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Police in Belgium Have Charged Mohamed Abrini with Participating in the Activities of a Terrorist Group; Democratic Caucuses in Wyoming Under Way; Donald Trump Hired a Convention Manager; Secretary of State John Kerry Wraps Up His Surprise Visit to Afghanistan. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired April 9, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:00:09] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Pamela Brown in for Poppy Harlow. Great to have you along with us on this Saturday.

And we begin with breaking news. CNN can now confirm that this man right here is the illusive man in the hat, according to his confession, and now stands accused of not one but two of the most deadly terror attacks in Europe's history. 31-year-old ISIS-linked Mohamed Abrini, now captured alive in Brussels. These picture showing Abrini at a gas station with the now captured Salah Abdeslam days before the deadly Paris attacks, a crime Abrini is accused of helping orchestrate.

Well, fast-forward four months, Abrini still on the run wearing a hat right here and a light colored jacket according to authorities, unassumingly walking through Brussels international airport. Moments later, two explosions rocked the departure hall killing and maiming dozen.

And today, he confessed to his presence as that crime scene, even admitting that he threw away his suicide vest in a garbage bin and then sold off his infamous hat to someone. For more on this, let's to Frederik Pleitgen in Brussels.

Fred, what more can you tell us about this shocking confession?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We got a lot of this information, Pamela, firsthand from the federal prosecutor's office here in Brussels. And for them, it was very important to make clear that it was Abrini himself who made the confession, that he is, in fact, the so-called man in the hat.

Now, they say what they did is they used facial recognition software first and foremost and then confronted him with that evidence and at some point he said, yes, indeed, that is me. And he not only made that confession, but also in essence gave a lot of detail as to the route that he took after these attacks took place. But you have to remember that there is that photo of him and these two others attackers. And then the police here, a couple of days ago, just puts together a series of pictures and videos that seems to show that third person leaving the airport, and then going all the way to central Brussels. He now confirmed that that's exactly what he did. That he dumped his jacket along the way. Sold his hat as well.

The other big information that we also got today from Brussels authorities was that the second person at the other attack that took place on that same day at that metro station has also been identified as Usama Krayem. He was apparently seen on CCTV footage inside the subway station. They now say they positively I.D. him as well, Pamela.

BROWN: All right, Fred. Be sure to stay with us. A lot to discuss.

I want to also bring in Bob Baer, former CIA operative and CNN intelligence and security analyst.

So Bob, first off, this terror suspect, he was not hiding. He was hiding in plain sight in Brussels. He was one of the most wanted men in Europe and then managed to help carry out a second large-scale attack. Is this another intelligence failure?

BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Pamela, I think it's worrisome that this guy was involved in the 13 November attack in Paris and managed to allude Belgian authorities for four months.

BROWN: And he was in Brussels? He was right under their noses.

BAER: Right under their noses and then he carries out a second attack, if the information is right, against the airport, you know, making the bombs, getting everybody ready, putting them in taxis, these people in the open. And let's not forget they are Belgian citizens. They have nowhere to go. I mean, how deep is the sympathy for the Islamic state among the Moroccan community, these immigrates who live in Belgium? It's worrisome and that fact that they can operate in the open, with automatic weapons and what in effect high explosives.

BROWN: And Fred, you had mentioned, you know, before he confessed authorities confronted Abrini with evidence of why they believed he was the man in the hat. Do we know if there was anything else other than the facial recognition evidence, for example, anything Salah Abdeslam the Paris suspect might have given authorities in terms of him being the man in the hat?

PLEITGEN: Well, it's not clear if Salah Abdeslam himself offered any sort of information that would led the police to Mohamed Abrini as being the -- that man in the hat. And also one of the things we have to keep in mind is that after Salah Abdeslam was captured, first of all, his lawyer said he was actually cooperating with the authorities. But then right before the attack, a lawyer said he actually stopped cooperating with the authorities and was not saying anything anymore. And it was literally the day after that that the Brussels attack then happened. So it's unclear whether Salah Abdeslam had anything to do with it. We put that very question to the public prosecutor, though. We said,

what was it that led you to believe or to believe that you know that this is indeed the man in the hat? And they said that it was a series of things. But first and foremost, the most important thing they did say was the facial recognition and that he was -- when he was confronted with that that finally he admitted, yes, this was him.

[15:05:06] BROWN: Right. Because there were two other people prior to him that they thought was the man in the hat, and turns out that they weren't.

So, Bob, what do you make of the fact, speaking of the hat, that he sold it after the attacks according to him? That seems not only strange but brazen, considering he was one of the most wanted men in Europe?

BAER: Well, Pamela, exactly. Taking from Fred's comments. I mean, you know, it doesn't make any sense selling the hat. You throw this stuff away. The fact that he said he was the third suicide bomber, and disposed of the vest. I mean, these people are inherently unreliable. They are true believers. They still believe in the cause and what they tell the police, very suspect.

What I trust in all of this is the forensics that they dig up, fingerprints, DNA, facial recognition. You know, especially the finger prints in a place where they are making the bombs. So the Belgian police have to be very careful about these statements. They may seem to cooperate for a time, but usually as these things go, they just lie flat out, usually to protect somebody else.

BROWN: And you bring up the DNA. He wasn't wearing gloves in that video. So, you know, presumably authorities might be able to get some DNA from the cart and the jacket, if they can recover it. But are you skeptical, essentially, of his confession that he was the man in the hat? You don't buy it?

BAER: I think he was the man in the hat. I think the Belgian police probably have more information than we know about. For them to go public, probably pretty certain that was him and, you know, they may have a source or maybe DNA, something else, aside from facial recognition, because the hat, the glasses, the facial hair, the rest of it, big coat, looks to me like that was intended to be a disguise. So I would imagine that they have more information.

BROWN: Yes. He would have an incentive to be incognito.

So Fred, we know Abrini was the last named terror suspect, but do we know how many people the Belgian authorities are still searching for trying to identify parts of this network?

PLEITGEN: You know, it is a good question. One of the numbers that we have seen sort of thrown around over the past couple days, Pamela, was the number of about a dozen allegedly still out there. We haven't been able to corroborate that number whether or not that is true. However, it does appears pretty certain that the Belgian authorities

do believe that there could at least be some facilitators out there. Some people who might have helped these suspects along the way. Keep in mind that Abdeslam, when he apprehended by the police, he was in an apartment with several other people. Abrini himself also, when he was arrested by the police was with two other people who subsequently have been released.

Now, over the course of today, I spent the better part of the day in the Etterbeek (ph) region or the Etterbeck district of Brussels. And there was a major raid that was going on there where the police say in the end they went into an apartment. They didn't find any explosives but they believe that it might have been used by these terror suspects as a safe house. So certainly, the police is definitely not ruling out that there could still be people behind all this as well, maybe involved in some way, shape or form and that investigation is still very much ongoing. Pamela.

BROWN: And as a result, the threat level in Europe remains high.

Bob Baer, Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much for sharing your insight and reporting.

And we now want to turn to Ted Cruz. He is speaking at the Colorado GOP convention. Let's listen in.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- stagnating year after year after year. Cost of living keeps going up. And yet somehow your paycheck doesn't seem to keep pace.

I want to talk to all of the young people. Coming out of school, you got student loans up to your eyeballs. And you're scared, am I going to get a job? What is the future hold for me? And the media tries to tell us, this is the new normal. This is as good as it gets. Well, let me tell you, that is an utter lie.

(APPLAUSE)

CRUZ: You know, it's easy to talk about making America great again. You can eve print that on a baseball cap. But the real question is, do you understand the principles and values that made America great in the first place?

(APPLAUSE)

CRUZ: The heart of our economy isn't Washington, D.C. The heart of our economy is small businesses all across the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

CRUZ: And if want to see the economy take off, you lift the boot of the federal government off the back of the necks of small businesses!

(APPLAUSE)

[15:10:00] CRUZ: If I am elected president, we will repeal every word of Obamacare. We will pass common sense healthcare reform that makes health insurance personal and portable and affordable, and keeps government from getting in between us and our doctors.

BROWN: All right. There we listened to Ted Cruz. He is speaking in Colorado Springs, Colorado. So far he has won 21 delegates at that convention there in Colorado.

Coming up, right here in the NEWSROOM, we're standing up, standing by, rather, to get results from the Wyoming Democratic caucuses. What a win there for Bernie Sanders could mean for his momentum going into that it critical primary in New York. We'll discuss.

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[15:13:59] BROWN: Right now the showdown between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders is focused on one state -- that's Wyoming. The all- important Wyoming Democratic caucus is wrapping up. Results should be coming in soon and 14 pledge delegates are at stake here.

Democrat Bernie Sanders is looking to extend his big winning streak and if Sanders emerges victorious in Wyoming he would have won eight of the nine last state contests. Clinton is try to put a stop to Sanders growing momentum before their brutal showdown in the New York primary.

I want to bring in Paul Vercammen in Cheyenne, Wyoming and "New Yorker" Washington correspondent Ryan Lizza.

Paul, let's start with you. Tell us what are you seeing and hearing on the ground there?

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pam, things are in a state of flux right now. The numbers are just coming in. I'm going to bring someone in off camera in just one second here.

We can tell you that here in Laramie County, Cheyenne, Wyoming, that Hillary Clinton by virtue of a strong push from the surrogate or pre- cast ballots overtook Bernie Sanders some 731 raw votes to about 689. And then come in here, if you could, Aimee Van Cleave with the Democratic Party here in Wyoming. What other results can you tell us? I know you've just counted them?

[15:15:09] AIMEE VAN CLEAVE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WYOMING DEMOCRATS: Yes. So we are still getting results in across the state working to figure out delegate math, count up our voters. So here in Laramie County, Secretary Clinton was the winner. However, up in Campbell County, we have got numbers are in and it was a big, big lead for senator Sanders.

VERCAMMEN: Can you tell me what the numbers are?

VAN CLEAVE: 96-47. So 96 total votes for Senator Sanders and 47 for Secretary Clinton.

VERCAMMEN: And again, what county was that?

VAN CLEAVE: That's Campbell County, which is Gillette, Wyoming.

VERCAMMEN: And the other counties you can tell us about?

VAN CLEAVE: We got numbers in from Hot Springs County. They also went for Senator Sanders, 31-13. And so, that's (INAUDIBLE) which is lovely. And lots of little counties coming in.

VERCAMMEN: If you have another go, and give it to us.

VAN CLEAVE: We have also - we are starting to see numbers in from Sheridan. They are still confirming. But so far, it looks like most of the smaller counties across the state are going for Senator Sanders.

VERCAMMEN: Thank you so much for taking your time. Record turnout again, right?

VAN CLEAVE: Yes, real close.

VERCAMMEN: OK. They may break their all-time turnout record here in the state of Wyoming. There is a lot of enthusiasm here today, Pam. And as you see, the numbers just starting to trickle in Wyoming. Back to you.

BROWN: Thanks so much, Paul.

And Ryan, just from what we heard in Paul's reported, sounds like a good day so far for Bernie Sanders. Not quite a surprise, right?

RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's not. He has done very well in these western caucuses, basically states with a few characteristics. One, they have weak Democratic parties, right, in the general election. Wyoming hasn't gone for the Democrats in a very long time. And demographically, they are mostly white. Any state that is above about 20 percent African-American Bernie Sanders has not been able to win. And this sort of states out west have a slightly more libertarian independent streak. That's Bernie Sanders country.

So if expectations are that he win the caucus in Wyoming, pick up another small batch of delegates, and continue a pretty -- a pretty decent winning stretch here. You know, continuing to show some weaknesses in the front-runner Hillary Clinton.

BROWN: Right. So winning Wyoming, clearly, is less about the delegates and more about momentum for Sanders. It would mean he carried eight of the last ten contests. So how would that frame the battle for New York's upcoming primary?

LIZZA: Well, it certainly puts enormous amount of pressure on Hillary Clinton to not lose what is her home state, adopted home state. That would obviously be an earthquake, if Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in the mega state of New York where she served two terms as senator and where she still has her residency.

So, you know, everyone's going to be watching the results in New York. It there's any chance that Bernie Sanders can be defeat her there, I think it would completely unsettle this race. As the Sanders campaign has been pointing out recently it is very, very likely that Hillary Clinton will not have the pledged delegates to win the nomination going to the convention. If things play out the way they think they're going to play out from the here to the end. She will actually need the super delegates to put her over the top. So he has this sort of talking point. It is very powerful where he can go into the convention and say, hey, wait a second. It's not over. I can still woo some of these super delegates and flip them.

Now in reality, we all know that is going to be very hard to win the super delegates. But that's a pretty powerful talking point that he has continued to exceed expectations.

BROWN: Yes. He certainly putting up a good fight, that's for sure.

Ryan Lizza, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

And a special programming note. The next CNN Democratic presidential debate in Brooklyn will be next Thursday. See Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders face-off April 14th at 9:00 p.m. eastern, just five days before the New York primary. Right here on CNN.

And coming up, it's one part presidential politics. One part speed dating.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The wooing and courting OK with you or do you feel pressure?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a lonely man and like to be wooed every now and then.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Inside the messy fight for Colorado's GOP delegates. It's not like anything you've seen before. We'll be back.

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[15:23:06] BROWN: Right now the Republican battle for delegates is focused on Colorado. Ted Cruz is extending his recent winning streak against front-runner Donald Trump. So far Cruz has wrapped up 21 of Colorado's 34 pledge delegates. The final 13 are being awarded today.

Meantime, Trump skipped today's Colorado GOP convention choosing instead to visit New York's 9/11 memorial. In Colorado you won't see voters heading to polls or anybody gathering as caucuses. Instead Republican Party insiders are hand picking delegates rather than candidates.

CNN's Ana Cabrera is in Colorado Springs.

So Ana, walk through this process. What's happening?

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now there are a lot of cheers for Ted Cruz who is speaking to this, this huge convention. Some 6,000 party insiders from the state of Colorado have shown up. They are going to be voting on those 13 remaining delegate spots. There are a total, we're told, of 600-plus people who are running for those 13 delegate spots, and each of those it candidates are going to get 10 seconds to speak to this crowd to try to make their final case, just 10 seconds. So as you can imagine, there has been a lot happening behind the scenes here in Colorado in the weeks and months leading up to this to try to win over supporters.

Now, Ted Cruz definitely has the momentum here in Colorado, as mentioned. He has picked up all of the delegates could have been elected so far. He is the only candidate who is speaking at this state convention. Donald Trump and John Kasich staying on the east coast.

Donald Trump's campaign says if he wins any delegates here in Colorado today, that will be a victory. They aren't counting on those. John Kasich still hoping to pick up may a few candidates as the 13 remaining delegates are elected here in Colorado. But they said they will continue to work on the delegates from Colorado, even beyond today's state convention, because some of the delegates who have been elected while they have already said they plan to support Cruz technically they are unpledged or unbound, meaning they could go into the national convention and pick somebody else - Pam.

[15:25:13] BROWN: Ana, thank you so much for that report.

And as Ana mentioned, Donald Trump is not there in Colorado, unlike Ted Cruz. In fact, Trump has been off the campaign trail the last three days but hasn't stayed off twitter. This morning he sent out this message. Take a look. Isn't it a shame the person who will have by far the most delegates and many millions more votes than anyone else, me, still must fight.

I'm going to bring in CNN political commentator and Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord as well as Ron Nehring, national spokesman for Senator Ted Cruz. Thank you both for coming on.

Jeffrey, to you first. Hi, there. I got to ask you, just in light of what I said, is this a new strategy we are seeing from a quieter Donald Trump following a rough week?

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think, you know, all of these campaigns pivot to some degree as they make progress, and I think with the hiring of Paul Manafort and the concentration on delegates that are you going to see in essence the next stage of the campaign. So I'm sure it will be slightly different than what was before, but this is what happens in campaigns. They evolve. And this is the evolution for the Trump campaign.

BROWN: So why isn't Trump in Colorado, like Ted Cruz is? You would think he would be there wanting to pull in those delegates?

LORD: I think in all candor, he has decided to put his focus on New York which is a good thing. Never take your home state for granted, as Marco Rubio found out the hard way. So I think he is probably intending to concentrate on New York and that's where his concentration should be at the moment. BROWN: And you had mentioned Paul Manafort, the new convention

manager. In fact, he said that he is confident that there will be only one round of voting at the Republican convention in July. Let's take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL MANAFORT, DONALD TRUMP'S CONVENTION MANAGER: The reality is, Ted Cruz has seen his best day. The reality is, this convention process will be over with sometime in June. Probably June 7th, and it will be apparent to the world that Trump is over the 1,237 number. There's Pennsylvania. There's New Jersey. There's Maryland. There's Connecticut. And these are his wheelhouse. And, yes, California is going to be important, but by the time we get to California, the momentum is going to be very clear, and Ted Cruz' path to victory in shambling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: He sounds pretty confident there, Ron. What's your response to Manafort's comments?

RON NEHRING, TED CRUZ'S NATIONAL SPOKESMAN: Well, I sure hope he continues thinking that way, and I really hope that that is the dominant thinking within the Trump campaign going forward. You guys keep doing that, and we'll see what ultimately happens at the end of the day.

Look, progress is important, and there is progress being made today. Unfortunately for Donald Trump, there is no progress for him being made in Colorado where these district conventions have been producing very, very good results for Senator Cruz. Senator Cruz, you know, we expect good results here today in Colorado. That's the fourth state in a row, Colorado, North Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, all going in our direction.

You know, in terms of momentum, that's you know that is clearly ours at the moment. But look, we're in the bottom of the fifth inning. It's a nine inning game. We are going to fight for every single state all the way to the end. Unlike Donald Trump, we are not cancelling events. You know, Donald Trump was supposed to be here in California yesterday, he cancelled. He was supposed to be in Colorado. He had already early confirmed being at the Colorado convention. He cancelled.

So I'm not sure what type of, you know, problems, internal problems that Donald Trump's campaign is trying to deal with, with recent hires and then suddenly cancelling these events. But at the end of the day we're going all the way to the end. I'm here in San Diego right now. We have been organizing very, very aggressively throughout California since August, because we recognize the nature of the campaign, 50 states, five territories and the District of Columbia, working hard to support everywhere.

BROWN: All right, Jeffrey. You're laughing. What do you want to say? LORD: Well, I laughed. I mean, this is what campaigns do. Ron is

doing it very, very well. We forget here that senator Cruz is in fact behind. He is losing. So there is reason for him to be working all that much harder, because he is behind.

So this is the way it goes, and to be perfectly candid, every nominee that has been produced in either party since 1960 who has been far enough ahead as with Donald Trump has always won the nomination even though they received stiff pretty stiff challenges along the way, and that's both parties. So I'm really not sure there's going to be any difference here with Donald Trump.

BROWN: But let me ask you this, Jeffrey, because as Ron pointed out, Ted Cruz does have momentum right now on the heels of his win in Wisconsin. Is that why Donald Trump is so focused on New York? Because he feels like a win in New York will put a stop to that momentum?

LORD: Sure. Definitely, you want to concentrate on your home base. So there is no question. And we will see how much momentum senator Cruz has after New York. And I'm -- I'm talking to you from here in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump is doing very well here in Pennsylvania as well as a matter of fact, one of his delegate candidates showed up at my door, working the neighborhood. So I know they are pretty organized here and you are getting things done.

[15:30:08] BROWN: All right. So, Ron, if Trump does go to the convention with a large delegate lead but Senator Cruz gets the nomination on a second or third ballot, hypothetically, is there concern that Trump supporters will be so angry they won't back Cruz in the general.

NEHRING: Well, the only candidate who would absolutely have no ability to unite the Republican Party is Donald Trump, because he has chosen to make everything so personal, and so divisive, and really do everything he can to try to break the party apart in order to maintain his, his minority stake within, you know, within the party that we have seen rather consistently throughout.

You know, what we have said will happen, has happened. And that is, as the race has narrowed from 17 candidates down to effectively a two- person contest in terms of delegates, our numbers have gone up and Donald Trump's numbers, you know, have remained flat. So the candidate who was the problem in terms of anything dealing with unity is Donald Trump.

And you know, I'm glad that his people look like they have been keeping him off, you know, off of twitter a little bit, but you know, at the end of the day, Donald Trump is a captive of the brand that he has created, while Senator Cruz is moving forward. He just announced yesterday, we have raised a record $12.5 million last month. Average contributions $52. We saw a tremendous come from behind victory in the state of Wisconsin from being down by 20 to winning by 13. Everyone said that was a state which Donald Trump should have won. He didn't. He did very, very badly there. And that show as dynamic nature of this race. When we engage, our numbers go up. Donald Trump numbers go down.

BROWN: Jeff, final word. Quickly.

LORD: In terms of unity, I'm wondering when Senator Cruz apologized to Senator McConnell for calling him a liar?

NEHRING: You know, I'm looking for that apology from Donald Trump concerning his hate tweets towards Senator Cruz' wife. We're still waiting for that apology.

BROWN: We are not going to get it here. But Jeffrey Lord, Ron Nehring, thank you very much for that. Appreciate it.

LORD: Thank you, Pam.

NEHRING: Thank you.

BROWN: Meantime, CNN's Anderson Cooper will host a town hall with Donald Trump, his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka this Tuesday night at 9:00 eastern. You won't want to miss it.

And coming up right here in NEWSROOM, more on that major break weeks after the Brussels airport bombing. Police announcing a suspect has confessed to being the man in the hat captured on surveillance video. We will bring you the very latest from Brussels.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:35:35] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BROWN: And we are back with our breaking news. A confession in Belgium. Federal prosecutors say this man, Mohamed Abrini, right here. The last remaining fugitive in the Paris attacks harks just admitted to be in the man in the hat. Seen in the Brussels airport with the two bombers just moments before explosions shook the terminal. They say he confessed after being confronted with facial recognition evidence.

Let's go live to CNN's Fred Pleitgen in Brussels.

So Fred what is he saying to authorities?

PLEITGEN: Well, it's interesting, because Pamela, aside from saying that yes, he was, indeed, that so-called man in the hat, the third person in that surveillance picture, he also apparently told them all about the route that he took after he left the Brussels airport saying that he went along towards the city center of Brussels, that at some point along the way he threw away his jacket that he was wearing, and sold a hat that he had also been wearing to conceal his identity.

Now, the police say this is, of course, a major step forward. They hope to get even more information from Abrini, because they also fear that there could still be people out there that are part of this wider cell that could potentially be dangerous.

Earlier today, I was at a raid that took place in the Etterbeek (ph) district of Brussels, and the police raided that place for several hours. In the end, they say they didn't find any weapons or any sort of explosives, but say they do believe that the apartment that ty raided at some point in time was potentially used as a safe house by these terror suspects - Pamela.

BROWN: All right. A lot going on there in Belgium.

Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much for that.

And meantime, in Afghanistan, there are explosions rocking Kabul. Secretary of state John Kerry wraps ups up his surprise visit. Kerry has been trying to diffuse a political crisis in the unity government that he helped build.

Joining me now from Kabul, Nick Paton Walsh, CNN senior international correspondent.

So Nick, where was Secretary Kerry when those explosions occurred?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We don't know precisely but I did get a note from the pool traveling with John Kerry that suggest had had already made way to towards the (INAUDIBLE), the main airport and perhaps exiting the country.

But those four blasts seemed to come mostly from the diplomatic area. A lot of the sound we heard and the reporting we have seen since then seems to suggest we are talking about rockets. No initial reports of injuries and suggestions perhaps there was enormously fine sporadic gunfire afterwards as police adjusted to the kind of after effect of an explosion like that. But what a clear message, frankly, to the U.S. secretary of state of how security is deteriorating here in the capital of Kabul and across the country. the worse, frankly, the number one as you were in agenda. Surely, this is meeting with President Ashraf Ghani and other officials here. We know this meeting, this trip, was aimed at propping up the fractured unity government here that he helped create, putting the president alongside the man he fought in election against, Abdullah to try and get some kind of compromise and the keep the country politically on track. But it's been faltering. He is trying to express American support for their project here. But the key issue is, of course, Taliban being on the offensive.

The southern province of Helmand, heavily under pressure in Taliban there. Just last year alone, 5.5 thousand Afghans losing their lives. More than NATO lost in their entire campaign here. And, of course, this fighting season imminently ahead, many are deeply concerned the Taliban won't be talking peace like John Kerry asked them to again today but instead focusing on the battlefield, which they're doing pretty well at this stage.

A tragic loss though, for Afghan civilians, 11,000 casualties dead and injured last year amongst them alone. It is not going to get any better and blast like that with all security put in place for the U.S. secretary of state could not prevent it. That just (INAUDIBLE), how fragile security is here and frankly, how awful this year ahead, the summer fighting season ahead could be in Afghanistan -- Pamela. BROWN: Yes. You really just put that in perspective.

Nick Paton Walsh, thank you very much for your reporting there in Kabul.

And coming up on this Saturday, former president Bill Clinton expressing regret? Sort of.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I did something yesterday in Philadelphia, I almost want to apologize for. No. Wait, wait.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Will an angry exchange with protestors this week affect his wife's campaign?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:43:35] BROWN: The Democratic candidates are still in a nasty back and forth over their qualifications to be president. Former president Bill Clinton said Sanders wouldn't have questioned his wife's qualifications if Hillary was a man. Sanders responded to CNN's Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I appreciate Bill Clinton being my psychoanalysts. It's always nice. But the reality is that ever since Wisconsin when that became the six out of seven states that we have won in either caucuses or primaries, I think the Clinton campaign has made it public, basically they told the media, that here in New York they are about to become very negative, about to beat us up. And I just want them to understand that, you know, we have tried to run an issue-oriented campaign. But we are not going to be attacked every single day. And our record is not going to be distorted. We are going to fight back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So joining me now to discuss is political strategist and Sanders supporter Jonathan Tasini and CNN political commentator and Hillary Clinton supporter Maria Cardona.

First, Jonathan, what do you make of the attack from Bill Clinton, that questioning his wife's qualifications had hints of sexism?

JONATHAN TASINI, BERNIE SANDERS SUPPORTER: I think it was rubbish, actually. The last person you could accuse of sexism is Bernie Sanders. He stood up for women's rights his whole career. I understand why Bill Clinton lashed out. I understand it psychologically.

But you know, Bill Clinton has a habit of not liking to hear criticism. Those of us in the progressive movement know when we took him on the issue of him pushing through NAFTA when he obliterated glass steel at the behest of his friends at Citibank, like Robert Rubi when he was for the death penalty, when he pushed through welfare reform, all of these policies that Hillary Clinton supported, welfare reform that devastated communities of color, Bill Clinton lashes out. That's the way he operates. It's unfortunate, though.

[15:45:30] BROWN: What do you think, Maria? Is it rubbish, as he said?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think that Bill Clinton appreciates Jonathan's psychoanalysis as well. So, thank you, Jonathan.

I think has that more to do with how ridiculous Bernie Sanders' comment was when he said that he didn't think that Hillary Clinton was qualified to be president. I think his campaign and the candidate himself were reeling from a disastrous and horrendous interview that had just come out in the "New York Daily News" which really uncovered the real lack of depth of knowledge on the core issues that Bernie Sanders talks about at every rally. And importantly as a New Yorker, uncovered and continued to underscore the lack of depth and knowledge and expertise on foreign policy and keeping us safe.

And so I think that was part of the reaction from the Bernie Sanders campaign. There were also some false reports about how the Clinton campaign was going to come out and attack Bernie Sanders when, in fact, that has not happened. She does not need to do that. She is winning. She is winning in New York. She's going to win New York. And so, you know, I'm not surprised that the "Washington Post" today qualify this week as the worst week that Bernie Sanders has had.

BROWN: Jonathan?

TASINI: So I like Maria very much. We actually hang out way too often.

CARDONA: I like you, too, Jonathan.

TASINI: Hopefully when the election is over we will just hang out and have a beer. But I don't agree with her at all. The Clinton campaign, I have to admire them. They are experts at the dark art of politics and kneecapping people. And it's what they actually did to Barack Obama in 2008. Remember, they in South Carolina, Bill Clinton attacked Barack Obama. So did Hillary Clinton. The same thing they have done to Bernie Sanders throughout the campaign.

I want to show you this little sheet, Pam. This is a sheet that rates Chelsea Clinton's characterization of Bernie Sanders' healthcare plan as mostly false. And that was exactly the same characterization that Hillary Clinton made of Bernie Sanders' healthcare plan.

The reason I bring up healthcare is every single plan, every single issue that Bernie Sanders has put forth for changing America, for having a political revolution, the Clinton campaign has repeatedly and I have to see you this work lied about his positions and mischaracterized them, because they can't win on the issues.

Bernie Sanders has completely captured this primary, define what this primary is about. So the only way Hillary Clinton can win is for her to go for moderate corporatists, which is what she is, to try to be a progressive. And that's what this whole debate is about and I'd like us to get back to debate the real issues.

CARDONA: I would love for it to get back to the issues. Again, Bernie Sanders was the one who hit below the belt and Hillary Clinton did not take the bait. She does not need to take the bait.

TASINI: That's not true.

CARDONA: She's going to continue to focus on the issues, and if you want to talk about records --

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: I want to squeeze in this question, though, and then let you guys get your response and discussion about the Bill Clinton role in the campaign and whether it's helping or hurting his wife, because earlier this week the former president stole the spotlight again with this response to black lives matter protestors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B. CLINTON: I don't know how you would characterize the gang leaders who got 13-year-old kids hopped up on crack and sent them out on the street to murder other African-American children. Maybe you thought they were good citizens. She didn't. She didn't. You are defending the people who kill the lives you say matter!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right. Quickly, Maria, what do you think about this? A distraction?

CARDONA: I think -- I think it will be a distraction that will go away pretty quickly. Look, when you bring out the big dog which is what he is known as in Democratic circle, sometimes he is going to bark. Having said that, I think he is much more of an asset than a liability. He is beloved in many of the communities that Democrats are going to need to mobilize for Hillary Clinton in the democratic primary process as well as for Democrats in the general election. He was part and parcel and critical and President Obama will tell you this, in President Obama's reelection. He will continue to focus on the issues.

The challenge for what he said this time around is that it takes away from what Hillary Clinton's proposals are when it comes to banning racial profiling, getting rid of the injustices in the criminal justice system. Banning and ending the school to prison pipeline and replacing it with opportunities and pathways from the cradle to career which is exactly what she's going to be talking about.

[15:50:21] TASINI: So the only reason that he is a distraction reminds people that basically Bill Clinton is a moderate corporatist who is for the death penalty, for NAFTA, for welfare reform that devastated communities of color. Hillary Clinton has supported all of those policies. And to the extent that Bill Clinton and people remember those issues and are reminded of those issues that people need to remember that those are the policies that Hillary Clinton has supported, bad trade agreements that destroyed jobs, the death penalty. They were both against marriage equality. And all of those issues then get even more hyped up if you will when Bill Clinton comes out on the campaign trail.

BROWN: All right, Jonathan Tasini and Maria Cardona, I do hope you guys grab that drink when this is over.

TASINI: We love each other.

CARDONA: Absolutely. I'm going to even invite him to the inaugural for Hillary Clinton when she becomes president.

BROWN: Whoa. Now, those are some fighting words.

All right. Thanks so much Jonathan and Maria. Really appreciate it.

CARDONA: Thank you, Pam.

BROWN: Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton by the way, will be Jake Tapper's guest on "STATE OF THE UNION." Watch it tomorrow morning at 9:00 eastern.

And I want to give you our first look at the results rolling in from today's Wyoming Democratic caucuses. When CNN is ready for a prediction I have, of course, will have that for you. But this is what we have as of now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:55:24] BROWN: And turning now to this week's CNN Hero. When you think of San Diego you might envision bash beaches, lush parks and near perfect weather. But for thousands of children there life isn't paradise. In San Diego County nearly one in five kids live in poverty. For them the ocean is a world away and that's where our CNN hero steps in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARA FISLER, CNN HERO: When they are in the third grade and they come on our field trip, they come over the hill on the bus and they see the ocean and they gasp because it's literally the first time many of them have ever seen the ocean. It's a place of discovery to really explore their own potential and science all through studying the ocean.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So each year the group helps 6,000 kids be explorers. What happens next, to find out, and watch their story at CNNheroes.com. And while you are there, nominate someone you think should be a 2016 CNN hero.

We are looking at the latest results from today's Wyoming caucuses as they roll in. Well, Bernie Sanders hold on and make it eight out of the last nine contests. Stick around and find out as soon as CNN is ready to make a projection, I'll have it for you. We will be right back.