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Promising Results For Latest Tests On Spanish Nurse's Aid With Ebola; WHO Admits Response Too Slow To Ebola Crisis; Vatican Synod Ends With No Decision on Changes; Iraqi Militias Make Small Gains Against ISIS; Queen Rania on Extremism; Parting Shots: Autumn; Africa-Dubai Trade Resurgence; Primary Problems; Africa's Richest Man

Aired October 19, 2014 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: It's dominating headlines from Dallas to Madrid, but it's where these images were shot that it started.

The true horror of the Ebola crisis is unfolding in West Africa where CNN's Nima Elbagir has witnessed it first hand. She's just back from Liberia and

joins us here in the UAE to explain the grim reality.

Also ahead:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All right, if you look here they've written on this donkey, this little one, on the other side.

It's written Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which is of course the name of the caliph, so-called caliph of the Islamic State.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Fending off ISIS with hardware and humor.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.

ANDERSON: A very good evening from the UAE. It is 7:00 here in the evening. The World Health Organization promising a full review of its response to

the Ebola outbreak after being accused of mishandling the crisis.

An internal document cited by the associated press says the Agency botched its initial response to the outbreak and missed key opportunities to stop

the spread of the virus.

But the WHO says the leaked document was only a first draft and had not been fact checked.

And two patience in Spain waiting on tests that will show for sure whether or not they have Ebola. These are exclusive pictures of the test samples

arriving for testing. The patience were admitted to a Madrid hospital with fevers on Thursday and have been under close observation ever since.

Another patient, the health care worker who contracted the virus has been showing signs of improvement and is also awaiting her latest test results.

Let's kick off tonight with Al Goodman who is in Madrid for more on this. Now, what's the latest from authorities there?

AL GOODMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky.

We have been told by doctors that Teresa Ramiro Ramos, the nurse's aid who is in hospital here where she used to work until recently on a medical team

on another Ebola patient, a missionary who died in this hospital, that she had been getting better, that the amount of virus in her blood had been

declining.

But I've just gotten off the phone with a member of the government's special scientific committee to manage this Ebola crisis and this is Luis

Enjuanes (ph) who is leading expert on viruses here in Spain. He's also worked in the United States in English, he says, and this is new

information that Teresa Romero's last two tests to measure the amount of virus, it wasn't just low it was what scientists call a background level

which is not statistically different than a negative, nothing. And he says you're talking about molecules when you're on the background level, the

amount of virus still left in her.

So he says if this latest test where our video -- our team Nic Robertson and company who are over at the lab this day as those test results arrive,

as this third test comes out, he says effectively she'll be out of the woods, that there would be at least a 95 percent chance that she would

recover. This is new information coming to us just moments ago in a phone conversation in English with Luis Enjuanes (ph) -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Well, if that is the case that is indeed good news. And we will be discussing the abundance of caution that authorities are using, and

rightly so, as we move through these days and weeks, and as this virus, it seems as times is spreading outside of West Africa.

Give me a sense of how the community around that hospital -- who worked there, and who were living around that hospital feel. Is there a sense of

panic in any way, or is this scare simply that, one that they can contain and get on with?

GOODMAN: Well, you know, there have been -- right now I would say there seems to be optimism, certainly from Luis Enjuanes (ph) who is on the

scientific team that's meeting daily. This includes scientists like himself, PhDs like himself, medical doctors who are involved here and the

indication is that they are optimistic about Teresa Romero, the only confirmed case. And there appears to be optimism for the others, because on

Thursday just a few nights ago four people were rushed into hospitals, three here and one in the Canary Islands of Spain, those initial tests were

all four came out negative, and one has since been released because he got a second negative. We're waiting on results of these others.

So, the -- you take that into consideration and you take all the other people who are under watch, none of them showing symptoms. There is

generally optimism here and that's after quite a rough period where the government started out in what was considered quite a chaotic response here

almost two weeks ago when this crisis first broke out -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah. Al Goodman reporting.

And CNN has been closely covering this Ebola story for months now. Nobody, though, has been closer to the heart of the crisis than correspondent Nima

Elbagir. She's just back from Liberia and as promised she'll join us here in Abu Dhabi with her firsthand account of that outbreak.

Moving on -- and a volatile weekend in the Syrian city of Kobani. We're getting word of new shelling and a pair of car bombs. More coalition

airstrikes it seems have pounded ISIS targets as Kurdish fighters try to hold on to their games after driving out many militants.

Kobani, as you know, has been a key battleground as ISIS tries to control a stretch of land across northern Syria, a strategic stretch of ground.

Despite the violence, many of those remaining in Kobani are reluctant to leave.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh picks up the story for us from across the border in Turkey -- Nick.

NICK PATSON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, what we're hearing from those Kurds who have made the journey out into -- here in

Turkey is that while many of them have fled because they need food, they need some sort of short-term relief and were terrified for their lives,

they know -- and many accounts they count go back inside to Kobani, the Turkish military, they say, won't let them.

That's a policy they've introduced in the past week or so. And it's lead to quite a number of people from Kobani simply stay on the other side of the

fence inside Syria in kind of no-man's land there between the city and the border where we've heard ourselves gunfire reasonably regularly, a tense

situation and they seem they have to endure because they want to look after their cars, their homes.

And of course there's a broader question now that's raising amongst many of the Kurds, why is Turkey doing that when they are, OK, hospital here

certainly to the million plus Syrian refugees who come here. But they let many Syrians go back, because they're involved in the resistance against

President Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president.

Different story, though, they say, for the Kurds.

Now Turkey's defense, of course, would be if you want to be a refugee you cross the border that's it. But there is, it seems, a double standard to

some degree, and that will feed into broader suspicions that Turkey is keen to lessen the ability of the Kurds to resupply themselves inside Kobani.

And frankly, the Kurds are worried when the coalition air power recedes, which one day it will eventually will find a new target elsewhere. They

need weapons, they need new man power to be able to hold the city in case ISIS comes back, Becky.

ANDERSON: Nick, taking this story away from where you are off the ground as it were, and into Ankara where the politics are conducted, and reports from

the White House today that President Obama has spoken to the President of Turkey Mr. Erdogan clearly looking to sort of come to terms with where they

both stand on what -- or where they would like Turkey to be and to do when it comes to this coalition.

What would you expect from the Turkish side at this point as a narrative. They certainly have been accused of being intransigent, at times, an

accusation they deny.

WALSH: I think Turkey must be rather, I think, dismayed, frankly, to be called intransigent by the White House if that is indeed the bold

accusations happening. At a private level, Turkey's been long pushing for greater intervention in the Syrian civil war. They have dealt with it as

their neighboring problem and the refugees from it for three years. So I'm sure now Washington has finally, it seemed, decided to directly intervene

more effectively in the Syrian civil war, they must be pretty amazed that D.C. think they can dictate exactly what they hope Turkey will do to assist

that effort.

So, it's a conflict discussion, certainly, and the Turks want to be sure that whatever they see out of this suits their long-term interests. They

don't necessarily want a short-term situation that assists the Kurds to establish their own separatist state right on their borders. And they want

the broader goal of Assad's removal to be pursued.

Those are, in the deep background -- the removal of Assad -- in the deep background what Washington also wants as well, but Washington is so

reticent to fully throw their cards, I think, down on the table and intervene whole hog here. And I think they must be having a very complex

conversation with Ankara. That buffer zone the Turks are so keen to have, such a complex issue involving U.S. Defense man power. They are going to be

reluctant to agree to it, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah, all right, Nick Paton Walsh is there on the Turkey side of the border reporting on what is an incredibly important story. Thanks,

Nick.

Still to come, more on our top story, the Ebola crisis. And Pope Francis calls for a more inclusive church that welcomes same sex and divorced

couples. But not all of the bishops at the Vatican agree. A live report. And that also coming up this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Right, welcome back. You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson.

Well, concern and outright panic over the Ebola crisis has spread to all corners of the world. But nowhere has been more justified than in the West

African nations of Guinea, of Sierra Leone and Liberia. More than 4,500 people have died in those countries. And the World Health Organization now

appears to have acknowledged its initial response was flawed.

Well, there's certainly no shortage of flaws in the way the crisis is being tackled on the ground. Misinformation, a lack of supplies and striking

health workers all exacerbating the situation.

Well, my guest here in Abu Dhabi tonight has just returned from Liberia and has witnessed all of this firsthand.

CNN's correspondent Nima Elbagir has traveled twice to the epicenter of the outbreak. And you're just back, I know, from your second what is 10 day

trip to Liberia.

You're first was back in August.

Nima, what was different this time?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's definitely less of a sense of isolation, you definitely see more of an international presence,

the U.S. troops in terms of them around there. That's definitely had an impact.

But what seems to be getting worse is just that burden that health workers are struggling under. We went and spent some time with some of those right

inside the Ebola treatment wards. I want you to take a look at this, Becky.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELBAGIR (voice-over): Blood splattered and limp, too weak to hold up his head, a nurse struggles under the weight of a desperately ill patient. The

nurse agreeing to wear a camera to give us a glimpse as the bleak reality he witnesses daily. Here at this government run treatment center. Today the

nurse managed to get this patient to drink water.? It's a small victory.

For the last few months, Dr. Soka Moses and his team have worn their protective suits in unbearable heat, walking the high-risk wards to tend to

the patient in their care.

DR. SOKA MOSES, JFK EBOLA TREATMENT UNIT: Life is rough and then you die. What else can we do if we don't do it? Who will do it for us? So we have

?to take the risk and take care of the patients or else our country will be wiped away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Some extraordinary firsthand reporting and that was an awful lot of reporting that you did from Liberia.

There is some good news. Nigeria, for example, could be declared Ebola free in the next couple of days. Yet in some places, like Liberia, in Monrovia

in Liberia, people seem to be struggling to get a handle on this. Why is that?

ELBAGIR: It's just the lack of basic infrastructure. I think that's what's been heartbreaking about this is you had all those awful years of civil war

in Liberia and Sierra Leone and just as they were starting to build that infrastructure this happened.

So it's very difficult to compare Nigeria, which has a fully functioning -- to some degrees, but a functioning health care infrastructure with a

country like Sierra Leone where you can walk for miles in the best of circumstances to try and get adequate health care, let alone now.

ANDERSON: The WHO, it seems -- at least in a leaked report -- has said -- an internal report -- has said it's pretty discombobulated in its efforts

to put a cap on this way back when, I'm talking, you know, between March and August. Do you think the response was slow and inadequate?

ELBAGIR: Absolutely. I don't think there's any debate about that.

You know, you had that really undignified spat between Doctors Without Borders who have been taking the lead on this and the WHO back in May, I

think, when they accused Doctors Without Borders of causing panic. And it's good to see the WHO has kind of sat back and kind of thought about that.

But the reality is everybody was too slow. You know, it was four, five months for these countries of just sinking under the sheer weight of the

numbers of the dead and the dying before the international community felt it was time to step in.

ANDERSON: There's little doubt that the spread of this disease is causing alarm, and an understandable sort of degree of prudence with authorities

exercising caution as we've seen, particularly for travelers from countries that have seen patience with the virus.

Vigilance, I guess, is key here. What's your experience?

ELBAGIR: Definitely vigilance, vigilance and an abundance of caution. You cannot be too cautious.

We went through a number of screenings coming out of Liberia, but when one of our team members had an upset stomach, we alerted authorities

immediately on our way into Dubai. And even though they knew that he didn't have a temperature, he didn't have any other of the Ebola-like symptoms,

they also had to move immediately -- in fact, they were pretty meticulous. They moved very quickly. They put their protocols into place. They

isolated, they monitored him, and this is just the new reality that we have to live with. This is what now needs to happen in order for people to feel

safe, people need to know that this is being done.

And definitely here in the UAE, our experience is the authorities moved as soon as they knew, and they did everything that they should have done.

ANDERSON: And the quicker that authorities are and the more prudence and protocol that is used, I guess the more people will be prepared to go out

and help, because at this stage there's got to be a point at which people say, do I want to go or not? And this is to help? I mean, I'm talking about

health care workers at this point.

ELBAGIR: I think this is the best message that we can get out there, that if you have even the tinniest bit of doubt -- and for us we knew this was

highly unlikely -- put your hand up, say something, because when people see that that protocol is in place, that infrastructure is in place, it makes

them feel safe. And like you said, it makes them more likely to come forward if something is going wrong.

ANDERSON: Nima Elgabir reporting. Great to have you back.

Two stints in Liberia and some fantastic reporting, which you can see on CNN.com/international.

World Health Organization has warned it could take months to contain the Ebola outbreak. Now some U.S. lawmakers are calling for their country to

follow others and ban travel from West Africa until it is under control. But U.S. health officials say a ban would only make the problem worse.

You can check out that debate on the website and much more, as I say, of Nima's reporting. CNN.com/international.

Live from Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson.

Coming up, a two week meeting of bishops at the Vatican unveiled deep divisions regarding same-sex and divorced couples. But Pope Francis opens

up the process so all sides can be heard. A live report from Rome is up next. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Pope Francis Beatified one of his predecessors, Pope Paul VI, at the Vatican today. Huge crowds packed St. Peter's Square for Sunday Mass.

Pope Francis also formally closed the meeting of nearly 200 Catholic Bishops who were discussing possible changes in the church's stance on

sexuality and on family life.

Well, CNN Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher has been monitoring the synod and joins us now live from Rome.

And, wow, what a couple of weeks it has been.

It seems, at least, one that the pope seems satisfied with, although he didn't get exactly what he wanted out of the synod, did he?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, actually, Becky, I think the real news of this synod is that the pope reached at least his initial

objective, which was to have a frank and open discussion. He said it specifically to his brother bishops and cardinals, don't hold back in what

you have to say just because I'm here. I want to hear what you really think.

And, my goodness, that is what he got. We've seen two weeks of real transparency from the Vatican and from the cardinals and bishops on some of

these questions.

I don't think it comes as a surprise to anybody that there is division on the question of gays and lesbians, or that there is division on the

question of divorced people and so on.

The surprise has been that the conversation has been public and transparent and indeed Pope Francis said last night at the close of the synod that he

would have been saddened that -- if the discussion had not been so animated.

So I think that is the real story.

Remember, this is only the first step. There is a whole other conference going to happen next October on the same issues. So the pope said this

morning let's all go away and take a year, let the thoughts mature and come back next year -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Delia, this is a pope who wields an awful lot of power in narrative, but how much support does he have internally for conversations

like this? And ought we to see this going any further, for example? Certainly the view is come back and we'll talk about this again.

How much opposition is there, for example.

GALLAGHER: Well, one of the things that we have heard over and over again this week has been a desire on the part of bishops and cardinals to

maintain a welcoming stance to those who have felt previously excluded, that is a priority for Pope Francis, but at the same time to balance that

with the traditional Catholic teaching.

So, in other words, not to water down the teaching, but to open the embrace.

Now those are two very difficult things to keep in balance on some of these issues. On gays and lesbians, for example, because they haven't sort of

condoned the lifestyle, but they want to welcome the people.

So, that is something that we're going to have to watch in the next year, whether there can be any movement, really, on that, because again the

majority -- and it was seen this week -- are still not in favor of changing the language with regard to gays and lesbians. Perhaps on communion for

divorced and remarried Catholics. There's a bit more leeway. But they've been talking about it for 30 years, Becky, so I don't know if in the next

year they're going to come up with a solution.

ANDERSON: Good point.

17:25 in Rome, big day in Rome, big couple of weeks, in fact. Delia, thank you.

The latest World News Headlines are just ahead.

Plus, she has witnessed profound change in Jordan and the emergence of new danger across the country's eastern borders. Now Queen Rania speaks to me

about the Syrian refugee crisis and the rise of ISIS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: This is Connect the World. The top stories for you this hour.

Doctors in Spain say a nurse's aide who contracted Ebola is showing dramatic improvement in her condition. Two recent tests show she only has

a, quote, "background level" of the virus in her system. Scientists say it is statistically the same as a negative result.

Officials in Nepal say they expect to find more bodies in the Himalayas as at least 39 climbers were killed when a winter storm hit last week,

bringing snow, flooding, and avalanches. More than 300 people have been rescued.

There's been a small exchange of gunfire between North and South Korea. A South Korean defense official tells CNN that warning shots were fired when

North Korean soldiers approached the line dividing the two countries. It's believed North Korean soldiers fired in response.

The US-led coalition has carried out and continues to carry out airstrikes against ISIS positions in Syria. The strikes are helping Kurdish fighters

maintain their gains in Kobani, where extremists have been trying to take over for a month.

Well, airstrikes slowing the advance of ISIS, it seems, in Syria, but it's a different story in Iraq. The militants have been coming dangerously close

to Baghdad. CNN's Ben Wedeman spent some time with Iraqi militia members who are trying to keep ISIS from entering the capital. This is the report

that he filed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The road is pockmarked from shelling, many of the homes scarred by bombs and

bullets. Volunteer fighters from the Hashd Ash-Shaabi, a consortium of Shia militias, patrol through Qaraghoul, an agricultural community southwest of

Baghdad.

They control everything up to the banks of the Euphrates. The bridge over the river has been destroyed. ISIS controls the far bank.

Three and a half weeks ago, these militiamen and the Iraqi army drove ISIS out. Only now are some civilians beginning to return.

"We left before ISIS arrived after we received threats," says Abu Sadiq. Says his neighbor, Abu Firas, "We only left with the clothing we were

wearing."

(GUNFIRE)

WEDEMAN: Moments later, we hear gunfire, perhaps just a case of twitch trigger fingers. Perhaps ISIS. Even if people wanted to return, many of the

houses are unsafe.

WEDEMAN (on camera): OK, so he says that "sappers," the guys who de-mine places, haven't come here yet, so they don't want us to go inside because a

lot of these houses were booby-trapped.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Some of the civilians in this predominately Sunni area fled with ISIS as it retreated. Iraqi army colonel Kareem Hassan

fought ISIS in this area and says many among the enemy are not from here.

"The majority," he says, "let's say 60 percent, are Arabs, mostly Saudis, then Tunisians, some Libyans and some Egyptians."

ISIS has pulled out of here, but they're not gone. "The army controls this area," says Officer Ali al-Hakami, but at night, Daesh, the Arabic acronym

for ISIS, tries to infiltrate. While Iraqi forces have steadily lost ground elsewhere, here, the troops and militiamen are upbeat, with time for a bit

of humor.

WEDEMAN (on camera): All right, so if you look here, they've written on this donkey, this little one, on the other side, it's written, "Abu Bakr

al-Baghdadi," which is, of course, the name of the caliph, so-called caliph of the Islamic State.

(WEDEMAN SPEAKING ARABIC)

(LAUGHTER)

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Speaking of which, militia colonel Qasim al-Hachaimi has a message for the leader of ISIS: bring it on. "From here all the way

to Mosul, whatever he wants to send my way, a roadside bomb, a sniper, go ahead," he says. "That's my message to him."

A bit of territory regained in this small corner of Iraq, but the road ahead is long and dangerous.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, in Qaraghoul, outside Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, defeating ISIS isn't just Iraq's problem, of course, it's everybody's battle. That's one of the highest-profile names in the Middle

East has told me. Queen Rania of Jordan says extremists of all beliefs rely on moderates not taking action against them, and she says that is something

that needs to change.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUEEN RANIA AL ABDULLAH, JORDAN: This is really a battle between extremism and moderation, and nobody can afford to be sitting on the fence. Because

this is a fight for what the world is going to look like for the next generation, and we all have to take a position with regards to that.

And it's important to understand that you cannot defeat extremist ideology just on the battleground. This group has made it very clear what they stand

for, and they've made it very clear how far they're willing to go and the means that they're willing to use in order to fulfill their objectives.

So, the battleground is one area, but you cannot shoot an extreme ideology with a bullet. They are powered by an idea. And sometimes an idea will

outlive the group itself, and we've seen that, for example, when military action was taken to defeat people like bin Laden or Zarqawi, you had

another generation of terrorists, each one born more brutal, more extreme and more radical than the one before.

So, we need to make sure that we fight the different elements of it. There's -- first of all, you have to take away the cause. We've seen in our

region, for example, the divide between the Shia and the Sunni has been left to fester for too long. And as a result, a lot of the Sunni groups

have felt that they have been excluded and marginalized.

And then you get the mentality of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and that's why some of them at the very beginning were supporting this group,

and then they realized what they stand for.

So, it's important for the Sunnis, for example, in the region to be able to see an exit out of this political predicament, to see new horizons for

themselves, to feel that they are included and that they have a say and they have -- and that there's equity in the sharing of power and resources.

Then you have to look at the enabling environment that allows this kind of ideology to grow and fester. So, we have to fight this battle on all

fronts. And at the heart of it, there needs to be justice and equality, democratic values.

Our young people have to feel that they have a future to look forward to, that they have better economic prospects. And I think that's the best way

to fight these kind of extreme groups.

ANDERSON: You've talked about justice, equality, our young people need hope. For young Jordanians and young Syrian refugees who don't have any

hope at the moment, how concerned are you about the fermenting of extremist violence?

AL ABDULLAH: I think we all have to be concerned about extremist violence. I think it's something that touches everybody in the world. No one can

actually think that this is not their problem, because it is.

And when I say this is a fight between extremism and moderation, I mean it's extremists on all sides and all religions, and moderates on all sides

and all religions. So, I think this is something we all have to think about, we have to see that it is our battle.

Extremists historically always rely on the complacency of moderates. They think that we're not going to do anything. And they mobilize, and we don't.

They form networks, and we don't. We have to be out there, we have to be active. Each one of us has a role to play in really fight for -- because

this is our life that we're fighting for and the life of our children.

ANDERSON: As that fight continues at home, as a host country of so many refugees at present, do you feel let down by the international community?

What needs to happen next?

AL ABDULLAH: My husband was saying recently that people look at Jordan as a trusted and reliable neighbor. They know that they can always count on us

to do the right thing. But he was saying that sometimes Jordan is taken for granted. We need to feel that the international community is going to step

in and help.

ANDERSON: Is it a humanitarian disaster at present?

AL ABDULLAH: I think it is. If this isn't a humanitarian disaster, I don't know what else would qualify as one. When you look at the sheer numbers,

when you look at the lives that have been devastated, when you look at -- and as I said, I just worry about the future generation.

When you look at the kind of violence and suffering that children in the Middle East have been exposed to over the last generation, but specifically

over the last three or four years, whether it's the children of Gaza or children in Iraq that have witnessed so much violence, or in Syria.

What kind of emotional scars are these children growing up with? And what kind of generation are we looking at? Is this generation going to be even

more vulnerable? Does this exasperate their vulnerability in the future and makes them more ready to accept and be influenced by extreme ideology?

ANDERSON: So, if you had one message to the international community, one message, one thing that is keeping you awake at night that you could change

tomorrow with support, what would it be?

AL ABDULLAH: One of the worst injustices that has been committed -- and I think we all know all the humanitarian -- the human rights violations that

ISIL have committed, but one of the worst crimes is the crime that they have committed against Islam in associating Islam with extremism.

And that is an unjust association, probably the worst crime. Because Islam is a religion of tolerance and peace, and they're all about vengeance and

brutality. And this dissociation has to be made.

The majority of Arabs want what everybody else wants. They want peace, stability, health care, some good schooling for their kids, good jobs. Our

young people, they aspire to live in progressive, tolerant, techno-powered societies where piety and modernity can go hand-in-hand, where they can co-

exist.

So, if I have a message to the international community, it's to see us for what we are, not for what those minority groups want us to appear as. And

to understand that we have to form these linkages, we have to form these networks among us all moderates in order to defeat what these extremists

want to take away from us. Because they want to take us back centuries, and we can't afford to do that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: You can watch the fuller version of my interview with Queen Rania on our blog in the next couple of hours. You can reach out to me and the

team, of course, facebook.com/CNNconnect, or tweet me @BeckyCNN. That's @BeckyCNN.

Living here on the edge of the Arabia Desert, the main sign that autumn is in the air is a slight drop in the temperature that makes it about bearable

to broadcast outdoors. But don't feel sorry for me. It's easy to forget that this season brings more striking changes, of course, to much of the

northern hemisphere. Thankfully, our iReporters have been sharing some of their highlights.

And this image capturing the arrival of autumn was taken in the national park of Shenandoah, not far from the hustle and bustle of Washington.

Still in the US, another of our iReporters took this picture of Ramapo Valley in New Jersey. He says, "Not spectacular like the Rockies, but with

its own natural beauty and charm."

On the other side of the world, some equally beautiful pictures. This is a famous national park in South Korea, set in a valley surrounded by 760

types of local plants. The beautiful crimson leaves are the main attraction in autumn.

And much of Japan transformed this time of year. The landscape around Mount Fuji looking particularly fine in the fall.

I'm Becky Anderson, that was CONNECT THE WORLD from the UAE. Thank you for watching. Your headlines will be at the top of this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SULTAN BIN SULAYEM, CHAIRMAN, DP WORLD: In my opinion, Africa deserves taking a chance. We did take a chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN DEFTERIOS, HOST: Investing in Africa -- what's driving businesses from the Middle East to put their money onto the continent. We take a look

at the most promising sectors and countries.

Welcome to CNN MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST, this week from the Dubai Creek. For centuries, this was the heart of business activity. Boats and barges used

this waterway to transfer goods and people between the Middle East and Africa.

The movement of dates and gold, ivory and even slaves, has created a mixture of Arab and African culture, and a prosperous trade. A trade which

has seen a resurgence after the rise of Africa over the last decade.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEFTERIOS (voice-over): The Dubai Creek is where the emirate established its trading credentials along the ancient Silk Road. Goods still travel the

old-fashioned way for South Asia and beyond. But today, it's Dubai's airline, Emirates, that blazes a trail to open trade links.

TIM CLARK, PRESIDENT, EMIRATES AIRLINE: We will identify the opportunity, we will identify the markets. Dubai will then move very quickly in all its

segments to take advantage of that corridor that we open.

DEFTERIOS: A year after the fall of Apartheid, Tim Clark was part of the delegation that moved to establish its first route to South Africa.

Emirates is now serving 26 cities for passenger and cargo services in Africa. Port operator DP World has a presence in five countries.

Emerging market economist Charlie Robertson says after years of international aid, it will be that type of trade and investment that will

keep Africa growing rapidly.

CHARLES ROBERTSON, CHIEF ECONOMIST, RENAISSANCE CAPITAL: I think the GDP itself is going to become -- going from something like $2 trillion to $4

trillion to $8 trillion as it doubles each decade. The space, the size, more and more countries are going to look attractive as markets, because

they'll have reached a sufficient weight.

DEFTERIOS: China continues to put a high priority on African resources, specifically oil and strategic minerals, to fuel its economic expansion

back home. But Middle East players are doing their own deals.

In the first nine months of this year alone, there were a dozen transactions from the Gulf states into sub-Sahara Africa, totaling nearly

$8 billion. The power, banking, telecom, and hospitality sectors led the way.

A survey by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, host of the African Global Business Forum, said the continent will need nearly $100 billion a year of

infrastructure investment through the end of the decade.

HAMAD BUAMIM, CEO, DUBAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: There are plenty of opportunities to acquire infrastructure, and with infrastructure acquired,

leaderships and vision. And that's the leadership part that the governance and anti-corruptions and putting things in solid control is required.

DEFTERIOS: Foreign investors are enticed by Africa's 5 percent average growth rate over the past decade, but leaders admit they need to knock down

trade and investment barriers amongst themselves. Ghana's president told me, inter-African trade makes up only 11 percent of all activity on the

continent.

JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA, PRESIDENT OF GHANA: But put together, all of us will have a much bigger market than we would have if we stayed within our own

national boundaries. And so, it's a win-win for all of us, and all of realize that we must work towards it.

DEFTERIOS: The faster they can boost trade and reduce corruption, the more international investment will flow to drive growth.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEFTERIOS: When looking at opportunities like the one in Africa, many believe being the first investor in pays a huge dividend, but also being

the primary mover can have its pitfalls.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEFTERIOS (voice-over): With humble roots as a single port in Dubai, just like the emirate, DP World has witnessed rapid growth to become one of the

largest port operators in the world. With more than 65 terminals globally, DP World focuses on fast-growing emerging markets, which currently account

for three quarters of its business.

But it is Africa that is becoming a prime target for expansion. From Algeria to Senegal, it has a presence in five countries. The group entered

the continent in 2000 with a concession in the East African state of Djibouti.

A business deal that began nearly 15 years ago, the Doraleh Port in Djibouti is Africa's largest container terminal, and also the country's

biggest employer. That relationship is now under threat.

DP World is currently in the midst of a legal battle to hold onto its operations in the East African state after the government accused the

company of using bribery, something DP World denies. Despite the legal wranglings, the chairman of the company is not deterred from investing in

Africa.

BIN SULAYEM: In my opinion, Africa deserves taking a chance. We did take a chance. And even despite what we face in Djibouti, we will continue to

invest in Djibouti. We believe in Djibouti, and we believe that's a good market. This is only something passing through. There's a misunderstanding.

They're going to come to realize it sooner or later.

DEFTERIOS (on camera): Is the challenge once you make money and you show success, greed comes into play and the government has second thoughts about

the investor that actually came in? Is that what we're finding out here?

BIN SULAYEM: Unfortunately, in general, that's the situation. Once you start, nobody tells you anything. But once they see you are making money,

then people start to basically put impediments. And we've seen it in many countries. Unfortunately, this is one of the impediments.

DEFTERIOS: How does a government welcome foreign direct investment and this bureaucracy, or worse, corruption that stands in the way?

BIN SULAYEM: I would say, a lack of clarity, a lack of governance, no implementation of the protection of foreign investment. These are big

impediments and discourage many people. So they -- I think they have to look at really improving the image of the country.

DEFTERIOS: You're only in 10 percent of the continent, if you will, right? What are other good opportunities for DP World or the cluster of Dubai

companies, whether it's Emirates or Jumeirah or Emaar. What are the key priority countries for you next?

BIN SULAYEM: Well, we are looking seriously at Nigeria, now, this is very important. And they have plans for a new port, but they haven't

materialized.

DEFTERIOS: People talk about this two-decade head start that China has. They've invested in infrastructure, they've extracted natural resources. Is

that lead insurmountable for a continent like the United States or the Europeans today?

BIN SULAYEM: I think the Chinese are more aggressive. They lead the minerals. They have less bureaucracy in decision-making, and I think when

it comes to Europeans and Americans, unfortunately, their process of decision-making is very slow. And by the time they make up their mind, that

opportunity has gone somewhere else to China.

DEFTERIOS: So, there's space for the Gulf players, and it's not all about China and the United States and Europe. You can find your niches, is what

you're suggesting.

BIN SULAYEM: Absolutely. Absolutely.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEFTERIOS: Sultan bin Sulayem of DP World, undeterred about going into Africa despite his recent setbacks.

That's the view from the Middle East. When we come back, we speak to the continent's wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote, who paved his way to wealth with

cement.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEFTERIOS: Welcome back to MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST, this week from the Dubai Creek, where traditional dhows still take goods to South Asia, Iran,

and into East Africa. Africa offers a lot of opportunity, from agriculture to energy, tourism to textiles. One African who's tapped into the wealth is

Aliko Dangote of Nigeria, worth nearly $25 billion. He made his money in cement, sugar, and flour. Now, he's looking into other African markets.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALIKO DANGOTE, CEO, DANGOTE GROUP: East Africa is going to be really, really very, very good. Because a lot them, they have found quite a lot of

mineral sources. They found oil, they have the best arable land. But I can tell you, the best story in Africa is West Africa.

DEFTERIOS: People look and say, wow, ten years of 5.5 percent growth for Africa. But will the bottleneck of the lack of infrastructure, in your

view, bring that number down, or can we punch above the weight and get 6 percent growth as an average going forward?

DANGOTE: I think that's an average going forward if we can take care of the infrastructure, mainly power, we can actually go above that, we can hit

something like 7.

DEFTERIOS: West Africa, are you going to be challenged in the sense from Ghana, who's kind of rising as an energy power. Can West Africa come

together as a market here, take advantage of the natural resources that are there, and actually trade amongst themselves?

DANGOTE: While I think, yes, we need to do that, there are a couple of pockets of issues there coming from one or two countries. The biggest

problems that we have is at the borders, where it takes you a number of days for you to be able to pass.

DEFTERIOS: It's interesting what you're saying. What stands in the way of Africa is Africa itself.

DANGOTE: Yes. You look at it today, the inter-trade within Africa is only 15 percent. Which does not make any sense. And the future, really, is

brighter, because we have what it takes to really get to the next level. We have the best land. Almost anywhere in Africa can grow anything. We have

water, and this is what you need.

Any resources that China or any Asian country or whatever they are looking for, we have it, be it coal, iron ore, manganese, it's there in abundance.

DEFTERIOS: It is important from a business standpoint, even geopolitical standpoint right now, to counterbalance China and that two-decade head

start to bring more investment from the States, diversified investment from Asia, even here from the Middle East to counterbalance the China trade?

DANGOTE: Well, I think, really, we need that very, very badly. The Chinese is true, when nobody is looking at Africa, the sneaked in and they've done

very well. But the most important aspect of this is for us to tell our story. It's for them to also understand what Africa is all about.

Because we said no, we don't need aid anymore. What we need is we need trade. We need to trade with each other. And I think that has changed quite

a lot. Everybody is now going into Africa, because we're the second-fastest growing economy in the world today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEFTERIOS: Aliko Dangote of Nigeria as the sun begins to set here in the Dubai Creek and the goods are ready to set sail. And that's all for this

edition of CNN MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST. I'm John Defterios, thanks for watching. We'll see you next week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END