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Connect the World

A Truce In Name Only In Debaltseve, Ukraine; Egypt Strikes ISIS Targets Inside Libya; Greece's Finances a House of Cards For EuroZone

Aired February 16, 2015 - 11:00   ET

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

MAX FOSTER, HOST: Fighting back: Egypt avenges the deaths of 21 Christians at the hands of ISIS, striking ISIS targets in Libya.

This hour, we'll explore how far the Cairo government is prepared to go to retaliate.

Also ahead, a city in shock and a murder suspect said to have a history of violence. We'll take you to Copenhagen as we learn more about the man

thought to have carried out this weekend's double killing.

And blocking the exit: European leaders work overtime to keep Greece in the euro and on track with its debt payments.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is Connect the World.

FOSTER: Egypt is once again taking the fight against ISIS into Libya. Within the past hour, CNN has learned that Egyptian war planes staged a

second wave of airstrikes against Islamic State targets. That's coming to us from the Egyptian-run Rroom Online (ph) citing security officials.

The attacks come after the terror group released a video showing the beheadings of about a dozen Egyptian Christians on a beach in Libya.

This is the scene as the first wave of F-16 prepared to take off. Following those airstrikes, the Egyptian military said it was targeting

ISIS camps, training areas and weapons depots. We'll have more in a live report from Cairo in just a few minutes.

The city of Copenhagen, meanwhile, has come to terms with a pair of attacks that claim the lives of two people, one a filmmaker, the other a volunteer

and guard -- a volunteer guard, rather, and basketball player.

The main suspect was later shot dead by police. Reports that he was known to be violent and that he had served time for a stabbing are not making

Saturday's event any easier to digest either.

Two other men are now in custody charged with accessory to murder and helping the suspect to hide.

With more on the aftermath of a terrifying weekend in the Danish Capital, Nic Robertson joins us now live.

Nic, what have the police found out so far?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERANTIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what they're saying at the moment, Max, the prosecutor saying that these two men who were

arrested -- one is 19-years-old, one 22-years-old, they were arrested one of them Sunday morning, one Sunday afternoon in an internet cafe. The

prosecutor is saying that by prior agreement they had planned to hide the attacker, the gunman, after the first attack and between the period of the

first attack where he was finally shot and killed by police in the early hours of Sunday morning.

So, while police have said that he acted alone, these men now appear to be accomplices in that murder and that's how they're being charged. They're

being charged with two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.

Meanwhile, both Reuters and TV2 here in Denmark are reporting the name of the gunman to be Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein. This is a man who in 2013

attacked with a knife in a very violent way a commuter on a train here and went to jail for that crime. It was an unprovoked knife attack on a train

and went to jail for that subsequently. Obviously, released back into the community.

But the image that the police are portraying now is really one of a violent man. They said potentially he was radicalized by ISIS. Propaganda,

potentially, by what he saw in Paris. But a violent man who now appears to have had at least two people in on what he was doing to some degree, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Nic, thank you very much indeed.

Well, a short time ago, the Danish prime minister spoke out again on the challenges facing a country in the wake of the attacks.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt stressed that all Danes were impacted by the weekend's violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HELLE THORNING-SCHMIDT, PRIME MINISTER OF DENMARK: On the Jewish minority in Denmark, is an attack on all of Denmark. We are deeply disturbed by the

tragedy that unfolded in front of the Jewish synagogue. Many Danes have passed the synagogue to show our grief and many have left flowers and

candles to commemorate the horrible and shocking events.

The Jewish community is an important part of Denmark. Yesterday I, myself, visited the Synagogue and we will do everything we can to protect the

Jewish community in Denmark.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: We're going to return to our other top story now and news that Egyptian war planes have staged a second wave of airstrikes against Islamic

State targets in Libya.

Ian Lee is in Cairo. He's got the latest on that.

What do we know about the latest information coming to us on these attacks, Ian?

IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, we're hearing from state media quoting security officials that a second wave of airstrikes has

taken place, although we reached out to the military, right now they're saying they can neither confirm nor deny that that has happened.

This is different from earlier this morning when the Egyptian military released video of their F-16s taking off into the cover of night, striking

targets in the Libyan city of Derna, going after ISIS, weapons depots as well as ISIS training facilities.

Now Derna is a city that is roughly 200 miles from Egypt, 200 miles from the southern coast of Europe. The Egyptian -- foreign ministry is saying

that their -- or the foreign minister is on his way to the United States to speak to the UN security council to ask them to, quote, take responsibility

for international security.

What the Egyptians would like to see is the same sort of international coalition that's operating in Iraq and Syria, also to operate in Libya.

They want political support and they also want material support for this operation as well.

But Egypt still has thousands of its citizens inside Libya. They're urging them to leave. They're trying to help them leave, once they get across the

land border out of the country. But Egypt is very worried about this ongoing situation there as more -- as Egyptians, as we saw, were being

beheaded.

Well, what this video shows is not just -- shows it's not just these people being beheaded, but also shows the power that ISIS has in certain parts of

Libya, the production quality of this is very similar to that that we've seen of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, shows that they are expanding. And this is

just another front that Egypt is facing, Egypt is also fighting ISIS in the northern Sinai, Max.

FOSTER: For many people, it may be a surprise that ISIS has become so strong within Libya. And as you say, there is another front there, but

this is something that Egypt is seeing bubbling up for awhile.

LEE: It is. And they've warned people about it for quite some time. They really are sandwiched between it in the east and in the west.

In Libya, the political atmosphere, the security atmosphere is ripe for a group like ISIS to flourish. There is -- there has been a void for

political and security void since the 2011 uprising that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi. And a lot of fighters from Derna, a lot of militants in Derna

have fought in Iraq and they have fought in Syria. They're battle hardened. They know ISIS tactics. This is a city with a long history of

militancy. So it will be very difficult for the Egyptian government to take them out as well as try to find some sort of coalition to go after the

militants inside Libya as Libya is fractured in many different ways politically. Hard to find out who really is in charge over there, Max.

FOSTER: Ian, thank you.

And later in the show we'll take a closer look at the fight against ISIS. We'll speak to an Egypt expert on the country's role battling the terror

group. And we'll discuss Libya's power vacuum and whether it's helping fuel the growth of ISIS.

Later, we focus on the struggle of people on Sinjar in northern Iraq where ISIS has a strong grip.

Fighting in eastern Ukraine is raising doubts about whether a fragile cease-fire deal will hold there. The Ukrainian army says five members of

its security forces have been killed in fighting since the cease-fire took effect less than two days ago.

Ukrainian forces and rebels are each blaming the other for violating the truce.

Let's get the latest from CNN senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh. He joins me now from Donetsk.

How do you read the cease-fire, Nick?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously both sides were most likely to blame each other for violations, but it's clear

this isn't a cease-fire as most people would expect it.

Now talking to the monitors, the OSCE here, they still maintain the cease- fire is more or less in effect with the exception of Debaltseve. Now that is a pretty enormous exception, frankly, that is where hundreds if not

thousands of Ukrainian troops are trapped, encircled. We tried to drive down the road towards it today at a particular point. A bridge down there

near -- in a village called Luhansk. There has been intense shelling at this stage that seems to be pretty much as far as Ukrainian soldiers can

go.

And we in fact ourselves went to a village just nearby that as well where there are, its said to be, thousands of civilians still living there. We

saw a number in a basement there, children in fact, getting food delivered to them.

The sound of shelling still reverberating around those hills pretty regular, I have to say, Max, not the kind of calm you'd normally associate

with an end to hostilities. And as we left, too, we also saw a substantial column of Ukrainian armor and artillery, driving what looked like towards

that front line there rather than away from it. I say we don't know exactly where the final destination was, but from seeing around Debaltseve

today that is absolutely far from a place where a truce has broken out -- Max.

FOSTER: How, then, do we define whether or not this is a failure and who is defining it?

WALSH: I think the issue is there's so much political capital invested in this being perceived to work. And frankly if it does openly fail the

consequences are disastrous not just for eastern Ukraine, but frankly for European security as a whole and the broader relationship with Russia. I

think it will take some stringent moves or statements by either party here to decide that this cease-fire is not in effect.

Now this is similar I think to what happened after the Minsk agreement in September where there was a lull and then things just picked up again. I

think we may see that here.

The question is how do you resolve the issue of Debaltseve. That is territory which separatists say they've taken. They say they've encircled

the town and therefore the Ukrainian troops on it simply should give up.

Now of course that's not how Kiev see it, because they believe that's still held by them. The road and out is impassable, frankly from everyone' we've

spoken to.

So there will be a very difficult job of the OSCE monitors who frankly have to make the call on all this outside of their usual political statements,

you might expect. They have to make the final call as to whether this cease-fire is really holding.

They can't get in to Debaltseve. They tried for the second day in a row today. It's impossible to judge that situation.

So until there's more clarity on that, no one can call whether this cease- fire has actually held at all. Although frankly is you just listen to the hills around Debaltseve, you can find the answer already, Max.

FOSTER: Nick, thank you very much indeed.

Well, still to come this hour, another view of the crisis in eastern Ukraine and the uneasy calm that has settled over some of the hardest hit

towns since the cease-fire.

ISIS is marking its presence in Libya in a brazen manner. We'll take a look at the extent of their control. That's next on Connect the World.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me Max Foster in for Becky. Welcome back to you.

ISIS seems to be gaining ground outside of Syria and of Iraq. The terror group is increasingly active in Libya where we've seen they brutally killed

some 21 Egyptian Christians.

In response, Cairo, a key ally of Washington is now bombing ISIS targets in Libya. It's the latest propaganda video. ISIS threatening Egypt and also

Europe as well.

For more on the fight against ISIS, Jomana Karadsheh is standing by for us in Amman Jordan for more on the growing reach of ISIS.

Jomana has spent a lot of time in Libya covering the ongoing unrest following the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi.

This is something that I know you'd reported on, you've spoken on the program about this before. But do you think this is some sort of turning

point in terms of the international awareness of ISIS in Libya and how strong it's become?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think, Max, you're right. I think it is a turning point in terms of a wake-up call, an

unfortunate wake-up call yet again for the international community. This time an alarming one where they see those lines really -- they were blurred

in the past. What sort of connection do these groups that have pledged allegiance to ISIS in Libya have to do with the ISIS that we see in Syria

and Iraq? And that video coming out with that message straight to Europe just a reminder of how close the threat is to the European countries that

are just across the Mediterranean from Libya is seen by many as a wake-up call.

And Max, really, there has been this feeling among many Libyans that the country has been let down by the international community, abandoned. And

they feel that four years ago the international community came to the rescue. The helped the Libyans overthrow the Gadhafi regime. And it was

about four years ago on the 17 of February that that revolution started.

And over the past few years we have seen this country slowly disintegrate and turn into the chaotic state that we see it in right now. And there

have been so many warnings about the growing threat from jihadi groups, from extremist groups and now we are seeing this, something that Libyans

say that the international community needs to do something about this, something that they say they have ignored for far too long now, Max.

FOSTER: OK, well we're also joined by HA Hellyer from the Brookings Institution, a Middle East expert.

What's your view on this. Is the international community completely failed in its duty to watch what's going on inside Libya which they, of course,

claimed is a huge success after Moammar Gadhafi?

HA HELLYER, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: I think there's something to that in terms of the fact that a lot of attention seemed to drift away from Libya

as soon as Moammar Gadhafi was killed in 2011 and attention then drifted. You had a lot of international attention in the region focused more on

Syria and Iraq, especially after DAESH and so forth. And that's entirely understandable.

But as a result there was a bit of a void that took place in Libya that very few people were focusing upon. And in the midst of that void

internally, you've seen the results over the last few days. And unfortunately I think that we'll see a lot more in the future.

FOSTER: And how would you describe ISIS within Libya? Who is in there? What's the makeup? And how are they aligned with those in Syria and Iraq?

HELLYER: Well, there are a number of different radical groups that operate within Libya at present. Obviously at least one of those groups has

actually sworn allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who is recognized that oath of allegiance from his stronghold in Syria and Iraq and that's been

very evident in DAESH and ISIS material that's been proliferated around the internet and so on.

There are other groups that support DAESH, but haven't formally taken the oath of allegiance, or had their oaths recognized. But it's very clear

that there is a DAESH element, that there is an ISIS element within Libya. And it's one that the international community ought to be looking at very

closely and carefully.

FOSTER: Jomana, from your experience, so how does the hierarchy work? Who is running things across the ISIS franchise as it's turning out to be?

KARADSHEH: It's very hard to tell at this point, Max. As mentioned, the ISIS presence at this point really emerged in late last year when we saw

groups, especially in the eastern city of Derna, this is a city in eastern Libya known for its history of Jihadist and extremists there. That's when

a group there came out and pledged allegiance to ISIS.

And then you had a number of other groups in other parts of Libya, in the south and in the west of the country also coming out and declaring states.

I think we are seeing some groups that are already present in Libya morphing. And it's also into ISIS.

And it's worth mentioning, Max, that since 2012 we've seen hundreds of Libyan fighters joining the fight in Syria, some of them joining the al

Qaeda franchise there Jubhat al Nusra, but also many who are with ISIS.

And then over the past year as we have seen this civil conflict in Libya really escalate with this fight against Islamist militias taking place,

some of these fighters are said to have come back from the battlefield in Syria to Libya.

So, right now we're starting to see possibly what could be the result of those radicalized fighters also returning to Libya, Max.

FOSTER: HA Hellyer, in terms of the international community response to this, there isn't a motivation, of course, the west to send troops in to

any of these countries to deal with it. How can they take on the whole of ISIS when they're struggling in the heartland? And it's expanding

elsewhere. What's the solution here for the west and the region?

HELLYER: I think the refocusing of international attention on the issue, particularly as it pertains in North Africa is quite vital in terms of

creating a much wider multilateral coalition. I think it countries unilaterally engage on this particular problem, it's going to be very

short-term, it's going to be very reactionary, and it's not really going to think about the short-term, the medium-term and the long-term effects of

these strategies.

And at the moment there seems to be a real dearth of strategy not just in the region, but actually internationally in terms of how to deal with the

presence of DAESH in Syria and Iraq, let alone in the rest of the region.

And in each of those places, particularly when you talk about Syria, how to deal with the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which is the root cause of much of

the recruitment that goes on to DAESH. So in terms of getting a multilateral coalition in place, that will be able to focus on this issue

not simply North Africa, but across the region, I think you do need to build that coalition across a wide variety of countries in the world so

that the long-term nature of this problem can be recognized and instead of just simply reacting to every little thing that DAESH does, it's actually

stamped out over a progressive period of time.

HA Hellyer, and Jomana Karadsheh, thank you both very much for bringing us your analysis.

And if you live in the Middle East and want to keep up to date with all the developments in Arabic, we've also got that covered for you. Log on to

CNNArabic.com to get all the day's news and expert opinion in the language of the region. CNNArabic.com.

Live from London, this is Connect the World. Coming up, ISIS has a firm grip on the town of Sinjar in northern Iraq. We'll have a report from the

front lines there later in the show.

Plus, a deadline is fast approaching and all parties involved know what's at stake. We'll break down the key concerns being addressed right now at a

meeting over Greece's bailout agreement.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: You're watching Connect the World live from London. Welcome back. I'm Max Foster.

Now right now a crucial meeting is taking place that could help or hurt Greece's standing within the EuroZone. Finance ministers from across

Europe are holding talks in Brussels on Greece's bailout deal. The new leftist Greek government is trying to renegotiate the terms of the deal

ahead of an EU imposed deadline of today.

Greeks say they've had enough of the austerity policies that resulted from the bailout. They've been rallying in the streets of Athens to support a

new agreement.

For Germany and other EuroZone countries insist that Greece must honor the commitments it made in the original deal.

So, what if the worst happens and the current impasse leads to Greece exiting the euro? Would it be a messy breakup? Could Greece even topple

the EuroZone like a house of cards?

Nina Dos Santos investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN SPACEY, ACTOR: There are two kinds of pain: the sort that makes you strong, or useless pain, the sort of pain is only sorrow. I have no

patience for useless things.

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Netflix's hit series House of Cards is a metaphor in many ways for Greece and its pivotal role

inside the EuroZone.

On the outside, the structure looks whole, complete and cohesive, but look further inside and that's where the weaknesses lie. Make one wrong move

and the whole thing can come tumbling down.

But as European leaders try to shore up the currency union, Greece is locked in a deadly battle with its creditors. As Kevin Spacey's character

would say.

SPACEY: Friends make the worst enemies.

DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: What is required between Greece and the EuroZone is not a standoff, but a solution.

ALEXANDER STUBB, FINNISH PRIME MINISTER: We're 18 euro countries which have commitments and then there's Greece which has demands.

ALEXIS TSIPRAS, GREEK PRIME MINISTER: I'm very confident that altogether we can find a mutually viable solution.

DOS SANTOS: Until that solution is found, several cards could shake Greece's financial foundations. The country faces a total repayment to the

IMF of 8.7 billion euros before the year's end. It has a further two repayments to the ECB of 8.3 billion euros for July and a further 3.2

billion in August.

But most pressing is the 28th of February deadline when Greece's existing rescue deal expires.

Forget the numbers of a moment, because the real wild card here is confidence. If savers cause a run on Greece's banks, a default could

follow and an exit from the EuroZone becomes a real risk.

JEROEN DIJSSELBLOEM, EUROGROUP PRESIDENT: Even if we don't agree on a political way forward, can we do some practical work on what the issues are

and how big the differences are?

DOS SANTOS: A high stakes game for sure, but who exactly has the winning hand?

Greece wants to throw away its existing bailout and austerity and instead agree to a new deal. But the other countries are willing to call Greece's

bluff.

ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR: We (inaudible) that this deliberation to be continued in the framework of the ministers of finance.

DOS SANTOS: In the meantime, everyone is keeping their cards close to their chest.

Nina Dos Santos, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Just ahead, the latest world news headlines. Plus, fighting is threatening a fragile ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. We speak to civilians

who are holding on to hope the truce lasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: This is Connect the World. The top stories this hour. Egypt has launched the second wave of air strikes against ISIS targets in Libya,

that's according to Egyptian state-run al-Ahram Online citing security officials.

It comes as a gruesome video was released on Sunday showing the beheading of Egyptian Christians on a beach.

Police in Denmark said the gunman who opened fired at a free speech forum before shooting several people outside the synagogue was well known to

them. Two people were killed in the attack over the weekend. The gunman was later killed by police.

Meanwhile, two others pleaded not guilty to helping the gunman hide, according to their attorney.

There are fears but the fragile ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine may not hold. The Ukrainian Army says five soldiers have been killed in the fighting with

Russian separatists, both sides blame each other to the continued violence.

Eurozone finance ministers meeting right now in Brussels in another attempt to reach the deal on Greece's debt. The new anti-austerity government in

Greece is trying to negotiate new terms for a deal. Their $273 billion bailout program is set to expire at the end of February.

Last summer, tens of thousands of Yazidis, members of a religious sect in Iraq, fled ISIS to Mount Sinjar. There, they found themselves stranded

without food, water or shelter. ISIS maintained its firm grip on the town they fled, Sinjar. CNN's Phil Black returned to the region and brings us

the stories of two women who escaped their ISIS captors.

(START VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sinjar is now mostly empty, blackened and battered by war. ISIS holds this town firmly.

From a Peshmerga positioned above, we hear fast moving aircraft followed by explosions below.

From this position overlooking Sinjar, you can see that smoke rising above the town. There is the occasionally bursts of small arms fire from down

within streets, and there is a surprising amount of traffic coming in to the main road from the West -- from the direction of the Syrian border

towards Sinjar, an ISIS-controlled territory.

Cars and heavy trucks, an endless street, moving at high speed. Proof the coalition has not keep its goal of stopping ISIS for moving fighters and

suppliers across the Syrian border. The arrival of ISIS last August triggered a panicked stampede, much of the population, hundreds of

thousands fled up the slopes of neighboring Mount Sinjar. They found safety from ISIS but no food and water, no shelter from the scorching heat.

Some remain on the mountain. Most have moved on. Many others have disappeared.

This fighter says he hasn't seen his brother or nephew since ISIS entered the town.

At a large refugee camp in Kurdish Iraq, now full of people from Sinjar, we hear stories that help explain the disappearances.

Hweida (ph) and her niece, Dima (ph) were captured by ISIS.

Hweida (ph) says they killed the men. She saw her cousin beheaded. Both say they were moved repeatedly with other Sinjar women, first to Syria then

back to other ISIS areas in Iraq. Hweida (ph) says she saw women being raped again and again. Dima (ph), just 13 says she was kept with other

young girls who are told to embrace this land and marry ISIS fighters. She tells me one girl refused and they cut off her head.

Aunt and niece were held separately but both escaped at different times while their guard slept. Like almost everyone from Sinjar, they follow the

Yazidi affect, a religion especially loathe by ISIS.

Yazidis are now scattered across northern Iraq in camps like this, waiting for ISIS to be driven from their towns and villages, but Hweida (ph) and

Dima (ph) say they will never go back to Sinjar because they will never forget what they saw and would never feel safe there again.

Phil Black, CNN, near Sinjar in Northern Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Continuous fighting in Eastern Ukraine has put the second phase of a ceasefire deal in question. Both sides, government forces and pro-

Russian rebels, were expected to begin to withdraw their heavy weapons today. Neither side has followed through on their part of the deal yet.

At least one hard hit down has seen a drop in fighting since the ceasefire took effect less than two days ago, though. CNN international

correspondent Frederik Pleitgen spoke to civilians in (inaudible)

(START VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the front line between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. If you

look down there, you can see that everything is full of tank barriers here to obviously stop some sort of assault that might have happen.

Now the goods news in this position right here is that so far, since the beginning of the ceasefire, the forces here tell us there hasn't been a

single attack on this checkpoint. There's been no shelling. Everything has been quiet. However, that doesn't mean that it was this way in a run

up to the cease fire. In fact, the forces here tell us that the fighting that occurred here right before the cease fire went into place, were some

of the heaviest that they've seen since the beginning of the conflict.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): "The situation was very intense," the commander says. "There was bombing and shelling of our position

everyday. But since midnight of 15th of February, there have not been any hits here. There was some shelling in a distance, but it didn't target out

position."

PLEITGEN: There's considerable destruction in many of the villages around here, around the front line, but one of the things that we have seen is

that ever since the cease fire has gone into place, more and more civilians are coming out.

We spoke to two people who are actually going from this area right here across to the side of the pro-Russian separatists. They've been here for

two weeks. They've been holdup. They couldn't get across. And now, they managed to buy foods, they managed to buy some medications. And now,

they're able to go back to their homes, and they were clearly very emotional about what's going on in their country.

Does she believe that the cease fire has a chance to survive?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): "How long can this blood let go on for?" this woman says. "All we want is peace."

PLEITGEN: It appears as though for now, the cease fire is holding, but that doesn't mean that it's also going to stay that way. And one of the

things that we've seen is that it appears as though, Ukrainian forces are fortifying this position. They brought in some construction materials, so

clearly they want to dig in. And they openly tell you, they don't really trust the cease fire. However, the civilians in this area, of course, will

say, that against all odds, they do hope this truce will hold.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, (inaudible) Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The so called Normandy Quartet leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany have agreed to continue peace talks on the crisis in Ukraine.

It comes as the EU places new sanctions on Russians and Ukrainians accused of supporting the separatists.

For more, let's get go live from to senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance. So a lot of questions being asked, Matthew about these

weapons on the separatists side. If they're going to be move back, where they get move back to. What do you understand about the movements as part

of this deal which doesn't actually seems be going through properly (ph)?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, both sides under this Minsk agreement, as I understand, have committed to pulling back

their heavy weapons to form a buffer zone which ranges from between 60 kilometers and 125 kilometers in width, but that process isn't suppose to

begin until today. We've seen from the reporting on the ground that it hasn't begun today for the most part. And the rebels have said, look,

they're not prepared to stop pulling back their weapons until they see the first sign of the government forces pulling back their weapons, and it's

been a similar response from the government side, as well.

And so we are in bit of stalemate. There's not an end to the agreement or an end to the cease fire at this point, but it's obviously one of the many

stumbling blocks that all the parties are going to encounter on what will be a very difficult road to get this Minsk agreement implemented, Max.

FOSTER: And in terms of the current ongoing negotiations between these four countries, how awkward is that when sanctions are being imposed from

the Europeans on the Russians, does that sort of tainting the conversations, you imagine?

CHANCE: I imagine it is. There hasn't actually been a telephone conversation this evening, so far. One has been scheduled between the

leaders of Russian, Ukraine, France and Germany, the so called Normandy format negotiations, but it hasn't taken place so far. It maybe held

tonight, it maybe held in the coming days according to a presidential spokesperson here in Russia.

Certainly, it's true to say that the Kremlin is a little knocked, or in other words, bewildered by the fact that these sanctions have been put in

place at a time when the Minsk agreement is being implemented. The Kremlin is saying the decision looks particularly ironic, set against the backdrop

of the Minsk agreement. It seems that every time there is a hope of the settlement to the Ukrainian crisis, Brussels hurries to introduce new anti-

Russian restrictions.

And so, the Russians are very annoyed by the fact that these new sanctions, 19 individuals and entities put for under restrictions by the European

Union. Russians are very annoyed that this has happened at this time.

FOSTER: OK. Matthew, thank you very much, indeed, live from London. This is Connect the World.

Coming up, in the wake of Saturday's attack in Copenhagen, we'll look at how Islam and Judaism are not being impacted by spate of violence across

Europe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me, Max Foster. Welcome back to you.

Now, in Copenhagen, two men have been charged with accessory murder, accused of helping the suspected shooter in two deadly attacks over the

weekend.

Reuters and TV2 (ph) are reporting that the suspected shooter is Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein. Danish police have not released his identity. The

shooting over the weekend left a documentary film maker and a guard dead. The suspect was killed in a shot out with police.

It's undoubtedly a difficult time for Danish Jews and Jews across Europe who fear anti-Semitism is on the rise. And in the wake of the Charlie

Hebdo attacks in France, Muslims are concerned about the views of a small minority being cast on the majority.

CNN is in Copenhagen covering this story in state. And today, we spoke with the Danish people about the attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think as long as the religion goes with the Danish way of living, it's fine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I found that when you speech (inaudible) about Danes, there's this prejudice that we're really cold and we're really distant, but

we're really not. We are like -- we are lot more open than we may seem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think most Muslims are happy living here and we are happy to have them. So it's not really a question about Islam and Danes

society I think. What just happen in Copenhagen is just one man's crazy act.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's so sad that there's this big gap between the two cultures and that we don't understand each other.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's a shame that some few people ruin other's perspective on them because I know a lot of people who are actually nice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the Islamic is the one who is put under much pressure more than a Jews. It's hard to be a Islam -- Islamist than being

a Jew in Denmark.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very scary when you can just feel the fear and it just -- it makes me so sad because now when I walked down the street and

I see some Arab or Turkish looking -- and I feel I need to smile even more because I want to tell them that just because he did what he did, they are

not like him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling for Danish Jews to immigrate to Israel, following the Copenhagen attacks. He

says, Israel is their home, and the country's preparing for what he called mass immigration from Europe. Denmark's Prime Minister, Helle Thorning-

Schmidt, tells Danish Jews not to move to Israel. She says, Jews are "part of Danish community and we wouldn't be the same without the Jewish

community in Denmark."

I'm joined now, by Rabbi Barry Marcus of the Central Synagogue in London. And we brought you in because this a continental conversation, isn't it?

And this is sparked again by Prime Minister of Israel, do you think, his comments are helpful?

BARRY MARCUS, RABBI CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE: I don't think that we should really be emphasizing or focusing on his comments because there are much more

important and deeper issues at the moment. I can understand what he said, and against the backdrop of what happens 75 years ago in Europe, where not

too many Jewish leaders protected their Jewish people.

In fact, many collaborated to allow Jews to be brought in trains all over Europe, to (inaudible) another places like that needed the complicit help

or the silence. And I think what he is saying is really aimed at that that silence 75 years ago, and I hope that it's not repeated again.

FOSTER: He's trying to remind people what's happened in the past by using similar sort of language.

MARCUS: Absolutely, (inaudible) to get sort of sidelined by, you know.

(CROSSTALK)

FOSTER: . sidelines. He is the Prime Minister and he is being very clear in what he is saying.

MARCUS: But I think that message is very clear. 75 years ago, there was appeasement, 75 years ago, there was silence, while Jewish were being taken

in cattle crush (ph) all over and suddenly Jews communities of thousands and millions disappeared from the towns, and n one spoke up. And I think

in that sense, he's correct to may be prick the world's conscience because there is an absence of leadership in dealing with the deeper issue that we

face now.

FOSTER: Would his words echo with Jews in London, do you think? Although some who would feel concerned and under threat to some extent, there's talk

of police being stationed at synagogues for example. And maybe would take his words literally and move out to Israel.

MARCUS: I doubt -- I doubt it. Because I think you move to another place or to a country, which happens to be a spiritual home. You do that for

positive reasons. You do that because you want to be part of it. Not because you feel threatened where you are, because I think if we all

threatened, then so will the next (inaudible) be threatened and that will be a very sad day, when people are moving away because they're threatened.

Who will it be next? This Scots in England, Poles in England, Christians in Nigeria. And that is why I think the real issue is not being addressed

here, and that is the reemergence of anti-Semitism across Europe that very few people want to actually talk about and confront.

And that is why Jews feel a little uncomfortable.

In London or in the United Kingdom, thankfully we don't feel -- yes, it's uncomfortable. It's a sad die. When we see what happened there in France

but we've known for a while. And that there are forces and there are people who are able to do acts of terror as we've seen in London and in

many other places.

FOSTER: What would be a solution in London? More police supporting communities where a lot of Jewish lived, that thing?

MARCUS: Absolutely not. And I think this is again not addressing the issue, and I will look around at the wonderful world we live in, and the

potential that all...

(CROSSTALK)

MARCUS: I would not do -- because that again is not dealing with the issue. The real question is and with the wonderful progress we've made as

human beings over last 70 years, in technology, in medicine, so on, how come in the years 2015, we still need to have security at a place of

worship? No matter what place of worship it is. That is the issue that needs to be addressed. Having more policeman and more guard and security,

we may have to do that as a preventative, but I don't think that is the road to go down. I think we need look at educating each other about

understanding differences and trying to reach out this anti-Semitism that has mutated and that has raised its ugly face in Europe and in so many

different communities.

FOSTER: How will you do that as a community leader within London then, for example?

MARCUS: Well look - I believed one has to educate, OK? So I'm involved educating non-Jewish students and teachers, taking them (inaudible) so

they'll understand what happens if you're allowing intolerance to run a wild. And those are things that need to be done, but that is a long term

policy. To actually add more security, you're going to isolate the Jewish community -- if you'll abandon that -- they'll really feel (inaudible) and

that doesn't achieve anything I believed in terms of London, or the United Kingdom. And certainly, the liberal values that most of us like and, you

know, living for that reason.

FOSTER: Terror is about inflicting a sense of terror to people and when you choose a city like Copenhagen to attack or parish to attack, it's very

effective on that part, isn't it because they are cities that we all know and associate with. And it I makes think, here in London it could happen

here as well. So, they've been successful in their messaging haven't they, even if they're not a cohesive group, but terrorists have been successful.

How are people in London feeling what you say right now? Do they feel very vulnerable because if it can happen there, it can happen here?

MARCUS: Look in '77 in London, I think every person in this city felt vulnerable because it took only a handful of people to bring a massive city

to halts. And that is the frightening part. It's no longer Second World War scenario where it's tanks and soldiers and you know your enemies, you

can see them.

Today, we face a whole different new enemy and that is what I think makes people uncomfortable and that is what is frightening and I think most of us

when we read about Copenhagen or the attack in Brussels in a museum wherein - that is when we really feel very, very vulnerable. But as human being,

but the fact that it is targeted at us, 75 years after the Holocaust, it makes us feel very uneasy.

FORSTER: Rabbi Barry Marcus, thank you very much indeed for coming to the studio to speak to us.

Well, if you experience anti-Semitism or racial tensions in Europe, what do you think should be done to tend with the problem? The team at Connect the

World wants to hear from you. Have your say at facebook.com/cnnconnect. Alternatively, you can tweet me @MaxFosterCNN. Let us know your thoughts

about any of the day's top stories.

Live from London, this Connect the World.

Coming up, preparations are on the way for the Oscars. Stay with us as we sample the menu which promise to be as exciting as the ceremony itself

we're told.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FORSTER: The Oscars aren't until Sunday, for the week we want to take you behind the scenes in the run (ph) up to the biggest night in Hollywood.

We don't know which maybe will take home best picture but do know what the stars will be munching on. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLFGANG PUCK, CELEBRITY CHEF: What I'm excited about is at this year's menu because we have so many small plates. We're going to make like 16,000

plates, including all the little appetizers, deserts and everything. With 300 chefs in the kitchen, 600 people in the dining room, waiter, bus boys

and bartenders and (inaudible).

We also make some comfort food like chicken pad pie, macaroni and cheese, and I know Barbra Streisand loves the chicken pad pie.

It's 21st we'll be doing that so they know -- we have 1600 people, let's say we're going to order like lobsters. We're going to make 17 (inaudible)

of smoked salmon, we're going to order 30 pounds peppers (ph) and we have 20 pounds of caviar for the potatoes with caviar. So it's a lot of

purchase, plus all the vegetables and things like that.

They are filmmaker so they -- it's a lot about special effects and we have the -- so we make this popsicles. We freeze them in liquid nitrogen. So

it smokes but because it's so cold, you can see that, so you can freeze something instantly. And so I couldn't put it in the freezer, it will fall

apart but with that new method, we can do it.

Our cake is going to be really special this year. It's going to be like the hat of Charlie Chaplin. Everybody going to get in the chocolate cake

with the Oscar and Charlie Chaplin's hat.

This year, we're going to box -- we made little boxes so people can take them home because often people put them in their pocket and they start to

melt, they start to break. So now everybody can take their Oscar home.

The Oscar Ceremony, as a whole, is the most important even in Los Angeles, probably in America next to the Super Bowl of the most watched event. So,

I really think this is the entertainment capital of the world and we are part of it and people have to eat and we make them exciting food.

Well (inaudible) it's over. You know, the best part is when it's over, we still down have some champagne and some good wine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: This week, in your Parting Shots, Neil Parry (ph) is offering imaginary Oscar acceptance scripts in poetic sub, providing some insight

into what the winners might actually be thinking.

First up, the award for Best Supporting Actor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEIL PARRY (ph): Best Supporting Actor is a term we don't accept. Did you see the leading man, his work is quite an act. When I became my character,

I lived and breathe the part. I played second best to a hairy chest, a Hollywood upstart. He got the love, he got the girl and every scene he

stole in a remake for a film which I have the starring role. I should just burn this cheap award, maintain my dignity and style. But (inaudible) what

it was, so I'll pick it up and smile.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Neil Parry(ph) on stage for us this week. I'm Max Foster, that was Connect the World. Thank you very much for watching.

END