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CNN Exclusive Inside Rebel-Held Syria; Senator Marco Rubio Meeting Voters In Florida; Candidates Blitz Ahead of Super Tuesday 3; March Madness Bracket Leaked. Aired 10:30-11a

Aired March 14, 2016 - 10:30   ET

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


[10:30:00]

PATSY KEEVER, CHAIR, NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: ... the people they choose, they think will be best.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Patsy Keever, thanks for joining me this morning. And be sure to --

KEEVER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: You're welcome.

And be sure to stay with CNN for tomorrow's final Super Tuesday. We'll have complete coverage of the day's activities and full results as they come in. It's all day tomorrow right here on CNN.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM exclusive reporting from inside Syria. CNN on the ground moments after a deadly air strike.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The only Plan B is to return to war. Those are words from the U.N. en -- from the U.N. envoy to Syria amid new peace talks to Geneva.

The new talks weeks after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry helped to negotiate a ceasefire in Syria. A U.S. official telling CNN that ceasefire -- that the ceasefire U.S. Special Forces could be used for more counterterrorism observations.

[10:35:02]

In a CNN exclusive our senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward and producer Salma Abdelaziz went undercover into rebel-held -- into rebel-held Syria where virtually no Western journalists have gone for more than a year. They worked with a Syrian-based film maker on this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Moving through rebel-held Northern Syria is difficult and dangerous. As foreign journalists in areas with a strong jihadist presence, we had to travel undercover to see a war few outsiders have witnessed. The city of Idlib is the only provincial capital under rebel control. This was its courthouse until it was hit by an air strike in December. Dozens were killed.

Forty year old lawyer, Tala al-Jaway told us he was inside the building when it was hit. His arm was smashed, but he was lucky to survive.

TALA AL-JAWAY, BOMBING VICTIM (via translator): The Russian planes target anything that works in the interest of the people. The goals if that people here live a destroyed life, that people never see any good, that they never taste life. This is the tax of living in a liberated area.

WARD: An hour later we saw that tax for ourselves while filming in a town nearby. We heard the scream of fighter jets wheeling overhead. Moments later a hit.

There was just an airstrike here in the town of Ariha so we're now driving very quickly. It's not clear yet what was hit but we are hearing that there are still planes in the sky.

Arriving on the scene our team found chaos and carnage. Volunteers shouted for an ambulance as they try to (INAUDIBLE) out the wounded. For many it was too late a woman lay dead on the ground a jacket draped over her, an intent to preserve her dignity.

Russia has repeated claimed it is only hitting terrorist targets. This strike hit a busy fruit market.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via translator): This is just a civilian market. This is not a military area.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via translator): There are no military insulations here or anything. It's a market. Look it's a market, a fruit market. Is this what you want, Bashar?

WARD: We couldn't stay long. Often the jet circle back to hit the same place twice. It's called a double tap.

We just arrived here at the hospital where they're bringing the dead and the wounded from those three strikes in Ariha which hit a park and a fruit market. We don't know the exact number of casualties there but scene of devastation, blood on the ground, dismembered body parts, and the injured and dead that we've seen arriving here indicate that this was a very bad strike indeed.

Among the injured brought in a young boy moaning in pain, died moments later.

The strikes on Ariha that day killed 11 people among them a woman and two children. Rescue workers wasted no time in clearing away the rubble. In this ugly war massacres have become routine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Clarissa Ward is with me now.

Do you have any idea who carried out that attack?

WARD: Well, there's really only two possibilities. That either was the air force of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad or it was the Russians.

Now we know that the Russians since they became involved in Syria have been carrying out the vast majority of air strikes. We did reach out to the Russian Defense Ministry. They released a statement saying they have always maintained, we do not hit civilians or civilian target inside Syria. But as you'll see in the rest of our series this week, Carol, that's simply not what we saw on the ground.

COSTELLO: We saw that man saying, thing is a fruit market. Is this what you want?

WARD: And we saw that 10-year-old boy who died moments later.

COSTELLO: So why target this town?

WARD: They say it's a war on terrorism from what we saw it's a war on everyday life.

COSTELLO: Supposedly there's a cease-fire in place in Syria.

WARD: And I have to say we were there as the cease-fire was implemented. Absolutely there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of incidents like this but they are still continuing. And the real concern talking to people on the ground and seeing the disconnect from what we're hearing in Geneva is that it's going to take a lot more before we see this momentary pause translate into a larger and more substantial cease-fire.

[10:40:09]

COSTELLO: We know that hundreds of thousands of people have left Syria. Are there towns that are completely empty?

WARD: There are a lot of towns that are empty but perhaps what's even more surprising, Carol, is when you go into places like this town Ariha and find that there are still people living there. There are still people who have the courage to stay, to be bombed day in and day out because they believe -- they are hoping at least that they can try to build a better future.

And in our piece tomorrow, we take you to rebel-held Aleppo, parts of which are now completely deserted.

COSTELLO: So my final question is what do the people want? What do they want to happen? Who do they want to come to their rescue?

WARD: It depends who you talk to. Different people have different answers. The one thing that every single person we spoke to is adamant about is that President Bashar al-Assad has to go and there can be no peace in Syria in the future as long as he is there. COSTELLO: I can't wait to see the rest of your reports.

WARD: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Important work. Thank you so much, Clarissa Ward.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Rubio's last-ditch effort. He's meeting with voters in Florida right now. But is it enough?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:45]

COSTELLO: Take a look at top stories for (ph) you (ph) at 45 minutes past.

Let's check the DOW first. It's down just a bit. Just less than a point. So I guess we could call that flat. Let's think positively.

The market appears to be slowing down though after four consecutive weeks of gains. A huge 200-point rally on Friday. The weak start today being blamed on oil prices slipping lower again.

Police in Turkey have detained four suspects near the Syrian border. They think they may be linked to the deadly bombing in the country's capital. A car bomb has killed at least 37 people and injured 125 others in Ankara. Around 30 people are now in custody following an anti-terror raid.

President Obama could announce the Supreme Court nominee this week. He is now interviewing possible candidates to fill the vacancy left by the death of Antonin Scalia. Three federal appellate judges are reportedly topping the list. You see them here the first one Sri Srinivasan. He was confirmed unanimously to the D.C. appeals court. Paul Watford who would be the third African-American in the court's history. And Merrick Garland who previously worked at the Justice Department.

Federal investigators are now on the seat of an Amtrak train derailment. The train went off the track last night with 142 people on board, 20 people have been hospitalized near Dodge City, Kansas. None of the injuries left threatening. It happened just after midnight as the train was heading to Chicago from Los Angeles.

Flags in Maryland are flying at half staff after a 28-year-old police officer is killed in what the department calls an unprovoked attack. Officer Jacai Colson was shot and killed in front of his police station on Sunday. His bosses say he had no reason to be targeted and the suspect had nothing to do with the office. Fellow officers say, Calson cannot be replaced.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TELETCHEA, FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE PRESIDENT: Jacai had an infectious smile. He lit up a room. He was a tremendous personality that made everybody smile and wanted to be everything to everybody. He was a police officer who was a real cop's cop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Officer Colson would have celebrated his 29th birthday this week. The suspect in the shooting was wounded. He's recovering in the hospital. Another person was placed under arrest.

Back to politics now.

Marco Rubio banking on his home state. The Florida senator touring Florida today holding a meet and greet with voters in Jackson just moments ago, and despite recent polling that shows Donald Trump with a comfortable lead in the Sunshine State Rubio is certain voters will pull through for him. So is this do or die for Rubio?

Let's talk about that with CNN's political analyst and "The Daily Beast" editor in chief John Avlon and Michael Warren, staff writer at "The Weekly Standard".

Welcome -- welcome, gentleman. Thanks for being here.

MICHAEL WARREN, STAFF WRITER, THE WEEKLY STANDARD: Good morning, Carol.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning. So I'll just be blunt. John, does Rubio have a prayer?

AVLON: Prayer, yes. Probability, no. Not if the polls are saying anything about it.

But, look, you know, it's a cliche to say that the only poll that counts on Election Day but that's because it's true. And Marco Rubio is a home state senator who should have on advantage. In fact the polls show him getting shellac is not a good thing for his campaign and possibly his political future. But let's until all the votes are cast.

If he loses his home state, which really should be a given in presidential primaries, he's toast. Stick a fork in him.

COSTELLO: Well, I was talking to Republican officials when I was in Florida last week, Michael, that a lot of people have already voted in early voting in Florida, and that was before all of this stuff happened with, you know, Trump and Rubio -- you know, and Rubio became like, you know, down and dirty with Trump, and we might be surprised with the results in Florida.

WARREN: Yes. Some of those early voting statistics indicate that Rubio actually has an advantage among early voters.

But I agree with John. I mean, the polls are -- just don't bode well for Marco Rubio. He's down, you know, double digits to Trump. The polls have generally actually had been pretty good this cycle at predicting what the final vote is going to be, particularly Trump's final vote.

Now, Marco Rubio has had a sort of good track record of finishing better in some of those earlier states than where he was poll but that's such a large margin. I do question whether or not he can actually close the gap. But, you know, crazier things have happened this election so, you know, I'm not ready to make a prediction.

Trump's final vote. Now, Marco Rubio has had a good track record of finishing better in some of the earlier states than where he was poll.

[10:50:03]

But that's such a large margin. I do question whether or not he can actually close the gap. But you know, crazier things have happened this election. So, you know, I'm not ready to make a prediction, but it's not looking good for Rubio.

COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk about Ohio and John Kasich, John Avlon.

Because Kasich is now campaigning in your neck of the woods, Youngstown, Ohio. Some polls have him virtually tied with Donald Trump. Other has -- other polls have Donald Trump up just a smidgen. What do you think will happen?

AVLON: Look, this is really the race to watch, because it shows Kasich in some polls having a narrow lead. Never good to have to fight for your home state, particularly if you're a sitting governor.

But in the larger field of the stop Trump politics, if Trump wins Ohio and Florida mathematically it's almost game over. But if Kasich can peel off Ohio, then he certainly lives to fight another day.

And what I think is interesting is the Rubio campaign spokesman, Alex Conant, saying late last week that Rubio supporters in Ohio should support John Kasich as part of that larger effort. And in great contrast Ted Cruz has been building offices in Florida, apparently designed to kneecap Marco one final time.

But the politics of Ohio are fascinating. Obviously big prize in the general, and that Youngstown, Ohio area near and dear to my heart in Northeast Ohio is a swing part of the swing state, and Trump is really hoping he can peel off disaffected Democrats, union voters who may switch the political aisle to support him. So it's a fascinating real time fight right now.

COSTELLO: And Michael, Mitt Romney is going to be campaigning in Ohio for John Kasich. John Boehner, remember him? He sent out an Instagram picture of him mowing his lawn, and shortly after he endorsed John Kasich. So would that help?

WARREN: That was -- that was the happiest man in the country, John Boehner mowing his lawn. Not involved at anything here in D.C. It could have an effect.

I mean, look, John Boehner hated by some of the more conservative members of the Republican Party but, you know, he's still an Ohio guy. That's an important part of the state, Republican part of the state in Southwestern, Ohio near Cincinnati that he's from. I think that could have an effect. And Kasich is in a much better position to win Ohio than Florida is for Rubio.

The other two states to watch remember for tomorrow are Illinois and Missouri. They're not strictly winner take all. They're proportional, and I think ted Cruz could perform very well in Missouri. John Kasich could do well in some of those congressional districts in Illinois. And that could really cut into Trump's delegate math.

And I don't think it's over even if Donald Trump wins Ohio and Florida, there is still a way to keep them under those necessary numbers of delegates. It just gets a lot, lot tougher for the never Trump type folks.

COSTELLO: All right. I want to touch on the Democrats for a bit, John Avlon, because Bernie Sanders is doing pretty well in Illinois which is kind of surprising since, you know, Chicago is has been a Hillary Clinton land, right?

AVLON: It is surprising, but, you know, he -- you know, the one poll that has been totally wrong this cycle was Michigan. And so there's an upper Midwest momentum towards Bernie Sanders right now, particularly in the Chicago area.

What's fascinating is some of the polls show very strong support among Latinos in particular. And in the politics of Illinois, this all gets kind of interesting. But Rahm Emanuel, the mayor of Chicago's association with the Clintons, Bernie is trying to hammer that point home as a negative and drive up his minority numbers.

But the south of the part of the state, you know, that is -- that is more conservative, more rural, more white -- of course, this is technically Hillary Clinton's home state. You can pick one of three, Illinois, Arkansas, New York, but she grew up in Illinois. So expect a big fight there. And Missouri at least one poll showing Bernie one up. So again, pay attention to those key cities in those states to see what turnout is on the Democratic state.

COSTELLO: We will pay attention with laser focus.

Michael Warren and John Avlon, thanks to both of you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, how the official March Madness bracket was leaked before it officially debuted on TV.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:58:13]

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) NCAA men's basketball tournament is now set. Now you can fill out the brackets on company time.

Coy Wire has more on all things March Madness. Hi, Coy. COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Great to see you. It's bracket Monday. So that means an estimated $1.3 billion of company money is going to be wasted each and every hour during March Madness because about 51 million Americans are going to be watching the games through April fourth.

Well, the consultancy that makes these estimates, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, they warned companies, don't you dare even think about taking away your company off this pool. They say let the people play because it boosts morale. In the long run, it will benefit the company.

So yesterday was selection Sunday. Who was it that got the love and who got snubbed? Monmouth, Saint Mary's, Saint Bonaventure, all left out but Michigan State not getting a number one seed. After winning the big ten tournament? Well, that had to be one of the most controversial decisions. They're actually the number two seed behind Virginia who got the top slot in the Midwest.

Kansas was number one in the south region, the number one overall seed as well. North Carolina, (INAUDIBLE) Tar Heels number one in the east, and the Oregon ducks, quack, quack they took the top slot in the west region.

Now, did you hear about some of the drama that happened about midway through yesterday's selection show on CBS? Someone leaked the actual bracket on Twitter before the selections were even announced. A person tweeted from are a vulgar twitter name, and it isn't known how those persons got their information or who it was, but the suspense was gone for some people when this came out.

The NCAA not happy about it. They're looking into the situation, and think about the companies who paid for commercials during that two hour selection show, Carol. They can't be happy either. Now, I know we have to get, Carol, if you want to go to CNN.com/anchors, you can try to take down Carol Costello and the rest of us here at CNN.

[11:00:06]

COSTELLO: I almost lost (ph) last year, and I plan to win this year.

Coy Wire, thanks so much.