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U.S. President Reassures Americans After San Bernadino Terrorist Attack; ISIS Defector Sheds Light on Life in ISIS Territory; Leytonstone Attacker Charged with Attempted Murder; Indigenous Groups Call for Action at COP21. Aired 8:00a-9:00p ET

Aired December 7, 2015 - 8:00   ET

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


[11:00:10] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream.

Now President Obama vows that the U.S. will go on a relentless campaign to defeat ISIS.

And we'll hear exclusively from a man who lived under ISIS rule in their capital Raqqa.

And Beijing issues a red alert for pollution warning that severe pollution will cover the city for over three days.

President Obama is promising the U.S. will destroy ISIS or what he described as a strong, smart and relentless campaign. He addressed the

nation from the Oval Office on Sunday. His speech was aimed at reassuring Americans, but critics say he should be doing more to step up the fight.

Joe Johns reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it.

JOHNS: President Obama speaking passionately to millions in a rare Oval Office address late Sunday, strongly condemning ISIS and calling

Wednesday's mass shooting in San Bernardino a terrorist attack.

OBAMA: It is clear that the two of them had gone down the dark path of radicalization. So this was an act of terrorism.

JOHNS: Obama doubling down on his four-point strategy to defeat the terrorist group.

OBAMA: The strategy that we are using now: airstrikes, Special Forces and working with local forces who are fighting to regain control of their

own country -- and it won't require us sending a new generation of Americans overseas to fight and die for another decade on foreign soil.

JOHNS: At home, Obama putting stronger screenings on people arriving in the U.S. without a visa and insisting on more gun control.

OBAMA: Congress should act to make sure no one on a no-fly list is able to buy a gun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would you do as president to prevent the mass shootings?

JOHNS: The policy GOP presidential hopefuls are calling insufficient to tackle the evolving threat. Donald Trump tweeting, "Is that all there

is?" And retweeting, "He needs to stop all visas, not look at them."

Jeb Bush proposing his own more aggressive strategy and calling the fight against ISIS the war of our time.

OBAMA: It's a real problem that Muslims must confront without excuse.

JOHNS: President Obama ending his 13-minute speech with an appeal to Muslims to root out extremist ideology while also calling on Americans to

reject discrimination.

OBAMA: Muslim-Americans are our friends and our neighbors, our co- workers, our sports heroes. And yes, they are our men and women in uniform

who are willing to die in defense of our country.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The cynicism...

JOHNS: Senator Marco Rubio pushing back.

RUBIO: Where is there widespread evidence that we have a problem in America with discrimination against Muslims? And the refusal to call this

for what it is: a war on radical Islams. Not only did the president not make things better tonight; I fear he may have made things worse.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now President Obama assured Americans that the U.S. is working with its international allies to stop ISIS and he mentioned Turkey

specifically.

Now for more, Sara Sidner joins me now from Istanbul. And Sara, in his speech President Obama pledged to destroy ISIS. But what is it going

to take? What's the view there in Turkey?

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, what the Turkish government really wants is to have a secure nation, like any other nation.

And to do that, the Turkish government has been repeatedly asking over several years that there be a safe zone established along the border. And

President Obama did talk about helping secure Turkey's border. But Turkey wants more. They would like to have a safe zone between its border and the

Syrian border where the refugees can be safely, but where jihadists are kept out.

To do that, really, would require a no-fly zone. And the United States and its coalition has not really agreed to something like that. And

there haven't been details given out to the public of exactly what that is.

But ultimately, what Turkey wants and what Turkey sees as a solution, that solution, Turkey

says, should not involve President Bashar al-Assad, that he can not be in power there because Turkey sees it this way: that having the president in

place encourages people to join groups like ISIS and other jihadist groups because they're so angry and frustrated and disgusted at

what President Assad has done to his own people, killing hundreds of thousands of people over these many years.

And so they see that as a real stumbling block and think that he needs to eventually go.

[11:05:02] LU STOUT: And Sara, there in Istanbul, the U.S. consulate there was apparently facing an imminent security threat? What's the latest

word on that?

SIDNER: You know, over the weekend there was warning posted on its website telling Americans to stay away from the American consulate here in

Istanbul, telling Americans to increase their own personal security and be vigilant while in the country. This

country itself is already on heightened alert after two attacks in October that they linked to ISIS that killed more than 100 people.

But this particular warning, they said, look, the warning goes through the weekend. But the embassy is open today for people to come through.

Although, there is heightened security at the embassy -- sorry, the consulate. There is heightened security at the consulate here.

So, you know, we should let people know that that is in place, however, the consulate says it

has been open for business today. And they have not said exactly what that threat was or where it came

from, Kristie.

LU STOUT: So, still no clarity on that.

And separately, Sara, Turkey is now being threatened by Iraq with UN action over Turkish troop

deployment in Iraq in Mosul. What's the background to all this?

SIDNER: You know, Iraq has said that it's illegal what Turkey did which is sending in troops inside of Iraq.

Turkey responded by saying wait a minute, we had approval from the central government there to allow these troop changes is what they called

it. They said they had troops in there for more than a year now. But Iraq has been very adamant that that is not true and that they wanted those

troops out. Now Turkey is turning around and saying OK, we will remove our troops, so a turn around there from Turkey,

The Iraqis, obviously, very frustrated with the movement of troops from Turkey into Iraq and demanding that be changed. Turkey seems as

though it's capitulating and going ahead and changing its stance there.

The two nations do generally get along and have a generally decent relationship between one another. So far that may tamp things down now

that Turkey decided to reverse course.

LU STOUT: All right. Sara Sidner reporting for us live from Istanbul, thank you very much indeed for that, Sara.

Now, we are getting a rare look at life under ISIS from one man who recently escaped from Raqqa, Syria. He spoke exclusively to our Ian Lee.

And he says people there are terrified and things are only getting worse.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the biggest target in the war against ISIS, the Syrian city of Raqqa, the capital of the so-

called Islamic State. Despite constant bombardment, is lures followers by painting its land as a paradise. Suleman, not his real name, fled Raqqa in

recent days with his young family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): If it was a paradise, we wouldn't try to leave. Life is very difficult. Most of the doctors have

left. You can count the number of doctors on one hand. And they only service is. Every day hundreds gather for free food handouts. It's not a

lot. You stand there being humiliated trying to get something to eat.

LEE (on camera): How would you describe the Islamic State?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Scary. It's a scary state by the literal meaning of the word. They came with their laws pretending to

teach us honesty, but they taught us how to lie.

LEE: Have your kids gone to school in Raqqa?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): They went for a week, but then refused to go. There is no education. 5 to 11-year-old kids are in the

same class. Teachers don't show up, and older kids harass them.

LEE (voice-over): Following French air strikes, ISIS cracked down on Internet usage fearing their targets might be revealed. Now paranoia grips

Raqqa.

(on camera): How has ISIS controlled the Internet?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): They afraid their members will try to communicate with foreign intelligence. We've seen a lot of

people who have been beheaded and killed, accused of being spies.

LEE: Are the air strikes in Raqqa being effective?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Realistically, no. There's little impact because most areas are empty where ISIS evacuated before the

strikes.

LEE (voice-over): The U.S.-led coalition hopes Kurdish fighters and its allies staging around Raqqa will take the city. But Suleman would not

use the word "liberate."

(on camera): Would the locals in Raqqa choose ISIS or the Kurds?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): I don't have an answer. It's difficult because the Kurds forced the Arabs to flee. That's a difficult

question. I don't have an answer.

LEE: Do you see ISIS as being strong?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): In reality, yes. They are strong. They have trained soldiers and aspiring suicide bombers. They have

members who came just for the sake of being killed. They are strong.

LEE (voice-over): ISIS's reign of terror is over for Suleman but he's not out of danger. He'll now join the hundreds of thousands of Syrian

refugees trying to make the dangerous journey to Europe's shores.

Ian Lee, CNN, Gaziantep, Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:10:20] LU STOUT: Now, Syria's civil war has now forced nearly 4.3 million people to seek refuge abroad. And for months, we've been following

the desperate journey many have taken across the Mediterranean to Europe.

Now since January, Germany says it has taken in 964,000 asylum seekers. Another flash point is the border between Greece and Macedonia.

Now, some migrants and refugees are finally being allowed to make the crossing after thousands were stranded over the weekend.

The gates were closed for more than 24 hours on Friday following protests by the migrants.

Now CNN has been on the ground there following the story of some of the stranded travelers.

This young Iranian boy and his family, they have pitched a tent next to the train tracks. And this Pakistani man pinned a message of protest on

the back of his hoodie. He has been camped there for about 11 days now.

Now, the asylum seekers are angry about a selective entry process which has left dozens trapped in the cold.

You're watching News Stream right here on CNN. And still ahead on the program, an

unprecedented move in Beijing to combat rising levels of smog. What new steps the city is now taking.

Plus, the father of one of the San Bernardino shooters is speaking out. The new details he is revealing about his son.

And Israel keeps a close watch on its border along the Sinai peninsula. How security forces there's are working to keep ISIS out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Now, another clear and sparkling night here in the territory. Coming to you live from Hong Kong. You're batch watching News

Stream.

Now, Beijing is issuing its first ever red alert for air pollution. The city's Environmental Protection Bureau says it will recommend schools

to close and that fewer cars be let on the roads. Now CNN meteorologist Chad Myers joins us now with more on Beijing's major smog problem -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Kristie, it really is.

Now, up to this red alert, over the weekend we were on the orange alert. But red alert allows different things to happen for the government

and for people in business, turning businesses off or down. If your license plate has an even number, you can only drive on even days, if it

has an odd number at the end, you can only drive on odd days.

Trying to reduce the amount of emissions into the atmosphere. The red flag warning there, the

red warning also says that schools should be closed, people should stay inside. We'll see how all that works.

Right now the U.S. embassy has 274.

The big we always look for is 500. That is the top of the level of what they can actually measure accurately. The real number, the really

good number, good air quality number should be 25. So we're not close to 25. We're 274. The visibility is low, less than a kilometer in some

spots. The numbers still going up when it comes to parts per million that are very small.

2.5, those are the ones that get stuck in your lungs that really hurt, especially if you have asthma. And there are some other cities that around

Beijing that have higher numbers and even the 270.

This is a satellite picture. And I know it looks like just kind of some grayness just kind of right over Beijing. But it is the smog, it is

the smog because the satellite can't even see the ground. We're still seeing this wind come off the ocean, come -- not really spin around very

much and not blow this away. Something else that's going on is called an inversion. We have warm air aloft, cold air at the surface so that cold

air can't rise and get out of the way.

This is just like putting a lid on a pot. You know if you're boiling eggs or whatever, you want to get that water to boil, if you put a lid on

the pot, it will boil quicker. Well, it's because it's keeping in the heat. You put a lid on the atmosphere, and it doesn't keep in the heat so

much here in this place, it's keeping in the smog, it's keeping in the particles, keeping in all that

stuff that the people there are breathing.

Now, there will be some winds up to about 10 kilometers per hour. But if you notice that arrow, it is spinning around and it's not blowing in any

one direction. They would like one direction to push all of that smog in one way out to the ocean, out to the east sea, whatever. Some place. But

that just doesn't look like that's going to happen for the next three days. And that's why the red alert.

We have had numbers higher than where we are now. We've had almost 600 at times. But the problem with this, Kristie, is that it's going to be

three or more days in a row with no relief.

LU STOUT: Yeah, and with this red alert, Chad, Beijing is taking action. Yes, it's closing down schools, as you said, that is to protect

the students. It is also limiting car use to limit emissions. It's also looking at the sites, industrial plants will be required to limit or stop

production. At the end of the day, do you think these types of measures will make a big difference when you look at the overall quality of the air

in Beijing?

MYERS: absolutely. No question about it. When they take these measures and put them in place, the sky turns blue again. And you can

actually get some relief. You can at least take some of these numbers out.

You can cut the numbers in half and that would certainly make it not a red alert, but even an

orange or yellow, much better for the people there.

LU STOUT: All right. Chad Myers reporting, appreciate that. Take care.

Now a major relief effort is under way on India's southeast coast after some of the heaviest rain in decades. Floodwater is finally receding

in Chennai. Soldiers and emergency workers are rushing in clean drinking water, medical supplies and food. And they are still working to rescue

many who are stranded on upper floors and roof tops.

Now Chennai's international airport has reopened. But critics say the government has been slow to take action. Now, the British Prime Minister

David Cameron plans to visit the areas hit hardest by heavy rain in parts of England and Scotland. Now, storm Desmond knocked out power to more than

55,000 homes over the weekend. Most of the electricity has been restored and shelters have been set up for families forced from their homes by the

flooding.

You're watching News Stream. And still ahead, inspired by ISIS, new details about the married

couple that carried out Wednesday's shooting in Southern California.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:22:43] LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, Venezuela's opposition party has claimed the majority of seats in the country's national assembly, signaling a shift away from the socialist

vision of the late President Hugo Chavez.

Now, the election results are seen as a major setback to the ruling party. In a televised address on Sunday, President Nicolas Maduro

announced that he has accepted the results, his party's first national defeat in 17 years.

Now, the vote comes as the oil giant faces a crippling recession and a rise in violence.

Now, Pakistani security forces have raided a home once occupied by the father of San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik, that's according to a

Pakistani security source who says authorities removed several items.

Now police say that Malik and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook shot and killed 14 people at a

holiday party in San Bernardino, California, last week. Now, the party was for the environmental health department where Farook worked.

Although Farook targeted his co-workers, investigators are focused on terrorism as a motive. Farook's father says his son supported ISIS and was

fixated on Israel. Kyung Lah filed this report for us earlier. We filed this report early.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Syed Farook, father of gunman Syed Rizwan Farook driving away from his home this morning. He's

been speaking to reporters on and off, earlier saying he and his son were divided on ideology.

SYED FAROOK, SYED RIZWAN FAROOK'S FATHER: All Pakistanis coming from major cities are liberal people. And he was going towards conservation.

LAH: He was going towards what?

FAROOK: Conservation. His views were conservative. My views were liberal.

LAH: Farook explains more of their divide in an extensive interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa. He says his son was shy, too

conservative, and his father became angry when he once saw his son had bought a gun. The elder Farook saying about his son's beliefs, he said he

shared the ideology of Al Baghdadi to create an Islamic state, and he was fixated on Israel. A Pakistan-based relative of Farook's who had met him in

the U.S. tells CNN the gunman started following a stricter interpretation of Islam three to four years ago, and the whole family was worried about

the shift in his character.

The relatives saying that change began before he met and married wife and fellow killer Tashfeen Malik. They would meet first over the internet,

Farook seeking a religious woman. Friends say they eventually met in person in Saudi Arabia. Malik entered the U.S. last year on a fiance visa.

Investigators tell CNN Malik, under a different name posted on Facebook a pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi just before the

massacre began.

At the mosque where Malik and Farook were married in the U.S., members say they never saw her face. Farook's father tells La Stampa he also never

met her, a couple whose beliefs are slowly coming into sharper focus. Unknown what sparked the mass murder in the first place.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Corona, California.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:25:56] LU STOUT: Israeli defense forces are patrolling the Sinai border by land and sea to eliminate any threat by ISIS. We have an inside

look at their military maneuvers.

Also ahead, a group from the Amazon is making sure their voices are heard at the climate change summit in Paris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[08:30:59] LU STOUT: Now Israel's Sinai border stretches about 200 kilometers, much of that territory faces the threat of possible attack by

ISIS militants. Now, CNN's Oren Liebermann took to the sea for a look at how Israeli defense forces are preparing for attacks by the terror group.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SIREN)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The siren blares overhead.

(SIREN)

LIEBERMANN: The patrol boat swings around. The target on this training exercise in sight.

(SHOUTING)

LIEBERMANN (on camera): We're here intercepting a fast moving boat. Our target, behind us and to our right, also moving fast on the water.

That's the threats they're training to deal with here.

(voice-over): In the narrow waters, the Israeli navy gives itself less than one minute to find --

(SHOUTING)

(GUNFIRE)

LIEBERMANN: ...and stop an incoming threat. Nearby, the "USS San Antonio," a reminder of the global strategic importance of the Red Sea.

(on camera): Part of the reason the area is so sensitive is because there are four countries within just a few miles of each other. There's

Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia essentially behind me to my right. Here behind me, to my left, Egypt.

(voice-over): In one exercise, two jet skis reach the shore, police ready to make the arrest, coordinating the stop, the double threat of

smuggling and terrorism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, it's ISIS, our biggest threat. So we're doing drills like that once a week, sometimes twice, sometimes in a day,

sometimes in night to make all soldiers be ready.

LIEBERMANN: The threat of ISIS stretching from a lot where boats patrol the port of Akuba (ph) to the Sinai border more than 125 miles

long.

(on camera): This road here, gives a good sense of it here, gives you an idea of the terrain of Sinai and of the Negev Desert, hills and valleys

among these rocks and sand here.

(voice-over): Regular army patrols run along the barbed wire fence, Egypt's border road and their security stations less than a mile away. The

area sparsely populated on both sides.

We drive up to a lookout peering over the barren desert across Egypt and Israel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we see in front of us over there is that new fence.

LIEBERMANN: The border fence at first built to keep out migrants is now meant to hold back smugglers and a terrorist threat, most recently ISIS

Sinai.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know what's out there and we have to guard against it.

LIEBERMANN: Egypt has been struggling to suppress the ISIS-led insurgency in Sinai. But they've succeed in destroying nearly all the

smuggling terminals between Sinai and Gaza, forcing the smugglers to look further south. Sinai has become more lucrative and more dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've seen an increase in these very violent attempts to cross into the Israeli border.

LIEBERMANN: As the threat evolves along the Sinai border, so does Israel's military, keeping watch against an enemy that remains, for the

most part, unseen.

In the Negev Desert, Oren Liebermann, CNN, southern Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, two days after a knife attack at a London subway station left two people wounded, the suspect has made his first appearance

in court. Now, the 29-year-old has been charged with attempted murder. He was arrested after police subdued him with a stun gun.

Now for more on what we know so far, let's bring in CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. He joins us now from our London bureau.

And Fred, what do we know about the attacker and what inspired him?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Kristie, there are some new details that actually just came out very recently after the

man's initial appearance in court. And they come from the initial details of the prosecution's case. So, it appears as though at the Leytonstone

tube station, he attacked a 56-year-old man, beating him and then forcing him to the ground and inflicted a serious wound on this man's neck.

Now, the prosecution's case says this wound was about 12 centimeters that, that's about five inches long and that the victim was in surgery for

about five hours to try and save him from these wounds. That is the reason why Myer is being charged with attempted murder.

Now as you said, he was taken down by Tasers on the third attempt to taser him, it appears the first initial questioning by him searching his

cell phone there was ISIS related material that was found on his phone including material related to the recent Paris attacks, Kristie.

[08:35:28] LU STOUT: And after that knife attack, we know that a bystander was apparently there on the scene and shouting the words you

ain't no Muslim, bro, that's slang for brother. You ain't no Muslim. And that line, it was trending all across social media. Why? I mean, why has

that resonated with so many people there?

PLEITGEN: Well, because it shows the defiance of the city in the face of terrorism. That is really one of the main reasons. It was interesting

because, of course, initially after this happened, there wasn't, I would say, chaos, but there was certainly a big disruption on the subway service.

I was actually traveling on that subway line that evening.

However, the city in itself, of course, was not shut down any way, shape or form. And it was actually the transport for London tube services

themselves that posted this on various subway lines, the saying this hashtag #youain'tnomuslimbro. And it's something that then went viral and

just shows the fact this city will carry on even facing this terrorist threat.

Of course, Kristie, we know that London is a city that is constantly confronted by this terror threat level here in the United Kingdom. Is it

severe? Has been that way since August of 2014, which means that at any point in time the authorities believe a terror attack could occur.

Nevertheless, the Londoners are showing that they will keep calm and carry on, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, a statement of defiance, a statement of unity there. Fred Pleitgen reporting, thank you.

Now, hundreds of officials, they are busy in Paris trying to get a deal on climate change. And after the break, a message for action from a

community that has come all the way from the Amazon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, it is crunch time at the global climate summit in Paris. Negotiators, they now have less than a week to come up with a final

agreement. And one of the many groups is pushing for action comes all the way from the Amazon. Now CNN's John Sutter talks to an indigenous activist

whose community scored and unlikely victory.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome, relatives.

JOHN SUTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From the heart of the Amazon to the streets of

Paris, several indigenous groups traveled thousands of miles to make their voices heard.

One of these groups from Ecuador stood up to energy companies to stop their land from being used for oil development. Nina Gualinga woman is

from there and she's a moral voice for climate action.

NINA GUALINGA, SARAYAKU ACTIVIST: Sarayaku is a community that has been fighting against oil companies for a very, very long time and other

extractive activities in our territory.

SUTTER: Sarayaku sued to stop fossil fuel development on their land and they won their case in the InterAmerican Court for human rights in

2012.

GUALINGA: The court ruled in Sarayaku's favor. No one ever thought that small community in the middle of nowhere would get as far as we did.

SUTTER: They came to Paris for the UN climate summit to share that resilient spirit.

On this day, people of Ecuador and the United States came together to float down a canal in Paris.

[08:40:05] GUALINGA: We are nature. We try to live -- and we live in a way that does not harm nature, because we see Earth as our mother, we

care for her. We respect her and we have to protect her.

SUTTER: Indigenous groups say they're seeing the effects of climate change now. And they're also preventing deforestation since chopping down

these trees contributes to global warming.

On this day, Nina and the others had hoped to float in a wooden canoe from the rain forest. But it got stuck in customs. So, they had to settle

for a plastic boat. But even that didn't stop their call for action.

John Sutter, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now the goal of COP21 is to get nations to sign on to a binding deal to fight global warming. And on our website, John Sutter

gives us an insider's view of the tense negotiations under way. And to find out what is at stake, go straight to cnn.com/2degrees.

And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere, world sport with Alex Thomas is next.

END