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Connect the World
Syrian Rebels Claim To Downing Regime Fighter Jet; Leveson Inquiry Due Out Tomorrow Afternoon
Aired November 28, 2012 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Tonight on Connect the World, the smoldering remains of what appears to be a Syrian fighter jet as the country's rebels claim another direct hit on the Assad regime.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
ANDERSON: On the face of it, Syria's rebels seem to be making progress. Tonight, we'll explore whether that really is the case.
Also this hour, publish and be damned, Britain's newspaper industry awaits for what could be the biggest shakeup since the invention of the printing press.
And belly aching over broom handles in the world of golf. Why this little beauty is giving the game the yips.
First up tonight, two car bombs take a devastating toll on a town near Damascus. These blasts ripped through Essential Square (ph) at daybreak today triggering a ball of fire. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 54 people were killed, all of them civilians. The area is said to be loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Well, the devastating attacks come as rebels claim major progress in attacking government air power. They say they've shot down three military aircraft in just the past 24 hours.
Well, tonight we are inside Syria. Our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon is in the northern part of the country. Earlier she visited the scene where one of those government aircraft was reportedly shot down.
Arwa joins us now on the line. Arwa, what did you find?
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the aircraft was shot down over an olive grove, the debris really strewn about, still smoldering when we arrived there and being picked through by villagers old and young alike. And all of them were saying that for them this was a significant and great victory simply because of the terror and the fear they used to feel any time they heard a jet overhead day in and day out the buzz of the jets, the sound of the helicopters, the countless casualties that they have caused. Many of them were showing pieces of metal off as war trophies. We saw children on the back of the tractor making off with a sizable tangled lump of metal.
We spoke with one eyewitness who said that he was picking olives in the groves when he saw the plane being hit and the two pilots ejecting. At that point, everyone fanned out looking for, hunting down these pilots. And at that point, he and other people there were telling us they did find one pilot who was unconscious with a head injury.
And this is not an isolated incident. In the same vicinity which is very close to the city of (inaudible), not far from the battleground of Aleppo, in the span of just 24 hours rebels claim that they not only brought down this fighter jet, but also two helicopters, Becky.
ANDERSON: You've been in and out of Syria now over the past two years. It's not an easy job the one you've got at the moment, be it back inside at present.
How do you describe the change in mood from locals if at all?
DAMON: It's been quite developing and morphing as time has gone by. What is very significant right now is just how much territory the rebels do control. Parts of the country that one could not even imagine driving through we were able to drive through without any sign of government forces in the vicinity. And that's what lead to the downing of the aircraft. Rebel fighters were telling us is the fact that they managed to take over a massive base of the 46th regiment just over a week ago after an incredibly intense battle at that location that is how they got their hands on these anti-aircraft missiles that they said they used in bringing down this fighter jet.
People's mood, it really varies. Some are soldiering on determined to see this through to the end. Some are optimistic that the end is going to be closer. Many are very concerned, though, at the fact that this has dragged on for so long. We aren't seeing the growth, the emergence of some of these extremist fringe elements, some of whom do have affiliations with al Qaeda. People do vastly believe, as they have been telling us throughout this entire conflict that the reason why they want international intervention is to bring down this regime, because they believe that the longer the Assad regime lasts the more these extremist elements are going to be able to grow and thrive.
But by and large, despite all of the devastating losses that this nation has suffered, people do remain optimistic in the sense that in the end they do believe that they are going to achieve their aims, but many really realize that it is an incredibly difficult and it's going to be an incredibly painful road lying ahead.
ANDERSON: Arwa Damon in the north of Syria for you this evening. Arwa, thank you for that.
Arwa talking there about the recent tactical gains that have been made by the rebels.
I want to get you a sense here on the ground of exactly what she was talking about - to the south of the country you'll possibly remember CNN reporting at the weekend that rebels took the airport at Marj al-Sultan, the airport to Damascus. And this video we have here is of that attack.
Well, what we are reportedly seeing is rebels firing RPGs from the ground at helicopters.
If we just go back for a moment, I just want to give you a sense of what the rebels at least purport to have at this point. They say they've taken the airbases near Dayr al-Zawr to the east, Daraa here in the south and Idlib here in the west. They're not necessarily holding on to those airbases, it's got to be said, but it's an opportunity for them to take weapons. And that is their strategy, take the weapons and win the next fight.
Now we've got some evidence of the rebels using surface to air missiles as Arwa mentioned here in Aleppo. They say that they were seized - let me just get rid of that - here in Aleppo. They say they received last week from the 46 base near the town of Atreb (ph) not far from Aleppo. This video purporting to show rebels training how to use those weapons. Too soon to tell whether this is a gamechanger, but the rebels have wanted to get their hands on surface to air missiles for some time to ward off - and let me just show the other video that we have here this of the rebels training to ward off Assad's deadly air strikes they say. The question is, is this a gamechanger?
Well, let's get some perspective now from Fawaz Gerges, a frequent contributor to the show. Let's call you a big thinker, shall we? He's the director of the Middle East Center of the London School of Economics and joins us now from Beirut.
You've heard Arwar reporting there about these - the downing of the three military aircraft in the past 24 hours. At least the rebels will say that they are making huge gains against the Assad regime at this point. From your perspective, are we seeing a gamechanging moment at this point?
FAWAZ GERGES, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: No, Becky. I'm afraid we are not yet there. I think the opposition is on the offensive. I think the opposition is making progress. I think the opposition is chipping away at the government's position. I think the opposition's strategy is war of attrition, to exhaust the government forces. But yet we're not there because the opposition does not have the means, does not really have the forces to deliver a decisive blow against the government.
Just a qualifier here for your audience, Becky. In the last two weeks or so, the government forces have intensified their air bombings and attacks against the opposition all over Syria, in Damascus, in Homs, in Daraa, in Deir zl-Zour (ph), including the Syrian-Turkish borders in which the fighter jet and the helicopters were down today. And this tells you a great deal that both camps have escalated their basically tactics. In fact, what we are seeing now in Syria is a qualitative escalation of violence. Neither camp has the means and the capacity to deliver a decisive blow, even though I would argue the momentum is with the opposition at this particular stage.
ANDERSON: All right. Do you see any sign, then, that for example Russia is any more prepared to be drawn into this armed conflict? I guess the question is this at this point, we know that at longside the rebels there are pockets of al Qaeda type insurgents. On the regime side who is helping prop things up at the moment?
GERGES: Well, look, Becky, I think you're question about Russia is very important. I mean, look what Russia said today. After the terrorism bombings in Jamana, in Damascus, they said no one should ever basically sanction the terrorist bombings in Syria. The Russian position has not shifted. It opposes the arming of the opposition. It favors a negotiated political settlement with the Assad regime. The opposition and the Assad regime, the opposition and the United States and the western powers oppose any settlement with Assad himself.
The reality is you have a Russian-American rivalry over Syria, a rivalry that remind us of the Cold War days. And this is why the Syrian conflict is very complicated. And this is why there is no gamechanger.
I'm sitting in Beirut now, Becky. Come to Beirut and see how polarized the country is between pro and anti-Assad. Go to Iraq and see how polarized Iraq. Jordan, the same way.
The Assad regime is being propped up by Iran, by Iraq, by Russia. It has a lot of support in Lebanon, in other countries. And that's why even though the Assad regime has weakened a great deal, it still has capacity to fight for many months if not a year or two.
ANDERSON: I know you're in the region for some time, Fawaz. We will speak again in the coming days. Fawaz Gerges, a regular guest on this show. Your thoughts always appreciated. Fawaz Gerges out of Beirut for you this evening.
You're watching Connect the World live from London. Our top story tonight, after nearly two years of bloody civil war, rebel claim a significant tactical advance in Syria as they down a third military aircraft in as many days. A gamechanger, well not clear. There's no doubt, though, that this raises the stakes in the civil war that's claimed more than 40,000 lives and counting.
Still to come, just days after a hugely controversial presidential decree in Egypt there is a surprise announcement about the constitution. We'll have the latest on a crisis that's triggered protest across the nation.
And the infamous British hacks braced themselves for the results of the UK press ethics inquiry.
And a major penalty for BP over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. How the latest move by the U.S. government could impact the oil giant going forward. All that and much more when Connect the World continues. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: It's a quarter past 9:00 in London. You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson for you. Welcome back.
Now a surprise announcement in Egypt could fan the flames of anti- government anger again. New clashes erupted today between police and protesters near Tahrir Square. Demonstrators are furious with President Mohammed Morsi's decree that extends his powers and now some accuse the Muslim Brotherhood of stealing the constitution.
Reza Sayah explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORREPSONDENT: Initially, 100 member panel was assigned to draft this constitution, but the process has been tumultuous, a lot of conflict in this panel where most of the members are Islamists. Several liberal members of this panel have quit in protest, others have sued to dissolve the panel and start over. If Egypt's new constitution is drafted by this panel as it stands now, it could certainly fuel the outrage that we're seeing in Tahrir Square.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: A look at some of the other stories that we are following on Connect the World tonight. And details of an epic banking scandal have been revealed in Afghanistan. An independent report says a handful of politically connected people engaged in, quote, "fraudulent lending and embezzlement" of over $900 million from Kabul bank depositors. Those named include the brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. He denies the allegation.
When the scandal surfaced two years ago, people queued around the block to take their money out of the bank. And people are still nervous.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZABIULLAH AHMADI, SHOPKEEPER (through translator): I had a savings account in Kabul Bank, but after the scandals in Kabul Bank, I have withdrawn my money as I was scared that my hard earned money that I have worked for would be lost, because I knew that millions of dollars were looted from Kabul Bank.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the UK says it won't support a United Nations vote on a Palestinian request for improved status tomorrow and will abstain if the wording isn't changed. Now the Palestinians are asking the UN to allow them non-member observing status.
Russia, France and Spain already back the move, but the U.S. opposes it along with Israel. The British foreign minister William Hague said it was not the time for such a move.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM HAGUE, BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER: Given the overriding need for both Israelis and Palestinians to return to negotiations as soon as possible, we asked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas not to move a resolution of the UN General Assembly for the time being. Our view was that it would be better to give the U.S. administration the opportunity to set out a new initiative.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: William Hague there.
Well, the M-23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo say that they will withdraw from the crucial eastern city of Goma. Witnesses report seeing some rebels packing up lorries filled with weapons and supplies heading north out of the city. The group said it would withdraw troops 20 kilometers from Goma, but would still leave a force at the airport. Over 140,000 people have been displaced in the latest violence.
Well, someone in the U.S. is about to get very, very, very rich. The country's PowerBall lottery jackpot has hit a record high of, get this, $550 million, half a billion dollars. And it sparked a ticket buying frenzy. And as you can imagine, Mary Snow is at a convenience store in New York.
Have you bought a ticket or two?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Becky, yes. Five actually. Because I am hoping to be that someone to get very, very rich. But unfortunately I'm with millions of others of people in the same boat.
You know, we're here at a convenience store in Manhattan. There's been a steady string of stores open 24 hours. And store owners have been seeing people around the clock, including Tyrone Davis who is joining us. How many tickets did you just buy?
TYRONE DAVIS, SHOPPER: I just bought two.
SNOW: Two. Do you play PowerBall regularly?
DAVIS: Yes.
SNOW: Ever win?
DAVIS: No.
SNOW: You've heard the astronomical odds, 1 in 175 million of winning. What do you think?
DAVIS: I just need to be that one.
SNOW: Have you thought about how to spend it?
DAVIS: Spending it is not going to be a problem.
SNOW: Spent a lot of time thinking about that?
DAVIS: Yeah.
SNOW: All right. Well, good luck to you. Thank you Tyrone.
DAVIS: Have a good day.
SNOW: Thank you.
And Becky, you know, I talked to a woman earlier who came in and bought $10 worth of tickets. And she said, you know, I'm not going to win, but she thought that the - it was worth the investment to be able to day dream for a day about quitting her job and how she would spend that money.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: How many tickets did you buy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I bought $20 dollars worth, 10 tickets.
SNOW: And, so, $20 is it worth a day of day dreaming?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, why not?
SNOW: Is that what you've been doing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We talked about it on the way here, yeah. My dad called and asked if we were playing (inaudible) about how the numbers would work. So...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been thinking about who I would help, who I would give money to, who I would donate to. So...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How long we would stay at work.
SNOW: PowerBall, Becky, is being played in 42 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Here in New York, just in New York state alone, lottery officials are saying that they're seeing nearly $2 million in sales per hour - Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah. I can totally understand that.
Mary, thank you for that.
I've always wondered where I'd - whether I'd share the money if I won a big prize like that, but I'm pretty sure I probably wouldn't. Does that make me a bad person? Probably.
We're going to take a very short break. When we come back, the British press and the report that might change its fate. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, a star of the British version of the X Factor has been awarded over $600,000 in a settlement with an Irish newspaper. The Irish Sun ran false allegations of a sexual assault by Louis Walsh. Now Walsh's lawyers claimed a crime writer for the paper offered the alleged victim money to file a complaint with police. That complaint was later found to be false and the accuser was jailed for two years.
Now that settlement comes just a day before the United Kingdom's inquiry into press ethics is published. The inquiry was sparked, you'll remember, when details of widespread phone hacking by newspaper journalists came to the fore last year. And as Dan Rivers now explains, the long awaited Leveson report may change the face of British newspaper journalism forever.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As the ink dries on Lord Justice Leveson's report, it's difficult to imagine a more anticipated document for the British newspaper industry. The machinery of government is preparing to enforce some or all of his recommendations. This could be the greatest shakeup of Britain's newspaper industry since the invention of the printing press. So how did we get here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, let's deal with the first point first.
RIVERS: Leveson first looked at tabloid excess, the News of the World's hacking of the phone of a murdered schoolgirl Millie Dowler and other intrusive behavior.
PAUL MCMULLAN, JOURNALIST: The hacking of Millie Dowler's phone was not a bad thing for a journalist, a well meaning journalist who is only trying to help find the girl.
HUGH GRANT, ACTOR: There has been a section of our press that has become, allowed to become toxic over the last 20 or 30 years.
SALLY DOWLER, MURDERED GIRL'S MOTHER: And then I rang her phone. And it threw onto her voicemail. So I heard her voice. And I was - it was just like I - she picked up her voicemail. She's alive.
KATE MCCANN, MISSING GIRL'S MOTHER: And I felt completely violated. You know, I'd written these words. I thought that the most desperate time in my life.
RIVERS: But there was also scrutiny of journalists and the police. So was it a question of cash and wine flowing as information leaked?
JOHN YATES, FRM. ASST. POLICE COMMISSION: It might well have been (inaudible) yes, but when a bottle was being shared with several people, but no, in the sense that you're suggesting.
JEFF EDWARDS, JOURNALIST: Some of them liked to go and relax over a glass of wine.
JACQUI HAMES, FRM. POLICE OFFICER: It becomes human nature, a gentleman's drinking club. And that's what it was for many years.
SEAN O'NEILL, JOURNALIST: I think it's quite important for seeing a crime journalist to be able to leak senior police officers and talk openly and freely.
PAUL STEPHENSON, FRM. POLICE COMMISSIONER: I'd say for every journalist I've ever met, they would be delighted if I was indiscrete. It was my job to ensure I wasn't.
RIVERS: Finally, Leveson asked to the press barons, particularly Rupert Murdoch really have a strangle hold over British politicians.
RUPERT MURDOCH, NEWS CORP. FOUNDER: I never asked a politician for anything.
GORDON BROWN, FRM. UK PRIME MINISTER: I never asked a newspaper for the support directly. And I've never complained when they haven't give us the support.
DAVID CAMERON, UK PRIME MINISTER: There was no overt deal for support, there was no covert deal, there was no nods and winks.
TONY BLAIR, FRM. UK PRIME MINISTER: I don't know a policy that we changed as a result of Rupert Murdoch.
MURDOCH: We've never pushed our commercial interests in our newspapers.
JOHN PRESCOTT, FRM. DEP. PRIME MINISTER: I always thought that it was wrong that politicians at the highest level were just too close to Murdoch.
RIVERS: There's an old phrase in newspapers, "publish and be damned." But this long inquiry has left and indelible stain on Britain's press. The contents of this report might damn many who have ink in their veins. And it will probably recommend a press regulator with teeth with the power to stem and punish tabloid excesses.
Dan Rivers, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, that report is due out at half past 1:00 Thursday here in London. Tune in for live coverage of its release and the reaction to follow, that's all right here on CNN.
Coming up on Connect the World, the latest world news headlines, plus banned over the DeepWater blowout, why BP is in more hot water over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
And swapping (inaudible) for shipping containers, Starbucks takes its pledge to sustainability to a whole new level. Those stories after a rap of your headlines after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: A very warm welcome to our viewers across Europe and around the world. I'm Becky Anderson. These are the latest world news headlines from CNN.
Syria's opposition announces twin car bombings killed more than 50 people in a town near Damascus, a population of Jarmana (ph) is mainly Christian and Druze and it's traditionally been seen as loyal to the Syrian government. The explosion injured 120 people, and children are among the dead.
New clashes in Egypt amid a surprise announcement. The Islamist- dominated assembly there, writing the new constitution, says it could vote on that tomorrow. That is far earlier than expected. Many liberal and Christian politicians are boycotting that very assembly.
More support today for the Palestinians' bid to win non-member observer status, as it's known, at the United Nations. Spain, Norway, and Switzerland now amongst those who say they'll back the move. Britain, though, says it will abstain unless Palestinians meet certain conditions.
And BP is now temporarily blocked from bidding for any new US government contracts. Following the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the US government says the oil giant has demonstrated a, quote, "lack of business integrity." The move follows BP's decision this month to plead guilty to criminal charges relating to that disaster.
Well, the fallout from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill continues for BP. Jim Boulden joins me now in the studio. What exactly did the US government say today, Jim?
JIM BOULDEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the EPA says because of these criminal acts that BP has admitted to in court, that you're not supposed to do business with companies that are known to have committed criminal acts.
And so, while BP negotiates with the EPA on this matter, they said we're going to suspend BP's ability to win any new contracts, temporarily, with the government, and that includes oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, that also includes any business with departments in the government.
ANDERSON: All right, that's the headline. I want to talk to you about how it's affected the share price, first and foremost, and what sort of effect this is going to have on the business going forward in a moment.
But let me just remind our viewers, it was the biggest accidental oil spill the world's ever seen. At the time, you'll remember, wall-to-wall pictures of the rig on fire and oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. A reminder, then, of what happened near on two years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAMANTHA HAYES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Deepwater Horizon oil rig, anchored 42 miles southeast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico burst into flames on April 20th. The explosion killed 11 workers and sunk the rig, which was under lease by BP. The coast guard initially estimated 1,000 barrels of oil per day were pouring into the Gulf.
MARY LANDRY, US COAST GUARD: If we don't secure the well, yes, this could be one of the most significant oil spills in US history.
HAYES: The estimate reached as high as 60,000 barrels per day. President Obama offered help and placed financial responsibility on BP.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My administration will continue to use every single available resource at our disposal, including potentially the Department of Defense to address the incident.
HAYES: BP pledged to pay for the cleanup and all legitimate claims made by those affected. But American opinion of the oil giant soured after it spent millions on an ad addressing the spill and after CEO Tony Hayward made some well-publicized gaffes.
TONY HAYWARD, CEO, BP: We're sorry for the massive disruption it's caused to their lives. We're -- there's no one who wants this thing over more than I do. I'd love my life back.
HAYES: BP made several failed attempts to cap the spill. The company also set controlled burns, sprayed chemical disbursements, and laid miles of boom to contain the crude. Still, oil reached Louisiana's shores in May and later arrived in Alabama, Mississippi, and the Florida panhandle. It threatened wildlife and the livelihoods of those who worked in industries like tourism and fishing.
On July 15th, a containment cap stopped the flow of oil for the first time in 85 days. The well was filled in and officially declared dead in September.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That's Samantha Hayes reporting on the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. I know we've heard from BP today. This, of course, is a temporary ban following their decision to plead guilty to criminal charges. Tell us what BP said and remind us of those details, if you will.
BOULDEN: Yes. Well, it took many hours for BP to come out with a statement, but finally they did late this afternoon. BP is reminding people that this is a temporary suspension and that it relates only to future potential contracts.
They also want to make clear the EPA has informed BP that it's preparing a proposed administrative agreement that if agreed upon would effectively resolve and lift this temporary suspension.
This temporary suspension is very much linked to November 15th, when BP agreed to pay $4.5 billion in fines for the criminal acts involving not only the death of the 11 oil workers, but also the pollution into the Gulf of Mexico. And also, because they admitted to criminal charges, that's where they get themselves into a situation with these contracts.
ANDERSON: So, how is this going to affect business, do you think?
BOULDEN: Well, interesting. If you look at the share price today. When the news first broke, the shares were down more than 4 percent in London, but they closed down less than one half of one percent.
I think when people realized it's not going to take away, for instance, a huge defense department contract that BP has with jet fuel, for instance -- they're a big player in the US, thousands of employees, they own Arco, Amoco, all these. They are as much an American oil company, I would say, as they are a British company.
So, any potential future is a could be, would be, maybe, would be. How long this could last? Could it be 6 months, 18 months? Could it be a couple weeks? That's -- that is where it would be. How much of an impact it would have going forward.
ANDERSON: How long is temporary these days? We have no idea.
BOULDEN: Well -- yes. The EPA said sometimes it goes 18 months on these temporary bans, so --
ANDERSON: Thank you, sir. Jim Boulden on the story for you tonight. The short-term effect on business, then, is one thing. Damage, of course, to reputation is another.
I want to bring in Bob Cavnar, an oil industry executive for more than 30 years and author of the book "Disaster on the Horizon." He's an expert on the 2010 oil spill and he joins me now from Denver, Colorado. Bob, were you surprised by this ruling?
BOB CAVNAR, AUTHOR, "DISASTER ON THE HORIZON": No. Not at all. It's not uncommon for a company to have one afoul of the US government to have their ability to do contracts with the government. So, it wasn't a surprise, and I think BP was actually expecting it.
ANDERSON: Yes, and Jim pointing out, BP is as much an American company these days as it is British, and employs an awful lot of people in the States. The US government's got to be slightly careful about where it went with this. What's the reputational damage, though, here, to this oil behemoth, as it were?
CAVNAR: I think at this point, there's really not much more damage that BP can do to its reputation in the US. With the refinery explosion that they had a few years ago, to this -- very large spill, as you said, the largest spill in US history.
It's really done the damage here. I think this is just another step in that reclamation of BP back to the status where they have some level of respect in the United States.
ANDERSON: Yes, selling the room the facts seem to be certainly what the markets were doing around about the morning session. And as Jim said, only closing down slightly earlier on today. Were you, though, surprised in any way that BP was taking the rap and that others weren't infected here? Halliburton and other contractors, I'm talking about.
CAVNAR: In the United States anyway, the operator of record, which was BP, was the ultimate responsible party here. Halliburton and Transocean and the -- and Schlumberger and the other companies that were working for BP were under BP's supervision, and so BP is the ultimate responsible party.
Even though Halliburton might have done something wrong, BP was still in charge, still made the decisions to go forward, so therefore, they're the ultimate responsible party here.
ANDERSON: We were wall-to-wall on this story on CNN, as were other broadcasters. It was a -- this was a really tragic story and a very compelling one. And at the time, Bob, we were promised a culture change in the industry. I certainly talked long and hard with guests on my show about that. Have we got that? Are we confident that this won't happen again?
CAVNAR: I have to tell you, I'm just the opposite. I'm very, very concerned here. We really didn't change anything in the way that we drill the deep water in the Gulf of Mexico and around the world, frankly, because it's all the same technology.
There was a moment in time when that well was on television where everybody could see it flowing into the Gulf of Mexico for our political leaders to take the step to really change the way that we implement our policy and drill in these kinds of environments.
But politically, our leaders lost the will to do that, and they really didn't change anything. There's some others -- there's some new certifications and there's containment equipment onsite, which is good.
But everybody has to understand, we're still -- still drilling with the same blowout preventers, the same safety systems and control systems, and the same rigs. And those blowout preventers have about a 40 percent failure rate in practice, and that's the big concern here.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Bob Cavnar on the show for you, seemingly your expert on the subject. Bob, thank you for that.
Still to come on CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN 30 minutes -- 39 minutes past 9:00 out of London. With a growing global appetite for Turkey's export, can the country's already busy gateways cope with the demand? That from our latest Gateway series up after this short break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're back with CONNECT THE WORLD, I'm Becky Anderson for you. Turkey has a textile industry dating back to the 16th century, and it's only grown over the years. With over 40,000 textile factories, the country's now the 6th largest supplier in the world.
In this week's Gateway series, I went to find out if Turkey's bustling ports can keep up with what is that increase in global demand.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): With its 8,000 kilometer-long coastline, Turkey is a country of many ports serving as strategic gateways from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
ANDERSON (on camera): In 2011, 85 percent of Turkey's foreign trade was carried by sea. Ambarli Port is Turkey's biggest, handling over 40 percent of the annual container traffic here.
BINALI YILDIRIM, TURKISH TRANSPORT MINISTER: Turkey for many hundreds of years is a bridge between East and West. Forty percent of annual gross domestic product is generated by this city.
ANDERSON (voice-over): It's a role that Istanbul has played through Turkey's mercantile history. The city was once a major port along the old Silk Road.
ANDERSON (on camera): This is Istanbul's famous Grand Bazaar, set up as a trading center for textiles during the Ottoman empire. Well, textiles still make up a significant portion of Turkey's economic fabric. Some 10 percent of GDP.
Are these Turkish?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Hundred percent Turkish.
ANDERSON: A hundred percent. That's absolutely beautiful.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Modern technology has played a huge role in this. Zorlu Textiles is one of the biggest factories in the region. Spinning, weaving, and printing machines churn out about 400,000 meters of fabric every day. This is the modern face of an age-old industry.
ANDERSON (on camera): How important is the port to your industry? I just thinking, how -- for example, how much do you ship out from the port? Export?
VEDAT AYDIN, CEO, ZORLU TEXTILES: We ship about 66.5 percent from port. The ports are very efficient and of course cost-wise, it's an advantage compared to trucks and cargo.
For 2023, we're going to go increase our exports like three or four times. It's a nice projection, but to be able to do that, we need about ten times more ports than we have now.
ANDERSON: Wow.
ANDERSON (voice-over): It's a challenge that the government says it's willing to rise to.
YILDIRIM: We have more than 170 ports, small and medium-sized ports. So, we are going to increase the capacity, removing the port in the part of Istanbul, will be replaced by adding up other capacity in the coastline where it's parts from the Black Sea to the Med Sea. The country is going to be the logistic center as a whole.
ANDERSON: While Istanbul's competitive advantage as a hub is undoubted, developing new port infrastructure countrywide is crucial to ensure Turkey's role as a global gateway.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right. Many of you who buy your coffee from Starbucks will be familiar with the country -- the country's, the chain's -- fair trade brand. The company says it's committed to ethnically -- ethically sourcing its coffee and investing in local environmental projects.
Well, now Starbucks is taking its pledge to sustainability one step further, we are told. CNN's Michael Holmes has been investigating.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's an early, rainy morning in Seattle, and along this busy road, a familiar sign beckons sleepy drivers in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, welcome to Starbucks.
HOLMES: But this Starbucks is different. Instead of plush couches and a coffeehouse atmosphere, there are industrial materials flanked with drive-through and walk-up windows. It's an idea that all started with architect Anthony Perez just looking out his window.
ANTHONY PEREZ, SENIOR CONCEPT DESIGN MANAGER, STARBUCKS: We are privileged to be in Seattle in one of the busiest harbors on the West Coast.
HOLMES: Seas of shipping containers waiting to find their way to a scrapyard became Perez's inspiration.
PEREZ: This was the perfect opportunity to try a new usage, a new material that would work for us as a building block for inspired design.
HOLMES: Perez says sustainability isn't anything new to Starbucks, but at only 137 square meters, this reclamation store was a way for them to take it one step further.
PEREZ: We're very, very much committed to the environment and making sure that everything that we're doing is LEED-certifiable. We're starting to apply a lot of that thinking now to the outside for the very first time. How do we bring that to life for our customers in a way that they are engaging, in a way that is there as part of an experience for them?
HOLMES: Being LEED-certified guarantees that buildings meet certain sustainability standards, and Perez made sure this was integrated throughout the store's entire experience.
PEREZ: We've got a 40-foot container on the bottom, two 40-foot containers up on top, a 16-foot hammerhead that's got the drive-through and the walk-up window on either side. The leftover parts we used for everything else.
These are opened up on both ends and allow the air to easily flow over the HVAC and creates shade inside the units. All of the grasses are indigenous grasses that are from this area.
So, this is what we call the Wordle. It's about reinvestigating ideas and words that are associated with "re": renew, revive, reinspire, recreate, realize. The idea, the word originates with a cycle, and that's really what this store is all about.
HOLMES: With its modular design, Perez was able to replicate the idea in Denver, Colorado.
PEREZ: This was the basic box. And going forward, we're looking at making sure that there are other ways of expressing this type of idea, but making it feel more local.
HOLMES: Perez softened the industrial look using local materials so the store would match its surroundings.
PEREZ: The Denver location is wrapped in Wyoming snow fencing on the outside. Still a container, but it's recycled, reclaimed material. So we have a recycled box and then reclaimed material that's on the outside of that customers love, that really is engaging.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have a good day. Thanks.
HOLMES: Good for customers and good for the environment, according to the government-sponsored agency that champions sustainable development.
EMILY KIRK WILSON, US GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL: Our buildings represent 40 percent of our carbon emissions and 70 percent of our electricity use. So, building green is critical, and with green buildings, we can cut that in half.
HOLMES: She says a company with Starbucks' profile can make a big impact.
WILSON: They've done a great job in spreading the world about the environmental value, the social value, and the business value of green building.
PEREZ: We're kind of stunned to see the response to the stores. There's a lot of curiosity about it. The business has been quite robust. And I think it's also, I think, a reflection of the fact that we want to be as innovative as possible in the things that we do and how we bring Starbucks to the market.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, enjoy your day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
HOLMES: It is for now just a pilot project with two stores built, but Starbucks says there will be more.
PEREZ: The angle for me as a designer is that people feel affection for their stores, that they go in and they feel connected to their stores. On the outside -- if somebody comes through a drive-through and they say, "This is my Starbucks," and they love it, we've done our job. We feel successful.
HOLMES: Michael Holmes, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Yes, it's that time of the hour. European football's governing body is considering a massive overhaul for their Champions League competition. Don Riddell here now to make sense of it all. What's the story here?
DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're talking about the Europa League which, Becky, could be no more in just three years' time. You'll know that the Champions League is really the big competition, that's the one everybody gets excited about, that's the one that makes all the money both for the European governing body UEFA and also for the teams that play in it.
The Europa League is kind of seen as really its ugly sister. Nobody really wants to play in the Europa League. And they're talking about the fact that in three years' time, they might just get rid of it.
UEFA's president, Michel Platini, has said they are considering scrapping the Europa League. He said they'll make the decision in two years' time. This all could happen in time for the season beginning in 2015.
And if that does happen, it means that the Champions League will be expanded. It could go from 32 teams to 64. There are some who say that would be a bit ridiculous, how can you call that a Champions League when you've got teams that can finish sixth or even seventh in their domestic league playing in this competition?
And critics of that would also argue that already there are games that are played in the Champions League that don't really mean very much in the group stage and you would continue to water it down by letting in a lot more weaker teams.
ANDERSON: Sure.
RIDDELL: But the teams that play in the Europa League, I think, are definitely for it, because at the moment, they say it's a very long season for them. They have to play on Thursdays, which they really don't like, and obviously, they'd rather be in the Champions League themselves.
ANDERSON: I know, but they have to be good enough, don't they, really? I think it's a rubbish idea. Anyway, moving on. Golf's governing bodies have also been tweaking the rules over the use of what they call "belly putters." Go on and explain. You and I used to do "Living Golf," we were presenters of the show, we ought to know what we're talking about here.
RIDDELL: Absolutely. Well, look, they haven't tweaked them yet, but they might tweak them, and I think they're going to, and I think they certainly want to.
A few years ago, we saw the introduction of these kind of longer putters. They became known as "belly putters," but you can also rest them against your chest or even your chin. And the idea is that if you're a nervous player and your hands are shaking, the stability of putting the club against your stomach or any other part of your body means that you're able to control your stroke a bit better.
And it wasn't really that big a deal a few years ago, because those putters weren't winning anything. But three of the last five male Major champions have won their tournaments using these kind of putters.
ANDERSON: All right.
RIDDELL: So, the people that make the rules, the Royal and Ancient and the USGA are now saying they want to get rid of not the clubs themselves but the actual action of anchoring it against your body, which would, of course, mean those clubs would become useless.
ANDERSON: That's right. Let's remember that 90 percent of the game of golf, of course, is mental. The other 10 percent, I'm told by a great mate of mine whose name is JP, is also mental. If you haven't got what it takes on the course, and this is a regular golf club, right? So, I'm going to get the yips here, or maybe I won't. Yow! Didn't make it. The idea is --
(CROSSTALK)
RIDDELL: Ooh, well, a live audience does make it very difficult.
ANDERSON: -- that this one, no good. No good. Pass it back, pass it back, pass it back. Here we go. Oops, on a pair of high heels. Here we go. Let's put this one back. This isn't as long a belly putter as Don was talking about. Some of them can go, as you said, right up to here.
But this one, at least, doesn't go against my chest. I've had to really bend down for that, despite myself. I'm going to just press -- lean it against here. And what it does give you is the opportunity, as Don said, to just take a bit more ease with your shot. Hello, Don.
RIDDELL: Good, it works for you, Becky.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Not bad.
(LAUGHTER)
RIDDELL: Well, you'd better make the most of it, because in three years' time --
ANDERSON: How much -- fantastic.
RIDDELL: -- you're probably not going to be able to use them.
ANDERSON: I know. But JP points out to me, this mate of mine, as well, that that's 2016. That's 12 Majors from now. That's ridiculous. If you decided that they are no good for the game of golf, ban them now, surely. What do you think?
RIDDELL: Well, I think there's just going to be a lot of resistance, and one of the problems is that some of the players that are using these clubs now are not the guys that were once great that have kind of not able to putt as well now and they're resorted to this because they can't think of anything else.
The guys that are using these clubs are guys that have only ever used these clubs, guys like Carl Pettersson or Keegan Bradley or Webb Simpson. The latter two have won Majors with these clubs. They've never used anything else.
So I think it's going to be very difficult for them, that you may find there are some legal challenges that come in, because you could be messing with guys' livelihoods here.
I think some people would say, look. Let the amateurs continue using these clubs. The game is hard enough as it is, don't make it even harder for the amateurs. But it may well be that they just ban them for everybody.
ANDERSON: Yes, all right. Good stuff. Thank you, mate. Don Riddell in the house for you tonight. Back in about a half hour's time with "World Sport" as ever.
I'm Becky Anderson. Thank you for watching. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. See you tomorrow.
END
