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Trump To Speak Before World Leaders; Myanmar's De Facto Leader Breaks Silence; Puerto Rico Braces For Hurricane Maria; Actor Robert De Niro Wants To Help Rebuild Barbuda; Trump's Debut Speech at U.N. General Assembly; Trump's Favorite Answer. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired September 19, 2017 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:00:00] KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Seoul and welcome to News Stream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Making the U.N. great, Donald Trump takes his America first presidency to the global organization committed to international
cooperation.
Aung San Suu Kyi speaks on the Rohingya refugee crisis. The human rights groups, another say her remarks fall short. We are live in Myanmar and
Bangladesh.
And a powerful hurricane is gaining strength in the Caribbean battering a region still wheeling from the last devastating storm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: As President Trump prepares to address the U.N. General assembly for the first time, North Korea is expected to dominate discussions and
News Stream is in Seoul this week with a regional perspective to this ongoing standoff.
Now the speech will be on the biggest stage of Trump's presidency. I learned that more than 100 heads of states and it's going to be watched
very closely.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny is at the U.N. and he joins us now, and Jeff, thank you for joining us. Big speech, big audience for President Trump, he is going
to be under the global spotlight. So, will he dare put America first in focus?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what is so fascinating about this speech, Kristie Lu, president Trump of course will
be explaining firsthand his America first agenda, his nationalist policies to an audience of some 170 world leaders here at the U.N.
Now there's no question that North Korea front and center in the speech also Iran nuclear agreement is something that the president will be talking
about. But it's also a chance for these world leaders to take a measure of this new American president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY: With the eyes of the world watching, President Trump will bring his America first edition to the U.N. today delivering what the White House
calls a deeply philosophical speech that will encourage nations to take responsibility for their own security.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Americans polls and nations of Europe value individual freedom and sovereignty.
ZELENY: But his speeches in Poland and Saudi Arabia earlier this year did say the president will frame his foreign-policy as a pragmatic approach
that shows the benefits of countries acting in their shared self interests.
President Trump also expected to issue harsh warnings to Iran and North Korea. A senior White House official telling CNN, the president will speak
in extremely tough terms about the North Korea menace after remaining silent about Kim Jong-un during the first day at the U.N.
TRUMP: The main message is, the United Nation is great, and again, the United Nation is great.
ZELENY: The president striking a familiar campaign like tone during day one of the summit. But his words were far more measured than on the
campaign trail when blasted the U.N. as a bloated bureaucracy.
TRUMP: The United Nations is not a friend of democracy, is not a friend to freedom, is not a friend even to the United States of America.
ZELENY: He is even ridicule the iconic emerald backdrop when he will stand today. One thing on Twitter that he 12 inch square marble tiles behind
speaker at U.N. always bothered me. I will replace with beautiful large marble slabs if they ask me.
But far more pressing challenges around the president's desk this week including the Iran nuclear deal, an issue he discussed with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday in addition to the prospect of brokering Middle East peace.
TRUMP: I think there is a good chance that it could happen.
ZELENY: During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr. Trump held strong on his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord
calling it simply unfair to the U.S.
But in a lighter moment, President Trump saying, he was inspired to hold Fourth of July military parade in Washington after witnessing Bastille Day
in Paris earlier this year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY: Now even several world leaders began arriving here at the United Nations, President Trump from will be delivering that speech but again he
was working on much of the day yesterday in Trump Tower.
This is going to be a speech that's carefully crafted. We talk a lot about Teleprompter Trump versus Twitter Trump, this will be a Teleprompter speech
where the president will be talking about outcomes were told not ideologies.
This will be a different speech than the U.N. has heard but it's also going to be a chance for the president to talk about how he needs the United
Nations.
He has been very -- you know, he's blasted the U.N. before for its inefficiency as he's called but in terms of North Korea's sanctions and
others, he needs the United Nations Security Council, so walking the fine line here today at the United Nations. Kristie Lu.
[08:05:00] LU STOUT: Got it. So we are expecting a Teleprompter Trump will stay on message and we'll see very soon.
ZELENY: Right.
LU STOUT: Jeff Zeleny, appreciate it. We thank you for your reporting. Jeff Zeleny, reporting live from the U.N. Now, North Korea is sending its
foreign minister there to the U.N. General Assembly this week. But who is he? What do we know about him?
Now an half an hour from now, I'll be joined by a former State Department official in Academic to find out more about the Hermit Kingdom's top
diplomat, Ri Yong-ho.
Now, the de facto leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi has finally broken her silence about the Rohingya refugee crisis but for human rights groups,
her response today was not enough.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
For three weeks now, the Rohingya, Muslim minority have been fleeing into Bangladesh and they have been recounting unspeakable violence. We're
talking about murder, rape and torture, allegedly at the hands of Myanmar's military.
Human right groups call it ethnic cleansing but in her televised address today, Aung San Suu Kyi failed to assign blame for the crisis.
AUNG SAN SUU KYI, STATE COUNSELLOR, MYANMAR: The government is working to restore the situation to normalcy, since the 5th of September, there have
been no arm clashes and there have no clearance operations.
Nevertheless, we are concerned to hear that numbers of Muslims are fleeing across the boarder to Bangladesh. We want to find out why.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now MSC (ph) international says Suu Kyi and her government are burying their heads but sand but the defense minister told reporters in the
Myanmar's capital this, quote there was no ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. It was wrong.
You know, the Myanmar media is not so strongly like Muslim media. They created the story, unquote. CNN's senior international correspondent Ivan
Watson joins us now from the capital of Myanmar, and our Alexandra Field is in Bangladesh near the Rohingya refugee camps.
First, let's go to Ivan. Now, Ivan, Aung San Suu Kyi, she spoke in English, aware of a global audience as she made the speech from Myanmar,
she made a number of claims about this seed of affairs for the Rohingya in Rakhine, please fact check what she said.
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well some of these claims were quite wrong. She said that she insisted that in Rakhine State, everybody has
free access to healthcare and education regarding -- regardless of ethnicity or religion, and that's simply not true.
I've visited some of the sprawling what are described the government as displaced persons camps from earlier waves of violence between majority
Buddhist population in Rakhine in the minority Rohingya Muslims there.
These are homes to more than 120,000 Rohingya Muslims in that state back in 2012 and those people are denied citizenship, freedom of travel.
There is essentially sprawling concentration camps where these Rohingya Muslims are not allowed to leave to go to proper hospitals to go to
universities or to travel to other parts of the country.
Basically, the Rohingya Muslims are described by the Rakhine commission that Aung San Suu Kyi's government help set up. They are described as the
world's largest community of stateless people.
Some 10 percent of the world's stateless people live here in Myanmar and mostly are Rohingya Muslims. So Aung San Suu Kyi's speech while
acknowledging human rights violations did not refer by name to the Rohingya Muslims.
Continuing to deny recognition of this community which the government has long argued are simply not citizens of this country and arguing instead
that they are some kind of illegal immigrants who've been here for generations and generations. I asked Aung San Suu Kyi as she was walking
past one pointed question, take a listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Aung San Suu Kyi, was that ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Kristie, she did not respond to that and she did not address what the United Nations has said is a textbook case of ethnic cleansing on the
borders there between Myanmar and Bangladesh with some more than 400,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing in a span of less than four weeks.
However, her speech was greeted by her supporters in the commercial capital Yangon where there were viewing stations set up. Take a listen to what one
supporter had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what she said was very wise, come closer and also find some shoes together rather than point out, which is he's fault.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[08:10:00] WATSON: So there you have, she still has widespread popular support. She does face some challenges in dealing with this crisis and
that is notably that despite being elected with a landslide victory, two year ago. It is still the military, the generals that have could rule this
country for decades that control most of the levers of power.
So aside from being able to perhaps raise her voice and maybe issue visas toward United Nations Fact-Finding Commission to the conflict zone, at the
end of the day, Aung San Suu Kyi's hands are somewhat tied when it comes to trying to dictate terms on the ground there, when they are the security
forces that are being accused of carrying out some of these gross violations. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, there has been just widespread international condemnation about her speech was saying just it wasn't enough. What has been the local
reaction to her speech inside Myanmar?
WATSON: Again, she is still very, very popular, so people have said, hey, she's doing the right thing. You know, one woman who was listening to the
speech said I can't understand what she is saying because she's speaking in English.
But I agree with everything she says, which gives you a sense of how devoted the fan base, the supporters are to Aung San Suu Kyi. But I think
that her reticence to even say the word Rohingya, that reflects the deep lack of sympathy that you find across broad sections of this majority
Buddhist society towards the Rohingya, Muslims.
Which are not formally recognized by the Myanmar government as one of more than 130 ethnic and religious groups in this country that widespread belief
is that the Rohingya, Muslims don't belong here.
That they are not legal citizens of this country and so many people are quite happy to see them leaving in large numbers from this country.
Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, very telling. Her refusal to use the word Rohingya in describing this persecuted minority and it represents a feeling across
Myanmar. Ivan Watson reporting live for us from Yangon, thank you so much.
Now, let's go straight to Alexandra Field standing by in Bangladesh. And Alex, in her speech, Aung San Suu Kyi wondered aloud. You know, why this
mass exodus of Rohingyas taking place. What have Rohingya refugees told you about why they left?
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is very clear why Rohingya refugees made a perilous journey to cross that border. So many of them, Kristie, as
we've been talking about for days will walk for five or 10 days under gunfire as they described it, watching villages burn, trying to get to safe
haven, the banks of the river here in Bangladesh.
This is the places that some 410,000 Rohingya Muslims have escaped Myanmar too seek some kind of shelter here, when they hear Aung San Suu Kyi say she
doesn't understand, why this mass exodus has happen, well, they have been very quick to tell their stories of what's happening.
They say that the militant attack on border guards at stage by Rohingya militants back in August 25th, prompted a widespread military campaign.
They have been very clear that that campaign has not just affected militants but citizens throughout that region, they have told horrific
tales of watching their villages being burned, their homes being firebombed, women talking about being gang raped, saying that children are
being hacked to death, thrown on fires, shot dead near their parents.
So I think it is simply stunning for people on this side of the border to hear Aung San Suu Kyi say she doesn't understand why people are leaving
Myanmar in this kind of exodus. She did say that she wasn't going to apportion blame.
I don't think that it necessarily stuns people here that she would not have apportioned blame to the military. We know that she doesn't have
constitutional control over the military in that country, but this is a global human rights icon.
She had ignited the hope of the Rohingya people often referred to as the world's most persecuted people of that their lives would improve in Myanmar
under her leadership. That has not been the case.
They have seen some of their darkest days and they say the violence hasn't ended. Just two days ago we went up to the border where we can still see
the smoke rising.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FIELD: Between two countries, Bangladesh and Myanmar under Nomansland. It put temporary safe haven for some 7,000 of the Rohingya Muslims escaping a
brutal military campaign in Myanmar, but in Nomansland, taking a step too far in the wrong direction can be deadly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Just right now, they shot my 15- year-old boy, Alanisa (ph) says. We just went out for the toilet but unfortunately, we went inside of Myanmar's border. They were beating me
this morning. I was screaming to get help. They killed my boy.
[08:15:00] FIELD: Myanmar's military says it's rooting out terrorists after Rohingya militants staged a deadly attack on border guards late in
August. Hosneare (ph) had five children.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They killed three of my children, she says. They threw my youngest boy on the fire and while I was
screaming and crying after seeing this, three of the military raped me.
FIELD: The refugees pushed past barbed wire fences to make it to safety here. We aren't out here for long when we start to see Myanmar's military
moving. You can see them just past this tenement. They take a position on their side of the border.
At first, when that happens, the border guards on this side start to blow their whistle. They just alert people and at first, they actually even
push people back a little bit of a distance.
Under international law, Myanmar's military can't cross into Nomansland. The violence the Rohingya left behind still feels menacingly close.
MANZURUL HASSAN KHAN, COMMANDER, BANGLADESH BORDER GUARD: There are people fighting at the evacuee. We hear gun shots. We hear explosions. We see
fire. We see a smoke.
FIELD: We traveled south to join the border guard on patrol. It quickly becomes clear, this is what the Rohingya are running from. While we're out
here on the water, we can see the smoke on the other side in Myanmar. It's coming from long view one of the areas that seem the most violence.
Bangladesh's border guard has 12 boats out around-the-clock patrolling on a 50 kilometer stretch of the Naf River. Countless thousand have crossed
into Bangladesh here.
KHAN: We have found their bodies more than 100 and all -- majority of this case are dues to kept siding in the boats, because the boats have been
normally used. They used more than the capacity, and the dead bodies are found along the shore.
FIELD: Where the guards seek fire, they know more Rohingyas will soon try to run. They also know, they won't all make it.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
FIELD: Aung San Suu Kyi says her government has never been soft on human rights and that there could be actions against those who violate human
rights.
But she says for now, she's seeing allegation and counter allegations. She needs evidence. The Rohingya here in Bangladesh are asking how much more
evidence. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, Alex, and the evidence that you have to uncover just really horrific accounts of brutality inside Rakhine State, the violence that
forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee. Alexandra Field reporting live for us from Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, thank you.
The Caribbean is still recovering from hurricane Irma. It is once again in the path of another powerful hurricane. Coming up right here on News
Stream, we have got the latest on Maria as it barrels through the region and we'll take you there live.
And the storm, it is making its way to Puerto Rice where the government warns, the damage could be catastrophic. People there are preparing.
[08:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: All right, welcome back. Now for the second time this month, a monster storm is carving a destructive path to the Caribbean. Hurricane
Maria, a powerful category five storm has already battered Dominica and Guadalupe.
Now let's take you straight to the region. And Michael Holmes is standing by on the island of Antigua. We were having some issues with our
connection earlier.
But Michael, can you hear me and if you can, describe the conditions because I know that they've deteriorated. OK, sounds like we had just lost
Michael Holmes.
Let's go straight to Nick Valencia who is standing by in Puerto Rico. And you said that the hurricane there is heading straight for Puerto Rico, how
ready are residents there for another storm?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is going to be a monster storm and the government here is stressing just how catastrophic it has the potential
of being -- they say they are ready as there ever going to be.
Over the last several days, the government here has tried to stress people to get out of flood zones, has open up some shelters about 500 across the
island territory.
We also understand there is some reported food rationing happen as well including baby formula, batteries, things like that, basic food that people
will need, resources that they should expect to be without.
Right now, it is expected to make landfall sometime Wednesday afternoon in the eastern hour and officials here are as anxious as some of the residents
we have spoken to. Last night we saw some local businesses boarding up their shops.
We spoke to other residence who says they just barely getting over hurricane Irma, which did not make a direct land fall here in Puerto Rico.
Now this storm that's on its way here on Wednesday afternoon is expected to be even worse than. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Nick, emotionally, are people prepared? Are they ready to just cope with another storm, another round of devastation?
VALENCIA: I don't think so. You know, the answer in that -- short answer to that is, no. In my drive here to the hotel yesterday, one of the people
I was talking to, local residence was stressing to me, we just went through hurricane Irma.
Now let's -- you know then 10 days later, we're having to deal with another storm that's even stronger. Emotionally that's a lot for anyone to try to
withstand.
And here in Puerto Rico, people are still without power, there are still debris that's noticeable on the streets in some parts of the cleanup from
Irma. It's still ongoing and now, they have to make preparations for an even bigger storm to come their way. Kristie.
LU STOUT: And then there's the issue about the economy. I mean we know that Puerto Rico was already dealing with its own debt crisis. I mean, how
long will it take to rebuild after another devastating storm?
VALENCIA: Well, interestingly enough that's something that the government here has not the brought up the economic issues but it's something that our
news crew has certainly talked about.
It's an issue that the island has been dealing with for quite some time now. We know that the President of the United States, Donald Trump has
declared a disaster declaration here economically.
I think it's too soon to tell just how expensive this form is going to be. In the hours, we saw that we have been out here -- you know, we're not yet
near -- anywhere near when this storm is going to hit but the conditions are already starting to deteriorate here.
We're seeing those wind gusts being sustained. Just off camera here at the beach, those waves are starting to swell. Earlier this morning, the skies
were relatively clear and blue, and the clouds, it's starting to creep in and eat away at what's left of the blue sky here.
So if that's any indication how bad it's going to be and we're nowhere near the height of how bad it is, it is probably going to be a very long time
when it does make landfall for this island to recover. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, and the people of Puerto Rico again at the mercy of another major storm supporting. Nick Valencia reporting live for us from Puerto
Rico, please take care and thank you for your reporting.
CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers is monitoring the latest for us from CNN's World Weather Center, he joins us now, and of course, Chad, you are closely
tracking this additional storm. What does it look like where is it going next?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is headed to St. Croix, Vieques, or Puerto Rico, proper. I mean those were the only real options now that we
have and even if it does hit St. Croix or Vieques it's not going to slow it down.
It's not going to lose any power. It moved over Dominica overnight, just the eye wall hitting the southern part of Guadalupe with a very strong
punch as well.
But the eye itself, the center of the eye and most of the eye-wall over that Dominica area have been to Emerald pool there, such a beautiful
country with beautiful people.
And it took a devastating hit overnight with a very strong storm. Not as strong as Barbuda, when the storm had about 175 to 180 but certainly 160,
devastates everything.
I don't know whether you can tell the difference between the damage between 160 and 180 miles per hour or in that matter, 290 kilometers per hour,
gusting to around there right now. Even if we talk a look -- we take a look at the kilometers per hour, as we move forward only 250 kilometers is
the forecast.
[08:25:00] But the gust over Puerto Rico could certainly be 280 or 290. This is what we call the forecast cone. It could be here, it could be
here. Hurricane center -- the National Weather Service Hurricane Center in Miami says anywhere along this path is still possible.
Now certainly, in the middle would be likely -- they never like us to talk about the middle although that's where the models are saying. This is
where the center of the forecast is. So let me take you to Puerto Rico proper. It's take you to that island here.
This is where I've ever been. I've ever been Macau, I've been here to place, Delmar then up here across the north but this is San Juan and if the
storm does come in to stretch either here or here, the whole storm is going to move up here.
A lot of damage to El Yunque which is a rainforest there but the wind keeps going and if San Juan is on the right side of this eye track, this will be
the worst possible case for San Juan with wind gust there somewhere in the 260 to 280 kilometer per hour rain.
That will do -- that will do damage to every power line across all of Puerto Rico whether you're in Ponce, which is on the kind of the south
coast or whether you're on the north coast with Conquistador Resort.
It is still going to be a very difficult hit for Puerto Rico proper. The yellow line is Irma, the red line is Maria, very close. Already a lot of
damage occurs or has occurred in these islands and more will occur as well.
And we just talk to Richard Branson, CNN domestic. He said the BVI, (Inaudible), absolutely devastated into the wind gusts who 120 kilometers
per hour will do more damage. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, more damage from yet another storm. The forecast is still fluid and everyone in that cone that you pointed out, everyone in the
region they've got to be prepare and to they've got to be ready. Chad Myers reporting live for us, thank you.
MYERS: You're welcome.
LU STOUT: Robert De Niro, he wants to help rebuild the island of Barbuda.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Hurricane Irma damaged 95 percent of its buildings when hit the country just about two weeks ago. The actor has plan to develop a $200
million resort to bring tourist back to the island and to create jobs.
There is some opposition to his plan but De Niro says that he is committed to getting the country up and running again. Now on Monday, he asked for
help at a high-level meeting on Irma at the United Nations.
ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: We have a humanitarian crisis, an entire island destroyed. We must act together to help the most vulnerable, the ones
affected by disasters and vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
We must stand with the Barbudans but Barbuda hand the Barbudans. The recovery process will be a long hard road. Barbuda must be a part of it.
Their homes repaired stronger, rebuild stronger, new homes stronger, thank you eimmediate needs power, water, food, medical care, animal shelter, it
must be met.
The kids need to go to school. There must be hospital and airport, a seaport, roads, fire services, communications, every need you can figure
must be restored to Barbuda.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: That's a good cause to communities and livelihoods back to Barbuda, now up next right here on News Stream live from Seoul, North
Korea's top diplomat is heading to the U.N. meeting but who is he and what will he have to say to world leaders, and the U.S. with military option
still on the table? We have the details, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: Welcome back. I'm Kristie Lu Stout live in Seoul. You are watching "News Stream." These are your world
headlines.
In about two hours from now, U.S. President Donald Trump will make his first speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. He is expected to
outline his foreign policy and issue harsh warnings to North Korea as well as Iran.
Amnesty International is accusing Aung San Suu Kyi and her government of 'burying their heads in the sand' over the Rohingya refugee crisis. In a
televised speech, Myanmar's de facto leader refused to address allegations against the army over the violence in Rakhine State, which has prompted
over 400,000 Rohingya to flee Myanmar.
Maria is once again a category five hurricane. It is now moving past the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe. It is heading straight
towards the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The prime minister of Dominica has reported widespread destruction there.
CNN has learned that the FBI wiretapped former Trump election campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, under secret court orders before and after the
U.S. election. Our sources say it was part of an investigation in the possible Russian involvement in last year's presidential election.
More on our top news story. The U.S. president will soon be making his debut at the United Nations and it is expected that North Korea and its
nuclear program will be a major talking point. CNN's Ian Lee has been monitoring the ongoing Korean crisis for us here in Seoul. He joins us now.
Ian, we are awaiting Donald Trump's first speech at U.N. General Assembly. How is he expected to take up the issue of North Korea?
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, expect some strong talk from the U.S. president, Kristie. A few things that we'll be monitoring, first, those new
sanctions that were put in by the U.N. Security Council. We know that President Trump and the president of Korea, President Moon Jae-in, have
talked about the need to -- for swift implementation as well as strong enforcement of those sanctions.
Since that latest rocket launch by North Korea, they talked about further sanctions. You can expect President Trump to also talk about the need for
close military cooperation in this region, but as well as calling out countries like China and Russia to do more. Those two countries watered
down the recent sanctions.
Expect President Trump to also talk about a military option. That's something that he has repeated time after time. And we've seen exercises
here on the south, in South Korea, preparing for any sort of military operation. We've seen this ever since they really tested that nuclear bomb.
We've seen almost on a daily basis these military exercises.
And for the U.S. army whose used to fighting in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, South Korea is different terrain and we've heard
that from a U.S. army spokesman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT KIMMEL, LIEUTENANT COLONEL, U.S. ARMY: Come here in this very rough mountainous terrain with very thick trees and brush and
everything is much more challenging terrain, and so it's vitally important for us to just get a feel for the environment that we will be fighting in
and you can't -- you can't trade that for anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEE: Kristie, that was just 20 kilometers from the border with North Korea where today's exercise took place. There were a thousand U.S. and South
Korean troops. Their mission was to retake a village in this scenario, retake a village that had been taken over by the enemy and possibly had
chemical weapons.
So, they're looking at a range of scenarios here. We have spoken with soldiers who dealt with incoming rockets as well as the air force that
they're trying to cover a range of issues and threats here.
LU STOUT: All right. Ian Lee live in Seoul. We appreciate your analysis and also seeing that new footage of the South Korean-U.S. joint military drills
that took place today just 20 kilometers away from the DMZ. Ian Lee there.
According to North Korean media, the country's foreign minister and top diplomat
[08:35:00] is on his way to the United Nations, but who exactly is Ri Yong- ho and could he hold the key to calming tensions of Pyongyang? Those are some of the questions raised in the recent article for the Atlantic by Joel
Wit from the U.S.-Korea Institute.
He also spent more than 15 years at the U.S. State Department working on nuclear arms control as well as North Korea. He joins us now live from
Washington. Thank you so much for joining us here on the program. First, what do we know about Ri Yong-ho and what do we know about his art of
diplomacy and how close he is to Kim Jong-un?
JOEL WIT, SENIOR FELLOW, U.S.-KOREA INSTITUTE AT JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL: Well, Ri Yong-ho is of course the foreign minister now, but when I met him
20 years ago, he was a much lower level official. Over these years, I've observed him in many occasions, and he is a very capable, thoughtful, smart
guy, who is also very tough in defending North Korea's interests. His father worked for Kim Jong-il, the current leader's father, and so he's
very well plugged in to the North Korean leadership.
LU STOUT: And so does Ri Yong-ho and the fact that he is also there at the U.N. General Assembly, does that represent any opening for dialogue or
talks?
WIT: Well, potentially it is an opening because most people don't know the United States really has no channel, official channel of communication with
the North Koreans. We don't have diplomatic relations. We only occasionally meet their diplomats at the U.N. So, to have such a senior official who has
close ties to the leadership in close proximity, it does represent an opportunity if anyone wants to take that opportunity.
LU STOUT: Yes, and that's the question. Should the opportunity be taken? On one side, you have Donald Trump who has equated dialogue to appeasement.
Critics have point out that dialogue has failed in the past. Others saying dialogue is needed to avoid miscalculation. Your thoughts, would dialogue
now be the best chance of finding just a way forward out of this ever escalating crisis?
WIT: Well, look, it's wrong to think that a meeting between Secretary Tillerson and Ri Yong-ho is just for the sake of exploring peaceful ways
out of this crisis. That would be one important objective, but a meeting can also be used to send a direct tough message to the North Korean
leadership about what the United States thinks and what it wants North Korea to do.
LU STOUT: So if a meeting was to take place between Trump administration official Rex Tillerson and the North Korean foreign minister, the sidelines
of the UNGA, what should be the message from team Trump?
WIT: Well, the message should be very clear. It should be that the United States backfire the international community, opposes everything that North
Korea is doing on the front of developing weapons of mass destruction and that this is leading to a very serious situation that could result in a
confrontation.
On the other hand, Tillerson should explore whether the North Koreans are willing to take other more peaceful paths forward, the deal with U.S.
concerns, but also we have to deal with North Korea security concerns as well.
LU STOUT: All right. Joel Wit of the U.S.-Korea Institute. We really appreciate your time and your insight here. Thank you so much. Take care.
WIT: Thank you.
LU STOUT: We know that President Trump uses catch phrases quite often, but can you guess which one is apparently his favorite right now? Jeanne Moos
stands off (ph) when we come back.
[08:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back. From "you're fired" to "drain the swamp," Donald Trump is famous for his catch phrases and there's another one that people
are starting to notice. CNN's Jeanne Moos reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When in doubt.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will see what happens.
We will see what happens.
So, we will see what happens.
MOOS: It is the president's favorite answer. And on Monday, he deployed it at the U.N.
TRUMP: As far as North Korea is concerned, I think most of you know how I feel. We will see what happens.
MOOS: From Korea to Russia.
TRUMP: But we're going to see what happens.
MOOS: From hurricanes.
TRUMP: We will see what happens.
MOOS: To health care.
TRUMP: We will see what happens. No particular rush.
MOOS: It's perfect to fill time when the president is in no particular rush to answer or maybe he wants to build suspense.
TRUMP: Something could happen with respect to the Paris Accord, we will see what happens.
MOOS: As one critic tweeted, it's likely he thinks every question is a chance for a teaser heading into a commercial break. The phrase is so
beloved by the president that he use it three times in a mere five-second day answer. Again, on the subject of North Korea.
TRUMP: We will see what happens. We will see what happens. Certainly it's not a good deal (ph). We will see what happens.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now in a few cases, we've actually seen what happened.
TRUMP: We will see what happens with Mr. Bannon.
MOOS: Three days later, Mr. Bannon went bye-bye. As for then FBI Director James Comey.
TRUMP: I have confidence in him. We will see what happens.
MOOS: Comey was fired less than a month later. So when the president mentions, see what happens.
TRUMP: I'm very disappointed with the attorney general, but we will see what happens.
MOOS: Beware, your job could be eclipsed. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Another one to add to the bingo card. Do stay with us for live coverage of analysis of President Trump's address to the U.N. General
Assembly. That begins in 15 minutes. That's 2:00 p.m. in London, 9:00 p.m. in Hong Kong, 10:00 p.m. here in Seoul. Only on CNN. That is "News Stream."
I'm Kristie Lu Stout, but don't go anywhere, "World Sport" with Alex Thomas is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
END