[Isha Sesay, Cnn Anchor:] You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, the mother of all bombs. The U.S. military drops its most powerful non-nuclear weapon on Afghanistan. The passenger dragged off a flight, plans to sue United Airlines and he says this moment was more horrifying than his escape from the Vietnam war. And later, the new "Fast and Furious" movie is opening around the world and hoping to smash international box office records. Hello, and thank you for joining us. I am Isha Sesay, this is NEWSROOM L.A. For the third time in a week, the Trump administration has resorted to a dramatic military show of force to send a vid message to the world. This time, that message was delivered by MOAB, nicknamed: "The Mother of All Bombs." It's the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. Arsenal. The ten metric ton behemoth was dropped on a cave and tunnel complex used by ISIS in the rugged frontier of Eastern Afghanistan. It was also the first time the weapon had ever been used in combat. We get the latest now from CNN's Tom Foreman.
[Tom Foreman, Cnn International Correspondent:] The enormously powerful Massive Ordinance Air Blast bomb or MOAB went off more than an hour after sunset in Eastern Afghanistan, in the Nangarhar province. An ISIS stronghold where a U.S. special forces soldier was killed less than a week ago. That was the target for the big bomb which was being used in combat for the first time. An ISIS camp in the remote area not far from the border with Pakistan.
[Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:] We targeted a system of tunnels and caves that ISIS fighters used to move around freely, making it easier for them to target U.S. military advisers and Afghan forces in the area.
[Foreman:] The region is home to the
[James Marks, Cnn Military Analyst:] It's a concussive blast. So, everybody underneath that thing is either obliterated, ears are bleeding, or they're completely destroyed.
[Foreman:] So, how did this weapon actually work? If I had a MOAB in the room with me here now, this is about the size of some 30 feet long, about 22,000 pounds. This is actually pulled out of a back of a C-130 by a parachute and then cut loose to free-fall to the Earth, somewhere around three miles being guided by GPS along the way toward its target. And then, just before it reaches the ground, that's when about nine tons of explosives detonate here with devastating effect. First of all, there's the shrapnel from this. It is driven with so much force, it can penetrate hardened concrete and dig deep into the earth. Secondly, there is the blast wave from this, which is so strong, it scorches and scours the Earth in all directions for thousands of feet, and then everything comes rushing back into the vacuum it creates doing even more damage. And lastly, military leaders talk about the shock and awe effect, saying that this is so overwhelming to be close to. If you survive it even, you have a different impression of the kind of power that the U.S. military can project onto the battlefield. So, obviously, troops now want to get to the blast site of this weapon to see if this real first use on the battlefield; it lived up to expectations.
[Sesay:] Tom Foreman there with that report. Well, it would be normal for the U.S. President to give the "OK" in a situation like this. But when asked directly, President Trump ducked the question.
[Unidentified Male:] Did you authorize it, Sir?
[Donald Trump, United States President:] Everybody knows exactly what happened. So and what I do is I authorize my military. We have the greatest military in the world and they've done the job, as usual, so we have given them total authorization. And that's what they're doing. And frankly, that's why they've been so successful lately.
[Sesay:] Well, this is the President's third show of force in a week. Mr. Trump recently authorized a cruise missile assault on a Syrian airfield, and he ordered the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group to sail toward North Korea. Let's bring in CNN Intelligence and Security Analyst Bob Baer, he joins us now from Newport Beach, California. Bob, good to see you. So, this bomb, as we pointed out, targeting a complex of ISIS tunnels and caves. What more can you tell us about this complex, and the operations of ISIS was running from the space?
[Robert Baer, Cnn Intelligence And Security Analyst:] Well, the Islamic State in Eastern Afghanistan is fairly small compared to the Taliban. We're talking about maybe 500, we're not sure, fighters. And there's been an offensive in that area of the last couple of weeks. This administration would like to drive them out of Afghanistan. The Afghan army has been up there and wasn't able to get into the mountains very far. And they are the ones that asked for, you know, this bomb, or something, or some sort of big bombing there to see if they could continue this offensive. You know, the President has promised that he's going to bomb the Islamic States into oblivion and that's what he's doing.
[Sesay:] Bob, the Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, tweeted a message in support of the strike. But let me ask you this big picture, and as you look down the road I mean, is the day America dropped the mother of all bombs on your country actually a good day?
[Baer:] No, it's not a good day. Well, the fact is that the Taliban is contesting half the districts in Afghanistan. It controls many of them. And in the south, the east and other parts of Afghanistan, they are gaining ground, the Taliban. So, we have to resort to air power. And no, it's not a good day. Ideally, you'd like to have the Afghan army up there, reasserting sovereign control, but the Afghan army simply can't do it alone and there aren't enough American troops to turn back this tide. And frankly, we're much worse than we were in October of 2001. The Taliban is I wouldn't say they're winning the war, but they're slowly clawing back territory and which has disturbed Washington for the last couple of years.
[Sesay:] So, the strategy going forward on the part of the Trump administration, what is it? Does the dropping of this bomb give us some indication of what that is going to look like?
[Baer:] Well, that's the problem, Isha. There is no strategy there's no strategy in Syria, there's no strategy in Iraq, and there's no strategy in Afghanistan. You know, ultimately, you need a political solution to these wars, and there isn't one on the table. And the administration is stuck with the same problems the Obama administration had. The only thing they're changing is they're using more air power. And of course, there are more civilians dying. And that's when it becomes a problem.
[Sesay:] Is it the absence or let me phrase it the other way, how much of the absence of a strategy in these places is contributing to these, these massive grand shows of force if you will?
[Baer:] Well, Isha, you know, it's frustrating for the American military. The American military knows what it's doing, but it hasn't been given a strategy. It hasn't been given a strategy in Iraq. It's just, you know, keep on fighting and it's a war of attrition. And you know, there's sectarian differences, there are religious differences, there are competing interests, whether it's Iran or Russia and we do not have an end game. You know, there isn't an end game or without an end game, these wars will go on forever.
[Sesay:] As you talk about the lack of an end game and the lack of a clear strategy, it would appear though as much of the optics is in play here for the administration, it's also about sending a message to nations like, Russia, sending it to Syria, sending it to North Korea. I mean, is this an effective those whether or not it's an effective message, I mean, how is it going to be read in those places? And is there really a message that will bring about deterrence?
[Baer:] Well, looking at Moscow, or Pyongyang, I don't they read the messages differently than the ones we send. I mean, will this deter North Korea sending a strike force to ensure? I don't think so. The Russians have continued the bombing. The Russians are devilling down against us in Syria. And I guess, it's either supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan, at least indirectly. So, you know, will this be a deterrent, this air strikes, or a strike force by North Korea? Let's wait to see, but I don't think so.
[Sesay:] Bob Baer, joining us there from Newport Beach, California. Bob, always good to talk to you. Thank you. Well, the bombing in Afghanistan is sending a message to countries around the world. President Trump is not afraid to use his military might. Reporters are asking specifically what it says to North Korea.
[Trump:] I don't know if this sends a message, it doesn't make any difference if it does or not. North Korea's a problem. The problem will be taken care of. I will say this, I think China has really been working very hard. I have really gotten to like and respect, as you know, President Xi is a terrific person, we spent a lot of time together in Florida, and he's a very special man. So, we'll see how it goes. I think he's going to try very hard.
[Sesay:] Meanwhile, in Pyongyang, North Korea is preparing to celebrate its most important day of the year: "The Day of the Sun." The reclusive country often marks the occasion with a show of military force. CNN's Will Ripley is in the North Korean capital.
[Will Ripley, International Correspondent:] With the looming threat of a nuclear showdown, new images of Kim Jong-un guiding a special forces operation. North Korean Commandos jumping out of planes. Their leader, all smiles. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warns, North Korea already may have the capability to deliver missiles equipped with deadly Sarin nerve gas. "The security situation around our country is getting increasingly severe," Abe said. President Trump praising Chinese President Xi Jinping for turning away coal-carrying cargo ships from North Korea. Coal, a major source of revenue for Pyongyang, believed to help fund its missile and nuclear programs.
[Trump:] President Xi wants to do the right thing. I think he wants to help us with North Korea.
[Ripley:] But Chinese Customs officials say, overall trade between China and North Korea jumped by nearly 40 percent in the first quarter of this year. We got the call before 5:00 a.m., we were told to dress up and leave our phones behind. We went through a couple of hours of security, and now we're here on this street. It's completely closed off. Tens of thousands of people are moving in here. Raising questions about how far China's willing to go to rein in its unpredictable neighbor. We saw North Korean leader Kim Jong-un making a rare public appearance in Pyongyang. Not a military event, but a ribbon cutting of a new high-rise apartment complex. An attempt by the regime to show economic growth despite heavy sanctions over their nuclear program. The message from the North Koreans seems to be that they want to move forward with their military programs, but they also want to grow their economy peacefully. But they say, if they are provoked, they are not afraid to go to war. North Korean officials tell CNN, it's a touch-and-go situation that could escalate into an all-out conflict. Think tank 38 North says, new satellite images show North Koreas Punggye-Ri nuclear site "primed and ready" for North Korea's sixth nuclear test, just days before North Korea's most important holiday of the year. Holidays are a time when Pyongyang has been known to project power through military force. With tensions on the Korean Peninsula at their highest level of years, nobody knows what Kim Jong-un's next move will be. And threatening to push tensions over the tipping point, this news out of Afghanistan that the U.S. dropped the mother of all bombs on ISIS tunnels. Is this a veiled threat for North Korea given that they conduct their nuclear test underground? And the big unknown right now, how will North Korean leader Kim Jong-un respond? Will Ripley, CNN, Pyongyang.
[Sesay:] Well, Syria's President is calling the report of last week's chemical attack "100 percent fabrication." This is despite eyewitness report and independent analysis that contradict his assertion. During an exclusive interview with AFP T.V., Bashar al-Assad said the Syrian military does not possess chemical weapons and that it would not use them if it did. He also accused the west of helping terrorists.
[Bashar Al-assad, Syrian President:] The west, mainly the United States, is handing
[Sesay:] Well, Assad's comment to our departure from the Syrian omni- statement 14:05 following the chemical attack, they blame terrorist groups for the deaths. One other important note to share with you, AFP T.V. was not allowed to film the interview with Assad. That was done by Syria's Presidency. But we're learning more about contacts between President Trump's associates and Russia. Multiple sources tell CNN, intelligence officials outside the U.S. have been finding their own information related to the allegations. CNN Jim Sciutto has details.
[Jim Sciutto, Cnn Chief National Security Correspondent:] CNN has learned that British and European intelligence intercepted communications between Trump associates and Russian officials and other Russians known to western intelligence during the U.S. Presidential campaign, and shared those communications with their U.S. counterparts, multiple U.S. and western officials tell CNN. These sources stressed that at no point did western intelligence, including Britain's GCHQ which is responsible for communication surveillance, target these Trump associates. Instead, their communications were picked up as "incidental collection" during routine surveillance of known Russian targets. The U.S. and Britain are part of the so-called five eyes agreement, along with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, which calls for open sharing among member nations of a broad range of intelligence. This new information comes as former Trump Foreign Policy Adviser, Carter Page, provides a confusing, even conflicting story about his contacts with Russian intelligence. He has denied that he was a foreign agent.
[Carter Page, Former Trump Campaign Foreign Policy Adviser:] This is it's just such a joke that it's beyond words.
[Sciutto:] Page told CNN's Jake Tapper that when he visited Russia last July, he never discussed easing sanctions on Russia related to the seizing of Crimea.
[Jake Tapper, Cnn Chief Washington Correspondent:] Did you ever talk with anyone there about maybe President Trump, if he were elected, then-candidate Trump, would be willing to get rid of the sanctions?
[Page:] Never any direct conversations such as that. I mean it -look, it's
[Tapper:] What do you mean direct conversations? I don't know what that means, direct conversation.
[Page:] Well, I'm just saying, no, that was never said, no.
[Sciutto:] But interviewed on ABC News, Page could not provide a clear answer.
[Page:] Something may have come up in a conversation I have no recollection, and there is nothing specifically that I would have done that would have given people that impression, George.
[George Stephanopoulos, Abc News Chief Anchor:] But you can't say without equivocation that you didn't discuss the easing of sanctions?
[Page:] Someone may have brought it up, I have no recollection and if did was it was not something I was offering or some always that someone is asking for.
[Sciutto:] These intercepted communications certainly to be of interest to the House and Senate Intelligence Committee investigations of Russian influence in the U.S. elections as well as the FBI investigation. A source close to the Senate investigation tells me that if it is relevant to their probe, they will certainly examine this intelligence. Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.
[Sesay:] Now, Senior U.S. official is slamming WikiLeaks, CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, taking aim at the organization Thursday. Here's what he said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
[Mike Pompeo, Central Intelligence Agency Director:] WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence service and talks like a hostile intelligence service. It has encouraged its followers to find jobs at the CIA in ordered to obtain intelligence. It's time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is an on state hostile intelligence services often vetted by state actors like Russia. [End Videoclip]
[Sesay:] Well, Pompeo lash with post comments by U.S. President Donald Trump. Mr. Trump praised WikiLeaks during his Presidential campaign. He even said he loved the organization after it released hack e-mail tied to Hillary Clinton's campaign. Well, time for a quick break now and President Trump flip-flopped on some significant issues this week. We'll look back on a few more, like this one.
[Donald Trump, United States President:] Number one, NATO is obsolete. Number two, the countries in NATO are not paying their fair share. I said it was obsolete. It's no longer obsolete.