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Tillerson: If Diplomacy Fails, Military Only Option Left; President To Address World Leaders At U.N. Tuesday; McMaster: White House Looking At Stricter Travel Ban; Officials Warn Residents: Keys Are Not As You Left Them; 3 Storms Churning In Atlantic, One Eyeing Irma's Path; Tropical Storm Maria May Follow Irma's Same Path; Feinstein: Subpoena Likely If Manafort Refuses To Testify; Trump Jr. And Manafort Set To Face More Questions; Police Arrest Second Man Connected To Train Bombing; Rex Tillerson: U.S. Considering Closing Havana Embassy; Apple's New Augmented Reality Available This Week>. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired September 17, 2017 - 15:00   ET

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


[15:00:02] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, hello again everyone and thank you so much for being with me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

The stakes are high as President Trump prepares to deliver his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly going into the much anticipated gathering. The president's administration is ratcheting up the pressure in rhetoric on North Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: I think we all know that basically if North Korea keeps on with this reckless behavior, if the United States has to defend itself or defend its allies in any way, North Korea will be destroyed. And we all know that and none of us want that. None of us want war.

But we also have to look at the fact that you are dealing with someone who is being reckless, irresponsible, and is continuing to give threats not only to the United States but to all of their allies. So something is going to have to be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. This morning the president alluded to recent sanctions placed on the rogue nation and took a swipe at the North Korean dictator in a tweet saying, "I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night, asked him how rocket man is doing, long gas lines forming in North Korea, too bad."

We have team coverage on all of this with CNN's White House Correspondent Athena Jones live first from New Jersey near the president's golf club where he is spending a good part of today before he heads to Manhattan. So Athena, the president has been very critical of the U.N. in the past. Might this message to the general assembly change the tone at all?

ATHENA JONES, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Well, you're right, the president has been quite a skeptic of the United Nations. He's made no secret of that, we heard him on the campaign trail delivering some harsh criticisms. He talks about what he called the utter weakness and incompetency of the United Nations. He said, the U.N. is not a friend of freedom, a friend to democracy, and not a friend to the United States.

And I would expectedly that we should hear the president singing a list of somewhat different tune at this week's meetings at the U.N. General Assembly. This is the president's first turn on the most high profile stage in the world. And we're talking about a 193-member nations taking part in this week's summit.

And the president's address on Tuesday is going to get a lot of attention. Listen to his how National Security adviser, H.R. McMaster gave us a little bit of a preview of what we can expect speaking on Fox this morning. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

H.R. MCMASTER, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Well, he thinks that the speech is a tremendous opportunity obviously to reach so many world leaders at the same time and to emphasize really three themes. First is to protect the American people. The second is to promote American prosperity. And the third is really to help promote accountability and sovereignty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And there you heard General McMaster talk about how this is a tremendous opportunity for the president to speak to so many world leaders at once. It's also a chance for all these world leaders to try to take the measure of President Trump and to see how he promotes his America first agenda we've heard so much about at this global meeting of a global body that is aimed at solving the world's problems together.

We should also mention of course, the president is going to have a series of meetings with world leaders. He is going to host receptions, a lunch. And so a lot of topics are on the agenda from Syria and North Korea to Venezuela and ISIS among others. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Athena Jones, thanks so much.

All right, this morning, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson making it clear if diplomatic efforts failed with North Korea, a military option maybe is the only one left. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REX TILLERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Our strategy has been to undertake this peaceful pressure campaign we call it, enabled by the four nos. The four nos being that we do not seek regime change. We do not seek for regime collapse. We do not seek an accelerated reunification of the peninsula. And we do not seek a reason to send our forces on the demilitarized zone.

So the peaceful pressure campaign is built around in putting together the largest and strongest international coalition we can to send the same message to North Korea and to North Korea's neighbors, China and Russia that this is the policy of the rest of the world. And you've seen that expressed 9-2 unanimous Security Council resolutions to impose the strictest sanctions ever.

All of that designed to bring North Korea to the table for constructively productive dialogue. If our diplomatic efforts fail though, our military option will be the only one left.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, with us now, CNN Global Affairs Correspondent Elise Labott. So Elise, a lot of messaging coming from the White House officials this morning. How might this mixed messaging be received?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, I mean, obviously Secretary Tillerson is going to be emphasizing that diplomatic option because he is going to be meeting and President Trump is going to be meeting with all of these world leaders. But I think, you also have, you know, this administration sending a message to Kim Jong-un.

[15:05:01] I think that's what that message is to Kim Jong-un as a military deterrent that if you think about taking this further, if you're going to launch missiles either at the U.S. allies or at the United States, this is not going to end well for you. This is suicidal. And so I think that's what the military option discussion is.

It's also for a country like China that who obviously does not want to seek instability on its borders. And the message to China, if you don't really get tough with North Korea on these economic sanctions, this is where we're headed.

WHITFIELD: And Elise, how important are those sideline meetings going to be? Isn't that where, you know, deals or struck agreements are made?

LABOTT: I think that the -- you know, really the U.N. General Assembly is really a kind of side show, if you will, even though it's the main event. The real business is in these one-on-one meetings on these diplomatic sideline meetings when President Trump is going to be meeting with the leaders of South Korea, Japan. He's also going to be meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. And obviously, they're going to be laying out, you know, very kind of broad talking points in his U.N. General Assembly speech.

But this is where they get to the nitty-gritty about North Korea. This is what I need you to do. What's really unfortunate is that President Xi Jinping of China who is really critical to all of this is not going to be there. So you're going to see President Trump kind of lining up with the South Koreans and the Japans of the world, but not with China whose help they really need for all the, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Elise Labott, thanks so much. All right, let's talk about all of this now with Representative Ted Lieu, a Democratic Congressman from California. Good to see you Congressman.

So in President Trump's debut now speech at the U.N., he is expected to push an America first agenda. You heard that message of sovereignty coming from H.R. McMaster. And according to the members of his Cabinet, you know, he will be pushing hard that message, even Nikki Haley said it will be a strong message.

How do you think the president's messages will be received?

REP. TED LIEU (D) CALIFORNIA: Well, thank you, Fredricka for that question. Let me first say, I want the president to make us proud. I hope he reads from his speech and does not go off script. And I'm pleased he is speaking to the General Assembly because it shows that he takes the United Nations seriously.

And the Trump administration now recognizes that we can't do this alone. We have to work with the international community especially on area such as North Korea.

WHITFIELD: So the president and his administration have been -- you know, talking pretty tough on North Korea. You know, this morning, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley suggesting that it maybe time to let the secretary of defense take care of North Korea. This is what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALEY: What we were doing was being responsible where North Korea is being irresponsible and reckless. We were being responsible by trying to use every diplomatic possibility that we could possibly do. We have pretty much exhausted all the things that we could do at the Security Council at this point.

Now, I said yesterday I'm perfectly happy kicking us over to General Mattis because he has plenty of military options. So I think that the fire and fury while he said this is what we can do to North Korea, we wanted to be responsible and go through all diplomatic means to get their attention first. If that doesn't work, General Mattis will take care of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Is that the message that you want and the global audience should be hearing, prior to hearing from the president of the United States?

LIEU: No, because first of all, it's not true. The Trump administration has not exhausted all diplomatic options. You know, I served under U.S. Pacific Command in Guam when I was active duty with the air force. While there are military options, none of them are good, and that's why we need to look at our diplomatic options. But even today, the Trump administration has not nominated an ambassador for South Korea. That does not help the diplomacy. It's disrespectful to our credible allies, South Korea. We haven't nominated an assistance secretary for nuclear nonproliferation. So the Trump administration needs to take diplomacy much more seriously and we need exhaust all those options before looking at the dark and bloody path of war.

WHITFIELD: So without those vacancies filled, how does that weaken diplomatic efforts from the U.S. in the region?

LIEU: You have a secretary of state that seem to have as his main priority cutting the State Department and not having positions filled when he should be looking at having diplomacy especially at North Korea and other hot spots. We need to take diplomacy much more seriously and before the Trump administration tries to go down the path of war and explain to the American people why we're going to do military conflicts, we need to at least try diplomacy first. The administration has not done that well.

WHITFIELD: Also part of the president's America first agenda, you know, has been his controversial travel ban which has been tied up in the court this morning. His national security adviser hinted that ban maybe just the first step. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:10:02] MCMASTER: If you can't screen people effectively to know who is coming into your country, then you shouldn't allow people from that country to travel. So what the travel ban is, is a first step in better screening, better sharing of information to encourage governments to meet the requirements that we have to so that allows us to protect our own people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will we see a new one?

MCMASTER: Well, this is something we're looking at is how to protect the American people better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So there is that message and then not too long ago, it was from the president of the United States says it related to the terror attack in London. And again, underscoring what he believed the importance of the travel ban was all about. What are your thoughts on this message?

LIEU: The president's proposed Muslim ban helps ISIS, it helps them recruit. ISIS wants a war against Islam and that is not something the United States should be engaged in. But also, their Muslim ban just based on its own terms makes no sense.

If you look at the terrorist attack on 9/11, it was mostly from people from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE. None of those countries are in the Muslim ban. So this ban itself doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. And my hope is that the United States Supreme Court strikes it down. WHITFIELD: And then on the issue of sanctuary city is now sanctuary state. Your state, you know, California is said to become a sanctuary state to protect those living in California illegally. Are you confident that this will happen and will be effective and/or popular?

LIEU: I believe Governor Brown will sign the legislation. Now, keep in mind, just based on these facts, people who are born in the United States commit more crimes than people who are not born in the United States. That's simply a fact.

And all of this sort of evilness that we're attributing to people not from the United States is simply wrong on the facts, and it's my hope that California does become a sanctuary state. I think it's good for law enforcement. Local law enforcement support this legislation and really is the right thing to do.

WHITFIELD: All right, Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu, thanks so much.

LIEU: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, straight ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be prepared to be shocked when you get here. Don't expect all the services you need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The Florida Keys now open to all residents, but officials warning people to brace themselves for the aftermath.

Plus, another big storm is threatening to follow Irma's path. Look at the three named storms raging in the Atlantic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:16:52] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. We're keeping a close eye on the Atlantic where three named storms are churning at this hour and one of them, Tropical Storm Maria could follow the same destructive path that Irma took one week ago. This as all residents of the Florida Keys get their first chance to return home today to take stock of the damage from Irma.

Metrologist Julie Martin has more on this triple threat. Let's begin though with Martin Savidge, also there in Little Torch Key. Martin?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, yes, you know, people who are coming back today. This is the first time many of them are seeing from the ground level what it looks like. Well, some of them are coming homes to homes that aren't really there anymore. This is one clear example and it's not just this one, there are many homes like it.

However, others like you look across the water right here, you can see they're relatively intact, already the blue tarps are starting to go up. So that's a sign of what a lot of people had been doing. They wanted to come down, they wanted to assess the damage. They wanted to try and secure their property as best they could and then many of them are planning to leave because there's no water, there's no electricity. There is virtually nothing here to sustain your kind of life.

And (INAUDIBLE) was one of the people who -- I'm sorry, there was another woman who I spoke to who just returned to her home. She found it pretty much intact, that was a good news. The rest of her street though is devastated as with her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALINA RIESGO, FLORIDA KEYS RESIDENT: I've been coming here since I was a child and having seeing, you know, this place over and over as we drive down and see it now, it's heartbreaking. I cried pretty much all the way down to be honest. It was difficult, very difficult.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: Lot of people say that, because you see, when you get past Marathon the landscape suddenly changes. And every mile the devastation, Fred gets worse and worse and the knot begins in your stomach people say. And it gets tighter and tighter until you turn on your street and you see your house and it's either, wow, it looks better than you thought or oh my gosh, it's not.

And some of them are kind of deceiving, it looks good on the outside, you open the door and realize you have three feet of floodwater, storm surge inside. So in this area, that's been so heavily hit, a lot of heart break.

In Key West, a lot of people are going to home and find a lot trees are gone but their house is still there, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And Martin, that drive done U.S. 1 is not an easy drive. Meaning, you know, it's one lane each direction.

SAVIDGE: Yes.

WHITFIELD: It takes some time. So now, we're talking about so much damage along the way, double the time for many people and which they finally get to their properties. Are you finding that when people do make that argue with, you know, kind of journey. You know, there kind of a gossip, they got to turn around and go back because there isn't a place for them to stay, even temporarily.

SAVIDGE: Right. Housing is a real issue, because as you know in Keys, there's not a lot of an open land so trying to build some sort of FEMA city or something like that, very hard to do. Hotels have been damaged, so many are occupied that aren't by tourist respondents.

But you're right, that drive down, it took them a while to fix U.S. 1 so that people could make that kind of trek. They are worried about people so distracted by the debris and the change of their lives around here that they had a number of car accidents already.

[15:20:05] This is to be expected as people return home. But that's also why some argued, it just is too soon.

WHITFIELD: All right, very tough drive and top discoveries may have. All right, Martin Savidge, thank you so much.

All right. Now, let's bring in Julie Martin in the Weather Center with more on these triple threats.

JULIE MARTIN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Fred really no break here in the traffics. We have Jose, our category 1 hurricane of the East Coast, Maria, our tropical storm which is one to watch, expected to become a hurricane later on today, and Lee, a tropical depression no threat to land right now.

Let's focus into Maria right now, a 65 miles per hour storm that is moving to the west northwest toward the Leeward Islands that around 15. The hurricane hunters are currently flying the storm and just brought back some data for us. Bringing those winds up to 74 which would make it a category 1 hurricane barely.

Nonetheless, we are expecting this storm to strengthen by the end of the day, become a hurricane, eventually a major hurricane by the time it approaches the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

One of the reasons why is we're dealing with some very warm sea surface waters here. So as it encounter some of those warmer waters to certainly expecting this to strengthen. And something this kind eerie to take a look at is the fact that it's passes actually following the path of Irma as well. So taking a look at Irma's track here in yellow and then we take a look at the path that Maria is following and especially in terms of those islands. It is looking really similar over the next several days.

So unfortunately, some of those areas that were so hard hit in Irma could get hit again with possibly a category 3, a major hurricane coming their way. So beyond that, the models are still a little out as far as whether or not this will have a direct impact on the U.S. But for now, not looking so good here in the islands. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Wow, not very encouraging at all. All right, Julie Martin, thank you so much.

All right, still ahead, the Russia investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Your committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee is having trouble getting in touch with President Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. When will you and Chairman Grassley decide to send him a subpoena?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Senator Dianne Feinstein's response and the plans for Trump's former campaign adviser Paul Manafort, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:26:51] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Two big names link to the president are set to face even more questioning in the Russia probe. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on one of the senate panels investigating Russia told CNN that she intends for Donald Trump Jr. to testify publicly before the Judiciary Committee sometime this fall.

Trump Jr. already talked to Senate investigators behind closed doors for five hours last month. The California senator also said this is about the president's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Your committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee is having trouble getting in touch with President Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. When will you and Chairman Grassley decide to send him a subpoena?

SEN.DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), RANKING MEMBER, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: We will likely do that if he refuses to come before the committee. And one of the things we want to do before is investigative work. And we now have the people aboard, they can do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right with us now, our CNN political commentators, Dave Jacobson, a Democratic strategist and John Thomas, a Republican Consultant. Good to see both of you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to be here.

WHITFIELD: So the Russian investigation continues hover over the administration. John, you know, what's your view about how the panel is handling Donald Jr. and Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort? Is this taking too long?

JOHN THOMAS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No. Manafort has supplied documents already to the committees. Roger Stone, Trump Jr.,you know the whole Trump set have been complying all along. I can't speak to Senator Feinstein's inability to get a hold of Manafort, but I'm sure she will get hold of him one way or another.

Look, this is unfortunately for President Trump. This is like a drip, drip, drip scenario that the Democrats continue to stretch out. I would advise President Trump and all of his former allies to just take it off like a bandit and get this done as quickly as they can.

WHITFIELD: Dave?

DAVE JACOBSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, the American people deserve to see the daylight. They deserve to see Trump Jr. testified before the Congress out in the open. We need full transparency, we need Manafort to testify in public, Roger Stone. The reality is, we had Russia meddling in our 2106 election. And we need to get to the bottom of this, we need to get to the facts. And the American people need to be part of the conversation and they need to see with full transparency what happened. They need to see all of the testimony out in the daylight.

THOMAS: Dave, we need facts, we don't want a circus. And so, if you have them publicly testify, it creates more of a circus.

JACOBSON: Well, if I remember correctly John, it was the Republicans who brought Secretary Clinton to testify publicly about the Benghazi issue obviously. So, I think, you know, the reality is for Republicans to say that these individuals, Trump associates, part of the campaign, folks in the White House who are part of the conversation as it relates to Russia, it's only fair that they testify just like the Republicans force Hillary Clinton to do so.

THOMAS: And that --

WHITFIELD: And in general, aren't this public testimony is about, John. You know, aren't this public testimony is about transparency?

THOMAS: I mean, that's the idea but it ends up becoming this circus show.

[15:30:01] I mean we saw that even with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It never yields in anything and that's I think partially because she was so guarded because the public was watching.

WHITFIELD: But what do mean a circus show? I mean, that becomes most watch? It becomes an issue that people clearly are very engaged and are thirsting of information and that makes it a circus?

THOMAS: Well, it's just like you saw on the Senate confirm -- the confirmation hearings of Senator Sessions and others. What you end up seeing is all these members start grandstanding. And it's not so much because they're trying to chase the truth, but they're trying to chase the 2020 presidential primary cycle.

WHITFIELD: All right. So outside of Russia, there does seem to be a sentiment, a reaction to, a hunger for some sort of bipartisanship, particularly as it pertains to deals being made. We saw the latest example of, you know, Donald Trump sitting with Democrats, meeting with Democrats. And here's the point of view of a Republican Senator John McCain about all of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: This president is full of surprises, but the problem is John, it shouldn't be bipartisanship, it should be both Republican, Democrat and the president. So, yes, he surprised the Republicans with the deal that he made with Chuck and Nancy, with Chuck and Nancy.

What it should take place is the three of them, both leaders, Republican and Democrat and the president sit down and say OK, we got a problem here, we need to fix it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It's funny that it been headed, you would have a difficult time saying the whole Chuck and Nancy being as opposed to, you know, congressman and senators. So -- all right, so Dave, do you think, you know, bringing in House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader McConnell helps or hinders the president's ability or desire to reach out to Democrats?

JACOBSON: Look, putting on President Trump's hat, he didn't need Paul Ryan, or Mitch McConnell ultimately to pass raising the debt ceiling or the continuing resolution to fund the government up until December. But look, Democrats ought to be wary about making a deal with the president when it comes to some the issues like DACA where the president has insinuated potentially that he is open to a deal. But he hasn't said anything in terms of putting forward a plan to make sure that the DACA recipients have a pathway to citizenship.

And if Democrats make a deal in Washington with the president basically allowing the DACA recipients to come here but neglecting to create a pathway for citizenship, they're ultimately setting up a system where they could have a two class system where you've got individual who perhaps could get a pathway to a green card but they can't become American citizens. And I think Democrats campaigned on a platform on 2016 whether you're in the Bernie wing or you're on the Hillary wing, pardon me, on a path with comprehensive immigration reform that both strengthen the border but of course most importantly created a pathway to citizenship for those living in the shadows.

WHITFIELD: So, Dave are you saying this is kind of a side show, this isn't something that is really tangible?

JACOBSON: Not necessarily. I mean, we haven't seen sort of the like -- the tangible blueprint. So I'll be interested to see, you know, what those elements are. But I'm just saying largely like Democrats have to be worry. Latino voters are critically important as we look to the 2018 election.

And they're going be turned out by Democrats if we create a two teared class system. So my point is Democrats ought to hold their line and make sure that when negotiating with the president, that they put forward a pathway to citizenship for the DACA recipients.

WHITFIELD: So, John wary or strategic?

THOMAS: This is hugely strategic and a brilliant move. When I saw Trump reach across the aisle and make the Harvey deal for instance, the Harvey funding relief. I thought to myself wow, this is the moment that Trump became post partisan and is now laying the solid foundation to get reelected in 2020. If he's able to show that he's beyond party politics and that's what we are saying right now. I mean, John McCain said he should sit with McConnell, but those guys are in their partisan corners.

If Trump can reach across the aisle and make a deal that's in the best and contingent to make deals that are in the best interest of Americans and not partisans, he gets reelected in 2020.

JACOBSON: The one challenge though obviously though is you had Rush Limbaugh who called the president's move potentially ignorant and then you had other Republicans out there essentially lambasting the president for the move. And I think the question is, does he look hypocritical to his base? Because immigration right and campaigning on Mexico paying for that wall was a massive element of his platform as a campaign in 2016.

WHITFIELD: All right. So far what we have is the talking part, but still no deal.

THOMAS: No action yet.

JACOBSON: Right.

WHITFIELD: Next time, we'll talk about maybe a deal. All right, Dave Jacobson and John Thomas, good to see you both, thank you so much.

JACOBSON: Likewise.

WHITFIELD: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:39:17] WHITFIELD: All right. We're following a developing story out of France where people say four female American tourists were attacked with acid. It happened earlier today at a train station in Marseille. Police say, two of the victims were taken to the hospital, they say the attacker was a mentally unstable woman. She was arrested and later hospitalized, there is no evidence that the attack was terror group-related.

London police have arrested a 21-year-old man, the second arrest in connection with Friday's train explosion. Police have also searched a house in a suburb west of London. An 18-year-old man police arrested Saturday remains in custody. The terror threat level has now been downgraded to severe, meaning a new attack is still considered highly likely.

[15:40:03] Thirty people were injured when a bomb a partially detonated in a train during rush hour Friday morning. British Prime Minister Theresa May is headed to the United Nations this week and says the terror threat will be at the top of her agenda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: One of the issues we really need to be addressing and I'll be raising this when I'm at the United Nations is, the question of the use of the internet by terrorists for terrorist planning, but also this use -- for using it for the spread of the extremism of hatred, of propaganda that can insight and can inspire terrorism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is following the story for us from London. So how much do we know about the latest arrest?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Minimal about this 21-year-old arrested in Hounslow, that's out of the west of London. That occur just 10 minutes before midnight just in the past day, just now. Now that resulted in house being searched also in the (INAUDIBLE) suburbs, Surrey on the outskirts of London and then have one of two properties in fact search in the last 24 to 48 hours.

And that of course it all began it seems for the arrest of an 18-year- old man in Dover. The ports, which heads traditionally towards France this (inaudible) this 18-year-old was maybe trying to flee the country. But police are confident, they say this investigation is moving very quickly and making good progress. They say and that may be the results -- the reason why the threat level was raised -- reduced from its highest of critical down to severe and attack things are likely but not perhaps imminent as they have previously thought.

They may perhaps catch their head round the extent of this cell. The leading law enforcement politician here suggesting so there may not be a lone wolf here perhaps a number of individuals behind this attack. But still this capital city really rocked by the most substantial attacks against its vital transport system here, public transport (INAUDIBLE) the metro as known.

So (INAUDIBLE) -- so most people getting to work every single day and it hasn't really been attacked in the way that was in a recent few days until back in 2005. So this is really I think the most substantial part of the psychological impact here, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And the prime minister had said that Donald Trump's sentiments about the Friday attack was not helpful. She said such speculation was not helpful. How is that relationship being measured between she and the president of the United States?

WALSH: All right. Theresa May is always has been I think keen to show that she can be chummy with Donald Trump. Oddly enough they hail from sort of similar parts of political spectrum of elements of Theresa May's party here, but (inaudible) nationalistic and protectionist as we see in the United States as well. But even Theresa May's own home secretary, her leading law enforcement official here Amber Rudd today said when questioned about whether or not Donald Trump's suggestion that the police had the attackers, persons been in their sights while it occurred. She said that was quote, pure speculation, and said that she wouldn't be the first person, I'm paraphrasing here, the first person to encouraged Donald Trump not to be tweeting on his phone.

So, a definitely a fought relationship here the issue of whether Donald Trump will come visit London while in this constantly been on the discussion here because the board (INAUDIBLE) but the public of London here that does it seems to be put back and put back. But Theresa May (INAUDIBLE) suggests that because the British relationship with United states is so permanent and strong and enduring that she can be blunt in the criticism for example of the U.S. involvement in the Paris climate change deal.

But certainly Donald Trump on the world stage in this coming week in New York like he hasn't been perhaps before. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Nick Paton Walsh in London, thanks so much.

All right, a mystery in Cuba after a series of suspected sonic attacks leave U.S. diplomats and their family suffering now. The U.S. is considering shutting down the Havana Embassy. We'll bring you the latest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:48:28] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Following reports of sonic attacks going as far back as November has now brought the response from the U.S. secretary of state that possibly in consideration the closing of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN DICKERSON, FACE OF THE NATION HOST: On Cuba, some senators suggested closing down the embassy there. Should that happen?

TILLERSON: We have it under evaluation. It's a very serious issue with respect to the harm that certain individuals have suffered. We brought some of those people home. It's under review.

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WHITFIELD: All right, so far 10 U.S. diplomats and their families have been affected reportedly experiencing headaches, lost of balance, and brain swelling.

Let's discuss all of this now with CNN Havana-based Correspondent Patrick Oppmann and CNN Global Affairs Correspondent Elise Labott. So Patrick, to you first, these reports that there have been the sonic attacks, explain.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely and it sounds very strange but something that the United States government is taking very seriously and is very frustrated about. And actually the most recent number is 21 U.S. diplomats and family members and a number of Canadian diplomats as well have been affected by this.

It began all the way back last year in November when U.S. diplomats said they began feeling very strange symptoms that would strike them quite suddenly and if they just left the room, it would stopped. And some of these symptoms are mild traumatic brain injury, permanent hearing loss, loss of balance, severe headaches, brain swelling and cognitive disruption.

[15:50:06] So what would happen is that they would be at their homes someone's awake at night while they were sleep and they would suddenly hear something on occasions a very loud noise, it cause this very serious physical symptoms and quite quickly diplomats ascertain that this was something was being directed at them, some type of sonic weapons which do existed emit a ray, a wave of sound, some kind of signal that makes you feel physically unwell. Here's where it gets even more mysterious, Fred though, is that no one, certainly not the U.S. officials that are investigating this, are aware of such a device. So we're talking about a device that no one was aware existed. It has a new capability and they're not sure who has it, what involvement Cuba has because it's very unlikely that you could have this kind of operation in Cuba without the Cuban government knowing.

Cuba has denied any involvement but on the U.S. side, they just don't take that at face value. They kicked out now two Cuban diplomats from the U.S. as a reaction. And now you hear -- you have Secretary of State Tillerson saying that he wants answers, that they are not taking the Cuban denial, and they want the Cubans to come forward with more answers about what exactly is taking place here at the U.S. diplomats.

WHITFIELD: And so Patrick, are we talking about at the residences of these diplomats that this kind of activity would be potentially directed at them there?

OPPMANN: Absolutely. And so what took place is that and we're talking about multiple residences across Havana, areas that are very well guarded and are under constant surveillance by Cuban authorities that somebody brought some sort of device either inside their houses or outside their houses. And according to U.S. officials, use that device to make them ill, to harass them.

It didn't always happen to the top people here. It was not U.S. officials feel some sort of surveillance operation that went wrong. They feel that this was a targeted campaign of harassment and that Cuban officials know more than they're saying.

WHITFIELD: OK. And so Elise, what is being said in diplomatic circles, because this happening also at a time when this administration is already expressed wanting to promote some changes in the existence of the U.S. embassy in Cuba part of a legacy of the previous administration.

LABOTT: Well, I mean, Fred, up until now the U.S. is not talking about, you know, kind of -- once again, cutting its diplomatic relations with Cuba. Although President Trump has taken a much tougher line in terms of some of the relaxing of, you know, sanctions and such. But, you know, look, the U.S. does not know who's responsible.

As Patrick said, they do know that some elements of the Cuban security services and such must know about it, because, you know, they keep such a tight rein on U.S. diplomats and U.S. have to rent their houses from the government. You know, they're closely monitored but they do not know if the Cuban government is per say behind this. They also think it could be, you know, a third country such as Russia, who, you know, used this kind of weapons during the Soviet Union and such.

I think Secretary Tillerson is talking more about the embassy because he received this letter from Senator Rubio, Senator Burr, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee and some other Republican senators, you know, calling attention to this very serious issue. Clearly the U.S. is very concerned about it but I don't think the closing of the U.S. embassy is imminent, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Elise Labott, Patrick Oppmann, thank you so much. All right, NEWSROOM continues right after this, but first this week's future tense.

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LAURIE SEGALL, CNN SENIOR TECH CORRESPODENT (voice-over): Imagine if your phone can make the world view this where virtual reality take you out of the real world and puts you into an entirely different one, augmented reality. Well, augment what you see around you. Apple didn't create A.R. but they want to be the ones to take it mainstream.

GREG "JOZ" JOSWIAK, VICE PRESIDENT, APPLE: A.R. is the kind of thing that people have seen in laboratories, kind of like what people want to do in the future. But it hasn't been real, right, because it's really, really hard to do.

SEGALL (voice-over): That's Greg Joswiak better known around Apple as Joz. He invited me to get a sneak pick at a few of the A.R. apps developers will be bringing to Apple next software update.

MICHAEL VALSGAARD, LEADER OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, IKEA: The app basically gives you the possibility to place IKEA furniture in your home.

SEGALL (voice-over): We've all been there. Will the couch really fit? Will the color look good in the room? And most of the time you don't actually know until you try it. Well, IKEA thinks they found a way for you to try it without actually trying.

VALSGAARD: It's really like it's really there in three dimensions. It locks into position and you can walk around it so you can and look at does this really fit in my home, does it fit with the style I have? Does it fit with the colors I have?

SEGALL (on camera): So many companies are focused in virtual reality, virtual reality. All we hear is virtual reality. I think a lot of people were surprised when Apple came out and said we are going to make a huge push at augmented reality.

JOSWIAK: Yes.

[15:55:03] SEGALL (voice-over): Was that purposeful?

JOSWIAL: Well, I think augmented reality to us is a lot more exciting actually. You know, virtual reality generally requires you to have to get a headset, you know, a dedicated device, seal yourself off from the world.

Augmented reality you're in the real world. You're in your living room placing that couch. We think there's just such broader application of augmented reality.

SEGALL (on camera): So when Apple builds a car, augmented reality all around, what's going to happen there? JOSWIAK: You must be talking about the Lego app that we showed at WWDC where they showed the augmented reality cars.

SEGALL (voice-over): Right there. OK.

JOSWIAK: You know, that sounds yes.

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WHITFIELD It's happening now in the newsroom. Was the president's fire and fury remark an empty threat?

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HALEY: It was not an empty threat.

MCMASTER: We have to make sure all options are under development to ensure that this regime cannot threaten the world with the nuclear weapon.

TILLERSON: If our diplomatic efforts fail though --

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