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Rare Video Shows Inside View Of Fight Against ISIS; Tunisia Votes For First Time Since Rewriting Constitution; Small Washington Town Mourns High School Shooting; New York, New Jersey, Illinois Impose Strict Quarantine on Returning Ebola Health Workers; Gadhafi's Cousin on Libya; US Coalition Supporting Former Enemies; Kurdish Fighters in War Against ISIS; Suarez Back on Pitch After Ban; Chelsea Versus Manchester United; Money in Music; Profit in Partying; Rebounding Real Estate
Aired October 26, 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 HOST: A rare glimpse into a city under siege: ISIS in the crosshairs. Rare new images from the front lines in Syria as Kurdish
fighters battle extremists for control over Kobani.
All this hour, we'll take you live there and to Baghdad for the latest political developments in the fight against ISIS.
Also ahead a number of global Ebola cases passes 10,000. As the world sets up efforts to combat the disease, there's disagreement about how to contain
it.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
ANDERSON: A very good evening. It is 7:00 in the evening here in the UAE. We begin with a clearer picture, or at least images, of what's happening in
the fight against ISIS militants inside the northern Syrian city of Kobani.
This is footage from the front lines inside what is this strategic city. Fighters from the Kurdish People's Protection Unit, or YPG, are fighting
ISIS militants in close combat, as you can see.
Well, meanwhile, Iraqi military forces and Kurdish fighters making gains against ISIS. They've taken control of towns north and south of Baghdad.
We're covering the war against these militants from all angles. Ben Wedeman covering the latest from Baghdad. Nick Paton Walsh is in Turkey on
the border with Syria. He filed this report just a few minutes ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, for much of the day, the sound of the clashes have been concentrated to the east and south
of the city. You can see now a number of plumes of black smoke filling the sky over Kobani. We don't quite know what they are. They may be tire
fires, or perhaps a vehicle on fire. We've been hearing more explosions to the south of the city here. And of course as dusk falls, we've often seen
in the past an uptick of activity here.
But the key question remains when do the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga, coming from northern Iraq through Turkey into Kobani, when will they actually
arrive. There had been thoughts they could have arrived last night, or during today, Sunday, there is now uncertainty. Turkish President Erdogan
highlighting in comments as he flew back from eastern Europe that in fact he wasn't sure how much the Syrian Kurds wanted to see the Peshmerga arrive
in Kobani at all.
Now we do know that they have said to us they don't want the manpower, they just want the heavy weaponry they hope the Peshmerga will bring, but people
do seem to accept there are ongoing technical complications about their passage through Turkey and arrival here.
A lot of secrecy, too, the Turkish military moving us from the hills we would normally observe Kobani from. So a changing dynamic here as well.
The Peshmerga could arrive discretely at any time, or this continued dispute could go on.
But also clear news from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights who say that since the fight for this city began, over 800 people have died, over
480 of them Islamic State, ISIS militants, and 302 of them said to be Kurdish YPG fighters.
A lot of lives being lost here, perhaps more to be lost, too. And the big question for the Kurds holding that city for now when will they get vital
resupply and help -- Becky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was Nick Paton Walsh from the Turkish-Syrian border.
Let me get you into Iraq and into the capital there Baghdad where Ben Wedeman is standing by.
And I want to talk about the arrival -- the potential arrival of the Peshmerga where Nick was observing in a moment.
First, though, the eastern flank of ISIS's fear of influences to a certain extent where you are reports say that the scope of their control is at
least in part on the wane. Can you add some detail to that?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It might be a bit premature actually to say it's on the wane, but they have suffered some small, but
perhaps symbolic defeats. Up in the north to the west of Mosul, Peshmerga forces, those Kurdish military forces, have taken the town of Zumar (ph)
which is between Mosul, which ISIS took over in June, and the Syrian border. And this seems to be the tactic being used up in the north at the
moment, which is to cut off Mosul from the rest of the areas controlled by ISIS.
Now outside Baghdad, about 30 kilometers to the south rather -- 50 kilometers to the south -- there's the area known as Jaraf al-Sakr (ph),
and that area is where the Iraqi army and the government are proclaiming a significant defeat of ISIS in that area. This is an area that's very near
to some strategic highways linking Baghdad to the southern parts of the country.
Now we were out in that area today, and what is interesting is that it appears that the people who are really leading the fight against ISIS don't
appear to be the army itself, but a variety of Shia militias. And they bring along their own sectarian baggage with them that has often caused
problems in the past.
And also in the past we've seen, even in the areas where the Iraqi forces, the militias and the army, have been able to drive out ISIS, oftentimes
they don't have enough forces to secure the area and then ISIS quickly returns.
So, these are some small steps forward, but nothing in the way of actual permanent progress, Becky.
ANDERSON: As we await official confirmation that the Peshmerga in the north of Iraq are moving towards and on their way to help out in the Syrian
city of Kobani -- and forgive us viewers without a map -- and perhaps we should bring a map up, these things do become a little bit complicated --
we're talking to the west and the eastern flank of this DAISH (ph) caliphat, as it were. I know, Ben, that you've been out and about on the
streets of Baghdad. And I think it's important for our viewers to get a sense of what sort of life is like on a day-to-day basis as we continue to
report on the sort of machinations of the coalition fight against ISIS. What's life like on a sort of regular basis for those who live in the city?
WEDEMAN: Becky, I've been coming in and out of Baghdad for the last 20 years. And certainly this is a city that has seen some very dark days and
seen some days where there were glimmers of hope. And when you go around the city, yes, it's a changed city in the sense that there are checkpoints
everywhere. There's security all over the place, but despite it all there's some areas, there's some streets where you really do feel that
despite all the troubles of the moment, there are still glimmers of hope
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN: When you are looking for a book in Baghdad, any book, you'll find it here on Muqtanabi Street (ph) every Friday.
Whether it's an old copy of Hemingway's Farewell to Arms, or Welles' Animal Farm or 1984, or something more recent.
There's an Arabic saying that goes something like this, "Cairo writes, Beirut publishes and Baghdad reads."
For almost half a century, Qahtan Mallak has catered to Baghdad's voracious readers. But it's not just about the books.
QAHTAN MALLAK, BOOK SELLER: Muqtanabdi Street (ph) is one of the things which keeps Baghdad (inaudible) not only (inaudible) but they're alive.
WEDEMAN: Some tried, but failed, to kill that spirit. In 2007, a car bomb here killed 26 people. The book sellers and customers, however, were
determined to keep the market alive.
KIFAH AMIN, IRAQI WRITER: The show much go on. And we -- there's no life -- we must enjoy our lives.
WEDEMAN: And despite everything, somehow they do.
What's amazing about Baghdad is that despite the often grim headlines one reads coming out of here, that the people have managed to maintain the
ability to function at least to try to find a way to function in the normal manner.
In the park just off Muqtanabdi Street (ph) an artist will draw your girlfriend's picture. You can listen to music. Or join lively debates on
any subject under the sun.
"We talk about a variety of topics -- economics, politics, or literature," says Saad Kashkouk, a clearing agent. "Sometimes it gets a bit heated, but
in the end we're all friends."
Teacher Hala Tamimi is a regular participant.
"There is a future," she says. "Like it or not, even if there's only one Iraqi left, we have a future and I'm thinking of the future."
This is just a tiny corner of Baghdad, of Iraq, but here in addition to books and banter, you can find hope."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN: And certainly people do continue to hope. It's amazing, really, how through it all Iraqis still seem to have a reservoir of optimism --
Becky.
ANDERSON: Ben Wedeman reporting. Ben, always a pleasure. Thank you.
Well, Dr. Anthony Fauci is of the U.S. National Institutes of Health and says tough new. Quarantine rules could discourage medical personnel from
going abroad to fight Ebola.
Now the governors of New York, New Jersey and Illinois have imposed a mandatory 21 day quarantine on certain health care workers returning from
West Africa. The new restrictions caught federal authorities off guard.
Well, for more on what is a -- has to be said a growing controversy, let's get to Alexandra Feidl who is standing outside Bellevue Hospital where I
believe New York's first reported Ebola patient is being held in isolation. What do we know at this point?
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Becky. Dr. Craig Spencer is in isolation at this hospital where he's still undergoing
treatment. He is a medical worker who had returned from West Africa. He had been in New York City for a few days visiting a local restaurant, going
to a park, riding the subway, even going to a bowling alley before he detected that he had a fever and was taken to the hospital.
In response to that case, governors in several states now say they don't want to take a risk and they have imposed regulations that are above the
federal recommendations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FIELD (voice-over): A mandatory 21-day quarantine or hospitalization already imposed by New York and New Jersey and now, Illinois is causing
heated debate on handling the possible spread of Ebola. In an effort to ease public concerns, the three states announced the measures for any
airline passenger coming in from a West African nation hit hard by the deadly virus. A mandatory quarantine goes into effect for travelers who had
direct contact with an infected person.
In a statement issued by the state of Illinois, Governor Quinn says, "This protective measure is too important to be voluntary. We must take every
step necessary to ensure the people of Illinois are protected from potential exposure from the Ebola virus."
In New York, where the state is already dealing with an Ebola case, Governor Andrew Cuomo says health care workers are ready.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: The workers feel that they've had the training. They've had the equipment. We've gone through the protocols.
We've drilled. We've drilled. We've drilled.
FIELD: But the mandates are causing concerns with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in other infectious disease specialists.
In a statement, the CDC says health care workers volunteering to combat the Ebola epidemic in West Africa are heroes. The epidemic there won't end
without them. And without their work, the U.S. will be at increased risk.
CELINE GOUNDER, INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST: I do have very real concerns especially since I am somebody who is planning to go
myself that this is really going to prevent some people from volunteering. We're already having difficulty recruiting health care workers to go over.
And if you're going to institute even -- what frankly feel like punitive measures against people volunteering time, taking real risks, it just
doesn't feel right and fair.
REP. TIM MURPHY (R-PA), FOUNDING MEMBER, GOP DOCTORS CAUCUS: We do not have a vaccine. We do not have a cure. We only have treatment. And one needs to
understand a virus constantly trying to mutate, constantly trying to find a new host to live on and as such quarantine is only thing that breaks the
link.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FIELD: While several states are going ahead and forging their own path, federal recommendations are also being strengthened. That starts tomorrow.
That's from the CDC. Any people who are returning to the States from the hot zone in West Africa will now be actively monitored by health officials
for the 21 day incubation period. Prior to that, Becky, people were self- monitoring.
ANDERSON: Alexandra, thank you.
Still to come tonight here on Connect the World with me Becky Anderson, 13 minutes past 7:00 by the way in the UAE, Libya after Gadhafi. We'll hear
from the late dictator's cousin on the spiral of violence that's consumed a nation since Moammar Gadhafi's death three years ago.
And the other side of the Arab Spring, the road to democracy reigns in neighboring Tunisia as today millions go to the polls in a parliamentary
election. We'll analyze what went right and what still could go wrong. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: This is CNN. Connect the World with me Becky Anderson as it says there on the tin.
Welcome back.
Democracy is in action from Sao Paulo to Sloviansk this Sunday. Three hugely significant elections underway with tens of millions of people
hoping to change their lives for the better around the world.
Brazil will decide whether Dilma Rousseff gets a second term as president or whether her Social Democrat rival takes her place at the top.
Ukrainians heading for the polls in a snap parliamentary vote taking place against a backdrop of continuing violence with pro-Russian separatists.
And the people of Tunisia are casting their ballots for the first time under their new constitution, an important step in the birthplace of what
some call the Arab Spring.
Well, Tunisia wasn't simply the first country in the region to overthrow a dictator with a view to establishing democracy, it's widely thought to be
the most successful of those Arab Spring nations.
But that's not to say it doesn't have its teething problems. Not least a potent extremist element in society. More people have left Tunisia, get
this, to fight with ISIS than any other country.
Well, more than 3,000 Tunisians are known to have signed up to the so- called Islamic State, or DAISH (ph). We're here to analyze where Tunisia stands right now is Youssef Gaigi. He was the founder of TunisiaLive.net.
And you were one of the first journalists reporting on the Tunisian revolution. There, I know this process of election could be targeted and
there have been concerns about that by those who don't buy democracy in the region. So firstly, and very quickly, what's the turnout been like?
YOUSSEF GAIGI, FOUNDER, TUNISIALIVE.NET: Well, this morning the queues were quite long around Tunis where I've been to a few polling stations. I
hear that the turnout was a little lower inside the country and the countryside and various regions. But overall I think people were happy
with the turnout. And other people were quite motivated to go and vote.
ANDERSON: Some people are calling this a milestone from dictatorship to democracy, others say this ought to bring hope to a country and indeed a
region. Is that how you feel today?
GAIGI: Oh, absolutely. This is definitely a very important and major milestone in our history. This is the second free and fair election we go
through. Everything started, as you know, in January 2011. Since then, we did a first election. We wrote a new constitution that is regarded as very
modern and progressive in the Arab world. And now the -- this election.
This election is supposed to bring more stability and more certainty since the government will be here in the long run and not only for a transitional
period. So transitional period is over. And...
ANDERSON: And I guess the question will be, will it? Yeah. And the question will be going forward will it? Will it bring more stability and
optimism for a region.
Listen, let's talk about that. But firstly, this is an election full of irony, of course. On the one hand, you have a moderate Islamist party,
promising to pursue a unity government even if it wins the majority of votes. And that is something which will be music to the ears of many
people in this region who have a fear of political Islam.
At the same time, though, Youssef, a country providing more jihadists than any other to DAISH (ph) or the Islamic State. Can you explain that?
GAIGI: Well, absolutely. Obviously Tunisia had sort of security vacuum because we -- when we brought down the Ali regime, the dictatorship, all
police apparatus was basically under threat since it was the main -- the main opponent of the people and the main guard of the dictatorship. For
that period, we had a security vacuum and people were pretty much able to do whatever they want.
And this is maybe one of the reasons that led to several jihadists go to join ISIS.
But then the main -- the main reason is economy, is the -- the poverty that is regrettably widespread, especially in areas -- remote areas, that's what
people who are isolated for decades that's where all this comes from.
Now, moderate Islamist Party is definitely something very interesting that comes into play because it is actually bringing under its umbrella a lot of
people and it's encouraging a lot of people to participate in the political process. However, if we did not have a moderate Islamist Party people
actually will not join the process and will not participate.
So it is good to have an (inaudible) political landscape. This party, plus other parties.
And let me be clear about something, nobody is winning majority this year, nobody will have a majority of votes in Tunisia. And there will be a
coalition government no matter what. It is very unlikely that anybody will reach the 50 percent of the votes. So actually moderate Islamist Party,
liberals, conservatives, former regime that were actually involved with the Ben Ali regime, all of them participating in the election. And we might
see interesting coalitions in the next few weeks.
ANDERSON: And we will watch for that. We've had you on before and we will talk to you again. Youssef for the time being, we thank you.
As we look a pictures of people voting in what is a near unique effort in democracy in this region. Thank you. Keep up to date with the Tunisian
election on the website, of course. We'll get the information you need on the parties and people involved and bringing the results as we get them.
You'd expect that here at CNN. That is CNN.com/international.
We're live from Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. Coming up, a small community in the U.S. state of Washington
mourns the victims of a deadly school shooting.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the U.S. community of Maryville in Washington is in shock and disbelief in the wake of Friday's deadly high school shooting.
Right now, police trying to determine a motive for the shooting, which left two people dead, including the gunman. Four teenagers are still fighting
for their lives at local hospitals.
Well, a relative of the shooter says he believes the gunman targeted two of his own cousins. Meanwhile, a friend of a teenage girl who was shot
started a Go Fund Me page to help her family with funeral expenses.
Joanna Small from CNN affiliate KARO has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOANNA SMALL, KARO CORRESPONDENT: For the first time today, Providence Regional Medical Center confirmed the 14-year-old girls in critical
condition there are Shaylee Chuckulnaskit and Gia Soriano, both have serious head injuries, both have been heartbreaking for staff to treat.
DR. JEANNE ROBERTS, HOSPITAL SPOKESWOMAN: I'm drained. And it's hard for me to even start thinking about this without thinking about my own
children. They're out of high school, but I talked to one of my daughters last night and we talked through what would it have been like if this had
happened at her high school. We were both crying.
SMALL: Also today, Harborview Medical Center told KARO 7 the two teen boys there have had no change in condition. 14-year-old Nate Hatch shot in the
jaw is still serious. 15-year-old Andrew Fryberg, shot in the head, is still critical.
SMALL: We know there was another victim, also a 14-year-old girl who was critically wounded during the shooting inside of the high school, her name
has been plastered all over social media. And today a family friend set up this fundraising page for her.
CORY WILLIAMS: Having two girls of my own, it was quite hard on me. Last night was a rough night.
SMALL: Cory Williams says he's a friend of Zoe Galasso's family who knows there's not much he can do. So he did this. The goal is to raise $10,000
for the family. Clearly that won't be a problem. The site has been up less than seven hours and thousands in donations have already poured in.
WILLIAMS: I was trying to find a way to tangibly help. And so creating the page was the best I could do at this point.
SMALL: Covering Marysville, Joanna Small, KARO 7 Eyewitness News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the latest world news headlines are just ahead.
Plus, three years after the end of the Gadhafi regime, in fact his life Libya is in pieces. Moammar Gahdafi's close aid and cousin talks to us
about what it's going to take for Libya to move forward.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. The top stories for you this hour.
And a Syrian human rights group says more than 800 people have been killed in the northern Syrian city of Kobani in the last 40 days. The casualties
include ISIS militants, Kurdish fighters, and about 20 civilians. Meanwhile, Iraqi forces have retaken a key town from ISIS south of Baghdad.
British troops have officially ended combat operations in Afghanistan after 13 years. They handed over Camp Bastion in Helmand province to the Afghan
military, while the US Marines handed over the adjacent Camp Leatherneck.
Voting is underway in Brazil to choose a new president. Going into today's election, the race between the incumbent, President Dilma Rousseff, and the
centrist senator Aecio Neves was too close to call. A winner expected to emerge by day's end.
And Tunisians are going to the polls as we speak in a parliamentary election almost four years after they ousted the autocratic leaders Zine
al-Abidine Ben Ali. Tunisia was the first of the so-called Arab Spring nations to overthrow its president and is widely considered the most
successful in the aftermath.
For a grim example of an uprising gone wrong, you only have to look to Tunisia's next-door neighbor, Libya. For all his faults, Moammar Gadhafi
did a better job of holding that country together than anybody has since, I'm afraid.
His cousin and close aide tells CNN it's time to end the deadly violence that has defined Libya for three years and get the nation back on track.
His thoughts, have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): If the Arab Spring has taught us anything, it's that the removal of leaders who rule with an iron fist must be backed up by
viable alternatives. The power vacuum left behind by the fall of Moammar Gadhafi in Libya has proven particularly messy for a country supposedly
destined for democracy.
It's also proven a tricky time for Gadhafi's closest aides, including his cousin, Ahmed Gadhaf al Dam. Not surprisingly, he says the 2011 revolution
that led to the leader's killing could have been dealt with much better.
AHMED GADHAF AL DAM, FORMER AIDE TO MOAMMAR GADHAFI (through translator): Where is the protection of civilians now? Libya has been dragged to hell,
being destructive, and its people are displaced. Fighting is daily, and a tenth of Libyans are falling. NATO countries have withdrawn their
ambassadors and companies, left Libya drifting through the wind.
ANDERSON: Just as international intervention played a major role in the outcome of the revolution, US officials say external forces are at work in
Libya once again, trying to ensure that the current power struggle between moderate, extremist, and nationalist factions ends the way they want it to.
DEBORAH JONES, US AMBASSADOR TO LIBYA: Libya is of great concern to many people for different reasons. Because of its location, because of its
wealth, because of the great vacuum that is there, because of its geographic features, which is a large, porous society that is absent any
kind of institutional security right now. So, it's not surprising that its neighbors and -- it's near neighbors and the further neighbors have
concerns.
ANDERSON: Some, like the US ambassador, feel that this perceived interference will delay any democratic transition. Others, such as the
Libyan ambassador to the UAE, believe so-called political Islam, must be defeated at all costs.
AREF ALI NAYED, LIBYAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UAE: We are facing a monster, really. A mutation of Islam that purports to be Islam that is not Islam.
A monster that is closer to fascist ideas and totalitarian ideas, and that has nothing to do with the peace and compassion of our religion.
ANDERSON: One thing seems certain: any solution to Libya's bloody crisis may need to involve words as well as weapons. And it's a conversation that
Ahmed Gadhaf al Dam wants to be part of.
AL DAM (through translator): Certainly not all Libyans will welcome dialogue. If we assume that there are 50,000 from both sides fighting
right now, nonetheless, 6 million Libyans will support my proposal and are ready for dialogue. The international community has a responsibility to
act and to contribute towards this dialogue, supervise it, and confront powers who do not want stability in Libya.
Now we have a parliament elected by Libyans. Though we weren't part of that, we accept it in order to preserve Libya its security and future.
ANDERSON: What, if any, role the international community will have in instigating and overseeing dialogue isn't apparent. But Western leaders
will want the world to see that they've learned from the mistakes of the last intervention.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Staying in region for you, the US-led coalition airstrikes have been helping Kurdish fighters in Kobani in northern Syria, that's that
strategic Syrian town on the Turkish border. But baking those forces was not an easy choice. They are linked to a group that is considered a
terrorist organization by Turkey and, indeed, by the US. As Ivan Watson reports, in the heat of battle, enemy lines often become blurred.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Meet America's newest de facto allies in its coalition against ISIS. These are Kurdish fighters
from a group that calls itself the YPG, or People's Protection Unit.
And within the last week, the US for the very first time began dropping assistance to YPG fighters defending the Syrian town, the border town, of
Kobani against ISIS militants. And US air power has also been striking ISIS militants that have been laying siege to that town to support this
faction.
Now, the YPG, if you look at their iconography, if you look at their symbols, they seem very similar to another Kurdish faction here in the
Middle East, that's known as the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.
And here's where it gets complicated. The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by America's NATO ally, Turkey, because it's been fighting a
guerrilla war for some 30 years against Turkey. The US officially labels the PKK a terrorist organization, and less than five years ago, the US was
helping Turkey bomb PKK fighters in the mountains of northern Iraq.
But now, the enemy of an enemy makes this group the US's friend in its battle against ISIS. Now, these militants have gathered here in northern
Syria in one of three mini Kurdish statelets that have grown up in this region since the civil war began in Syria.
And they're commemorating some of the people, some of the fighters who've been killed in the battle against ISIS, which has been going on for quite
some time. If you look over here, these -- many of these women have lost sons or husbands in this war.
(WOMEN CHANTING)
WATSON: And as you can see, they're chanting "Long live Apo," that's the name of Abdullah Ocalan. He is the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party,
or PKK. He's in prison in Turkey, and that's part of why America's decision to ally itself with these fighters is so controversial with its
NATO ally, Turkey.
Ivan Watson, CNN, reporting from Rojava in northern Syria.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the team at CONNECT THE WORLD, Ivan, and my colleagues all want to hear from you, facebook.com/CNNconnect, you can have your say. You
can tweet me @BeckyCNN. We're on Instagram as well, just search for Becky CNN. I aim to keep it up-to-date, actually, so you can tell me off for
that. I will get on with it there, @BeckyCNN is the easiest way to get a hold of me, and the Facebook site for the team, of course.
Now, in less than half an hour, two giants of English football, Chelsea and Man U, Manchester United, go head-to-head at Old Trafford. It comes a day
after the season's first El Classico in Spain, where Real Madrid ended Barcelona's unbeaten start to La Liga with an emphatic 3-1 victory.
But it wasn't all bad news from the Catalan side. Uruguayan striker Lou Suarez did start his first competitive game, ending his four-month
suspension. James Piercy, deputy editor of the magazine "Sport360" in the house with me tonight. He started, he did 68 minutes. He didn't look
massively match fit before, but boy, he made his mark, didn't he?
JAMES PIERCY, DEPUTY EDITOR, "SPORT360": He did. There was the one chance to Lionel Messi when he scampered down the right and pulled it back, and
Messi really should be scoring those goals. And had he scored that, it could well have been a different match altogether.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely, 3-1 in the end. It was a classic, wasn't it?
PIERCY: Yes. I don't actually think Barcelona played that badly, and in many ways, 3-1 is sort of a false reflection up on the game. But Madrid's
attacking is just so awesome. And the trouble is that Barcelona left so many spaces at the back for corner counter-attack, and Real Madrid just
scored goals at important times to kill the game off.
ANDERSON: It's always exciting to watch that match and you always know you're going to get some goals.
We'll go from there to Old Trafford in an hour or so time. The clocks have gone back tonight, so I'm a little bit confused as to what the time is in
the UK today. Somebody can probably tell me. But in an hour or so, we get the Manchester United-Chelsea game tonight.
Now, interestingly, Mourinho, the coach at Chelsea, and Manchester United's van Gaal both know each other. Both were at Barcelona together. In fact
Mourinho trained under your man from Holland, as it were. So, they'll get on, but will we get a good match out of these two teams?
PIERCY: Potentially. The great news for Manchester United is that Diego Costa has not been declared fit, so he's not been in the squad.
ANDERSON: Right.
PIERCY: So it immediately opens up the possibility that Chelsea won't be quite as potent as they have been. Didier Drogba is starting, how many
miles he's got left in this sort of game, I don't think it'll be the full 90.
But that said, Chelsea have been also favorites, they're having a fantastic season. Eden Hazard is improving, and we're looking at a Manchester United
defense that just cannot keep a clean sheet. They just cannot stop teams from attacking. And it looks to me -- I can't see beyond a Chelsea win.
But I still expect Manchester United to raise their game slightly.
ANDERSON: Now, is it -- I think that I'm right in saying that if Chelsea win tonight, it's something like 8 --
(CROSSTALK)
PIERCY: It's 8 points on Manchester City, yes.
ANDERSON: -- it's 8 points -- 8 points, yes.
PIERCY: That's the --
ANDERSON: Are they running away with the EPL?
PIERCY: Perhaps they're running away with it. As with the Premier League, as with most leagues, what you tend to find is come February, March, April
time, when the Champions League knock-outs kick-in --
ANDERSON: Yes.
PIERCY: -- that sometimes brings it all back together again. But certainly at this stage of the season, an 8-point gap, I must say, who
aren't winning consistently --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Sure.
PIERCY: -- is a huge --
ANDERSON: Manchester is a team that's very well supported out here in the UAE, of course. But forgive me, but the team that I support is so far down
the league this season, that is Tottenham. Now, I'm looking at the West Hams of this world, the Southamptons --
PIERCY: Absolutely, yes.
ANDERSON: -- the Swanseas, even the Hulls. This is a great start for the EPL.
PIERCY: It is. Which potentially why you want to be looking at a Manchester United win today, because Chelsea, like you said, running away
with it. Mourinho isn't one to concede leads, and he is a manager who just knows how to get results, who knows how to grind out. They might impress
every time, but they get the three points.
ANDERSON: I am told in my ear by my producer, who will be watching the game, I think, with me in about 20 minutes' time, that it actually does
kick off in about 20 minutes' time today.
PIERCY: It does, yes.
ANDERSON: Top of the hour for that game, great match out of Spain yesterday. Been watching the German League, did start the entire season --
don't say anything, because I've got to go.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: You wanted to say something.
PIERCY: No problem. My lips are sealed. My lips are sealed, my apology.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson, that was Piercy, and that was CONNECT THE WORLD, thank you for watching.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN DEFTERIOS, HOST: This week on MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST, we take a look at Dubai's buzzing nightlife and speak with a renowned Lebanese music
producer about the future of the industry.
Plus, from burst bubble to roaring real estate. We take a look at how Dubai's property market has turned its fortunes around in just a few years.
The region has had more than its fair share of economic and political troubles over the last few years, but through it all, the Lebanese
entertainment scene has survived. Dubbed the Prince of Beirut Nightlife, Michel Elefteriades made his reputation as a music producer and nightclub
owner. But with so much content available online for free, Leone Lakhani asks him what's the best way to protect his business model.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEONE LAKHANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For some, he's an over-the-top eccentric. For others, a musical genius. Over the
past two decades, Lebanese music producer and businessman, Michel Elefteriades, has carved a multimillion-dollar business.
He oversees his kingdom from here. He calls it "Nowhere-istan," a Utopian society that encourages artistic and political freedom, where his own
creative expression is on display.
MICHEL ELEFTERIADES, OWNER, ELEF RECORDS: They are still working on it. It will be like this one.
LAKHANI: Along with hints of his past as a soldier fighting in Lebanon's civil war.
ELEFTERIADES: When I opened this room 11 years ago, it looked like the torture room where I was kept when I was 14 years old.
LAKHANI: At the age of 26, he left his military life behind to embark on a music career.
ELEFTERIADES: So, not to make you wait a lot.
LAKHANI: Today, he's the head of Elef Records label, with a roster of nearly a dozen artists. He takes pride in spotting new talent, and a lucky
few get a chance to perform at his successful nightclub music halls in Beirut and Dubai, with plans to open in London and the US. He says he's
using it to bring live shows to the masses.
ELEFTERIADES: Thirteen years ago, the live industry was suffering in this part of the world. People were going for DJs. People did not want to go
anymore to concerts where they had one artist singing for two hours. They wanted a variety of things within one night.
So I thought why not making -- why not giving the people what they can get with a DJ, but with live bands? So instead of having only one band, having
various bands.
LAKHANI (on camera): How has the music industry changed in this whole new digital age, people downloading music?
ELEFTERIADES: It changed it dramatically. It was a paradigm shift for the people who work in this industry. It's exactly like if someone worked in
the industry in candles and then electricity was discovered.
LAKHANI: I read a study in which it said more than 90 percent of the music in the Middle East is pirated. So, how do you overcome that?
ELEFTERIADES: There is no legal protection in this part of the world for piracy on the internet. You're dealing in a part of the world where
there's a lot of violence, so stealing a song is a very anodyne thing, you cannot call it a crime.
Me as a producer, if I was only making my money out of the sales of records, I would be bankrupt. You cannot survive doing it. So, I'm being
able to keep on doing very good albums because I manage the bands that I produce. So we make the money out of live performances, not out of the
sales of albums.
LAKHANI: Where do you see the music industry in this region in ten years? Where do you want to see it?
ELEFTERIADES: I want to see more space for things that are really artistic. Like, I want to see less habibi in the songs. Habibi, "my
love." I want artists who are more into revolution.
LAKHANI: But you're a producer, so you can break the mold, you can bring music in like that.
ELEFTERIADES: I keep on doing some from time to time. I do it because I like doing it. But it's not selling. I hope in ten years, I will do it,
and it will sell.
LAKHANI: How have you had to change?
ELEFTERIADES: I come from a military background, and what you learn is that when you do not have a lot of bullets, you make sure that every bullet
hits the target.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEFTERIOS: As Leone mentioned there, Elefteriades decided to expand his music hall brand in Dubai over the last year. It is a growing trend in the
business, with nightclub owners taking advantage of Dubai's economic recovery and some 11 million visitors passing through the emirate each
year. Amir Daftari has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMIR DAFTARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The weekend is in full swing, and Dubai's party people are out in full force. This tiny
Gulf emirate is big when it comes to nightlife, boasting around 300 different clubs and bars, many of them international brands from the party
capitals of London and New York. So why, then, set up in Dubai?
MATT JOLLE, GLOBAL BRANDS DIRECTOR, MAHIKI: Dubai is a very cosmopolitan city. It's an international hub. It's a tourist destination. And it's
known as a party and vibrant city. If you're looking to open a club anywhere, then that's pretty much the best place to do it.
DAFTARI: Matt Jolle is the branding boss at Mahiki, a London night spot making all the right moves in Dubai.
JOLLE: We're seeing a 20 percent (inaudible) rate. When you see the shows going out, you see the sparklers and the dancers and that vibe, that energy
that that creates, it's exciting.
DAFTARI: But even if you put on a show, that doesn't always guarantee an audience. In the last year, several big names have opened with a bang, yet
closed with a whimper. One former club owner turned industry consultant thinks he knows the secret to success.
AMIR GHAFFARPOUR, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, ELEQT UAE: I think one of the most important things is the ones that succeed and do it the right way, they
have a good local knowledge. It's not just about a name and they think there's a market and open up and think if you open up the door tomorrow,
everybody's going to be queuing up outside the club.
DAFTARI: By Dubai standards, Matt's club, at three years old, is a longtime resident in a notoriously transient environment.
DAFTARI (on camera): Things are really busy right now, but with more and more nightclubs opening up on the Dubai scene all the time, can places like
Mahiki maintain their success in such a small market?
DAFTARI (voice-over): The competition is certainly getting tougher. The newest and biggest addition to crash the Dubai party scene is arguably the
most famous name in the industry. PACHA Ibitza has come to town, and it's putting the final touches to its 2,000-capacity venue. But how does it
plan to stand out from the pack?
TODD LUNGER, GENERAL MANAGER, PACHA IBITZA DUBAI: Be the second coming or the 2.0 of Ibitza and really develop a lot of the local artists in town, in
the area, to make them the new superstars.
DAFTARI: But as any superstar will tell you, in a fickle industry, there's a fine line between setting the night on fire or just fizzling out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEFTERIOS: Amir Daftari, again, on the nightclub business. Coming up next, construction resumed, property prices on the rise, and real estate
agents on the move. We check in on Dubai's property scene five years after the global downturn.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEFTERIOS: Welcome back to MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST. We know that neighboring Dubai is home to luxurious hotels and high-end real estate.
But back in 2009, it defaulted on billions of dollars of debt, and it was the real estate sector which bore the brunt of the crisis. How are we
doing five years after the global downturn? Kim Kelaita went to the region's largest property show to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KIM KELAITA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If Dubai is all about outdoing itself, this year's cityscape proved just that. Words like
"bigger," "better," "more luxurious," and "bespoke" were all the buzz.
RAJU SHROFF, PARTNER, THE SIGNATURE DEVELOPERS: The unique thing about the project is it's got luxury in every sense, i.e. space, volume, height.
KELAITA: At a starting price of $6 million per apartment, the developers of the 118 Downtown began the project in the midst of Dubai's real estate
slump, and they're hoping to cash in on their gamble.
SHROFF: In 2012, things were not all that upbeat, what they are today. And we saw there was a price that was unbelievable. And it was a difficult
decision, but I think the location sold it to us.
KELAITA: The market has seen its fair share of trouble. In 2009, the emirate of Dubai faced a major debt crisis, resulting in a plummeting stock
market and overall lack of confidence in the real estate market.
STEVEN MORGAN, CEO, GLUTTONS MIDDLE EAST: It wasn't just in the state of Dubai in 2008, 2009, it was a global recession. And I think lots of
lessons have been learned.
KELAITA: Following the economic downturn, the emirate of Dubai put in place strict mortgage caps and increased transfer fees in the hope of
reducing speculators and avoiding another bubble in the real estate sector. Property prices in Dubai have jumped over 50 percent since the downturn
began five years ago, and the upturn is having a ripple effect throughout the sector.
KELAITA (on camera): Dubai might be well-known for building the world's tallest tower, but it's the emirate's smallest buildings that are
witnessing a boom right now. After a disastrous few years because of the real estate crash, companies that specialize in creating these detailed
architectural models are reporting an upturn in business.
DANI BTERRANI, CEO, 3DR MODELS: Before we produce a model, we make a sample of a certain area so the client can approve the finishes.
KELAITA: Dani Bterrani is the owner of 3DR Models. It's the world's largest-scaled model production making company, and they're taking new
orders from builders. Producing an average of three models per day and a turnover of around $120 million a year, his company is benefiting directly
from the resurgence in Dubai's property sector.
BTERRANI: People are definitely getting their confidence back in Dubai. They're definitely coming back more than full. I personally believe that
the market has gone up, in my opinion, in my field, from the inquiries that we're getting, by at least 70 to 80 percent.
KELAITA: According to 3DR models, scaled models help sell real estate. Just ask business Raju Shroff and Jayant Ganwani as they look at their
model of their building on the most famous strip of land in Dubai. They have high hopes that their Bespoke project is just the beginning of the
next chapter in Dubai's real estate story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEFTERIOS: Kim Kelaita on Dubai's real estate rebound. 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
