi John, the notorious killer of so many hostages seen in those terrible beheading videos. We know that the families of the American hostages have been notified. The British government was notified. The Japanese families obviously are getting word as well of what has happened.

U.S. officials are being very clear. They believe they got him with a drone strike against the vehicle he was in, in Raqqa, Syria, ISIS's capital -- its self-declared capital. But they are not 100 percent sure. They are looking for confirmation. With no U.S. troops or intelligence personnel on the ground in Syria, they will have to look at social media postings, intercepted communications, any indicators out there in the public arena, any announcement that he may have died. They still believe there is a very good chance that they got him.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Let's talk more about that this targeted air strike. CNN military analyst, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, joins us from California.

Rick, good to have you this hour.

The simple fact that the U.S. is indicating Emwazi was targeted suggests they may have better intelligence on the ground. You yourself have been critical of the intelligence gathering. Is there a sense things are better regarding information on the ground about who is there and where they are?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yeah, I think that's a fair assessment.

(AUDIO PROBLEM)

HOWELL: May be having trouble there with Rick Francona's signal. We'll get back to him for analysis.

Again, the fact that Mohammad Emwazi may have been targeted, we will continue to follow that story.

In bruit, more than 40 people are dead and at least 200 wounded after a pair of suicide blasts. And now a would-be suicide bomber who survived the attack claims he was sent to bruit by ISIS, along with three other attackers. This, according to a Lebanese security source. New video appears to show the surviving bomber from Thursday's attack. CNN cannot confirm the authenticity.

We must warn you some of the footage you are about to see is graphic.

CNN's Jim Sciutto reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The exPLOsion struck during the height of rush hour --

(SHOUTING)

SCIUTTO: -- on an open market just south of Beirut, coordinated, powerful, and deadly. First, one suicide blast draws a crowd of onlookers.

(EXPLOSION)

SCIUTTO: A second blast strikes that crowd maximizing casualties. A third bomber, killed by the blast before he could debt made his own explosives. But a fourth, Lebanese government sources tell CNN, was allegedly captured -- seen here taken away as security forces fire into the air to clear the crowd.

This man said he was praying when the blast blew a door right over his head.

The victims carried by bystanders over rubble from damaged buildings and rushed to nearby hospitals.

[02:05:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The twin suicide bombing weapon off. The area is mostly empty. It's been cordoned off by the army. Otherwise, there is a lot of shattered glass on the street. A lot of blood. And it's really just a scene of chaos and carnage.

SCIUTTO: Within hours, ISIS claimed responsibility.

This neighborhood is a stronghold of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia, fighting alongside Bashar al Assad's regime in Syria, ISIS's sworn enemy there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ISIL doesn't think of itself has having borders. Let's remember while you say ISIS, I say ISIL, they say IS, the Islamic State. And they see themselves as trying to establish a caliphate, which means an Islamic government covering all the areas where Muslims live today in the world. So Lebanon is just going to be seen as another battlefield.

SCIUTTO: The footage of the capture of the alleged fourth suicide bomber was shown on Lebanese television. CNN cannot confirm its authenticity, although sources have told CNN of that arrest. And this detail, that the captured alleged fourth bomber says they were dispatched from Syria by ISIS to carry out this attack.

Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Kurdish forces say the second day of Operation Free Sinjar is well underway. They expect to enter the northern Iraqi city soon, then to clear it of improvised explosive devices and seize it from ISIS.

CNN senior national correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, is there on the line, as fighters are there.

But first, we want to go to Arwa Damon. Let's go to live to Arwa at this moment. I understand she is on the island of Lesbos, following the migrant crisis. Let's go to her. I think we have that live signal now.

What we're seeing here --

(CROSSTALK)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, George, if you can hear me, I mean, the scenes here are just so incredible. I mean, this is a boat that has just arrived. It is packed with children. I have not seen this many children in a boat at this one stage at the same time.

The children are all crying. Their parents very, very understandably relieved that they have finally been able to make to it shore. And they are just crying.

And the rescue workers here -- these are all volunteer groups -- are trying to help them off.

I'm just going to let these pictures roll for a minute.

(CROSSTALK)

DAMON: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: These are from Syria. She is looking for her daughter. OK. A lot of the times when they are trying to empty these boats, they get the kids off onto shore immediately. So sometimes they are temporarily separated from their parents because they do want to get the kids out of the boats and safe and dry as quickly as they possibly can. There is one little child right there being treated. That's her daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

DAMON: That's her daughter actually that coincidentally they were able to find. So that's her.

But you really see the relief on people's faces. You see that tiny little baby right there being held by one of the volunteers' arms. You see the relief just spelled out on these parents' faces.

I would have to say that about half of the boat was just packed, packed with children. The journey that they have just made takes about two hours. You see that woman there finally being helped off, seemingly in a lot of pain, not entirely sure what she went through at this stage. A lot of the children now about to be reunited with their parents. I was saying, they do try to get the children off first. They do try to get them warm initially because a lot of times these boats are so packed.

Just look at the number of people that came across in this one. These boats are so packed they do take in a lot of water, especially in the last portions of their journey.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: He's from Syria.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE_

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

[02:09:12] DAMON: They were, of course, afraid, but they came over for the children. They took this risk for the children. And they said that they just had to pray to God that they would actually make it. They ran away from ISIS, from everything that was happening. It was better for him to risk dying at sea than to continue to live under is, especially with a family.

And this is a story we hear repeated over and over and over again, from so many of these refugees, especially those that are fleeing from Iraq and Syria and Afghanistan.

You did have that big Malta conference that took place over the last few days, but that was mainly focusing on the problems in Africa, which are a very different set of dynamics to those that are forcing these people to flee.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: They are from Sinjar. That's where the big offensive is happening right now to try to clear ISIS out of.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: And a year ago, they ran away when ISIS, came into Sinjar.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: This year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: They have had to run away from the various different sects and militias that are in Iraq.

I mean, this is just the tragedy that is the Middle East and are the war zones in Iraq and Syria. They have been driven from their homes when ISIS went in and took it over about a year ago and tried to live and survive in other parts of Iraq. But then the militias drove them out of there as well.

What will be happening at this stage is that once the volunteers are sure that everybody is OK, once they have taken care of everybody, as you see happening right here, they will then fairly quickly move them onto these various transit camps will they will begin getting their papers processed, registered here in Greece. It is a pretty impressively quick process when it comes to getting these people registered and getting them off of the shores, because the boats, when they do come, tend to come quite frequently.

You see more volunteers here treating some more family members. People very, very relieved. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: They are also Yazidis from Sinjar, we were telling you.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: And these are all their kids.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: They left a year ago when --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: -- ISIS came in and took over.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: Calling. Of course, the first thing a lot of people do when they get here is call home and tell them they got there safely.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: She has a problem with her knee.

And when ISIS first did take over Sinjar, they captured thousands and thousands of Yazidis and enslaved them. Those who were able to flee did flee. These are some of the families who fled back then, but now they have made the decision to cross over here to try to get to relative safety because, as they have been telling us, they were not able to survive in Iraq. There was too much pressure, too many militias, too much on them at this stage, so they finally did decide to make this journey, despite the fact that, yes, right now, you have this offensive that is ongoing into the Sinjar Mountains. You have the effort by the Peshmerga, backed by coalition airstrikes to try to recapture Sinjar. But these people don't believe it would be a life worth bringing their children up in.

Then you have others fleeing from Syria, from ISIS, from Assad's barrel bombs, from all of these very, very different, different factors.

[02:15:03] (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: Also, again, a lot of these -- when these boats come across a lot of them tend to be from the same areas because people tend to be much more comfortable -- much more comfortable traveling in groups.

You can just see the risk that a mother would have to take to make this journey with a tiny baby, with so many children. I mean, that is an impossible choice, because when you do speak to the parents, they all have that image burned into their head, that image of that boy who initially washed up on Turkish shores and became on icon, the image of his body, and all of the others, children, and adults, that have died trying to make this journey. It's such a difficult choice for these parents but it's one that so many are making and continuing to make.

There was this theory, at one point in time, that perhaps with winter coming, with the seas becoming a bit rougher, with the temperatures beginning to drop that perhaps the numbers coming across would decrease. But it's, in fact, proven to be the opposite. According to Frontech (ph), the first two months of 2015, 540,000 people made this journey between Turkey and Greece. That's 13 times the number that did it in the same time frame in 2014. When you look at these images, when you look at these desperate people, one begins to really realize and appreciate the impossible choice that they have to make.

And when it comes to debating how this refugee and migrant crisis is going to be resolved, it's the court issue that needs to be addressed. It's what drove them from their homes. It's the warfare, ISIS, Assad, the various different sectarian fighting, all of that needs to be addressed on an international level so that people like this don't have to suffer to this degree anymore.

HOWELL: While we are look at the image there of the little child there -- I have a son of my own. As a parent, one can only imagine that that impossible choice, as you mention, a choice that, you know, parents have to make, that many people are making.

You also mentioned Sinjar. Before we came to you, I mentioned that our colleague, Nick Paton Walsh, is on the front lines with fighters there. We will have a report from him later. But you can see why we wanted to get to your report there, Arwa, right there on the coast at Lesbos, Greece, showing us something that happens day after day after day. There are many people that are trying to leave a bloody, hellish war that is happening in Syria.

Arwa, thank you so much for giving us the stories of people who are trying to find a better situation for themselves. Thank you for your reporting there.

You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. It's a historic day in Myanmar as that country deals with a dramatic shift in power. Coming up, a live report on the results of a landmark election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:20:32] DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good day. I'm CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam, with a quick look at your "Weather Watch."

(WEATHER REPORT)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Let's get back to our top story now, this targeted air strike against the terrorist known as Jihadi John.

CNN military analyst, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, joins us live via Skype from California.

Rick, good to have you back with us.

FRANCONA: Finally.

(LAUGHTER)

HOWELL: Funny thing with technology, sometimes it works, sometime it doesn't. Good to have you at this moment, though.

Let's talk about this simple fact that the United States is indicating that Emwazi was targeted. It does suggest they have better intelligence on the ground. What are your thoughts about the situation now? You were critical before about how intelligence gathering started out there.

FRANCONA: Not just the intelligence gathering, but the whole thing. The intelligence gathering was slow to start. It took a long time to get good information on what ISIS was doing. We got caught flat footed at the beginning. Also the anemic air campaign we have been mounting, many pilots are returning with ordinance on the wings of the aircraft because we haven't been able to locate the targets. Going after Jihadi John, one of the factors that really helped that was able to use was the drones trying flying out of Turkey. That gives them a dwell time over northern Syria, allows them to stay on his movements, identify him and that's been an issue, getting permission to engage once you have a target. We all hope we have had a successful attack on Jihadi John.

HOWELL: Rick, if it is determined that Emwazi was killed, how does that play into the broader fight against ISIS?

FRANCONA: That's a good point. I don't think it changes the situation on the ground very much at all. He was not really in the ISIS leadership. But he was the face of ISIS for a lot of people. So taking him out was a symbolic victory. I think it means a lot to the families of the victims because we all saw the brutal executions that he was involved in. So I don't think it's really going to change the situation on the ground. But it brings closure to the families and I think that's important. HOWELL: When it comes to intelligence gathering I just want to get

your understanding of how this happens. How do officials determine with, you know, with certainty that Emwazi is dead, if in fact he is dead?

FRANCONA: If ISIS doesn't admit it, then we are going to have to use intelligence sources to go in and find out. That's going to be listening to the chatter, the intercepts, of watching what's going on. This is not an easy task. It might take a long time, so we may not know for sure for some time yet.

HOWELL: You mentioned that you were critical of the U.S. strategy starting out. How do you feel about things now, Rick? So you have the United States doing these strategic strikes. You have got Russia on the other side doing many, many strikes and making note of that, telling the world about the many strikes that they are doing. Is the U.S. plan working? And how is it working with or against the Russian plan?

(LAUGHTER)

[02:25:23] FRANCONA: Well, the U.S. plan is beginning to show promise. It's beginning to come together. You know, the Russians really have been kind of shifty here. They have been claiming that they are going after ISIS targets but they really haven't. About 90 percent of their attacks have been against anti-regime rebels, enema of which we are supporting. I think in the wake of the bombing of the Russian airliner, fit turns out it was ISIS, I think you are going to see a shift in Russian operations now we have to deacon conflict our operations with the Russians because we will all be going after the same targets. Watching what is going on, I believe we may have turned the corner and we have U.S. forces working closely with Iraqis and hopefully in the future those 50 Special Operations forces in northern Syria working with the Kurds and the sir January defense forces. I think we may have turned a corner, I hope.

HOWELL: Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona joining us live. Rick, thank you for your insights.

FRANCONA: Thank you.

HOWELL: We now know the results of a landmark election in Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League of Democracy appears to have won a majority in the parliament, giving that party enough seats to choose the next president. Sunday's vote was hailed as the freest election in decades.

For the latest, let's go to CNN's Saima Mohsin, who joins us from Bangkok this day.

Saima, good to have you with us.

It is worth pointing out as well that Myanmar's military rulers released Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest on Saturday, November 13. Today marks five years since she was released. Now on this day, we know her party has won a big majority. SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, George. What an

historic moment. And it couldn't have come at a better time. As you mentioned, that anniversary of her being released from house arrest. This is a woman and a people and a country that has been waiting for 25 years to be able to go to the polls to vote in a free election that comes to fruition. In 1990, when there was an election, the military simply didn't accept it. Swept her aside, put her in house arrest. She spent 20 years imprisoned in house arrest, and finally was released, as you say, five years ago to the day today. And on this day today, we are hearing that she has and the NLD and the people that voted for her won that majority that brings her into parliament, gives her a say. But as everyone is reminding her and the people of Myanmar, this is, and as President Obama put it, a step towards Myanmar's transition into democracy. There is a significant way to go -- George?

HOWELL: Aung san Suu Kyi, due to a clause in the constitution there, cannot hold the position of president. Still, before this election she alluded to a very cryptic statement saying there could be a position before the president. Have we heard anything more about what that could mean?

MOHSIN: Yeah, I think that's a lot of political posturing George. In terms of the position of president, as you mentioned, yes, the military is still holding control of the reigns. They retained a quarter of the lower house for themselves in terms of parliamentary seats, which is why this makes Aung San Suu Kyi's and the NLD's win of 75 percent of parliament so significant. They still maintain a lot of control and they have banned her constitutionally from becoming president. What I think she's saying, George, is she has won a seat, her party has won a majority, and she will hold significant influence. But the challenges have only just begun for her. There is a lot more to come for her and her party.

HOWELL: Saima Mohsin live for us in Bangkok this hour. Saima, thank you for your reporting.

You are watching CNN NEWSROOM around the world. We'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:33] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the word. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. Good to have you with us. I'm George Howell.

The headlines we are following this hour, the Pentagon says U.S. forces targeted the infamous Jihadi John during an air strike in Raqqa, Syria. Mohammed Emwazi has appeared in ISIS videos showing the murders of hostages. He is a British citizen believed to have been born in Kuwait. The Pentagon has not yet publicly confirmed his death.

New video in to CNN appears to show the surviving suicide bomber from Thursday's attack in bruit. Two suicide blasts killed 40 people and left more than 200 wounded. A Lebanese national shown here was taken into custody. But CNN cannot confirm the video's authenticity.

Kurdish officials say Peshmerga fighters will be inside Iraq inside the town of Sinjar soon to clear it of explosives and then seize it from ISIS control. They launched a new offensive late Wednesday to retake the key city and to cut militants' supply lines.

Russia is trying to authenticate an alleged ISIS video threatening attacks inside that country, quote, "very soon." The five-minute video was released Thursday. It shows Russian cities with chants in Russian promising that, quote, "blood will spill like an ocean." CNN has not been able to verify the video. More on the breaking news that we are covering this day. The Pentagon

says U.S. forces have targeted the notorious Jihadi John.

Senior international correspondent, Ben Wedeman, joins us from Cairo, following this story as well.

Ben, good to have you with us.

The key question, if Emwazi is dead, how does it play into the broader fight against ISIS?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's important the keep in mind that Emwazi had been born in Kuwait and growing up in the U.K., even though he played a prominent media role with the gruesome beheading of journalists and aid workers, he is not part of the leadership structure of is, which is made up predominantly of Iraqis, including Iraqis with experience with Saddam Hussein's security hierarchy. So in the grand picture, not necessarily a huge role -- rather, there is not going to be a huge impact from his killing, but you need to look beyond this particular incident to the broader picture. You see the occurred are U.S. air support on the offensive in Sinjar, west of Mosul. You see the Kurds within Syria also pushing ISIS back. You see the Russians in some instances hitting ISIS targets as well. So ISIS is really beginning to feel the pain from this almost year -- rather more than a year of U.S.-led air strikes and this mounting campaign against the organization separate of course from the killing of Jihadi John or Mohammed Emwazi, the alleged killing or the purported killing of him -- George?

[02:36:15] HOWELL: Right. And we don't know yet, Ben -- it's not yet confirmed whether he is dead or not. Of course, we are waiting to hear some word from officials on that. Ben, talk to us about the significance -- if, in fact, this is true -- the significance to the families. These brutal videos they were put out for the world the see. They are out on social media. They are out on you tube. And you know, these families have had to live with that news and have had to see these videos. What does it mean for them to hear this news?

WEDEMAN: For them, in a sense, it means that a chapter has been closed. It doesn't really reduce the pain and suffering of the loss of their loved ones, but it means that this man who so brutally beheaded their loved ones, people who had, for instance, gone to Syria to cover the war there, who had gone to Syria to provide humanitarian aid and, of course, then got captured by ISIS and so horribly beheaded. So it represents a certain amount of closure, but it doesn't really reduce the pain that they probably continue to suffer -- George?

HOWELL: Ben Wedeman live for us in Cairo. Ben, thank you so much for your reporting.

We expect the world governing body for track and field to make a big decision in the coming hours. Russian officials, athletes, and coaches are embroiled in a doping scandal. Now Russia could be banned from the 2016 Olympics because of it. The World Anti-Doping Agency released a report on Monday alleging state-sponsored cheating and cover-ups in Russia.

Jill Dougherty is a researcher at the International Center for Defense and Security and a former CNN Moscow bureau chief. And now joins us live via Skype from Washington.

Jill, good to have you with us.

We have heard from the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, that he promised an international investigation into this issue. This is a pretty important issue to the Russian president's heart. Talk about the significance to Vladimir Putin.

JILL DOUGHERTY, RESEARCHER, INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR DEFENSE AND SECURITY: That's a good question. After all, you look at sports, it's been a very, very important issue for President Putin, not only personally, because he is known as a sportsman, plays a lot of sports, but also symbolically. Remember, they had the Sochi Olympics, which were very political as well as important. And the stakes are really very high, George, as you mentioned, if they did not go to the Rio Olympics that would be a great shame to Russia. And so you are getting certain messages. I think the first one would be there shunt be any collective punishment. What Russia said is, yes, there probably were some problems, and yes, there were individual sports people, you know, on the Russian side who did dope. But overall, not all of the athletes should be punished for it. And then you also are getting some pushback, especially coming are the Russian foreign ministry saying that this information was based on dubious sources, that it's questionable, it's biased, politicized, et cetera. Because, after all, I think there are probably a lot of Russian people who are not going to want to believe this. And in that international context of a lot of issues on which Russia is being criticized they might take it as more criticism against Russia. So you've got President Putin saying, yes, we'll investigate. And then other Russian officials tempering that somewhat and being rather critical of this report.

HOWELL: Let's talk about the overall feeling there though in Russia. Is there concern about backlash if Russian athletes are in fact banned?

[02:39:57] DOUGHERTY: Well, yes. It's important to note that the sports minister, Batali Murko, is saying Russia will not boycott Rio if some of their athletes or the track and field team is banned. That's very important. They really want to go. This would be a very big deal if they did not go to Rio. Again, they are saying no overall boycott, even if some athletes were to be banned.

HOWELL: Jill Dougherty live for us in Seattle, Washington.

Jill, we always appreciate your insights here. Thank you so much.

You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. With the Iowa caucuses less than 100 days away, Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, takes another round of shots at opponent, Ben Carson. More on that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Let's turn to politics in the United States, where Donald Trump spoke to CNN's Erin Burnett about his plan to forcibly remove millions of illegal immigrants if elected president. Trump has been leading in number of polls partly because of his hard-line stand on illegal immigration. The front-runner also took aim at his opponent, Ben Carson, over stories that Mr. Carson told of his past.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: He said he is pathological. Some said he has a pathological disease. Other people said he said in the book -- I haven't seen it. I know it is anyway the book, that he has a pathological temperament. That's a big problem. You don't cure. That that's like, you know, I could say -- they say you don't cure as an example a child molester. You don't cure these people. You don't cure a child molester.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR, OUTFRONT: So I want to ask you about the immigration plan that's going on out there. You put it front and center in the GOP conversation.

TRUMP: You wouldn't be talking about immigration if it wasn't for me.

BURNETT: You have put it on the table. And now, of course, you were criticized heavily at the debate, Kasich, Jeb Bush, saying your proposal was --

(CROSSTALK)

[02:45:15] TRUMP: They are weak people. Excuse me. They are weak people. I watched Jeb today. They are weak people. Kasich made a fool out him at the debate.

BURNETT: The question is, how do you make 11 million people and make them leave.

TRUMP: You do it through a process. You do it in a very humane manner ---

BURNETT: But you are not going to want to leave.

(CROSSTALK)

BURNETT: You have going to have to hire a lot of people to find them and --

(CROSSTALK) TRUMP: They are here illegally. If a person comes across the border and you send them right back, the Border Patrol sends them back, there is not a big court situation. They send them back --

(CROSSTALK)

BURNETT: Yes, but what about the guy already living in Detroit?

TRUMP: Excuse me, Excuse me. What's the difference between somebody who comes over the border, here for two days, gets caught and you bring him back, or somebody who is here for a year, and you bring him back? There is no difference.

Illegal immigration each year costs us between $200 billion and $300 billion. I don't know if anybody gives you those numbers. Probably not. When you talk about crime and other problems it's more than that. It's between $200 billion and $300 billion. The way it is now.

BURNETT: But they pay in taxes. They pay $24 billion in taxes.

TRUMP: Who pays taxes? Do you really believe they pay in taxes?

BURNETT: They pay Social Security, state and local.

TRUMP: Yeah, at what percentage? 10 percent?

BURNETT: It's 24 percent of the U.S. economy --

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Excuse me. Do you know how few pay taxes? Erin, don't be naive. Do you think an illegal immigrant getting money is going to be paying taxes?

BURNETT: On this point about humanity, are you going to be sending in officers --

(CROSSTALK)

BURNETT: A force of people into people's homes to get them out?

TRUMP: -- a very nice way. We are going to be giving notice. We are going to say you have to go back to whatever the country is. It's going to be countries, all different countries.

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HOWELL: U.S. President Barack Obama is weighing in for the first time on Mr. Trump's controversial plan to use a so-called deportation force to ship millions of undocumented immigrants out of the United States. Mr. Obama describes that as unfeasible and contrary to U.S. values.

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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Imagine the images on the screen flashed around the world as we were dragging parents away from their children and putting them in what detention centers and then systematically sending them out. Nobody thinks that that is realistic. More importantly, that's not who we are as Americans.

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HOWELL: Mr. Obama says that Trump's plan would cost the U.S. billions of dollars and he suggested that Trump was using the proposal to exploit an anti-immigrant sentiment.

You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. A judge in Utah ruled a lesbian couple's foster child should be taken away from them and given to heterosexual parents by Tuesday. Now a new group is coming to the foster parents' defense. More on that after the break.

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[02:49:56] KATE RILEY, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Kate Riley, with our CNN "World Sport" headlines.

Norway took on Hungary in the 2016 match. Hungary hasn't been to the Euros since 1972. Despite that, they took the lead before the half hour mark. They had an opportunity for an equalizer in the dying minutes. It wasn't meant to be.

The Russian Athletics Federation may receive a punishment after doping allegations. Elsewhere on Thursday, the acting president of the Russian Athletics Federation acknowledged there was some wrongdoing among the country's athletes. Here's what he said, "We admit some things we argue with, some things, some are already fixed. It is a variety."

FIFA President Sepp Blatter was in the hospital for what is described by his adviser as a body break down. He is said to be going to continue his recovery at home.

That's a look at world sports. I'm Kate Riley.

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HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell.

A same-sex couple in the state of Utah is fighting to keep their foster daughter after a judge ordered she be moved to a home with heterosexual parents. Utah's Department of Child and Family Services is asking the judge to reconsider. They agency says there is no proof the girl would be better served with heterosexual parents.

The foster parents had hoped to adopt the girl, which is permitted under federal law. They spoke with our affiliate, KUTV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have been told to care for this child like a mother would. I am her mother. That's who she knows. She is just going to be taken away in seven days to another probably good, loving home, but it's just -- it's not fair. And it's not right. And it just hurts me really badly because I haven't done anything wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Judge Scott Johansson said his decision was based on, quote, "information about same-sex families in the long run." Right now, the ruling requires that the baby, who has lived with the legally married women since August, that that baby be removed by Tuesday. The Utah court says it does not comment on pending cases.

Joining me now is Troy Williams, the executive director of Equality Utah.

Troy, good to have you with us.

TROY WILLIAMS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EQUALITY UTAH: Thank you.

HOWELL: Let's talk about the state of Utah, a traditionally conservative state that even overturned the ban on gay marriage and even passed an anti-discrimination law there. But you know things are moving in one direction. Now this. Talk to us about what is happening in that state.

WILLIAMS: Yeah, in a lot of ways, Utah is the epicenter of LGBT rights in America and we have made tremendous progress. As you said, 2013 we were the first red state to overturn the guy marriage man. We began the dominoes where the bans would fall state after state after state. And this past march we passed historic legislation. The first Republican controlled legislature in the nation to do so. Then also, we'll find out Tuesday, but it looks like Salt Lake City will have elected our first lesbian mayor. So in lots of ways we are moving -- we are taking great strides forward. But every time you have great success, there is always a backlash, and we are experiencing it this week in Utah.

HOWELL: So this ruling certainly is raising a lot of questions with many people that are asking what is happening in Utah with this couple. I know that your group is working with them. How are they handling the news?

WILLIAMS: April and Beckie. They have this beautiful 1-year-old foster daughter. But they are a family in crisis right now. They are going through the adoption process. The biological mother wants them to adopt this child. The Department of family services also wants them to do so. But the judge ruled because they were lesbians they were unity fit to parent.

HOWELL: Troy, they have older children as well, right?

[02:55:00] WILLIAMS: That's correct. They have been raising children. They are loving, kind moms. And they will make a great home for this child in need. And this judge's ruling is cruel, and it is a brazen defiance of the law of the land.

HOWELL: Troy, let's talk about the judge, Scott Johansson. He is known for controversial rulings, right?

WILLIAMS: He is notorious in this state. 1994, I believe he slapped a teenage kid because he believed he was stealing something. In 2012, there was an assault case with another teenager. And part of the sentencing was requiring that her mother cut off her pony tail. A bizarre, strange judge. And this is just the next strange oddity coming from him.

HOWELL: All eyes will be watching to see what happens with this ruling.

But, Troy Williams, thank you so much for taking time with us.

WILLIAMS: Thank you so much.

HOWELL: And that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'll George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'll be back after the break with another hour of news from around the world.

You are watching CNN, the world's news leader.

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