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Guilty of Killing Palestinian; Myanmar Denies Allegations of Genocide;
Myanmar Facing Int'l. Backlash Over Rohingya Plight; Trump Casts Doubts on
Russian Hacking Allegations; White House: Expect More Guantanamo Transfers;
Chinese Cargo Train Embarks on First Trip to London; Preparing for Tensions
on the Korean Peninsula; CES Tech Show Opens In Las Vegas. Aired 8-9a ET - Part 1>
Carrol, Jim Acosta, Alexandra Field, Chad Myers, Samuel Burke>
nightclub in Istanbul that killed at least 39 people is aimed to
destabilize Turkey. A Burmese government commission has said the Rohingya
Muslim ethnic group is not facing genocide in the country's remote Rakhine
State, rejecting any evidence to the contrary as propaganda. President-
elect Donald Trump said that intelligence officials had delayed briefing
him on their conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 Presidential
Election and suggested that they might be buying time to assemble a more
substantial case. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump took aim at General
Motors, threatening to impose a big border tax on the car maker, alleging
the company is sending Mexican-made Cruze models to the U.S. China has
launched a direct rail freight service to London, as part of its drive to
develop trade and investment ties with Europe. U.S. military dependents
and American civilians living in South Korea took part in a practice
evacuation exercise from the peninsula as North Korea continues its nuclear
weapons program. The Tech Industry is gathering again in Las Vegas for the
Consumer Electronics Show. Trump's election overshadows CES Show. >
Air Strikes; Nusra Front; Ceasefire; Peace Talks; Israel; Palestine;
Military; Trial; Manslaughter; Burma; Rohingya; Minority; Myanmar; United
Nations; Donald Trump; Russia; E-mail; Hacking; Julian Assange; CIA; John
Brennan; House Republicans; Congressional Ethics Board; General Motors;
Mexico; Guantanamo Bay; China; Freight Train; London; Trade; Europe; North
Korea; South Korea; Nuclear Weapons; Consumer Electronics Show; Formula
One; Tesla; >
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:00:20] KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream". And we are getting a chilling new look inside the Istanbul nightclub where 39 people were killed on New Years. As authorities say they have identified the gunman behind the terror attack.
Myanmar denies allegations of genocide against the Rohingya people. I'll share the heartbreaking story of one man who lost his whole family while trying to escape the country.
And Donald Trump continues his feud with the U.S. Intelligence Community over their belief that Russia was behind a cyber attack before the election.
(MUSIC)
And we begin with the Turkish President addressing a nation still reeling from the New Year's terror attack in Istanbul. Recep Tayyip Erdogan says there is huge anger around the massacre and calls a deliberate attempt to upset Turkey's stability and to divide the country. Meanwhile police investigating the attack have made more arrest. 20 suspected ISIS members were taken into custody in the city of Izmir. Several media says believed they once lived with the gunman.
He remains at large, but authorities say they now know his identity although they have not released his name. This selfie is just to show the suspect. Now for more on the story let's go straight to Ian in Istanbul. Ian, an angry and determined Erdogan spoke earlier today. How does he address the nightclub attack, the latest attack to his country?
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Kristie, he called this a terrorist attacked he has said that the country will be -- remain defiant. He told the Turkish people to be strong in the face of this. He also was a bit vague though about who was behind it. He says this was the work of actors. ISIS obviously included in that, but he says there's a asymmetric war that's being waged against Turkey and that the country is being tested by fire.
And right now we're also getting the pictures from inside the nightclub, and as you can see there are bullet holes all over the place. The one thing that stands out in particular are the shoes, and that just shows highlight, the kind of panic the people were experiencing that night when that gunman opened fire. Now when it comes to these 20 people that have been arrested, the government saying these are ISIS members. They were arrested in the Izmir -- City of Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey, there are four places within that city that were raided and 20 people arrested. Eleven of which are women.
They said they found night vision goggles. They found a sniper scope, ammunition belts, and other military equipment. So, a big score for Turkish security forces while they are investigating this shooting. But still that gunman is still on the run four days later.
LU STOUR: That's right. He remains at large but more arrests have been made, and there's this troubling security question looming over all of this. How did the attacker managed to escape from the club and remain at large for four days now?
LEE: And especially since the night of the attack. New Year's eve, there was a heightened security presence across the city. There was a police station close by and yet he was still able to slip away. And that's something that people were kind of expecting in President Erdogan's speech to talk about the security situation here.
I know experts I've spoken with have said that they want to hear a strategy for going after ISIS, going after other militant groups, but during the speech there was -- it really lacked specifics. It talked more about resilience and staying strong. It accused people of different groups but never naming anyone in particular, and meanwhile people really want security. I've been speaking with people who said that they are afraid to go out at night because they are afraid that something like this could happen again, especially with this gunman on the run.
LU STOUT: Yeah. And the latest attack, is that the gunman on the run. All of this just testing the resilience of the people there in Turkey. Ian Lee reporting live for us. As always, thank you and take care.
The ceasefire in Syria is still less than a week old but it seems to be in doubt yet again. Air strikes on a building in Northern Syria have killed at least 30 people, that's according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It says it is unclear whether the strikes were carried out by Russian or U.S.-led coalition aircraft.
[08:05:05] It is the latest bloody episode in a six-day truce that's been hit by accusations of violence on both sides.
On Wednesday Turkey's Foreign Minister warned the planed peace talks could fail if the ceasefire doesn't hold.
Now a landmark end to a trial that is captivated Israel for months now. An Israeli soldier has been found guilty of manslaughter for killing a Palestinian suspect. Elor Azaria was arrested when a video emerge of him shooting a wounded man in the head after he had been subdued. The victim was suspected of carrying out a knife attack against Israeli soldiers moments earlier. The verdict is likely to spark controversy. Demonstrators have come up in support of the young soldier's action.
Now let's get the latest from Oren Liebermann, he's in Tel Aviv. And Oren, again, the verdict is out. Tell us more about how the court reached its decision?
OREN LIEBERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the court, and this is the military court, went through a lengthy explanation. Some two and a half to three hours explanation of how they catered their decision, it was a unanimous decision from a three-judge panel finding the Sergeant Elor Azaria guilty on counts of manslaughter and on account of improper behavior.
The judge systematically went through every point of this trial, and it was a long trial lasting months. Rejecting the defense's arguments, that is, the arguments of Sergeant's Elor Azaria's attorneys who tried to say he was acting in self-defense and he was afraid for his life. The judge systematically going through that and saying the shooting in this case was needless.
So let's take you back to where all this started. This happened in March in Tel Rumeida. A settlement in the middle of the city of Hebron, a Palestinian city in the southern West Bank. The military says two Palestinian suspects arrived and attempted to stab Israeli soldiers who were standing at a checkpoint. One of the suspect was shot and killed on the spot another was shot and wounded he was lying on the ground.
The military says Azaria who was the soldier here came up, 11 minutes after the attempted stabbing and shot one bullet into the forehead of the suspect of the Palestinian suspect. Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in this case, that bullet killed that Palestinian suspect. That led to incredible controversy over the 12 seconds of video, a homemade video of -- this home video I should say that captured this on air and led to months of trial, months of debate between not only between the military and the -- or the military leadership and some of the right-wing politicians here but also a debate in Israeli's society.
And that's why this is so significant, this verdict of guilty on charge of manslaughter and improper behavior. Kristie it is the military here in Israel that is supposed to be the unifying factor that transcends culture and beliefs in differences in religion here. But it couldn't -- the military against this one soldier and that is why this is so significant as well as the guilty verdicts that came down today.
LU STOUT: As you just mentioned this trial has caused months of debate. That there was widespread protest, what was the scene outside the courthouse when the verdict was revealed?
LIEBEMANN: It's has since quieted down but there were hundreds of protesters were standing here behind me, chanting, singing, dancing, yelling that, "Our soldier, our hero, and the nation is with you." They were very much pro to this soldier and wanted to see him acquitted of all charges. There was a visible hush in the crowd when the verdict. When they found out the verdict, the two counts of guilty here and that since dispersed.
But that won't in anyway assuage the controversy here and the debate about what happened here. There are some bad politicians already calling for Azaria to either to be pardoned or to have his sentence commuted to a much shorter sentence. We don't know the sentence yet. That will come in the hearing in a few weeks.
The Minister of Defense, he came out and said we have to respect the decision of the court even if there are those like me who like it less. Even he is sensitive to this and that's part of the debate, part of the arguments that lead to this. One of the soldier -- one of those who sided with the soldier felt he was acting in self defense, or those who will now see agreed with the court who said he was acting needlessly or perhaps even out of vengeance.
LU STOUT: All right, Oren Lieberman live in Tel Aviv reporting on this deeply divisive trial. Many things indeed for that update.
And turning now to Myanmar where we have been closely following the claims of a violent crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The government has denied accusations it is committing genocide that were levied after the unrest in the country's Western Rhakine state. The investigating commission blames terrorists connected to overseas groups but it is looking the claims of rape, arson, and illegal arrest as well.
And the activist point to videos like this one, as evidence of the brutality the minority has been facing. This video was taken by police and it shows officers beating Rohingya. Numerous governments (ph) says, it is taking action. And what we're about to show you is heartbreaking, it's an image that sums up the plight of the Rohingya trying to slay violence. And a warning here, this is very disturbing but Human Rights Groups hope that it stirs the world's conscience. The way another one did, out of Syria in tragically similar.
Saima Mohsin has one family's story.
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[08:10:04] ZAZFOR ALAM, ROHINGYA REFUGEE: (Speaking foreign language).
SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's an image no father wants to receive. A child just a year of life lived before it ended.
ALAM (through translator): When I think about it, I feel like I'm suffocating. I can't breathe properly. When I see these photos, I feel like I would rather die. There's no point to me living in this world.
MOHSIN: His name was Mohammed Suhayat, a Rohingya boy who drowned along with his 3-year-old brother Shifayat and their mother. Too young to understand the persecution they were escaping or why their desperate parents risk such a treacherous journey. This is not the first young child face down who has succumbed to the sea. We all remember Syrian refugee Alan Kurdy who drowned in Turkey last year. But this young boy belongs to an almost forgotten refugee crisis.
ALAM (through translator): My son was very affectionate. In our village everyone loved him. It's very difficult for me to talk about my son.
MOHSIN: Now all he has is photos of their corpses, staring at them speechless. A family life that was torn apart he says when the Myanmar military rampaged through his village.
ALAM (through translator): My house was burnt, my grandmother and grandfather were burned to death. A whole village was burned by the military.
MOHSIN: He said he fled his home and walked for six days and night going without food for four days. His priority he said was to keep his family alive. Zazfor made it to the Bangladesh border and arranged for a boat to bring his family across the Naf River to safety, instead it brought them to the death.
ALAM (through translator): When police got a sense that people were preparing to cross the river they open fire. People rush onboard to escape. The boat was overloaded, the military kept shooting at the boat then it sank.
ZAZFOR: In response Myanmar's government told CNN the first testimony is propaganda and false. The government's repeatedly denied reports of human rights abuses saying they're only carrying out clearance operations to target violent attackers who killed nine border guards on October 9th.
ALAM (through translator): When we are getting killed, Aung San Suu Kyi is turning a blind eye. She is denying the atrocities committed by the military. The Burmese government should not be given any more time. If you take time to take action they will kill all Rohingyas.
ZAZFOR: 27-year-old, Zuffa says he's alone in the world after his family was wiped out. This is what he calls home now, surrounded by the children that did survive. Saima Mohsin, CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Another heartbreaking story of needless loss.
Now, one of Myanmar's most revered politicians has been accused of turning her back on the Rohingya. Human rights groups claim Democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi is surprisingly quiet, refusing to directly address the situation in Rhakine, and the government has also made it virtually impossible for journalist and moderate groups to get to the region.
Earlier I asked, Irrawaddy magazine founder and editor-in-chief Aung Zaw for his view on the issue in the international backlash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AUNG ZAW, FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, IRRAWADDY, MAGAZINE: Well I've been out of Burma for the last five years where I've speak to -- I spoke to desired country, even after the issue of the militants attack on the 9th of October. I think that the -- a lot of majority people of them is people do not see Rohingya as a part of there community. And they are not. And also I think Aung San Suu Kyi has taken a lot of heavy criticism from the region and governments as well as from the international community. Because of they accused her of being silent on the issue.
In fact without defending her, I don't have to, but I think she has opened up the debate and she has invited the OIC and Foreign Minister last two or three weeks ago to Yangon to discuss the particular issue, that issue of Rohingya with the ASEAN Foreign Minister.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: That is Irrawaddy magazine founder Aung Zaw speaking to be earlier.
Now, there are so many different angles to the issue and the plight of the Rohingya. And we brought to you some on the news stream but it doesn't end here. Now for more on what these refugees have been forced to endure, if you go to our website there you'll also find essential information on who the Rohingya are and what is being done on their behalf. You could find it at cnn.com.
You're watching "News Stream", still on the program, there's new tension between Donald Trump and U.S. Intelligence officials.
[08:15:02] We'll tell you what's putting them at odds this time. And preparing for the worst, U.S. military families in Seoul practice evacuation drills as they keep a wary eye on Pyongyang.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're watching "News Stream" and in just 16 days Donald Trump is to become the next U.S. president but already he appears to be at odds with the very agencies that will provide him with intelligence. Trump has accused them of delaying a briefing on cyber attacks Russia -- something the officials deny. Now the President- elect has expressed doubts before about the U.S. intelligence community and their assessment that Russia was behind the cyber attacks. Our Jason Carroll has more on that.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Kristie, at least at this point it's very clear that the President-elect does not believe Russia was behind the hacking and does not have confidence in U.S. intelligence community's findings and of course once again took to Twitter to let everyone know exactly how he feels.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
President-elect Donald Trump striking out conspiratory tone yet again against U.S. intelligence. In a new cryptic tweet Trump writes, "Intelligence briefing on so-called Russian hacking was delayed until Friday. Perhaps more time needed to build a case, very strange." But U.S. intelligence officials say there's no delay. They say the meeting was always set to take place later this week, adding President Obama has yet to receive the full briefing on Russian hacking.
Trump vow to release inside information he says he had about hacks by today. Democratic Congress Adam Schiff responding to Trump's claim tweeting, "This week real Donald Trump promises new info about Russian hacking, only he knows. Next week what really happened at Roswell."
When U.S. intelligence official telling CNN, the director of National Intelligence, James Clapper was not scheduled to be in New York City where Trump is until later in the week.
SEAN SPICER, INCOMING WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Later this week they will -- once the final report on the current situation in Russia is made final by the intelligence community they will ask for -- they have asked for a briefing from senior members of the intelligence community.
CARROL: Officials noting that until now Trump's team has not scheduled the meetings with the heads of top intelligence agencies. By contrast President Obama met with intelligence leaders shortly after being elected in 2008. For months Trump has continue to cast doubt over the conclusions reached by 17 U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia was behind the election cyber attacks.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: It could be somebody else.
It could be Russia but it could also be China. It could also be lots of other people. It could also somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds. okay?
Maybe there is no hacking.
[08:20:03] CARROL: A conclusion to CIA directors says is ironclad (ph).
JOHN BRENNAN, CIA DIRECTOR: I would suggest to individuals who have not yet seen the report, who have not yet been briefed on it, that they wait and see what it is that the intelligence community is putting forward before they make those judgments.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROL: It should be pointed out that Russia says it is not behind the hacking. Also, Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder also says that once again Russia is not behind the hacking, and Trump for his part also tweeting again this morning, Kristie, saying the following, "Julian Assange said a 14-year-old could have hacked Podesta. Why was DNC so careless?" Also said Russians did not give him the info. Podesta, of course, Kristie he is referring to John Podesta, Clinton's former campaign chairperson. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Jason Carrol there. Now though Donald Trump is yet to take office he's already making his mark on the new Congress. On Tuesday he sent a tweet and soon after Republicans reversed their plans to make changes to a Congressional ethics committee. Jim Acosta reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was not draining the swamp. On the very first day of the new Congress, Republicans in the house were set to pass a proposal to gut the office of Congressional ethics, the independent watchdog that investigates allegations of wrongdoing on Capitol Hill. A plan which would have placed ethics probes under the control of lawmakers was yanked.
Republicans suddenly reverse course after an out by from Democrats in public watchdogs. Not to mention pressure from President-elect Donald Trump who twetted bad idea. All that Congress has to work on, Trump tweeted, do they really have to make the weakening of the independent ethics watchdogs, as unfair as it maybe their number one acting priority?
Trump's tweet seem to undercut one of his top advisers Kellyanne Conway who cautioned she hadn't discussed the matter to the President-elect which sounded warm to the proposal.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP TOP ADVISER: Many of these people, members and their staffers who have been under investigation have complained about their due process rights being violated and being compromised.
ACOSTA: But Democrats were already pouncing.
STEVE ISRAEL, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: You know they said they were going to drain the swamp, they're distributing free swimming passes in the swamp by this change in regulation.
ACOSTA: Trump is also going against much of his party on trade, again threatening high tariffs on U.S. companies that shift jobs to other countries. Today's target auto giant GM, Trump tweeted "General Motors is sending Mexican made model Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers tax free across the border. Make in USA or pay big border tax."
SPICER: He doesn't want companies in the United States to be able to go leave this country and then sell back to the U.S., leaving the American worker behind.
ACOSTA: The problem is, GM says, Trump is wrong. Adding in a statement, all Chevrolet Cruze Sedan sold in the U.S. are built in GM's assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. GM builds a Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for global markets in Mexico with a small number sold in the U.S.
But aides argue they are getting results pointing to Ford's decision to scrap plant to build a new plant in Mexico after candidate Trump warned of consequences.
TRUMP: We'll calling the executives at Ford or whatever company is and we'll tell them very nicely that if they want to move their factory or plant to another country they will have to pay a 35 percent tax when they sell their cards or their products back into the United States.
ACOSTA: Still Trump and the GOP run on the same page when it comes to opposing President Obama's plans to pair down the number of detainees at Guantanamo. "The President-elect tweeting there should no be further releases from Guantanamo. These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back on the battlefield." The White House stop back Trump's tweet will have no impact on the current administration's plan.
JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: No it will not. He'll have an opportunity to implement the policy for that he believes is most effective what he takes office on January 28th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: A Trump transition officials tells CNN, Donald Trump is not expected to make any formal remarks on Russian Hacking in the 2016 election on Wednesday, that's despite the fact that over the weekend Trump told reporters he would have more to say about Russian hacking on "Tuesday or Wednesday." Jim Acosta, CNN New York.
LU STOUT: A Chinese freight train is now one of the world's longest commute. It is heading for London, it's going to get there in about two and a half weeks, traveling over 12,000 kilometers. This is the first time a Chinese cargo train is transporting goods from Zhejiang to the U.K. Service is part of the Chinese presence "one-belt one-road vision." Some are calling it the new silk road. The train left the hostel (ph) town of Ewu (ph) on Sunday. It's going to pass through Kazakhstan and Russia before cutting straight through to Europe. And then it crosses the channel then arrives in the British Capital.
Now, South Korea says it's keeping closely on Pyongyang especially after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says he is closely to testing an intercontinental ballistic missile.
[08:25:04] And U.S. troops in South Korea are readying for any potential escalation and tension. And in a CNN exclusive, Alexandra Fields shows us how even the kids of military families are prepared.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This goes from the back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're like a fish in a fish tank Brianna.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: for Brianna Martinez, home is a place that's still technically at war.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again, this will protect your child for chemical and biological occupations (ph) up to 12 hours.
FIELD: The Martinezes are an American military family currently based in South Korea where U.S. forces could one day be called to respond to threats from North Korea, a looming possibility that could leave American civilians on the peninsula looking for safety.
Do the girls understand what kind of emergency they're practicing for?
NICHOLLE MARTINEZ, U.S. MILITARY: We told the girls that Korea was at war at point. So we come over here to defend what we fought for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're set let me know.
FIELD: The South Korean and U.S. military regularly run joint drills to maintain their readiness. But this drill is for American military families. It shows them how their soldiers could help them evacuate if tensions between the north and south turn into conflict. Nicholle Martinez and her family volunteered for the practice run that also helps the army prepare.
Families learned where to assemble in case of emergency. Man leader (ph) or otherwise they're shown what they will be allowed to pack and how the military will keep track of them.
The drill sends them south. They spend two days hop scotching by bus and by helicopter between U.S. installations, before reaching a South Korean airfield, and flying out.
In the event of a real threat, the U.S. state department would decide how many Americans and their families would need to evacuate. In order to get off the peninsula quickly the army says it would likely send families to safe havens right here in the region. Places like Okinawa, Japan. This is somewhere the families could take shelter before planning that much longer trip back to the States.
Real world lessons for American children see at a different part of the world.
Do your kids know the name Kim Jung-un?
MARTINEZ: They don't. We haven't touched on that. But our military kids are. This is what they learn in school. They know what is going on. They know they have to keep up with current events that are going on around the world.
FIELD: Raising a family in South Korea, Martinez was a veteran says she feels safe. She doesn't worry about a threat. She knows it's possible, she wants her children to learn how to prepare. Alexandra Field, CNN Seoul, South Korea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: You're watching "News Stream" and still they come, an exclusive account on what went on inside that Istanbul night club where a gunman went on a rampage on New Year's Eve. We'll speak to a couple that survives.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:30:25] LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream" and these are your world headlines.
A police in Turkey have arrested 20 suspected ISIS members in connection with the New Year's attack on an Istanbul Nightclub. Several media says they are thought to have lived but the gunman who is still at large. Authorities stating know his identity although they have not released his name or nationality.
An Israeli soldier has been found guilty of manslaughter in the killing of a Palestinian stabbing suspect. Elor Azaria was the arrested when video emerged of him shooting a wounded man in the head after he had been subdued. The case has divided public opinion for months.
Myanmar's government has denied allegations of genocide against its Rohingya Muslim minority. A commission says it was terrorists connected to overseas groups that created the violence at Rakhine State last year, but it is still investigating claims of rape, arson and illegal arrests.
