Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Pakistani Court Sentences Five American Muslims for Planning Terror Attacks; Train of Death; Italy Out of World Cup
Aired June 24, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: A Pakistani court hands out decade long sentences to five American Muslims for planning terror attacks. It's the latest case to amplify worries about radical Islam in the West. But the trail goes back to Pakistan. Tonight, we explore what makes training camps there a breeding ground for global terror and what is being done about it.
On CNN, this is the hour we connect the world.
Well, for many years the consensus was that American Muslims are not as prone to radicalization as their European counterparts. Well, alarmingly, that notion is no longer true.
With the wider ramifications of that story, I'm Becky Anderson in London.
Also tonight, welcome to the train of death. You will not want to miss Karl Penhaul's report on how Mexicans take the ultimate risk to pursue their American dream.
A dramatic day in sports. Defending champion Italy says ciao to the World Cup.
Plus, a never ending game at Wimbledon finally does end after 11 hours and some. We'll weigh that against other exhausting records from an expert from the "Guinness Book of World Records."
As always, get with the program. Connect with us. I'm on Twitter atbeckycnn.
Well, first up, it seems all it took was Internet access to set them on a path of terror. Five American men are heading to prison in Pakistan after a court there convicted them of conspiring to carry out attacks far from their homes in Virginia.
Nic Robertson joining us now from Istanbul with the details -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, these five men came from Virginia and the United States. They came late last year. They made contact via the Internet with a known radical jihadist with ties to al Qaeda here in Pakistan. Possibly, he had seen some of their postings and reached out and recruited them -- part of a growing trend.
But they themselves became part of a growing trend by coming to Pakistan and apparently, certainly as the prosecution has alleged, trying to get terror training here. But they were picked up -- picked up early December last year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Six months since their arrest, they now face up to 10 years in jail, found guilty of planning a terror attack in Pakistan and funding a terror group. The DC5 are all young Americans from Virginia. Their parents notified Muslim leaders when they discovered them missing, who, in turn, contacted the FBI. Soon, the families found out where they had gone.
The final stages of their trail held away from cameras inside their jail.
HASSAN DASTAGIR KATCHELA, DEFENSE BARRISTER: Hello.
How are you doing?
ROBERTSON: At a hearing in May, their defense lawyer told me he would win their case, get them set free.
KATCHELA: (INAUDIBLE) are the e-mails produced by the prosecution showing the alleged contact between the accused and the terrorists is a fake one.
ROBERTSON (on camera): Fake?
KATCHELA: Yes. It's fabricated (INAUDIBLE).
ROBERTSON (voice-over): He planned to show the five were tortured into making false confessions.
KATCHELA: But once it is proved that the evidence is fake and the evidence has been procured through torture.
ROBERTSON: In statements the lawyer showed me, the five claim they'd gone to Pakistan for a wedding, planning a short visit to Afghanistan.
(on camera): He says he -- "We saw images and reports of the less fortunate overseas in Afghanistan. It was almost as if we felt we owed something to the men, women and children -- some sort of effort to assist them in any way possible. And furthermore, to get an opportunity to visit Afghanistan and perhaps work in an orphanage or perform other humanitarian works."
(voice-over): Prosecutors won their argument that the five Americans planned to do more than offer humanitarian help. They contacted a wanted jihadist with ties to al Qaeda and they had the e-mails and receipts to prove it -- a point the prosecutor was confident of at the hearing back in May.
(on camera): Are these men innocent or guilty?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guilty, guilty. A hundred percent guilty.
ROBERTSON: How do you know for sure?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you mean?
ROBERTSON: How do you know for sure that they are guilty?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we produced all of the (INAUDIBLE) regarding e-mails and regarding the contact with our bus driver (INAUDIBLE).
ROBERTSON: But they say they were they're going to go to Pakistan for humanitarian reasons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no. They can't prove anything like this.
ROBERTSON: And, in the end, the judge agreed. The five are not giving up. They vow to appeal.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ROBERTSON: But the political climate may be stacked against them. Pakistan is under huge international pressure to close down al Qaeda and other terror training camps on its territory. But despite the wishes of the United States to see the men returned there for trial and for investigation, it appears that Pakistan is intent and showing that it is getting tough on terror -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Fascinating stuff.
Nic Robertson for you in Islamabad.
Let's join the dots a bit on this story, shall we?
The DC5 case intensifying concerns about Muslims in America being radicalized at home. One analyst says the United States must wake up and realize it can't insulate itself from the current effect -- the currents affecting young Muslims everywhere else. Well, consider these recent cases then.
American-born Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan is accused of going on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, killing 13 people.
US resident Najibullah Zazi appeared to be an innocuous airport shuttle driver in Colorado. He, though, has pleaded guilty to plotting to bomb targets in New York.
Then there is American citizen David Coleman Headley. He's admitted to involvement in two international terror plots -- the deadly siege of Mumbai and a planned attack in Denmark.
And, finally, Bryant Neal Vinas, a Muslim convert from Long Island, he pleaded guilty to receiving terror training from al Qaeda and conspiring to kill U.S. soldiers.
The common thread in all of these cases, their connection to Pakistan. Many aspiring terrorists turn to militants there for training.
Our Chris Lawrence found out how Pakistani terror camps are able to operate despite efforts by two governments now to wipe them out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pakistan's terrorist training camps have evolved from al Qaeda's large, elaborate camps.
(on-camera): These aren't the sprawling compounds that we saw before 9/11, right?
JEFF DRESSLER, INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR: No, no. These are much smaller. Those are going to be easy to target by drone strikes.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): Analyst Jeff Dressler says terrorists adapted to those strikes by making their camps more mobile.
DRESSLER: A lot of these training camps where they're -- they're learning, you know, suicide tactics and bombing skills are small compounds, small houses, apartments.
LAWRENCE: Look at the red dots on this map of Pakistan. These were the known locations of terrorist camps early last year. But a record number of U.S. Drone strikes started hitting the area. Those attacks and Pakistan's military offensive shut some camps down, but where you see the green dots, moved them north.
Terrorism analyst Jeff Dressler says al Qaeda is now getting local militant groups to join its global fight. Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish- e-Mohammed had almost exclusively focused their attacks inside Pakistan.
DRESSLER: Have voiced their -- their concern or their -- their desire to focus on Western targets in conjunction with al Qaeda. That's a troubling development that has really just happened over the past few years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, our next guest says that Pakistan has become, in fact, the epicenter of transnational terrorism.
Our expert, Sajjan Gohel, is our big thinker on the story tonight.
And he joins us here in London.
Chris Lawrence's report, does that -- does that resonate?
SAJJAN GOHEL, TERRORISM EXPERT: Well, unfortunately, it does. And that's the sort of tragic reality that the West is now having to deal with, that so many individuals from the U.K., the U.S., have traveled to Pakistan for terrorist training, for ideological guidance. They come back to their countries to try and carry out a mass casualty attack.
And the worry is that it's no longer just about al Qaeda Central. There are so many other terrorist outfits involved, like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and also both the Afghan and Pakistan Taliban. They've been involved in recruiting Westerners and this problem is continuing to grow and expand.
So even though al Qaeda's camps may be affected and their trainers are being eliminated, those other groups still remain very active.
ANDERSON: Why is it Pakistan that is terror central?
I mean I guess you're talking about these groups and if you've got a - - you know, if all of these groups are -- are there specifically, then I -- I guess that's probably the answer to the question.
But is it bigger than that?
GOHEL: Go back to the optimar (ph) for the September 11th attacks. The United States turned to the military ruler of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, to become the solution to the problem, to assist in dismantling the Taliban, to reform Pakistan, to ensure that the terrorist infrastructure in the countries -- in the country becomes dismantled.
But Musharraf did, in effect, the opposite. He muzzled the media, suspended the constitutions twice, sacked supreme court judges, arrested politicians. The irony is that the only groups that remained free and active were those that preached and practiced terrorism.
So basically Pakistan is now seeing the legacy of Musharraf's reign and that's having an impact negatively, regionally in Afghanistan and India, and transnationally with the fact that so many plots are being linked back to Pakistan, connected to the U.S. and the U.K.
ANDERSON: Yes, and the U.S. is the interesting one, because we've heard the story of the U.K. and, to a certain extent, Europe, where we've seen the gaining of ground for radical Islam for some time.
The U.S. is an interesting one and one that surprises people.
Why?
GOHEL: Many people in the U.S. assumed that the Muslim communities there were not prone to being radicalized, that they were integrated into Western society, that they lived part of the American dream. And largely that is true. But you're dealing with the recruitment of a few individuals that are capable of creating enormous consequences politically and socially.
And it's the ideology that is having an impact on them. And one of the main tools to get that ideology, to indoctrinate young impressionable Americans, is the Internet.
In all the cases that were mentioned earlier, such as the DC5 or David Headley or Faisal Shahzad in the Times Square plot, they were all communicating with people in Pakistan through the Internet. The cyber world has become the form of communication and guidance and for preparing terrorist related plots.
ANDERSON: Are we talking about tens, hundreds or thousands of people here?
And Sajjan, what can be done about it, I guess, is the -- the final question?
GOHEL: Well, I would say that you're dealing with several hundred. That is the -- the concern that the authorities have. They haven't even been able to establish a full fix as to how many people traveled to Pakistan for terrorist-related purposes.
If you look at the U.K., for example, there are some 400,000 visits every year. On average, people spend 40 days there.
The question is that, does the Pakistani military have the desire and the commitment to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure?
Unfortunately, they view them as strategic assets to give them a depth such as they -- how they used the Taliban in the mid-'90s in Afghanistan. Until they view these groups as dangerous institutions that are posing a threat to Pakistan's own stability, this problem will continue to grow. And I don't think the Pakistani military views it that way. And, unfortunately, we will see more plots in the West, especially in the U.S., that have a link back to Pakistan.
ANDERSON: fascinating stuff.
Sajjan Gohel, as ever, a regular guest on this show.
we thank you very much, indeed for your analysis.
Well, if you thought you had a chance of a better education, a better life, a better job, would you risk your life?
Well, for these people, a treacherous train journey is worth it for the American dream. Our series on Mexico continues, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All this week, we are taking you to the front lines of a war being wages on the streets of Mexico. Mexico's violent drug war is not only tearing the country apart, it's threatening an entire region.
Karl Penhaul's series of reports kicked off with how ordinary people are caught up in the crossfire and paying the price -- loved ones killed and families left to mourn.
Well, Tuesday, we got an insight into the art of survival -- how bodyguards in Mexico are trained to have their fingers on the trigger to protect their clients.
And killing not just people, but also business -- Karl gave us an insight yesterday into the war's impact on livelihoods.
Well, risking death for the so-called American dream is Karl's focus today. Tens of thousands of migrants across Central and South America have climbed aboard a train hoping for a better life in the U.S.
Karl joined a group on this treacherous journey and he found that surviving the trip is just one of the many dangers that they encounter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some call it the beast. To others, it's the train of death. But to all these illegal migrants, it's a free ride bound for their American dream of washing dishes, picking lettuce or carrying bricks.
ELVIN CHINCHILLA, ILLEGAL MIGRANT: If we work under the sun and other things over there now, if you -- if you -- if you're born over there, your life is going to be different. You're going to work in Arby's, go to a nice high school, go to a nice college, you know?
But I didn't think we're spending the money or the job, you know.
PENHAUL: Like Elvin, most aboard are from Central American countries like Guatemala and Honduras. They'll spend days clinging to cargo trains as they grind through Southern Mexico up toward the U.S. border. Human rights groups estimate thousands have died falling from trains like this, some of them mutilated under its wheels.
En route to the U.S. border, many more have been robbed, raped and kidnapped. The Mexican authorities do little to prevent them riding or to deter gangs from preying on them. And when I caught up with this group of migrants at a free hostel in Southern Mexico, I wondered why they were ready to sacrifice so much.
CHINCHILLA: The (INAUDIBLE) it's real -- it's a really American thing, because you can make money and live better, help your people over here.
PENHAUL: Elvin once worked in the U.S. before being jailed on a drug and drunk driving charge and later deported.
CHINCHILLA: I now want to do the things right this time. And I don't want to get in trouble again. Yes, we're funny. I'm not -- I don't think I'm a bad person. I just like to drink sometimes. I make mistakes like every single person in the world, you know?
PENHAUL: A card game to kill the hours before the train pulls out.
Antonio has also lived in the States. In the U.S., he can earn more in a day than in a whole week back home. He proudly tells me he was employee of the year at an Appleby's restaurant in Michigan.
ANTONIO GUZMAN, ILLEGAL MIGRANT (through translator): They put up a plaque in the lobby. There was only one Hispanic name up there and it was mine.
PENHAUL: Greville from Honduras is a first-timer. He's traveling alone but makes new friends when he raps about his tough upbringing.
GREVILLE BUESO, ILLEGAL MIGRANT (through translator): I've heard people saying nice things about America, like it's another world. So I want to see for myself and try my luck.
PENHAUL: By next morning, hope has become apprehension. They wait by the tracks. Some smoke a marijuana joint to calm their nerves. Elvin, stony-faced, and Greville has just seen the beast (ph) to the first train. He says he's fighting to jump onto the train. I scramble onto the train. I tie myself on for safety. I got off at an unscheduled stop a few hours later.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bye-bye.
PENHAUL: I heard the train arrived without incident in the (INAUDIBLE).
(on camera): It's been a tough 12 hour ride to get here, but the migrant still faces many more days of travel to get to the U.S. border.
(voice-over): A few nights later, another group of migrants who boarded the train of death were not so lucky. The train pulled out around midnight. When I caught up with it at first light, there was clearly something wrong. Only a handful of people were still aboard. As they straggled into this migrant hostel in Ictipec (ph), they claimed about 60 federal police and a heavily armed civilian gang had held up the train.
JORGE REGALADO, ILLEGAL MIGRANT (through translator): They began pulling people off the train and they fired two shots. We ran to escape, but they grabbed a lot of people.
PENHAUL: The migrants believe as many as 100 of their fellow travelers were kidnapped, including this man's sister.
RUBEL MORENO, ILLEGAL MIGRANT (through translator): I thought this is as far as I go. I thought that this was the end. I was thinking about how to escape, because I didn't know whether they were police or kidnappers.
PENHAUL: As they rest after their scare, we check what might have happened. The immigration department of federal police said there had been no official operation or arrests. A week later hostel workers told me the detained migrants had been robbed, but were freed after human rights workers had lodged formal complaints.
Fernando Batista, a senior government human rights official, is visiting the hostel. He says corrupt Mexican authorities frequently conspire with kidnap gangs.
FERNANDO BATISTA, GOVERNMENT HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL (through translator): The migrants are extremely vulnerable and there are cases where federal and local authorities, far from doing their job of preventing crime, are colluding with those people committing these crimes.
PENHAUL: Father Alejandro Saolalinde has been giving migrants a free meal and a bed at this hostel for the last five years. Bitter experience tells him they will press on despite the risks, rather than go home to poverty.
REV. ALEJANDRO SOLALINDE, MIGRANT HOSTEL FOUNDER (through translator): This is an interminable exodus. It never ends. But I'm sure they're going to make history. They're going to rebuild America.
PENHAUL: But before they make that history or achieve their own, more modest dreams, these poor migrants must first survive the train of death.
Karl Penhaul, CNN.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, it's an incredible story, isn't it?
Find out more about what it was like for Karl to ride the train -- the train of death on "BACK STORY." That is coming up in about 40 minutes from now.
And tomorrow, how the pursuit of a dream turned into a nightmare. Karl meets a Mexican migrant who lost both his legs riding the train of death and introduces us to a woman whose life is dedicated to helping migrants who've lost their limbs in search of a better life.
Well, his report from Mexico on the desperate lengths people go to for a chance at a better life resonates around the world. Here are just a few examples of the treacherous journeys that immigrants risk to make their lives better -- crammed into a wooden boat, these ethnic Rehenia (ph) refugees were fleeing misery and persecution in Myanmar. They told officials back in March they were at sea for 45 days, during which time one refugee died. Well, after arriving off the coast of neighboring Thailand, they say the Thai Navy towed them far out to sea and cut them adrift, leaving them in a perilous situation.
Well, each year, many Somalis try and make the deadly crossing to Yemen. Here, lucky survivors received medical treatment. According to the UN, in the first quarter of this year, 300 -- 302,000 -- I'm sorry, I've got the number wrong. Three hundred and two thousand Somalis reached the shores of Yemen. But that's down significantly on last year.
And in the port of Cali in Northern France, many risk death trying their luck on the undersides of trucks, hoping to be carried as stowaways to England.
Well, the mighty have fallen. They steamrolled to a World Cup victory in 2006, but this year, Italy takes a beating. Slovakia sends the reigning champ packing. That's coming up.
Your World Cup roundup, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right, we've got two World Cup matches just wrapped up with two more teams advancing to the knockout stage in Grebis (ph).
Japan went 2-0 up over Denmark in the first half and never looked back. The Danes got on the board thanks to a quick attack after a blocked penalty kick. But Japan responded with another goal minutes later.
A win 3-1, the Netherlands had already secured their place in the knockout phase as they faced Cameron. (INAUDIBLE) at the Dutch side on the board first. But then Samuel Etoo tied the match on a penalty kick. At the 55th minute, the Netherlands went ahead for good interest final minutes, 2-1 the score there.
Well, there's been other matches.
Let's take a closer look at what's been happening in South Africa.
Alex Thomas joining us from Johannesburg -- my goodness, Alex, tell us -- well, start off, at least, by telling us about that Italian game today.
It was quite remarkable, wasn't it?
ALEX THOMAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. We now know who 12 of the last 16 countries at this 2010 World Cup will be. And the defending champions won't be one of them.
Just hot on the head -- hot on the heels of France's shock exit from this tournament, Italy are also -- have also failed to go through. Now the match at Johannesburg wasn't at Soccer City Stadium behind me. Let's take a look at the city's other venue, Ellis Park, normally renowned for rugby and certainly we've got a rough field here in this one.
A mistake from Janielica Wasi (ph) allowing Slovakia's Robert Vitter to go one mil (ph) up in the 25th minute. Italy's Marcello Lippi (ph) can't believe his bad luck. The Italy coach practicing more pain in the second half, when he (INAUDIBLE) as a second again beating Federico Marchetti in Italy's goal. It was getting pretty bad for Italy into the final 10 minutes. They (INAUDIBLE) a goal back to Antonio Di Nitale. Two on the score in Slovakia's favor and the Eastern European country increases their lead through Camile Supanek (ph) in the final minute of the game. 3- 1 up Slovakia. Italy, battling for their World Cup lives, get on the score sheet once more through Fabio Cannavaros. One more goal would have put Italy through, but they couldn't get it. It ends, Slovakia 3, Italy 2, the full time score. It means Paraguay and Slovakia go through. Italy (INAUDIBLE) their group even below 73rd -- the 78th ranked country in the world, New Zealand -- Becky, would you believe?
ANDERSON: I mean it -- it's quite remarkable, I've got to say. The Kenyans have had a tremendous tournament, as well.
It does seem remarkable. You've got like sort of all of Europe playing terrible football at the moment. The Netherlands, though, just completing their game -- a lot of interest in that one.
What was that like?
THOMAS: Yes, I mean it wasn't the most crucial match in that Group P. That was between Denmark and Japan, Japan winning 3-1 to seal their place.
But who would finish top of the group?
Cameron already out because of their poor performance, not living up to expectations again.
Well, let's take a look at the action in that one. Holland against Cameron. And as expected, it was Holland who made the better start, Robin Van Persie with a neat into the plate with Rafael van der Vaart before the Oslo man fired the shots past Cameron's goal keeper. Even in the replay, it looked like a nice finish and Van Persie trying to find his feet now at this World Cup.
Later in the second half, a free kick for Cameron and the referee judges a handball against van der Vaart. And it looks like he might have been (INAUDIBLE) from his face, but Etoo makes no mistake from the penalty spot. Samuel actually getting on the score sheet. This Cameron side is full of promise, but not living up to it.
And although it's won all that stage, Holland weren't finished. A second goal coming from Klaus Janhuntalar (ph) before the end. The final score, Cameron 1, Holland 2, Becky.
It's Holland and Japan that progress in Group P. But as you say, the story of day 14 here at this World Cup, Italy out. A football mad nation - - it's almost religion to them. The Italians, like the French, will play no further part at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
ANDERSON: Yes, remarkable stuff.
Alex has been Tweeting while he's been down in South Africa. I've been watching the games from this part of the world and Tweeting, as well, atbeckycnn. I'm asking, what's happened to Old Europe?
All right, we've got Holland going through there and playing decent football.
What happened, though, to Italy?
What happened to France?
What happened to England and Germany?
We've only just made it through. Atbeckycnn. Let me know what you think.
Why is Old Europe playing -- well, I won't tell you what I'm going to call it, but it was not very good football.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: It's 9:32 in London. I'm Becky Anderson. You're back with "Connect the World" here in CNN. They must be exhausted. The longest professional tennis match in history comes to an end after more than 11 hours of play. That's coming up.
Also, our (inaudible) on childhood. Obesity takes us to Mexico this evening. We'll check out what school canteens are serving up around the world.
Plus, we'll take your questions to our connect to today's Don Cheadle. Find out how one movie role inspired him to stand up for humanitarian causes. Those are stories are ahead in the next half hour.
First, let me get you a quick check of the headlines.
A man is being taken into custody near the site of the G20 meeting in Toronto, Canada. Police made the arrest after the search of the suspect's car uncovered several cans of gasoline and a number of weapons including a cross (inaudible). Authorities say there's nothing at this stage to connect him for this weekend's summit.
Pakistani court has sentenced five American students of 10 years each in prison after convicting them of conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks. Prosecutors say they plan to travel to Afghanistan to join out with militants there fighting NATO troops. The men say they are innocent and they have planned to appeal.
The difference four years makes the reigning World Cup champ go down in flames. An exit (inaudible) moving to Slovakia today 3-2 and they're looking for a faceoff between Paraguay and New Zealand. Paraguay (vamp) New Zealand down (inaudible) for them. They have really good (inaudible).
So (inaudible) the World Cup. This is the sports story. We are all talking about certainly in London here today. Terry Baddoo report the hottest (ticket) in town was right here at Wimbledon. Round one caught 18.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TERRY BADDOO (voice-over): The match began on Tuesday evening when (Isner) claimed a routine 6-4 win in the first set in front of a capacity crowd of only 782 on court 18. Mahut then took the second set 6-3 before there was a hint of things to come when Mahut took the third in a tie break.
But by the time play was called for the night after 2 hours 54 minutes, they were all square at 2 sets all. After (Isner) took the fourth in another tie break. What followed on Wednesday was one of the most extraordinary contest in the history of sports.
A fifth set war (inaudible) smashed all tennis records. I would not even produce a winner by day's end. When play was stopped due (inaudible) with a score tied at an incredible 59 all in a match that already lasted 10 hours.
PAT CASH, 1987 WIMBLEDON CHAMPION: Well, the plays - coming into the locker room. I went up to do some practice. I come inside to the match, came back and had a look and I went, my God, it's still going. And this would happen (inaudible) the guys are going to play - they play four-hour match, four sets match coming absolutely exhausted, look up for the screen and go - they're still going on this set. It was unbelievable.
BADDOO: (Inaudible), the resolution of the battle royal on Thursday coincided with the visit of an actual Royal. Britain's Queen Elizabeth who was attending Wimbledon for the first time since 1977, and yet, the match up rose to the occasion again.
Mahut and (Isner) playing on for another 20 games spending 1 hour and 5 minutes and for Isner took the honors 70-68. The match lasted for a record 11 hours 5 minutes and (inaudible) they set the records 215 aces. With this they're hitting 112 and Mahut 103. In addition, they set a new record for games in a match with 183 and smashed the record for most games in a set with 138.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was fantastic. It was really, you know, you're up to your feet and you thought how they have gotten enough energy left now to carry on and it was so even (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, when Mahut - the pictures taken by the scores cards and (inaudible) -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) and people behind -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A magnificent back hand cross right down the line on the (spring). I never forget the match neither will anyone else.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BADDOO: The marathon - tennis marathons will probably reignite the discussion over whether Wimbledon should follow the example of U.S. open and introduce a fifth set tie break. That said, a breaker would not have gotten this much attention and with Wimbledon competing this year with the World Cup for an audience. This match has certainly put the championships on the map. Terry Baddoo, CNN, Wimbledon.
ANDERSON: All right, let's take a look at some of the epic games in sporting history, but in Cricket, a South Africa versus England Match in Dervin (ph) went on for nine days. It was back in 1939. It was agreed a draw as England had to catch boat home apparently.
The 1985 Snooker World Championship in the Schefield (ph) was one to remember. Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis, I do remember this played for 14 hours and 15 minutes in a 35 frame match.
And in baseball, the longest professional game is in the Minor Leagues and it went on for 33 innings over 3 days in 1981. The Wimbledon match up no less than 12 new records during that (inaudible). Talk a bit more about this Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday, who is in New York for us this evening.
I guess, this is going to make into the (inaudible) for a whole number of reasons.
CRAIG GLENDAY, GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS: Well, yes, 12 times over, I mean, it's one awesome three days of tennis really. Awesome (three days) of sports for the tennis particularly, 12 Guinness world records set.
I guess the key ones versus the longest match. The 11 hours and 5 minutes, but of course, that's a Wimbledon - that's a Wimbledon record. It's also the grand slum record and it's also just professional tennis record. They have one game (inaudible) records.
They have the most games played on the (inaudible) that's two more records, the most (inaudible). It just goes on and on. I'd like to give itself a number of records, just carry on coming so - and great day - of two days of tennis.
ANDERSON: Where you'd you put it? It was in the context of sort of great sporting marathon moments, Craig?
GLENDAY: I mean, it's almost - it just go on and on especially Wimbledon because there is no tie break so - and the first one with it. But actually we have two different types of sport records. One is professional, are you played by the rules and the second is you can just play and play and play. So we have matches that go on for days and days and days.
For me my favorite is probably the ice hockey. The ice hockey marathon was last with (inaudible) 41 hours of solid playing that's commitment (inaudible) an 82 hour game of baseball and 170 hours of (lawn) bowling.
They present to some - how do you stay awake for that one. I'm not sure of it.
ANDERSON: Listen, there's a long, long, long sporty events. What are some of the most bizarre sporting moments you've got records of?
GLENDAY: Well, we covered all sorts. I mean, again, one of my favorite is (inaudible) bizarre sport. Things like wife carrying competitions, the fastest time to carry your wife over an assault course. You have your cellphone throwing, how far can you throw your cellphone.
There's a (inaudible) world championship (inaudible) considered a sport. (Inaudible) kicking in the U.K. is a very, very old Olympic sport where you have to kick as many people in the sheen as possible. It was last man standing. Camel wrestling. Here's another good one, camel wrestling in Turkey. So there's no - almost no limit to - if you can imagine - give a score.
ANDERSON: Craig, is there anything too stupid to not make it as it were?
GLENDAY: I mean, we have a thousand claims in the office every week and we have to reject 95 percent of what we get because it's too dangerous, too stupid. So when you see things like camel wrestling, you realized that's the cream of the crop.
ANDERSON: We're going to leave at that. We thank you very much indeed for joining us. Craig Glenday out of New York on the Guinness Book of Records for us this evening. Fantastic stuff.
Turning kids onto healthier eating. Mexico takes on the challenge, but vendors and their tempting treats may prove a weighty hurdle. That is next here on "Connect the World." You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: For all this week, we've been exploring the global epidemic of childhood obesity. It's a life and death issue in the U.S. where nearly one third of American kids are overweight or obese. We showed you the toll extra weight is taking on a 12-year-old boy from the inside out.
On Tuesday, we took you to China where four young women who once sang about their size and now slimming down. They are hitting gym, watching their diets and spending up to a year in the weight loss hospital.
And on Monday, we told you about an American teenager whose weight soared to 200 kg. She was ordered the controversial surgery to slim down and says it is changing her life and her outlook.
Well, Mexico is our stopping point today and our week long look at the childhood obesity. Should these snacks are tempting treats to school kids and (inaudible) everywhere I guess too tempting. But can parents and the government transform eating habits.
Coleen McEdwards report the new health guidelines there may provide a recipe for change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The school day has ended in Mexico City and the children ran outside to meet their parents, but also waiting are dozens of vendors selling not so healthy treats mostly because high fat, high calorie foods are so readily available. That's a higher rate than even the United States.
To address the problem, the Mexican Health Department has issued new rules that would prohibit the sale of softdrinks and sugary treats inside schools. But what about outside the school?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): You can see how many vendors are out here selling junk food. The government should also control what's being sold outside the schools.
MCEDWARDS: Official say parents can also make a difference by changing bad habits and providing their children healthier options.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): As parents, this change must begin at home. Take away unhealthy foods and offer them more fruits and vegetable.
MCEDWARDS: Consumer groups and many parents support these new rules, but say, more needs to be done to address the child obesity problem head on.
ALEJANDRO CALVILLO, CONSUMER ADVOCATE (through translator): The issue of advertising these products directly to children must be addressed and it's not just television. We're talking about ads and billboards and web sites designed specifically for children.
MCEDWARDS: Not helping matters is the close relationship between these kinds of food and the sports world.
JULIETA PONCE, NUTRITION EXPERT ( through translator): As long as we think of food as a sort of merchandise, businesses will always come before good health.
MCEDWARDS: A review committee must approve the new guidelines before they take effect next school year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Coleen McEdwards reporting there. Well, lunch can be a sugar and fat-filled downfall for kids so what exactly are school cafeterias around serving up. We'll that what we also digital producer Phil Han check out online. We've got some advertising pictures set for us from one web site.
PHIL HAN, CNN DIGITAL PRODUCER: Well, we've been spending the last few hours having to look online to see exactly what kind of meals school serve around the world.
Well, start off, in Japan. You can see here very traditional (bento) box. You think this is in the restaurant, but this is in fact about 99 percent of the school student (inaudible) in Japan eat, a very traditional meal. Now most parents there pay about 200 to 300 yens to ensure that their kids have a pretty well balanced meal during lunch hour.
In Korea, it's much the same, a very traditional balanced meal here. You have a soup of tofu, some spinach, a banana, some rice as well. It's a traditional Korean delicacy of kimchi. So very traditional stuff there as well.
In India, now every school student that attends a government-funded school, they're entitled to one free lunch during the school hours and as you can see most student here will indulge on a little rice, curry and a dish of vegetables.
In Molawe, it's much the same. A traditional - very traditional African meal of beans, a bit of vegetables as well as rice. Now in France, a really interesting look at the clash of cultures here. You can see that influence of the American French fries starting to creep in, but it looked on the outside of this traditional plate. It's very classic French cooking, you know, you've got an artichoke, a bowl of mussels, great food as well as some yogurt.
So some very interesting stuff there. Now that there have been a lot of documentaries and TV shows even that have been created to try to document some of these unhealthy school meals. You may remember Jaime Oliver. He had a Channel 4 documentary called "Britain School Dinners." Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you have in there? Open this up for me. I never seen anything like that before. Anyone (inaudible)?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAN: But of course, the king of junk food and unhealthy school lunches is the Unites States of America. Take a look at these. You know, your traditional American lunch at least in schools for that matter is French fries, chicken, hamburgers even softdrinks so a really interesting look at some of the contrasting school lunches that are served around the world from east to west.
ANDERSON: Joining adults for you this evening (inaudible) on "Connect the World." After the break, our connect of the day is Don Cheadle. He called the world's attention with a lead role in (inaudible) remember that one? In just a moment, he answer your questions on his career so far and what he thinks will be next humanitarian crisis.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: For many Don Cheadle will always be the hero of Hotel Rwanda. A man who saved hundreds of people from slaughter to (inaudible). His portrayal of real life hero (inaudible) and the actor an Oscar nomination and worldwide recognition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: May I help you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell your boss that Green (ph) is on the scene.
ANDERSON: The Kansas-born Cheadle hit the big screen long before the 2005 film. On for a decade as a TV actor and standup comic. Cheadle started to attract Hollywood attention with "Devil in a Blue Dress" in 1995 and "Boogie Nights" in 1997. And (inaudible) as "Iron Man 2" and "Ocean Eleven."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Bank, do you know what Chuck Barry said every night before counting 1, 2, 3, 4.
ANDERSON: Always an active political voice, Cheadle has been very vocal on human rights. Most notably the crisis in (inaudible). In 2007, he co-produce the documentary "Darfur Now," in which he highlights it applies to victims support. It's being called another genocide.
And earlier this month, he was appointed an Ambassador to the United Nations Environmental Program. (Inaudible) on the screen or in the flesh, the true championship, of course, is Don Cheadle, your connector today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I spoke with Don from Los Angeles and asked him why he decided to take on this role as Ambassador the Environment so many of his previous courses involved human rights. This is what he told me.
DON CHEADLE, ACTOR: I think actually the environment is as we can see with what's happening in the gulf right now maybe one of the biggest human rights, you know. If you want to take it to its natural, you know, progression, one of the biggest human right issues that we have and that it's going to affect everyone.
Not this BP incident specifically. But in situations like this where we have environmental crisis that are hard to overcome because of people's limited means and that the fact that their livelihoods are tied into the ecosystem. It's going to be something that affects everyone across the board. So it kind of feels like it's a natural extension of a human right issue in my mind.
ANDERSON: How do you tie in at this new role with the U.N. potentially with your (inaudible) do you think?
CHEADLE: I'm still really in the process of educating myself about how best to do that, but I do believe it is extremely important as I referred to earlier this disaster in the gulf we're really the tendrils of the effect of this and how it moves out across not just that particular area, but how it affects places all across the region and the wider area and big business and how policies are looked at in Washington as far as - and as well on local levels.
So it's something that is - it's a continuing of events and I think that's what I'm really trying to get my hands on first before I try to step out and say what should be done. I don't really know. I'm trying to learn myself.
ANDERSON: Don, what is your overall assessment of how the BP's spill is being handled?
CHEADLE: It just looks like it's something that people are trying to get their hands around because they had no plan to deal with it prior to it happening. That's one thing that I think is the most salient thing that's come out of all these is that there really was no plan in case something like this ever occur.
That's why you throw tennis balls in there and golf balls and (inaudible) and try to get hair sent it. I mean, that's the plan? That's terrifying that we're doing things like that around the world with no real back up plan. But again, we're all involved in that, you know. I drove here today in a car. I flew across the world to Rwanda. We are in a paradigm of oil glut.
ANDERSON: Geemoney has written to us and asked a very simple question, what was the toughest or is the toughest movie role that you have played to date?
CHEADLE: It's always a big challenge whether you're playing something that's close to something that is particularly factual or you're coming up with a character that you're creating out of whole cloth. It's always a challenge to kind of put your finger on a (inaudible) character and really keep it there and work through the whole process.
ANDERSON: Achidi from Germany mentions she loves or loved Hotel Rwanda, but says there's a lot of controversy surrounding it now. Many - much of that about whether all the facts actually lined up, what's your response to that?
CHEADLE: Well, that - trying to cover an issue like that in 90 minutes, there's obviously going to be political essence taken. But that - from as much as I could gather from the reports that were done, from the interviews that Terry George and Kier Pearson, the creators of the story along with (inaudible) conducted people that were at the hotel, you know, hours and hours of footage that we looked at. The main bulk of the story is true.
ANDERSON: Another question from Keira and she's talking here alluding to Hotel Rwanda. She says, do you think Hollywood will continue to make films that educate people worldwide about things like genocide or other atrocities or she says, will she just shy away from those types of movies because they're considered downers or not entertainment, does that worry you?
CHEADLE: Well, they're going to - I think they would shy away from those movies because they don't foresee them as being box office gold that's really the bottom line. I mean, if they thought that the movie would make $100 million, they would make a movie about anything. And try to - you know, a (shoe) on screen for two hours as $100 million, they're going to make that movie.
So it's not really about it being a downer necessarily, but it is - it does sort of leaning to your question about entertainment. I think that is the movie's first goal is really to be entertaining and that doesn't just mean it has to be some frivolous thing that you walk out of the theater and then you forget about it.
But it needs to be a film that people can lose themselves in and pull them out of there, you know, normal everyday existence and kind of transport them into them another place.
ANDERSON: Don Cheadle speaking to me from Los Angeles. Now, if you are into cuisine and cooking, you'll probably have heard of our next connector of the day. The (inaudible) chef, Anthony Bourdain. He has earned himself a bit of a reputation as a daring eater that includes a raw (inaudible) eyeball and whole cobra. All (inaudible) big names coming up next week as well so do send in your questions for our connectors and remember to tell us where you're writing in from that's at cnn.com/connect. Tonight, we've got a couple of minutes left.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, a big news from the World Cup is bad news. The Italy defending champions were booted from the tournament by Slovakia earlier today. For our daily fan postcard segment today, one each from Italy and from Slovakia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JURAJ BOBEK, SLOVAKIA FAN Everybody here at Slovakia (inaudible). It is our first time Slovakia is in the championship and Slovakia is a very young country and we are first time on the championship and we are on second round and we beat Italy. And Italy is one of the best - I cannot say how happy we are.
GULIA DI LAZZARO, ITALY FAN: We played very (inaudible). We just have to lost this match. We played just for 15 minutes just two players who played in a pretty way (inaudible). The other players, they didn't do anything. Their (inaudible) wasn't in the game. It was a very bad match.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Truly upset. We've been reaching out with fan reactions everyday on "Connect the World." There's one you can see on the left hand side of your screen. Let's take on for the Netherlands to New Zealand to South African and to Spain, many countries including England, of course, in the last couple of weeks. We're going to keep doing that throughout the World Cup tournament for instant reactions to the game.
Nothing connects the world like football so do get involved. Instructions at cnn.com/connect. We would love to hear from you. I'm Becky Anderson. That is it for the show on (inaudible) of course, 24/7 online. "Back Story" is next here on CNN.
END
