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Connect the World
Tennessee Shooter Family Says Abdulazeez Suffered From Depression; Authorities Think El Chapo Guzman May Have had Access To Prison Floor Plan, GPS; ISIS Blast Kills 120; Footage of British Royal Family Sparks Debate Over Family's Archives; Round Three At British Open Sees Five-Way Tie for First. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired July 19, 2015 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:08] JONATHAN MANN, HOST: This is not the son we knew: the family of the Tennessee shooter makes their first comment since the attack. We'll
have the latest from Chattanooga in just a moment, plus a live update on the attacker's movements in the Middle East last year.
Also ahead, we look at the backlash against the billionaire presidential hopeful as Donald Trump's criticism of veteran John McCain sparks
Republican fury.
Plus, in the public interest or an invasion of privacy? We look at calls for the British royal family to open up their archives.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is Connect the World.
MANN: Thanks for joining us.
The parents of Tennessee gunman Muhammad Abdulazeez say their son suffered from depression and was, in their words, not the son we knew.
In a written statement, the couple also offered condolences for the relatives of five servicemen killed in Thursday's attack.
As for a possible motive, the Reuter's news agency reports that hours before the attacks, Abdulazeez sent what may have been an ominous text
message to a friend that included a link to a long Islamic verse.
The New York Times says the FBI is looking into it.
As authorities search for a motive, some states are increasing security at military recruitment centers and facilities. Our Sara Ganim has the latest
from Chattanooga.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jonathan, as grief here in Chattanooga turns for calls for action across the country, several states are changing
their rules for how national guard recruitment offices like this one are kept secure.
Another victim: Petty Officer Randall Smith's name is added to this makeshift memorial outside the Chattanooga recruiting office where a deadly
shooting spree began on Thursday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just released five flags.
GANIM: He was the fifth service member to die at the hands of 24-year-old gunman Muhammad Yousseff Abdulazeez.
Investigators are still trying to find a motive. The shooter's recent trip to the Middle East raising concerns of a connection to terror groups. ISIS
and other terror organizations have long called for attacks on military locations like these, according to analysts.
MICHAEL WEISS, MILITARY ANALYST: The American military is the most high value target for ISIS. Going after, as I say, military targets in the U.S.
homeland, they want nothing more than that.
GANIM: Critics, like Sargent Alonzo Lunsford, who was injured in the 2009 Ft. Hood shooting, say military sites like these are easy targets, because
service members here aren't armed.
ST. ALONZO LUNSFORD, FT. HOOD SHOOTING SURVIVOR: We have to be allowed to fight with both our hands and not with one behind our back.
So, arm our military personnel. We have the training. We have the restraint to use these weapons, because we use it in a theater of war.
It's obvious that the war is now on our home soil.
GANIM: Navy officer Randall Smith and four marines were shot and killed at the naval service center about seven miles from this recruiting office
where bullet holes riddled the doors, but nobody was hurt.
A veteran, who often works with recruiters in this office, said he believes the deadly shooting could have been stopped right here in this parking lot.
If somebody in there, anybody, was armed what kind of difference do you think that would have made?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They would have been able to low crawl out the back door and come around and flank the parking lot and they would have been
able to handle the situation.
GANIM: So you think they would have been able to stop him here before he got anywhere else?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, because that's what we're trained to do, to defend.
GANIM: If you have the proper tools.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, if you had the proper tools. Yes.
GANIM: The shooting here has prompted officials in several states to call for recruiting officers like this one to be armed.
Indiana, Texas and Florida governors issued orders for more security and armed personnel at National Guard recruitment centers and military
facilities. Other states: Alabama, New York and Illinois also stepping up security.
Now important to remember that these executive orders in most cases would apply only to National Guard offices like this one and not to those federal
service centers like the one where those five servicemen died -- Jonathan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: Sara Ganim.
Abdulazeez was a U.S. citizen, but he was born in Kuwait. And he had been in Jordan as recently as last year. You can see where that trail may lead,
our Jomana Karadsheh joins us from the Jordanian capital Amman.
What are they saying about Abdulazeez there?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Jonathan, very little. Jordanian officials are being very tight-lipped about this ongoing
investigation. But what we do know according to officials that we have spoken to, they say that Muhammad Abdulazeez is not a Jordanian citizen, as
they say, he's of Palestinian origin. He was holding a temporary Jordanian passport, that's like a travel document that Jordan issued to many
Palestinians.
And they say over the years he traveled in and out of Jordan several times on a U.S. passport. And they say that there was no indication of a record
of criminal activity or any radical history, because he was not flagged coming into Jordan's airport.
Now the trip that they are really focusing on is his trip to Jordan last year, in 2014. They say their now talking to family members, extended
family, who are being investigated and interviewed by the Jordanian security agencies, to try and find out more about who he met while he was
in Jordan, who he spoke to, what he did.
As one official described it, they're trying to put together this information to put the puzzle -- pieces of this puzzle together as it is
described.
But they say so far it is too early for them to make any public statements about this or any conclusions, because it is an ongoing investigation, an
investigation that they say that Jordanian authorities are working very closely with U.S. counterparts on -- Jonathan.
[11:06:08] MANN: Jomana, Abdulazeez's family is now saying he suffered from depression, which puts a very different spin on these attacks. But
American authorities have been explicit, they are treating this like an act of terror. This is a terrorism investigation. So, let me ask you in the
context of Jordan, how many jihadis or jihadi wannabes use Jordan as a weigh station?
KARADSHEH: Jonathan, Jordan has a history of many individuals who come from this country, who have ties, who have links, who have been members of
terrorist organizations, whether it's al Qaeda, or ISIS right now, there are estimates that are 2,000 Jordanians left to fight in Syria.
But this is a country where the security services are very powerful, the intelligence service here is really on top of things, so its not like other
countries, for example, where foreigners are able to travel or even locals are able to travel into neighboring countries like Syria and Iraq to join
jihadi groups. It's a very, very difficult process for them to do something like this. And they're, you know, whoever here suspected of
having ties or is a sympathizer with these groups is very closely monitored by the security services.
So, it's not the easiest route, let's say, to try and join jihadi groups. But of course many from Jordan have had ties or have been prominent figures
within jihadi organizations in the past, Jonathan.
MANN: OK, I think I understand what you're saying. But let me circle back a little bit. If the jihadis can't really operate without scrutiny from
authorities inside of Jordan, if he was in Jordan and traveled from Jordan elsewhere in the Middle East, how hard would it be to track his movements?
KARADSHEH: Well, if we look at what we heard from the Kuwaiti authorities, for example, Jonathan, on Friday when this information came out, we heard
about a trip he made in 2010, Kuwait, where he was born. Kuwaiti authorities, for example, came out and said he traveled into Kuwait in May
of 2010. And from there, he went on to Jordan in June of that year.
So, countries in this region do share intelligence. They do have records of people coming in and out. And it would not be very difficult to travel
from one country to the other, Jonathan.
MANN: Jomana Karadsheh, live in Amman, thanks very much.
It has been one week since Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman made a daring underground escape from a maximum security prison. Now investigators are
looking at the possibility that prison blueprints may have helped El Chapo slip away.
Our Polo Sandoval has the latest from Mexico City.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexican investigators are following what they describe as their strongest lead yet. They are questioning the
supervisor of (inaudible) at the Altiplano prison facility, that is where Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman escaped from.
Investigators say Francisco Liseca (ph) kept the prison floor plan and may have given unauthorized access to someone at some point. This comes as
seven prison employees were arrested. they are the first to be charged in connection to this prison escape. It happened about a week ago.
Floor plans not enough to ensure, though, such precise and accurate path as investigators believe that El Chapo Guzman had access to, not only the
floor plans, but also possibly a GPS device, something that he would to transmit his exact location to his support system on the outside.
Now while this does sound fairly outlandish, it is very much a possibility for someone who has seemingly endless resources and a lot of support on the
outside.
Polo Sandoval, CNN, Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: You can learn much more about the investigation into El Chapo's escape on our web site.
CNN managed to actually get into the tunnel he used to get free. You can find that report online along with our interview with a forensic
investigator who say the tunnel may have cost, get this, $5 million to build for just that one trip.
Just head over to CNN.com/World.
Still to come tonight, there are calls in Britain for the queen to open up the royal archives after some decades old footage sparks controversy.
We'll be joined by a historian to talk about why it may actually really be important.
And up next, the latest provocative comments from billionaire Donald Trump. Why some say they could change the Republican race for the White House.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:12:37] DONALD TRUMP, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER: He's not a war hero.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a war hero. Five-and-a-half years in a POW camp.
TRUMP: He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK. I hate to tell you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was a war hero.
TRUMP: He was a war hero because he was captured, OK. You can have -- and I believe perhaps he's a war hero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: You're watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. Welcome back.
The leading Republican U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump there ridiculing Senator John McCain's reputation as a war hero.
McCain was held as a prisoner of war for five years and repeatedly tortured during the war in Vietnam.
Trump made his caustic remarks during a political event in Iowa for Republican presidential hopefuls, setting off an avalanche of criticism.
He later tried to soften the remarks tweeting, "captured or not, all our soldiers are heroes."
He then had this to say before the cameras.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If a person is captured, they're a hero as far as I'm concerned, unless they're a traitor like Bergdahl. He was captured. He's no hero.
But you have to do other things also. I'm -- I don't like the job that John McCain is doing in the Senate, because he's not taking care of our
veterans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: You have to do other things also.
Trump's Republican rivals are slamming the comments on McCain. Former Texas Governor Rick Perry saying in a statement they represent a new low in
American politics. Adding, "his attack on veterans makes him unfit to be Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces. And he should immediately
withdraw from the race for president."
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush responded on Twitter, writing, "enough with the slanderous attacks. Senator John McCain and all our veterans,
particularly POWs, have earned our respect and admiration."
Another Republican, Senator Ted Cruz, who is also running for president, but has said he's a big fan of Trump and refused to condemn Trump for his
remarks. But he was quick to heap praise on McCain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) TEXAS: John McCain is a friend of mine. I respect and admire him. He is an American war hero. Not only did he sign up to defend
our nation, putting his life in harm's way, but when he was a POW he was imprisoned, he was tortured, and most incredibly John McCain was offered
the opportunity for early release, he was offered the opportunity to go home. And he turned it down, because he believed it would be dishonorable
to accept that.
I'll tell you it is a true and humbling privilege to serve in the Senate with an American hero like John McCain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:15:04] MANN: Could Trump's remarks derail his presidential campaign?
Well, joining us now to answer that is Ed O'Keefe, a political reporter with the Washington Post joining us via Skype.
Thanks so much for being with us. What do you make of this? The first defining episode of the Republican race?
ED O'KEEFE, WASHINGTON POST: Oh, probably the second, many would say based on what he said a few weeks ago about illegal immigrants coming from
Mexico.
You would have thought that would be the kind of thing that would knock somebody like Trump out of the race at a time when Republicans are
sensitive to winning the support of Hispanics and others that have emigrated into the country. But that didn't do it.
And this case, perhaps upsetting POWs and military veterans might do it. Republicans certainly enjoy broad support from veterans of all ages from
all wars. And so that's why you saw the other candidates and party leaders jump out very quickly and say there's no space for that in their party.
We'll see.
MANN: Let me jump in, because I'm curious about the impact of this.
Trump's popularity has, in fact, been surging on the back of those anti- immigration remarks you mentioned. A poll released this week by Fox News shows Trump leading the pack of 16 major Republican candidates and well.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was second, but Trump has the largest lead.
What's your sense of this? I mean, the voters seem to like Trump being Trump. Is he going to gain yet again? Or do you think this time he really
has crossed the line, as you eluded to?
O'KEEFE: Polls are lagging indicators. They can take about 10 days to two weeks to really assess what someone thinks of this. So, in the coming
weeks, we'll probably see his support slip simply because so many Republicans are military veterans, have great respect for military
veterans.
The polls you cite are more national surveys, which will matter during the general election, matter less during the primary election. If you look at
the polling in New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina, which are the first four states to go, Trump is still doing very well in those
situations as well. He's first in some, he's second in others. So you're right, it does suggest that there's some residence for his comments, for
his opinions.
And that's what he's doing. He's speaking to a certain group of the electorate that generally feels this way, that has concerns about illegal
immigration, and yes, believe it or not, in Arizona there's a very small vocal minority of Republicans who don't like the way McCain has comported
himself as a senator, but probably wouldn't question his war service.
MANN: I wonder if Trump also in remarks he made the same day as the McCain remarks has alienated another constituency of the party, which is people of
faith. Here's what he had to say about faith and god and forgiveness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm no sure I have. I just go and try and do a better job from there. I don't think so. I think -- if I do anything wrong I think I just
try and make it right. I don't bring god into that picture. I don't.
Now, when I take -- when we go and church and when I drink my little wine, which is about the only wine I drink and have my little cracker I guess
that's a form of asking for forgiveness. And I do that as often as possible, because I feel cleansed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: Ed O'Keefe, belittling the sacraments of communion. Is that going to far?
O'KEEFE: Yeah, that's probably going just as far, if not farther. And frankly that's probably what we would be talking about this morning had he
not said what he said about John McCain.
He was speaking to a room full of evangelical Christians in one of the most Christian states in the country. And to sit there and essentially like you
said sort of belittle Christianity and Catholicism by talking about wine and crackers, it's not what most Catholics would call it.
I think that will also raise concerns among another segment of Republican voters. So, to recap we've got Mexicans or illegal immigrants, POWs and
Catholics now, you know, become the target of his incendiary comments. And you wonder how much longer this will go on.
MANN: Now, I wonder, though, if Donald Trump defies gravity, because he doesn't need donors or campaign financing to keep going. He can finance
himself. And he gets all kinds of free media. So he doesn't need to advertise at a time like this. We're talking about him for free.
Can he just keep going with no constraint on his campaign however offensive he becomes, however isolated from the Republican Party?
O'KEEFE: Sure. And I'm happy to talk about the other 15 presidential candidates who would probably help them out. But you're right, he doesn't
have to raise money. He hasn't raised much money from actual donors. In fact, there were some reports this week when reporters started calling the
few donors that have given him money, even some of them said, you know, I might have been drunk at the time that I did it online. That shows you
that the seriousness is not necessarily there.
This is the summer before the year before, you know, Americans will head to the polls. Often in that odd year before the year, there's a lot of
catharcism, if you will, among either party, that's why you see someone like Donald Trump doing well now. That's why, you know, five, six years
ago you saw candidates like Michelle Bachmann and -- what was his name, Cain..
MANN: Herman Cain, right.
O'KEEFE: Exactly, Herman Cain.
See, we even forget his name. They are flashes in the pain and then eventually the party settles down and settles on someone else. That's
likely what this is about right now.
The difference, however, for Trump because he's so personally wealthy, there's always the chance he'll run as an independent or a third party
candidate. If that happens, he becomes a problem for both parties and likely will continue to be a presence.
And that'll -- and that will be determined, frankly, probably in the coming week depending on the fallout from his comments about McCain.
[11:20:23] MANN: A trump in a teapot.
Ed O'Keefe of the Washington Post, thanks so much for talking with us.
O'KEEFE: Any time. Take care, John.
MANN: Live from CNN Center, this is Connect the World. Coming up next, a royal controversy. Footage some eight decades old sparks a debate about
whether the British monarchy should open its archives for all to see. Stay with us.
And next, we head to the Open Championship where the drama is building after the wind has given way. It was all supposed to be wrapping up,
instead we're just in round 3 and Justin Johnson has some company at the top.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MANN: You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World and I'm Jonathan Mann. Welcome back.
Umbrellas were open again today at the British Open, which as been bogged down by weather delays this year. Sunday is usually the final day of the
tournament, but because of miserable conditions like, the players are a day behind and won't finish until tomorrow, only the second time in the
tournament's history that it will wrap up on a Monday.
So, instead of finding out the winner today, we are watching round three. Alex Thomas is with us now from St. Andrews with an update. Alex, how is
the golf -- or maybe I should ask, how is the weather?
ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Jonathan nice to be talking about the golf now that the weather has abated after hours of rain delays
on Friday. And then a wait of more than 10 hours for the wind to subside on Saturday. The golf has taken center stage. Weather Armageddon has
given away to an avalanche of birdies, incredible scoring, a five way tie for the lead. Dustin Johnson at 10 under par joined by a host of other
players, including young 21-year-old compatriot Jordan Speith trying to make history by winning the year's first three majors.
So, an unbelievably good day as far as scoring is concerned, that's because the wind has died right down. The rain has softened the course and left
this historic links with little to no defense and it's been so many amazing stories coming in on this Sunday, Jonathan.
MANN: One of those stories I'm told was an emotional comeback. What happened?
THOMAS: Yeah, this is 31-year-old Australian Marc Leishman who has been on the PGA tour for several years, rookie of the year back in 2009.
But on the eve of the Master's tournament this year he had to rush back to be by his wife's bedside. She had suffered what is know as toxic shock
syndrome, when you get sort of like the flu, but your organs think it's something more serious and begin to shut down. She went into a coma for
four days and was given just a 5 percent chance of surviving. They have young kids, just 1 year old and 3 years old. Leishman ready to quit golf
if he wife had passed away, because he couldn't have taken the kids on tour.
And he said it was just so nice to be back out on the course. And he admitted things were very bad just a few months ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC LEISHMAN PGA GOLFER: It was a huge possibility that I wasn't going to be playing golf anymore. You know, traveling with a 1 year old and a 3
year old by yourself isn't really -- well, it wasn't going to happen. I wouldn't do that to the boys. You know, they're too young to know what's
going on. And at the time it was just really, you know, you have to give it away and stay home with the boys and be a dad, and that was the most
important thing. And I was alright with that. Obviously, I wouldn't -- the outcome -- Audrey is all right now, and it's a lot better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS: An astonishing story.
Leishman with an 8 under par round today, eight birdies, not a single dropped shot, at 9 under par. He's one of that host of players just one
stroke off the lead, Jonathan.
MANN: Now that the weather seems to be behind them, is it still going to be a factor, do you think? Is it factor already on the leaderboard?
Because some of the players were pretty angry about it.
THOMAS: It's a factor in terms of the scoring. It means that rather than trying to sit on his lead, Dustin Johnson and let the weather give his
rivals too many problems to try and catch him, because the scoring is so good, it's all about how many many birdies you can make over this old
course, this centuries of years old.
And if I give you some example, in round 1, for example, the whole -- only 10 of the 18 holes were playing under par, better than average. Only eight
holes better than average on round two. On round three, which is yet to finish, already 14 of the 18 holes are playing better than par. That
clearly illustrates just how many birdies are out there for the players.
It's a race as to who can get as much under par as they possibly can. And there have been scores, 18, 19, 20 under par on the old course, so it is
possible. And there's so many good players on that leaderboard, Jonathan, it's thrilling stuff for the golf fans now we're no longer waiting around
for bad weather.
MANN: Alex Thomas at St. Andrews, thanks very much.
THOMAS: Live from CNN Center, this is Connect the World. An update of the world's headlines in just a moment.
Also, North Koreans vote for local leaders, but no need for exit polls in these elections.
And after controversial footage of the queen is leaked, some are arguing it should all be made public anyway. I'll speak to a historian who agrees in
about 10 minutes time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MANN: Welcome back. This is Connect the World. With the top stories this hour.
The parents of Tennessee gunman Muhammad Abdulazeez say their sons suffered from depression and was in their words not the son we knew. CNN has
learned security agencies in Jordan have interviewed his extended family there who we visited during a trip in 2014. The Reuters News Agency
reports he texted a friend with a link to an Islamic verse just before the attack. The New York Times says the FBI is looking into that.
Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump is now backpedeling from some comments he made about Senator John McCain. Saturday, Trump said he did
not consider the decorated veteran and former prisoner of war a war hero. That set off a backlash that Trump said later on Twitter all U.S. soldiers
are war heroes.
Two Palestinian factions appear to have been targeted in a series of explosions in Gaza City. Police say the blasts hit five parked cars that
were used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Hospital sources say two people were wounded.
We want to turn to the fight against ISIS now starting in Saudi Arabia. Authorities there have arrested 431 people with alleged links to the group.
You're looking at clothing, cell phones and other items that security forces seized in the raids.
The kingdom is claiming the operation stamped out some horrific attacks that were being planned.
A massive wave of arrests comes after ISIS-led bombing of a mosque in Saudi Arabia in May.
The terror group has been focusing most of its efforts in Syria and Iraq. Friday, the group launched one of its deadliest attacks in Iraq in recent
memory, this the deadly aftermath of that. An ice truck drove into a bustling market during the summer's intense heat, lured a crowd around it
with the promise of discounted prices for the ice, and then exploded.
The blast killed 120 shoppers and wounded 140 others. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Aside from the staggering death toll in this callous attack is the way in which it was
carried out.
Now you have to picture a scene of busy outdoor market in the heat towards the end of the holy month of Ramadan when much fasting occurs across the
Muslim world. The first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, effectively Christmas comparative in the Christian calendar. People flooding to the
market to buy ice, a bit of relief from the heat, and into that crowd comes one large truck, which contains ice in which they seem to be selling at
significantly below the market rate.
So dozens, hundreds of people rush towards that truck to try and make that purchase, bring a little bit of kind of cooling to their homes for the
holiday ahead.
As soon as the crowds of hundreds gather around, that device detonates. 120 dead. It's worth pausing for a moment to think about quite how many
lives that number means are no longer here or affected by the deep trauma of loss, particularly now during this religious holiday for the Islamic
faith.
140 people injured, 13 children dead, 14 women dead, a staggering toll, mostly Shia. This is ISIS, Sunni radicals targeting those they oppose in
this bitter sectarian war across the Middle East now. The Shia there. And really a death toll and tactic reminiscent of the darker days of the U.S.
military presence in Iraq where we would see al Qaeda in Iraq on an almost seemed like daily basis try and exact staggering tolls on the populations
they targeted.
A deeply troubling moment in Diyala where this town was based, because it was supposed to have been cleaned of ISIS, but clearly they can penetrate
back into that society. And deeply troubling, too, because of the sheer callousness, the playing on basic human need, sympathy and emotion that was
used to carry out this attack.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Amman.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: Now to another fight in -- battle against ISIS, we've been following the pillage and destruction of antiquities at the hands of ISIS militants.
But some are trying to save parts of humanity's precious heritage. Ben Wedeman has this look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: With all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, ISIS militants smash at Syrian statues and reliefs that had
survived for more than 3,000 years. This video documenting the destruction this spring of the ancient Assyrian capital of Nimrod in northern Iraq.
In the Syrian desert, the ruins of Palmyra serve ISIS as a backdrop for a public mass execution.
As the extremist group continues its assault on the region's past, some like Syrian archaeologist Isber Sabrine are trying to fight back. From
Berlin, he runs a group called Heritage for Peace, which manages a network of more than 100 unpaid volunteers inside Syria who pose as antiquities
buyers.
ISBER SABRINE, HERITAGE FOR PEACE: They go to the locals and say, look, we are interested. They cannot buy, but at least they make photos and they
send as a photo. And like this, we have a list of looted materials from Syria.
[11:35:17] WEDEMAN: Those photos are shared with police, auction houses and collectors, but we can't show them because that might compromise the
network.
Looting of archaeological sites in Syria and Iraq has been extensive and predates ISIS.
Compare this 2011 satellite image of Apamea by one of Alexander the Great's generals 2,300 years ago with an image taken less than a year later.
Hundreds of pits have been dug on the site.
SABRINE: A lot of locals in Syria, they are selling artifacts because they need to eat and survive.
WEDEMAN: According to Sabrine and other archaeologists, the largescale trade in antiquities is often run by criminal gangs that are also involved
in the trafficking of arms, drugs and humans. ISIS and other groups take a cut of the profits.
Berlin's Pergamon museum boasts an impressive collection of Syrian and Iraqi artifacts excavated in the first half of the last century.
MARCUS HILGERT, BERLIN PERGAMON MUSEUM DIRECTOR: If you have a museum it's just the tip of the iceberg. Underneath...
WEDEMAN: Syrialogist and museum director Marcus Hilgert, spearheads an effort joining archaeologists, police, IT specialists and others to focus
on the thriving trade in looted antiquities.
HILGERT: We're trying to develop methods to uncover, to discover, to clear up this dark field of crime, of organized crime to understand how people
interact to understand how much money is being made, how the objects come from Iraq and Syria.
WEDEMAN: In the end, however, the looters and smugglers are merely responding to the demands of consumers in North America, Europe and the
Gulf.
HILGERT: We must not forget there would be no pillaging, and there would be less incentives for pillaging archaeological sites, if there weren't a
market. The market is the incentive.
WEDEMAN: Market forces in this case yet another threat to a region's history under attack.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: To many of her subjects and admirers, Queen Elizabeth is a living embodiment of tradition and history. But now she's in the news in the
middle of a front page controversy with the publication of footage of her as a young child being prompted into giving a Nazi salute by her uncle who
would one day be king and by the Queen Mother.
Buckingham Palace has replied with shock and indignation. Atika Shubert has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: "The Sun" newspaper has sparked an uproar in Britain for publishing decades-old photos and video of then- 6-year-old
Elizabeth, the future queen, giving the Nazi salute. The tabloids front page shows Elizabeth alongside her mother, her 3-year- old sister, Princess
Margaret, and her uncle, the Prince of Wales, with the headline, "Their Royal Highnesses."
Buckingham Palace quickly condemned Saturday's publication with this statement, quote, "It's disappointing that film, shot eight decades ago,
and apparently from Her Majesty's personal family archive, has been obtained and exploited in this manner."
The still images were taken from a short black-and-white clip filmed at the royal's Balmoral estate in Scotland in 1933 when Adolf Hitler was rising to
power in Germany.
The 17-second video posted online shows Edward, whom the paper describes as Nazi sympathizing, encouraging his young nieces and sister-in-law to
perform the salute, before himself joining them.
Royal biographer, Hugo Vickers, called the story sensationalist.
HUGO VICKERS, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: People were frolicking around on the lawn near Balmoral. Unfortunately, "The Sun" decided to freeze the frame to make
it look as bad as possible and to turn it into a big travesty. So my reaction was the whole thing was rather pointless and also very unfair.
SHUBERT: "The Sun" responded to the fury with a written story justifying its decision to run the footage, quote, "These images have lain hidden for
82 years. We publish them today, knowing they do not reflect badly on our queen, her late sister or mother in anyway. The do, however, provide a
fascinating insight into the warped prejudices of Edward VIII."
At the time the video was taken, the queen's uncle was accused of being a Nazi sympathizer. A royal source says the queen and her family's service
to the nation during World War II and the 63 years of her reign, she has spent, quote, "building relations between nations and peoples speaks for
itself, a legacy that analysts say far outweighs the stunts of a tabloid."
Atika Shubert, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:40:18] MANN: Historians don't normally read tabloids, but this time it has their attention. Historian and writer Kate Malby joins us now from
London. Thanks so much for being with us.
A moment ago, we heard in our correspondent's report a biographer call the use of the film pointless and rather unfair. Do you agree?
KATE MALBY, HISTORIAN: No, I don't. Using this film is certainly not pointless, it is sensationalist, because of course The Sun is
internationally famous for being a sensationalist tabloid. They're doing this for circulation. But the reason they're able to do this is that the
royal family have always been very secretive about their archives. And there is an ongoing controversy over just how early King Edward VIII as he
would later become, became and Nazi sympathizer and whether other members of the royal family, the Queen Mother for example as shown in the footage,
tolerated that.
Now, of course, until the royal family permits serious scrutiny of their archives, it will be left for places like The Sun to leak images without us
being able to contextualize them poperly.
But it's really important that we start asking questions.
MANN: Now, there are published accounts, which suggest that the royal family has in fact in the past made attempts to purge documents, both from
their own archives and from archives in Germany. Is there anything to that?
MALBY: I think there is, yes. Certainly, the royal family's current archives are held at Windsor Castle where they're actually held in the
round tower, which many of your viewers will remember is that iconic tower looking over Windsor.
And currently they welcome serious academics to come and have a look around, but only into material up to 1918. So, there's certainly a
suggestion from people who have gone to German archives and looked at the other side of the correspondence, that there have been requests not just in
Britain, but for those German archives to start purging the other side of the correspondence...
MANN: I'm going to interrupt you for a moment, because while your talking we're looking at what seemed like either news reel footage or home movies
of the royals. How much of the material is just personal material, how much of it really is of interest to historians?
MALBY: Well, this is the problem when you have a royal family. I mean, we all have family secrets. We all have personal histories. Voltaire called
historians gossips who tease the dead. And whenever you look as a historian into people's families just a couple of generations back you
touch on that really interesting moment where oral memory and the written archive intersect.
But in Britain, we have a royal family who are born into a position of privilege who become public figures at -- you know, at birth. I think
that's part of the deal.
MANN: That may -- that may or may not be. I mean, how much right to privacy do they have? We in the media are often accused of really invading
their privacy. Do they have to give up their past to the media as well?
MALBY: Well, this isn't about Queen Elizabeth II's past. I mean, I don't think there's anyone out there who is blaming a 7-year-old girl for being
encouraged to have a bit of fun by her uncle.
But the presence of Edward VIII and the Queen Mother in this footage makes it a document about them, about adults. And I think we have to treat it
responsibly. We shouldn't be sensationalizing the royals, we shouldn't be looking at them -- looking at that and calling them a bunch of Nazis. But
we shouldn't be whitewashing it either.
And until there is greater access to the archives, until scholars are allowed to go in dispassionately and look at them like any other family,
then sensation will take the place of that scholarly approach.
MANN: Now you said something which I passed over quickly, but it's really quite remarkable. After 1918 there's no access to the documents. You, as
a historian have studied Elizabeth I. How much easier was it for you to get access to the documents of her era compared to the documents of the
Elizabeth who is now on the throne?
MALBY: Well, the further back you go in history, the more documents are scattered. I mean, one of the things that we should actually be grateful
for -- to the royal archives for is that because they are a family collection, although recent family, they're all in one place. And yes,
they are collated and they're controlled, but they're run by people who understand that this history is important.
When you go further back to the 16th Century, you know, something may have been bought by -- I'm afraid, you know, people like you, Americans, bought
up a lot of our wonderful historic documents in the 19th Century as curiosities and shipped -- you know, I spent a lot of time this year at
Yale looking at Elizabethan documents.
MANN: I've got a whole box at home.
MALBY: The great thing about the 20th Century -- oh, I'm sure.
The great thing about the 20th Century is that at least we began to realize that this history was important. We just kept it under lock and key.
MANN: And there it is today.
Kate Malby, thanks so much for talking with us.
MALBY: Thank you.
MANN: Live from CNN Center, this is Connect the World. Coming up, putting the Democratic in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Well, not
quite. An inside look at North Korea's unique local elections.
Plus, pastries line the table as Muslims around the world celebrate the breaking of the fast. We'll have one man's quest to find the perfect
baklava.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:47:35] MANN: Welcome back.
CNN's Freedom Project is an ongoing effort to shine a light on the many forms of modern-day slavery. Our latest effort is a documentary "Children
for Sale: A Fight to End Human Trafficking."
In the U.S. alone, tens of thousands of people are being held, and many of them of children. Social media outlets are used maliciously to rope
victims in.
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith spoke to a convicted trafficker about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JADA PINKETT SMITH, ACTRESS: What are the social media activities that you might see that could put kids in danger, like to people really pay
attention to sexy photos that young girls are putting...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yeah, definitely.
SMITH: Really?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those pictures can be taken. You have a lot of bait and switch. You know, there will be some escorts who would take other
people's photos and use them as their own. So you have to be careful with the kind of pictures you put on social media.
SMITH: Got it.
What would you tell kids and parents to look out for in order to protect themselves from being lured into trafficking?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any kind of job offer that offers a live-in position, or all expenses paid living -- because more than likely, they're not just
putting all this money out, they want a return.
SMITH: Where could we advertise or send messages of help?
UNIDENITIFIED FEMALE: I would say hotels.
SMITH: Hotels. Like where in hotels, though?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anywhere that she may pass -- elevator stickers, vending machines, on the doors of the hotels rooms.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: Join us all this week for an in depth look at this global problem. And watch the CNN Freedom Project documentary: Children for Sale, the Fight
to end Human Trafficking. That's Wednesday 8:00 p.m. if you're watching from London, 9:00 p.m. Central European Time, only on CNN.
North Korea held its first local elections since leader Kim Jong un came to power, but the results could have been called as soon as the candidates
were announced, that's because the ballot for each district had only one name on it, carefully chosen by the ruling Workers Party.
Well, despite the foregone conclusion, the election isn't completely pointless, at least in the government's eyes, as our Kathy Novak reports
the polling is used to take stock of North Korea's population.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[11:49:59] KATHY NOVAK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's voting time in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Democracy in North Korea is
a little different to say the least. Polling day is usually a chance to choose leaders. And this weekend, people will be lining up to cast their
ballot, but there will be no choice involved.
Candidates for positions on provincial, city and county people's assemblies have already been chosen by Kim Jong un's central government, so voters
will simply be handed ballot papers, which they will then dutifully drop in a box. No danger of hanging chads there.
In many ways, the names on ballot papers aren't as important as the names on voter rolls. Elections in North Korea are used as an official census,
an opportunity to make sure that all citizens are where they are supposed to be.
One defector told me the most important part of election day is showing up. Voting is mandatory for everyone over the age of 17. And skipping the
chance to voice one's approval for the administration is considered a crime tantamount to treason. That could land citizens in a political prison
camp, or worse.
Those already in prison don't vote. And some leeway is given to people in the emergency room or those working overseas. But apart from that, turnout
is generally reported on state media to be just shy of 100 percent, with about 100 percent of the votes cast in favor of the preselected candidates.
And who are they? Well, unlike the elections last year for position on the Supreme People's Assembly, this vote is for local deputies. They may get
together to discuss their area's economic and administrative issues, but really the power remains in Pyongyang.
Observers will be watching to see any hints about the people Kim Jong un is promoting. The young leader is reported to have recently demoted, purged
or even ordered the execution of some of the elites left over from his father's regime. So will there be generational change in this election?
Well, as with everything in North Korea that is up to Kin Jong un. He's casting a ballot, too. The difference is, he actually does have a choice.
Kathy Novak, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: Live from CNN Center, this is Connect the World.
Coming up, people around the globe indulge in tasty treats to mark the arrival of Eid al Fitr, we'll look at where to find the world's best
baklava.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MANN: Muslims around the world have been celebrating the end of Ramadan and the arrival of Eid al-Fitr. In India, thousands of people gathered for
prayers Saturday to start the holiday Eid, one of the most festive periods of Islam and includes huge feasts to celebrate the end of a month of dawn
to dusk fasting.
You're watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. I'm Jonathan Mann. Welcome back.
In tonight's Parting Shots, we'll leave you with a tasty treat in honor of Eid celebration. It's that time of year. Millions of Muslims indulging
their sweet tooth after a month of Ramadan fasting. Baklava is one of the many deserts that are popular, but it's fame is by no means confined to the
Muslim world. One aficionado shows us what makes the perfect pastry. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was assigned to find the perfect baklava. So I went to Gaziantep in southern Turkey where there are over 500 baklava shops alone.
I got behind closed doors in the finest pastry workshops in whose baklava is being considered by the UN for inclusion on UNESCO's world cultural
heritage list.
Essential to the perfect baklava is its nut center. In Gaziantep pistachios are recognized as among the finest in the world. They use only the finest
locally grown early harvest pistachios.
The proper way to eat baklava, I was told, is to hold it with your fingers, turn it upside down to appreciate the delicacy of its layers, and bit very
slowly.
I'm George Azare (ph), and these were my Parting Shots.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:55:59] MANN: Turn the baklava upside down. A pastry fit for a UNESCO World Heritage List, that says it all.
Sweet or savory, let us know your country's culinary icons. You can get in touch with us by going to our Facebook page. Facebook.com/CNNConnect. And
you can tweet me at @JonathanMannCNN and contact the team @CNNConnect.
Send us some baklava.
We'll leave you with a reminder of our top story. U.S. authorities tried to determine why Muhammad Abdulazeez shot and killed five people in
Tennessee Thursday. Sources in Jordan say his extended family there has been interviewed by security agencies. Abdulazeez visited Jordan last
year.
A long-time friend tells CNN, he seemed different after that.
Stay with CNN for all the developments.
I'm Jonathan Mann, and you've been watching Connect the World. Thanks for being with us.
END
