Exclusive Reporting from Inside Syria. 3:30-4p ET
BALDWIN: U.S. secretary of state John Kerry making official what many have believed for a long time, the actions of ISIS, the terror group also known as Daesh, constitute genocide in Iraq and in Syria.</s>JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Daesh is genocidal by self- proclamation, by ideology and by actions in what it says, what it believes, and what it does.</s>BALDWIN: That's the reality that our own CNN photo journalist, correspondents, producers, have been seeing firsthand, CNN's gripping coverage, undercover in Syria, takes us to the provincial capital of Idlib today. Where the rebels took control, they saw opportunity, but relentless bombardment from the Russian air force. And the regime of Bashar al-Assad has hits schools, courthouses, even hospitals. I have to warn you, though, before you see these some of the footage you will see is entirely graphic but we think it's important to share this exclusive reporting from our own Clarissa Ward.</s>CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is an all too common sight in rebel-held parts of Syria. The moments after an airstrike. Dazed survivors stagger from the rubble. Those still trapped call out for help. The target this time, the courthouse in Idlib city. Activists say the bombs were Russian. When rebels took the provincial capital of Idlib, they saw it as a crucial opportunity to demonstrate that they could build their own state. And they believe that's exactly why the Russians bombed this courthouse, to undermine that effort. Any civilian infrastructure is a potential target, including hospitals. Last month, four were hit in a single day. One in the city of Maretoman (ph) was supported by doctors without borders. This is what remains of it now. At least 25 people were killed.</s>WARD: Dr. Masen el-Sued was the general manager. He told us that Russian and regime forces target hospitals cynically and deliberately.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They want to kill the maximum number of people. Also, they want to forbid the area from having medical service. If there's no doctor, no nurse, no hospital, then there is no health care for the people, and people will flee.</s>WARD: Is it possible that they did not know that this was a hospital?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Everyone knows this is a hospital. There was even a sign that said this is a hospital. But if they didn't know, this is an even bigger disaster. Because if you were bombing a building like this without knowing it's a hospital, it means you are hitting totally indiscriminately.</s>WARD: Against the backdrop of this vicious war is Islamist factions who have gained the upper hand here. Among them, Al Qaeda affiliate Jabat al-Nusra. The landscape is peppered with signing shunning western democracy and urging all men to join the jihad. One encourages women to cover up completely. Dr. Gindi (ph) works at the only hospital still standing in Maretoman. He's no militant but sees this conflict in black and white.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The whole of the Syrian people is against ISIS and against extremism. But we see that the Russians are bombing far from ISIS, and they're focused on civilian areas.</s>WARD: I asked him why he doesn't leave Syria.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If I did that, I would abandon my conscience. This is our country. We can't desert it. If we left, then we have sold our morals. Who would treat the people? I can very easily leave, but we will remain steadfast. I am prepared to die rather than to leave. And I will carry on no matter what.</s>WARD: Carry on in the faint hope that for the next generation of Syrians, it will be better.</s>BALDWIN: And Clarissa Ward, our senior international correspondent with yet another gripping piece. I mean, to hear you ask him, you know, after the hospital was hit is it possible that perhaps they didn't know. And then he said, well, it's impossible because there was a sign or even if not, that was an indiscriminate hit. I mean, what is the regime saying? What is Russia saying?</s>WARD: Well, Russia - no. No, they are not. We reached out specifically to the Russian ministry of defense. They told us they have never targeted civilians, they have never killed any civilians. The regime of Bashar al-Assad also for years now has been denying any targeting of hospitals. But we did manage to get our hands on a report that was put out last year by doctors without borders that details how many hospitals were hit in rebel-held areas. And just in 2015, 82 medical facilities were hit, 82. Twelve of them were completely destroyed. And if you look at the breakdown month by month, there is a huge spike in the month of October. That of course is the month after Russia began its military intervention in Syria. So I'll leave it to our viewers to decide for themselves. But certainly, we can categorically say that civilian infrastructure and civilians are paying a huge price for this war.</s>BALDWIN: Just the picture of the baby at the end of your piece and who knows what he or she will face and their generation moving forward and whatever Syria will look like, but this notion of peace, right, the peace talks in Geneva, I mean, the doctor you spoke with, is peace on the horizon for him?</s>WARD: Well, I think we should say that this story that we shot happened -- it took place before the cessation of hostilities began and there has definitely been a dramatic decrease in the amount of bombardment since the cessation of hostilities. And certainly people on the ground welcome the idea that Russia is now talking about withdrawing its military, although they are still skeptical about what realistically that would look like. And I do believe that there's a certain these peace talks in Geneva. But there is still a fundamental disconnect between people like doctor</s>BALDWIN: Clarissa Ward, thank you very much.</s>WARD: Thank you.</s>BALDWIN: Next, the president trying to give the Democrats a jump start on Donald Trump. Find out what he is reportedly telling donors behind closed doors.