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The Lead with Jake Tapper

U.S. Official: Early Indications That Russian Anti-Aircraft System May Have Downed Azerbaijan Airlines Plane; Trump Threatens to Annex Canada & Greenland, Seize Panama Canal; Bird Flu Cases In Humans And Animals On The Rise; Houthi Media: Israel Strikes Yemeni Cities, Airport. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired December 26, 2024 - 16:00   ET

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

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: -- back with her owner, all thanks to a New Jersey drone.

[16:00:04]

A good one, not a scary one.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Yes, not a scary one. Important to clarify these days.

Look at cute little Brooklyn there. Well, Brooklyn apparently has a little sense of adventure and somehow escaped from the home where she was staying. Ran out onto that frozen lake.

The woman who was dog sitting eventually realized, this dog is not coming back in and called the police. They initially tried to rescue her using a net. No luck.

But then a neighbor with drone experience showed up and hatched a plan with police strapping a chicken cutlet to a drone. Because, of course. Police were able to lure Brooklyn off the ice.

Get this though, and she ran. Neighbors did find her the next day, despite a small cut. She's just fine.

SCIUTTO: That's actually how my family gets me back off the thin ice as well if I ever get lost.

Nice to be with you, Erica.

THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER starts right now.

(MUSIC)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN HOST: What brought down a passenger jet on Christmas Day? Signs are pointing to Russian anti-aircraft fire.

THE LEAD starts right now.

The crash of an -- Azerbaijan Airlines plane raising serious questions around the globe. U.S. officials now weighing in about a possible link to Russia. The latest assessments, plus dramatic new video from aboard the doomed airliner.

Also, Donald Trump's aggressive Christmas message. It certainly wasn't holly and jolly for Canada, Panama or Greenland. Is it just bluster, or is it confirmation of an expansive foreign policy approach? The president elect will usher in on day one.

And the new crusade by Amanda Knox, the American woman wrongfully convicted in an Italian court of killing her roommate. Seventeen years later, what she tells Jake Tapper about being forced into a false confession, and how often it happens to defendants right here in the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMANDA KNOX, WRONGFULLY CONVICTED: A lot of my advocacy work to this day has been around is what is happening behind closed doors with suspects and witnesses who are being questioned by police.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

MATTINGLY: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Phil Mattingly, in today for Jake Tapper.

We start this hour with breaking news out of our world lead. A U.S. official tells CNN early indications suggest a Russian anti-aircraft system may have downed the Azerbaijan airlines flight on Christmas Day.

Now, what you're seeing here shows the plane moving at a high speed, its wheels down as it quickly descends toward the ground, then right there, ultimately hits and burst into flames. At least 38 out of 67 people on board died, 29 others, including two children, survived.

There's also new video from inside the plane showing somber moment before the crash. A man is heard praying in the cabin. CNN does not know if he survived. Questions are swirling around this terrible crash, including why the plane diverted away from where it was supposed to land in southern Russia, crossed the Caspian Sea and attempted to make an emergency landing in Kazakhstan. And what caused these holes? You see right here, found in the planes fuselage.

We'll ask a former NTSB senior investigator and the CEO of an aviation security firm in just a moment.

But first, CNN's Nada Bashir takes a closer look at the details of what happened before and after the crash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the moment an Azerbaijani plane attempted an emergency landing, bursting into flames upon impact. Rescuers rushed to the scene, extinguishing the fire that engulfed the front of the plane and pulling out-dazed survivors from the wreckage. Out of 67 people on board, including crew, at least 38 died. Remarkably, 29 people, including two children, survived and were taken to hospitals.

Questions swirled on why the plane, which took off from the Azerbaijani capital Baku en route to Grozny in Russia, diverted to Kazakhstan. Flight Radar 24 shows the plane flying across the Caspian sea and circling near the Kazakh City of Aktau, before the crash, in a pattern, an aviation expert says indicates loss of flight control systems.

The crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. And while investigators say they are exploring all scenarios, multiple Azerbaijani sources have told "Reuters" that the plane was hit by Russian air defenses. Video verified by "Reuters" reveals a rare glimpse into the last moments on board the flight. Oxygen masks down as the camera tilts to the window, showing damage to the wing.

Then, in another geolocated social media video, the plane appears to nosedive in the resulting explosion, the plane fuselage is broken into parts, with its rear half miraculously landing almost intact but upturned. Parts of the plane scattered across a wide radius. Bodies seen covered in blue blankets.

[16:05:04]

Russia and Azerbaijan evacuated their injured citizens as families in Baku waited to see if their loved ones had survived. For Azerbaijan, it is a time of mourning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASHIR (on camera): A huge moment of mourning, Phil, and a huge moment of tragedy for the family members of those that were killed on board this Azerbaijan airlines flight. But again, remarkable that there were even survivors following that crash. Now, of course, authorities will continue their work to examine what led to this crash, with NATO now echoing calls for a full investigation.

MATTINGLY: Nada Bashir, thanks so much.

I want to bring in CNN Pentagon correspondent Oren Liebermann.

Oren, a U.S. official, said there are early indications that a Russian anti-aircraft system may have brought down the plane. Let's start at 30,000 feet. The anti-aircraft systems Russia is using in this area. What do we know about them?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, this could be any of a number of Russian anti-aircraft systems from something like an advanced long range S-300 or S-400. Russia has used those extensively in Ukraine. They've even had some of those deployed in Syria. Or it could be something much shorter range, much more localized. Even if the Azerbaijan airlines flight was low, something launched from a shoulder mounted or a shoulder launched surface to air missile. So, there's a number of different systems that could have been used in this case.

Crucially, as long as you get anywhere close to an airline, it has the capability to do serious damage and lead to a crash. Now, the U.S. official that we spoke with pointed out that this is only an early indication there is more information to come. The U.S. clearly looking into this, but worth noting, this is the first time the U.S. has weighed in on this, and there is a precedent for this.

Think back 10 years ago, Malaysian airlines flight 17. It was a Russian anti-aircraft system used by Russian backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that took down that flight. Now Russia has offered its own explanation, saying it was birds that may have struck the aircraft. But to state the obvious here, if its a bird strike, birds hit the front of the aircraft. The engine, the leading edge of the wing. Maybe they don't hit the side and the fuselage of the aircraft.

MATTINGLY: Yeah. We should note, you're a pilot as well. So you've got some knowledge of what you're talking about in terms of where when you hit birds. Also that Russia had a similar type of denial back in 2014 as well, didn't accept responsibility for it. What was happening in the air or around the air at that time? That may explain a little bit of why Russia or a Russian anti-aircraft system could be involved here.

LIEBERMANN: There was a Ukrainian drone attack in this region near Grozny in southern Russia there. So according to defense experts, Russian air defenses were active. And in fact, the U.S. official we spoke with pointed out that this apparent downing of a -- of a commercial jet, a passenger jet with a Russian anti-aircraft system, only speaks to the unprofessionalism and the lack of training for Russian units, who may well have been trying to defend against experienced Ukrainian drone attacks, when it seems they may have fired on a commercial jet.

MATTINGLY: So contextually, it wouldn't be a surprise that there would be Russian anti-aircraft fire in this region.

LIEBERMANN: Exactly.

MATTINGLY: At that moment.

We'll have to keep following that up this morning.

LIEBERMANN: Absolutely.

MATTINGLY: Oren, I appreciate your time.

Let's further discuss this with Andrew Nicholson. He's the CEO of Osprey Flight Solutions, an aviation security firm.

Andrew, appreciate your time. Your firm says the plane was likely shot down by a Russian military air defense system. U.S. officials say early indications are the same. Walk through kind of the evidence that allowed you to get to that conclusion.

ANDREW NICHOLSON, CEO, OSPREY FLIGHT SOLUTIONS: Well, I think it's been mentioned already, Phil. I think the type of damage, the fragmentation pattern on the -- on the fuselage of the aircraft is a is a clear indicator that that other explanations like bird strike are just not a feasible, possibility. But again, as was mentioned, the airspace environment at the time with the Russian air defense activity going on to intercept the drone attack that was being conducted by the Ukrainians in that area, you know, increases the risk of misidentification and shootdown, as we saw in MH17, and also, Ukraine international airlines flight PS752 coming out of Tehran in early 2020.

So, all of those indicators will bring us to the conclusion that a shoot-down by air defense activity is the is the most likely scenario in this case.

MATTINGLY: I wanted to pull back up if we could the we have photos of the holes that are in the side of the plane, or making the point that the explanation that this was birds doesn't make a lot of sense given it was in the side of the plane. But when you see holes like this, what does it tell you about what went wrong here? What else do you do you feel like you need to learn at this point?

NICHOLSON: So I think I think the interesting thing is, is that that clearly the initial destination was not an immediately catastrophic explosion and kinetic impact on the on the aircraft. Now, obviously, the surface to air missile system itself is likely to have a proximity fuse. So it blows up in the vicinity of the aircraft, not actually impacting the aircraft itself, but the fact that the aircraft stayed flying and not only stayed flying, but potentially for quite a long period of time, enough time to get across the Caspian Sea to towards Kazakhstan. You know, demonstrates that that, you know, that it wasn't an immediate catastrophic impact of that of that missile system.

[16:10:06]

But I think, you know, clearly there was there was shrapnel damage. The video show, damage inside the aircraft as well as well as on the wing whilst the aircraft was still in, in flight. So the impact could well have been on the systems, the hydraulic systems in the aircraft itself, which eventually caused the catastrophic failure and the crash of the aircraft.

MATTINGLY: Are you surprised that the airspace was open? And, you know, for people who are wondering, you know, this is a conflict zone. This is a war that's been raging for nearly three years at this point in time, why are commercial planes flying there and your kind of day to day? How are you counseling companies or counseling? Folks who fly in terms of what to be doing or not doing in this space?

NICHOLSON: Yeah, Phil. Surprised. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised. And this is the sad thing. I think that, still, there is not enough focus being put on the risk that exists in the airspace in this area. It is an active conflict zone, as you say.

There are very highly capable conventional surface to air missile systems being launched regularly to counter attacks inbound in that airspace and with civilian aircraft in that same airspace. The risk is quite dramatically increased. And we would never say to people don't fly. But what we would say is operate with a proper risk assessment, make

sure you understand the environment and make sure you're taking every mitigation measure you possibly can to maximize the safety of your operations. One of those is to fly during hours, daytime. You know, the most of the activity in this area in most conflicts happen during periods of dark or early morning. So, if you can operate during the day, you are you are significantly decreasing the amount of risk that you face and mitigating that risk to your operation and your flights and your crew and your passengers.

MATTINGLY: We're hearing from the international community they want a full investigation. Obviously, there are early stage views and perspectives on what happened. One of the questions I have given, the fact that there were survivors, there's video where you see survivors being pulled out of the wreckage, which is shocking when you consider the video of the crash itself.

What could investigators learn from talking to the survivors? What would you be asking them about what happened?

NICHOLSON: So I think some of the stuff has already come out, which I think is further indicators of what actually happened in this scenario. The fact that some of the survivors have talked about an explosion happening outside the aircraft before shrapnel entered the fuselage. That's the sort of detail which really helps to build a picture of what was going on and what happened in this particular event.

As you said, the fact that there are survivors in this case really is a miracle. And, you know, I could say the aircrew, the pilots probably did a phenomenal job in an exceedingly difficult circumstance to do everything they could to, you know, to do the safest possible landing. Of course, lots of people who do did lose their lives. And a -- that's a tragedy.

But there's so much of that individual detail, the small -- the small details around where the explosion was, whether there was other impact, what else they could see or hear or smell around the aircraft at the time of the impact happened. And then not only that, from the point of impact to the point of crash, what happened in that period? Did the aircraft fly straight and level? Was there significant changes in -- in its altitude and its course and was there a massively increased vibration or turbulence? These are the details that I think the investigators will really find valuable in understanding what happened.

MATTINGLY: Andrew Nicholson, really appreciate your time and expertise, sir. Thank you.

NICHOLSON: Great. Thank you very much.

MATTINGLY: Well, Donald Trump seems to have made a list and checked it twice of countries he apparently aggressively wants to target, at least on social media. Canada, Panama, Greenland, all part of the president-elect's Christmas Day message. But is this a serious preview of foreign policy to come? And millions

of Americans right now are under severe threat -- or threat of severe weather, storm and tornado watches up for parts of the southern U.S., and the forecast could impact post-holiday travel. We'll have more.

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[16:17:58]

MATTINGLY: We're back with our politics lead.

President-elect Donald Trump decking more than halls this Christmas -- Christmas with a series of controversial Truth Social posts. They include mocking Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, repeating his desire to annex Canada and Greenland for good nature, and claiming Chinese soldiers are illegally operating Panama Canal.

But it wasn't all sardonic holiday messages. Trump also announced Kevin Marino Cabrera as his nominee for U.S. ambassador to Panama, sparking questions about what message that sends to the region.

CNN's Alayna Treene is in West Palm Beach, Florida, near Mar-a-Lago.

Alayna, what's the leadership in Panama saying about what has been, I think, almost a week long of the president elect talking about the Panama Canal and seeming to have a pretty consistent message on it?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: It has been and they've been pushing back very strongly on arguing that Donald Trump's claims of Chinese soldiers controlling the canal not being true. I'm going to read for you some of what Panamas president, Jose Mulino, said today. He said, quote, um, there are no Chinese in the canal. It's as simple as that. Neither Chinese nor any other power is in the canal.

That was just part of a larger message that he said today, kind of pushing back on Donald Trump's claims. But I want to kind of break down and take a step back on what I'm hearing from Trump advisers around all of this, because, you know, there's a lot of questions over why is Donald Trump so fixated on this right now? I'm told that actually, he's brought up the Panama Canal a lot over the past several months, and it's something that he has been focused on in the past.

He believes that the Jimmy Carter era treaty that gave control of the canal after it was made by the U.S. to Panama was a wrong move. He's called it stupid in previous interviews, but also, really, it all comes down to this idea of wanting to put the United States in a better negotiating tactic. I think the same goes for all of these threats that he that that he's making about Greenland, trying to buy Greenland from a Danish territory, something that the prime minister of Greenland is saying it's not for sale.

You're also seeing this with Canada, him saying that he wants to absorb Canada into the United States. I think that is more trolling than it is actually a negotiating tactic. But again, its kind of this taunting of the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, all to say Donald Trump is so laser focused right now on trying to better the United States position when it comes to trade and how they operate with different countries.

And part of that is he's looking and seeking a better rates for American vessels in the Panama canal, that is what I'm told from Trump advisers. But again, it's also still unclear how serious he is about a lot of these threats. I think, you know, a lot of times we question, is this an opening salvo to force these people to the negotiating table, or is this really him trolling or taunting, like were kind of seeing him do with Canada?

Or is this more of, you know, red meat for his base, knowing that he only has weeks to go until he is sworn in on January 20th? I think it can be a combination of both, and we're kind of seeing that play out.

But to be clear, a lot of these things are very unlikely to happen again. You've heard Panama push back very heavily, saying that this is not something that they are opening, that they're open to. They do not want to give control of the canal to the United States.

You're seeing that with Greenland. And also Trudeau kind of, you know, trying to put an end to some of these taunts -- Phil.

MATTINGLY: Alayna Treene, great reporting. Thanks so much.

Let's dissect all of this with former Washington Republican Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley, and Bakari Sellers, a CNN political commentator and former state representative in South Carolina.

Tiffany, I think to Alayna's last point there, this has been one of the questions of -- is it trolling? Is he? And I think in Justin Trudeau's case, it seems to be very explicitly trolling.

But when it comes to Greenland, when it comes to the Panama Canal, is this a negotiating tactic? Is he trying to lay the groundwork? For an American First foreign policy, how does this all kind of align?

TIFFANY SMILEY (R), FORMER WASHINGTON SENATE CANDIDATE: Yeah, I mean, look, over the last four years, we've been the laughingstock of the world, and world leaders have gotten away with whatever they wanted. President Trump is showing peace through strength. You know, as far as the Panama canal, he has talked he talked about the Panama canal all throughout his campaign and rightfully pointed out that it was practically given away for free under Jimmy Carter.

A safe and secure Panama canal is so crucial to America's economy, and not only that, but our national security. So we know that China is operating or Chinese businesses are operating on boats at the ports of both ends of the canal. This is a fact.

So President Trump is setting the stage to protect us, protect the American economy. I believe it is a negotiating tactic. And he's very good at this.

You know, we can use American our American economy force and tariffs to ensure that the canal works for the best interests of America, and putting America at the top of the list. So we are winning for the American people. That's exactly the mandate that was put down through the election.

And President Trump is just standing up and leading. He made it very clear with Prime Minister Trudeau that if Canada can't survive without ripping off the U.S. billions of dollars every single year, then perhaps they should annex. He is simply making a point that status quo from our allies ripping off the American people will not happen anymore.

MATTINGLY: Bakari, one of the questions I've had, and to Tiffany's point, there are two Hong Kong subsidiaries that operate two of the ports within the Panama canal. Obviously, as Elena was pointing out, the president of Panama making clear there are no troops there. But the issue of Chinese influence in Latin America has been one that a lot of people are talking about, including the current administration.

I think one of my questions, particularly when it comes to Panama, Panama is absolutely critical to helping to stem the tide of migration through the Darien Gap. This is technically somebody who needs to work with the president elect when he comes into office.

In terms of working with foreign leaders the second time around, is this strategy going to be effective?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, first, let's just fact check a little bit on level set with some honesty here. As you stated, there are no Chinese troops that are there at the Panama Canal. So that's kind of first.

Second, I mean, there is no better way to illustrate peace through strength than to go after Panama, Canada and Greenland, right? That was sarcasm. For those of you all who are listening in Sirius XM as you ride on this day after Christmas.

I mean, this is all a joke. The fact that were going through this again, I mean, a lot of Trump supporters got a ride on the Titanic the first go round and bought a ticket for the second go round.

We know what's going to happen, and this is the type of inconsistency. This is the type of foreign policy through tweet, which makes us the laughingstock of the world. The fact is, you're going to need Canada, right? You're going to need Panama, particularly to stem migration.

This is something that's central to your immigration policy. And you're going to thumb your nose at them via tweet. There's nothing serious about this.

But look, there is one thing that we do have accurate here. This is what the American public voted for. We have a very, very short memory in this country. We kind of memory hole things.

We forget about those late night tweets that the president of the United States sends out. And it's very, very hard to govern, via Twitter or via X or whatever it's called now.

[16:25:01]

But the fact is, were going to realize that this is very, very ineffective.

And not only is it ineffective, but the lone individual there who appears to have the talent and skill necessary to navigate these issues, somebody like Marco Rubio, is going to be handicapped focusing on Greenland, Panama and Canada, when we have Russia, Ukraine, when we have the Middle East. I mean, this is this is weird. It's fodder for the base.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTINGLY: Go ahead, Tiffany.

SMILEY: I would just say President Trump can walk and chew gum at the same time. So, um, you know, when you look at our standing on the world stage, the failed departure in Afghanistan, how it emboldened the evils of this world to take advantage of individuals around the world and the United States of America. He is standing up with peace through strength.

He can take on these other factors, these other national big issues, while at the same time protecting the American people and really coming to the table with leverage, coming to the table and showing that we are here to lead and we are here to put America first.

This is what the American -- you're right. You are right. This is what the American people voted for.

And President Trump is right. Greenland is a vital strategic importance to the United States. I mean, there are many facts here that that, you know, I don't think you are exactly acknowledging Greenland is a strategic position in the North Atlantic, and their acquisition has actually been talked about by U.S. strategists since the 19th century.

So this is nothing new. This is just President Trump leading -- and leading with peace through strength.

MATTINGLY: Bakari, last word?

SELLERS: I don't know. This is such a Twitter conversation because I don't know how you just go out and acquire Greenland, right? It's not like you go to IKEA and acquire a set that they have to call a task rabbit to come put together.

I mean, these are nuanced foreign policy discussions, and I do believe -- I do believe that Marco Rubio and I do believe that Thune and I do believe that there are people who actually have some ability to navigate these, these worldly issues.

But, I mean, I wish that instead of tweeting about this, we were working with Joe Biden and others to utilize our leverage to bring the hostages home. I wish that he had the same type of impetus and burning desire to stand up to Vladimir Putin, and the same desire he has to thumb his nose at Justin Trudeau, who he calls a governor and the state. And so I just think that there is some level of inconsistency here

that it's just -- it's beneath the level of the presidency. But, you know, again, in 18 months, I hope -- I hope, I feel you bring us back and we can have this discussion again.

MATTINGLY: I would look forward to it. I think there's going to be a lot that happens in the next 18 months. Certainly a more interesting job for his ambassador selections going to Denmark and Panama, based on the tweets announcing them.

Tiffany Smiley, Bakari Sellers, thanks so much, guys. Appreciate it.

SELLERS: Thank you.

MATTINGLY: Well, a pet food recall is now part of the latest concern over bird flu and items sold in several states under scrutiny after the death of a house cat. What you need to know when we check in with the CNN health team. That's next.

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[16:31:56]

MATTINGLY: Topping our health lead today, cases of bird flu in humans and animals are on the upswing, with 65 confirmed cases in humans in the U.S. this year. The majority of those cases involve people who work on poultry or dairy farms, and there's no evidence that the H5N1 virus has been passed through human to human contact.

Joining me now is CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell.

Meg, what are experts right now at the Centers for Disease Control advising when it comes to human beings risk for contracting the virus? I guess the bigger question, is there any concern right now about the milk supply?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean, there is concern about raw milk, but once milk has been pasteurized, the CDC and other federal experts say that inactivates bird flu virus. And so the USDA is embarking on a national milk testing strategy. Right now, they've expanded this into 13 states.

The goal is to get it to every state eventually. But these 13 states account for about 50 percent of the U.S. dairy production, and they're really using this more as a surveillance strategy. They're going to be testing milk before it goes to the pasteurization process, to try to get an idea of where H5N1 virus is spreading among dairy cattle.

Some of those states already are testing extensively, like California. And we've been hearing about a lot of bird flu among cows in that state. Others might turn up, you know, bird flu in herds that we didn't know about yet. And so this is really to try to get a handle on where bird flu is in the United States, as we have been seeing, increasing human cases coming from animals.

MATTINGLY: So the story about the -- there's a house cat in Oregon getting it from pet food. That pet food has been recalled. Some cats getting bird flu from drinking raw milk as you were just kind of laying out the details. Is there any danger of humans getting it from their pets here?

TIRRELL: So far, we have not been hearing about any humans that have gotten sick with bird flu from their cats, for example, that have died. We know it's possible for cats to pass flu to people, but we haven't heard about this specific strain getting passed along.

What public health experts are more concerned about is any contact that folks might have with birds, particularly sick or dead birds, and they want to make sure also that you keep your cats or your dogs or any pets away from sick animals, because if they consume them, they might get sick as well.

So far, not a huge concern that pets are giving this to their owners.

MATTINGLY: On the subject of cats, 20 big cats, I think that's half the population at a wildlife sanctuary in Washington state died from the bird flu. What's the deal with the vulnerability here? Is there a danger to other animals? Is this cat specific?

TIRRELL: No, it's not cat specific, although they do seem to be especially vulnerable to this virus. They do die in large numbers as we hear about them getting infected.

But we've been hearing about a number of different mammals getting infected with this virus, and that's one of the reasons a lot of health experts are concerned about this. Just seeing this bird virus popping up in all these different mammals, as you noted, we have not seen person to person transmission of this virus as of now.

And that is why the CDC says the risk to the general population is low. But they certainly don't like to see all of this bubbling kind of up under the surface. There's just a lot of this flu out there in animal populations, and that makes everybody a bit uneasy.

[16:35:03]

MATTINGLY: Yeah, no question about that. Meg Tirrell, thank you.

Well, breaking news today from the Middle East, Israel striking targets in Yemen, a response to days of missiles being fired toward Israel. We'll go live to Jerusalem next.

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MATTINGLY: In our world lead, Israel blasted targets in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in the city in western Yemen today. Houthi-backed state news agencies report power plants and the airport in Sanaa were hit and four people were killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, quote, the strikes will not stop until the mission is complete.

Elliott Gotkine joins me now from Jerusalem. Elliott, I think the biggest question coming out of this, particularly

when we heard from the prime minister, is what does he mean by mission completion? Do they have an understanding of what the scale of this may be going forward?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: I think the mission, Phil, is simply to ensure that the Houthis are no longer in a position or have the capacity to threaten Israel by lobbing ballistic missiles at it, as it has done in four of the last seven nights, sending millions of people in Tel Aviv and across the country scurrying to bomb shelters.

[16:40:03]

And I suppose also from Israel's perspective, you know, they've managed -- they've decimated Hamas in Gaza. They have battered Hezbollah over the border in Lebanon. And really, out of all of the Iranian backed groups that have been threatening Israel, I suppose the Houthis are effectively the last man standing, or at least the last man able to continue to have this impact on Israel by firing these ballistic missiles.

And so, Netanyahu is simply saying that, look, they will learn if they haven't got the message and that Israel will continue to hit the Houthis until such time as they stop attacking Israel. That said, I should note as well that opposition leader Yair Lapid says, look, we shouldn't be attacking the Houthis. Israel should be attacking the head of the snake Iran by bombing its oil fields and destroying its economy.

Now, I don't think Israel's about to go down that route, but certainly we should expect that this is not the end of Israeli strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen, nor, for that matter, the end of Houthi ballistic missiles coming this way towards Israel -- Phil.

MATTINGLY: Yeah, it particularly aggressive response to your note after several days of strikes against Israel. I do want to ask, when it comes to Gaza, five journalists were killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza overnight, according to hospital officials.

Now, Israel disputes that they were journalists. Do we have any idea what's happening here?

GOTKINE: Look, Israel is saying that these five men, rather than being journalists, were Islamic jihad operatives posing as journalists. Islamic jihad being a proscribed terrorist organization in the United States and elsewhere, and being the smaller of the two main militant groups in the Gaza Strip. Now, these men were asleep in their vehicle outside a hospital in Nuseirat in Central Gaza. They were working for al-Quds today TV, which is affiliated with Islamic jihad.

But as you say, hospital officials in Gaza and also al-Quds today TV say that they were journalists simply carrying out their duties as journalists. Israel not only says that they are operatives posing as journalists, but also provided what it says was evidence, namely a list of names and positions that it's translated from Arabic, that it says it came across during the course of operations in the Gaza Strip. It also provided an infographic with the pictures, names and positions of four of those men who were in that vehicle, which Israel struck in the early hours of -- sorry. Last night, overnight, Phil.

MATTINGLY: Elliott Gotkine with the latest from Jerusalem, thanks so much.

Well, she was only 20 years old when she became a household name, arrested for a murder she did not commit, and the target of tabloids. Now, Amanda Knox is telling her own story, Hear are why she is on a new mission. That's next.

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[16:46:41]

MATTINGLY: Here on THE LEAD, Jake Tapper and his team often cover wrongful convictions in cases you've never heard of. But this one involves a woman who became a household name. Amanda Knox was wrongfully convicted in Italy in the murder of her roommate more than 17 years ago. It's a conviction that eventually was overturned and she says was due to a forced confession she made under coercion during an illegal interrogation.

Today, she's still fighting to clear her name in Italy, where she faces a slander charge while advocating for those back home who also are serving time behind bars for false confessions -- confessions.

Jake recently sat down with Knox to get her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST (voice-over): It was the murder trial at the center of tabloids and headlines around the world.

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: It's being called the trial of the century in Italy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American college student Amanda Knox labeled Foxy Knoxy by the tabloids.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: American Amanda Knox convicted in Italy tonight.

TAPPER: Twenty-year-old Amanda Knox accused of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy, in 2007.

AMANDA KNOX, CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ADVOCATE: Meredith haunts me. If I hadn't met Raffaele five days before this crime occurred, I would have been home that night and I would have been raped and murdered, too. And I look at Meredith, this girl that I didn't even know for that long, it's almost as if were two sides of the same coin. And fate flipped that coin, and I survived, and she didn't.

TAPPER: Italian police immediately honed in on Knox and her then boyfriend as suspects. KNOX: From day one, the police suspected me. Now, why? Why did they

suspect me? A lot of people point to was I -- how was I behaving?

At the very beginning, they decided that the break in was fake, that whoever had committed this crime was involved with the house, probably lived at the house. And as the person who called the police, the person who was first at the crime scene, I was a suspect.

TAPPER: For four days, Knox was interrogated by Italian police without being given access to an attorney.

KNOX: I was raised to believe that police were the good guys. If something happens, you call the police, which is why, when I came home and discovered that my house had been broken into, I called the police.

TAPPER: Knox then signed a written confession, placing herself at the crime scene and blaming a local bar owner for Kercher's death. Knox recanted hours later, but the police did not believe her and arrested her the same day.

Both the prosecutors and the news media soon pounced on the salacious details surrounding the murder, and on who they called "Foxy Knoxy".

KNOX: I'm accused of being a liar? I'm accused of being a cunning manipulator, and it's just wild to me that anyone can think that a 20- year-old kid with no criminal history is suddenly out of the blue, this cunning, manipulative seductress. It's like the fantasy version of this story has taken on a life of its own.

TAPPER: Months later, a third person, Rudy Guede, was charged in Meredith Kercher's murder. His DNA was found all over the crime scene, and he was quickly sentenced to 30 years in prison. Knox and her then boyfriend were each sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for their alleged involvement.

[16:50:01]

The two were later acquitted and released in 2011. Knox returned home to Seattle.

KNOX: Thank you to everyone who's believed in me, who's defended me.

TAPPER: Knox was fully exonerated of murder in 2015, but she was convicted of a slander charge for falsely implicating the bartender in her written confession. And that conviction was upheld this past June.

KNOX: I was accused of having maliciously and knowingly implicated an innocent man in this crime, and I was found guilty of that. And I --

TAPPER: Even though it was a -- I mean, it was a comment you made at the police, right?

KNOX: They're saying I made a false accusation to the police when I was being interviewed as a witness. TAPPER: Amanda's experience in the interrogation room has inspired

her to advocate for criminal justice reform. The Innocence Project says more than 25 percent of wrongful convictions involve false confessions.

KNOX: A lot of my advocacy work to this day has been around is what is happening behind closed doors with suspects and witnesses who are being questioned by police.

TAPPER: Today, she hosts a podcast, "Labyrinths", and one of the topics she explores is false confessions. Knox recently spoke to Jason Strong, who spent 15 years behind bars in Illinois because of a coerced confession to a crime he did not commit.

JASON STRONG, WRONGFULLY INCARCERATED FOR 15 YEARS: So after hours of I started getting angry and I was cussing at them and saying, you know, (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you, why aren't you listening to me? I didn't do anything. That was a sign of guilt. That was my violent nature coming out.

Nothing you say matters to them. Its all a sign of guilt because they've already got you pegged.

MATTINGLY: Knox plans to return to Italy next year to fight her conviction for making a false accusation.

Other people could just say, okay, you know what? The world knows I'm innocent. I'm moving on. But that's not you. You continue to fight for your name to be cleared. Why?

KNOX: Because I care about the truth. When I came home, I felt so alone. I felt like even though I was technically free, I was still trapped.

TAPPER: So what do you say to somebody who sat through this and still wonders if you did it? Or do you, or do you not even care?

KNOX: I'm not worried about that. I think the things that I'm more worried about are the next person who's still in prison and the problems that we can solve right now to prevent that from happening.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: A high profile and powerful voice on a critical issue. The verdict to Amanda Knox's final appeal in the slander case will come down next month in the Italian Supreme Court.

Well, breaking news from Texas. Severe storms passing through the Houston area right now. This is as we're getting new video of a possible tornado touchdown in southeastern Texas. These storms and more in the forecast could impact the post holiday travel rush. We'll go live to the CNN weather center, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MATTINGLY: We're back with breaking news in our national lead. Severe weather impacting parts of the southern plains and Texas, including the Houston metro area. And this weather could throw a wrench in your holiday plans right now in southeastern Texas, the severe storm threat has jumped to a level three out of five, affecting more than 4 million people.

CNN's Chad Myers is in the weather center.

Chad, where's the threat right now?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Really just northeast of Houston. That's where the two tornado warnings are that were watching, kind of centered around Liberty County northeast. But there was there was that storm you just saw right there.

That tornado was on the ground just to the southwest of Houston about two hours ago. The storm has completely disintegrated, but it is moving toward the north. There you can kind of see it there, hanging down from the cloud there. So, some pictures there. We never want to see, especially in December.

So here we go. Let's get ready to the radar. Here we will see the airport speed delayed. We'll also see this thunderstorm activity continue to move into Louisiana later on this afternoon and into the evening. And there yes, there is a tornado watch in effect here for a large area.

But the warning is what we're really worried about, those two warnings here. Well, to the northeast now of Houston proper and moving away, but eventually getting into really the bayous there of Louisiana, and also in some of those northwestern parishes of Louisiana later on tonight.

Here goes the rainfall for later on today into tomorrow. And then we will slow some things down across parts of the northeast for your weekend travel. There will be a lot of rain, Phil. I mean, we're talking 2 to 4 inches of rain, but in places that are so dry right now, take anything we can get. Just don't want the severe weather.

MATTINGLY: Yeah, exactly. Are there any other spots right now? When you look at the map, when you look at the next couple of days, people should be paying attention to if they're traveling?

MYERS: You know, the Pacific Northwest just has one storm after another. And this is just the next in a series of four. This is just number two. So yes, winter storm warnings through the passes, any type of travel driving over those higher elevation passes, you will run into snow.

There will be chain controls across I-80 on the way toward Truckee. There will be chain controls all the way up and down here when you get to above about 6,000 feet. So if you're going to be traveling the next couple of days, it's just one storm after another with feet of snow to come. So get ready for that -- Phil.

MATTINGLY: Yeah, absolutely.

Chad Myers, thanks so much.

Meanwhile, out west, a different kind of weather problem. Let's take you to Utah, where a man triggered an avalanche and then proceeded to save his brother who got buried under the snow. According to authorities, the pair were snowmobiling on Wednesday when it happened. The one brother who was further down the slope was swept under the snow and fully buried.

But using a transceiver, the man managed to find his brother under the snow by spotting just a couple of his fingers and his gloved hand sticking out. He sustained only minor injuries in the end.

Well, you can follow the show on X @TheLeadCNN. If you ever miss an episode of THE LEAD, you can listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts.

The news continues now on CNN with Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM".