[Zain Asher, Cnn Newsroom Anchor:] Lord Sewel is leaving the British Parliament after being caught in a tabloid video, allegedly snorting cocaine at a sex party.
[Errol Barnett, Cnn Newsroom Anchor:] Plus, a rare move from NATO in response to recent violence along the Turkey along Turkey's border with Syria.
[Asher:] And the U.S. President Barack Obama takes aim at controversial comments made by some of the Republicans, hoping to replace him.
[Barnett:] Hello there, and a warm welcome to our viewers in the U.S. and all around the world. I'm Errol Barnett.
[Asher:] And I'm Zain Asher. I'm glad to be with you. This is CNN Newsroom I want to begin with breaking news out of London, where a top British politician embroiled in a sex and prostitution scandal has now resigned.
[Barnett:] Yeah, this has been such an embarrassing course of events. Lord Sewel was once the head of the Conduct Committee for Britain's House of Lords. And now, as we've just learned in the past few minutes, he is leaving in disgrace. We're going to show you Max Foster's report on this. Put a heads up, it was filed before we learned of Sewel's resignation.
[Unidentified Female:] So you want to get some coke?
[Unidentified Male:] Well, I mean, if people would enjoy a little.
[Unidentified Female:] Yeah.
[Max Foster, Cnn International Correspondent:] The man appearing to enjoy himself is Lord Sewel, the Deputy Speaker of Britain's House of Lords, also in charge of upholding standards in Westminster. The video in sordid still pictures were published by the tabloids Sun on Sunday newspaper. He's seen allegedly snorting cocaine with two women. And what the paper says is a sex party in Central London. Each woman allegedly paid 200 pounds.
[Unidentified Female:] 200 a day? What how that is... It's 200 a day to buy lunch?
[Unidentified Male:] It's not lunch, lovie darling. It's paying for this.
[Foster:] The paper says the party took place here in Dolphin Square last week, only a short-walk from the grandeur of Britain's at the House of Parliaments.
[David Cameron, British Prime Minister:] These are very serious allegations. So, I think it's right that he stood down from his committee posts. So I'm sure further questions will be ask about whether it is appropriate to have someone legislating and acting in the House Of Lords if they have genuinely behaved in this way. Lord Sewel had choice words for the Prime Minister, David Cameron, on the undercover video, calling him the most facile, superficial prime minister there's ever been. The office...
[Barnett:] We're jumping out of that report to make sure we bring you the most recent information, Lord Sewel having a much different tone now. Recapping our breaking news, he has resigned as he issues this following statement, "As a subordinate, second chamber in the House Of Lords is an effective, vital but undervalued part of our political system. I hope my decision will limit and help repair the damage I have done to an institution I hold dear. Finally, I want to apologize for the pain and embarrassment I have caused." So Lord Sewel, our breaking news, has resigned under a real shame and embarrassment.
[Asher:] Yeah, certainly very embarrassing for him, especially in the context of what he said about other politicians in British Parliament as well, OK. I want to turn now to some other stories. We are following about two hours from now, Turkish officials were set to hold emergency talks of NATO to discuss the growing security threat from ISIS and Kurdish militants as well. This is after Turkey launched air strikes against ISIS in Syria for the very first time.
[Barnett:] And the U.S. calls the offensive a game changer. And the two countries are separately working on a plan to create the ISIS-Free Safe Zone on the volatile Turkish-Syrian border.
[Asher:] Our Jomana Karadsheh has been following these developments from Amman in Jordan. She joins me live now with the latest. So Jomana, what is Turkey's goal here? What do they hope will come out of these meetings with NATO?
[Jomana Karadsheh, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, Zain, we have to look at how Turkey called for this meeting. It was under Article Four of NATO- Washington treaty. And this usually happens when a NATO member feels that its territorial integrity or its security is threatened. And in most cases, it's for consultations with other NATO members, also to brief them on what action it's taking. And now, five meetings have been held under Article Four in the history of NATO, and four of them have been called for in the past by Turkey. We don't expect to see any sort of military action coming out of this. It's more likely, Turkey here is seeking the backing, the support of other NATO members when it comes to this aggressive action, this military action. We're seeing Turkey take over the past week, not just against ISIS, but also against Kurdish militants, against the PKK. So really no surprise, Zain, considering what events have been taking place in Turkey over the past few days in this real drastic change in the Turkish position when it comes to ISIS, that it would be calling for a NATO meeting, that it would want to discuss this with other NATO allies. And something else that might come up during these meetings is what with Turkey has been calling for that safe zone along the Syrian border, Zain.
[Asher:] And Jomana, do you want to talk about that safe zone more specifically because Turkey is planning to create this, I guess, ISIS- free zone, a safe zone. It sounds sort of strike me as pretty ambitious. What details do we have on that in terms of how it's going to work? And also, what areas specifically are going to be included in that area?
[Karadsheh:] Well, Zain, this is a very good question. Turkey has been calling for this so-called safe zone or ISIS-Free zones as some officials have called it for some time. It would be along in Northern Syria, along the Turkish border. It's a 90-kilometer stretch that is still controlled by ISIS in these areas. What Turkey aims to do with this creation of a safe zone is, one, most importantly for them is creating a buffer zone to protect Turkey from ISIS and other militant groups. And at the same time, they also want to create a zone where refugees, Syrian refugees fleeing, either the Assad Regime or ISIS can use it as a safe haven. But as you mentioned, it is quite ambitious. We've heard that Turkey and the U.S. have been discussing this ISIS-Free area, but it's not really clear how this is going to be implemented. While coalition aircraft will be providing the air power to oversee this area, to provide protection there, they're going to need ground forces. And it's not clear what ground forces are going to be used. There's no real one theory and coalition from moderate opposition that is there that can be use to patrol these areas to provide safety. Of course, other questions about how deep into Northern Syria will this safe zone stretch? And of course, also the issue of the Kurds versus Turkey here while the Kurds have been a very key like a key partner in the fight against ISIS with the support of the coalition. Turkey here while they have a common enemy, Turkey and the Kurds, in this case, they don't necessarily want to be friends. They don't want to really work together. We know there are issues there. So lots of complexities when it comes to that. And also, another question that has come up is what happens if the Syrian regime, in this case, Zain, is going after targets in this safe zone? What happens? Who response? So lots of questions, lots of challenges when it comes to the implementation of the safe zone.
[Asher:] Right and Jomana and, you know, as you mentioned, it is certainly very complicated. I'm curious how the U.S. is going to ensure that Turkey going after ISIS, sort of translate into Turkey using that as an excuse to focus all of its attention on going after the PKK?
[Karadsheh:] Well, of course, critics of the Turkish government, Zain, accuses saying that they are using this fight against the ISIS as a pretext to go after the Kurds here, in this case, whether it's the PKK or others. Of course, Turkey denies that saying they're only target is the PKK and this is only happening after several attacks have taken place on Turkish soil against the Turkish Security Forces. And this is their main aim. But, of course, critics say that Turkey is really concerned about the Kurdish autonomy here, what might be seeming like their ambitions to create a Kurdish states, that Turkey will be using this to crack down on the various Kurdish groups. It's going to be very difficult for the U.S., as you mentioned here, how does it guarantee that this is not going to happen. While the U.S. is calling for calm, they're also supporting the they do agree with Turkey's approach when it comes to the PKK. The PKK is considered to be a terrorist organization by the United States, as well as Turkey. But really, a very complex situation when you look at it here because the Kurds, as we mentioned, have been a key partner in the fight against ISIS on the ground. We have seen them making lots of progress on the grounds in Northern Syria specifically, Zain.
[Asher:] Yeah. And when you think about that relationship between ISIS, the PKK, and Turkey as well, it just sort of emphasizes that old adage, "The enemy of my enemy," and certainly, especially in this case, "Is not my Friend." OK, Jomana Kadasheh, live for us now. We appreciate that. Thank you, Jomana. Errol?
[Barnett:] Well, Zain, it's just after 10:00 a.m. in Ethiopia, where U.S. President, Barack Obama is beginning the final day of his African tour. In about three hours, he will speak before the African Union becoming the first U.S. president first sitting U.S. president to address the group. Monday night, he attended a state dinner in Addis Ababa, recapping the day of events including a meeting and a news conference with the Ethiopian prime minister. But what can we expect today? Let's bring in CNN Correspondent Robyn Kriel for more details. She is following the president's trip there in Addis. And Robyn, today, the African Union, for the first time will hear and address by a sitting U.S. president. And what we've seen is that terror networks, human rights, and Africa's potential have been the themes for the U.S. president over the past few days. So, what do we expect him to say today at the A.U.?
[Robyn Kriel, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, Errol, two key points that everyone expects the president to raise, the issue of terrorism, counter-terrorism efforts, and really what's become a model for that peace enforcement, we could call it, against terror group Al-Shabaab in Somalia. The African Union is joining together with several different troop contributing countries to fight Somalian surging group Al-Shabaab. And then the other issue is democracy. What would he have to say about, say, Al Burundi and President Nkurunziza's third-term win there despite the fact that the African Union refused to send exhibits and refused to, say, that it could that refused to allow it to happen, it is in essence, it still went ahead. And the president was reelected in a very controversial third-term bid. So the question will be just how much teeth does the African Union holds? Will it be able to put together, say, an intervention brigade sort of a force intervention brigade that we've seen as the U.N. mission going on in the DRC. Right now, we'll be able to put together a fast reaction quick brigades for, say, civil wars that are breaking out in, for example, the Central African Republic to be able to quell insurgencies, civil wars, rebels, those sorts of things and, of course, the issue of South Sudan as well. Hundreds of thousands of refugees seeking a shelter in Kenya and Ethiopia right here. President Barack Obama talked Barack Obama talks a lot about that as well.
[Barnett:] And Robyn, as you know, besides the question of how much can the A.U. accomplish, you have the issue of how much influence can the U.S. wield on the A.U. these days at a time when really it's playing catch up in so many African nations to China in its aggressive investment and long term in infrastructure planning in so many African nations. What's the view on the U.S. really being a bit late on what even though Barack Obama is popular, his message is a bit late.
[Kriel:] Yes. So, America is being described as being massively behind the curve when it comes to interest in Africa. You've seen Chinese roads, railways systems in Kenya and here in Ethiopia, many of the buildings including the African Union that Barack Obama will be speaking in, built by the Chinese. So how just how late to the party is the United States and how much can they regain if they want to do so in Africa? It definitely does seem, given the message that's coming through from the White House, trade not aid. That's what they're more interested in and not the policy that they want to take. Specifically here in East Africa, trade not aid being heard in many speeches, of course, as well as the issues of human rights and just how involved can the United States get with countries that do have human rights violations such as, Ethiopia, just how much do they want to become involved in issues of freedom of speech and do deals with countries who, perhaps, lock up journalist, call them terrorists, those sorts of things. So, that's really going to be a key issue they leave on the table for President Barack Obama as he goes forth and addresses the African Union and the commission later this afternoon.
[Barnett:] All right, we'll be looking forward to those comments. And, of course, as you discussed last hour, the symbolism won't be lost on any of us. The African Union headquarters built by China, so certainly that will be something to consider. Robyn Kriel live for us in Addis this morning. Also, on Monday, the U.S. president responded to comments made by Republican presidential candidates. In an interview over the weekend, Mike Huckabee voiced his disapproval of Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, linking it to the holocaust. Mr. Obama fights back, suggesting that Huckabee was playing politics.
[Barack Obama, U.s. President:] The particular comments of Mr. Huckabee are, I think, part of just a general pattern we have seen that is would be considered ridiculous if it weren't so sad.
[Barnett:] He also weighed in on Donald Trump. Trump recently said Senator John McCain, who spent five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam was not a war hero.
[Obama:] When you look at what's happened with Mr. Trump, when he's made some of the remarks that, for example, challenged the heroism of Mr. McCain, somebody who endured torture and conducted himself with exemplary patriotism, the Republican Party is shocked.
[Asher:] And now, a lot of people believe that Donald Trump is, of course, sucking all of the oxygen out of the runs, and especially when it comes to taking away air time from other candidates. And some believe that Republican candidates are now making outrageous comments to upstage Donald Trump But as he continues to rise in visibility in the polls, we are learning that some of his views on election issues have changed dramatically. Here's our Tom Foreman with more.
[Tom Foreman, Cnn Correspondent:] He has big money, a big mouth.
[Donald Trump, , Presidential Candidate:] I wonder if the Mexican Government sent them over here.
[Foreman:] And big numbers. He leads the latest CNN ORC Poll with 52 percent of Republicans, saying they want Donald Trump to stay in the race. Only 33 percent want him out, despite sharp attacks from Republican opponents.
[Unidentified Male:] I don't want to be associated with the kind of betrayal that he is speaking out these days.
[Foreman:] The Trump train is driven by fans who like the way he tells it like it is. The Trump's beliefs are hard to pin down.
[Unidentified Male Reporter:] I know you're opposed to abortion.
[Trump:] Right, I'm pro-choice.
[Unidentified Male Reporter:] You're pro-choice or pro-life.
[Trump:] I'm pro-life, I'm sorry.
[Unidentified Male Reporter:] Pro-life.
[Foreman:] On health care, for example, Trump in '99.
[Trump:] So I'm very liberal when it comes to health care. I believe in universal health care.
[Foreman:] The next year, he pushed the idea of government funding, writing, "We need, as a nation, to reexamine the single-payer plan." But now...
[Trump:] We have a disaster called the big lie, Obamacare.
[Foreman:] On illegal immigration, the turns took less time. Trump in mid June.
[Trump:] I will build a great, great wall on our southern border and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. I actually heard...
[Foreman:] Trump by June's end.
[Trump:] You have to give them a path, and you have to make it possible for them to succeed.
[Foreman:] And now...
[Unidentified Female:] Are you still in favor of a wall?
[Trump:] Oh yeah. In certain sections, you have to have a wall, absolutely.
[Foreman:] And sometimes, the apparent contradictions may be a matter of nuance. Other times, listen to Trump on possible Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2007.
[Trump:] And I think Hillary is very, very capable.
[Foreman:] And now...
[Trump:] Look, easily, she's the worst secretary of state in the history of our country.
[Foreman:] Even his party affiliation is hard to pin down. Back in the '90s, Trump was a Republican. Then, he jumps to the Reform Party. Then, he shifted again.
[Trump:] Well, you'd be shocked if I said that, in many cases, I probably identify more as a Democrat?
[Foreman:] And now...
[Trump:] Look, I'm a Republican. I'm a Conservative.
[Foreman:] He might sum it all up in a phrase.
[Trump:] But at least I'm consistent.
[Unidentified Male Reporter:] Yeah.
[Foreman:] Voters who love Trump insist he is consistent. He consistently shares the broad public contempt for Washington and consistently says plainly what he thinks with little worry about the fallout, but that is also precisely the trait that makes it easy to find inconsistencies that in the long run can tear even a popular candidate to pieces. Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
[Barnett:] Next...
[Asher:] Little that's something makes it quite entertaining.
[Barnett:] Well, I'm going to say and it's all about the long run really when it's about a presidential race. Will Trump make it?
[Asher:] Yes, exactly. He'll make it to the debate stage so we'll see what happens there.
[Barnett:] Yeah. Fireworks for sure. Still to come here on CNN, the Boy Scouts of America makes a major decision regarding gay rights in its organization, details coming up.
[Asher:] Plus, the U.S. issues, a report on the tragedy of human trafficking and then some controversy of how Washington is raising two countries in Southeast Asia, that's coming up.