Refugeesin France Leaving Notorious Camp
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: No way forward. Thousands of refugees hoping to reach England are being forcibly evicted to the camp in France known as The Jungle. Some though, may not go quietly. Only eight kilometers away from Mosul. Kurdish groups close in on that pivotal city in Iraq as Iraqi government forces prepare for a final showdown against ISIS. And, the gap widens. A new national poll shows Hillary Clinton with a 12-point lead over Donald Trump as she tells supporters she's done reacting to Donald Trump's past. From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm George Howell. The CNN Newsroom starts right now. The offensive to retake Mosul from ISIS is in its second week and the Iraqi-led forces are advancing faster than anticipated. Peshmerga fighters are said to be within eight kilometers of that Iraqi city but it even encountered fierce resistance. Take a look at this clip. You see an ISIS vehicle that approaches fighters near Bashiqa. American forces have secured a major stretch of the Bashiqa Mosul highway that has cut off the militants movement at this -- that it is a tough fight. It will be a long fight. CNN is live this hour in Iraq. Our Michael Holmes is on the ground near Mosul following developments. And, Michael, let's talk about this Peshmerga forces, again, getting ever so closer to Mosul.</s>MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. You know, George, six-wide kilometers at their closest forward position, Bashiqa as you pointed out there, has been an important part of this campaign for the Peshmerga forces. Yesterday, we watched as they headed off and encircled that town and not just in town, eight important villages around it as well. They started at about 6.30 in the morning, local time and by id-afternoon, they had met up, they come from two sides and met up in the middle and had encircle the area. We're talking about 100 square kilometers or so. And in doing so, they manage to sever the road from Bashiqa to Mosul, cutting off supplies and also cutting off an escape route for ISIS fighters inside. Now, this morning early, we saw and we heard mortars going out from around here and into Bashiqa. Also some artillery, a little bit before that. And in the couple of times this morning for a few minutes at a time, we've been hearing gun burst to small arms fire off in the distance there in Bashiqa. So, obviously, the Kurds trying to probe now the town, which we believe does not have civilians in it. But we don't know how many ISIS fighters. We were talking with a -- I heard a commander yesterday who was asked about the ISIS Fighters in there and he said they are bad people. They need to die. George?</s>HOWELL: These fighters are moving as we mentioned faster than anticipated. But at the same time, Michael, there are reports that some 40 people who are celebrating liberation that they were in fact, executed by ISIS as those fighters had already past.</s>HOLMES: Yes. And that's one of the problems, the, yu know, even the American officials today saying this is moving at a very rapid pace. Faster than they thought it would as they're going through the towns and villages and trying to encircle Mosul. But the danger in that, you know, in the times I've been in Iraq the Americans used to call it, clear and hold where you would go into a place, you would clear it of the enemy and then you would leave units there to hold the area. Well, that's not being done in all cases as the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces are being zooming through the towns and villages. And in the case you're talking about, there was a village where Iraqi forces came through and quote/unquote, "liberated" it. And people are out on the streets, villagers, celebrating, cheering there, cheering the Iraqis. Well, the Iraqis kept on going and ISIS fighters who have been hiding during the progress of the Iraqi forces through the villages, and they calm out, rounded up people who have been celebrating around 40 or more, we're told, and then killed them. So, it's one of the risks of moving quickly and you don't totally clear the places that you've been going through, George.</s>HOWELL: And there is the danger, obviously, for these people who are left behind, but a danger within these different communities, as well, Michael, I know you spent some time on the ground looking at the various booby traps, these IEDs that have been left to hurt a lot of people as they pass through.</s>HOLMES: That's exactly right, nobody knows. We talk to one Peshmerga commander who is in charge of these teams that are going out and trying to clear these IEDs and booby. And he said they've been working in one village for three months and still hadn't done it. There are countless of these devices along the road. But, also in the houses, and this is really the sickening part of it. A Peshmerga commander told me that ISIS is even doing things like booby trapping refrigerators, so somebody comes back to their house and opens the refrigerator it blows up. They're booby trapping doors, they're booby trapping windows. He told me about a clock that had been put on the ground and one of his own men kicked it and it blew up. When it comes to those who are trying to do the clearance, it's a deadly, deadly business, Peshmerga have lost more people to IEDs and booby traps than they had on the actual battlefield. And out of those casualties, 30 percent of them are people who are actually trying to do the diffusing. So, yes, when ISIS leaves a town or village or they are killed they are leaving behind deadly weapon to hurt people, even once they're gone, George.</s>HOWELL: They have had several years to really dig into that city and now, again, as you mention, a lot of booby traps left behind as this defenses pushes forward. Michael Holmes on the ground, live for us in Iraq. Michael, thank you for the reporting. We wish you safety and our other teams as well. We'll be back in touch with you. Thank you. We have been following the flow of foreign fighters joining the ranks of ISIS and in Syria and Iraq. And in February, the U.S. National Intelligence director said more than 36,500 foreign fighters have traveled to Syria since that conflict began back in 2012. Among them at least 6,600 from western countries have joined the ranks of ISIS. In the report from last December, analysts said the Soufan -- Ali Soufan group Said the majority of the foreign fighters joining ISIS had come northern Africa and the Middle East, almost from mostly from Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Jordan, but thousands had come from European nations, including Russia, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The militants are vastly outnumbered by the Iraqi-led coalition, 100,000 troops are facing an estimated 5 to 7,000 ISIS fighters. We talk with CNN military analyst, retired lieutenant colonel Rick Francona about how these events that is going so far.</s>RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I think we're going according to plan. I think they're going slowly methodically because they've got to clear all the areas. ISIS is putting up a fight, that was their plan. Their plan was to slow the advance down as best they could maybe even install it that giving yourself time to launch some other attacks. I think the Iraqis made a strategic mistake by not closing off those other areas to the west and that area to the south, the southwest of Kirkuk. That allowed the Peshmerga -- I'm sorry, ISIS, to launch an attack in Kirkuk. They've also launch other attacks, adding the Anbar province trying to divert attention. But overall, the Iraqis, I think, have the upper hand here.</s>HOWELL: At the same time, though, there have been some major losses. And Mosul officials telling us that ISIS executed about 40 people who were celebrating the apparent liberation of their villages.</s>FRANCONA: Yes. This was -- this was an attack from mistake on the part of the Iraqis, once you take these villages, you have to leave behind the residual force to secure them, rather than just pushing on through. Because ISIS the hide. They know then what the population and then they come back and attack. So, you know, the Iraqis are learning the hard way that they've got to secure this area, not just take it.</s>HOWELL: A god point that you make there. And you also notice that they leave behind many things that are incredibly dangerous for people who may still be in those communities, the booby traps, the explosives that are left on roads, IEDs and crews are dealing with that as they try to sweep into these towns.</s>FRANCONA: Yes, and the Iraqi engineers have a real problem on the hand as they go through, they're finding more and more of these booby traps and, you know, ISIS has been going on this for a long time. Remember, they've had two-and-a-half years to prepare what they knew is going to be the final battle in Iraq. You know, so they've laid the minefields, the oil trenches, the IED, as you say, the booby traps, so the engineers have to go through very slowly and very methodically. It's very difficult where -- but from what I'm seeing the Iraqis are doing quite well here. But the real fighting hasn't started here yet, George. We're only eight kilometers from the city. Once they get into the city itself, then we're going to see the real ISIS fight.</s>HOWELL: Well, from what we're seeing right now. And as I mentioned, Iraqi and Peshmerga forces all moving in. But there is still tension between Iraq and Turkey. Turkey wanting to take part in this and we're seeing these tensions play out. What happens as we continue to see Iraq telling Turkey to stay out of this fight.</s>FRANCONA: George, this is a fight we don't need. We're looking at possibly a war within a war. Turkey wants to be a power player when this is all over. They have vested interest in Kirkuk and in Mosul. In fact, President Erdogan said and I unbelievably said that those two are actually Turkish cities and, you know, you'll wonder is he going to make a play after for this city after all is said and done. I think what he wants to make sure is Turkey gets a seat at the table to decide what happens in northern Iraq. And the Iraqis are pushing back because they believe that's an Iraqi sovereignty issue. So, we'll see what happens. I think that in the end, the Turks will be -- they'll be satisfied if they can get some sort of agreement with the Iraqis that the Kurds are going to remain autonomous and subordinate to Baghdad. But we'll see what happens. It's just a problem we don't need.</s>HOWELL: I'd also like to get your thoughts on Ash Carter making that surprise visit to Baghdad then also visiting Erbil to talk with commanders there about that operation. Do you feel that the Americans that are involved, these air strikes that are happening overhead, is there a sense that it is effective in this sight.</s>FRANCONA: It's been effective right now. I think the big problem will be, once we get into Mosul itself how effective can the air power be. Because once you get into that rabbit war and those small buildings and narrow streets, house to house fighting, street to street fighting, it's going to be very difficult to effectively use the air power as they are using it right now. But I think Mr. Carter was smart to go up there, you know, show the flag, talk to the Kurds, talk to the Americans that are out there. And I hope he's consulting with the Iraqis on what they're doing out west. Because the original plan and he even mentioned it was to envelope the city and then launch the fight. And what the Iraqis are doing is leaving that western approach open, hoping that the ISIS fighters will eventually just run away to Syria. That's great if you're an Iraqi planner because that takes the problem out of your hand. If you're an American or coalition planner, then you've just got a problem, it's just been moved, you know, several hundred miles to the west.</s>HOWELL: You say the real fighting has yet to happen.</s>FRANCONA: Yes.</s>HOWELL: And from what we've seen from our teams on the ground, there, it's already quite a dangerous situation. So, obviously, this operation continues. CNN military analyst, Rick Francona, thank you so much for your insight today.</s>FRANCONA: Always good to be with you, George.</s>HOWELL: The refugees in Calais, France. We want to take you to France now live. You can see these images where migrants living in the refugee camp known as the jungle are now queuing up to evacuate. The authorities have given two choices. They can either choose to seek asylum within France or to return to their home countries. A large number of police are also on hand to prevent any problem should they occur. CNN's Melissa Bell is live in Calais, France following this story for us. Melissa, it is early in the morning there. Just talk to us about the situation as you see it, people queuing up to evacuate. But again, police on hand should there be any problems?</s>MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, George. The line of migrants who have taken up the French government offer of being relocated around France's region. That line ends just behind me and a steady trickle of migrants has been making its way pass this morning from the Jungle camp, which is just down the road towards this line here. They are sorted and given the choice of regions. They're then put straight on the bus and taken to those French regions. So essentially, these are the migrants, George, who have accepted the idea of giving up on their dream of getting to the United Kingdom. Much more difficult for the French authorities over the coming hours and days. It will be those that still cling to that dream, among them some of the 1,200 miners who have been in the jungle over the course of the last two days. We caught up with a couple of them. As far as the eye can see, the jungle in Calais will soon be no more. Its 1,300 unaccompanied children are hoping that means they'll soon be in the UK. Like 14-year-old Muhammad who cross 12 countries in 75 days with just one idea in mind.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to join to my uncle. I'm so tired here. I left more than one year ago but I didn't arrive to my uncle yet. I love football. But I want to play football. And I want to rest in peace.</s>BELL: So far though, he said he's had no help from authorities. He's been trying to get to U.K. for a year now waiting in a camp where he says only the most brutal survived.</s>BELL: Riyaz (Ph) is also 14 and from Afghanistan, he, too, has family waiting for him in England. But three months ago, he left the camp and sought refuge with a local NGO. After eight months on the road, he finally found a place to rest and much more.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They teach us French. We study here. They give us some money for our needs to buy clothes, to buy pants, shirts like this. And we are just waiting here to go to England.</s>BELL: But Riyaz (Ph) says he's been waiting too long. He's also worried that leaving the jungle, he may have made a mistake. So many of his friends, he said, have already left to start their new life on the other side of the channel.</s>BELL: Now, you can feel the frustration in both those stories, these are boys who have been told they're entitled to get to the United Kingdom under the scheme that's now underway between -- the agreement between France and the U.K. Their frustration, though, of course, over how long it's taking them and little information they're getting about the process and the progress of their application, much more worrying for French authorities are the thousands of grown up migrants who have not join this line of migrants this morning. Those seeking asylum here in France and who remain just down the road in the jungle. And what you can see all around this perimeter, George, is the growing police presence. There are 1,200 French riots police and orderly policeman docked around the camp. The police trucks have made a giant cordon around it. And over the coming hours in the next couple of days, what you're likely to see, is that this operation which is being portrayed as humanitarian operation increasingly is going to look more and more like what it is. And that is the determined effort on the part of the French authorities to clear this camp come what may.</s>HOWELL: For all we saw before again happening earlier this year, we saw that the southern side of that camp, the jungle, demolished. Again, there was resistance, then the hope is that if that there is resistance again, that it's just concerning to see this play. Obviously, the officials are there. We'll stay in touch with you as you continue to bring us reports. Thank you so much, Melissa Bell, live for us in Calais, France. Thousands of girls in Colombia are victims of sex slavery. Still ahead in a CNN special Freedom Project report. What the country is doing about it. Plus, we look at the link between the angry political rhetoric in the United States and the presidential campaign and bullying in U.S. classrooms. Stay with us.