Return to Transcripts main page

WORLD RIGHT NOW WITH HALA GORANI

Explosions Rock Chinese City of Tianjin; Justice Department Will Investigate Clinton Emails; Clinton Trailing Sanders in New Hampshire Poll; Donald Trump's Former Advisor Speaks; US Begins Bombing Campaign Against ISIS; Activist Cornel West Talks About His Arrest; Perseid Meteor Shower Hits Summer Peak; Famous Film Dog Dies. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired August 12, 2015 - 15:00:00   ET

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


[15:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HALA GORANI, HOST, THE WORLD RIGHT NOW: Tonight massive blast rocked a major Chinese City. Multiple explosions are heard in Tianjin and there are

fears of many casualties. We'll have the latest details for you.

Also tonight, CNN travels to the airbase where the U.S. plans to launch air strikes against ISIS, target in Syria, have they started operation.

Plus despite controversial comments, Donald Trump is still firmly atop the Republican race for the White House. I will speak with former senior

advisor who left the campaign.

And a massive meteor showers set to light up the night sky across the Northern Hemisphere. We'll tell you if where you are, we'll get you a

front row seat.

Hello everyone, I'm Hala Gorani. We're live at CNN London and this is "The World Right Now".

We begin with our breaking news out of China this hour, some absolutely stunning images coming to us from there. A series of massive explosions

have rocked the coastal city of Tianjin. We're going to let the video run. This is Rob, this was -- this is amateur video filmed by an onlooker who

was pointing his camera at a port area in Tianjin. Take a look at what he was able to film.

(OFF-MIKE)

GORANI: What you heard were, of course, the sound that's traveling slower than they have to the light there. You'll see it and eventually the blow

back knocking back this individual who is filming. What happened?

One of the explosions took place at a container port where flammable material was being stored. More than 50 injured people have been brought

to one local hospital.

Tianjin is a coastal city. It's a major Chinese port. You see it there in the countries northeast.

Will Ripley is on the line from Beijing. What more can you tell us? Understand this -- I mean, we saw that amateur video there but this was an

absolutely gigantic explosion Will.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was Hala. And thankfully, you saw the distance that that -- the person taking the video was from the explosion.

A lot of these videos were coming in from the densely populated downtown area of Tianjin. It's a city of some 50 million people. But this port

area that behind (ph) the new area which is a relatively new development in the city is not densely populated.

So well, there are reports of building damage, of infrastructure damage, and, of course, firefighter injuries and civilian casualties as well but we

don't have any numbers yet. They're obviously changing it as we get more information. But this did not happen at the most densely populated part of

the city. That is the good news.

Unfortunately, firefighters were originally called for what would this describe this as some sort of a chemical fire in a shipping container.

They were on a scene. They were fighting that when the huge explosion occur that's why people were filming because they saw there were some sort

of fire and then, of course, the enormous explosion, mushroom cloud, a tremor that was felt and heard from several kilometers away.

And you mentioned dozens of people already in the hospital. There are some very gruesome video that are turning up now in social media showing people

who appeared to be civilians lying on the ground. We don't know if they're unconscious. We don't know how they are doing. We're still trying to bet

all of that information. But it is a grave scene and we're on our way ourselves to learn more how it was.

GORANI: All right. Will Ripley there with that breaking news out of Northeast China, major port city Tianjin. You're seeing that massive

explosion.

There was more than one explosion really. It was a smaller one and a bigger one and the individual filming there knocked back by, of course, of

the explosion, even though it appears as though it is hundreds of meters away.

We will keep in post and touch with Will Ripley who is following that breaking news story. And unfortunately, it appears as though, is there may

be many casualties. We will keep you up to date on that as soon as we have confirmation of numbers, of course.

Well, staying in China, completely different story but one that had ripple effects across the globe. China's currency plunged against the dollar for

a second day running. It is sparking fears in investors and sending the markets into a tailspin.

Let's take a look at the Dow Jones as it stands now, is down only 29 points that was after a big triple digit decline yesterday.

[15:05:00] There is less than an hour to go in the trading day. And as I mentioned, 270 points slower yesterday. European traders in fair much

better, look across the region at what European indexes did, how they performed. And Xetra DAX was down 3.4 percent. For instance, the Paris

CAC 40 almost 3.5 percent lower.

Critics are now accusing China of weakening its own currency to help make its exports more affordable in the phase of slower growth. China argues

the policy change was made in response to market forces. The drop is the largest two-day decline in decades, and Yuan is now at a four-year low

against the dollar.

Is China starting a currency war? People are starting to ask that question today. CNN's Richard Quest, my colleague, who hosts "Quest Means

Business," joins me now live from New York with more. There are accusations flying around that China is going to start something pretty

nasty on the currency markets here?

RICHARD QUEST, HOST, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Yes, they may -- that may be the result of the Chinese action, but I certainly don't think that's the

intention of it. On Tuesday, the Central Bank said it was going to do a one-off devaluation and it did a 1.9 percent.

It was the Wednesday devaluation of 1.6 percent which caused everybody even more unawares, because they had been -- we'd sort of being led to believe

it was at Tuesdays was a one-off. So now you're looking at a 3.5 percent or more devaluation. And the call (ph) question is, is there more to

arrive?

Well, if you look at the way the market has responded, and the Dow Jones was off dramatically in the morning, off more than 200 points. So the fact

where within an hour of play and we're only of 30 odd points is quite a turnaround. But the reason how the -- look at the luxury companies, look

at companies that trade with China, were up to 10 percent of their sales.

For instance, look up Burberry. Now Burberry stock took got club (ph) and it was down 3.6 percent. Tiffany's stock was also down at a quite sharply.

And the reason, of course, is that there are a roughly 10 percent of their business is done in China. And if the one is devalued then there's luxury

baubles (ph) become more expensive.

GORANI: All right. Well, we'll see what impact that has on the sales in China for luxury goods whether or not that will impact a demand.

Richard, we'll see you at the top of the hour for...

QUEST: Well...

GORANI: ... Quest Means Business, that and other stories, of course, on your program. We'll be tuning in.

Now, let's turn our attention to the Middle East, American warplanes at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey could strike ISIS targets quoted anytime.

We've been hearing this throughout the day. We're keeping a close watch on the situation. We're not getting confirmation from the Pentagon that any

fighter just have taken off from that Turkish base.

But we do have new information about a deadly air strike in the northern Syrian town of Atmeh. Activist and Turkish media say, the attack was

carried out by U.S. led jets last night and civilians are among the dead. U.S. Central Command says it's investigating.

We have two live reports from the region this hour. Nick Paton Walsh is in Gaziantep, Turkey, after spending much of the day near Incirlik Air Base.

Frederik Pleitgen is in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Nick, let's start with you there in reports of civilian casualties and a possible coalition air strike in Atmeh. What more can you tell us at this

stage?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, (inaudible) we don't know for sure who was behind the air strike, but given

how Syrian jets here in the other non-coalition air force in the area doesn't really fly that close to Turkish border. Atmeh is pretty much

slump on the Syrian-Turkish border. I think many appointing towards the coalition here who've said, yes, they did have planes in the sky there and

yes they did yesterday carry out a deliver strike in the area, all that may in the area which contains Atmeh.

But let's go back to what exactly happens here. We're talking about a weapons depot, (inaudible) belonging to compass of the radical group called

Jaysh al-Sunna, that was hit. The Syrian observed (inaudible) human rights. They are saying that 10 militants were killed in that blast but

also eight civilians (inaudible) suggestions. There were a number of children amongst those eight dead here. That's the initial total backed up

too by reports by Turkish state media. (Inaudible) the parts of the U.S. military that's behind strikes they're saying, they are aware of the

reports and they're looking in to allegations.

Potentially, but we don't know at the stage who is behind that part of that civilian total that many have complained off in some of the strikes, but I

have to say, you know, all the combatants in Northern Syria right now, Hala, as you know (inaudible) the U.S. military I think spending more time

trying to avoid civilian casualties than any others (inaudible) but still potentially horrifying scenes...

GORANI: Right.

WALSH: ... of course, by that strike and its erroneous target here. Hala?

[15:10:04] GORANI: There's certainly a risk of here if you fly sorties and it can happen that civilians get caught up in. You've traveled very near

the Incirlik Air Base, this the Turkish Air Base that the Turks are allowing the U.S. to use now to fly sorties to target ISIS positions inside

of Syria.

Now, we don't -- tell us what you saw it today and whether or not we know if any of these U.S. fighter jets have taken off from Incirlik yet.

WALSH: We have no confirmation from the Pentagon that those roaming (ph) runs have begun. We have saw what was probably for Turkish F16, the same

kind of plane the Americans were flying out of. They have six, they're from Incirlik now taking off during the day and a lot of heavy cargo

aircraft coming in presumably boosting up the U.S. presence there.

There have been 2,000 troops there for a long time but (inaudible) have to use the runways for attack aircraft. That may happen in the days ahead.

And the key reason why it's so important is it reduces the reloading time, the refueling time, the speed, the tempo off of flights over Northern Syria

to permit the U.S. to hit ISIS targets of opportunity. Remember, lot of this is realtime drones seeing things moving, deciding to make a move on

certain targets as they particularly pop up.

So, this potentially can increase the amount of time U.S. aircraft can join in the skies above Northern Syria and also to provide potentially a lot

more pressure on the parts of Northern Syria that Turkey has there eye on, and that's to stretch along the border that isn't controlled by the Kurds,

all by another (inaudible) to north of the (inaudible) that they want to try and to keep ISIS out.

(Inaudible) ISIS have access to the Turkish border to cut them off from that key supplier route. And potentially, those U.S. aircraft when they're

in the air, don't know if they are at this point, Hala, be confirmed by the Pentagon could be assisting in clearing ISIS out of that area, Hala.

GORANI: All right. Now, the reaction from Damascus. First of all, a high profile visit, Fred Pleitgen, from the Iranian Foreign Ministry, is greeted

by the Deputy Foreign Minister interestingly, not his counterpart and met with Bashar al-Assad. Is he coming with any kind of proposal?

FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Iranians they probably did come with a peace plan here for the region.

It's unclear what exactly the outline of that peace plan that is supposed to be. But you're absolutely right, there was that meeting between Javad

Zarif as well as Bashal al-Assad.

One of the things that the company and all of that is really intense artillery fire which we've been hearing pretty much all evening long here

in Damascus. It seems to be both outgoing from government decisions as well as the incoming as well unclear whether or not that actually related

to Javad Zarif visit here in Damascus.

Now, at the same time, of course, these more intensive air strikes against ISIS by the U.S. possibly also by Turkish forces are, of course, a major

issue for the Syrian government. And we were able today to speak to the Syrian Information Minister, and what he did interestingly was he actually

praised the United States for intensifying its air campaign against ISIS, but at the same time criticized Turkish position. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OMRAN AL-ZOUBI, SYRIAN INFORMATION MINISTER: (Speaking in Foreign Language).

PLEITGEN: The air raid led by the west also known as the Alliance Raids has been going on for a long time, so this is nothing new. But actually,

what's in the mind of Turkish President Erdogan is not the intention to confront ISIS. It is to combat the Syrian Kurds, the Iraqi Kurds and the

Turkish Kurds. So actually, not any intention to confront ISIS.

PLEITGEN: What do you make of Americas air campaign against ISIS?

AL-ZOUBI: (Speaking in Foreign Language).

PLEITGEN: We've been clear since the onset of the air strikes by the alliance. We support and we are with any party that combats ISIS by any

means, either we are with them or they are with us. But the problem lies with America. They say they want to confront ISIS at the same time they

don't want to cooperate with the forces that are fighting ISIS on the ground which is the Syrian leadership, that's very confusing and very

suspicious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Interestingly enough, the Information Minister also called for talks between a Syrian government and what he calls Syrian-armed opposition

factions. He said that the only faction the Syrian government is fighting against is extremist groups like Jabhat al-Nusra and like ISIS as well.

So it's interesting to see that there could possibly be somewhat of a softening (ph) in the position and really unclear whether or not it has

anything to do with the visit of the Iranian Foreign Minister, whether or not there might be some sort of possible movement on the diplomatic front

as well, Hala.

GORANI: All right. Thanks very much. Fred Pleitgen is in Damascus. Nick Paton Walsh is in Gaziantep. Turkey, thanks to both of you for covering

this important story from across the region.

Still to come this evening, disturbing indications that the brutality of ISIS maybe spreading far beyond the borders of its self-proclaimed

caliphate. The militants now claiming the first known beheading of a western captive in Egypt.

[15:15:08] And later, Donald Trump has been a controversial figure in the race for the Republican nomination for president, but it has not hurt him

in the polls. What is the secret of his success? I'll ask a former adviser who was part of his campaign until just last weekend. Stay with

us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Croatia's prime minister says, he cannot confirm claims that ISIS militants have beheaded a Croatian hostage in Egypt. But he says, "What we

see does not look good."

According to a SITE monitoring services an image posted online is believed to be a Croatian captive Tomislav Salopek. He was kidnapped on June 22nd

in the Cairo area.

CNN's Ian Lee has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Croatian Tomislav Salopek was a topographer for a French company. In July, ISIS in Egypt kidnapped the father of two,

and now, it appears they have executed him. The Croatian government well, not able to confirm, here's the worst.

This is the road where ISIS allegedly kidnapped Tomislav Salopek. As you can see, there's not much out here but desert. It goes for hundreds of

kilometers deep into the Sahara, an area known in Egypt as the Western Desert, famous for adventure seekers and the oil workers, but also known

for being unpredictable and at times dangerous. A year ago out here, ISIS claims they killed an American oil worker.

ISIS demanded the release of all female Muslim prisoners in Egypt in exchange for Salopek, giving the government 48 hours to comply of the

deadline passed.

MOKHTAR AWAD, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: That speaks to the heart of what's driving a lot of the angry Islamist youth inside Egypt who in the

patriarch where Muslim society in Egypt is the issue of female honor is so dear that violence is always justified to protect it.

LEE: ISIS in Sinai routinely executes alleged spies and captured Egyptian soldiers.

Hundreds of people have also died in clashes between security forces and the militants. But this brutal deliberate killing of the civilian marks a

turning point for ISIS in Egypt.

AWAD: Unfortunately, in the long term is that they might try to focus on more kind of shock and all type of attacks, stuff like we see with this

poor Croatian man where they're trying to maximize the level of perceived brutality.

LEE: Worrying for an Egyptian government that relies heavily on foreign investment and tourism and deeply disturbing for foreigners living in

Egypt.

Ian Lee, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:20:09] GORANI: CNN has reached out to both Croatian and Egyptian officials. As reported earlier, the Croatian government says it cannot

confirm Salopek's death. An official at the Egyptian Interior Ministry's press office said, "We have heard the news, but we are working to confirm

it."

Now, turning our attention to the United States, police in Ferguson, Missouri have released a video, they say it shows the teenager waving

around a handgun during protests marking the anniversary of Michael Brown's death. Now, police say the man wearing the white shirt is 18-year-old

Tyron Harris.

"He is accused to firing an officer first who fired back critically enduring him," the police says. Now, Harris is facing a number of criminal

charges including first degree assault on law enforcement.

Family members say the teen was not carrying a gun and never fired at police and he was "running for his life." The teen is now hospitalized in

critical condition.

I'll be speaking to activist and noted intellectual Cornel West later in the show. In fact, he was one of more than 50 people arrested in Saint

Louis, Missouri on Monday as part of a civil disobedience protest. That's in around 20 minutes so do stay with us.

Also, the Italian coast guard has pull off a daring rescue in the Mediterranean. Take a look at this video. You can see an Italian naval

helicopter winching migrants to safety after their rubber dinghy sink.

52 migrants were rescued from the sinking boat. Dozens more are still missing. The Italian coast guard coordinated the rescue of some 17,000

migrants on Tuesday alone. That's in just a single day.

Coming up, attributes to women turns into an epic advertising fail for a popular pen maker. We'll tell you what Bic is apologizing for in South

Africa. And the set back for Hillary Clinton and her bid for the U.S. presidency, a new poll shows her behind rival Bernie Sanders in a critical

state were unrelated.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: It is known for making inexpensive and practical ink pens, but Bic has a pen and apology after a recent Facebook ad caused widespread outrage.

The ad paid tribute to South African women on National Women's Day. There should be nothing wrong with that technically, but many saw the message as

quite sexist. David McKenzie has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look like a girl, it claims, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a boss. It was pen maker Bic's attempt

at celebrating Women's Day in South Africa. It unleashed a social media storm.

"Bic please," wrote one user. "Nice dose of sexism," said another. Bic South Africa responded, "We're incredibly sorry for offending everybody,"

they said. On the streets of Johannesburg many women aren't surprised.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know I think it is like an old way of thinking about like what being female is and what being male is.

MCKENZIE: Some say the ad just reflects the way it is here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's highlighting something that happens to women nowadays where you have to act like a man, because it's a man's

world.

[15:25:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not offended. I think it's fine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, I actually also thinks it's fine

MCKENZIE: It's OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

MCKENZIE: I was surprised that on the street South Africans were much more mixed than on social media, but then they are used to advertising pushing

boundaries.

(Inaudible)

MCKENZIE: Some companies here like fast-food chain Nandos purposely put out controversial T.V. spots like this to start a conversation.

PAUL STRAPPINI, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, JWT: Do you have anything to meaningfully add to the conversation? Are you adding in a way that is

constructive or that is possibly up into upsetting people? My rule of thumb is if you are unsure if any of the answer to any of those questions,

keep quiet.

MCKENZIE: This isn't Bic's first unintended offense. Their "Bic For Her," line designed for women's hands, faced Ellen's wrath in 2012.

ELLEN DEGENERES, TELEVISION HOST: Just think over the last 20 years, companies have spent millions of dollars making pills that grow men's hair

and fix men's sex lives and now ladies have a pen.

MCKENZIE: Right now, Bic is probably wishing they hadn't put pen to paper.

DEGENERES: I wish my mom would have talked to me about lady pens.

MCKENZIE: David McKenzie, CNN Johannesburg.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Lady pens. Don't forget you can get all the latest news interviews and analysis, go to my Facebook page,

facebook.com/HalaGoraniCNN. Tell me what you think about this. And other stories that we're covering I'm not going on today.

And still to come on the World Right Now, Hillary Clinton is on the spotlight over her use of e-mails when she was Secretary of States. Now,

she is handing over a computer server to the Justice Department. We'll bring you the latest from Washington.

Also, I'll speak to Roger Stone, who up until last weekend was a senior advisor to Republican hopeful Donald Trump, asking him about the campaign.

Why did he quit? Were they fired? Lots of questions. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back. Looking your top story this hour and let's bring you up-to-date on the breaking news story out of China.

The port city of Tianjin has been rocked by a series of absolutely massive explosions. There you see. One of the explosions took place at a

container port. There was flammable material stored there, we understand. By the way, the person filming that video was knocked back from the force

of the explosion and he was hundreds of meters away.

More than 50 injured people have been brought to one local hospital. Well, let's see, (inaudible) more information as it comes to hand.

The United States is ready to expand its fight against ISIS with the first bombing raids that take off from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. A CNN crew

shots this video near the Air Base today, seeing some activity but we're getting no word that the air strikes have actually become or indeed that

U.S. aircraft have taken off from Incirlik.

[15:30:08] China has allowed its currency to drop for a second day, creating chaos in markets around the world. The yuan has lost about 3.5

percent of its value since Tuesday. Europe's major indices are down. The Dow dropped 270 points earlier during today's trading. It's bounced back

from its session lows.

The Croatian government is not confirming claims that ISIS militants have beheaded a Croatian hostage in Egypt. Tomislav Salopek was kidnapped last

month on the outskirts of Cairo. Egypt also says it cannot confirm his death but is looking into it.

Hillary Clinton's email activity is back in the spotlight. She has directed her team to hand over her private e-mail server, as well as a

thumb drive of her e-mails to the Justice Department. Clinton used the server to send official emails when she was secretary of state. Now, it

comes as an intelligence official says at least five emails from her server did contain classified information.

Clinton, of course, is running as a Democratic candidate for US president, and a new poll shows her actually trailing her nearest rival, Bernie

Sanders. It was taken in the New England state of New Hampshire, which holds one of the nation's first primary contests, very important state.

And it shows Sanders with 44 percent compared to Clinton's 37 percent. The poll was taken between August 7th and 10th among likely Democratic primary

voters in that state.

So, is Bernie Sanders becoming a serious threat to Hillary Clinton? Let's get more on this. CNN's senior political reporter Stephen Collinson joins

me now, live from Washington.

So, Stephen, let me first ask you about this decision to hand over the email server and a thumb drive. Is this sort of an acknowledgment from the

campaign that they're starting to acknowledge that this is becoming a problem for them, that they really want to clear this up?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR ENTERPRISE REPORTER: Yes, this has been something that the campaigners all along resisted, ever since Hillary

Clinton started her second presidential campaign earlier this year. So, it's a definite concession from the campaign.

I think it's an acknowledgment that this is something that's haunting her White House bid a little bit. Every sort of couple of weeks it comes back,

there's a drip, drip, drip of revelations about this email server that she used and housed in her home when she was secretary of state, the question

being whether she used and passed on classified information on that email server.

So, it's definitely a sign that the campaign is trying to get this behind them. The fact is, these Justice Department investigations take a long

time, they could take months or even years. I think it's almost impossible that this will be all wrapped up by the time voting starts in the primaries

early next year.

GORANI: And is this what's hurting her in a state like New Hampshire, and giving Bernie Sanders an edge, here? How worried is the campaign about

these latest poll numbers?

COLLINSON: Well, it's undeniable that the email issue is something that sort of raises questions about Hillary Clinton's trust and character. But

I think what's going in New Hampshire is slightly different. Bernie sanders is a self-declared socialist senator from Vermont, which is right

next to New Hampshire in the northeast of the United States.

He's very well-known in the state. The state's electorate -- Democratic electorate, at least, is a liberal, largely white electorate with a bunch

of elderly progressives. That is exactly the demographic that Bernie Sanders appeals to.

So, it is conceivable that he could compete with her in New Hampshire. But whether he could then translate that to other states, which are more

ethnically diverse, which require a lot of money to tackle some well- financed candidate like Hillary Clinton, is very much in doubt.

So, he can compete with her in New Hampshire, but this moment, nobody really thinks that he's a viable candidate to beat her in the Democratic

nomination race as a whole.

GORANI: All right, Stephen Collinson, thanks very much, joining us from Washington.

COLLINSON: Thanks, Hala.

GORANI: Donald Trump continues to grab most of the headlines in the Republican race, but one man who is no longer involved in the billionaire

businessman's campaign is his former senior advisor, Roger Stone. He departed over the weekend. The Trump campaign says he was fired, he says

he left.

Roger Stone joins me now, live from New York. Thanks for being with us. So, did you leave willingly or, as the campaign says, were you let go?

Were you fired?

ROGER STONE, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR TO DONALD TRUMP: Well, let's be very clear. "The New York Times" and "Politico" interviewed five different

people -- pardon me, four different people, now, who have confirmed that I resigned. I shared my letter of resignation with them in advance. I did

not fall off the turnip truck yesterday.

(LAUGHTER)

STONE: But nonetheless, it's really immaterial, because I still strongly support Donald Trump. I think he's the one man with the size and the

boldness and the resources to be independent of the political system here.

[15:35:57] Really, we have two-party corruption. We have a broken system that is rigged against the average citizen. It is government for the

lobbyists, by the lobbyists, and of the lobbyists.

And Trump has the personal wealth and independence, much like Ross Perot several decades ago, to overturn the entire system. He doesn't need the

ruling class's money, and believe me, the ruling class very upset about the rise of both Bernie Sanders and on the other wing, Donald Trump.

GORANI: But Roger Stone, I've got to ask you this, though, and I will get to the campaign and Donald Trump's positions in just a moment, but if you

left -- if you quit the campaign, why would the Trump campaign say you were fired? I guess that question puzzles me.

STONE: That's a question you should pose to the Trump campaign. The historical record here is pretty clear. "The New York Times" has a very

high standard in terms of confirming their sources. I supplied them with a copy of my letter.

I have a confidentiality agreement with the campaign, I have no intention of doing a kiss-and-tell about what I advised and what I didn't advise. My

conversations with Donald Trump remain private.

And I remain a supporter, because I think he's the last best chance for an insurgent to grab the Republican nomination. In other words, what you have

on the Republican side is Donald Trump versus 15 career politicians who all their life have been gorging on special interest campaign contributions,

and of course, one brain surgeon, Ben Carson, who I happen to like very much.

That's the contest in our party, and now it's incumbent on Trump as kind of the next step to pivot back to the issue agenda that drove him to a number

one position in the polls. That's far more important --

(CROSSTALK)

GORANI: Roger Stone, even though --

STONE: -- than the shuffle of campaign personnel.

GORANI: I get that. But even those who agree with you on how the system is corroded, the two-party system isn't effective anymore, special

interests control and run the show, still we'll ask you questions about some of the things Trump says and does, and even some of his foreign policy

positions.

He says things like Iran is funding ISIS, or he would stop ISIS by re- invading Iraq and guarding oil fields and things like that. Is he prepared enough from a foreign policy perspective to be president of the United

States, when he says things like that?

STONE: Yes, I think he is, actually. The Ivy Leaguers and the folks at the State Department have been running things for the last 30 years. How

well is that going? He's outside the political establishment. He's an un- establishment figure.

How about a foreign policy that puts the United States first? Who in their right mind would sign a deal with the Iranians that gives them 24 days

advance notice for inspections? Nobody other than a dummy like John Kerry would make such a deal.

Trump speaks very bluntly, and he has a foreign policy that is based on what's best for the United States. Republicans, at least, and I think all

Americans, find that refreshing, because we have not had that over the last eight years.

GORANI: Well, Roger Stone, certainly he's tapping into something. There is certainly a frustration with mainstream politics that's giving Donald

Trump the edge. But you still support him, you think his ideas are good ideas.

Why did you leave? Did it have something to do with the debate and the spat that Donald Trump engaged in with the Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly?

Was that something that made you think OK, it's time for me to move on?

STONE: There were two things that caused me to leave the campaign and go rogue, as it were. One was the fact that a junior aide leaked the fact

that there was a phone conversation between former President Clinton and Donald Trump. We don't know the substance of that. Trump has declined to

comment. I'm not aware of the substance of it.

But it was not helpful, because within the realm of the Republican Party, it's given rise to a bunch of crazy conspiracy theories that Trump is

somehow doing the bidding of the Clintons, which is nonsense.

He has a polite relationship with Bill Clinton. They speak to each other. They're civil. Clinton belongs to Trump's golf club out in Westchester,

outside New York City. But somebody in his camp did not service the candidate well by leaking that conversation.

And then, I've already made this clear, I think the departure from big picture issues, like trade, like the Iran deal, like the state of the

American economy, like the fact that China is stealing our jobs and our technology through espionage, those issues got lost in the subset of his

arguing with a media personality about issues --

GORANI: Right.

STONE: -- that are extraneous to this debate. Megyn Kelly is not running for president.

GORANI: Well, she -- yes, she made almost as many headlines as some of the candidates. Are you still -- I'm curious about one thing. You call

yourself a family friend of Donald Trump. You went, you said, to two of his weddings. After your departure from the campaign, are you still

friends? Are you still on good terms with Donald Trump? Do you -- have you talked?

STONE: Well, I like to think that we're on good terms. In all honesty, I'm very pleased by the impact of my leaving and speaking out. Now the

campaign seems to be focusing on those things that I think are important.

[15:40:05] Look, I am a veteran of eight national American presidential elections. I have worked for three American presidents. I have been

active at this level. I think I have a very good grip on how to be elected president of the United States. Donald Trump has a lot of very good people

around him, but he does not have the depth of that experience.

So, whether I'm inside the fort or outside the fort, I'm 100 percent for Trump. I think he's the only one with the size and the boldness to take on

the system. And the system --

GORANI: All right.

STONE: -- chews other lesser men and women up and spits them out. So, yes, I consider Trump a friend. He attended my wedding. I was at both his

parents' funerals. I went to two of his weddings. We remain friends. And I am very hopeful --

GORANI: All right.

STONE: -- that he will get his campaign back to the issue-oriented track that drove him to the number one position in the polls.

GORANI: Roger Stone, ex top advisor to Donald Trump, a veteran political advisor. Thanks very much for joining us. Appreciate your time --

STONE: Thank you very much for having me.

GORANI: On CNN International. All right, coming up at the top of the hour, more Donald Trump. Can he hold onto his lead in Iowa? We'll have

the latest CNN poll.

Also, we have some breaking news we want to bring you. We now have confirmation that the United States has begun a bombing campaign against

ISIS from the Incirlik air base in Turkey. Repeating, the ISIS bombing campaign has begun from that Turkish, strategically important Turkish

airbase of Incirlik.

The Pentagon just announced that US warplanes began manned flights today and conducted airstrikes. Turkey opened up its bases to US and coalition

planes last month -- as it deepened its cooperation in the fight against ISIS. More on this coming up, and our other top stories. We'll be right

back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Let's get back now to protests that broke out in Ferguson, Missouri, on the anniversary of the death of Michael Brown. Police are

releasing this video they say shows a teenager waving around a handgun during Sunday's protests.

Police say the man wearing the white shirt is 18-year-old Tyrone Harris. He's accused of firing at officers, who fired back. He is now critically

injured. Police also made dozens of arrests at a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in St. Louis on Monday. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROWD CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: That's author, professor, civil rights activist Cornel West being led away under arrest. He was among several prominent activists who were

detained on Monday, and Cornel West joins me now from New York. Were you expecting, Professor, to be arrested?

[15:44:52] CORNEL WEST, : Oh, indeed. I didn't go to give a speech, I went to go to jail. I'm blessed to be part of the collective fight back

against the criminal justice system and economy and educational system, and a political system that have been abysmal failures when it comes to the

plight and predicament of poor people and working people, but especially poor and working black and brown and red people in the American empire, in

American society.

GORANI: So, police in Ferguson were quick to release video showing that Tyrone Harris, the young man who was critically injured by police gunfire,

was the first one to wield a weapon. Do you think that this makes a difference for people in Ferguson, across the country, when they see video

like this?

WEST: Well, I think it's always important just to get the facts, but we have to keep in mind, of course, the very ugly conditions, the social

neglect and the economic abandonment of so many of poor people in Ferguson, poor black people in Ferguson.

I think the world needs to know that there's a state of emergency and a sense of urgency when it comes to the situation of poor and working people

in the United States and especially in black America, and I think the president, I think that Congress, I think other American citizens

oftentimes don't realize the depths of that state of emergency.

That's why we go to jail, that's why we're going back to jail, and we'll continue to put pressure on the government and the economy until justice is

done.

GORANI: And Dr. West, is it making a difference? It's been a year now. And as you're aware, this is an international story. I know you travel

abroad and appear on shows all around the world where they ask you about what's going on in the United States. And we know the names -- the first

and last names -- of young black men who have died over the last year, something that was really very rarely the case before.

So now that this is a national conversation -- yes, but now that it is a national conversation, is change happening? Is something shifting here?

WEST: Well one, of course, keep in mind, it's men and women. Because you've got Sandra Bland, you've got Tanisha Anderson, you've got little

Aiyana Jones, seven years old, shot in the head by a policeman there in Detroit.

So, but yes, there is a change. We're shifting the climate of opinion. When your political system doesn't allow change to take place, you have to

hit the streets and go to jail to shape the climate of opinion, bring a national spotlight on the situation.

There has been not just a national conversation, but the Obama administration and others have begun -- they begin, now, to make some

concessions with investigations and others. But what we want, we want full-scale accountability. When policemen murder fellow citizens, they

should go to jail. Fair trial, yes, but go to jail.

We want full accountability, and then we move on to the issues of poverty, inadequate schools, decrepit housing, and jobs with a living wage,

absolutely.

GORANI: And I'm sure you read "The New Yorker" profile of Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson,

which started the Black Lives Matter movement, among others.

And one of the things he was saying was, look, these are dangerous neighborhoods. You operate under a different kind of code when you're in

those areas. And he was shifting the blame entirely away from himself, and as well, the police department. What did you make of those statements from

him?

WEST: It's just so easy to criminalize black people, to demonize black people. Of course there's people who do the wrong thing, but you begin

with a responsibility on behalf of police and a responsibility on behalf of a government.

If every 28 hours for the last 10 years a black person or brown person is shot by the police and not one policeman goes to jail or under federal

pressure, that is an indictment of the president, it's an indictment of Congress, it's an indictment of the US government, it's an indictment of

American society.

But yes, black people, we black people, we've got our persons who don't do the right thing. And personal responsibility has a hold across the board.

But the sad thing is in the United States, when it comes to personal responsibility for Wall Street executives, they engage in criminality, no

accountability. Poor people engage in criminality, full responsibility. That kind of double standard must be brought to a close.

And I tell you this, my dear sister, that I'm glad to see brother Bernie Sanders beginning to talk very, very honestly about Wall Street domination,

to talk seriously about wealth inequality, talk seriously about jobs with a living wage and begin to hit head on the vicious legacy of white supremacy.

And I would add male supremacy, I would add anti-Palestinian, anti-Jewish, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab. We've got to keep track of the humanity of

everybody.

GORANI: And you see he's leading in New Hampshire, so we'll see if that's a blip or what happens with that poll. Thanks very much, Professor Cornel

West. We enjoy talking to you. Cornel West was in Ferguson, as we mentioned there, arrested as part of a Black Lives Matters -- Black Lives

Matter, I should say, part of a civil disobedience movement there. Thanks very much, Professor.

WEST: Thank you so much.

GORANI: We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

[15:50:05] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: If you are in need of some good luck and hoping to wish upon a few shooting stars, tonight is the night, depending on where you are. The

annual meteor shower is said to be at its peak. You can expect to see up to 100 shooting stars an hour. Your first wish should be for a cloudless

night so you can witness views like this. This one was sent to us by CNN iReport contributor Jim Denny back in 2013.

So, what are we in for here in London, and where in the world will you see this meteor shower? Let's ask Tom Kerss, he's an astronomer from the Royal

Observatory in Greenwich. So, where's the best place to be?

TOM KERSS, ASTRONOMER, ROYAL OBSERVATORY: The best place to be is outside, believe it or not.

GORANI: OK, well, not in here.

KERSS: I'm just kidding.

(LAUGHTER)

GORANI: But where in the world? Because our viewers are peppered everywhere.

KERSS: Sure. The shower is very favorable for viewers in the northern hemisphere, so all across North America, of course, in Europe, in Asia,

this is an ideal place to go out and see it. Not quite so good for our friends in the southern hemisphere, but it's worth trying, it's worth

persevering because the Perseid meteor is going to appear all over the sky. It is one of the brighter and more prominent showers in the calendar.

GORANI: What about here in London? Should I stand on my little mini terrace and try to get a peak?

KERSS: Absolutely. Absolutely.

GORANI: What time, around?

KERSS: I think essentially anytime when the sky appears dark to you. So, if you go out after about 11:00 tonight, the sky is going to be nice and

dark. I appreciate it never gets particularly dark here in London.

GORANI: In London.

KERSS: But we were pessimistic about the forecast, and now it looks rather good. The main thing that ruins meteor showers for most of us is that we

look into direct sources of light, and that ruins our night vision. But if you can keep your eyes away from those direct sources, even a light-

polluted city like London can show you perhaps 20 or 30 meteors per hour.

GORANI: Right. What is -- explain the phenomenon. It's yearly, right?

KERSS: It's annual because we are currently plowing through this cloud of debris which orbits the sun at a fairly leisurely pace. We're going

through this cloud of debris and our relative speed with this cloud, it's about 35 miles per second.

Now, the cloud was left behind by a long period comet. It comes around the sun every 130 years or so. It bakes in the sun's heat and creates a huge

tail, a comet and a tail, of tiny little icy particles, no bigger than, perhaps, a pea or something like that.

GORANI: Let's talk about this star that you've proposed a name for. Tell us more about that.

KERSS: Yes. The International Astronomical Union is inviting naming for 15 stars and 32 exo-planets, extra-solar planets. The competition opened

today, and it's open until Halloween.

GORANI: Yes?

KERSS: The Royal Observatory has proposed the name Albion for a particular star in the Great Bear, a lovely star you can see almost every night of the

year here in the UK and, indeed, throughout the northern hemisphere.

And so, we're collecting public votes, and we would really appreciate you supporting our proposal to name this star and two of its extra-solar

planets.

GORANI: I'm looking at my Twitter here, because the best way to do it, just go to your Twitter page, @TomKerss, and they'll find the link in order

to do it.

KERSS: That's right, at T-O-M-K-E-R double-S.

GORANI: Got to do -- OK, got to move on. Thanks very much. I don't know if you're a dog person or a cat person, but one of the most famous four-

legged stars in Hollywood sadly has passed away. The 13-year-old Uggie melted our hearts in the film "The Artist." Lynda Kinkade has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier shot to fame with his starring role in the Oscar-

winning silent movie, "The Artist," after making a career in television commercials.

[15:55:05] (DOG BARKS)

KINKADE: The four-legged film star always had a trick up his sleeve. But his life in the spotlight is now over. His owner confirmed on Facebook

that the 13-year-old Jack Russell terrier had been put to sleep.

He said, "We regret to inform all our friends, family, and Uggie's fans, that our beloved boy has passed away. Uggie had a cancerous tumor in the

prostate and is now in a better place not feeling pain."

Uggie came from humble beginnings, being rescued from the pound by dog trainer Omar von Muller. Since his first sniff of success, he enjoyed a

celebrity lifestyle, lapping up the attention on the red carpet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uggie, I love the bow tie. How long did it take you to get ready?

(DOG BARKS)

KINKADE: And according to his costars, developing a taste for the finer things in life.

MISSI PYLE, ACTRESS, "THE ARTIST": He wouldn't come out of his trailer unless you brought him lots of sausages, and even then, he wanted Cristal

Champagne, it had to be chilled to a certain temperature.

KINKADE: Uggie went on to become the first dog to have his paw prints on Hollywood's walk of fame. Fans campaigned for him to be given an Oscar.

OMAR VON MULLER, UGGIE'S OWNER AND TRAINER: I think animals should be recognized in the academy. I don't know exactly if this is going to be

Oscars like humans, but they should get some kind of an award. It takes a lot of work to get them where they are.

WENDIE MALICK, ACTRESS: And the Golden Collar goes to --

(CROWD CHEERS)

KINKADE: Uggie documented his glittering career in an autobiography with just a little help from a ghost writer, dedicating it to his one true love,

Reese Witherspoon.

With the last chapter on Uggie's life now closed, one of Hollywood's most famous dogs has taken his final bow.

(DOG BARKS)

KINKADE: Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani, thanks for watching. "Quest Means Business" is next.

[15:57:08] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END