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Moammar Gadhafi Laid to Rest; Interview with Ted Kattouf; Torture in Syrian Hospitals; Arrests in Nairobi; Italian Racer Goes Home
Aired October 25, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: After days on public display, the body of Moammar Gadhafi is finally laid to rest. But the international outcry over how his death was handled is growing louder by the day.
Live from London, I'm Becky Anderson.
Also tonight here on CNN, two days after an earthquake devastated parts of Turkey, how social media is playing a significant part in the rescue.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I made this from over there on the first try, after about 140 attempts.
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ANDERSON: The man who's out to prove that any of us can become great at anything with enough dedication, repetition and patience. The last in our new series of reports on the age old question of nature versus nurture.
First up tonight, an abrupt, unceremonious burial for a leader who once seemed larger than life. Libyan government officials say Moammar Gadhafi was buried in the desert before dawn, five days after he was killed and his body later put on public display.
Well, officials say Gadhafi was buried in a secret location so that his supporters couldn't erect a shrine and make him a martyr. But they say members of Gadhafi's tribe were allowed to pray over his body in a religious ceremony.
Well, Gadhafi's family had called on Libya's new leadership to hand over his body so that it could be buried according to Islamic rites.
Let's get more on this from Dan Rivers, who's been following developments for you tonight out of Tripoli.
And traditionally, of course, Dan, burial would have been within a day of death.
That didn't, of course, happen in this case, did it?
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, it didn't. And -- and, in fact, it wasn't just that it didn't happen within 24 hours. One could understand in a case like this that, you know, there -- they may want to have performed an autopsy.
I think it was more the undignified way that they treated the body. They put it on public display, not just for -- for a few hours, but for almost five days. And didn't adhere to the wishes of his -- his will or of his family or -- or, indeed, of his tribe.
Finally, though, he was buried, as you say, at dawn this morning in an unmarked grave in the desert, an effort to make it as secret as possible, as you say, so that no one could turn his grave into a shrine or that his enemies could exhume his body and -- and -- and cause sort of further outrage to his family.
I think the NTC is hoping now that they can draw a line under this rather unfortunate episode. Frankly, I think that they -- they really just didn't have control over what was happening on the ground in Misrata, over the militia who were guarding the body. They had repeatedly asked for the -- for the -- the public show to stop and it didn't happen. Even, we were there yesterday -- yesterday evening. They -- they had ordered already that the public should not be allowed in to see it and they were still being allowed in.
So I think there was an element of -- of not having control on the ground. And that is so symptomatic of the wider problem in this country, that the NTC just hasn't really got a grip of the militias here. They are a weak institution and they are struggling to assert their authority under the new Libya.
ANDERSON: Sure. And that is -- and that is something, Dan, that we will interrogate as we move through the beginning of this hour.
You've spent many weeks over the past seven months on Libya yourself. You've reported on this story from pretty much the outset, until the death of Gadhafi.
What is the mood and how has it changed in Libya, do you suggest today?
RIVERS: Certainly in Tripoli, there is much more a sense of normalcy returning. You can probably see behind me, it's a -- it's a bustling city again, with -- with traffic on the roads and shops and cafes open and so on.
I think what is difficult, though, is where we go from here. And I think it would be very foolish and complacent to suggest Gadhafi is dead, therefore everything is fine and this will turn into a wonderful democracy in a few months time. I -- there are all kinds of issues and problems here. There's no functioning army. There's no functioning police force. There's practically no functioning government, in reality. It's awash with weapons. And it's a tribal society with lots of divisions regionally and tribally. So you can imagine just how difficult it's going to be to get this place together.
Having said that, I think they are desperate to move forward, everyone.
It's just can they all move forward in the same direction and can they throw off the terrible brutality of the past and try and create something...
ANDERSON: Sure.
RIVERS: -- peaceful and democratic?
That's the big challenge.
ANDERSON: Well, let's talk about the brutality of the past.
Dan, thank you for that.
Dan Rivers in Tripoli for you.
As I say, we will in -- interrogate the -- the future of Libya and the -- the operational adequacy or not of the NTC in the next couple of months.
But first, let's talk about the brutality of the past. Some outsiders, including governments and the human rights groups, are uncomfortable with the way that Gadhafi was killed and his body put on exhibition in what was a meat freezer, effectively.
But what do Libyans themselves say, the people who were forced to live under his rule for decades?
Well, joining us now on the show is Giuma Sasi, a Libyan living in Britain.
He's very tapped into the sentiment back home. And, in fact, he's been tending to Libyan fighters who were flown here by the British government for treatment.
Joining us now.
Firstly, what are you hearing from those injured during the fighting, sir?
GIUMA SASI, LIBYAN LIVING IN U.K.:
Thank you very much, Becky, for having me on the program.
First of all, I would like to thank almighty god. And then I would like to salute the souls of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their country and wish a quick recovery for the wounded.
Becky, could you repeat the question, please?
ANDERSON: Yes. And we -- we appreciate what you've just said
Let's talk about what you are hearing from those who have been injured during the fighting, because I know that you are helping to tend some of those that the British government has sent back.
What are they saying?
SASI: Actually, they were -- they were saying is what -- what they have seen on the battlefield and the aggressiveness of the Gadhafi forces. Actually, one of them have lost his leg because he was shot in the -- with the poisonous bullet. So, you know, he got a very bad infection and then the doctors had to cut his leg off, because Gadhafi was using poisonous bullets to shoot the freedom fighters.
ANDERSON: So are you or they bothered about the treatment of Gadhafi after his capture?
The U.N. certainly is, of course.
SASI: The treatment of Gadhafi as his capture is -- is normal, I think, for what he has done to the Libyan people over the last 42 years and especially over the last eight months. You know (AUDIO GAP)...
ANDERSON: It's always the way with the technology. You just -- hmmm, you think you're there and you're not.
We'll see if we can get back to Giuma Sasi, a Libyan living in Britain, if we can.
We've certainly heard his words tending to those who are returning home, suggesting that, you know, neither he nor they, to a certain extent, are bothered by the way that -- that Gadhafi was treated, as we said, the United Nations and others certainly are.
Well, with Gadhafi dead and buried and the revolution declared over, what lies ahead for Libya?
Well, here's a quick reminder of what the National Transitional Council has promised.
The government will prepare for the election of a national congress within eight months. When it's formed, the National Transitional Council would cease to exist. The congress would form a committee to write a constitution, which would be put to the people for a vote. The final stage of democratic transition would be general elections for parliament and a president, perhaps as early as eight months after the national congress is formed.
Giuma, I know you're back with us.
How optimistic are you about the future of the country?
Is this eight month timetable realistic, do you think?
SASI: I think the Libyan people are eager to have a state of law and to exercise their right of freedom and free speech. So and, you know, the Libyan people are educated people. And the literacy rate is over 90 percent.
So I think with the help of the international community, it will be possible to establish, you know, a -- elections after eight months.
So I am very optimistic about the future, once we got rid of that brutal dictator.
ANDERSON: Guima Sasi is -- is a Libyan living here in the U.K.
We appreciate your thoughts and your time, sir, this evening.
An ambitious plan, perhaps, for a country that's never experienced the ballot box.
Is this timetable feasible?
Well, let's get some more input now from Ted Kattouf, who's the former U.S. ambassador to Syria and the United Arab Emirates.
He's also president these days, and the CEO, of AMID East, which is a think tank on the region.
Before what about the -- the NTC and the -- the program going forward, I want to ask you, sir, are you bothered by the circumstances of Gadhafi's death?
TED KATTOUF, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR IN SYRIA AND UAE: Well, I, yes. Of course. It was very unfortunate that he was not kept alive given the best medical care available in Misrata and either tried in Libya or in the Hague by the International Criminal Court.
Having said that, however, these men had seen atrocities committed against their comrades, against their families. There had been mass killings by Gadhafi's forces. And while you don't condone it, you can somewhat understand why it might have happened that way.
ANDERSON: Sure. You -- you'll have heard Dan Rivers reporting earlier on out of Tripoli this evening, saying the mood today, certainly in the -- in the capital city, if not across the country, is this, that the NTC, to a certain extent, lost control of what was going on in Misrata over Gadhafi's death. And certainly, there's a sense of a sort of mess and inadequacy by the organization that is charged with leading the country going forward.
Is it, let's start with the timetable for a sort of democratic future.
Is it realistic at this point?
KATTOUF: It's really hard to say if it's realistic. You know, Becky, Gadhafi's rule was very eccentric, very individualistic. He abjured institutions. He did not -- you know, he manipulated one tribe against the -- the other. He had local and district committees that were really powerless and meaningless.
So there are no -- there are no real institutions in the country. And so these people are starting from scratch. So whether they can do this in eight months, one year, who knows?
ANDERSON: All right. Well, the chairman of the NTC saying this about the way forward inside Libya, and I quote, "We as a Muslim nation take Sharia law as the basic source of law."
Now, sir, you and I know that that will worry many people who are watching this show tonight.
Are their concerns warranted, do you think?
KATTOUF: Well, I think that even from a number of Libyans, there has been criticism, because Abdul Jalil is the head of, a chairman of a transitional council. It's not for him to decide what form of government or governance Libya will have.
But -- and you're right, it's going to unsettle a lot of people in NATO countries who helped the Libyans get their freedom.
But we also have to understand that there are many, many forms of sharia or Islamic jurisprudence...
ANDERSON: Sure.
KATTOUF: -- and many countries say their law systems are based on Sharia and they're not cutting off hands and they're not stoning adulterers.
ANDERSON: You make a very good point. The perception is, and we've talked about this tonight, is that the NTC is at sixes and sevens as far as the organization is concerned. It's a mess.
But given 42 years of autocratic rule that has been destroyed in just eight months, should we not be giving these new leaders more room and support at this point?
KATTOUF: Absolutely, we should be giving them more room and support. This reminds me a little bit of the -- I'm not sure if your viewers, international viewers, would be familiar with the film, "Forrest Gump." But his mother said, "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get." And Libya reminds me of that situation.
Right now, for the outsiders, it's like a box of chocolates and we really don't know what we're going to get. But we have to -- we have to give that a chance.
ANDERSON: Yes. We will have to give it a chance.
The questions remain, though, what will happen over the next eight months?
Are they good enough to -- to -- to lead this country into a democratic future?
One hopes they are.
The other big question, of course, tonight, which countries are likely to clean up financially in Libya?
That we will leave for another evening.
Ted, always a pleasure.
Thank you very much, indeed, for joining us tonight.
KATTOUF: Thank you.
ANDERSON: You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN.
I'm Becky Anderson in London.
Fifteen minutes past nine.
Just ahead, Kenya on edge and searching for answers -- the latest on police investigations in Nairobi following Monday's double grenade attack.
Plus, reaction from fans and a fellow racer as Marco Simoncelli's body returns to Italy.
And as rescuers in Turkey battle against the odds to find survivors, we're going to take a look at how social media is playing a crucial role.
Stay with us.
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ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson in London.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD here.
Seventeen minutes past nine out of London.
A look at some of the other stories that we are following for you this hour.
And from scenes of so much devastation comes a miracle rescue. Two days after an earthquake tore apart one of the poorest regions in Turkey, a small baby has been found alive in the rubble of a collapsed building. The girl was born prematurely just two weeks ago. We're going to have much more on this story coming up in the next 15 minutes time.
Well, the Syrian government is being accused of torturing wounded protesters at state-run hospitals, at least according to a new report from Amnesty International today. Now, the human rights group says instances of abuse have been found in at least four medical facilities and in many cases, the hospital staff appear to have taken part in the torture.
CNN's Arwa Damon is following the story for you from Beirut, Lebanon this evening -- Arwa.
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, a very disturbing report it was. And two of those four facilities listed there are in the central city of Homs that has been the scene of some pretty intense violence over the last few weeks.
Now, I spoke earlier with a doctor from Homs.
We spoke over Skype.
He said that he used to work at a government hospital but then felt he had to quit because, he said, some of his own colleagues, nurses and doctors, were collaborating with the Syrian security forces, refusing to treat demonstrators and beating them, and, in some cases, deliberately not delivering life-saving medical treatment. He said that their intent was only to keep these wounded demonstrators alive for a few days so that they could be interrogated.
He has since quit. He has set up his own, private, secret, underground clinic. We've been seeing these sprouting across the country because so many demonstrators are too afraid to go to the government hospitals.
And now we have this report from Amnesty International cataloguing what are some really incredibly chilling accounts of what's happening at these Syrian hospitals.
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PHILIP LUTHER, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: What we found and revealed in this report is that hospitals in Syria have become a tool of oppression in the hands of the authorities. There's a climate of fear that we've been able to identify among patients and among medics in state-run hospitals as, on the one hand, patients have been subjected to ill-treatment, to lack of treatment, in some cases, to -- to insults and, in some cases, have then been detained, are taken away from the hospital while they were still in need of medical treatment and -- and not receiving it afterwards.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: there have also been some instances that have been recorded where medical staff have deliberately been targeted, detained and intimidated quite simply because they were treating these wounded demonstrators. One doctor who runs a private clinic, as well, was speaking about the difficulties of trying to get blood, because blood has to come from the central blood bank. And that means that the Syrians, the Syrian government, would have it within its right to question where the blood was going, hence, endangering the security of the wounded individuals.
Most certainly, activists are saying that this is just another instance, another reason why this is a government that must absolutely leave power.
The government, for its part, Becky, is denying all sorts of allegations and accusations when it comes to how people are being treated at hospitals. It quite simply says that everyone is being treated equally and that this is just a smear campaign by the activists to try to damage its credibility -- Becky.
ANDERSON: And, of course, still denying us access to reporting out of the country, which is why Arwa Damon tonight reporting for you from Beirut in Lebanon.
Arwa, thank you for that.
Well, once banned in Tunisia, a moderate Islamist party now appears set to win the country's first ever democratic elections. Ballots are still being counted, but partial results show that the Ennhada Party are in the lead. It may not get enough votes to claim an outright majority, however. One leftist party says coalition talks have already begun.
Well, to Kenya for you now, where news agencies are reporting arrests following two separate bomb blasts in the capital, Nairobi. At least one person died and 20 more were injured in the explosions on Monday.
CNN's David McKenzie has more.
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DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the OTC Bus Terminal in downtown Nairobi. It's a bustling place with public transport going across the region to centers here in Kenya and beyond.
It's very busy today. It was a very different story late Monday. There was a grenade attack -- a suspected grenade attack right in this area. It scattered people, killed at least one person and sent scores to hospital.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just they -- we hear some sound of something blast. So we didn't know what was happening. And people were crying and making noise. So when we turn up to look at what was going on, we saw some guys crying that there is a bomb blast here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: It was the second attack in just a few hours. Earlier on Monday morning at a small nightclub in that direction, a grenade was rolled in through the door and 14 people were badly injured, according to the Kenyan police.
This is all in the context of the Kenyan military pushing into Somalia against Al Shabab, the Al Qaeda-linked militant group. And Al Shabab has warned Kenya that it will be striking soft targets like this bus terminal and the nightclub.
The worry is that the security in Kenya will be diminished and that there will be more threats against civilians in this country in the coming weeks, as the military pushes further into Somali territory.
David McKenzie, CNN, Nairobi, Kenya.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, a 24 -year-old man in China has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a toddler in a hit and run accident -- or not, as the case may be. The man is accused of being one of two drivers who ran over 2-year-old Wang Yue in Southern China earlier this month. You may remember the footage of the incident, which sparked outrage across the world as more than a dozen people walked, drove and cycled past the little girl as she lay injured in the street.
Well, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN, live from London.
Twenty-four minutes past nine for you here.
Coming up next, find out what made one of European football's biggest stars step out of the limelight and join a team, but, well, it's way off the beaten path, let me tell you that, coming up after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the body of the Italian MotoGP rider, Marco Simoncelli, has been returned to Italy after Sunday's fatal crash in Malaysia. He suffered head, neck and chest injuries in a horrific crash involving two other riders.
His coffin arrived in Rome on Tuesday. Has been taken to his hometown in Northern Italy, where it will go on public display before a funeral service is held on Thursday. Joining me now from the CNN Center is "WORLD SPORT'S" Candy Reid -- and, Candy, tributes have been pouring in from Italy and beyond.
Marco Simoncelli was a -- he was a very popular young man, wasn't he?
CANDY REID, CNN ANCHOR: Popular, I think, flamboyant, for sure, and with a massive future in MotoGP. That's what we're hearing from all the experts in the field, who say he was a swashbuckling rider, outrageous off the track and on it. He never turned down an interview. He always did autographs and photo requests. He loved the sport. It seemed everybody involved in MotoGP loved him, too, and that's including the champion, or former champion, anyway, Valentino Rossi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VALENTINO ROSSI, 7-TIME MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION (through translator): We were together nearly every day. We used to go to the gym together. And then we were always together with the bikes. These are my best memories.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: Rossi, Becky, absolutely devastated. Of course, he was involved in the accident. Simoncelli crashed at the Malaysian Grand Prix. And both Rossi and Colin Edwards hit him. It was just one horrible accident.
Rossi, though, says he will not retire. There were rumors that he might. But the Italian is going to keep going -- Becky.
ANDERSON: I feel a deja vu as I ask this question, because I think I asked it of you or one of your colleagues only a couple of weeks ago when Wheldon was -- was killed in the -- in the IndyCar racing, in the car racing.
Are enough measures being taken to prevent accidents like this one -- Candy?
REID: Well, of course, you know, motor sports is never going to be risk-free. It's part and parcel of the sport is guys are going very, very fast, very, very close together. The MotoGP safety officer said that Simoncelli's death, Becky, was unpreventable.
Ironically, Simoncelli was actually part of the safety commission. They are investigating, though, why his helmet came off. That was at the start of the big accident. So that is something they're looking at.
But again, it's motor sport, Becky, isn't it?
ANDERSON: Yes.
REID: In IndyCar, John Wheldon died. They're looking at how they can keep the cars on the ground. But that wasn't the problem in this tragic accident -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. So sad.
All right, let's move on, shall we?
For those NBA fans out there who are just wondering what's going on with this new season, bring us up to date on reports of another two weeks of cancellations.
Is that -- can that really be true?
REID: Well, that's what we're hearing, Becky. As someone close to the negotiations between the players and the owners on this new collective bargaining agreement that they're trying to reach an agreement on. There's another two weeks that's going to be missed. Already, Becky, the players have lost about $117 million in salary. They have apparently come down. Initially, they wanted 53 percent of the basketball related income, giving the owners 47 percent.
Well, the players now have come down to 52.5 percent. That's what we're hearing. But the owners want a 50-50 split.
This is just one of the things they're trying to compromise on. And it doesn't look like a compromise is going to come any time soon, Becky. I know that the NBA wants the NBA to be back by December. That's their prime time, at Christmastime, when all the other sports are down and the NBA is the number one sport here in the U.S. -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, well, I guess people in the U.K. at least can watch netball, which is a girl's game, but there's nothing better than NBA...
REID: What more do you want?
ANDERSON: -- yes.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: That's right, there's nothing better than NBA in the States. I'm not saying that net ball is in any way equivalent to basketball.
But anyway, all right, Candy, thank you for that.
Samuel Eto'o, of course, has shocked the footballing world back in August, leaving Italian giant, Inter Milan, and signing, well, for a Russian club that many fans had never heard of. Well, the move made him the highest paid footballer of all time.
But as he told Pedro Pinto, he doesn't care about being branded as a sellout.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMUEL ETO'O, FOOTBALL PLAYER (through translator): I don't care what people think. I think all of us want to work and get paid what we are worth. Anzhi made me an offer, which was at the same level as my talent, and they are paying me what they think I am worth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I think I'm right in saying he's going to earn about 200 grand a week. A week. More of that interview coming up on "World Sport" in about an hour's time. Shocking, isn't it?
Lots more to come here on CONNECT THE WORLD this evening, though, this hour, including amid the misery and destruction in Turkey, this two-week- old baby provides a rare moment of joy. Her dramatic rescue up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're back with CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN. I'm Becky Anderson, this is the world's news leader. Let's get you a check of the headlines this hour.
Libyan officials say Moammar Gadhafi was buried before dawn on Tuesday. They are keeping the location secret so that his supporters can't erect a shrine. Officials say members of Gadhafi's tribe were allowed to pray over the body.
Official results from Tunisia's election are expected soon. So far, partial results show a moderate Islamist party's in the lead. International observers called the vote a victory for the Tunisian people.
Bangkok's main airport is closed to flights as floodwater rises on the tarmac. Inside the terminal, hundreds of tents have been set up for flood evacuees. Officials say the evacuees will be safe there well above ground level.
And almost 460 people are now confirmed dead following Sunday's earthquake in eastern Turkey. The military's been called in to help thousands of rescuers still working around the clock to find survivors.
And as time goes on, their chances of finding anyone alive are fading fast, but today, they were given fresh hope as Diana Magnay reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A miraculous tale of survival here at one site in the town of Ercis and of heroism on the part of the rescue workers. A little 14-day-old baby girl, her mother, and grandmother all pulled from the rubble.
The way it happened was that early this morning, the rescue team heard the sound of knocks coming from the mother, and they managed to tunnel their way to her, where she told them that she had this little baby.
So, one man was picked. He was of particularly slight build, so he was small enough to squeeze in. She gave him the baby, and he carried that child out to safety. Let's just have a listen to the way he described that moment.
KADIR DIREK, RESCUE WORKER (through translator): It was an extraordinary feeling for me. I've been doing this job for 12 years, and it is the first time I've ever taken a living person out.
MAGNAY: Also miraculous to consider is that that little girl was born three weeks early, so not only did she survive as a very premature baby two days trapped in the rubble, but she also, theoretically, should still have been in her mother's womb rather than an earthquake victim and survivor.
Those three have been transferred to hospital, the mother and baby daughter to Ankara, and the grandmother to a hospital in a nearby province. The search continues for the father of the baby girl, who was also trapped inside the rubble.
And as that search continues, further bodies have been taken from this site, just as they have in other areas around the affected region.
Diana Magnay, CNN, Ercis, Turkey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the heartbreaking scenes in Turkey have spurred some people to log onto their Twitter sites to help, understandably. One Turkish reporter posted a tweet urging people to offer up their spare rooms or apartments to those made homeless. The response to the campaign using a hash tag which translates as "my house is your house," then, was huge.
Check out this from yesterday. It translates roughly as, "There are 17,000 e-mails in my inbox. Thank you for your interest."
This isn't the first time that social media is being used to help in a time of crisis. Following last year's earthquake in Haiti, you remember sites like Ushahidi, which were used to help find messaging -- or missing loved ones and deliver supplies. People could text or tweet if the needed water if, for example, somebody was trapped.
And then this, immediately after the Japanese tsunami in March, social media was a crucial source of information. Videos like this one quickly appeared on YouTube. More than 1200 tweets per minute were sent.
Later, aid organizations turned to the web to raise funds, using hash tags to promote ways to donate. And during both disasters, Google used its person finder site to reunite loved ones. A similar service for Turkey has already registered some 4,000 records.
Not since 1999 has Turkey experienced such a severe earthquake, and in those days, e-mail, of course, was in its infancy, wasn't it? Earlier, I spoke to Turkish television host Okan Bayulgen, who was tweeting and using social media during this disaster, and I asked him how social media has made a difference this time. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OKAN BAYULGEN, TURKISH TELEVISION HOST: Becky, Twitter has worked well. It has been the most effective social website in terms of organizing help. Several earthquake victims were found and rescued thanks to the posts on Twitter.
This is very important, I think. It gives local news about what exactly is needed where. As a TV host myself, I diffuse all information that I receive on Twitter.
ANDERSON: How surprised were you to see this reaction?
BAYULGEN: This -- this campaign, the name of the biggest campaign in Turkey, now, it in Turkish, Evim Evindir, Van. It means "my home is your home, Van." I diffuse at the same time the social media campaign on conventional media. This campaign now has just started.
ANDERSON: It's fantastic. Do you think the social media community took lessons from other disasters when it came to how to help?
BAYULGEN: Becky, like Japan, like Haiti, Google person finder is now effective for Turkey. And they update the program and they posted in -- on Google homepage Turkey.
ANDERSON: What comes next for your country?
BAYULGEN: I hope the good days, and I want to ask you, what do you think for your country? Me, I wish the best for all the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And to find out which relief organizations are on the ground in Turkey and how you can help the earthquake victims, do use our Impact Your World page. It's on the website, it's cnn.com/impact. All the instructions you need once you get there.
Ahead on the show, an ancient craft fueling, well, a modern trade. We're going to take you to the largest handmade carpet-weaving factory in Azerbaijan to find out how it is benefiting from a renovated silk road as our Gateway series continues. That's next, we're back in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Azerbaijan is seriously proud of its carpet-weaving history. It's a skill that goes back hundreds if not thousands of years. Well, thanks to a new port in the city of Baku, the ancient craft is a thriving modern trade.
It's part of our Gateway series that, of course, takes you behind the scenes of some of the world's busiest hubs. I visited a factory on the silk route -- the new silk route that's weaving a bright future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Carpet-weaving in Azerbaijan is a time-honored tradition dating back centuries to ancient Persia.
ALTAY GOYUSHOV, HISTORIAN, BAKU STATE UNIVERSITY: Let me say that it is one of the centers of the carpet production in the world. We have many places, for example. We are talking about Iranian carpets, we are talking about Pakistan carpets, we are talking about the central Asian Turkmen carpets.
But in general, Baku is some kind of hub, which connects all of these traditions together.
ANDERSON: This is Azer Ilme, where some of Azerbaijan's intricate carpets are woven.
ORXAN RZAYEV, AZER ILME CARPET FACTORY: I would say this is where the magic happens.
We have some weavers who are with us over 20 years, so they're well experienced. Because this is a traditional art, this is a generational art, as well. So, it passes from their mom to them, or grandmother.
Now we're going to show you the design room where it all starts. This is the beginning. Let's come inside.
Her name is Neva (ph), and she's our designer. She makes the patterns for the weavers. So, she's been doing this for 16 years. Her favorite is the Sheikh Safi. It's a well-known design. This is the -- part of the Sheikh Safi. That's all her job. It took five months to do this -- this piece.
ANDERSON: Along with Iran, Azerbaijan Persian rugs are famous, one of the original items traded along the silk route.
VIDADI A. MURADOV, DIRECTOR, AZER ILME CARPET FACTORY (through translator): The old silk way increased carpet trading across Europe, and it actually helped Europeans to explore Azerbaijan, first as a country, and second as a source for Oriental artwork, such as carpet-weaving.
ANDERSON (on camera): The silk routes weren't just confined to land. The Caspian Sea and its shipping lanes were also part of what was known as the maritime silk route.
ANDERSON (voice-over): A new port for Baku and huge regional investment to repave the old silk way mean new potential for Azeri carpet exports.
MURADOV (through translator): The new port is being built right now, and it's actually important for us because it gives us more options to open up to the world and export our goods, including carpets. It gives us a proper gateway to the world.
RZAYEV: So, after carpet is woven, it's not completely done, and it's not ready for sale, so we have to take it back here. This is a dusting room because mainly wool is filtered, but it comes from nature. We have to dust it.
We also repair some mistakes, major mistakes. If there is some minor mistakes, we don't have to fix it because that's the kind of handmade carpet. Only machine-made carpets can be 100 percent perfect.
It has to be washed two or three times with special techniques, all natural. It cannot be washed off.
Usually, we hang the carpets here and it can go up to 76 Celsius.
ANDERSON (on camera): And this is the exquisite final product. This is the largest handmade carpet factory in Azerbaijan. They weave something like 1.5 million square meters of wool and floor coverings every year. And from here, these carpets are traded globally.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Almost half are sold abroad, to Europe, the US, and Russia. One square meter of handwoven carpet can cost up to 3,000 euros. For Azerbaijan, this ancient art is a valuable modern trade, a cultural gateway to the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Closing out our series of reports from Azerbaijan, The Gateway, behind the scenes, there, at some of the world's busiest hubs.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Next up, genius, or is it a case of nature versus nurture. In just two minutes, we're going to introduce you to the amateur golfer who's testing the theory that the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is 10,000 hours of practice.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC - "GABRIEL'S OBOE, WHISPERS IN A DREAM" BY HAYLEY WESTENRA)
ANDERSON: Pretty voice. The world's highest-selling classical artist, Hayley Westenra. The New Zealand soprano discovered her talent at the age of six. Internationally acclaimed pianist Lang Lang also a child prodigy, the two superstars joining us on the show last week as part of a special look at what it takes to be brilliant.
Is it a case of nature or nurture? Well, Dan McLaughlin has set out to prove a theory promoted by author Malcolm Gladwell that the key to success in any field is just 10,000 hours of practice, a theory that has never specifically been tested. That is, until now. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Dan. At the age of 30, he gave up his job as a photographer, he put down his camera and picked up a putter on a mission, dubbed the Dan Plan, to become a professional golfer.
CHRISTOPHER SMITH, GOLF INSTRUCTOR, PGA: I made it pretty clear to him that he might want to think about doing something else, like tiddly winks or bowling.
FOSTER: But Dan had something to prove, the theory that anyone can master a skill in 10,000 hours.
DAN MCLAUGHLIN, AMATEUR GOLFER: To reach 10,000 hours is actually going to probably take a little over five years.
FOSTER: The test began in April 2010, but 18 months on, after six hours of practice a day, six days a week, Dan is a fifth of the way into his commitment.
FOSTER (on camera): Any good yet?
MCLAUGHLIN: You know, golf is one of those games that it's really hard to say. Fifty percent of the time, I feel like I know what I'm doing, and fifty percent of the time, I feel like I'm just out there moving dirt. So, I think it's all relative.
But being so into the process, it's hard for me to stand back and really judge my progress, and there's nothing to compare my progress to, because nobody's really attempted something quite like this at this stage in their life.
FOSTER: What was your motivation behind this? What gave you the idea in the first place?
MCLAUGHLIN: Growing up, I was in a mathematical family. We always thought that -- or we were told that we were good at math and that we weren't exactly creative people.
And I kind of had that idea in my head my entire life until I got up to university level. And that's the point where I actually changed from physics to photography to kind of test my limits.
And then I did photography for a long time, and I was kind of in this zone where people kept telling me or people around me always had an excuse for something. They always said they're too old or they're not a creative- type person or they're not a mathematical-type person, and I kind of wanted to just dispel the myth that we are a type of person, or that it's too late to start something new.
FOSTER (voice-over): His coach and physical therapist are all dedicated to the test but have yet to be convinced.
SHAWN DAILEY, PHYSICAL THERAPIST, NORTHWEST GOLF PERFORMANCE: I've seen some really good golfers who've played their whole lives who have not been able to even do well at some of the futures tours.
SMITH: Well, is he a PGA Tour caliber player from 50 yards and in right now? And honestly, I'd say no. Not yet. He could be.
FOSTER: Dedication, repetition, and patience, they're the keys to the plan.
MCLAUGHLIN: The first month, I only putted from one and then three feet, and just kind of learned that little teeny stroke.
FOSTER: Baby steps for a grown man who has until 2016 to achieve greatness on the greens.
FOSTER (on camera): Before you went into this, you probably thought, "Oh, that's what I'm going to find difficult," or "that's what I'm going to find difficult." But is there something about the sport that you -- that surprised you? What's the difficult bit about it? What have you discovered?
MCLAUGHLIN: Going into it, everybody always said that golf's a mind game. It's -- a sport that's played in the five inches between your ears. It's such a cyclical thing, and you have ups and downs.
So, the days or the weeks or the months where you can't do what you could do last week. So, you kind of bring expectations to the table, and that's been the most difficult thing.
But through this entire process, I've learned that it all comes in waves, so all you have to do is really just wait it out, get through it, and there'll be another highlight and another peak.
And I made this from over there on the first try. After about 140 attempts.
(LAUGHTER)
FOSTER: You really are testing the nature versus nurture theory, here, aren't you? Because as you say, you've tried it with academic subjects and switched between them, but here with sport, a lot of people would argue that nature's a huge part of it. Something like a balance or having a good eye or just this intuition playing into it.
But are you finding that you can learn those things?
MCLAUGHLIN: Yes. I -- I don't think that there's any reason why you can't. I haven't been -- nothing has proven impossible so far. I've just made little baby steps, but I continuously push forward. And I don't really see why you can't learn something like balance.
I think that it can perhaps come easier to a child, the brain's a little bit more open. But we're not like old dogs. You can teach humans new tricks throughout their life.
FOSTER: I'm wondering if I can burn a hole in your theory by suggesting, though, that you were born with a real determination and a really sort of a drive that other people haven't got. Even a certain level of concentration other people haven't got, which allows you to test all of these things and work across talents, as they're known.
MCLAUGHLIN: That's one of the things that how -- how do you prove whether or not somebody is born with passion. Is that an innate ability or something that's actually just for some unknown reason, some people are born with passion and some people are just passionless?
I don't really agree with that. I think that as long as anybody finds whatever it is in life that they really love, then that -- they'll become obsessed and they'll just want to do that and nothing would get in their way.
6:35 and the sun's already down.
So, perhaps people that -- perhaps the having passion is just -- understanding what your purpose in life is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Wondering where he found those 10,000 hours? Well, apparently, he gave up his day job, which was as a commercial photographer, and he is relying on donations to that website you saw, the Dan Plan. Somebody's paying up. Good boy.
All right. Just enough time for our Parting Shots tonight. CNN's Jeanne Moos has a bedtime story for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's read "Farmer Mickey."
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's like reading a bedtime story.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Famer Mickey wakes at dawn. Time to work the whole day long."
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Daddy.
MOOS: Only Daddy seems to live inside a screen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The hens lay eggs, the cows munch hay.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Yes.
MOOS: The wife of an airman away from home for basic training posted this video of her pre-recorded husband reading to his two-year-old daughter. It's got everybody talking about how cute it is. The only one who isn't talking is Dad.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Daddy say -- silly kitty.
MOOS: She was trying to say "silly kitty" because Mom tells CNN the cat just knocked something off the shelf.
Someone posted that Dad better get back home soon or that kid's going to be nearsighted. The adorability factor goes through the roof as the bedtime story ends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I have a hug?
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Hugh.
(GIRL KISSES SCREEN)
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Kiss you!
MOOS: Talk about a screen grab. Every time her daughter asked to see Daddy, Mom would play one of several pre-recorded videos.
This is similar to the United Through Reading program. Parents separated from their children, especially military parents, record themselves reading aloud and send DVDs home to the kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What sound does a lion --
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Roar!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roar!
MOOS (on camera): Now, pre-recorded storytelling isn't as high-tech as, say, a soldier watching the birth of his first child live via Skype.
GINA BACON, EXPECTANT MOTHER: OK, babe, let's go.
MOOS (voice-over): Since army corporal Greg Bacon was in Iraq when his son was born, Skype was the next best thing to being there.
GINA BACON: I'm just so scared.
GREG BACON, CORPORAL, US ARMY: I know, honey, just keep talking to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the moment.
GREG BACON: Hang on, honey. Hang on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lots of pressure, lots of pressure. It's going to feel really funny.
(NEWBORN CRIES)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You see it?
GREG BACON: I can see him!
MOOS: He finally saw him in person three months later.
GREG BACON: Hey, buddy.
MOOS: You may think of cyberspace as cold, but this inspired us --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I have a hug?
MOOS: -- to have a group hug.
(MOOS KISSES SCREEN)
MOOS (on camera): Thank you!
MOOS (voice-over): Jeanne Moos, CNN.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Bye-bye.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Night-night!
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Bye-bye.
MOOS: New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, that's sweet, isn't it? I'm Becky Anderson, thank you for watching. The world news headlines and "BackStory" will follow this short break. Don't go away, you're watching CNN.
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END
