germany coming up, 2017 promises to be an interesting year. >> clarissa, thanks for that, and thank you so much for joining me today. our coverage continues now with jake tapper. hello. i'm jake tapper in for wolf blitzer. wherever you are watching from around the world, thanks for joining us today. israel says it is pushing ahead with a plan to build hundreds of new homes in east jerusalem. despite a u.n. rez lukes condemning new settlement construction there and in the west bank with the u.s. government and international community referred to as occupied territory. the resolution has sparked a bitter rogue between the israeli prime minister and the white house. the u.s. abstained in the u.n. security council vote but the israelis wanted the u.s. to veto the measure. a spokesman said they have

ironclad information the u.s. secretly colluded with other countries to bring the resolution forward, but israelis have yet to produce any of this proof publicly and the obama administration vehemently denies the charge. white house deputy national security adviser ben rhodes went on israeli television last night to push back on netanyahu's pushback of the event as a shameful ambush. >> it's not an ambush when president obama and secretary kerry have been saying in hundreds of conversations and public comments that israeli settlement activity was pushing into the west bank in a way that was making the two-state solution unachievable over time. this was not a preferred outcome. we would have much rather there be restraint shown in that type of settlement activity and a peace process underway, but in the absence of those steps over many years, we felt compelled to abstain on this resolution. >> cnn correspondent oren lieberman is following the story

from jerusalem and elise labott from cnn live from the state department. elise, new reporting on the claims made by the israelis. what can you tell us? >> reporter: you know, jake, over the last several days the israelis have been very coy about how they know their claims that the united states, in particular secretary of state john kerry, was behind this resolution. a senior israeli official told me just a while ago that the israelis have information from arab sources that secretary kerry and his staff pushed this through kind of hiding behind the palestinians. hiding behind the egyptians, getting them to put the resolution through, and then after the egyptians took it off the table, that secretary kerry and his staff, as this israeli said, was working a covert actor in terms guesting other countries to re-introduce the resolution, and you saw that's what new zealand and others did.

but talking to u.s. officials, jake, they say that this is really just a distraction for what happened with the vote itself. which is in response to what they call excessive and really accelerated settlement growth that is really having that two-state solution, the idea of a palestinianen state, slipping away. vehemently denying the charges and saying, listen, the real issue here is that settlements need to stop, and this is an issue the whole international community voted on last week, jake. >> oren, we're hearing from the palestinian side on this. here is what a senior member of the plo told cnn this morning. take a listen -- >> this is something that israel is not used to, because it's used to getting preferential treatment, and to violating the law with impunity and we've been urging the u.s. to do what is consistent with its own long-held positions since the days of ronald reagan. every single administration has said that the settlements are illegal and must stop.

>> and executive committee member of the plo. oren, do you think a u.n. resolution changes anything on the ground for either side in this dispute? >> reporter: not really. the resolution is a guideline. it's non-binding. that's why when you hear the palestinianing talk, they'll talk about waiting and seeing what effect this resolution will have and what israel will decide to take. there's no punishment for not following it. we saw in the announcement israel will keep moving forward for building hundreds of 40e78s in jerusalem. and benjamin netanyahu is ignoring the resolution. the concern what comes next? there isn't an expectation too much will happen in the security council if anything at all under a trump administration, but the resolution is on the books which is to say there is a precedent now that israeli settlements in the west bank and east juslim are illegal. the exact wording of the resolution have no legal solidisli validity. that's not going away.

in jerusalem and around the country. >> oren lieberman and elise labo labott, thank you both. and the japanese prime minister visits pearl harbor in has harks 75 years after the attack. shinzo abe joins president obama this afternoon to visit the "uss arizona" memorial. the first sitting japanese prime minister to do that. this visit comes seven months after president obama made his historic visit to hiroshima in japan. it is meant to soothe the souls of the victims, more than 2,400 souls were lost that day, december 7, 1941, and our athena jones is in honolulu with president obama. >> reporter: hi, jake. seven months after president obama became the first sitting u.s. president to travel to hiroshima to pay respects, prime minister abe will do the same here at pearl harbor.

two historic visits that highlight the power of reconciliation to become the closests of allies. today kicks off with a bilateral meeting between the two leaders followed by a wreath laying ceremony aboard the "uss arizona" memorial and later the two will deliver remarks. before making the trip, prime minister abe said this visit would be a visit to soothe the souls of the victims. we should never repeat the ravages of the war. two themes we expect him to touch on in his remarks today. we know that he will be offering prayers to those who lost their lives in the attack, but don't expect an apology. his will be a forward-looking speech. and his visit is getting a lot of attention here in honolulu. i spoke with a 95-year-old witness to the pearl harbor attacks who told me, it's the greatest thing in the world to have abe making this trip. he said it would be a culmination of the healing between the two nations. jake? >> athena jones no honolulu,

thank you. bringing in will ripley for more on this. will, why visit pearl harbor? what is the purpose for the trip for the japanese prime minister? >> it's personal for shinzo abe. his grandfathered visited, but those visits were not publicized give ton how close the two countries were to the end of word war 2. 75 years later, president obama visited back in may and gave a speech where he talked about the importance of a world without nuclear weapons. shinzo abe expected to deliver a similar message, and this is the last opportunity for these two leaders to put this kind of public image forward before the incoming donald trump administration, and a marked shift in rhetoric where donald trump talked about an arms race, mentioned during the campaign. japan potentially arming itself with nuclear weapons, much to the horror of many in that country who remember hiroshima and nagasaki.

this is a peaceful gesture and the last opportunity for abe to do so before he focuses on moving a partnership forward with the united states under the trump administration. >> is think any backlash in japan over this visit for prime minister abe? >> reporter: there's mixed reaction. certainly among people who survived the atomic bombings. some quoted saying, this is too little, too late. why did it take 71 years for the japanese prime minister to publicly make a visit to pearl harbor. then you have another reaction from mori, the man in the photo, who famously hunged president obama. i interviewed him in hiroshima back in may saying it's a terrific and important moment for the two countries to move forward with a peaceful future. what he and many survivors are hoping for and hopes that will perhaps accomplish that. >> will ripley, thank you. coming up, king jong-un is making an ominous prediction for 2017 according to a defector.

live to the pentagon with that report. plus, some of the missing girls making their way home from africa. we'll bring you that as well.

some sad breaking news into cnn right now. actress carrie fisher has died. best known in the original "star wars" film and also a writer. her heart stopped on a transatlantic flight last week and has been in the hospital since. more on carrie fisher's life on-screen and off. >> i should have expected to find you holding the leash. >> reporter: carrie fisher won the hearts of generations at

princess leia in arguably the most beloved movie franchise ever -- "star wars." princess on-screen, hollywood royalty off it with a sharp wit and sharper pen. born with mother -- >> i saw my father. >> reporter: fisher wove her experiences as showbiz kid who strugglealed with addiction into the best-selling comedic novel "postcards from the edge." >> writing different takes on obsession. i think of that as sort of the edge and thought of it in the car one day, driving back from palm springs with the music up loud. >> reporter: fisher turned her acclaimed book into a movie stars meryl streep as a recovering addict embroiled in comic often funny mother/daughter drama. >> remember my 17th birthday party when you lifted your skirt up in front of all of those -- >> i did not lift my skirt. it twirmed up!

>> reporter: fisher poked fun at about sturdies of show business life and all manners of self-medication including taking pills to control her emotions. >> any mood stabilizer is a weight gainer. whether you feel better, then you're fat. so what you gain is a loss. it's just -- it's not a good situation. >> reporter: fisher spoke about being bipolar and often turned pain into humor. also writing, wishful drinking, and shockaholishockaholic. seemed no lack of material. after all, elizabeth taylor became her stp mother when eddie fisher remarried. briefly married to paul simon in the '80s, later gave birth to a daughter, billie kath african her relationship with agent bryan lourd and debuted in "shampoo." >> i'm like my mother. >> fisher land add mish-mash of movie roles, some stinkers, "under the rainbow," "hollywood vice squad." >> you have names for every part

of your body. >> reporter: received praise for "soap dish" and playing meg ryan's wise-cracking friend in "when harry met sally." >> someone is staring at you. >> reporter: nothing would, should, or perhaps could loom larger than fisher in "star wars." >> extraordinary entertainment filmmaking. >> do you like the princess? >> i have her over sometimes. she's a little bitchy. you know? >> reporter: nearly 40 years after making "star wars" she wrote a book based on her diaries and the for the first time revealedable intense affair with the real hans solo, harrison ford. ford has not commented. fisher spent a lifetime trying to separate the princess from the person. one wise crack at a time. >> i always felt like i was restricted, because i was -- bigger than life and it's

unpleasant. >> and cnn's paul vercammen joins me live from los angeles. paul what can you tell us? >> reporter: we just got confirmation of carrie fisher's death through a family spokesman. let me read it. with very deep sadness that billie lorde, her daughter, confirmed her beloved mother carrie fisher has passed away at 8:55 -- west coast time -- this morning. she was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. carrie fisher, 60 years old, as you pointed out earlier, jake, had been returning from london and about 20 minutes before arriving in los angeles, late last week, she suffered a massive heart attack, and she was hospitalized at ucla. >> joining me on the phone now is chris witherspoon from new york. he's an entertainment analyst and fandango correspondent. and, chris, a sad day for those of us who have followed carrie fisher's career, ever since she burst on that screen in the

original "star wars" in the late '70s. she actually had quite a long career as a script doctor, helping people get their dreams to screen, even if she didn't get credited. >> oh, yeah. carrie fish sir a phenomenal actress and people will always love her in her role at princess leia but she was a force behind the screen as well as a script doctor, as you said. several films to her name, folks would bring her and she would rework, rewrite scripts and with that kind of whit and humor. you played clips. one of my favorite thing, watch her in interviews. she has a down to earth really human way about her. she was raised by showbiz parents in that spotlight from a very young age but got the perils in hollywood in real life. end of the day, show business is life, too. it's a part of -- just being human and being down to earth is a part of every actor's journey. so having her behind the screen

with the pen writing these scripts, re-doing scripts was a perfect fit for her. >> obviously, she was only 60 years old, but had battled health problems in the past. very sad, and relatively young. >> oh, so young. also shocking that just two days ago her mother debbie reynolds put out a statement saying she was in stable condition to see this big turn in her health is shocking. the silver lining the past week and past few days seeing fans and outpouring on social media from the "star wars" fans, a loyal bunch of people that came out in droves to see "rogue one." talk of her possibly being in the next "star wars," episode 8 out next year. people can look forward to seeing that. the silver lining, seeing the support and love from the fans on social media.

>> we're starting to see some response from fans and people who knew her. here's one from william shatner. i'm deeply saddened to learn of the death of carrie fisher. i will miss our banterings. a wonderful talent and light has been extinguished. shatner famous for the "star trek" series, something of a rival to the "star wars" series. and a statement from her daughter, she was loved by the world. and she will be missed profoundly. very, very sad. we have michael musto on the phone, a columnist for out.com and joins us now. what do you think, michael, carrie fisher's legacy was? what will she be most remembered for? >> her legacy was as showbiz royalty because born to incredible parents. eddie fisher, the lounge singer and debbie reynolds the actress and became one of the biggest

actresses in hollywood thanks to "star wars" and emerged as really an acid commentator on not just showbiz but life itself and some terrible relationships, good relationships. suffered bipolar and also, of course a drug addict recovering, and was very open and honest and made it okay for people going through similar things, because she would talk openly about it in her books and interviews. >> and interesting, because she wrote the spreenplay, and book, i believe, "postcards from the '"which starred meryl streep as a kind of stand-in for her, young actress, struggling in hollywood, shirley maclaine her mother, a stand-in for her mother debbie reynolds. that film for the time was fairly open about what hollywood is really like in terms of addiction and co-dependence issues. >> it was and a brilliant book turned into an incredible film. carrie had to battle the book

people thought it was an exact auto biography and told knee was not at all and almost had to paid the price from people who felt she should have written an autobiography and thought she was. a mother that wanted her daughter to be famous but not more famous than herself. and one of the beautiful things about carrie's life, she develop add close bond with her mother debbie. an hbo documentary coming out you see the bond. carrie basically became the parent to debbie and they almost complete each other's sentences. kind of beautiful, the rapport they had. >> so tragic that debbie reynolds has outlived her daughter. something no parent ever wants. >> it's very sad, and debbie -- you know, she's older. pretty much retired from show business and this is very sad. i almost wish i hadn't told her, but, of course, she has to deal with this, and she has the love of the entire world rallying

around and saying you know, we love you, debbie, and we loved carrie so much for her whit and wisdom. >> chris, do you think that the iconic nature of the princess leia character is what kind of kept her from -- she had good roles. was in "blues brothers." in "when harry met sally" but everan iconic role lie "star wars," but many stars would dream of having a role like that? >> that princess leia character is is a role of a lifetime. i think carrie realized that. if you saw her in any of the, any of the interviews she gave for this most recent round for "star wars," she expressed how proud she was to stand in those shoes as princess lea and prin. and seeing princess leia, the way she would dress and was sort of on -- i guess unparalleled in termsing of the view we saw women at that time period, it was iconic in itself and

something she'll never be able to sort of distance herself from and was proud of it. very proud of that role and had the most incredible stories and interviews about being on-set and filming at princess leia. yeah. i think she loved that role. >> chris witherspoon, thank you, and michael musto, stay with us. carrie fisher struggled with addiction during her life, and it was in 1990 when she spoke with then cnn larry king about her addiction, and her best-selling book "postcards from the edge" which dealt with struggles and in a fictionalized way. spoke as the book was being made into a movie as we mentioned starring meryl streep. >> when did you know you were a writer? because we knew you first as an actress? >> well i was asked, actually, to write a book right after i got out of rehab about 5 1/2

years ago. it came after i had done an article in "esquire." >> you didn't know then you could write? didn't know as a kid you could write? >> yeah. i started writing when i was about, hmm -- 13 or 14, really bad poetry, which i'll be doing a small series about some day. no. i wrote very bad poetry, and, i don't know. journals that i have to burn before, if i ever get crushed in an elevator so they don't come to public light. >> but never thought you would be a best-selling writer of fiction? >> no, no. i had to be asked to do that. i don't think i ever would have had the nerve to suggest myself. >> were you surprised at the success of "postcards"? >> very much so. i mean, i did it -- i didn't think of it as book. i thought of it more as a boop so i didn't have to take it seriously when i wrote it and it was more difficult writing the second novel, because i had to

think of it as a novel and i don't like to think of anything as a novel. >> we're still here with michael musto, columnist who's on the phone. michael, there were not many people -- and actually still to this day, who are as open and honest about their struggles with bipolar disorder, about their struggling with addiction, as carrie fisher was, and that must have given a lot of people a lot of strength? >> it really did. you have to remember that when she came out with these problems, this was a time when it was a scandal, quote/unquote, for a celebrity to be bipolar or admit they had a drug prosh and were in rehab. she came right out with it. whether in a memoir or interviews, was very honest about it and took away the stigma and made people realize you're not a bad person if this is happening to you. these are problems that need to be addressed in medical and psychological ways, and she dealt with the remedies as well.

i really think she helped a lot of people by being so open. >> you listen to her in that larry king interview, 26 years ago, talking openly and honestly about just having gotten out of rehab, or when she started writing "postcards from of the edge" after rehab. you look in the paper, people are talking, i went away, had to be hospitalized for exhaustion, they think there is still a stigma about responsibly dealing with a dependence issue. we still have a long way to go to catch up with what carrie fisher was a quarter century ago. >> we do, and she told me at the time that she was dealing with a lot of insensitive journalists who just wanted to pump her for information about the drug use, and wanted her to blame other celebrities that she had either dated or hung out with for her drug use and found it really crass, because it's a very sensitive subject. but what she managed to do was break through the sensitivity with humor, and honesty, and

that was carrie's gift to the world. an asis an -- acidic take on everything that happened to her. i was hoping this late ert heart attack was another incident to have her surviving, being stronger and funnier, but that was her last moment there did seem to be something indestructible about her. you knew her. what do you think about when you think about her? >> i think that she was one of the most hilarious people you'd ever want to meet. she just had a brilliant vision. very -- hopeful. she wasn't just bitter. after all she's been through, she still was optimistic. and had a positive view of life. she even may made up with her father eddie fisher, you'll see in this hbo documentary coming out, three months before his death. they share niceties. a lovely moment and became

closer and closer to debbie her mother, just lovely to see carrie becoming the parent to her parent in a way. and becoming a grown-up. there was no more little girl floundering around. not that aspect of carrie anymore. she was very mature. >> interesting when you think of eddie fisher and shirley maclaine, like the original brangelina. two huge stars, incredibly successful child and we need to remember, of course, even though we all feel we own, or have ownership of carrie fisher, there are those who actually knew her and loved her and on a personal basis, including her bauer billie lourd. the statement. >> loved by the world and missed profoundly by her entire family. our family thanks are four thoughts and prayer. a quick break. when we come we will continue to remember an icon of so many things. strength in the face of co-dependence, an actress, writer. carrie fisher, who has passed away at the age of 60.

stay with us. take one.

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let's lose the 'anywhere, anytime' too. you can't download on-the-go, there's no dvr, yada yada yada. stream some stuff! somewhere! sometimes! you totally nailed that buddy. simple. don't let directv now limit your entertainment. only xfinity gives you more to stream to any screen. news, the sad news that actress and writer carrie fish hear died at age 60. we're going to continue to bring you more on that story in just a moment. while we're gathering elements and guests, let's turn to politics which continues. the trump team says that thomas bossert will serve as assistant to president trump for homeland security and counterteaerrorism. jeff zeleny our correspondent it covering this from florida,

where the president-elect is spending the holiday. what more can you tell us? >> reporter: last week thomas bossert met here with donald trump at mar-a-lago as he was going through his final meetings with some potential west wing advisers and named today thomas bossert to be his head of homeland security, countertear original and cyber threats. as you said. kr cyber threats so important in this era and he is from the george w. bush administration, a deputy homeland security adviser in the final years and held positions for george w. bush as well. a reliable, trusted steady hand to many established republicans in washington. many of whom are breathing a sigh of relief donald trump is bringing him aboard. jake, we're finding out some information about his position. he's going to work alongside retired lieutenant general michael flynn, who, of course harks already been named national security adviser, but donald trump is essentially

going to have those two working side-by-side, but thomas bossert is going to head up the national security threats here on the homeland, and michael flynn will be handling international threats, and that is different than is currently done in the obama administration. jake? >> jeff zeleny live from palm beach, florida. thank you so much. president-elect trump has been keep aglow pry foale, except when it comes to twitter, of course. his latest blast was towards president obama. president obama said he could have defeated donald trump with his message's hope and inclusion. >> i am confident in this vision, because i'm confident that if i -- if i had run again and articulated it, i think i could have mobilized a majority of the american people to rally behind it. >> in response, president-elect trump tweeted, "president obama

said that he thinks he would have won against me. he should say that. but i say, no way. jobs leaving, isis, obama care, et cetera." bring in our panel to discuss. wanna summers, politics reporter eugene scott and dana bash. dana, not a lot of humility from president obama. not a lot of hue mimility from president-elect trump. >> well put. from neither. having said that, given the kind of reaction that donald trump usually has from a statement like he heard from president obama, his tweet was a little tempered. >> fairly restrained nchtd yes. i think even he got that the person who was -- who was kind of getting the back of barack obama's hand is hillary clinton, and not so much donald trump. so he was a little restrained. you know what? just for everybody's, never mind it's the holidays, just sort of as our nation tries to move on, probably it's better for the

current president to stop the should have, would have, could have game, or at least wait until out of office for, i don't know, a day, a month or so. you ghknow what? he had a nice conversation with his friend. >> david axelrod. >> our colleague. when you have that comfort level, things like that come out. >> i have to say, eugene, president obama, because we are now talking about the behavior of children, president obama started it. i mean, he's the one who said, i could have beat him. not nice to hillary clinton. not nice to donald trump. >> i think what the president was trying to communicate was to dana's part, that perhaps hillary clinton was not as effective at mobilizing the obama coalition. voters still there who wanted to get behind something, but didn't seem like they had an option in this election, and i think he believes that he is the one who could have done that. >> let me change the subject a little bit to something that donald trump tweeted about his foundation, the trump foundation, this controversial

charity foundation, which he says he'd going to shut down now. he tweeted, i gave millions of dollars to the donald j. trump foundation, raised millions more, all of which given to charity and media won't report. he wasn't given any money since 2008 to the foundation. the way the foundation worked in general was, he collected money from other people and gave it. by is it important for him to shut down the foundation, do you think? >> important to him, we've reported, since donald trump was elected president there is this long slew of entanglements he has. perceived or actual conflicts of interest. it makes it important for him to shut it down, even giving away to misgivings. interesting to me about the tweet, turning it back on the media. he said i'm doing this great work. you noted, jake, the money given out since 2008 and 2009 has been other people's money, not his own money and doling out, he said, of course, it's the media's fault. he's done nothing wrong and that's the message he's sending

to americans and his supporters. >> and the charity is under investigation by the attorney general of new york, eric snyderman, hillary clinton supporter, but questions whether or not he's been self-dealing. paid for legal fees, for something completely separate. not having to do with the foundation. through the foundation, according to the great reporting of david fahrenthold paid for a giant portrait of himself. >> six-feet tall. >> is it? >> apparently. shorter than him. i guess it wasn't life size. >> i guess not. the point is, i'm sure it's done good, also some questions about how he has spent money from this foundation? >> no question. why it is under investigation, which is why it's not so easy to say i'm just shutting it down. you know, but i think that the bigger issue and the bigger question is -- whether or not this is a little bit of a teaser what could be to come? this is pretty small stuff. >> compared to the rest of his global empire? >> compared to the rest of his global empire, which is

for-profit, which is, you know, obviously, all very legal when you are a businessman to be encouraging people to give you money for your product, very different questions about that to your point before, when you're president of the united states, and so that is "the" thing we have to focus on and get the answers oorn on, allegedly we'll do soon. only 20 days? >> at some point. appreciate you being here. following breaking news of the death of "star wars" actress and famous writer carrie fish perrfisher. much more after this quick break. stay with us. your insurance company

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we are following the sad breaking news. the death of actress and author

carrie fisher who became a beloved figure to millions in the late '70s with the character princess leia, she portrayed in the "star wars" series. daughter of debbie reynolds and eddie fisher. she suffered a cardiac event ooron a flight from london to los angeles. she was just 61 years old. joinings us, cnn contradicter nischelle turner. give us a sense of the impact carrie fisher had on the industry? >> reporter: well, she had an enormous impact on the entertainment industry. she played one of the most i conic characters in princess leia, back in 1977. she beat out folksjody --

jodie foester and amy irving fo the part. just last year reprised the role in "the force awakens" and people were excited about her playing princess leia as they were when she first got the role in 1977. her career spanned so many decades. not only in movies, you mentioned she wrote many books, but she also did a lot of television. you know, she was in "the big bang theory" and actually was in london filming the third season of "catastrophe" an amazon prime television series that shoots there. definitely still a working actress. she said once, interesting in an interview with "rolling stone" she was trained in celebrity. what she knew. felt she would go into the family business. of course, her mother was debbie reynolds, her father, eddie fisher. she went into the family

business and really did well. this has been a really rough week, jake. you know, i just want to kind of lay it out to you. in the past week i have reported on the deaths of zsa zsa gabor, on george michael, comedian ricky harris and now carrie fisher. i just don't even know what's coming next. >> yeah. nischelle, stay there. i want to read from tweets sent by her former co-stars, friends, mark hamill, of course, played luke skywalker in the "star wars" franchise writes, no words, and then #devastated. a picture of him and carrie fisher from back in the day. billie d. williams, played lando in the "star wars" franchise writes, i'm deeply saddened at the news of carrie's passing. a dear friend i greatly admired. and r.i.p. carrie fisher, a brilliant, funny woman.

we will miss your humor now more 2345 than ever. she had a lot of friends in hollywood. revered her talent and also per perseverance. >> reporter: absolutely. she admitted having an affair with harrison ford when they first did "star wars" back in the day and wishes maybe she didn't say that because it got so much lengths and made so much news, but we heard from harrison ford right after she had the cardiac event on the plane, and he told us at "entertainment tonight" he was a dear, dear friend and he didn't know what to say about it. he was pulling for her. we have not heard from him yet today. this is the scene as well, jake. back in 2008 she released her book "wishful drinking" talking a lot about her career and the movie "star wars" and talked about george lucas a lot. first day on the set came in with that i conic white dress on, george said i don't think you can wear a bra yu7underneat

there. she said why? he said, i don't think they wear yu7b underwear in space to. she want 2450that to be part of obituary, that princess leia didn't wear underwear under her dress because there was no underwear in spice. >> and you just did that n nischelle. and also in news, prime minister of japan shinze abe in hawaii. it shortens colds, so you get better, faster. colds are gonna call. answer them with zicam! zicam. get your better back.

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in just moments we expect

expect to see prime minister shinzo abe at the visitors center in pearl harbor, michigan, and then visit the memorial. 975 marines were killed during attack. here with me is the associate for northeast asia and the asia pamela at the woodrow wilson international study. thanks to being here. appreciate it. this is the most public visit to the the site of the pearl harbor attack by a sitting japanese prime minister ever. what's the significance? >> it's important because it's following on the visit by president obama to hiroshima this last spring i think there was no conditionality attached but it's appropriate for the president and prime minister to acknowledge we've gone from adversaries in a devastating war to deep close allies today. >> what do you think about the importance of this? >> it brings the relationship to

a full circle. for the united states, pearl harbor remains the touchstone moment in world war ii history. for japan it's hiroshima and nagasaki so the two adversaries were able to see eye to eye if not necessarily apologize about those incidents and be prepared to be able to move on and build on a new relationship. >> and president obama visited hiroshima in august. let's play a clip of president obama talking at the site of that memorial. >> since that fateful day we have made choices that give us hope. the united states and japan forged not only an alliance but a friendship that has won far more for our people than we could ever claim through war. >> how was that trip received in

japan? >> very well. japanese public opinion received it favorably and i this i that what the japanese government is hoping for and certainly prime minister abe is hoping for is a similar kind of response by the american media to his visit to pearl harbor today. >> and do you think that will happen? >> i think it will be covered and i think attention will be given as we're given now. i don't think it will have the same depth of meaning it had for the japanese people who had wished for a long time, i think, the american president would acknowledge what happened at his and nagasaki. but both the prime minister and president meeting with survivors, survivors of hiroshima, survivors of pearl harbor, so for members of that generation who fought and experienced the war, it's a very important step. >> president obama and prime minister abe have worked very closely together. they've had a good working relationship. prime minister abe i believe was the first foreign leader to visit president-elect trump. but president-elect trump is a

candidate who has talked about the need in his view for japan to pay for all of the price of u.s. bases in japan, the possibility of japan needing to get its own nuclear weapons. how do you see this relationship going forward? >> i think the president-elect has walked back just a little bit from some of the campaign statement he is made about japan. he met with prime minister abe. i think president bush fehe fels valued but we're moving into an area where the u.s. and japan will have to work closely together. china is rising, there's ambiguity about what our policy will look like so i expect mr. abe want to make sure he and mr. trump see eye to eye on how the alliance should be strengthened in the future. >> how do you see the relationship moving forward given the fact that president-elect trump has given the comments about japan needing to do more? >> two things that have been of concern to the japanese public during trump's presidential campaign, one was about the

alliance and the strength of u.s./japan partnership. on the military side. the second is economic relations specifically on trades and as we know president-elect trump has been very anti-trade, anti-tpp, the transpacific trade deal. japan still hopes the tpp will move forward and the meeting trump had with abe, that was one of the issues that was raised. we hope that there will be some kind of breakthrough in trade relations between the two countries to have some kind of trade deal but it -- there is a lot of concern about how these economic relations will move forward. >> all right, shihoko and sheila, thank you so much. appreciate your time. 21 girls kidnapped by the terrorist group boko haram finally return home. they were taken from their boarding school in chibok, nigeria, more than two years ago, there was a proof of life video relieved at the time. their captivity started a movement on social media with

the hashtag "bring back our girls." cnn's isha sesay was at the reunion in this exclusive report. >> reporter: after almost two and a half years in boko haram captivity, at last it's time to go home. having covered the chibok girls' abduction from the beginning, i'm going to make the long journey from abuja to chibok with them. you're going home. how are you feeling? somebody tell me what is the feeling in your heart right now? >> i'm happy. >> reporter: for all the talk of excitement, some of these girls are also nervous. don't be nervous, don't be afraid. behold your faith. you called on to your faith, okay? okay? the same faith that kept you all those months. with the girls on the move, there are more smiles as they

chat and giggle freely amongst themselves. once we land, the girls are welcomed by some of the chibok community leaders as well as the governor of the state. the road to chibok too dangerous to travel after dark. the girls spend the night at a local hotel. outside, a large security cordon is put in place. inside, with their journey delayed, they gathered in one room to do what they were unable to do while in boko haram captivity. ♪ ♪ i learned from rebecca and glory they were singing local christian hymns. while in captivity, their christianity was not tolerated by the boko haram terrorists. what have you been doing since you were in abuja? >> in abuja, we are grateful for them because they protect good,

they have done good for us and when we were in abuja we are playing football. we have english scholars. we learn how to speak in english and write in english. >> reporter: but you guys look so different since i saw you in october. how are you feeling now from that time to now? >> we are feeling beautiful because since we came we -- >> reporter: you can tell me. because you are beautiful. the next morning, a military convoy escorts the girls to chibok, a place that holds the promise of long-awaited family reunions and memories of a fateful night. so the convoy has stopped in a town about an hour away from chibok. the movement through these

parts, a well-armed convoy, is drawing attention from passersby. as we enter chibok town, locals wave excitedly, welcoming their girls home. the moment of reunion eventually arrives. the room almost vibrating with the sound of unbridled joy. but for some waiting parents, heart break. these women have come looking for their daughters who are still being held by boko haram. they'd thought their children were among the group who were coming home for christmas. there has been such an outpouring of grief amid the joy. the piercing screams of mothers realizing that, indeed, they are not to be reunited with their daughters on this day which has

turned what should have been an overwhelmingly happy moment into a bittersweet one. for rebecca and her father, the nightmare is over and her father is overcome with feelings of gratitude. given all they have endured, the mental and physical abuse at the hands of their captors, the years of painful separation from their loved ones, this reunion here in chibok moves these fractured families and their community a step closer to wholeness. isha sesay, cnn, chibok, nigeria. >> our thanks to isha sesay for that report. that's it for me. i will be back at 4:00 p.m. eastern on "the lead." the news continues here on cnn. thanks for watching. hello, i'm martin savidge in for brooke baldwin.

we have breaking news. acclaimed actress and author carrie fisher has died. the iconic starlet who portrayed princess leia in the "star wars" series passed away after stuffing a heart attack aboard a los angeles-bound flight four days ago. she was 60 years old. stephanie elam takes a look back at her life. >> i should have expected to find you holding vader's leash. >> reporter: carrie fisher won the hearts of generations as princess leia in arguably the most beloved movie franchise ever -- "star wars." princess on screen, hollywood royalty off it, with a sharp wit and sharper pen. fisher was born in beverly hills. mother, actress debbie reynolds. father, singer eddie fisher. >> i was primarily brought up by my mother but i saw my father. >> reporter: fisher wove her experiences as a show biz kid who struggled with addiction into the best-selling comedic novel "postcards from the edge." >> i was writing different takes on obsession so i