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Deadly Niger Ambush Turns into Political Maelstrom; Dozens Killed in Afghan Mosque Attacks; Raqqa Liberated; Iraqi-Kurdish Tensions; Spain Crisis; Harry Potter Exhibit. Aired 12-12:30a ET

Aired October 21, 2017 - 00:00   ET

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


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NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Victory in Raqqa: U.S.- backed militias declare the total liberation of the de facto capital of ISIS.

And the controversy that will not go away. John Kelly gets his facts wrong when lashing out at Democratic lawmaker but the White House is defending him, saying it is inappropriate for a reporter to question a four-star general.

Is it?

We'll look into that. Welcome to our viewers around the world. Im Natalie Allen and CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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ALLEN: It has been an ugly week of unforced errors for the White House. President Trump was asked on Monday about the death of four U.S. soldiers serving in Niger. By Friday, things have gotten so off course for Mr. Trump and his staff, it has been hard for them to find their way back. CNN's Sara Murray has the latest from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president's response to a U.S. soldier killed in Niger, devolving into a political brawl. Trump taking to Twitter again overnight to blast the congresswoman who accused him of being insensitive in a condolence call when he told Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Sergeant La David Johnson, that her husband knew what he got into when he signed up to serve.

"The fake news is going crazy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson, who was secretly on a very personal call and gave a total lie on content," Trump tweeted.

What began as a question over an ambush in Niger that left four American soldiers dead now morphing into a political battle over how the commander in chief carries out his most solemn duty, comforting the families of soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Just a day earlier, White House Chief of Staff and retired Marine General John Kelly made a rare appearance in the Briefing Room. A Gold Star father himself, he lamented that a call between the commander in chief and the widow of a fallen soldier was being politicized.

JOHN KELLY, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: It stuns me that a member of Congress would have listened in on that conversation, absolutely stuns me. And I thought at least that was sacred.

MURRAY: Wilson says she's close with the family and was with them when the president called. But Kelly went further in his criticism Thursday, taking another swipe at the congresswoman.

KELLY: And a congresswoman stood up and in a long tradition of empty barrels making the most noise, stood up there in all of that and talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building and how she took care of her constituents because she got the money and she just called up President Obama and on that phone call, he gave the money, the $20 million, to build the building and she sat down.

And we were stunned, stunned that she'd done it. Even for someone that is that empty a barrel, we were stunned.

MURRAY: Wilson quickly took issue with how the chief of staff portrayed her appearance at the FBI building dedication.

REP. FREDERICA WILSON (D), FLORIDA: I was not even in Congress in 2009, when the money for the building was secured. So that's a lie. How dare he?

However, I named the building at the behest Director Comey, with the help of Speaker Boehner, working across party lines. So he didn't tell the truth and he needs to stop telling lies on me.

MURRAY: A video of the 2015 dedication from "The Sun-Sentinel" doesn't back up Kelly's version of events. While the congresswoman touts her efforts in getting the building named for the fallen FBI agents, there's no discussion of securing funding for the project.

WILSON: Everyone said, that's impossible. It takes at least eight months to a year to complete the process through the House, the Senate and to the president's office. I said, I'm a school principal and I said, -- excuse me my French -- oh, hell no. We're going to get this done.

(LAUGHTER)

MURRAY: And she takes pains to thank the law enforcement officials in attendance and praised the slain FBI agents being honored.

WILSON: Most men and women in law enforcement leave their homes for work knowing that there is a possibility they may not return.

If I may, will all men and women and first-responders who work in law enforcement stand up, stand up now, so that we can applaud you and what you do?

(APPLAUSE)

WILSON: Stand up. We are proud of you. We're proud of your courage. Thank you. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president's response to a U.S. soldier killed in Niger, devolving into a political brawl. Trump taking to Twitter again overnight to blast the congresswoman who accused him of being insensitive in a condolence call when he told Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Sergeant La David Johnson, that her husband knew what he got into when he signed up to serve.

"The fake news is going crazy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson, who was secretly on a very personal call and gave a total lie on content," Trump tweeted.

What began as a question over an ambush in Niger that left four American soldiers dead now morphing into a political battle over how the commander in chief carries out his most solemn duty, comforting the families of soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Just a day earlier, White House Chief of Staff and retired Marine General John Kelly made a rare appearance in the Briefing Room. A Gold Star father himself, he lamented that a call between the commander in chief and the widow of a fallen soldier was being politicized.

JOHN KELLY, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: It stuns me that a member of Congress would have listened in on that conversation, absolutely stuns me. And I thought at least that was sacred.

MURRAY: Wilson says she's close with the family and was with them when the president called. But Kelly went further in his criticism Thursday, taking another swipe at the congresswoman.

[00:05:10]

KELLY: And a congresswoman stood up and in a long tradition of empty barrels making the most noise, stood up there in all of that and talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building and how she took care of her constituents because she got the money and she just called up President Obama and on that phone call, he gave the money, the $20 million, to build the building and she sat down.

And we were stunned, stunned that she'd done it. Even for someone that is that empty a barrel, we were stunned.

MURRAY: Wilson quickly took issue with how the chief of staff portrayed her appearance at the FBI building dedication.

REP. FREDERICA WILSON (D), FLORIDA: I was not even in Congress in 2009, when the money for the building was secured. So that's a lie. How dare he? However, I named the building at the behest Director Comey, with the help of Speaker Boehner, working across party lines. So he didn't tell the truth and he needs to stop telling lies on me.

MURRAY: A video of the 2015 dedication from "The Sun-Sentinel" doesn't back up Kelly's version of events. While the congresswoman touts her efforts in getting the building named for the fallen FBI agents, there's no discussion of securing funding for the project.

WILSON: Everyone said, that's impossible. It takes at least eight months to a year to complete the process through the House, the Senate and to the president's office. I said, I'm a school principal and I said, -- excuse me my French -- oh, hell no. We're going to get this done.

(LAUGHTER)

MURRAY: And she takes pains to thank the law enforcement officials in attendance and praised the slain FBI agents being honored.

WILSON: Most men and women in law enforcement leave their homes for work knowing that there is a possibility they may not return.

If I may, will all men and women and first-responders who work in law enforcement stand up, stand up now, so that we can applaud you and what you do?

(APPLAUSE)

WILSON: Stand up. We are proud of you. We're proud of your courage. Thank you.

[00:10:00]

MURRAY: Still, the White House is standing by Kelly's criticism of the congresswoman.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: As General Kelly pointed out, if you're able to make a sacred act like honoring American heroes all about yourself, you're an empty barrel.

If you don't understand that reference, I will put it a little more simply. As we say in the South, all hat, no cattle.

MURRAY: Even going so far as to suggest General Kelly a military background inoculates him from questioning.

QUESTION: Can he come out here and talk to us about this at some point...

(CROSSTALK)

HUCKABEE SANDERS: I think he has addressed that pretty thoroughly yesterday.

QUESTION: Well, he was wrong yesterday in talking about getting the money.

(CROSSTALK)

HUCKABEE SANDERS: If you want to go after General Kelly, that's up to you, but I think that that -- if you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, I think that that's something highly inappropriate.

MURRAY: Amid all of the political sniping, still few answers from the administration on what exactly happened during the mission in Niger that went so badly awry.

QUESTION: Mr. President, did you authorize the mission in Niger?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all very much.

MURPHY: On Friday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders refused to engage in any questions about that mission in Niger, instead saying the administration would wait until a full investigation into those events are completed -- Sara Murray, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MURRAY: Still, the White House is standing by Kelly's criticism of the congresswoman.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: As General Kelly pointed out, if you're able to make a sacred act like honoring American heroes all about yourself, you're an empty barrel.

If you don't understand that reference, I will put it a little more simply. As we say in the South, all hat, no cattle.

MURRAY: Even going so far as to suggest General Kelly a military background inoculates him from questioning.

QUESTION: Can he come out here and talk to us about this at some point...

(CROSSTALK)

HUCKABEE SANDERS: I think he has addressed that pretty thoroughly yesterday.

QUESTION: Well, he was wrong yesterday in talking about getting the money.

(CROSSTALK)

HUCKABEE SANDERS: If you want to go after General Kelly, that's up to you, but I think that that -- if you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, I think that that's something highly inappropriate.

MURRAY: Amid all of the political sniping, still few answers from the administration on what exactly happened during the mission in Niger that went so badly awry.

QUESTION: Mr. President, did you authorize the mission in Niger?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all very much.

MURPHY: On Friday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders refused to engage in any questions about that mission in Niger, instead saying the administration would wait until a full investigation into those events are completed -- Sara Murray, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: We have this update for you. Sarah Sanders, the White House spokeswoman, has since wrote the following to CNN.

"Of course, everyone can be questioned. But after witnessing General Kelly's heartfelt and somber account, we shall all be able to agree that impugning his credibility on how to best honor fallen heroes is not appropriate."

Mr. Trump had this to say in an interview with FOX Business news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: He was so offended. Because he was in the room when I made the call and so were other people. And the call was a very nice call. He was so offended that a woman would be -- that somebody would be listening to that call, he was -- he actually couldn't believe it.

Actually, he said to me, sir, this is not acceptable. This is really not -- and he knew I -- I was so nice. Look, I've called many people and I would think that every one of them appreciated it. I was very surprised to see this, to be honest with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Political analyst Michael Genovese joins me now to talk about the situation there at the White House this week.

Hello, Michael, thanks for talking with us.

MICHAEL GENOVESE, LEGAL ANALYST: My pleasure.

ALLEN: First of all, let's talk about we just heard President Trump comments about General Kelly, expressing his-- General Kelly used the word stunned twice. And it seems that General Kelly was -- his comments were false.

How do you think that the chief of staff got this wrong and what was he so passionate about in seeming to want to put down the congresswoman?

GENOVESE: I think given that General Kelly is a Gold Star father, we have to cut him some slack. However, having said that, he also went way over the top. He personally attacked the congresswoman in ways that were inappropriate and also inaccurate.

And so I think this was more of an emotional response by General Kelly. And the fact of the matter is that, yes, Congresswoman Wilson was listening in because she was with the family but also several people were listening in on the other side of the conversation with President Trump.

So I think that General Kelly, give him some slack because of his background, because his family lost a hero but it was inappropriate and it was wrong.

ALLEN: Sure. And we understand this being a very emotional topic for him certainly. As far as White House spokeswoman kept saying to the news media, how dare you question a general, comment she made to reporters and she has said that was wrong for her to say that.

But it is her ongoing, seemingly disgust at reporters doing their jobs to question important issues.

What do make of her handling of this dialogue coming out of the Oval Office this week?

GENOVESE: Keeping with the tone of the White House and from day one that they have had this adversarial relationship, but we have no monarchy here. We have no royal family. We criticize George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, we criticize Franklin Roosevelt, we criticize our leaders. We poke holes in their stories.

We find out of telling the truth. We say sometimes the emperor has no clothes. That is what America is about. It is not about saying you -- it is highly inappropriate to question leaders. It is necessary. It is absolutely necessary to do so.

ALLEN: Right and Donald Trump has sent out many a tweet criticizing generals, of course. In fact, he gave an interview with FOX Business journalist Maria Bartiromo and she asked about his use of Twitter and he said he would not be in the Oval Office without it.

So one might understand why no one is going to dissuade him from tweeting and no matter what he tweets, he seems to stand by it. [00:10:00]

GENOVESE: Well, a lot of my academic colleagues criticize President Trump for using tweets to communicate, but in a way it's a very effective means of reaching his public, reaching his base and you and the media always report it. So it is a very effective communication tool.

The problem is he misuses it by saying snarky things, by throwing mud, by bringing us all into the gutter with him and that is where he is at fault, not that he uses twitters (sic) and tweets. It is in fact an effective tool; it is the way he uses them.

ALLEN: How does he seem to use it to his advantage, too?

How do you make sense of that? (CROSSTALK)

ALLEN: -- apologize for anything.

GENOVESE: No, and he does not feel he needs to. He feels that he needs to just keep throwing the story out, being in front of the story, changing the story when it starts to turn against him. It is all about Donald Trump and that was that was the tragedy of this whole situation, in the most solemn moment when we're supposed to honor the fallen and their families, he made this into a story about himself.

He made into a story about me versus Barack Obama and that cheapened the situation and personalized it in a way that was wholly inappropriate for a president to do.

Presidents rise above; they do not get into the gutter.

ALLEN: And it seems that when he does, it causes his entire office to just scramble and scramble and it just confuses the message for everyone, certainly. We appreciate you joining us, Michael Genovese, thank you.

GENOVESE: Thank you.

ALLEN: U.S. officials and families of four American soldiers killed in Niger want answers about what led to their deaths. The men were killed more than two weeks ago after an attack by militant.

Officials say one of them, Sergeant La David Johnson, was found about 1.5 km from the ambush site. The Pentagon is looking into why he was separated from his team. Other details still remain murky, including why they were ambushed when military intelligence reportedly said that it was unlikely they would face enemy forces.

In other news from Washington, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee has now interviewed several Russians who took part in a controversial meeting at Trump Tower in June 2016.

The committee is examining allegations of Russian influence on the U.S. presidential election. But the committee's chairman, Senator Richard Burr, who would not say which Russians were interviewed. Eight people attended that meeting back in 2016, including Donald Trump Jr. He said he agreed to the meeting because he was promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton and her dealings with Russia.

Coming up, inside an ISIS prison in Raqqa, the messages the terror group left its captives ahead here. And clashes between historic foes, why one Kurdish commander says this latest fight is the start of war with Iraq.

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ALLEN: In Afghanistan, suicide attacks at two mosques killed dozens of people Friday. One happened at a Shiite mosque in Kabul. Authorities say 39 people were killed when the attacker detonated his vest inside the mosque. The other attack targeted a Sunni mosque west of the capital.

A local official says a bomber detonated his explosives during worship services. At least 20 people were killed in that attack.

U.S. fact finders in Syria are celebrating a major victory over ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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ALLEN: They deserve to dance, don't they. This was the scene in Raqqa Friday as the city was declared totally liberated. Syrian Democratic Forces danced at the stadium where ISIS fighters made their last stand just a few days earlier.

Raqqa was the de facto ISIS capital for more than three years. The terror group is not completely finished in Iraq and Syria, but its grip is waning. This map shows the territory it held back in 2014, compared to what it holds now.

That stadium we just showed you was also an ISIS headquarters, the terror group used it to plan attacks and hold prisoners. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has an inside look at that prison and the ruin ISIS brought to Raqqa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): ISIS usually leaves places looking like this in their self-declared capital. It was no different, with one exception. Where are the people? Hardly a soul here by the victors swarming around ISIS' old HQ, the stadium.

(on camera): It's extraordinary to stand exactly where ISIS, just a matter of weeks and months ago may in fact have been plotting attacks against the west. This, the stadium, one of the symbols of their presence here.

(voice-over): It was underground where this place mattered most, torture, imprisonment of foreigners, even their own.

(on camera): Eerily, graffiti here, some of it explains to prisoners. One saying, if you're reading this, there's four main reasons why you're here. You did the crime and caught red handed. Using Twitter, GPS locations, or having GPS location switched on mobile phone, uploading videos and photos from a sensitive Wi-Fi account, i.e., you need your emir's permission, which you didn't do.

Be patient, be patient, be patient. The enemy of the Muslim, Satan, will do every whispering while you stare at the wall or the floor.

(voice-over): Further down still, the hazard that still remains. A city beset by tunnels that run deep. The main fight may be over but the flame that ISIS's sick idea lit flickers worldwide online.

The global fight here for its volunteers though, is over.

(on camera): How was it?

JOHN, VOLUNTEER: Sad now that we're not fighting anymore.

WALSH: You enjoyed it?

JOHN: Yes, like -- yes.

WALSH (voice-over): John is on his way back to sleepy Colorado.

(on camera): How close to ISIS did you get?.

JOHN: Like seven meters, you can see them running in the street.

WALSH: Is this a thrill for you?

JOHN: It's better than sitting in the desert doing nothing, drinking chai.

WALSH (voice-over): Will life for him be the same again?

JOHN: I'm 34. I was doing customer support fixing computers and stuff. So, I don't know what --

WALSH (on camera): So, probably not that.

JOHN: Probably not that.

(voice-over): What life can return here, where the only building not eviscerated is a hospital where ISIS held human shields. This is the only ISIS fighter we saw, the bodies cleaned up fast.

In the dust of this refugee camp where many have fled misery are these new sparkling tents, home to 200 ISIS fighters and their families who surrendered after a negotiated deal.

We weren't allowed to talk to them. They once lived on and in fear. Fear drove them to surrender and a future uncertain almost certainly now haunts their nights under the cold canopies here -- Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Raqqa, Syria.

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ALLEN: The Iraqi government is now in full control of the oil-rich province of Kirkuk in the country's north. Early Friday Iraqi government forces clashed with Kurdish Peshmerga in a small town just north of Kirkuk, sealing their command of what had been for three years Kurdish controlled territory.

Our Ben Wedeman was there during the fighting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Weapons once fired at ISIS, now fired at an ally turned enemy. Early Friday, Iraqi troops, including Iranian armed-Shia paramilitaries entered the town of (inaudible), north of Kirkuk pushing Kurdish --

[00:20:00]

WEDEMAN (voice-over): -- forces ever further back.

This is the most serious outbreak of fighting yet between the two sides and does not bode well for a country that after three and a half years of bitter combat has come close to defeating ISIS.

This is the beginning of a war between Kurdistan and Baghdad, says Peshmerga Commander Goran Izz El-Dean (ph). We won't allow them to take our land.

Sporadic mortar and artillery fire echoes in the distance. As the days were on, more Kurdish forces (inaudible). According to an old adage, the Kurds have no friends but the mountains, their traditional refuge.

Today with United States officially neutral in this conflict, there is a sense among these fighters that indeed only the mountains are their friends. We were one hand with the Americans says (inaudible), but unfortunately, unfortunately, unfortunately, today the Americans have sold us to the Shia and the Iranians.

The new American president once adored by the Kurds now the object of their anger. We celebrated for Trump says Aram (ph), but Trump betrayed us.

After ISIS stormed across Iraq in the summer of 2014, the U.S. made defeat of the terror group its top priority and it worked. But in victory, there is little to savor.

(on camera): A year ago, Iraqi and Kurdish forces were fighting side- by- side with the support of the U.S.-led international coalition to drive ISIS out of Mosul. Today that grand alliance is collapsing.

(voice-over): And collapsing with it perhaps Iraq itself -- Ben Wedeman, CNN, Altuqubi (ph), Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Spain's government is expected to impose central rule and announce new regional elections in Catalonia to try to end the region's threat to secede. The Spanish prime minister is holding an emergency cabinet meeting later Saturday to talk about the plan.

Now the government has won the support of the main opposition. Catalans voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence in a disputed referendum earlier this month. Separatists have held regular street protests, with Madrid threatening a crackdown. Still to come here, a chance for muggles to encounter the magic of Harry Potter's world.

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ALLEN: If you ever wished you could go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry -- and who wouldn't want that -- well, here is the next best thing, a new exhibit celebrating the 20th anniversary -- has it been 20 years" -- of the first Harry Potter book.

It features some rare memorabilia along with some historic artifacts referenced in the popular series. CNN's Robyn Kriel has our story.

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ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Boy Who Lived, Voldemort and Quidditch began 20 years ago when J.K. Rowling enthralled the world with the release of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." [00:25:00]

On the two-decade anniversary, the British Library has conjured to life Rowling's magical world in a new exhibition.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This exhibition obviously will draw on a lot of things that the great fans of Harry Potter will know and love; things like bezoar stones won't need any explanation; mandrake roots or the Philosopher's Stone.

KRIEL (voice-over): Visitors can mix potions, study divination or look into the swirling depths of the crystal ball, brought to life by Google Arts and Culture. But perhaps the biggest selling point, a rare chance to view J.K. Rowling's own drafts and sketches for the first time ever.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) early sketches of someone who (INAUDIBLE) Harry Potter stories. I think it's fascinating to actually see how the author views her own characters, alongside which we have some of her notes, for example, her plans for writing the fifth book in the series, "The Order of the Phoenix (sic)."

KRIEL (voice-over): The scratched-out, scrawled pages are a window into Rowling's mind as she began writing some of the best-selling books of all time. But the offerings aren't limited to Potter fanatics. Regular muggles can also revel in a treasure trove of wizardry artifacts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For those of you who aren't a big fan of Harry Potter, might not even have read the books, you still, I think, get a lot of this exhibition because it does explore ideas relating to early magic, to early science and belief.

KRIEL (voice-over): An 800 B.C. caldron retrieved from the River Thames, medieval illustrations of witches, Chinese oracle bones thousands of years old or a 15th century tombstone of Nicolas Flamel, a posthumously reputed alchemist, who supposedly discovered immortality.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So one of my favorite items has to be this, the Ripley Scroll, which is just under six meters long, full of really strange, unusual alchemical imagery, telling you how to make the Philosopher's Stone. And people were working on this for centuries to try and create what is the elixir of eternal life.

KRIEL (voice-over): Perhaps it's no accident the British Library is a short walk from King's Cross Station, where wizards and witches can hop off at Platform 9-3/4 -- Robyn Kriel, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: If you do not know what Platform 9-3/4 means, you must read the books.

That's CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Natalie Allen. I'm right back with our top stories. Thanks for watching.