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CNN NEWSROOM

Obama Sends Troops to Syria; Pot Found at Killing Sites in Ohio; Prince Death Investigation; Beyonce's New Album. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired April 25, 2016 - 09:30   ET

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


[09:30:00] BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Now announcing 250 additional special operations forces will go to Syria, 50 are on the ground already, raising the question, is this now ground combat. The president says, no. Listen to how he laid it all out just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So I've approved the deployment of up to 250 additional U.S. personnel in Syria, including special forces, to keep up this momentum. They're not going to be leading the fight on the ground, but they will be essential in providing the training and assisting local forces that continue to drive ISIL back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Driving ISIL back. The real goal here is to drive ISIL out of Raqqa, its self-declared capital inside Syria, the heart of the ISIS so-called caliphate. But the problem has been to get the local fighters on the ground trained up ready with all the advice and assistance to be ready to do it. There are Kurdish units on the ground. The goal now is to get these special operation forces to bring in Syrian Arab fighters, who, given the cultural and ethnic sensitivities in the area, are most likely to be the ones willing to fight all the way to Raqqa. But that is going to be very tough going. That is not a place ISIS is likely to give up very easily. The U.S. troops not supposed to be in combat but they will be sufficiently armed to defend themselves if combat comes to them.

Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: So this is -- this is strictly an advisory role, right? I mean how -- I mean what's the possibility of American troops being sucked into the fight?

STARR: Well, the goal is, right now, for them to provide training, advice and instance. They've already -- those 50 already there have been doing some of this. And make no mistake, they are out in the battlefield. They do go forward with local troops on the ground, but they don't go all the way to the front lines, we're told. So they stay back a little bit. They stay supposedly in safe ground. But -- but make no mistake, this is a war zone. This is a combat zone.

Things can turn in an instant. So they will be armed to defend themselves. There we be measures to be able to bring in very rapid support for them if it comes to that. But we are told they are not going in with the goal, with the mission of engaging in ground combat themselves.

COSTELLO: All right, Barbara Starr reporting live from the Pentagon. Thank you.

STARR: Sure.

COSTELLO: With me now to talk more about this, CNN military analyst, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona.

Welcome, colonel.

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Why is the president doing this now?

FRANCONA: I think he's seen that it's been very effective so far. These 50 special forces on the ground in Syria have been able to bring American air power to bear on ISIS very effectively and he wants to expand that.

The situation in Syria is so fluid and so dynamic right now, no one really knows what's going on. We need to get American forces in there to tell us what's going on, give us some battlefield intelligence, but also to better coordinate the air power. The Kurds are doing a fabulous job on the ground. We want to bring the Syrian Arabs into this as well. And the special forces are uniquely trained to do that.

But ramping it up by five-fold, that tells me that, one, we're either being very effective or, two, the president sees that we need to do something more in Syria. Syria is falling apart. We thought that the Syria army was on a role against ISIS. They have pivoted and are now going back to the -- to the west and going after all these anti-regime rebels. So I think the president's got a good --

COSTELLO: Well, I was -- I was just going to --

FRANCONA: Yes.

COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you about that, colonel. I mean Russia is also involved in Syria, right, and we're not quite sure if they're going to stay out of the fray or stay in. Is there a cease fire, is there not? Bashar al Assad is still president.

FRANCONA: Right.

COSTELLO: Some Syrian rebels are suspect in their allegiance. Isn't Syria more dicey than Iraq?

FRANCONA: Oh, absolutely. I mean it -- it is just -- it is collapsing around us and I think the president realized, we've got to do something to shore up our allies there. The Russians are there. They -- this rotation, the withdraw was merely a sham. They are -- they are in force, they're on the ground. They're bringing artillery systems to bear in Aleppo. They are going after the anti-regime rebels. They can say they're going after ISIS all they want, but they are all going after the anti-regime rebels. They want to crush those first, then they'll worry about ISIS. We, on the other hand, would rather worry about ISIS.

So there's a dichotomy between what we want and what the Russians want. And the Syrian army is doing what the Russians want, they are turning to the west and they're going after these rebels, leaving ISIS to their own devices. The only people fighting ISIS right now are the Kurds, the Syrian Arab -- the democratic forces that we're supporting and now these U.S. special forces. American air power is the only thing really hitting ISIS right now.

COSTELLO: Well -- well, here's -- here's the other thing. Like the U.S. has troops in Afghanistan. It has troops in Iraq. Now it has 250 more special ops forces in Syria. Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Ash Carter intimated that the U.S. military could expand efforts to fight ISIS in other Middle Eastern countries. So, what's next? What country's next?

[09:35:06] FRANCONA: Well, you -- if you believe the secretary of defense, we're willing to be willing to put forces anywhere they are. We're already fighting ISIS in -- partially in Yemen. We're doing air strikes there. We've hit strikes in Somalia. We've done it in Libya. So anywhere ISIS appears, anywhere al Qaeda appears as well, we're going to be ready to strike. But as long as they've got that base in Raqqa, as long as they've got the city of Mosul, they're going to be able to send troops and fighters anywhere. Right now they're sending people to Europe, to Libya, Pakistan. We even see them operating in parts of Afghanistan. So I think the president's right in trying to go after them in Syria and he's got to ramp that up.

Two hundred and fifty special forces additional is quite a capability, Carol. They're going to be out there and I -- I don't agree with the president's characterization that they're not going to be in combat. One of the purposes that they are -- they are there for is to bring American airpower to bear. And you've got to do that in close proximity to the battle.

COSTELLO: Colonel Rick Francona, thanks for your insight.

Tonight on CNN, a Fareed Zakaria special. A look at hate, radical Muslims, and the United States. "WHY THEY HATE US" airs 9:00 pm Eastern only on CNN.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, eight Ohio family members shot execution style. Could a new discovery provide clues about why this happened?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:33] COSTELLO: Investigators say the suspects in the murder of eight family members are probably armed and dangerous. More than 100 officers are combing the state of Ohio trying to find them. Right now tips are pouring in about the execution-style killings that officials say specifically targeted the Rhoden family. Another discovery, three pot grow operations on the family properties in Pike County, Ohio.

CNN's Nick Valencia is in the state of Ohio this morning. Tell us more, Nick.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

A source close to the investigation tells me that the marijuana plants found at the Rhoden residences were not for personal use, but rather part of a sophisticated grow operation. Even still, authorities here will not say that these execution-style killings were drug related. But people in this community don't need an official to tell them. It's what they believe happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA (voice-over): Over the weekend, a potential clue in the investigation.

MIKE DEWINE, OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL: We did find marijuana in three locations.

QUESTION: Near the crime scenes or at the crime scenes?

DEWINE: At the crime scenes.

QUESTION: Like bags of marijuana?

QUESTION: Grow operations?

DEWINE: Grow operations.

VALENCIA: Attorney General Mike DeWine and Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader would not say if the murders were drug related. Throughout the news conference they remained tight lipped about the details, but they did make one thing clear.

SHERIFF CHARLES READER, PIKE COUNTY, OHIO: This was very methodical. This was well planned. This -- this was not something that just happened. This was something that planned. A family was targeted.

VALENCIA: At the nearby Riverside restaurant in Piketon, Ohio, the murders are all anyone can talk about.

DAVID STOCKHAM, TEACHER: One of my former students mentioned it on FaceBook and I said, you've got to be kidding. This has got to be a horrible prank. You don't put that kind of prank on FaceBook.

VALENCIA: David Stockham taught Dana Rhoden in high school. She's one of the eight people who was murdered on Friday morning.

STOCKHAM: This has shook this county up. I mean we may have an occasional murder, but not -- not a mass killing like this. VALENCIA: Like most people in this southern Ohio town, Stockham has

his theories about what happened. But out of respect for the family, he says he'd rather not speculate.

STOCKHAM: I told my relatives, I said, ever who did this had a definite purpose, a reason. They're not just going around shooting people. They had a goal in mind when they shot that family.

VALENCIA: (on camera): They were targeted?

STOCKHAM: Yes, they were targeted. They're not just out just shooting -- shooting up the neighborhood.

VALENCIA: Does that make you feel a little safer?

STOCKHAM: Oh, yes, I do. Yes. I mean, I've got, again, I've got concealed carry and I -- you know, if I was a Rhoden family, I'd be carrying one.

ROBYN BREWSTER, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: Just angry. Just angry about it. I mean, why?

VALENCIA (voice-over): The pain for Robyn Brewster is still overwhelming. She remembering the youngest victim, 16-year-old Chris Jr., and his brother, Frankie, vividly. She was their elementary school principal.

BREWSTER: I just remember them talking to me and -- and -- when I was principal and -- and that just really, you know -- I just keep replaying that over and over in my head.

MAGGIE OWENS, DANA RHODEN'S FRIEND: Everybody has their skeletons in their closet. But, I mean, overall, they're -- they was good people.

VALENCIA: For Maggie Owens, the execution-style killings is personal. As one of the Rhodens' best friends, she says they were like family. With whoever did this still on the loose, she's scared for the Rhoden's relatives. She's scared for her own safety, too.

OWENS: I've been telling my kids, you know, just be -- be careful. Watch over your shoulder. And don't go far. And let me know where you're at. And just -- I worry. I worry a lot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: A lot of people here are worried. There have been more than 100 tip called in to police. Between 50 to 60 people have been interviewed, but there are still no suspects officially.

Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Nick Valencia reporting live from Piketon, Ohio, this morning.

A bit of breaking news to pass along to you. The city of Cleveland has settled with the family of Tamir Rice. Tamir Rice, you remember, was the 12-year-old police were called to the scene because they thought he had a real gun. Police shot him to death. The gun turned out to be a pellet gun. But as I said, the city of Cleveland has now settled with the Tamir Rice family. $6 million to settle all claims from a federal lawsuit filed over the November shooting of Tamir Rice. The settlement was announced this morning in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio. And according to the terms of the settlement, the city of Cleveland has no admission of wrongdoing and all plaintiffs will execute full releases against the city of Cleveland. Again, the city of Cleveland has settled with the family of Tamir Rice for $6 million.

[09:45:03] Still to come in the NEWSROOM, questions now swirling about Prince's estate as authorities investigate exactly what caused his death.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The public tributes for music icon Prince continue as close friends and family say farewell to a legend. Take a look at this. Pro- hockey -- the pro-hockey team, the Minnesota Wild, turning their arena purple last night. It's now been four days since Prince died inside his Paisley Park compound and it could still be weeks before we know exactly what happened.

Stephanie Elam is outside his estate this morning with more. Good morning.

[09:50:04] STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And we're learning a little bit more here now. CNN just learning that a -- it has been confirmed that when his private jet made an unscheduled landing, remember after Prince left those performances in Atlanta, there was that landing that he mad on April 16th in the Moline, Illinois, area, and he was treated for flu-like symptoms and also for dehydration. Well, now we're learning that the airport, without confirming who it was, saying that there was a private jet that came through there because of an unresponsive person on board. And putting these together, we believe that this probably was Prince here in the area in the early morning hours of April 16th. Before then, the flight taking off with that person on board at around 11:30 a.m. Remember, this was just days before what tragically became the end of Prince's life on Thursday here.

Still a lot of questions surrounding what may have happened, but many people wondering if that brief hospital stay could have led to what ended up being the end of Prince's life. While he was in Atlanta, Carol, we know he was there to make up for two performances that he had canceled because he had been sick. He did two back-to-back shows. And one of the people who was there, a star in his own right, Ceelo Green, this is what he had to say about how Prince appeared during those performances. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CEELO GREEN, MUSICIAN: We just felt very fortunate that -- that we were given the opportunity see him, being that the initial cancellations had disappointed quite a lot of people, probably the entire city of Atlanta. And so for him to come back with so much -- so much strength and perform two sold out back-to-back shows was just -- it's just something I'll always remember. He did not look anywhere near death or anything of the sort. And so, therefore, it was very perplexing because he had just done two stellar performances back-to- back. So I -- you know, I just can't believe it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And you can hear the emotion there. A lot of people very upset at the sudden loss of Prince. Here, over the weekend, there was a private ceremony inside for just about 20 people, friends, family members, his musicians, to remember Prince. They said that his remains have been cremated and they will be held in a private location. But during -- after that ceremony, some of the people who were in attendance came out with purple boxes, Carol, and handed them out to a few lucky fans. Inside, different kinds of Prince memorabilia for the many people, thousands of people who have made the pilgrimage here to Paisley Park to remember Prince, Carol.

COSTELLO: Amazing. Stephanie Elam reporting live for us this morning. Thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the new Beyonce album everyone is talking about. Does it show cracks in her marriage to Jay Z?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:57:02] COSTELLO: Personal, defiant, Beyonce drops a surprise album and an hour-long video and everyone is talking about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEYONCE: What a wicked way to treat the girl that loves you. Oh, love, they don't love you like I love you. Hold on. They don't love you like I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Her sixth solo album, "Lemonade," released as her HBO special aired on Saturday. And as you can see, she's smashing cars with a bat as fires explode in the street behind her. And then she adds fuel to the rumors. Her husband Jay Z cheated on her. And that's actually why she's beating those cars.

CNN senior media correspondent Brian Stelter joins me now.

Just looking at that, you know, the headline on "The Drudge Report" all weekend was, "Beyonce urban terrorist." She's smiling after she --

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Right. I'm not sure what else Drudge would say, right? But certainly there's probably going to be --

COSTELLO: Does this mean Carrie Underwood is a rural terrorist?

STELTER: Maybe something like that. Certainly there's going to be a little bit of conservative media backlash to this video.

COSTELLO: Why?

STELTER: Beyonce has been criticized by Bill O'Reilly, for example, for years and that's maybe a deeper, different conversation. But that has come up in the past. In this case, why is Beyonce smashing those car windows? It's because she's angry at somebody. Now, is that Jay Z or someone else? That's one of the big questions all of her fans are buzzing about. She made an impact like I've almost never seen before with the release of this movie on HBO Saturday night and then the release of her album on a service called Title at the end of the movie. So she had this sort of one-two punch that was really remarkable and it shows how she is one of the most powerful brands in the world.

COSTELLO: Now everybody's wondering, Brian, if Rachel Roy (ph) was the woman in the middle.

STELTER: Right.

COSTELLO: I mean that's what everybody's talking about, right?

STELTER: Right. I can say it's a business story. But, really, this is about whether Beyonce feel that Jay Z cheated on her, whether there's any proof that Jay Z cheated on her. A lot of the lyrics are about infidelity and about betrayal, especially early on in the album and early on in the movie. Rachel Roy is this fashion designer who has suddenly become even more famous because of the movie. I think we can -- we can put her tweet on the screen. She seemed to react to Beyonce by saying, "I respect love, marriages, family, and strength. What shouldn't be tolerated by anyone, no matter what, is bullying of any kind."

COSTELLO: Notice she didn't deny it though.

STELTER: She did not deny it, nor did she in an Instagram post. Now, she could be saying that Beyonce is doing the bullying or social media folks are doing the bullying criticizing her for these alleged rumors. She's been linked to Jay Z in the gossip columns for a long time, but there's never been any proof. And what's so interesting about this is Beyonce's taking it head on. You know, she's taking on the rumors about her husband head on in her lyrics, in her music. But then at the end of the hour-long movie, you see a happy family, you see a message of forgiveness, and you see Beyonce, Jay Z and their daughter, Blue Ivy. So that just adds more fuel to the speculation.

COSTELLO: Why do you suppose she's doing that? Because she doesn't have to.

STELTER: Well --

COSTELLO: Why expose yourself like that?

STELTER: It could be as simple as wanting to process what's going on in her life and wanting to share it knowing that it's all out there and wanting to speak about it on her own terms. If you're more cynical, you might say she's also selling a ton of albums.

COSTELLO: But you would never be cynical.

STELTER: She's be number one on the charts this week.

COSTELLO: I have no doubt about that. Thank you, Brian.

[10:00:01] STELTER: Thanks.

COSTELLO: The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.

Happening now in the NEWSROOM, divide and conquer. Cruz and Kasich's new plan, team up to stop Trump.