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CNN NEWSROOM

One False Move Could Start a War Between U.S. and Iran; President Trump Bars Foreign Telecommunications Equipment; Abortion Sparks Outrage in the U.S.; New Immigration Plan to be Announced this Week; Tensions in Gaza Could Halt Eurovision 2019; Alabama Adopts Most Restrictive Abortion Law in U.S.; Trump May Seek Swiss Back Channel Talks On Iran; Explosive Charges Behind Tanker Sabotage; Boeing Safety Troubles; Saving Kids From Gang Violence; Fighting Extremism; High- Rise Drama; Usain Bolt Enters Scooter Fad. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired May 16, 2019 - 03:00   ET

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


[03:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. lawmakers and allies urge caution as tensions with Iran sore and skeptics have questions about the intelligence and the motivation behind Washington's recent actions.

Taking aim at a major Chinese tech companies, Donald Trump effectively bars American companies from Huawei products.

Plus, the governor of Alabama signs the most restrictive abortion bill in America, setting the stage for a potential showdown of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. And this is CNN newsroom.

We begin with the growing tensions between the United States and Iran. The White House now says President Trump will meet with the president of Switzerland as a potential back channel negotiator to resolve the conflict.

Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are demanding details on the alleged threats from Iran and its proxies that have moved the U.S. towards a war footing. And in the Gulf of Oman, sources tell CNN authorities believe explosive charges, possibly mines delivered by small boats or scuba divers are to blame for those damaged tankers over the weekend.

Well, CNN has correspondents covering developments around the globe, this hour we are joined by Fred Pleitgen in the Iranian capital, and Nic Robertson in Abu Dhabi. Good to see you both.

So, Fred, let's start with you, and amid this escalating tension between Iran and the United States, what has most people concerned of course is the fear of miscalculation. So, how is Tehran reacting to all of this?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, it's had a dual reaction by the Iranians. On the one hand, you have the Iranian government and just earlier this morning, Javad Zarif, the foreign minister came out and said that Iran was showing a lot of restraint in the face of what he calls an unlawful escalation by the United States.

But then late last night you had the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard corps come out and say that he believes that Iran was at the height of its confrontation with the United States and that this was a decisive time for the Islamic revolution here in Iran.

So, on the one hand, you have politicians who are saying, look, Iran is going to remain restrained but on the other hand you also have military figures who are saying that Iran would be ready if there was an escalation, a confrontation with the United States. Here's what we're learning.

With tensions between the U.S. and Iran high and fears of a possible military confrontation, Iran's supreme leader putting on the brakes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALI KHAMENEI, IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER (through translator): There won't be any war with the help of God. We don't seek a war, and they don't either. They know it's not in their interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: But senior Iranian military commanders have said if there is an escalation, Iran could attempt to strike U.S. military installations in the Middle East. Analysts say Iran's ballistic missiles pose a real threat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANISEH BASSIRI TABRIZI, RESEARCH FELLOW, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE (through translator): Iran has committed to so far restrain the range of its missiles tomorrow more than 2,000 kilometers, but should the potential escalation increase that they might reverse that decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: The U.S. has beefed up its present in the region, sending a carrier strike group of bombers and additional fighter jets. Iran can't match America's superior technology but its military is a lethal forge.

Iran soldiers and its commanders gained a lot of experience fighting in places like Iraq and Syria. And that combat experience makes Iran's armed forces one of the strongest in the Middle East.

Iran has set up allied militias in many countries in the Middle East. A former Revolutionary Guard commander telling me those forces could be mobilized anytime.

"Besides every American base, there is a resistance base, the popular forces who support the Islamic revolution," he says, "and all of America's behavior is under our control. If we are going to act, both are missiles and are popular militia will be in action."

Iranians have likened the current standoff to a matchup between President Trump and Iran's supreme leader. And the former commander says he believes Khamenei has the upper hand.

"Trump is a poker player playing with opened cards," he says. "Our supreme leader is a chess player who's playing under the table, it seems as though, this is a battle of two wheels and Trump's tactic is to scare the other side, whereas, we are not scared of Trump at all."

[03:05:06] While both the U.S. and Iran continued to say they don't want an escalation in the Persian Gulf, fears of a possible miscalculation that could trigger a military confrontation remain.

Rosemary, if you look at the places where people fear that those miscalculations could take place, it is obviously almost all of the neighboring countries here in the Middle East.

You look at Iraq, you look at Syria, basically places where both the U.S. and Iran or pro-Iranian forces are in close proximity. And then of course, you have that area that we have speaking about so much, where Nic is right now, the Persian Gulf area as well, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, indeed, a lot of concern. Our Fred Pleitgen reporting there live from Tehran. Many thanks to you. I want to cross over now to Abu Dhabi. And CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson.

Nic, we are watching national security adviser John Bolton and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo push the U.S. in the direction of war. The big question everyone is asking is, will they convince President Trump to go in that direction?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You know, what President Trump has wanted to do from the outset, this was when he was on the campaign trail, is deconstruct President Obama signature foreign policy achievement which was the Iran nuclear deal, a multinational deal.

He pulled out of it and he subsequently put pressure on Iran and continues to do so to try to build something better. So this is an election narrative for him, it was last time and it will be this time. He likes to have deliverables. So, he's already predisposed to this very hawkish position on Iran.

The adviser he's not left -- left with are (AUDIO GAP), national security Bolton. Bolton has a long history of being a conservative hawk, and being a hawk in particular on Iran.

President Trump came to office with a number of former senior military officers from the Marine Corps in the marines of course to big casualties (AUDIO GAP) called -- Marine Corps barracks bombing in Beirut that Iran was responsible for.

So, there is a predisposition here. So, Bolton and Pompeo. Pompeo is sort of seen as enabling what the president wants. Bolton more as driving a narrative in a direction here. So, President Trump was already along this part, but he is certainly

being helped by in the direction of putting more pressure on Iran by John Bolton, there seems to be no doubt about that.

What he is hearing from his regional allies here will possibly shape his opinion, the president's opinion as well. What we are hearing from the minister of state from foreign affairs here is that they are United Arab Emirates are proceeding with caution and good judgment on their investigation into who is responsible.

But he does seem to be tipping his hat at the moment that Iran may be that country, he's not saying it is, but he is saying that Iran is responsible for, you know, security concerns in the region at the moment.

So, you can see that President Trump, the messaging he is getting is still pushing him in that direction of potential confrontation with Iran. But if all he really wants to do is show that he can be better than President Obama in relationship with Iran, the channel of direct communications with Iran, is that what he really wants to achieve here? The problem is nobody knows, you know, where the president really wants to get with this.

CHURCH: Yes. This is one where there's so much concern, of course. And then U.S. allies are skeptical and question the credibility of American claims. What more are you learning about that?

ROBERTSON: Well, I think what we are looking at here is, certainly, one very senior British army commander who is the number two in the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition in Iraq and Syria briefing Pentagon reporters saying that as far as he was concerned as deputy commander in theater (Ph), they weren't seeing an increase in threats from Iranian groups.

That threat, he said, exists. We monitor at all the time, but he wasn't seeing an increase in it.

So, you know, the United States pulling out, drawing down embassy staff across Iraq and consulate staff has triggered European allies to examine their positions. And indeed, was saying the Dutch and the Germans tamp suspend their military training with Iraqi forces which indicates they do believe that there are some issues here.

But in particular, with Britain at the moment, there does seem to be something of a back and forth developing because Central Command, the U.S. military's command that oversees the whole Middle East contradicted what that British general had to say.

So, I think we are seeing some pushing backwards and forwards on this issue. There are gaps there, and this is -- this is the thing that's going to hamper President Trump in what he wants to achieve on Iran and it is hampering him because he got out of step with his allies in Europe.

[03:10:01] He hasn't been a best partner to them, particularly in diplomatic terms and his relationships with Angela Merkel, with Theresa May, these are not good relationships right now.

And of course, the spillover when the president is looking to get help from allies, the allies are not going to be afraid to put their hands up and say, we've got differences. And I think this will, you know, feeds into the perception in the region here, that when the United States made a case to go into Iraq in 2003, based on Iraq having weapons of mass destruction, ultimately, none were found. And that has diminished the U.S. credibility in the long term in the region.

And President Trump, even his European allies are not predisposed to believe him particularly at the moment.

CHURCH: Yes. Watching these developments very closely, our Nic Robertson joining us there live from Abu Dhabi. Many thanks.

With the U.S.-China trade war escalating, President Trump is moving toward banning China's Huawei from U.S. telecommunications networks. He signed an executive order preventing U.S. companies from using equipment from foreign firms that pose a national security risk.

The order doesn't name Huawei specifically but a short time later, the Commerce Department added Huawei to a list of companies Washington considers to be undermining U.S. interest.

Well, Sherisse Pham joins us now live from Hong Kong with more on all of this. Good to see you again, Sherisse. So, President Trump's order effectively bars Huawei sales in the U.S. How's China likely to react to this and what's Huawei saying?

SHERISSE PHAM, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: China is likely not to react very well. If we look at the history of Beijing's reactions to sanctions or decisions out of the Trump administration to effectively punish Chinese firms, Beijing has found some way to retaliate in a way that also hurt U.S. companies.

We have a little bit of a hint of how officials are feeling about this executive order because they were asked about it yesterday during a briefing. The regular briefing has not happened yet, but it will probably sound something along the lines of this.

They say that the U.S. has been abusing its national power to oppress specific Chinese companies and calling those actions disgraceful and unjust. But of course, the fear in Washington is that Beijing could compel Huawei to use its equipment to spy on other nations.

Huawei has repeatedly denied that any of its products pose a national security risk. And our own CNN's Matt Rivers asked founder Ren Zhengfei about this very question about spying and obeying a request from Beijing in an interview in March. Have a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REN ZHENGFEI, FOUNDER, HUAWEI (through translator): I would rather shut down the company. In our 30-year history, we have never received such requests. If there are future requests, I'm making it clear today, I will firmly reject them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHAM: Huawei has said in the past also that if it complies with the request from Beijing to use its equipment to spy on other nations, it would amount to suicide for the company. But of course, Rosemary, the counter argument to that is it could be suicide for the company to disobey an order from Beijing.

CHURCH: Indeed. I know you will continue to watch this, Sherisse Pham, joining us live from Hong Kong. Many thanks.

Well, the Trump White House will soon reveal its long-awaited plan to revamp the U.S. immigration system. One thing is clear, the proposal will favor immigrants who already speak English and have jobs lined up.

Plus, politics threatened to overshadow a song contest designed to bring nations together. The latest on Eurovision in Israel. That's ahead.

[03:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, in Alabama the governor has signed into law a bill that could punish doctors who perform abortions there with life imprisonment.

The law bans abortions in almost all cases, even for victims of rape and incest. It is a move that critics call an appalling attack on women's rights and abortion rights advocates promised to challenge it in court.

Republican Governor Kay Ivey says, and I'm quoting her here, "This legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God."

Meantime, we are hearing from countless people on both sides of the issue, including a slew of 2020 presidential hopeful. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They're trying to overturn Roe versus Wade. That's wrong, and we will fight back.

SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This Alabama, effort and the effort across this country now in 29 states is an all- out attack on women's reproductive freedom and our basic civil rights.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When abortions were illegal in our country, women died. They died because they were not given choice. It's a fundamental issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The law takes effect in six months but Governor Ivey concedes maybe unenforceable until the Supreme Court revisits Roe versus Wade decision which legalizes abortion across all 50 states.

Well, congressional Democrats are fuming over White House refusals to turn over requested documents. The House Judiciary Committee following up on the Mueller report is investigating possible obstruction of justice and abuse of power by the administration.

On Wednesday, a White House attorney formally rejected the committee's request for documents from dozens of individuals.

CNN's Jim Acosta has the latest from the White House.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: As the president praise the nation's law enforcement community at the Capitol, his White House counsel told House Democrats to get lost in their investigation into whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice in the Russia probe.

In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, White House counsel Pat Cipollone said "Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation should be enough." Adding, "congressional investigations are intended to obtain information to aid in evaluating potential legislation, not to harass political opponents or to pursue an unauthorized do-over of exhausted law enforcement investigations conducted by the Department of Justice."

Nadler fired back to CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JERROLD NADLER, (D) NEW YORK: This is the White House claiming that the president is the king. This is the White House saying that the Justice Department says they can't hold the president accountable because you can't indict the president, and now they're saying either can Congress, so the president is totally unaccountable and above the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin also sounded defiant when asked whether the IRS will ever hand over the president's long secret tax returns to lawmakers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN MNUCHIN, UNITED STATES TREASURY SECRETARY: The Democrats are trying to weaponize their assets. It's a very, very dangerous issue and that's why we are taking this issue very seriously.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Aides to the president say he's eager to cut deals with Congress as Mr. Trump is expected to reveal his new immigration plan on Thursday. The president is set to call for a new merit system for legal immigrants coming into the U.S. that rewards the wealthier and well-educated while building a wall on the border and creating a new process to expedite claims for asylum seekers. [03:19:56] But the plan at the moment does not address the fate of the

millions of undocumented people in the U.S. including the young so- called DREAMers in the DACA program, as well as the thousands of family separations carried out by the administration.

The proposal is a renewed push for a merit basis in that White House immigration hard liner Stephen Miller promoted nearly two years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Aren't you trying to change what it means to be an immigrant coming into this country? If you are telling them you have to speak English, can't people learn how to speak English when they get here?

STEPHEN MILLER, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR POLICY ADVISER: Well, first of all, right now it's a requirement to be naturalized, you have to speak English. So, the notion that speaking English wouldn't be a part of immigration systems would actually be very a historical.

Ten years, 20 years, 30 years from now we want to have an immigration system that takes care of the people who are coming here and the people who are already living here by having standards.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: GOP officials told CNN that Republican senators briefed on the proposal by the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner were, quote, "underwhelmed by the plan." But the White House is anxious to hit the reset button on the issue, even as the president is previewing his plan with heated rhetoric.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To end deadly sanctuary cities. To stop the visa lottery program where they take lottery systems and a country will put you into a lottery and then deposit you into the United States. I don't think most countries are giving us their finest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The president is expected to roll out his immigration plan at the White House on Thursday. Senior administration officials acknowledge this proposal may not really go anywhere as it will certainly run into a wall of opposition among Democrats in Congress as one official said the White House is hoping to unite Republicans on immigration, even as some GOP lawmakers are questioning the president's approach to the issue.

Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: And we could be on the verge of a tantalizing look at Donald Trump's fortune with the expected release of his latest financial disclosure forms in the coming day.

The documents will offer a glimpse of the president's income last year. In 2017, he reported a $450 million hall. The forms will also lay out the president's liabilities and his income from properties, retirement accounts, book royalties and investments.

The president has resisted all attempts to release his tax returns despite his promised to do so and the subpoena from Congress.

About 200 million viewers are expected to watch this year's Eurovision final from Tel Aviv where musicians from different countries compete against each other.

But it comes after a flareup of violence between militants in Gaza and the Israeli army. And now activists are calling for a boycott of the competition.

CNN business reporter Hadas Gold joins me now from Tel Aviv. So, Hadas, what is the latest on this and how successful would a boycott be?

HADAS GOLD, CNN POLITICS, MEDIA AND BUSINESS REPORTER: Rosemary, tonight is the last semifinal of the Eurovision song competition. In a few hours, the city will be packed from the expo center where the competition will take place to the beach party -- to the beaches where there are festivals and watch parties.

But every year, although Eurovision is known as a song competition with (Inaudible) costumes and quirky performances, the geopolitics of the day seem to come into play. And with the competition in Israel, this year is of course no exception.

The party is on for the 2019 Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv. Israel has invested millions into hosting the competition, part of an effort to rebrand the country as a top destination for a fund, sunny holiday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of Israel are happy and wish good luck to the candidates.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm feeling hopeful, yes. Winning in the air.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's great to be here in Israel, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: But Eurovision comes at a tense time for the country after a flareup of violence between militants in Gaza and the Israeli army last week. A shaky ceasefire was restored just as rehearsals started and some activists are calling for a boycott.

(CROWD CHANTING)

GOLD: Over Israel's treatment of Palestinians. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTAN HELMAN, HADASH POLITICAL PARTY: We want them to stop the party, to (Inaudible), to work together and to see that there is another thing happening 100 kilometers from them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: The conflict got a mention in a satirical promo about Israel made by the state broadcaster. Praised by some as self-deprecating, slammed by others for making light of stereotypes.

[03:25:03] Everywhere you look, Israelis are thinking about their country's image. Breaking the Silence, an NGO presenting former soldiers calling on Israel to withdraw from the West Bank bought a billboard along the road from the airport into the city playing on the Eurovision theme dare to dream.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ACHIYA SCHATZ, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, BREAKING THE SIDELNCE: For us, if we want to build bridges through music, we need to take apart walls that being built by occupation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: At Eurovision, though, the message is one of unity and leaving politics off the stage.

Reigning champion Netta Barzilai brought the competition to her home country with the song "Toy" about inclusivity and positivity, a feeling she hopes permeates this year's contest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NETTA BARZILAI, WINNER, EUROVISION 2018: From all of these countries, all these cultures combined together, this is a festival of light. For people to boycott light is spreading darkness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: Politics or not, the show will go on as Eurovision chooses next year sound and vision.

So thus far, none of the 41 competitors have pulled out in protest or anything like that. Tonight, semifinal will help determine the final lineup of competitors on Saturday when a public vote will help determine a new champion. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. We'll continue to watch and see what happens. Hadas Gold reporting there from Tel Aviv. Many thanks.

And we will get back to our top story after a short break. Still to come, a look at what investigators think caused gaping holes in the halls of four tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Plus, the blame game on Capitol Hill. A tense hearing over the safety

of the Boeing 737 MAX and whether to fatal crashes could have been avoided.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Rosemary Church. Time to check the main stories we've been following this hour.

With the U.S.-China trade war escalating, President Trump is targeting China's Huawei technology's company. He signed an executive order that basically bars U.S. telecommunication companies from buying Huawei's equipment. Washington believes Huawei's equipment could be used by the Chinese to spy.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has signed into law a bill that bans abortions in almost all cases in her state, even for victims of rape and incest. It's a move that critics call an appalling attack on women's rights. Abortion rights advocates promised to challenge it in court.

[03:30:02] Donald Trump is looking to Switzerland to help ease tensions with Iran. Mr. Trump will meet with the Swiss president in the coming day as a possible backchannel negotiator. The U.S. has announced a military buildup in the Middle East to counter what it calls imminent threat from Iran.

Let's talk more about all of this with Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, he is a CNN military analyst and joins us now. Thank you so much for being with us.

MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST, RETIRED ARMY FORMER COMMANDING GENERAL: It's an honor, Rosemary, thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So, the United States says Iran poses an unspecified threat. U.S. lawmakers and allies are skeptical and Iran says it does not want war with the United States. So what's going on here and how concerned should we all be?

HERTLING: Well, there was certainly a lot of bluster surrounding this situation. It appears that there is some intelligence that has caused this kind of alarm to go up within the U.S. systems. My question, is where did it come from? What does it consists of and who is it being shared with because, certainly there is a lot of action taking place within the U.S. military and the U.S. State Department, but many of our allies haven't seen at the same way.

It just poses the question, what is really going on, on top of the deployment of forces like the patriot missile systems, the readjustment and realignment of carrier strike groups and the rumors of war plan reviews which is in and of itself, are not necessarily uncommon. But when it's publicize the way it was, it certainly is tempting to send alarms to some people.

CHURCH: Yes, and this is the situation we are learning about, updated military options for a possible war against Iran, whether there is any justification for that we will know in the future. But what would be the ramifications of a war between the United States and Iran, even a number of allies have said, they want nothing to do with this? And they will suggest that the U.S. has credibility issues when it comes to talking up a war with Iran, what do you think they mean by that?

HERTLING: Whenever you attempt to go into a conflict, or go into a military action it's because diplomacy hasn't worked. When you jump immediately to the military approach, that tells you something is amiss and especially after so many engagement with so many of our partners, not only in Europe, but also in the Middle East were there seems to be a divisiveness instead of an attempt to build stronger alliances, it's going to be problematic in just these kind of situations if there is a requirement to take military action.

Because other folks aren't going to join and we have seen robust by many of the governments in Europe, we've seen divisions within many of the governments within the Middle East and even our allies in the past had gone with us for military actions, seemed to not have the same intelligence information that we have, because they aren't taking some of the same actions like closing embassies or moving soldiers to the region.

CHURCH: We already know that National Security Adviser John Bolton, supports regime change in Iran. He has said it in the past, he hasn't kept it a secret, it's out there, but would President Trump want that as well, given he has always said that he would rather reduce overseas troop levels?

HERTLING: Yes, well, we have certainly seen some disastrous effects of our government attempting regime change within the last couple of decades. And unfortunately I have been involved and seen that mission passed from the political leaders to the military and that is a very tough mission to accomplish. Just the overarching theme of regime change.

There's a lot of politicians who see and civilian masters who see regime change as the elimination of the leader of a sovereign government, whether that leader is good or bad, but when you start applying military activity to try and do that it becomes a whole lot tougher than just announcing that you want it to occur.

CHURCH: Just finally, given all this tension and incredible concern, why is U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, waiting until next week to provide a briefing on all of this?

HERTLING: Yes, that's a very good question. Again, if they do have some hard intelligence, and because some of the announcement in the past that has cause people and not believe what it's going on, you would think that they would readily be involving members of Congress and even making announcements to the American people.

I understand that they don't want to signal what they might do, what the administration is considering doing, but at the same time they have to build consensus not only with the government, with the Congress of the United States, but they also the support -- have to get the support of the people. [03:35:05] This is not -- war is never a unilateral action. You have

to have the population behind any kind of action, when military forces used because the population is sending their sons and daughters to fight these wars, so you should get support and then you have to have, by our constitution, the approval of the Congress.

So, going this along with just simply the administration, the president secretary defense, his National Security Adviser, the Secretary of State is never a good way to begin these kind of operations.

CHURCH: It is a real worry, and thank you, sir, for providing your military expertise on this subject, we appreciate it.

HERTLING: Yes, thanks for asking me.

CHURCH: And we should have some answers in the next few days about those damaged ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Sources tell CNN authorities believe explosive charges, possibly mines delivered by small boat or scuba divers are to blame. CNN's Becky Anderson spoke with the emirate minister of state for foreign affairs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANWAR GARGASH, UAE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: We are currently investigating, we have -- we are collaborating with France and the United States and other friends are also offering their help. So, in a few days, we should know what took place, what transpired.

Clearly this is a very, very serious incident, because it affects maritime commerce and it comes also at a very, very what I would call sensitive in difficult period in the region. So, clearly we all have an interest at this time in de-escalating and dealing with things and (inaudible).

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You are talking about de- escalating the rhetoric with Iran at present.

GARGASH: Definitely. I think the whole situation is difficult. We are where we are, largely because of Iranians -- Iran behavior. This is a behavior that is not new to the region. This is a behavior that has been, basically, compiling and clearly right now that, you know, that American sanctions on Iran are biting.

ANDERSON: Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has said that he fundamentally doesn't want a war with Iran, but if provoked or if U.S. interest in the Middle East are attacked they would respond. Are you, tonight, urging Washington to act with a degree of caution and restraint? We are seeing an escalation. So, are you concern?

HERTLING: The onus is on Iran. The onus is on Iran. Iran is the government that is responsible for where we are today. Iranian behavior over the last decade or two has led us to where we are today, there's very little trust in the region. I don't think the onus right now is mainly on Washington, I think it's on Iran. ANDERSON: You talked a lot about the -- what the Iranians should do,

I wonder though what your position is so far as what Washington should do next? Certainly the U.S. and Europeans at present are disunited. Does that worry you at present? And once, again I wonder whether this urging of caution should not be to Washington.

HERTLING: I think that the important thing is for the West to be more and more united, and I think it concerns us when we see that the West is speaking with different approaches. I think, all these countries that you have mentioned, agree that there is a problem with Iran's behavior. I think that this agreement is over the approach, I think this is an agreement across the board that Iran has been a disruptive force.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And we are getting reports of the leader of the Basque separatists group ETA has been detained. The reports say Josu Ternera is being held in France, he is accused of taking part in an attack in Spain that killed 11 people, more than 30 years ago. He was arrested in a joint French Spanish operation. Spain issued an arrest warrant for him in 2002. We will continue to keep an eye on that story.

Well, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is under scrutiny after two fatal plane crashes. At a hearing on Wednesday, the agency's acting chief, Daniel Elwell faced intense questioning about the safety of the Boeing 737 Max jet as lawmakers pressed him about the automated systems implicated in the crashes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER DEFAZIO, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE: It wasn't even in the manual that this automated system existed. It wasn't in the manual? Now, that is odd, because the pilots were the redundancy. How the hell are you the redundancy if you don't know something?

[03:40:07] DANIEL ELWELL, U.S. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ACTING CHIEF: The 737 Max will return to service only when the FAA's analysis of the facts and technical data indicate that it's safe to do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The entire Boeing 737 Max fleet was grounded after 346 people died in two crashes just four months apart. Investigators believe an issue with the anti-stall software cost the disasters. Boeing is working on a software fix.

Well, gang violence has killed hundreds of kids in Chicago over the past decade. Coming up after this short break, we will show you what one woman is doing to save her neighborhood.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, the world's largest internet platforms are agreeing to do more to keep extremist content off their sights. French President Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern lead the way on the Christchurch call. An international accord, more than a dozen other nations and the European commission support the initiative. It's named for the city, where a terrorist attack on two mosques was live streamed on Facebook.

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JACINDA ARDERN, PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND: We encourage any organization who can contribute to its success to get involved. Today though must be day one of change, and as was said in the meeting today by one of the companies, today is the first day of the next four months.

The Christchurch call is a roadmap for action and it is pleasing to see the statement from five major tech companies committing all of them to a set of individual actions and collaborative actions as well.

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CHURCH: The White House did not attend the meeting, or sign the agreement citing free speech concerns, but a statement said it did support the accords overall goals.

All this week, CNN has been bringing you stories of people striving to make the world a better place. In this installment of champions for change, one woman crusade to curb gang violence on some of the deadliest streets in America, CNN's Kate Bolduan has her story.

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[03:45:00] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When I first met Diane, the Supreme Court was about to hear a case, a landmark case having to do with Chicago's handgun ban.

DIANE LATIKER, FOUNDER, KIDS OFF THE BLOCK: If you would stay here two days you realize our young people are looking backwards, at their back, because of a drive by.

BOLDUAN: When Dianne Latiker opened up her own home to start a nonprofit, Kids off the block, she was fighting to stem the tide of gang activity in her neighborhood.

And I came here to Chicago to talk to some of the people who are most affected by gun violence and I know how much my life has changed in the almost 10 years since we last met, I'm interested to see what's changed for Diana. There she is.

How are you? I mean, you haven't age a day.

LATIKER: It is so good to see you.

BOLDUAN: It is so good to see you.

LATIKER: I'm surprised you even remember me.

BOLDUAN: Are you kidding? I remember you were saying, you leave a mark.

LATIKER: Want to go in?

BOLDUAN: I'd love to.

Diane, Diane, Diane. Tell me, again, why did you first opened your doors?

LATIKER: I realize that they were failing in school, they needed help, the gang were trying to recruit the boys and stuff. And I'm like, me? What am I going to do, you know?

BOLDUAN: What do you do?

LATIKER: What do I do? I sold the TV and bought some computers and start (inaudible) homework. It's about a program, like tutoring and mentoring, (inaudible) stuff, but it's not about a program. I want to know these kids.

BOLDUAN: Have there been moments when you have thought, that's it, I can't.

LATIKER: Every day. Every day I would wake up, I quit! I'm not doing this! And then somebody would call me, a kid or young person walked in the door and said, if the door wasn't opened I would be dead in jail.

BOLDUAN: Since 2003, thousands of kids have walked through this front, door including Tre Orr, who has been getting this very same hug for almost that long.

What is she meant to you?

TREVIANCE ORR, GRAPHIC DESIGNER: A mother figure, definitely. It's hard to go, man.

BOLDUAN: What are you doing these days?

ORR: I graphic design.

BOLDUAN: Went to college?

ORR: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Got a job?

ORR: Yes.

BOLDUAN: You can see the pride on Diane's face, but that disappears quickly when we drive through the neighborhood.

This is where four shootings happened in four days last week, and I knew the young people, the young people who were shot. Friday, it's tireless. Now his brother was just killed, he was in my program.

BOLDUAN: I can see how another kid that age could so easily think, I have no future.

LATIKER: That is what they think. No hope. You can't blame them.

BOLDUAN: Returning to the memorial Diane started, it does feel impossible to blame them. Each brick represents a young life lost to gun violence. How many are in there now?

LATIKER: Two hundred and one.

BOLDUAN: So there were 201 when I came, how many are here now?

LATIKER: It's almost 800 now. Almost 700 and something.

BOLDUAN: It's hard to imagine it could be this big, I know it's so naive to think.

LATIKER: I didn't, either.

BOLDUAN: Diane isn't alone in her fight to save this community.

DOMINIQUE DAILY, VOLUNTEER, KIDS OFF THE BLOCK: I'm from Roseland. I had went to get my, you know, my bachelor's degree, I have one on and get my master's degree and I am working right inside the community that I come from.

BOLDUAN: What is Diane's influence been in your life do you think?

DAILY: She has impact to my life tremendously. She has been a person to go to a mentor, the most supportive person you could ever be around and be with.

BOLDUAN: You are in a doctoral program right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BOLDUAN: How long have you been volunteering with Diane, with Kids off the block?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It will be nine years in September.

DAILY: We love it here. I started in 2008.

BOLDUAN: What are you teaching them?

TASIA BRYSON, VOLUNTEER, KIDS OFF THE BLOCK: Making up songs about long divisions, doing crazy dances, anything to get them involved, relive them science to everything.

BOLDUAN: And soon they will have a lot more room to help a lot more kids.

LATIKER: First it was a liquor store and then it was a restaurant. This is going to be the computer lab.

BOLDUAN: Diane is now turning this empty building next door to her home into a technology and entrepreneurial center. LATIKER: I'm hoping its open by the time school starts in September.

BOLDUAN: This is the future.

LATIKER: This is the future.

BOLDUAN: So, what does the future look like?

LATIKER: The future looks like young people thriving, getting new skills and coming back with success stories. Oh my god, I could see the possibilities in here.

BOLDUAN: You have it all figured out, now we just have to swing some hammers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: It's a great story, and Kate Bolduan's report is part of our champions for change series. We will keep sharing these inspiring stories all this week, and tune in this Saturday for an hour long report starting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, that is 8:00 Sunday morning in Hong Kong, only here on CNN.

[03:50:15] A terrifying ordeal Wednesday for window washers on the outside of a high rise building in Oklahoma. Take a look. This was the frightening scene. A medal platform with two people swinging and twisting wildly at the end of a crane. They were hundreds of feet off the ground. It took about 45 minutes for firefighters to finally get the platform stabilized and rescue both those workers. Amazingly, neither required medical attention, but several windows were broken in the incident, sending shattered glass to the street below. Incredible outcome.

Well, Usain Bolt is used to going fast and now the world fastest man is hoping people in Paris get around at his speed, but on two wheels. And we will explain when we come back.

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CHURCH: Well, the art world is celebrating two record sales at auction, Jeff Coons whimsical stainless steel sculpture, rabbit, sold at Christy's in New York for $91 million. That is a record for a living artist. The buyer, art dealer Robert Mnuchin is the father of the U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

And a painting from a French Master Claude Monet's haystacks series has commanded the highest price ever for an impressionist artwork. The 19th century farm scene fetched $110 million at (Inaudible) in New York. The winning bidder was not named. Gorgeous picture, there.

For Uber, silence costs extra. The ride hailing app has unveiled new features for premium rides, including a quiet mode for riders of Uber black, you can now tell your driver in advance if you want a silent ride. It is now also a temperature control option that lets you request heat or air before entering the car and you can tell your driver in advance if you need help with luggage. Usain Bolt is entering the scooter craze with his new venture, Bolt

mobility, and while it's already a crowded market, the fastest man in the world believes he can catch up to his competitors. CNN's Anna Stewart has our report.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my god. Is traffic always this bad?

ANNA STEWART, CNN PRODUCER: The fastest man on earth doesn't like to wait around. Eight time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt is cofounder and brand ambassador to the aptly named boat mobility, one of the newest east scooter rides on the block.

USAIN BOLT, CO-FOUNDER BOLT MOBILITY: Traveling all around the world, over the years, I have competed and notice that I've been to New York, London, Paris, everywhere. One thing I noticed is we always complain about this traffic.

STEWART: Bolt mobility launched in the U.S. last year, and now it's launching in Europe, starting here in Paris. The problem, is many European cities have banned e-scooters and come September they're going to be banned on sidewalks here in Paris as well.

How is this business going to flourish if (inaudible)?

SARAH HAYNES, BOLT MOBILITY CO-CEO AND CHAIRWOMAN: We are actually meeting with city officials today to sign an agreement and to be good citizens and good actors in France. And that's really, really important for us as a company.

[03:55:10] STEWART: These e-scooter market is already crowded. Lime, Bird, Skip, Spin, the list is long and it's getting longer. Both argues this scooter is different.

BOLT: If you want to go shopping, we have storage area for your bags and this is for ladies, I mean, you have your handbags, you have the scooter, you don't want to have it on your shoulder you can place it in here and we have a place for your phone.

STEWART: These features reach speeds up to 15 miles per hour. It's fast, and like their rivals, they're having to address safety concerns.

HAYNES: The color choice was based on what is your eye going to see faster? Yellow is the fastest color that your brain sees and so we can prevent a lot of the potential accidents and traffic situations. So we give away helmets for free.

STEWART: And for those that think scooters are just for kids.

BOLT: No, these are grown up, we are thinking about trying to get from place to place. These is what I'm focused on. How am I going to be safe, how am I going to get there on time. Come on. If I'm doing, something it's going to be cool. Let's just get that out of the way. STEWART: Well, if Usain Bolt, says it's, cool I will take this for a

road test. Safety first. I want to get my helmet on. OK. We have to kick start it, right? One, to, three. Anna Stewart, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: She is doing a great job there. All right, for Rolling Stone's front man Mick Jagger, time really is on his side.

The 75 year old singer posted this video of himself dancing in the studio just a few weeks after surgery to replace a heart valve. The clip sent fans into a frenzy on social media. The Stone's had to postpone their North American tour last month and in case you are wondering, the song he is dancing to, is not one of his own, it's the Wombats, Techno Fan. I still can't believe he is 75, he looks fantastic.

Thanks for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Remember to connect with me any time on Twitter, I always want to hear from you, and the news continues now with Max Foster in London. You're watching CNN. Have yourselves a great day.

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MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. President Trump prepares to meet with the Swiss.

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