Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Immigrants, Refugees, Asylum Seekers: A Look At A Region In Crisis. U.S. President Announces Accidental Killing of Two al Qaeda Hostages. Aired 11:00-12:00P ET
Aired April 23, 2015 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:16] BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Well, they set sailed in search of new lives, but they never made it to Europe alive.
Now the would be land of opportunity is scrambling to deal with the massive humanitarian crisis.
This hour, we'll explore migration in many guises, not just to Europe but around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The number of Yemeni refugees here in Obock has doubled, and that the number for the whole of
Djibouti now stands are 3,000 people. But that is in no way representative of the numbers of desperate Yemenis who are trying to get out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDRESON: As clashes continue in the Arab world's poorest country, we'll hear the stories of those forced to flee.
Decades of economic isolation have forced countless Iranians to seek opportunities elsewhere. We'll examine this hour the potential of a
nuclear deal to end that exodus.
And, 100 years after the mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule, we'll investigate why emotions remain so raw.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
ANDERSON: It's a very good evening to you. It is 7:00.
We start tonight with a tragic announcement that we have just heard from the U.S. President Barack Obama. He said a U.S. counterterror
operation back in January accidentally killed two hostages being held by al Qaeda.
One was American, the other was Italian. The American was doctor Warren Weinstein who had been an aide worker in Pakistan. He was taken
from his home in Lahore back in 2011. The other victim of Giovanni Lo Porto. He was also said to have been an aide worker.
Mr. Obama said he takes full responsibility for their deaths and apologized to their families.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Since 9/11, our counterterrorism efforts have prevented terrorist attacks and saved
innocent lives both here in America and around the world. And that determination to protect innocent life only makes the loss of these two men
especially painful for all of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the White House also says that two other Americans, both al Qaeda operatives, were also killed in U.S. counterterror operations
in the same region.
We're going to get you a lot more on this story as the hour continues here on Connect the World.
Well, European Union leaders are meeting in emergency talks right now trying to find a solution to a crisis that has claimed thousands of lives.
They are considering ways to stem the flood of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to reach European shores.
One option is a military operation to capture and destroy smuggler's boats.
Well, leaders called the summit amid a spike in migrant deaths. Today, Malta honored victims of the worst ever migrant tragedy at sea, more
than 800 people died. And their ship capsized off Libya over the weekend. Only 24 bodies have been recovered.
Just a short time ago, Britain announced that it's sending a warship to the Mediterranean in response to the crisis. We are covering many of
these angles for you.
Phil Black is in London tonight on the meeting, and Barbie Nadeau is monitoring developments from Rome.
Let's start with you, Phil, if we can. We know what's being discussed. And we have heard from a number of EU leaders, not least Britain
David Cameron, on the way in to this meeting. This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLP)
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: What we're dealing with here is a real tragedy in the Mediterranean. And today's meeting has got to be
about saving lives.
Now of course savings lives means rescuing these poor people, but it also means smashing the gangs and stabilizing the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The question is, Phil, will this be anything more than a political demonstration at this point.
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the leaders of the European government are under a great deal of pressure, Becky, to come up
with concrete action.
They all agree on the need to save lives, as you heard David Cameron talking about there. But they are really divided into two schools of
thought. And I think what you hear there from the British prime minister is an attempt to straddle both of those ideas.
One of the ideas is very much focused on the need for search and rescue. More search and rescue capability urgently. Now, to save lives
once those boats are put to sea. As once existed up until late last year and was said to be very effective, wound back because of the belief that it
encouraged people to cross the Mediterranean in these dangerous boats, these dangerous journeys.
The other school of thought is all about security, border protection, with a particular focus on trying to disrupt those people smugglers who are
profiting from all of this.
The ideas that we've heard about over the course of this week really has been a lot of tough talk about that security, that more militarized
response, perhaps even military action against people smugglers themselves, destroying or capturing boats.
Human rights groups and the United Nations and some government leaders as well across Europe believe that is not enough. If you're serious about
saving lives, they say, then search and rescue has to be a very big part of that.
So, we're waiting to see to what extent these various issues will be balanced in whatever is agreed by the heads of government today in
Brussels, Becky.
[11:06:04] ANDERSON: Barbie, what is being discussed in Brussels will feel so far away and far removed for those who have made the journey, for
those who have lost friends and family making the journey and for those who quite simply will continue to make this journey from poverty and conflict.
And we continue to see victims, hear more about those who have lost their lives and get the stories from those who have survived what is such a
treacherous journey.
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: That's absolutely right.
And while they're talking policy in Brussels, they're really dealing with reality here in Italy. As we speak right now there is a rescue
operation ongoing in the Mediterranean about 35 miles off the coast of Libya. We saw this morning two boats coming in that had been -- or two
rescue ship had rescued two boats -- I'm sorry that were rubber dinghies.
This, of course, underscores the big question, if you're destroying the fishing vessels that the smugglers are using they're using rubber
dinghies, you're not going to be able to destroy every possible way out.
The Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has been very strong on this stopping the trafficking will not stop the flow of people out of these
regions.
He's pushing for some efforts in the region, some sort of way for people to apply for political asylum before they leave, or to provide a
safe corridor to get these people to relative safety, to get them processed in a way that does cost more lives, Becky.
ANDERSON: Barbie Nadeau from Rome for you.
And viewers, we have a lot more -- thank you guys -- on what is this complex story still to come this hour. We're going to hear from CNN's Nick
Paton Walsh who is in the Libyan capital Tripoli for you tonight and get reaction from there to a possible European plan to strike trafficking
targets.
And we'll put those European proposals to a guest we spoke to this time yesterday, UN special rapporteur for migrants Francois Crepeau who
believes that developed countries should be doing a lot more, a lot more, to accommodate people fleeing war and poverty.
More coming up.
Well, a fresh wave of violence hit Yemen on Thursday in the port city of Aden. Forces loyal to the exiled president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi
clashed with Houthi rebels, while in the capital Sanaa Saudi airstrikes continue to bombard Houthi positions two days after the kingdom announced
the end of Operation Decision Storm.
Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S. says the end of that operation is not an end to aggression.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: The Houthis should be under no illusion that we will continue to use force in order to stop them
from taking Yemen over by aggressive action.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the month-long air campaign against the Houthis in Yemen has left widespread devastation across the country. I'm sure you are
well aware.
It is also forcing many people to leave their homes and seek refuge in the African nation of Djibouti just across the Gulf of Aden.
Now, this tiny state facing its own crisis as it takes on the thousands of Yemenis who have been fleeing.
And Nima Elbagir with her latest report from there for you now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A Djiboutian government delegation casts a concerned eye over the camps housing Yemeni
refugees in the country's north.
They're brought with the much needed supplies and hope that more help could be on its way.
This camp looks very different, even from just last week when we visited. We understand that the number of Yemeni refugees here in Obock
has doubled and that the number for the whole of Djibouti now stands at 3,000 people, but that is in no way representative of the numbers of
desperate Yemenis who are trying to get out.
Ahmed Zaid's (ph) son Mohammed (ph) was born just after the Saudi airstrikes began. His father says they had to swaddle him tight and pray
he'd survive the six day journey to Djibouti.
Ahmed (ph) was supposed to go back to pick up his 12-year-old daughter and ailing mother. He's losing hope of keeping that promise.
The four children with him here need him too much, he says. It's a risk he can't afford to take.
As the desperation in Yemen grows, thousands more Yemenis are expected to take that risk, though. And Djibouti is worried it won't be able to
carry this burden for much longer.
[11:10:54] MAHAMOUD AL YOUSSOUF, DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: It's a small country with limited means. And we are really a little bit
stuck so far, because no response has been received by the international community.
ELBAGIR: No one has contributed to this yet?
YOUSSOUF: No one so far. We need to underscore the fact that we cannot, you know, go on and keep on, you know, providing those basic needs.
ELBAGIR: And the clock is ticking.
AL HASSAN BABDON, DJIBOUTI MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS: What we need is a quick reaction, a quick response to what's happened. It's a
humanitarian issue. As you see we have very small kids. And the weather is not the easiest one here. If we lose time, we lose life.
ELBAGIR: High on a hilltop overlooking the Red Sea, plastic UN tents mark Obock's newest refugee camp -- hot, dusty and dry even with all their
most basic needs met, life here will be difficult. Without the world's help, it will be intolerable.
Nima Elbagir, CNN, Obock, Djibouti.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Seems remarkable doesn't it.
Still to come tonight, remembering the mass killing that scattered a nation. One years on, Armenians around the world prepare to mourn the
killings whose political impact is still being felt.
First up, though, tonight, I want to get you more on the efforts to stem the tide of migrants risking death across the Mediterranean for the
chance of a better life in Europe. I'm going to get you the UN special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.
That sounds like not too more on that, doesn't it.
You're watching Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: 24 wooden coffins were carried in one by one and laid out on a red carpet. These are the only bodies recovered from the worst ever
migrant disaster in the Mediterranean. Each one of the victims was loved by family and friends, but they are alone in death, their unidentified
bodies buried far away from home.
The message, if there is one, of this memorial service in Malta was that these lives matter and something must be done to stop the ongoing
tragedies at Sea.
Well, the risks in making what is this incredibly dangerous crossing to Europe are all too clear. That tells you just how desperate people are
to escape what they see as intolerable conditions back home.
Scores of people waiting in Libya right now to get on boats. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in Tripoli and heard some of their stories. Have a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[11:15:52] NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORESPONDENT: Becky it is here that you get a tiny window onto the enormity of the problem that
Libya is facing. We talk about Europe having problems with thousands of migrants washing up on its shores, but here we have so many who are simply
coming to Libya to try and use it as a platform to make that very perilous journey.
The recent figures you see for this year suggest that perhaps 1 in 10 may lose their lives. But for many behind me I think those odds are
perhaps worth the risk.
The men almost without fault saying that they are here just to work in Libya and send money back to their families -- Niger, Gambia, Ghana the
countries we've heard people talking to us about coming from.
But officials around this say almost without exception they've all been trying to get on boats to get across the Mediterranean into Europe.
The women particularly troubling stories we hear. One officials say, in fact, some of them attempt to make that crossing while they're pregnant,
perhaps somehow believing that if they give birth to their child in Europe, even with their immigration status unclear, that may improve the rights of
their children.
And one woman we spoke to here said she made the journey from wartorn Somalia seven months ago, came here to Libya, and then a week ago was
caught on a boat trying to cross, gave birth to her child here in Libya.
A very troubling environment to see here a lot of anger, a lot of uncertainty. The men saying so many of their families must have presumed
they are dead by now, because they haven't been able to get in touch with them to tell them where they are.
And most importantly, Becky, you get an idea as to how chaotic Libya is right now. It simply doesn't seem to be a mechanism for sending these
people home, or even deciding their fate. Officials here are saying they pretty much have to stay here until people work out quite what's to do with
them.
Libya facing a much larger scale in terms of the sheer number of people using it as a springboard to try and get to Europe and itself war
torn with ISIS trying to increase its hold on more and more territory, Becky
ANDERSON: Nick Paton Walsh in Tripoli for you.
Well, it is troubling enough that there are kids among the migrants making these dangerous voyages, but according to the humanitarian group
Refugee Action, 68 percent, more than two-thirds of those children, are making the crossing all by themselves.
Let's bring in Francois Crepeau who is the United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.
Sir, you joined us by phone last night. And we appreciate you joining us against tonight.
Your suggestion as these leaders were going into this emergency meeting in Brussels, your suggestion has been that Europe share out and
take on some 1 million of these migrants, refugees, call these people what you will, as it were, share them out, get on with it, appreciate their
problems and deal with it. That's just not going to happen is it?
FRANCOIS CREPEAU, UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR MIGRATION: Probably not. But there are calls.
I mean, the heads -- the principles of UNHCR, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, IOM and the secretariat in New York have
called this morning for Europe to do a much more important effort at actually welcoming refugees.
And I think when you said call them what you want, I think we have to distinguish the categories. There are people here crossing the
Mediterranean who clearly are refugees. Most of the Syrians, many of the Eritreans, for example, they are refugees. We know that. They've been
waiting for four years in countries of the Middle East. They're not waiting any more. Europe knows that. And yet there's no sign that Europe is going
to do for the Syrians, for example, what the world -- you know, the global north has done for the Indo-Chinese 30 years ago, which was to create a
global comprehensive plan of action and take on millions of those.
And I think this is what we should do. These people will continue to come, because we don't offer them solution.
ANDERSON: This is a political demonstration, effectively, said one fairly self-critical diplomat as this meeting began. Clearly I think
perhaps I think everybody -- every single one of these politicians would like to do something more. They feel hamstrung by their electorate,
perhaps back at home.
So it seems this meeting, if it decides on anything, will be on one point, which is strengthening Europe's presence at sea, doubling financing
and boosting the naval presence there, which is just a small part of what needs to be done, isn't it?
[11:20:37] CREPEAU: Exactly. I mean, saving lives is the first priority. And if Europe does that, they are doing the right thing. That's
the first thing we have to do and it has to be done quickly. It's a matter of days and weeks. So we have to do it now. That's very good. If they do
it. If they go back to the size of Mare Nostrum last summer that will be very good.
Now this is only a response to the emergency, it doesn't respond to the push and pull factors. The problem we have with the refugees in
particular, i.e. the Syrians, the Eritreans, some Somalis, et cetera, is that they need to be relocated. They are in desperate situations where
they are. And we need to offer them something more. And I'm pretty sure that this is not going to happen. I'm not sure that any politician in
Europe is ready to announce to their country that they have decided to their electorate in particular, and especially to the nationalist populist
electorate that they have decided to welcome a sizable number of people.
I've used the figure of one million. We could go to 2 million, million-and-a-half -- these figures, the idea is to offer hope to people,
to create a meaningful program that offers hope so that people instead of taking the risk, risking the lives of their kids and risking, you know,
30,000 euros in the crossing will line up.
But in order for them to do that, it has to be a meaningful effort, it has to be, you know, a promise that we take a sizable number, according to
criteria that will be negotiated with UNHCR and will prioritize, for example, families with children or the disabled, whatever -- I mean, you
have to organize something which is meaningful, which will cost money.
But in the end, you will have much less crossings. You will have many less crossings. You will have -- you will reduce the market for the
smugglers. You will support countries like Lebanon and Jordan. And you will make the situation safer for everyone. And you will control who comes
to your country, which is not the case at present.
ANDERSON: Instead, holding camps for migrants, attacks on smugglers are points that will be discussed, options that will be being discussed as
we speak, likely no action taken on them.
I want to just get our viewers a sense of how what is going on in Brussles as being seen elsewhere, because the self-styled government in
Tripoli, which of course is not recognized by the international community says it won't tolerate European strikes on its coast.
In an interview with the Times of Malta, its foreign minister said the following -- and I want our viewers to hear this -- "we have been doing our
best to get Europe to cooperate with us to deal with illegal immigration, but they keep telling us we're not the internationally-recognized
government. Now they cannot just decide to take this action. They have to speak to us."
He further noted, "You cannot just decide to hit. Let's say you strike a particular site, how will you know that you did not hit an
innocent person, a fisherman? Does Europe have pinpoint accuracy? So are we saying, let's do this together?"
Well, clearly not, because this isn't a government that the Europeans are speaking to, of course.
When you hear that sort of response from a government that many will say are complicit in at least allowing these smuggling activities to go on,
allowing these migrants to pass through what is a chaotic country, what are your thoughts?
CREPEAU: Well, I am worried about Europe cooperating with some Libyan authorities when, you know, the images you've shown before my interview
about people being jailed and for -- you know, long periods of time without any support and without knowing what's going to happen to them.
Well, we have here a country where there are no human rights guarantees for anyone.
So Europe cooperating at stopping migrants on that territory when there's no human rights guarantees for anyone, least of all for migrants,
to me that's very -- that's a huge concern. I mean, if this -- if this is Europe's plan, I think it's wrongheaded.
Second, fighting the smugglers, I'm all for it. These people are bad people, they should be fought.
Now, this is what we've been doing in the war on drugs for 40 years. Are the cartels less powerful and deadly now than they wee 40 years ago?
No. I don't think that's the right solution.
The right solution is not to try to fight opportunistic industries, for that matter, because these people, these smugglers respond to the need
of migrants, even though they do it in a very bad and very exploitative way.
You're not going to dry up their markets if you attack them. They are very smart, tech savvy, very flexible, very mobile. What you should do is
take over the market as is being done in the war on drugs, for example, by legalizing, regulating and taxing.
This is exactly what I'm proposing. We should organize this mobility instead of allowing smugglers to do it for us.
[11:25:58] ANDERSON: And with that, we're going to leave it there.
We are anticipating the minutes of that meeting and statements from EU leaders. For the time being, sir, we thank you very much indeed for
joining us.
You're watching Connect the World live from Abu Dhabi, thank you. I'm Becky Anderson.
Coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are ready to forgive the Turks if they just pronounce one word.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, waiting for an apology 100 years on. We're live in Turkey as Armenians mark a wartime massacre that continues to provoke
strong emotions a century later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Let's get you back to our top story this hour. U.S. President Barack Obama said last hour that two innocent hostages were
killed in a counterterror operation against al Qaeda. This was in January.
One of the victims was American, the other was Italian. CNN White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski is with us now -- Michelle.
MICHELLE KOSINKSI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky.
Right, what we heard from the White House today was pretty stunning, something you don't hear very often, a profuse apology, first in a written
statement by the White House, then from the President himself. And in his statement using words like tremendous sorrow, no words can fully express
our regret. And from President Obama saying that he takes full responsibility for what happened, expressing profound regret, deepest
apologies, saying that as a father he can only begin to imagine the anguish brought by -- to bear on these families of the two hostages that were
killed and saying that nothing he can say or do could ease that heartache.
So, first the apology, then a vowing to do better in the future, saying that the White House is absolutely willing to put this information
out there and review it, assess it so that it can be learned from, so that lessons can be learned to prevent this in the future.
The White House also wanted to make a point, though, at least to some extent to justify what happened. The president said in no uncertain terms,
that this operation was fully consistent with counterterrorism guidelines, going on to explain that the operation was conducted based on intelligence.
Hundreds of hours of surveillance, and explaining that the way this happened was these operatives believe that they were focused on an al Qaeda
compound, that they had targets in mind there. But they did not know -- in fact, in a statement they said they had no reason to believe that hostages
were inside. The president explaining that the hostages were hidden within that compound, Becky.
[11:30:17] ANDERSON: Michelle Kosinski in Washington. Thank you.
Well, this is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. It is half past seven here in the UAE. Your top stories follow this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're watching Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson. It's just after half past 7:00 in the UAE. Welcome back. These are the
top stories this hour on CNN.
The White House says this Italian aide worker was among two hostages accidentally killed in a U.S. counterterror operation against al Qaeda back
in January. His name was Giovanni Lo Porto. That raid also killed this American doctor, Warren Weinstein, who had been working for USAID in
Pakistan. His family has now released a statement saying, quote, "the cowardly actions of those who took Warren captive and ultimately the place
and time of his death are not in keeping with Islam. And they will have to face their god to answer for their actions."
Malta is honoring victims of what's believed to have been the worst ever migrant tragedy at sea. More than 800 people, men, women and
children, died last weekend when their ship capsized off Libya. Only 24 bodies were recovered.
European leaders are as we speak in crisis talks considering ways, or options to stem the tide of migrants heading for Europe.
Well, more violence in Yemen today in the port city of Aden. Forces loyal to the exiled President Hadi clashed with Houthi rebels there, while
in the capital Sanaa, Saudi airstrikes continue to bombard Houthi positions two days after the kingdom announced the end of Operation Decisive Storm.
Well, in southern Chile, volcanic eruptions have forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 people. Authorities issued a red alert for two towns
near Calbuco. Now this is the volcano as it belched out thick smoke and ash. A 20 kilometer exclusion zone has also been set up around its crater.
This eruption is the first for many people in the region. The last major awakening was back in 1962.
Back to our top story this hour. U.S. President Barack Obama said just in the past hour that the two innocent hostages were killed in a
counterterror operation against al Qaeda in January of this year. One of the victims was American, the other Italian.
Senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is with us now from Tripoli. You have spent many months in Afghanistan and in Pakistan.
Your thoughts on what we've heard in the past hour or so.
[11:35:40] WALSH;: I think fundamentally this of course returns scrutiny to the U.S. drone campaign, particularly in the
Afghanistan/Pakistan region. That much is obvious.
But the key question from Barack Obama's speech is he was clear that neither of the two American/al Qaeda leaders Ahmad Farouk (ph), a lesser
known, I have to say, figure, and Adam Gadan (ph), a very public figure in al Qaeda propaganda over the past decade, neither were specifically
targeted in either of the strikes that he in fact referred to.
Now, the key one of course was the one that hit a compound said to be in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region. That's often diplomatic speak for the
tribal areas of Pakistan, although unclear precisely where we are talking about here.
But the fact that he said they didn't have definite intelligence about the presence of either the two al Qaeda leading Americans who were killed
in that strike, suggests maybe the drones involved in this were looking at other evidence, what's referred to often as signatures, the movement of
vehicles in and out of a compound, and that will of course turn scrutiny to exactly what protocols are in place to enable the CIA or Pentagon to enact
a drone strike.
They have, it's said, been tightened up recently because of the large numbers of civilian casualties, but so-called signature strikes in the past
have caused -- (inaudible) strike is when operators see patterns in the movements of individuals in and out of compounds in often insurgent of al
Qaeda friendly areas and decide that -- or the presence of military aged males in the area is often to launch a strike.
We don't simply know what's happened here, but we do know the lives of two western hostages here taken and also the lives of two American al Qaeda
leaders taken in one strike and one subsequent ones afterwards, subsequently announced by the White House here today.
So, a very significant window I think will be opened precisely on to this continuing drone program, Becky.
ANDERSON: Nick Paton Walsh reporting on the story for you out of Tripoli in Libya where he is on assignment at present.
Iran and Australia strengthen their relations this week. Foreign minister Julie Bishop made a short visit to Tehran, the first of its kind
from an Australian minister in 12 years.
Now they discussed the fight against ISIS, amongst other things, agreeing to share intelligence on tracking Australians who go to Iraq to
fight for the terror group.
Another issue that Bishop touched on during her trip is the possible repatriation of Iranian asylum seekers in Australia. No agreement has been
made on that front, but the minister said that discussions will continue.
We've been talking migration, asylum seekers, refugees throughout this show this hour and for some days now as we headline the cruel story of
migrants losing their lives as they try to reach Europe from Libya and elsewhere.
I want to talk specifically about this story now. Fred Pleitgen is standing by for you in Tehran tonight.
Fred, how many people are we talking about here?
PLEITGEN: We're talking about at least 9,000 people, according to the Australian authorities in the timeframe of 2010 until 2013. And
apparently, many Iranians try to make their way to Australia, Becky, by boat. So they leave here and at some point they come by boat, of course.
Australia is very restrictive who try and reach its shores by boat. And as you said, there was that discussion going on between Julie Bishop
and the Iranian leadership about the -- what the Iranians call forced repatriation of people who have been deemed to not be political asylum
seekers but people who try to go to Australia for economic reasons.
And that's one of the things where the Iranians have actually been very critical. They say that they're not willing to take people back who
have been -- who are being forcibly brought back here. They say if people want to come back here on their own, that's fine, but forcibly bringing
people back here that's not something that the Iranians want to be a part of.
But of course there are many people who currently are leaving this country because the economy is one that's very dire. and one of the things
that we have to keep in mind is that the Iranians are people who are very, very well educated. And there are many people who would like better
economic opportunities -- of course there's a lot of optimism in the air right now as many people believe sanctions might be easing. But there are
people also who are not willing to take a chance and who want to leave. And of course Australia for many of them is a prime destination simply
because its economy is so strong, Becky.
[11:40:09] ANDERSON: Your report up in Tehran this evening is Fred Pleitgen. Fred, thank you.
Throughout this show we have been looking at Europe's attempts to deal with thousands of people on the move all wanting future within EU borders.
Well, today Armenia is remembering a time when its people sought refuge fleeing mass killings at the hands of the Ottoman Turks 100 years ago.
A canonization service for victims was held near Yurovan (ph) today ahead of Friday's anniversary. It is a contentious commemoration. Armenia
calls the massacres a genocide and wants that recognized as such. Turkey, for example, denies it was a genocide saying the killings took place during
wartime and must be understood in that context.
Well, in tonight's parting shots, then, we want to give you a glimpse into one of the oldest Armenia communities. The Armenian diaspora is
thought to be some 10 million strong. And one key city of them is Jerusalem, which has an Armenia quarter said to date back to the 4th
Century.
These pictures are from the Medieval St. James Cathedral there. Like Armenian churches and cathedrals around the world, this weekend they are
holding vigils and ceremonies to remember victims of the massacre. And some are using the anniversary to talk of forgiveness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE HINTILIAN, ARMENIAN HISTORIAN: The time has come that both nations confront this pain and try to resolve this issue. We are ready to
forgive the Turks if they just pronounce on word. These were terrible times. It happened during the Ottoman period. And just one word to say
sorry. We are ready to forgive them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Your parting shots this evening.
Well, that's it for the show. Just before we go, though, a programming note for you on CNN. We are heading towards an election in the
United Kingdom that promises to be the closest in decades. Ahead of the on the May 7, CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is
hosting a debate that will be truly groundbreaking. She has brought together a panel of senior UK politicians who will discuss their view
before a live audience.
What makes this distinct is that you'll see the audience reaction flash up instantaneously around the studio.
Friday, 7:00 p.m. London, 8:00 p.m Central European Time only on CNN.
And ahead of that, Christiane answers your questions about the key issues and players. And that's Facebook.com/CNNi. The times on your
screens.
I'm Becky Anderson, that was Connect the World from the UAE and the team here and those working with us around the world. Thank you for
watching.
END
