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Mourning MP Jo Cox as Suspect Arrested for Murder; Birstall Remembers Jo Cox; Investigators Uncover New Details About Orlando Shooter's Past; Fallujah City Center Retaken From ISIS; Competition Ban Major Blow to Russia. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired June 18, 2016 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: People across the U.K. pay tribute to MP Jo Cox as police charge the suspect arrested for her murder.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: A turning point in Fallujah. Iraq's Prime Minister says the city center has been retaken from ISIS.

ALLEN: And investigators uncover new details about the Orlando shooter's past and how his attack may have been planned well in advance.

HOWELL: Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell.

ALLEN: And I'm Natalie Allen.

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Fred Pleitgen in Birstall, England, CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

Welcome, everyone. I'm Fred Pleitgen in Birstall, England. Of course, this is town in mourning, nation mourning and, of course, all of this also has repercussions for politics around Europe as well. The murder of Jo Cox is something that has moved England and certainly something that we want to talk about as well.

I want to set the scene for you a little bit. We're standing right in front of the makeshift memorial in the place that Jo Cox was killed. And we've been here for the past three hours. Right now it's 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. We've been here since 5:00 a.m. we've seen a steady stream of people coming here to this makeshift memorial even now in the early morning hours laying flowers, many of them just sort of standing in front of that memorial, shaking their heads, of course, very much in mourning and disbelief at what unfolded here on Thursday, people bringing their children as well.

At the same time, of course, the investigation into this case moves forward as well. The main suspect, Thomas Mair, is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court later today. We will bring you an update on that situation as well. And then there are the political repercussions, what all of this means in the context of the upcoming Brexit vote. All of the campaigning in that has been suspended by the leave and the leave and the remain campaign. Let's get an update on the situation here.

Britain remains in a state of shock and outrage after the violent murder of Parliamentarian Jo Cox, and now details about the suspect have emerged. 52-year-old Thomas Mair is in police custody, British media report. He lives alone in this house near Leeds. His neighbor, shocked at the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANA PETERS, SUSPECT'S NEIGHBOR: This is totally unexpected. He was very mild mannered, kept himself to himself, would never - I would have thought or even thought of him doing this, never mind actually doing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Labour MP Jo Cox devoted a lot of energy fought to help refugees and people affected by conflicts around the world, leading to the question, could racism have been a possible motive in her killing?

Thomas Mair appears to have showed interest in white supremacy in the past, purchasing material from the American white supremacist group the National Alliance as of late as 2013, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, and also subscribing to a South African pro- apartheid group magazine in the 1980s.

There were also questions about Mair's mental health. His brother, Scott Mair, reportedly telling the Sun Newspaper that he had, "A history of mental illness, but has had help, and further, we are struggling to believe what has happened. My brother is not a violent man and is not that political."

According to English media reports, Mair received treatment at this mental outside clinic outside Leeds. The clinic's staff would not confirm the reports. Mair also volunteered as a gardener at this park. Local staff her have confirmed that Thomas Mair volunteered here as a gardener in 2010 and 2011. They describe his presence as sporadic.

Now in a local newspaper, he was also quoted as saying that "Volunteering as a gardener here had done a lot to help with his apparent mental issues". As this complex investigation into the murder of Jo Cox, the possible motives for the killing continue to captivate a nation in disbelief and mourning.

And of course, the legal process in all of this is moving forward as well. As we said, Thomas Mair is set to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court in London later today and that is what we find our own Phil Black.

Phil, we know that as the legal process moves forward, there's always a very limited information that we're actually able to talk about. What can you tell us this morning? PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, the current status going to be pretty brief and procedural, the charges will be presented to the court. We know they include murder, grievous bodily harm and charges relating to the possession and use of an illegal firearm.

[03:05:06] The court will also determine whether or not he should remain in custody. And, of course, that's pretty likely, given the very serious nature of these charges.

While this process moves on steadily, the police will continue their investigation to try and determine precisely why this happened, which they say they are still working on. They've named a couple of lines of inquiry, one being his history, possible history of mental health issues, the other, possible links to right-wing extremism. That, they say, is a priority line of inquiry. And the other issue here is, how did he get the weapon, the gun that he used in this particular crime.

So two processes moving forward from this point, the judicial one will begin here, but the police investigation, building a picture of who this man was, why he acted in this way, that's still got a lot of work to go. Fred?

PLEITGEN: Yeah, it certainly is. And it's also something of course the wide public here is going to be focusing on as well. What role his possible mental issues might have played, also of course of why he did all this, what possibly his racism, if there was any played in this as well. How important do you think that this investigation, the legal process the transparency of the legal process is going to be for the people in this country to better understand why this happened and how this could possibly tie in to the current political situation here in the country, Phil?

BLACK: It's why the police are asking for patience, really. They're being very limited in what they can and are willing to say because of the fact that this judicial process is now already under way. He has been charged. The police are always incredibly cautious here not to say anything that could prejudice the matter once it does come before a court and jury as well.

This has a long way to go, but the police have said they believe that the answers the public no doubt seek will be revealed through both the investigation. But ultimately the process that makes place in the British judicial system, one that is widely respected for its fairness, if you like, its transparency, its adherence and very strict legal principles. But they have said that very limited information, which gives us an indication of where the investigation is heading.

As they continue to search the man's apartment, speak to witnesses on the day, talk to people who knew him, as I say, in order to build this very complete picture about who he is and precisely what his motivations were. Fred?

PLEITGEN: Phil Black there for us covering these events in London, thank you very much.

Now, of course, we've been talking about how vigils have been coming up throughout this country, throughout England. First and foremost of course right here in Birstall, and what happened here yesterday is that, there was a show of political unity by top politicians here in this country. Primary David Cameron came here together with opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn. And both of them said separately that they believe that the killing of Jo Cox was an attack on the democracy here in this country. They outlined how important it is for politicians to be able to be among the people, that this was a hallmark of British democracy, and that this was something that could not be called into question, and something that certainly has to be renewed after this horrible event took place.

Now, aside from all of the top level politicians, there were of course many regular people here from this community, also coming here, very much in shock, very much in mourning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: If we truly want to honor Jo, then what we should do is recognize that her values - service, community, tolerance, the values she lived by and worked by, those are the values that we need to redouble in our national life in the months and in the years to come.

JEREMY CORBYN, OPPOSITION LEADER: Jo was an exceptional, wonderful, very talented woman, taken from us in her early 40s when she had so much to give and so much of her life ahead of her. It's a tragedy beyond tragedy what has happened yesterday. In her memory, we will not allow those people that spread hatred and poison to divide our society. We will strengthen our democracy, strengthen our free speech. She was a truly wonderful woman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Now, of course, all of this came at a time when there was some pretty strong political rhetoric going on in this country, as Britain is only five days away from that very important Brexit vote. And in the run-up to that Brexit vote, you really had both sides of the equation going at each other, some vitriolic rhetoric that was coming out of both sides, accusing each other of overplaying their argument, of lying and similar things as well.

[03:10:00] All of that has stopped after the murder took place. Both sides very much shocked at the events that took place. Both the leave and the remain have completely stopped their campaigning up until the Brexit vote is set to take place, politicians also paying respects as well. Our Will Ripley has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A divided nation, united in grief. The fierce debate over Britain's future on hold, now is not the time for politics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tragic, a young woman who fought for a better world.

RIPLEY: Crowds gathered in Parliament Square to honor the life of Jo Cox.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just tragedy for somebody who seemed to come into politics for all the right reasons.

RIPLEY: The married mother of two, only 41, served in the House of Commons just 13 months. Long enough for former Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband to say, she already made an impact.

ED MILIBAND, FORMER LABOUR PARTY LEADER: She was so clearly in it for the right reasons. She was an aid worker. She was somebody who devoted herself to humanitarian causes, somebody who had worked around the world and came to parliament to further those causes.

RIPLEY: Like most in her opposition party, Cox was working hard to convince voters that Britain should stay in the European Union. She was also a champion for the migrant community, a remarkably bitter debate even in this country of more than half of MPs say they have been stalked or harassed.

Despite the threats, Cox continued the British tradition of meeting her constituents face to face, which allowed her suspected killer to get close to her.

MILIBAND: I think it's a moment of reflection for all of us on the tone of our politics, and I think in a way, we should be inspired by Jo's life.

RIPLEY: Even Nigel Farage, one of the loudest voices supporting the Brexit was here to pay his respects. Joining so many others beneath the majestic palace of Westminster, MPs from both sides of the U.K. debate have been recalled and are expected to gather here Monday to honor a life and career brutally cut short.

Will Ripley, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron has called Jo Cox a rising star, not just for the labour party, but indeed for British politics. And one of the reasons for that was because she did take a humanitarian view. Not just here in her community, but internationally as well. She used to work for Oxfam. She attempted to help people in Darfur, migrants as well. And she also took a particular interest in the plight of the people in Syria.

One of the folks who advised her on the situation in Syria is Hamish de Bretton-Gordon and he now joins me. And sir, you spoke to her about the situation in Syria. What were her main concerns? What were some of the things that you talked about?

HAMISH DE BRETTON-GORDON, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, AND NUCLEAR (CBRN) AT AVON PROTECTION SYSTEMS: Well, it was very much through her work with the Syrian all party group in parliament, which she co-chaired with Andrew Mitchell. And she was championing the Syrians on what was happening there. She said with her background in humanitarian support, she understood the requirements. And her relentless energy to try and galvanize, particularly the British government, but others to do something, and in particular, with my military background and the fact that I'd been to Syria number of times.

I advised her and the group on what could be done. I also help run a charity called Osem (ph), and we have 34 hospitals in Syria, most of which have been bombed by Putin and Assad, to advise her on how we object create safe zones and no-bomb zones around the hospital.

But I think the thing that she most got involved in is the idea of getting humanitarian support into Syria by using air drops. And with my experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, being on the receiving end of air drops in the air force, what I was trying to articulate to her, and I think she really understood it, was that actually, it would be viable for us to put large amounts of aid into Syria, and she championed that in the British government and asked many questions.

And in fact, you know, was very key, I think in persuading Philip Hammond, the British Foreign Secretary to get the international Syrian support group to agree to air drops. And sadly at the moment, those have been stalled. But I really hope that somebody takes up her legacy and mantel in this area, to try and do some real good in Syria, which is sadly lacking at the moment.

PLEITGEN: You know, one of the things that I know that people who work for aid groups. I know that you've been to Syria very recently. One of the frustrations is that very often when they speak to politicians, politicians don't really understand the plight of the actual people on the ground there. It's very difficult for them to actually see them from the perspective of the folks who are suffering in places like Syria.

[03:15:12] It really seems as though Jo Cox was someone who was very much able to feel that empathy to put herself in that position and therefore, was so caring for the people who are suffering so much there. How do you feel about that?

DE BRETTON-GORDON: Well, I think you've hit the nail on the head there. It is empathy. Unless you've been to these places, been to war zones, been to places that have been devastated like Darfur, it's very difficult from sitting in rural England or rural USA to actually understand what it's really like. And I think she absolutely got that.

You know, people are really starving in Syria. Hospitals are really being destroyed. You know, the country is in complete crisis. And, you know, as you mentioned in your pieces before, you know, the U.K. at the moment is fixated by other matters, but less than three hours flying time away from us, you know, we have the most dreadful acts happening on a civilian population that is starving and dying. And of course, we have many millions of people trying to get out of Syria and refugees, who are trying to flee the place.

And I think it was people like Jo Cox who understand what's going on and realized that actually sitting back on our island and hoping it goes away is just not the answer. And I think her work and the all- party Syrian group that she ran, was really a beacon and a kneading light in getting other MPs and the country to understand that Syria, that we in the U.K. and others in the international community must get involved in, and that things that we can do.

And I think it was her relentless energy to push this forward that allowed us to make small steps which hopefully will grow into big steps. You know, if there's any good to come out of these horrific situations and act. It will be that she's lit that beacon for hope in Syria and that others will take it up and drive home this key work that she started.

PLEITGEN: Thank you very much, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon. Thank you for joining us.

And, of course, that's one of the things that many people who have spoken about Jo Cox say as well. It was her empathy, her humanity that really set her apart from many of the people, especially during this very charge the time right now in English politics, in European politics. And of course, indeed, in global politics as well.

And it's interesting because her husband, Brendan, in the statement that he put out sort of there's one thing that he wanted Jo Cox to be remembered for and to be taken away from the fact that she was so brutally murdered it is that hatred should not prevail and at this point in time people should come together, rather than being driven apart, Natalie and George.

ALLEN: Yeah. And he also said about his wife that she accomplished more in one day, so much that it would exhaust most of us. She was just a dedicated worker in so many ways. Thank you, Fred.

HOWELL: Fred, thank you.

Still to come here on NEWSROOM, some new evidence the Orlando shooter may have started preparing for the attack weeks in advance. We'll have the latest on the investigation as more victims of the mass shooting are laid to rest.

ALLEN: Also the massacre ignites fresh debate in the U.S. about gun rights. What we're hearing now on the campaign trail. That's when we come back here. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:21:17] HOWELL: Mourners are paying their final respects to some of the victims to the Orlando massacre. More funerals were held Friday including this one for 25-year-old Anthony Luis Laureano Disla.

ALLEN: Forty-nine people were killed by a gunman who claimed to support ISIS, but authorities are investigating whether he had many other motives as well.

HOWELL: In the meantime law enforcement tells CNN Omar Mateen's behavior in the weeks prior to the Orlando massacre suggest premeditated murder. CNN's Drew Griffin has more for us on the investigation. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Law enforcement sources saying the weeks leading up to the attack the killer made numerous preparations including making sure his wife had access to bank accounts and adding her name to important documents like his life insurance policy. He bought his wife an expensive piece of jewelry and transferred his share of a home where his sister and brother in law currently reside for just $10.

FBI agents visited the Mosque today where the Orlando shooter pray. Mosque officials telling CNN the agents were looking for anyone who knew him or know anyone he associated with. And the FBI director visited the crime scene in Orlando for the fist time as his investigators continue to examine what Omar Mateen's wife knew about this attack and when.

CNN has learned the couple communicated during the attack. According to law enforcement sources Noor Salman called her husband multiple times after news broke of the shooting. Around 4:00 a.m. two hours after the shooting begin he texted her asking if she saw the news. At one point she responded telling him, she loved him. Police notified the gunman's family, first knocking on his sister's door at 4:00 a.m. She called her parents breaking the news to the rest of the family.

Source has tell us in the weeks leading up to the attack the gunman spend a significant amount of money including money spend on weapons used for the attack. And we are learning more about the gunman's background. According to his school records obtained by CNN, Mateen was disciplined 31 times in elementary school. One report from third grade called him, "Verbally abusive, rude, aggressive, much talk about violence and sex.: In high school, he was suspended a total of 48 days. Among the incidents are two that involved, "Fighting with injury."

Meanwhile, in Orlando officer Omar Delgado was one of the first responders to Pulse nightclub and pulled several victims from the club.

OMAR DELGADO, EARONVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT, OFFICER: I have my flashlight. We kind of looked around and somebody yelled out, "This person is moving".

GRIFFIN: A co-worker told him one of the victims he pulled to safety was in the press conference at the hospital.

DELGADO: I'm one of the ones that help you get out of harm's way man. I need a big hug from you man.

GRIFFIN: The two reunited on Thursday.

DELGADO: Oh my God, it was amazing. It was a feeling that you just can't describe. You can't put a words knowing that you helped save someone.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HOWELL: That was CNN's Drew Griffin reported this.

ALLEN: Well, in honor of the victims, flags were lowered all over the United States but one Alabama county kept the stars and stripes flying high despite President Obama's order. The Baldwin County commissioner told CNN the Orlando massacre did not meet the legal standard to put the U.S. flag at half-staff.

He says they do it only a memorial day or when a government official dies. And they didn't lower flags after the attacks in Paris or San Bernardino either.

HOWELL: Well, this attack in Orlando it has once again brought the politically charged issue of guns back to the spotlight in the U.S.

[03:25:00] ALLEN: And as it always does on Friday in Texas, Donald Trump, did not mince words (ph) when he spoke with supporters. He argues looser gun restrictions would have resulted in fewer deaths.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If some of those wonderful people had gun strapped right here, right to their waist, or right to their ankle, and this son of (inaudible) comes out on such shooting, and one of the people in that room happen to have it and goes boom, boom, you know, what, that would have been a beautiful, beautiful sight folks. That would have been a beautiful, beautiful sight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Donald Trump there on the campaign trail. Trump also slammed President Obama for arguing for action to change existing gun laws.

ALLEN: We, of course, following the other tragedy in England, all of England in mourning after the murder of a beloved politician. We'll show how the country is paying tribute to Jo Cox, here coming up.

HOWELL: And in Iraq, people who fled Fallujah say ISIS is not their only concern who they accused of torture as CNN NEWSROOM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PLEITGEN: Welcome back to our viewers around the world. I'm Fred Pleitgen in Birstall, England.

ALLEN: And we're live in Atlanta, I'm Natalie Allen.

[03:30:00] HOWELL: I'm George Howell, the headlines we're following for you this hour.

Mourners are paying their final respect to some of the victims of the Orlando massacre. More funerals were held Friday including this one for 25 year old Anthony Luis Laureano Disla.

Forty-nine people were killed by a gunman who claimed to support ISIS, but authorities are investigating whether he had many other modus as well.

ALLEN: Europe governing football body is responding once again to unruly fans at the Euro 2016 championship. During the Croatia Czech Republic match on Friday as fans threw flares on to the field. UEFA says disciplinary proceedings will be opened for that incident.

HOWELL: Just as ahead of the Olympic Games in August, Rio de Janeiro looking for more cash. The governor declared a state of emergency on Friday and hopes of getting more funds so that city can meet its obligations. It is not clear who will take the bill. Brazil is going through its worst recession since the '30s.

ALLEN: And it's now unlikely, Russia's track and field team will compete at those Olympics. The governing body for world athletics is maintaining a competition ban saying Russia has not sufficiently dealt with widespread doping in its program. The international Olympic committee is expected to decide Tuesday whether to uphold the ban.

PLEITGEN: And welcome back though our ongoing coverage of the aftermath of the murder of British politician Jo Cox. We are, of course, here in Birstall, England where even in the very early morning hours of Saturday many people have been coming here to the makeshift memorial where they've been laying flowers. We've seen people coming with their very young children. Many of them just standing, shaking their heads, some of them a very close to tears even two days after of this murder happened.

At the same time, of course, the legal process is also moving forward. The main suspect has been charged is set to appear at Westminster Magistrate Court later today, and then we are going to see how that process is going to move forward.

But for the majority of people here in this town, here in this country, and of course also around Europe in this very important political times, right now, it is about mourning of this politician who is remembered as a loving wife, a very important person to the Labour Party and indeed to the entirety of English politics.

Our own Nic Robertson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They came young and old to say their goodbyes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I never trusted politicians of (inaudible) and she changed my mind of 10-minute I've had with her and it's for the election and she just changed my mind. People can work for the good of mankind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her stand relevant (ph) around here. And just think it's such a cruel act and people hate and. you know, (inaudible).

ROBERTSON: A town in mourning joined by the nation's leaders, together they pause in silence. CAMERON: If we truly want to honor Jo, then what we should do is

recognize that her values, service, community, tolerance, the value she lived by a work by those are the values that we need to redouble in our national life in the months and in the years to come.

CORBYN: She was taken from us in an act of hatred, in a violent act that killed her. It's an attack on democracy what happened yesterday. It's the will of hatred that killed her.

ROBERTSON: Jo Cox was 41. She'd been in her job just over a year, but such as the love as usually quiet West Yorkshire Town is bearing its heart and this painful doubly saw, knowing her alleged killer was among them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think as part of this community then you should know better really. There's no excuse for it. That's all.

ROBERTSON: With each well wisher more flowers left at the statue overlooking where she was murder. Every message here so heartfelt read this here.

Jo was a great friend of Batley high school. Jo Cox would be deeply missed by us all. And then this card here so touching. "We will miss you and your smile and your kindness."

It is a hurt some fear they may never lose.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do think, you know, iconic. Yes, and one goes the light, but it's a ...

ROBERTSON: Birstall, a town, a community forever changed.

Nic Robertson, CNN Birstall, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:35:04] PLEITGEN: And, of course, a community that still very much remains in shocked. Of course, Jo Cox played a very big role here in this community. A politician who is very much there for the people, but also one who played a big role internationally as well campaigning for the people of Darfur for a refugees and, of course, also trying to help people in their fight in Syria as well.

But many of the folks here are still struggling that's it come to terms of what happened here on Thursday. We've noted that during our ongoing coverage that gun crime is something that is very rare here in this country as is the violence against politicians as well. But on the personal level many people still struggle to cope with what they witnessed, with what they've heard in their community in the past two days. Let's have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: As where they be coming with like flowers and candles. They'd be writing messages to her as well. One of them here says, "We are Briton's with the belief in parliament and democracy." UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we are sad but (inaudible) because we don't expect it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Poor girl. For the first time in many, many years we actually have an MP who was interested in Birstall, an interest (in us), (and interested in the people in the business as we are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have got to know her really well. And to all these people who ever she meet she embrace with open arms on people was actually warm to her, and she had this monitors around her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clearly, everybody is stunned. Jo was such a lovely bubbly person. We're going to miss her part in this community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:41:21] ALLEN: And the breaking news coming into CNN is that Belgian police may have foiled another planned attack. They have apparently arrested 12 people suspected of planning new terror attacks.

HOWELL: The federal prosecutor's office says police carry out dozens of house searches on Friday and Saturday. They questioned 40 people after the raids. So far, no word on what the alleged attack plans were. We will continue to follow the story for you, of course.

ALLEN: Certainly. Iraq says most of central Fallujah has been retaken from ISIS.

HOWELL: That key city has been under control of that militant group since 2014. But Iraqi forces with U.S. air support, started to push on Fallujah a few weeks ago. And CNN's Arwa Damon has more now from neighboring Turkey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi coming out and congratulating the country and the Iraqi security forces for fulfilling their promise of returning Fallujah to the people. He did, however, say that they were facing pockets of ISIS resistance but that the Iraqi security forces had managed to plant the country's flag in the municipal building and that they were largely in control of the center of the city.

Now, in the past, we have seen in previous battle the pockets of resistance taking quite some time to clear out. But what this has meant is that tens of thousands of civilians so far have been able to flee. Some of them reporting to various different humanitarian organizations, that they witnessed the ISIS fighters abandoning their positions at some checkpoints, word spreading fairly quickly throughout these areas and then people started walking with whatever it is that they could carry. This was a city that had been under siege for quite some time now, with various reports of water, electricity shortages, food and very critical low supplies, medicine, very difficult to access. A lot of those fleeing ended up having to walk four hours to be able to reach the various different refugee camps.

Iraq's Prime Minister vowing that the next phase of the battle would be the offensive against Mosul and that the Iraqi security forces would not stop until the entire country had been cleared of ISIS. But despite the fact that at this stage, yes, the nation can say that they have made significant gains against the terrorist organization and at least Fallujah, the battle there, not yet over and it most definitely is not for the rest of the country.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Arwa, thank you. And that battle still ongoing. As Arwa mentioned many civilians in and around Fallujah are just trying to stay alive. Human Rights Watch recently reported people there have suffered abuse not just from ISIS, but also government-backed troops.

ALLEN: And the group says it has credible reports, the military committed summary executions, beatings and some people disappear.

Our Ben Wedeman has more on Fallujah's refugees and their for their love ones.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A tent stand shelter from the heat and dust in this godforsaken patch in Iraqi desert. Thousands who fled Fallujah wait in this camp while the battle rages nearby. And as they wait, many worry for their sons and husbands and fathers detained by Iraqi forces.

They took our boys and we don't know their fate, Saber Mohammadi (ph) tells me. They say they're east of Fallujah, west of Fallujah, missing, we don't know.

Moments later, as a man shows us the scars where his wrists were bound, an official from the prime minister's office intervenes. "Tell me what happened", he says. "They tortured me and my son is missing", says this man. The official insists there was abuse, they should provide details. We have laws to punish those who abuse citizens, he tells me.

A woman begs for news of her sons, a kiss and kind words can't console her. "12 days, 12 days they've been missing", she cries. Every family here, it seems, is missing someone.

Provincial official tells us that so far 4,000 men from Fallujah and the villages around it have been interrogated and cleared by intelligence. But he says another 1,000 remain in detention because they believe they're either ISIS sympathizers or members of the extremist group.

[03:45:00] Rough as it is here, Montaha Achmed (ph) tells me it's better than Fallujah under ISIS. "We had no bread for three months", she recalls. "They kept everything for themselves while our children went hungry."

10-year-old Masik (ph) hopes to go back to school soon. Education under ISIS, she says, "was merely instructions on how to be a good Muslim. But what kind of Muslims are they, cutting people's throats", she asks, a child's words to ponder in this bleak wilderness.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, outside Fallujah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Ben Wedeman just always gets right to the heart of it, doesn't?

ALLEN: Yes, he does.

HOWELL: Still to come, Olympic dreams for Russia's track and field athletes may have evaporated.

ALLEN: The doping scandal may keep them away from Rio. We'll have the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAIN ASHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, everyone. I'm Zain Asher and this is your Road to Rio update.

The Russian track and field team will not be allowed to compete at the Olympics after the International Association of Athletics Federations vote unanimously to extend its ban on Friday.

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SEBASTIAN COE, IAAF PRESIDENT: Although good progress has been made, the IAAF Council was unanimous that RusAF had not met the reinstatement conditions and that Russian athletes could not credibly return to international competition without undermining the confidence of their competitors and the public.

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ASHER: The IAAF did leave the door open for some Russians to compete at Rio as independent athletes.

Brazilian football icon Pele was awarded the Olympic Order, highest award given by the International Olympics Committee. The football star received his necklace of rings and laurels at the Pele Museum in Sao Paulo on Thursday.

Now surprisingly, Pele he never played in the Olympics and Brazil has actually never won an Olympic gold medal for football. And you are never too old to raise the Olympic flame. 107-year-old Aida Mendes carried the torch through the Brazilian city of Macapa on Thursday. And that is your Road to Rio update. I'm Zain Asher.

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ALLEN: In Brazil, reports say police have now charged seven men in connection with that horrific gang rape of a teenage girl in Rio de Janeiro.

HOWELL: Brazilian state media say the police filed the charges on Friday. The charges include statutory rape and the release of pornographic material with the minor.

[03:50:00] The case sparked a backlash of outrage on social media after video of the alleged crime was posted to Twitter last month.

A major blow to Russian sports. Russia's track and field athletes, they were - are now unlikely to compete in the Rio Olympic Games.

ALLEN: That's because the governing body for world athletics in here is extending a ban, a competition ban, saying Russia has not sufficiently dealt with its widespread doping issue. The International Olympic Committee is set to decide on Tuesday whether to uphold the ban.

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RUNE ANDERSEN, INSPECTION TEAM HEAD: The head coach of the Russian athletic team and many of the athletes on that team appear unwilling to acknowledge the nature and extent of the doping problem in Russian athletics. And certain athletes and coaches appear willing to ignore the doping rules. A strong and effective anti-doping infrastructure capable of detecting and deterring doping has still not been created.

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ALLEN: Richard Ings, former head of the Australian Sports Anti-doping Authority, and he joins us now via Skype from Canberra, Australia to talk about this. Thank you, Richard, for being with us.

First of all, was this decision by the IAAF expected?

RICHARD INGS, FORMER HEAD, AUSTRALIAN SPORTS ANTI-DOPING AUTHORITY: Well, this is not an unexpected decision. The issue of state- sponsored doping in Russian sport has been prevalent for many years. It's a throw over from the older Soviet Union. It's unfair to international athletes and action needed to be taken. And this is a very strong decision.

ALLEN: So Russia has a systemic problem. What do you think will be the decision of the Olympic committee, will they compete in Rio?

INGS: Well, this is a very difficult decision for the International Olympic Committee, because the international sporting community has spoken. The IAAF had imposed the ban. It's been supported by the world anti-doping agency. Consortiums of Athletics Associations have also come to the floor to say, enough is enough.

So, I find it very difficult that the Russian team will be allowed to compete in Rio in fold (ph). Perhaps some individual athletes might be allowed to compete but not the team.

ALLEN: I was going to ask you about that, because some were speaking out that it's not fair to punish everyone for the sins of a few. And they've been training. We all know how Olympic athletes train and to be shut out has to be difficult. Do you expect some will compete individually and not under the Russian flag?

INGS: Well, you know, the Russian athletes have a right to be very angry, but not with the IAAF. They have a right to be angry with Russian track and field. They have a right to be angry with the Russian anti-doping agency for failing in their duty of care to put in place a proper, coherent, compliant anti-doping program.

Perhaps some athletes will be able to prove they've been sufficiently tested and allowed to compete. We'll just have to wait and see.

ALLEN: What's the worst that you heard about Russia trying to go around the doping situation and will they be able to clean this up after such fall-out?

INGS: Well, I mean, this is a story that broke in 2014 through media. And the investigative media have played a key role in uncovering these issues in Russia.

We've had laboratories engaged in fraud. We've had bribes and cover- ups of positive drug test samples, and Russia has been given six months to clean up its act. It was a difficult asks to do, but they might know we need the progress they should have, and this is a reasonable and proportional decision.

ALLEN: All right, and it looks like that they probably will not be in Rio. We'll wait and see what comes after the Olympics. Thanks so much for joining us. Richard Ings there in Canberra, Australia, thank you.

HOWELL: Extreme heat and sporadic winds have produced a dangerous wildfire in Southern California.

ALLEN: And our Derek Van Dam is following that for us. Derek, you've been saying over and over again for how long, excessive drought, excessive drought, and it just keeps growing.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And rapidly rising temperatures. That's a problem, isn't it, Natalie and George. We've got excessive heat warnings across much of Southern California, extending into Arizona, and this has led to a blaze that tripled in size on Friday alone.

Take a look at some of the footage coming out of Santa Barbara County. You can see what firefighters are having to deal with right now. This fast-moving brush fire, tripled in size and firefighters are actually calling that there have been fires tornadoes reported within this blaze that they are battling right now, fueled by strong winds, rising temperatures, and the extended drought that Natalie just talked about.

Currently, the raging fire at about 6,000 burned acres, that's 20 percent contained at the moment. There are mandatory evacuations for some canyon regions north of Santa Barbara. They haven't had this large of a fire in this particular region since 1955.

[03:54:55] You can see on your screen there, some of the firefighters battling this blaze on the ground. But take a look at this image. They also do this from the air. This is known as a DC-10 airplane that releases fire retardant on some of the areas that have not yet been burnt. That's trying to really keep that fire at bay, as best as possible.

Look at the temperature forecast going forward. In the middle 70s, winds pretty brisk out of a northerly direction, that relative humidity of course incredibly important because it's so dry in that area. We have had a difficult fire season so far in the western United States, already burning 1.8 million acres so far to today. Compared to last year alone, by this date, only half a million acres.

We have this large dome of heat under an area of high pressure, that's building over the western parts of the U.S. Get a load of this, we're talking about temperatures that are possibly going to set some all- time record highs across the Phoenix, Arizona location.

Just look at the extreme heat mornings that are in place. Look at Sunday's forecast for Phoenix, 120 degrees. This has only happened three times in history. You can see the all-time record temperature there, 122 setback in 1990. This is a 1 in 40-year event for Phoenix, Arizona, that could lead to some health concerns for excessive heat to say the least. Natalie, George?

ALLEN: We'll be thinking of our friends in Phoenix.

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ALLEN: Thank you, Derek.

VAN DAM: All right, thanks.

ALLEN: And thank you for watching this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. Richard Quest will join me with another hour of news just ahead with the latest on the killing of U.K. lawmaker Jo Cox.

Thanks for watching. Stay with us.

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