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Nearly 140 World Leaders Expected to Attend Climate Change Conference; Hostage Saw Gunman Open Fire Near Clinic; Pope Francis Visits African Refugee Camp. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired November 29, 2015 - 07:30   ET

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


[07:30:00] PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But at the same time, the primary reason for President Obama and 146 other heads of state coming here is the fight against climate change. So this conference is going ahead under those circumstances, under enormous security and the collective message from President Obama, from the other leaders, is that we can deal with terrorists, we can talk about terrorism, but we can also focus our attention on other big important issues.

And so, for the people gathering here, they would argue there isn't a more important issue than climate change because this is all about the future of the planet. So, in that context, President Obama's important meetings over the coming days will be with the leaders of country that are currently among the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, India, China. These meetings are crucial to securing constructive dialogue and results that could eventually lead to a strong and solid ambitious deal that would see countries curbing their CO2 emissions to meet the stated goal of this conference which is keeping temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius, compared to pre- industrial levels.

Now, meeting that specific goal isn't likely but the hope is they can get some sort of brainwork in place, something that is constructive, something that really drives forward from here and result in more solid, more ambitious targets and aspirations in the future -- Christi.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you mentioned China. We know that President Obama is meeting with China's president. And as you mentioned, they are two of the strongest emitters.

Wondering if an agreement here on this subject specifically could lead to other talks with China, specifically about ISIS? Because with we know that the Chinese government was furious recently at is' execution of two of their citizens.

BLACK: Yes. It's interesting in that climate change in particular is an issue that the United States and China have been working upon increasingly constructively. It's one of the reasons why there is a real sense of optimism around this conference. This is what has been missing from previous gatherings here like this. And certainly there is a hope, some would say, that that degree of

constructiveness could have other agreements between China and the United States. There is also a concern, if you like, that the U.S. is softer with China on some issues and security issues in particular, in order to try to secure more agreement here when it comes to the climate. So, it works both ways, but there is no doubt that China, that meeting between the two presidents is crucial. As I say, the meeting with India also important because while security and terrorism, it will feature here. There's no way that it cannot.

The primary goal here is to try and come up with a strong climate agreement and there is the belief, and it's been stated by a number of world leader, that to do so would be the ultimate act of defiance to the terrorists who are responsible for the attacks here recently.

PAUL: Very good point. Phil Black, so appreciate it. Thank you.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: This is just one of the protests around the world this morning, protesters hitting the street. New video in from Geneva, Switzerland, activists joining others in solidarity and calling for policy changes on climate change, from Hong Kong to Seattle. Millions are expected to voice their concerns on the environment.

You see here, some of the displays from around the world, thanks to some of our partners globally. Many demonstrators expressing similar messages on posters, shirts, writing, quote, "There is no plan B". We have heard from many of the people who will be there or wanted to protest in Paris that if we do not get this right, speaking about climate change policy, then it does not matter what comes second.

Let's discuss now with security concerns further. The terrorism expert we have with us is Jean-Charles Brisard.

Jean-Charles, good to have you this morning.

I want to start, first, despite what we saw there and we understand that going on with this conference is not just a dedication to the topic, but an inspection of resolve there in Paris, there are some Parisians who say that there are other topics that should come before this and this should not go on.

Your thoughts.

JEAN-CHARLES BRISARD, TERRORISM EXPERT: I think terrorism will be one of the issues, of course, because all of the leaders will be here, because President Hollande has called for a broad coalition against ISIS in Syria, because here in Europe, we are dealing with a specific security in terms of security. Measures need to be taken in common here in Europe and in coordination with our international partners.

So, this conference, maybe the place to really discuss these matters and why not reach an agreement at least on minimal standards of what should be done in common in Syria and Iraq to defeat ISIS.

[07:35:10] BLACKWELL: Certainly, the 140 or so world leaders being in one place is a large concern but from what I understand, that is quite confined and managed and many will be out within 24 hours. But it's the larger numbers that could be targets for terrorists. What has this country done to try to eliminate that threat?

BRISARD: Well, today in Paris and around Paris, especially around COP21, there is more than 100,000 military officers, police officers in charge of securing that event. Also, the French intelligence, in coordination with many other partners are coordinating to defeat the remnant of these networks and those who in the Paris attacks are still at large for some of them. And also, the third thing is that we have reinstated border controls not only our international borders, but also a council of the E.U. has decided to have systemic controls in the external borders of Schengen, in order to protect really not only Europe but also France in these lots of time.

BLACKWELL: We know world leaders will be in and out in a day or two, but this conference goes, some of the 40,000 delegation will be there a week or two. What is the impact on what is this lockdown now in Paris on the Parisians, on the people there?

BRISARD: Well, this lockdown is very important, not only because of this conference, but also because, as you know, with the investigation into the Paris attack is still ongoing and we know that several individuals who participated in ways or not to these attacks, in preparation or in logistics are still at large. So, they have much power in terms of searching homes and individuals, in terms of also getting our hands on many aspects that we couldn't in reality, usually.

So, this is an issue that is currently being investigated and also, again, it gives us more power to secure the specific evidence.

BLACKWELL: All right. Jean-Charles Brisard, thank you so much.

PAUL: It is certainly a startling find and can you imagine? A newborn baby left under a piece of asphalt. Everyone is asking now where is the person who left her there? We will tell you what we know.

And you'll hear from a woman who hid for five hours inside the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic. What was it like to be steps away from a man who was shooting at police?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: We are hearing the compelling stories from survivors who were held hostage at the planned parenthood there in Colorado springs for hours during that siege. One of them is 22-year-old Kentanya Craion. She's pregnant. And she went with her boyfriend to the Planned Parenthood to get an ultrasound and that's when she heard gunshots.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: When you heard the gunman outside, what did he look like?

KENTANYA CRAION, HELD HOSTAGE INSIDE COLORADO CLINIC: Like he had not remorse, this was just a game to him.

REPORTER: Do you immediately recognize those as gunshots?

CRAION: No, I didn't. It took someone to tell me to get down, you know, that there is a gunshot, even then, I couldn't register because it felt so surreal and at that point when I had heard the gunshots, I was able to make out a picture of what was going on because I saw the gunman and I saw him shooting. And once I realized that this is really happening is when I -- I flee the scene and went in the back room.

I ran down the hall. I tried to open one door, it was locked. I opened another door and there was two people there, one was a nurse and one was an actual patient. When I heard around the second gunshots, you could clearly tell it was in the building and it was near, it was close.

One of the ladies inside of me started screaming and I had to tell her to remain calm and the gunshots were clear as day. We actually had a bullet come through our wall and went through one and the other and you could see the gun powder and smell it. It was just frightening at that point. We all just wanted to get out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Well, Craion hasn't heard from her boyfriend since the attack. We don't know yet if she has made contact with him, but police say they won't release the names of any of the victims until Monday.

PAUL: The two women out for a walk find a newborn baby buried alive near a bike path in a river bed. This is in Compton, California. It was a baby girl believed to be two days old under that foot of asphalt. Police say she was wrapped in a hospital blanket and she was cold.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. MARVIN JARAMILLA, LOS ANGELES SHERIFF'S DEPT.: And after removing some debris and some asphalt, they located the newborn baby. That was clearly underneath -- clearly on the ground underneath about a foot of rubble, asphalt and some debris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: The baby is in stable condition but police are looking for the person who left that child because that person is facing attempted murder and child endangerment charges.

BLACKWELL: This morning, a message of peace for a country divided.

PAUL: Pope Francis is in the Central African Republic and will meet with refugees in a few moments where he hopes to underline the importance of uplifting people in need.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [07:48:09] PAUL: We want to share with you some of the new pictures we are getting in of Pope Francis visiting a refuge camp. This is in the Central African Republic. It is the last stop on his trip through Africa in the city here. The camp is housing hundreds of people displaced from their homes because of the ongoing violence on this war torn country.

BLACKWELL: Our Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher is traveling with the pope and she joins us by the phone.

So, what was the pope's message today visiting the CAR?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Victor, I don't know if you can hear me. I heard you say what was the pope's message today. And I want to tell you that at that refuge center, he has them all chanting, "We are brothers and sisters".

Clearly, the pope can only have one message in this country and that is peace. This is a country which, since the 1960s, has essentially been in civil war and in conflict and last two years had no social order or government structure. They are put in a transition government here as opposed get elections going with the help of the U.N. this month in December.

So it is a very complex situation between a Muslim and griffin and rebel groups essentially fighting for power. It's not a fight necessarily over religion but a fight for the control and natural resources here and diamonds and minerals and gold.

The pope, obviously, his trip here is overshadowed by the security concerns. When we arrived at the airport, I have to say that the people said to me, we are so happy that he came, we were worried because the press kept talking about the problems of security and he would be safe here. They said they need the pope to be here because they feel like everybody has ignored them and forgotten them, and that is really the reason that Pope Francis has come here and archbishop of this capital city said every community, the Muslim community, the Christian community and even the armed men, he said, were ready to welcome the pope.

But people are still out in full force. They're little kids at the refugee center. I hope you could see it, those kind of rushing around the security to try and get to the pope. They are quite fast and managed to do it a few times.

But the enthusiasm obviously and the appreciation for the people coming here to draw attention to this part world is immense. Of course, he will be visiting a mosque tomorrow in a Muslim area which is considered still a violent area. But he has his security with him. Let's see how it goes.

We're back in Rome tomorrow night and this 6-day trip in Africa -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: Compassionate response from the people there in the car and his entire trip there. Delia, and we got all the pictures you were calling for -- thank you

so much by phone, our Vatican correspondent.

Let's talk about these slick roads that people are dealing with as they're heading back home after the Thanksgiving break. Thousands of people still without power. Nasty storm hitting the central plains on, as we said, one of the busiest travel days of the year.

PAUL: And following in the footsteps of Black Friday, Cyber Monday is starting early, too, apparently. Details on how much you online shoppers are expected to spend. Have you started?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:55:27] PAUL: Here is a look at the stories making headlines this morning.

BLACKWELL: Yes, details now emerging about a possible motive in the attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic that killed three people. Sources tell CNN the accused shooter mentioned, quote, "baby parts", expressed anti-abortion views, also made some anti-government statements to investigators, but officials caution it is still too early to be certainly about his intent, motive.

We'll have more on these new developments at the top of the hour.

PAUL: Meanwhile, all three Democratic presidential candidates are in New Hampshire today back on the campaign trail after the Thanksgiving holiday, of course. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley speaking at the Jefferson Jackson dinner tonight in Manchester.

And Chris Christie picking up a major endorsement in the Granite State. The newspaper "The Union Leader" endorsing the Republican candidate saying, quote, "Christie is right for these dangerous times."

BLACKWELL: Cyber Monday starting on Sunday. Stores like Walmart, JCPenney kicking it off today. National Retail Federation says online sales this year could hit $105 billion. It's been ten years since the first Cyber Monday.

PAUL: And the Central Plains hit so hard by a winter storm. We're thinking about all of you who are there. Highways iced over, power lines ripped out. More than a thousand people have died in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma from icy wrecks and heavy flooding. This ice and snow obviously hitting on one of the busiest travel days of the year. I know so many of you are trying to get home from the holiday.

So, we want to bring in meteorologist Allison Chinchar.

Can you give them any hope for what is yet ahead today?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It just depends on where your end destination is going to be, or perhaps your beginning destination, because weather isn't bad everywhere. But it is going to cause complications in a good chunk of the country. We have a frontal boundary sitting here. The back half of it really is not moving very much.

So, we've got the rain stretching basically horizontally up toward Washington, D.C., New York, all the way toward Texas. We have winter weather out behind it. That's causing most of our big problems as we transition into the rest of the day. We've got the ice storm that is out behind it. Notice around parts of Oklahoma and Kansas we have the cold air off to the north.

Again, with the front not moving, we've got a lot of watches and warnings out there as well. We have flood watches and warnings. The flood watches and warnings are around the Arkansas area and Tennessee and Mississippi and Louisiana.

Again, that's what we're seeing the flooding rains but heavy rain is expected all the way up towards New York.

So, Christi, if you're planning to travel cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Cincinnati, Memphis, and a lot of are big hubs, you're going to be dealing with travel problems. Oklahoma City, around Wichita, it's more of an ice threat on those particular cities. So, again, it's going to be convenient as we take a look into the next couple of days with the next system that will be moving in as we head into Minnesota on Monday.

PAUL: There's always a next one. Alisyn Chinchar, thank you so much.

I'm sorry, I can't make it in tomorrow.

(LAUGHTER)

PAUL: I'm stuck in New York.

Thank you so much for starting your morning with us.

BLACKWELL: Your NEW DAY continues right now.

(MUSIC)

PAUL: Good morning. We're grateful to have your company. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Good morning to you.

And we're starting this morning with the new details in a possible motive in the attack on a Planned Parenthood facility that killed three people including a veteran police officer. Nine others injured there.

PAUL: Yes, police sources tell CNN the suspect Robert Dear mentioned, quote, "body parts," along with anti-abortion views and anti government statements. Officials caution it is too early to be certain of his intent.

BLACKWELL: We learned the propane tanks were found near the suspect are intended to create some explosions.

PAUL: And there are new details about the remote area where the suspect lived. CNN spoke with some of his neighbors who describe the area as, quote, off the grid, as you can see for yourself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DALRYMPLE, LIVES IN HARTSEL, COLORADO: It isn't a tight knit community where everybody knows everybody. Most people are up here because they want to be on their own. I don't know that many people. I like to stay by myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWEL: The president of Planned Parenthood in the Rocky Mountains released a statement slamming the attack. And here's part of that statement, "Eye witnesses confirm that the man charged with the tragic and senseless shooting was motivated by opposition to safe and legal abortion."

Now, we know the FBI is conducting its own investigation trying to determine if federal charges should be filed.

We have with us to talk now, CNN law enforcement analyst and former director of the U.S. Marshals Office, Art Roderick.