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ISIS Pushing Toward Baghdad; Who is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?; Louisiana Tour Guide Swims With Alligators; Protesters, Police Clash In Brazil; The Science Behind The Exoskeleton

Aired June 13, 2014 - 8:00   ET

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


KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.

Now the U.S. considers how to help Iraq as the terror group ISIS pushes to take Baghdad.

Plus, Ukraine launches a pre-dawn raid against pro-Russian forces to reclaim control of Mariupol.

And it was a memorable moment in the World Cup opening ceremony. We look at the technology that made the kick possible.

Now fighters from an al Qaeda splinter group are pushing toward Baghdad. And now the White House says it is weighing possible military

options to help beleaguered Iraqi forces. One senior U.S. official says a decision could come as early as the weekend.

Now that response might include air strikes, but no American troops on the ground, we are told.

Washington is nervous about the militant's growing power. And with Syria in the midst of civil war, the violence in Iraq threatens to further

destabilize an already volatile region. It could also further divide Iraq along ethnic lines.

Now just take a look at this map. Now Iraq has a delicate balance of ethnic and religious groups, many of whom are engaged in ongoing power

struggle.

Now Sunni and Shiite Arabs, ethnic Kurds as well as other groups. And ISIS appears to be taking advantage of Iraq's instability to grab

territory.

Now Kurdish leaders from the autonomous region in the north are working with Iraq's government to help drive ISIS out of Mosul. AT the

same time, Kurdish forces have taken control of Kirkuk after it was abandoned by Iraqi soldiers under pressure from militants.

Now the Kurds regard Kirkuk as their historical capital.

Now earlier I spoke to our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson about those deepening divisions we're seeing and how this

volatile situation could play out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERANTIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What appears to be happening, looking at the big picture here, Kristie, is that the country is

dividing along sectarian and ethnic fault lines. We know that the Kurdish Peshmerga took control of Kirkuk in the last 24 hours. That has been a hot

button city whose control has been a very heated debate in Iraq over the past decade that they have now taken it.

There's also an indication that the Kurdish minority in the country are looking perhaps to extend their gains at this time of instability.

We're hearing that ISIS is making more gains in the country. We talk about the towns like Ramadi, Fallujah, Mosul, the other two towns that

they've taken now Baiji they have control of parts of. We should also look at the areas of influence that they now have and hold sway in much of al

Anbar and much of Nineveh and other provinces across the country. The country really is, it appears at the moment as we hear Shia militias are

being stood up in Baghdad to be -- to deploy and protect Shia shrines around the country, you get the sense that this is really a division now

opening up along these sectarian and ethnic fault lines.

Perhaps one of the most telling videos that has been put out that shows ISIS parading, if you will, in Mosul, its military gains on the

battlefield towing away four big howitzer guns, these are big battlefield weapons, perhaps this is not sort of a celebration parade, merely a

repositioning, perhaps they want to put them over the border in Syria where they'll be safe from Iraqi and potentially U.S. air strikes as well.

How do they plan to use them in the future? That's a big question. Perhaps they're not planning to stand and fight for these military bases

they've taken, merely look them. That, again, depends on their style of fighting.

One of the most telling things about that video is the number of people out on the streets filming this ISIS so-called parade of military

hardware. These people are not afraid of ISIS apparently, these local townspeople in Mosul appear indeed to support them and treating them as

heroes at the moment.

The indications are that ISIS's rapid advance has been a lot due to the fact that it has widespread Sunni support, particularly in influential

tribes in much of the country.

This is the picture that's emerging right now as we hear of these latest gains, Kristie.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Nic Robertson speaking to me earlier from Jordan. And we'll take you live to Iraq a little bit later in the program.

Now Washington is scrambling to respond to the threat from ISIS, but as Jim Acosta reports, U.S. President Barack Obama has the shadow of the

Iraq war hanging over him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the makings of an Iraqi civil war now a full blown foreign policy crisis,

President Obama huddled with his national security team to talk options. What was once unthinkable for this anti-Iraq war president is on the table.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't rule out anything because we do have a state of making sure that these jihadists are

not getting a permanent foothold in either Iraq or Syria, for that matter.

ACOSTA: To prevent Islamist militant group ISIS from taking Baghdad, White House officials say the president is now considering drone or

airstrikes on the Sunni-backed fighters, but no boots on the ground. The U.S. is prepared to ramp up military aid and is boosting humanitarian

assistance. With ISIS seizing more Iraqi ground and some U.S. contractors being evacuated from the country, decisions could come quickly.

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: Options are on the table right now, and at the appropriate time I'm sure you will hear from the president.

ACOSTA: Acting as a foreign policy fireman, Vice President Joe Biden was on the phone with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and briefing

lawmakers. But that isn't putting out the flames on Capitol Hill.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R-OH) HOUSE SPEAKER: We're 100 miles from Baghdad. And what's the president doing? Taking a nap.

ACOSTA: Arizona Senator John McCain demanded that the president fire his entire national security team.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: I believe that history will judge this president's leadership with the scorn and disdain that it deserves.

ACOSTA: Republicans are all but say I guess told you so.

OBAMA: After nearly nine years America's war in Iraq will be over. ACOSTA: After predicting the president's full withdrawal from Iraq would

backfire. But for Mr. Obama it was about fulfilling a campaign promise. Former secretary of state and perspective 2016 candidate Hillary Clinton

argued it was hard to see this crisis coming.

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I could not have predicted, however, the extent to which ISIS could be effective in seizing

cities in Iraq and trying to erase boundaries to create an Islamic state.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Jim Acosta reporting.

Now America's last prisoner of war is back on U.S. soil this Friday after nearly five years in captivity.

Now Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl landed in San Antonio, Texas where he will continue his rehabilitation at a U.S. military hospital. For now, his

recovery takes precedence over accusations that he deserted his post back in 2009 before being imprisoned by Taliban forces.

Now Bergdahl's return has also been mired in controversy over the Taliban prisoner swap that freed him almost two weeks ago.

Now let's bring in CNN's Martin Savidge. He has been tracking the latest developments. He joins us from the army medical center in San

Antonio.

And Martin, again, Bowe Bergdahl is finally back on American soil.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He is, indeed. And that's a significant moment.

It should be pointed out that his aircraft touched down in the middle of the night. There was no fanfare, there was no special greeting there

was never planned to be anything like that. The military is going to handle him like all other previous captives by the book.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE (voice-over): After five years in Taliban captivity, U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is back on American soil. Touching down overnight

Bergdahl arrived at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and was transported to a military medical facility with a room prepped for his

arrival and a support team standing by along with his family.

REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: He just came out of five years of captivity. We're going to get a chance to find out what was in his

head there that day when he was taken captive.

SAVIDGE: "The Daily Beast" obtained letters purportedly written by Sergeant Bergdahl to his family while he was in captivity. They may give a

glimpse into his disappearance from his base at night in 2009, writing, leadership was lacking, if not non-existent. The conditions were bad and

looked to be getting worse for the man that were actually the ones risking their lives from attack.

The two letters are dated 2012 and 2013. Penned in two very different writing styles. One in cursive. The other in block print. The Bergdahl

family purportedly confirmed the authenticity of the letters revealed by sources in contact with the Taliban. Held hostage in Iraq for nearly a

year, American Roy Hallums can relate.

ROY HALLUMS, AMERICAN HOSTAGE IN IRAQ FOR 10 MONTHS: When I did mine they set a piece of paper in front of me and gave me a pen and one person

sat on each side of me and told me exactly what words to write and they wanted me to print it and not write it in script because they couldn't read

English in script.

SAVIDGE: At times, Bergdahl's thoughts seemed to wander, touching on mathematics, God, and the universe. Several portions of the letter blocked

out, it's unclear by whom. Words in letters oddly misspelled. In 2013 he wrote, if this letter makes it to the USA tell those involved in the

investigation that there are more sides to the cittuwation (sic)."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: The next big step is, of course, a reunion of Sergeant Bergdahl with his mother and father that's expected to take place here.

And it will be in a hospital room. It's also going to be carefully handled, because the military knows from previous returnees that that

reunion is the most emotional overwhelming point of the entire return process -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: This is a very emotional, very delicate period for Begdahl and his family. Any update on Bowe Bergdahl's condition and when he'll be

well enough to share his side of the story?

SAVIDGE: Yeah, those are two very good questions, which I have asked. And right now, the military says there is no specific time line. They say

they know that from previous returnees. Everybody is different, everybody's experience has been different.

However, if you look at the trends in the past, normally the returnees have stayed about a week here about this facility. It's expected that Bowe

Bergdahl will spend a lot more time.

And when will we get more on his condition? It is anticipated there will be a news conference soon. And we hope to hear from his psychiatrist,

Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right, Martin Savidge reporting live from San Antonio, Texas. Thank you, Martin.

Now, you heard Martin mention the letters written by Bergdahl while in captivity. They were obtained by Kimberly Dozier of the Daily Beast. She

spoke to CNN a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMBERLY DOZIER, DAILY BEAST: I have to say, the first time I saw them I thought this is a joke. These can't really have been written by

Bowe Bergdahl himself. Then I showed them to U.S. officials, western officials who had been part of this whole process to try to get him back

and they said, no, those are the real things, that the Red Cross delivered to Bergdahl's family and that the family had examined the letters and saw

things in both of them that only could have been written by Bowe.

The second letter he does seem to be aware that there was an investigation into his departure from the base. And he seems to be -- he's

defending himself. He's telling his family, tell those doing the investigation in D.C. wait until all the evidence comes in. He talks about

the conditions being bad, not having confidence in his leadership and the situation being very unsafe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: And during that interview with Daily Beast writer Kimberly Dozier, she also told us that Bergdahl's letters seemed like they were

written under a, quote, "tough situation."

She also speculated that it was possible people may have been watching him while he was writing.

You're watching News Stream. And still to come, protests and celebration in Brazil as the host country takes home the first win of the

2014 World Cup.

We'll be live in Sao Paulo.

And a dangerous journey -- officials say hundreds of undocumented children are illegally crossing from Mexico into the U.S. every day alone.

And reports of more violence in eastern Ukraine, this as its interior minister says Russian tanks and other military vehicles have crossed its

borders.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

You're watching News Stream. You're looking at a visual version of all the stories we've got in the show today.

Now we've already told you about the American soldier Bowe Bergdahl and his return to U.S. soil.

And later, we'll have more on the crisis in Iraq.

But now let's turn to the World Cup in Brazil. Now it was a scene of celebration and anger as the tournament kicked off in the city of Sao

Paulo.

Now the host nation got off to a positive, yet controversial start in the opening game, defeating Croatia 3-1 on Thursday.

And while there was cheering inside the stadium, it was a very different story out on the streets.

That is video protesters clashing with riot police. Many are angry that billions of dollars were spent on the tournament. Activists say those

funds should have gone to help the poor instead.

Now Shasta Darlington has been covering the tournament in Sao Paulo. She joins us now live. And Shasta, you haven't just been covering the

World Cup, but just the street activity. You were caught up in that clash between protesters and police on Thursday. Tell us what happened?

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right, Kristie. It was actually a relatively small protest, but the police

were pretty heavy-handed. They made it clear that they weren't going to let the protesters get anywhere near the stadium. We were 11 kilometers

away.

And at one point, they started firing tear gas and stun grenades. We were hit by some fragments. Unfortunately, our producer Barbara Vanatides

(ph) is still in the hospital. They're monitoring her. But it was a really aggressive reaction that we haven't seen at protests in recent

months, especially because it was such a relatively small group.

But I must say that sets a very negative tone for what we're looking forward to for the next month. Again, making it clear that they are not

going to put up with any funny business. They do not want fans having any problems getting to these games. They're going to be in 12 different

cities.

And protesters and activists have said they do plan to march on all of these games to make their voices heard, because they feel that all of this

money being spent on a global sporting event isn't the full story, they want people to know that Brazil is a country that still has plenty of

problems. They say the schools, the hospitals, public transportation are sub par and they're going to make their voice heard. And if this is the

way the police is going to be reacting even with small groups we're going to see a lot of clashes, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Soccer fans from all over the world are there in Brazil. Are they concerned about these scenes? Are they concerned about potential

violence and the security risk?

DARLINGTON: Again, I just think it sets up a bad precedent. So the idea is, of course, they're keeping the protesters away from the fans. But

this kind of violent clash gets -- huge repercussions. It's replayed on the TV here and the newspapers here and of course around the globe.

So, the -- if the idea is they're supposed to be protecting fans, it's kind of backfiring. Instead what fans are seeing is these Robocop

policemen out there using tear gas, using stun grenades and it doesn't send a very good image around the world.

Now what the government says is they've got 157,000 police and troops that will be providing security, that will be clearing the routes to the

stadiums. So, for those people trying to get to the stadiums, I guess it is good news, Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right, Shasta Darlington reporting live from Sao Paulo. Thank you. Take care.

Now Brazil fans were equaled parts overjoyed and relieved by the host nation's victory over Croatia.

Now Alex Thomas was in the stadium for the World Cup opener. And in the middle of the celebrations outside after the final whistle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORREPSODENT: It all started so badly for the host nation. There were protests about 10 kilometers away from the stadium

and then they went a goal down against Croatia. But the players in their famous green and yellow recovered. Neymar leading a fight back. And

Brazil are off to a winning start.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great sensation. The Brazilians are very excited for what's great, really great.

THOMAS: There have been so many problems in the lead up to this World Cup, a victory for the host nation was crucial. And they managed it. But

for those of us lucky enough to be inside, there were a couple of interesting things to note. Some of the flood lights failed at a couple of

points during the first half. The doves of peace that were released before kickoff, one of the poor little birds got trapped under the eves of the

stands.

And you know what, many of the home fans were chanting abuse at Brazil's president -- well, at least she's got a smile on her face as far

as the result of the match is concerned.

Alex Thomas, CNN, Sao Paulo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: So, game one is in the books.

Let's take a quick look at the matches coming up on Friday.

Now the day's opener is the second group A match featuring Mexico and Cameroon. Then Group B plays. Defending champion Spain faces The

Netherlands in a rematch of the 2010 final. Also in group B, Chile plays the Socceroos of Australia.

Now CNN is your home for all things World Cup. And we are following the tournament for you on social media as well. This digital dashboard, it

monitors Facebook and Instagram to bring you the World Cup debate all in real time. You can find it a CNN.com/facebookpulse.

Coming up on News Stream, a record number of child immigrants from Central America are streaming into the United States. And these miners are

crossing the border all by themselves. Details right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Now hundreds of undocumented children are crossing the border from Mexico into the United States every single day. And federal officials say

most are from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

now the number of unaccompanied minors coming into the U.S. is set to skyrocket to 60,000 this year. Holding centers have been overwhelmed with

some of the detained saying that they have had to sleep on bear floors.

American officials now say that they will use the U.S. Coast Guard and military to transport and to house the children.

Now some Republicans are blaming the White House for the situation, saying that the Obama administration has failed to enforce U.S. immigration

laws.

Now part of the problem is the scale of the area that needs to be policed. Now you're looking at the international boundary line between

the U.S. and Mexico. And the U.S. Geological Survey says it is more than 3,100 kilometers long.

Now Gary Tuchman is near the border in Arizona.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is easy to illegally come into this country from Mexico to the United States if you know where you're

going or you know the right people. This is the border fence, typically, you see the huge border walls near the city that you can't climb over. You

can't go through, but what the illegal immigrants do, they come to areas like this. We are in the middle of nowhere right now.

It's a little village called Oakhill, Arizona and this is what the border fence looks like here. There is some barbed wire, but all you have

to do when you are on the Mexican side is take a little walk. No wire here, as you can see, this is one of the many areas where the influx of children

has been coming through. Right over here there is another water bottle up here and really all you need to do. It doesn't matter if you're old, young,

sick or well, one foot here and in Mexico. The border patrol gets angry if you go on the other side, even if you're a reporter. But it is easy to do,

25 miles of wilderness, once you get here, most people have arrangements made to get past here through the cities of the United States.

(END VOICETAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Gary Tuchman reporting.

U.S. President Barack Obama is calling the surge in youth border crossings an urgent humanitarian situation. And the hundreds of children

crossing the border alone each day are becoming the face of an issue that divides the country and divides the congress.

You're watching News Stream. And still to come, we'll take you live to Iraq for the latest on the crumbling security situation and the uphill

battle against militants.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's government says it is gaining ground as it fights separatist forces in the country's east. But tensions with neighboring

Russia aren't showing any sign of abating.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream and these are your world headlines.

Now the White House has been taken aback by the speed and scope of the militant onslaught in Iraq. And several officials tell CNN that U.S.

President Obama has not yet reached a decision on whether U.S. air strikes are the way to go. That decision, however, could come this weekend. Now

one thing is clear, the U.S. says that there will be no American troops on the ground.

Now U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl has landed back in the U.S. after nearly five years in Taliban captivity. He arrived in San Antonio,

Texas early this morning. He'll be continuing his rehabilitation at a U.S. military hospital there. And Pentagon officials say that they will

investigate accusation that Bergdahl was a deserter.

Now Thailand's military chief says an interim government will be set up in three months. This comes after the army seized power in a coup last

month. Now the army chief also says elections will not be held for at least another year.

Now to World Cup news, Brazilians are celebrating the home country's first win. Now the host nation defeated Croatia 3-1 in the tournament's

opening match, but outside the Sao Paulo stadium, protesters clashed with riot police before the game furious at the high cost of staging the event.

Now for more now on our top story, the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Iraq, our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon joins

me now live from Irbil (ph) in Iraq's Kurdish region. And Arwa, the insurgency there, it continues to spread across Iraq. What is the very

latest?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria does still maintain firm control over the country's

second largest city Mosul. When it comes to Kirkuk with all of its vast oil riches, that largely in control of the Kurdish fighting force, the

Peshmerga that managed to drive ISIS out of it.

But ISIS has been making some gains in Diyala province. That is just to the north of Baghdad's province.

There, there have been clashes around various key towns and villages. The Kurdish forces, the Peshmerga also getting involved there as well

across most of the parts of the country where we've been seeing ISIS moving in.

The Iraqi security forces have largely been abandoning their positions allowing ISIS not only to take over key territory, but also get its hands

on armored vehicles, ammunition, heavy weaponry.

One of the key reasons, though, Kristie as to why ISIS have been able to make such a rapid advance is that even though it maybe the organization

the is in the spotlight right now, there is also been an emergence, a reemergence perhaps, of some of the key Sunni insurgent groups that were

very active here during the U.S. occupation. They believe that they are being marginalized by the predominately Shia government in Baghdad. They

do not necessarily subscribe to ISIS's ideology or its end state of trying to establish an Islamic caliphate, but at this stage, they do feel that

they need to make a stance against the Shia-led government in Baghdad and against the Iraqi security forces whom they perceive as being a mostly Shia

force.

Adding to all of this, a call by the spokesman of the most revered Shia cleric here, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to all Iraqis to join, volunteer

with the Iraqi security forces. Shia mosques in Baghdad as well, Kristie, calling for people to volunteer against the fight that they're calling a

fight against Sunni terrorism.

So this most certainly taking on even stronger sectarian tones at this stage, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Now Baghdad is up against Sunni insurgents. It's also up against ISIS. It's asked the United States for help. Previously the U.S.

president said he was considering all options, but we've just learned that even though it may be a military strike was considered, that may not be a

go. That's still under consideration.

So at this point, how can the U.S. help Baghdad to repel ISIS and the insurgency there?

DAMON: Well, it's going to be incredibly difficult. U.S. could support various aerial surveillance. We're also hearing at this stage that

the U.S. maybe drawing up a preliminary target list.

But of course the great challenge in doing that, Kristie, is that these ISIS fighters are not necessarily consolidated in one specific area.

The Iraqi government did hit a former Iraqi military base to the south of Mosul where it believed ISIS fighters were holed up.

But when it comes to these various cities and towns that they do control, they roam the street. They are mixed in within the civilian

population. That would make any sort of an air strike incredibly difficult.

Additionally, any sort of an air strike by the U.S. on a predominately Sunni area would only fuel Sunni anger against the United States and

against the Shia-led government in Baghdad. So it could potentially further aggravate the situation on the ground here.

LU STOUT: All right, Arwa Damon reporting live from Irbil (ph). Many thanks indeed for that.

Now the man leading the insurgency in Iraq is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He is known for tactics that are so brutal even al Qaeda cut ties with him.

Now Brian Todd has more on this ruthless fighter who has drawn comparisons to the most infamous terrorist in history.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some call him the new bin Laden. He's ruthless, known for ferocious. His mission, to fight for an Islamic

fundamentalist takeover of Iraq and Syria.

Much about Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is a mystery, but not his viciousness.

DOUGLAS OLLIVANT, FRM. U.S. NATL. SECURITY COUNCIL OFFICIAL: Very brutal, very extremist fighter who would execute his rivals.

TODD: As the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, al- Baghdadi is seen as the man behind the capture of Iraq's second largest city Mosul and now a push toward Baghdad. But al Qaeda leaders recently

severed relations with him, saying he was insubordinate killing too many civilians.

OLLIVANT: Al Qaeda thought his infliction of random violence was too extreme even for them.

TODD: Yet now with his recent victories on the ground, he's growing in power.

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is emerging as a central figure in the jihadist movement. And his

organization is growing ever more popular.

TODD: A counterterrorism official tells us al-Baghdadi is based primarily in Syria and is just as ruthless as his well known predecessor

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

But while Zarqawi released menacing statements and videos before being killed by American forces in 2006, al-Baghdadi keeps a lower profile. Some

call him the Invisible Sheikh.

OLLIVANT: Except among his very, very inner circle, he's rumored to disguise his identity, wear masks, wear turbans, wear face cloths, not let

his identity be known.

TODD: According to this biography circulating on jihadi websites, he got a PhD in Islamic studies in Baghdad, then formed a local militant

group.

American forces had him in custody for four years in a prison for insurgents where he may have built ties with other jihadists. He was freed

in 2009. And within a year was the leader of Iraq's al Qaeda affiliate, heading up a renewed campaign of bombings and assassinations.

What's Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's future?

CRUICKSHANK: If he's able to hold onto territory in northern Iraq for an extended period of time, he may well eclipse Ayman al-Zawahiri in terms

of being a leader figure in the global jihadist movement.

TODD: But do to that he's got to survive. All three of his immediate predecessors as the top jihadist leaders in Iraq were killed. And right

now, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has got a U.S. bounty on his head of $10 million.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And you can learn more about ISIS and how the terror group operates. Just go to CNN.com.

Let's turn now to Ukraine. And Kiev says it has launched a successful operation to reclaim the eastern city of Mariupol from pro-Russian

separatists. Now the acting interior minister Arsen Avakov made the announcement on his Facebook page. He says government forces have launched

an early morning raid on the port city and that all rebel strongholds, quote, are being brought under control.

Avakov said on Thursday that three Russian tanks and other military vehicles have crossed into Ukraine's Luhansk region. He says at least two

of those tanks were then attacked by Ukrainian military forces.

Now the Russian foreign ministry has denied its tanks are in Ukraine.

Now Matthew Chance is Moscow. He joins us now. So Matthew, where did the tanks come from?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's not entirely clear. But certainly you're right on that point that the Kremlin

has denied the accusations that have been leveled at it by Kiev that these tanks were allowed to pass across the border of Russia into eastern

Ukraine.

Certainly there's been some video, unverified video at this stage I have to add, that's emerged of the tanks sort of rolled -- tanks rolling

through various towns in the Donetsk region, which is slightly in land from where they apparently came across. So, denial again from the Kremlin.

Also, this operation continuing in the port city of Mariupol. You can hear there some fighting, some video emerging of the apparent fighting

taking place around the city. It's been a relatively successful operation, it seems, by government forces at this point that are trying to bring

Mariupol, which is you know a large contingent of pro-rebel fighters inside it, back under the sway of the government in Kiev. They appear to have

raised the flag, or they say they've raised the flag up on the municipal building, the Ukrainian flag, that is, on the main municipal building, in

the center of the town.

Also, a number of people have been killed -- five rebels according to government officials and a number of soldiers that have been injured as

well.

But I think it's also important to remember that Mariupol has been a scene of clashes in the past. And it's changed hands several times since

the outbreak of hostilities several months ago, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And Matthew, on Thursday the Ukrainian president talked to Vladimir Putin about a peace plan. What came out of that?

CHANCE: Not a lot, it doesn't seem, except that the details of that plan from Petro Poroshenko, the newly sworn in president of Ukraine to try

and bring some stability to that area of eastern Ukraine. In the meantime, events appear to have overtaken that situation in the sense that Russia has

trying -- or it says it will introduce a resolution into the United Nations security council because of what it says a lack of progress in implementing

that peace plan and bringing the situation of violence under control in eastern Ukraine.

And so it seems that while it's gone to a much lower level, there's still a determination on the part of the Ukrainian authorities to bring

those rebel held areas back under the control of the Kiev government and that's something the Kremlin remains deeply critical of, Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right, Matthew Chance reporting live from Moscow, thank you.

You're watching News Stream. And still to come the fight has only just begun. That is the closing message from a global summit on the issue

of rape in war zones. We'll bring you the latest in London.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now the bodies of innocent people should never be used as battlegrounds. We heard those striking words from the UN secretary-general

Ban Ki-moon earlier today.

Let's bring up some live pictures of the final day of the global summit in London to end sexual violence in conflict zones.

As you can see, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry speaking again at the summit.

The UN leader, Ban Ki-moon, he kicked off the series of closing remarks just a short time ago. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAN KI-MOON, UN SECRETARY-GENERAL: Rape is a cruel weapon of war that is as devastating as any bullet and as disruptive as any bomb.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now the British foreign secretary William Hague and actress and activist Angelina Jolie, they co-chaired this four day event. It is

the biggest summit of its kind, involving more than 145 governments worldwide. But as Jolie points out, the real work begins now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: There's no doubt after these four days that we know what to do. We need to entrench the international protocol so that

we begin to deter these crimes and end impunity. We need to put survivors in the forefront of our efforts not as victims, but as inspiring and

resilient people who can guide us to the right choices and decisions. We need to pool our expertise and close the gaps in our laws and capabilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now the UN envoy was also clear about the key role that men play in this dialogue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOLIE: I have been inspired by the number of male leaders who have shown that they are now proud to champion this cause. My message to you is

please do not go silent. Raise your voices. And use your influence to inspire the next generation of men to value and honor women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: America's top diplomat John Kerry, he is speaking now. But previously he lent his voice to the conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Because thousands of years after rape was written into the lexicon of warfare, we know that it is time to

write it out and to banish sexual violence to the dark ages and the history books where it belongs. Let all who say that sexual abuse is always be a

spoil of war, something so ingrained that it can't be eradicated, make no mistake we can end sexual warfare conducted against innocent people. We

can establish new norms that respect women, girls, men and boys. And we can hold those who commit these acts, and those who condone them, we can

hold them all accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: And that was U.S. secretary of state there delivering the keynote earlier today.

He also went on to say that it is possible to create a zero tolerance policy for these tactics of warfare.

You're watching News Stream. And still to come on the program, there will be plenty of amazing kicks from World Cup players in the coming days,

but no moves can match this, moves made by one paraplegic man who made the kick of a lifetime. We'll have more on the technology behind this miracle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now when the World Cup kicked off in Brazil on Thursday, the action wasn't just on the pitch.

I mean, take a look at this, people watching around the world they hoped onto Twitter to have their say about their favorite team. And this

stunning visualization really shows how the number of tweets exploded at key points throughout the game such as when a goal was scored. It's a very

visual reminder of the incredible scope of the so-called world game.

Now it was perhaps the most memorable moment of the World Cup opening ceremony in Brazil. It was this, a paraplegic man kicking the first ball of

the tournament and he did it with the help of a robotic suit, it's an exoskeleton. And the suit, it was controlled by signals from his brain.

Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us how this remarkable technology came to be.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORREPSONDENT: This man is paralyzed and only able to walk with the help of this mind-controlled exoskeleton.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is like a robotic vest. There are two legs that a paraplegic patient could wear.

GUPTA: The exoskeleton is the brainchild of Dr. Miguel Nicolelis. Is first met him at his Duke University lab a year-and-a-half before the World

Cup.

So what are we looking at here?

DR. MIGUEL NICOLELIS, DUKE UNIVERSITY: This is actually a brain storm.

GUPTA: By brain storm you mean.

NICOLELIS: Yes, a burst of electrical signals coming from hundreds of neurons over time. This is the alphabet of the brain.

GUPTA: And that alphabet becomes a language roughly translated that can be understood by the exoskeleton.

NICOLELIS: These are the connectors.

GUPTA: Paper thin electrodes receive and transmit signals from the brain, allowing it to communicate with the exoskeleton and make it move.

NICOLELIS: You can read the signals and send them to devices. And these devices will move according to the voluntary motor intention of the

primate.

What you see here is the first prototype of the exoskeleton.

GUPTA: When I visited Dr. Nicolelis, the exoskeleton was working well with primates. The true test, on the world's biggest stage, would be an

exoskeleton controlled by a human.

With just days before the World Cup opening ceremonies, Nicolelis and his team were working furiously.

NICOLELIS: You're in a race to try to get that demonstration going.

GUPTA: You see, it's not just about walking, but coordinating brain signals, muscle movements and spinal cord activity and having all of that

end with a kick.

According to Nicolelis, the exoskeleton's next steps could be even more stunning, helping all kinds of patients who are immobile.

Maybe somebody who was quadriplegic, for example.

NICOLELIS: Yes. Or somebody that is a quadriplegic, somebody with ALS, people with other neurodegenerative disorders.

In our lifetime, we'll be walking in New York or Sao Paulo and we will see a person walking in the streets that could not walk before. I think in

our lifetime we will see that.

GUPTA: It kind of gives me shivers.

NICOLELIS: No, me too. I've been waiting for that for 30 years. So I think we will be able to see it.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And as we mentioned, Spain is set to play later today. The Spaniards have been spoiled by success at their last three major

tournaments, winning all of them. But can they make it four in a row? Here's Patrick Snell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Spain are the reigning world champions. They're also back-to-back and defending European champions as

well. Al Roja were formidable in qualifying with six victories and two draws, conceding only three goals in the process, that's fewer than any

other nation across the continent.

If they have a weakness, though, it's been their scoring, netting only 14 times.

That won't concern them too much when you consider they scored just eight goals in seven matches on route to winning the tournament for the

first time four years ago in South Africa.

Vicente del Bosque's men will lineup in Group B as firm favorites to advance against Chile, Australia and intriguing The Netherlands who they

beat so dramatically in that 2010 final.

Veteran goalkeeper Iker Casillas will lead his country to a 10th straight appearance in the finals. The Real Madrid captain has over 150

caps to his name, but can he now help his country to become the first team ever from Europe to win a World Cup in the Americas?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now rain may dampen some of the World Cup venues today. Let's get details with Samantha Moore. She joins us from the world weather

center -- Samantha.

SAMANTHA MOORE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kristie.

Yes, the east coast we can see some dampening here on some of the field as the players get ready to entertain us with their great skill here.

OK, we got to see that twice, so that is fantastic.

And the weather here pretty good for now actually. We're seeing an onshore flow. A few clouds off the coast. But overall great -- a great

view from space, and a great view coming to us from the International Space Station. And you can see here all of these bright lights on the right side

of your screen. This is Rio and this is Sao Paulo. And you can see just how bright they look from way up in space. And they're actually watching

the games from the International Space Station. I guess you can get a signal just about anywhere nowadays.

But you can see how we have that onshore flow moving in here, so we're going to continue to see some showers right along the east coast here. The

interior looks high and dry, but we do have a frontal system coming up from the south, and this is an area that has seen incredible rain so far this

season. This is normally their drier time of year.

Let's take you to Natal, that's going to be the first game coming up in just a few hours. And we're going to see temperatures in the mid-20s.

So fairly comfortable temperature wise, but very humid -- 85 percent the relative humidity and the wind up around 28 kilometers per hour. So a

little breezy at times out there. I guess that will make the humidity a little more comfortable for them.

In the mid-20s there as Spain takes on The Netherlands. That will be a little later in the afternoon with those winds up around 17. And that

humidity at around 79 percent. So on the sticky side, but the winds will make it feel a little bit more comfortable.

Not a lot in the way of rainfall along the coast. We'll just have those light showers. But could add up to a couple of millimeters of rain

here along the coast. A little more here in Natal where we could see up to 23 millimeters or so.

So, as the showers move in, it'll dampen things a bit, but nothing like the rain we've had further to the south. This is Argentina, Iguazu

Falls here right on the border of Argentina and Brazil where they've had incredible amounts of rain. The power of this water, it's moving at about

1.5 million cubic feet per second. And they've actually closed the viewing decks here because it's just too dangerous for the folks to be out there

this close to that powerful moving water.

Temperatures on the warm side across much of the region. And for the evening game, in Cuiaba, it's going to be absolutely beautiful, Kristie.

We're going to see temperatures in the upper-20s and it's going to be a beautiful evening for a little World Cup soccer. I think folks are going

to enjoy it.

LU STOUT: All right, thumbs up, good to hear. Samantha Moore there. Take care.

Now, in the U.S. state of Louisiana, there's this tour guide. And he calls himself Crazy. And when you see what he did with live alligators in

the wild, you might not disagree. Here's Jeanne Moos with this unbelievable video.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alligators are no marshmallows. We think of them as viscous. So tourists on a Louisiana swamp boat tour were

surprised when their guide jumped in with the gators.

STACY HICKS, TOURIST: Then we hear a splash and we're like "oh my gosh, he's in the water."

MOOS: Stacey Hicks was recording as the 20 or so passengers...

HICKS: Oh my god!

MOOS: Gasped each time the gators came looking for the chicken the tour guide pulled out of his pockets. But when he positioned himself so a

gator rested its head on his.

HICKS: This is hard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hard to watch?

HICKS: No, hard to videotape and take pictures at the same time.

MOOS: They should have known when, back at the dock ...

HICKS: He was introducing himself, he goes "yeah, they gave you the crazy guy."

MOOS: And this is when it really got crazy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to throw me marshmallow from the bag?

MOOS: Someone lobbed the requested marshmallow

UNIDNETIFIED MALE: Watch this.

MOOS: The guide proceeded with a mouth to mouth marshmallow transfer, prompting applause.

HICKS: It was awesome.

MOOS: Now Jefferson Parish, where the tour is located, has an ordinance saying you're not allowed to feed alligators in the wild.

So the sheriff's office is conducting an investigation and reminding local swamp tours of the rules. The tour company in question...

ANNOUNCER: Brace your senses for tourists Airboat Adventures.

MOOS: Has clammed up and wouldn't comment to CNN.

But perhaps the more profound question to come out of all of this, do gators really consider marshmallows to be a delicious delicacy?

Fans of the show Trueblood might recall this marshmallow tossing scene.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gators love marshmallows.

MOOS: Not so, a Florida marine biologist told National Geographic. He's concluded from the stuff he's found in gators stomachs -- spark plugs,

cans, dog tags, bottles, they are not picky eaters.

As for the tourists worrying about the captain cavorting with gators...

HICKS: We're thinking "oh my gosh, how are we getting back to shore if something happens to him?"

MOOS: At least this puts the "marsh" into marshmallows.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Oh, dude is crazy.

That is News Stream, but the news continues at CNN. World Business Today is next.

END