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Connect the World
Bomb Attack in southern Turkey Leaves 28 Dead; FIFA Will Elect New President Feb. 26, 2016; Australian Surfer Mick Fanning Narrowly Escapes Great White Attack in South Africa; David Cameron Outlines British Anti- Extremism Strategy; UN Security Council Unanimously Approves Iranian Nuclear Deal; Cubans Celebrate Opening of U.S. Embassy. Aired 11:00a-12:00p ET
Aired July 20, 2015 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:01:06] FRED PLEITGEN, HOST: And you've been watching live coverage as Cuba's flag was raised at the country's newly reopened embassy
in Washington, D.C. The Cuban foreign minister is there at the embassy right now to mark the occasion. Let's listen in to his speech.
(CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRESS CONFERENCE)
PLEITGEN: And you are hearing there the Cuban foreign minister at the opening ceremony, or reopening ceremony of the Cuban embassy in Washington,
D.C. Of course that building was the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C. until 1961 when diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States
broke off.
And this is actually the first time that a Cuban foreign minister has been to Washington, D.C. since 1958. At that time, the Secretary of State
was John Foster Dulles, and the president was Dwight D. Eisenhower.
And of course we are covering this story from every angle. Our own Patrick Oppmann is outside the U.S. embassy in Havana. And our CNN global
affairs correspondent Elise Labott is standing by at the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C.
Elise, let's go to you first, tell me what the mood is like, what the atmosphere is like and how people are seeing this historic day.
[11:05:44] ELISE LABOTT, CNN CORREPSONDENT: Fred, really jubilation here at the embassy. People screaming Viva Cuba.
What an emotional moment as the Cuban flag was being raised above the embassy right over here, the Cuban national anthem playing. Cuban-
Americans, Cuban diplomats, artists, veterans of the revolution, all mixing with U.S. officials here at the embassy, really a jubilant moment. Foreign
Minister Rodriquez as you heard making some comments there. I don't think really kind of not being too dramatic about the potential for, you know,
friendship or allies between the U.S. and Cuba, but marking this historic moment of these two enemies living so close and sharing so much culture
finally restoring ties after decades of animosity, Fred.
PLEITGEN: Well, it is interesting you say that, Elise, because when you listen to the remarks of the Cuban foreign minister, he was talking a
lot about fighting for Cuban independence, fighting against oppression, and yet here are these two sides getting their ties back together. What's the
interaction like between Cuban officials, American officials, after such a long time?
LABOTT: Well, I think you know the standoff has been more symbolic in a lot of ways. I mean, U.S. and Cuban officials have been talking in quiet
cooperation for many years. And so this historic day really could kind of bring out into the open what's been happening behind closed doors for a
long time.
PLEITGEN: All right. We also have Patrick Oppmann, our own Patrick Oppmann in Havana standing by there at the newly opened U.S. embassy there.
Patrick, what's the mood like there? It seems as though the ceremony there is a little bit more quiet.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, you're seeing Cuban show up with American flags. I talked to some of the Cuban
workers who were coming into work today who long-time employees of the then intersection, and they said they never expected to see this, that it was a
very historic and happy day for them.
Of course, there's something you don't see behind me at the new U.S. embassy and that's an American flag. That won't happen until next month
when Secretary of State Kerry comes down here for the ceremonial opening of the U.S. embassy.
But there are some changes today. We're seeing less of a police presence. We're told that that's how it's going to be from now on. That
the Cuban -- it'll be the U.S. government not -- the Cuban government that really determines that amount of police that's around the U.S. embassy.
You see a very tight security presence here. They used to take down everyone's name and passport number who is coming in. They will no longer
do that.
Of course, the chief of mission is now the charge d'affair until President Barack Obama names a U.S. ambassador to Havana.
So, in many ways this is symbolic because already the United States had the largest diplomatic mission in Havana, but 54 years after so much
acrimony, after diplomatic ties were broken off, to have an event like today where people are coming here, Cubans are coming here, waving American
flags, very excited there is a U.S. embassy. It is something that certainly just a few years ago would have been absolutely out of the
question. You would not have expected it to take place.
So, it is more subdued here, but of course next month we expect there will be a lot of Americans coming here to celebrate the official opening of
the U.S. embassy after so many years in Havana, Cuba.
PLEITGEN: You know, Patrick, you've been doing some great reporting there from Cuba over the past couple of weeks. And it seems like there is
a lot happening there. People are getting wi-fi for the first time. There's restrictions on goods that they can buy that are being lifted.
When you have a country like that in transition like that, now you have the new ties to the United States. It's always important for that transition
to be managed. How concerned are authorities about how that will happen? And what the new Cuba is going to look like?
OPPMANN: Well, they're very concerned, because in the beginning a lot of Cubans, a lot of Americans, frankly, thought that this meant that a U.S.
embargo was going away. Of course, we have to clarify that it's not that most of the American trade sanctions are still in place and that's
something the Cuban government wants to of course negotiate with the United States. And this is what they called the phase of normalization now that
we have restored diplomatic relations.
The Cuban and U.S. governments want to talk about having a normal relationship, which would of course not involve trade sanctions, not
involve, the U.S. says, human rights abuses. A lot of major issues like they say, for example, the U.S. navy base in Guantanamo to be resolved.
And that's going to take years, frankly.
But the tone is changing so much day-to-day. You know, this building around me, the U.S. embassy, it used to be covered in propaganda, anti-U.S.
propaganda. And now that's all been taking down over the last several years.
Behind me there's actually a stadium that was built to hold protests. Fidel Castro very regularly would come here with thousands of Cubans
basically shut down the country to hold these enormous anti-U.S. protests. We haven't seen those in years. So there has been a very significant
change in tone as these changes just keep coming day by day.
[11:10:50] PLEITGEN: All right. Thank you there. Patrick in Havana.
And one more question for Elise Labott out there at this very historic moment. Elise, Patrick just sort of touched on it, not much is actually
going to change initially. There are still a lot of restrictions that are in place. But at the same time, the sort of thawing of relations between
the U.S. and Cuba is not something that's uncontroversial in America as well.
LABOTT: Not at all, Fred. I mean, certainly there are a lot of what they call diehards that are not willing to support the restoration of ties,
or the lifting of the U.S. embargo until there is a change in the Castro regime, I mean, while there is a Castro in power, they feel, until Cubans
can have democratic elections, that it's not time for that type of normalization of relations.
But what President Obama had said in rolling out this historic sea change in U.S. policy is the embargo is not working. And basically it's
time to try and change Cuban behavior from within instead of standing at the sidelines and hoping the embargo is not working because certainly Cuba
has relations with Europe, with Canada, with so many other countries that the U.S. has no influence.
And I do think that even though there are some -- several members of congress and you see Marco Rubio, a presidential candidate for 2016, a
Cuban-American himself adamantly opposed several high, very influential lawmakers also oppose. I do think you're seeing more of a general
consensus that is could be time to lift the embargo because it will not only help change the Cuban behavior from within, but also will help with
American businesses.
PLEITGEN: Elise Labott, thank you very much for your analysis on this very historic day. And you are witnessing it live here on CNN.
All right, we want to get to that attack that happened in Turkey. It's left at least 28 people dead and more than 100 injured. A provisional
governor says it was a suicide bombing. The explosion happened in Suruc near northern Syria, near the border with northern Syria.
The town of Kobani, which was of course the scene of fierce clashes between ISIS and Kurdish fighters this year is just across the border.
Now, the explosive detonated around midday in a local park where people had gathered to rally for funds to help to rebuild Kobani. An
official told CNN Turkey's government believes the attack was retaliation for its fight against terrorism.
All right, and still to come here tonight, the British prime minister's five year plan. David Cameron lays out his strategy to break
the attraction to ISIS for hundreds of British Muslims.
Plus, FIFA's top brass gathers in Zurich to try and figure out a way to make sure corruption scandals never hit again. We'll take you live to
FIFA headquarters.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:16:00] DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: For all our success as a multi-racial, multi-faith democracy, we have to confront a tragic
truth that there are people born and raised in this country who don't really identify with Britain and who feel little or no attachment to other
people here.
Indeed, there is a danger in some of our communities that you can go your whole life and have little to do with people from other faiths and
backgrounds.
So when groups like ISIL seek to rally our young people to their poisonous cause, it can offer them a sense of belonging that they can lack
here at home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Welcome back to Connect the World. I'm Fred Pleitgen sitting in for Becky Anderson.
Of course, the man you just heard there was British Prime Minister David Cameron. He's been laying out his plan to fight extremist ideologies
and their hold on some British Muslims. Atika Shubert was listening to his speech and she joins me live.
Atika, what did the prime minister have to say?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you point out, this is sort of the big plan to counter that extremist narrative both
online where it's so prevalent, but also in communities. And he had some very harsh words to any young Britain who is thinking of going to travel
overseas to join groups like ISIS. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMERON: Here is my message to any young person here in Britain thinking of going out there. You won't be some valued member of a
movement, you are cannon fodder for them. They will use you. If you are a boy, they will brainwash you, strap bombs to your body and blow you up. If
you are girl, they will enslave and abuse you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHUBERT: Now they key, of course, here is convincing young British Muslims not to go, but also in the words of Cameron countering now only
violent extremism, but non-violent extremism. What he means by that is the sort of culture of intolerance, as he describes it, that exists here in
Britain. And he specifically singled out, for example, preachers of hate that perhaps operate within the boundaries of British law, but are still
campaigning against British democracy, and as he sees it British values.
But the danger here is that he treads a very find line of alienating many British Muslims who already feel like they're being targeted by
British security services on the one hand, even as they're trying to distance themselves from extremist violent groups like ISIS.
So, it's a very difficult line for him to balance, but clearly he's laid out the plan for the next five years, Fred.
PLEITGEN: Atika Shubert, thanks very much here in London.
And here to break down the finer points of Cameron's speech is Haras Rafiq. He is the managing director of the Quillium Foundation, itself a
counterterrorism thinktank. Sir, thank you very much for coming on the program.
And it seems almost odd, doesn't it. You're trying to combat the attraction of a nimble organization like ISIS that's very well versed in
social media with a five year plan. How can that work?
HARAS RAFIQ, QUILLIUM FOUNDATION: I think one of the things that the prime minister is actually trying to lay down is the fact that over the
last five or six years we actually haven't had a government strategy or a plan on how they're actually going to prevent people from becoming
radicalized in the first place.
This counter extremism strategy is not about deradicalization, it's about building resilience amongst our youngsters, amongst our young girls,
amongst our young boys, so that when ISIL, and other groups, because let's not forget ISIL isn't the only group, al Qaeda, Boko Haram, al Shabaab and
a whole range of other Islamist organizations as well.
When these people try to indoctrinate them, they've got the ability to push back. And that's the key.
PLEITGEN: How? How can that work? Because it seems -- as you said, it seems as though for five years there hasn't been a strategy. How have
they come up with it now, and how do you want to do that?
RAFIQ: Well, they had a strategy before. If you look at from 2005 until 2010 there was a preventing violent extremism strategy...
PLEITGEN: But still, a lot of British Muslims have gone to Syria, have gone to other...
RAFIQ: It's because we haven't been doing the primary prevention work. Simply all the government has been doing is looking at this whole
problem through legislation and looking at people once they'd been identified as supporting groups like ISIL.
What they haven't been doing is challenging the concept and the narrative of the utopian Islamist caliphate, challenging charismatic
recruiters. When they actually sell disenfranchised youngsters.
PLEITGEN: How do you challenge that, though? Because I mean, you know this has a very sophisticated media wing. As you said, they celebrate
death. They celebrate killing. And at the same time they still have this attraction on people.
RAFIQ: Well, we -- the Quilliam Foundation is an organization that used to be people who used to be former extremist and some former
jihadists. One of our presidents used to be one of Osama bin Laden's lieutenants in Libya at one time before he disavowed the whole ideology and
theology.
If you want to actually take apart their ideology, you need to first of all take down the intellectual, the ideological, the emotional, social
and spiritual aspects of the conditions and the arguments that they use. That's the one thing.
The second part of that is you actually have to promote what we believe in. We have to build a sense of belonging, as we used to do when I
was younger growing up in the UK. But we haven't done that second part. And we've allowed people to actually propagate their ideology without being
challenged.
But the key thing here is it's not just a problem for British Muslims. If we purely look at this through the lens of British Muslims or European
Muslims or Western Muslims, what we tend to do then is polarize the debate.
Islamism as an ideology, as the prime minister said today, is nothing other than a totalitarian fascist ideology that's taking...
PLEITGEN: But how do you take the attraction away? Because it's -- what you're telling me is you need to appeal to their reason. You need to
tell them, this by all reasoning this is a bad thing. But at the same time what draws them there, in many cases, is emotions, isn't it? It's that
feeling of wanting to belong to something.
RAFIQ: That's one of the reasons. That's not the only reason. That's one of the aspects of the pull factors that charismatic recruiters
will use them.
The other thing that charismatic recruiters will do is focus on the intellectual and the ideological. Tell them that this is your family, this
is your home, British government doesn't want you, the state doesn't want you.
We need to make sure that British Muslims growing up in the UK and non-Muslims understand that the west is not at war with Islam, nor is it
vice versa. That's what we need to focus on.
How do we do it? Well, we do it in schools. We do it online. Just taking their websites offline as we've been doing in the past doesn't work.
Promote the positive values. Drown the internet, flood the internet with all the positive messages. Use satire, use emotion, use a whole range of
things that we have available to us. In the same way that we actually ridicule and say that racism and fascism, that's what we need to do with
Islamism.
PLEITGEN: Haras Rafiq, thank you very much for doing the show today.
RAFIQ: My pleasure.
PLEITGEN: And you can find in-depth articles, analysis and videos on our website, including the very latest on that terror attack on the Turkey-
Syria border this Monday. At least 28 people are confirmed dead. And officials say that death toll may rise.
All the details on CNN.com.
Live from London, this is Connect the World. And coming up, mourning a murderer, the family of the man who gunned down five people are dealing
with the distress of losing a relative and the shame of his actions. Your story coming up.
First, we'll go to Zurich for the latest on the FIFA election as football's governing body finally announces the date it'll pick a new
president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:25:03] PLEITGEN: Welcome back everybody. This is Connect the World. I'm Fred Pleitgen in for Becky Anderson today.
And a British prankster made a mockery of the embattled FIFA President Sepp Blatter earlier. This, the scene as he began to make his first
comments.
As you can see, Sepp Blatter was showered with fake money and FIFA is currently at the center of a number of corruption allegations of course.
For more, CNN's Amanda Davies is standing by outside FIFA's headquarters.
And Amanda, aside from that prank, which obviously caught everyone's attention, there was some pretty serious developments as well.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, absolutely, Fred. It seems, though, as much as world football's governing body tried to move
forward and draw a line in the sand, they keep being reminded of their past and the corruption allegations that continue to engulf them, don't they?
That caused a delay of about 25 minutes or so to Sepp Blatter's press conference.
But the two big developments that have come here from FIFA house today, from the extraordinary meeting of the executive committee that the
date has been set for the extraordinary congress, that is the date at which Sepp Blatter's successor will be appointed. That has been set not for
December as many people were suggesting earlier this morning. In fact, it has been set for February 26, 2016. That means that candidates need to put
forward their five nominations by October 26.
And the other big step that has been taken is that Domenico Scala, the head of the reform process here at FIFA, he presented his initial proposals
to the executive committee this afternoon. And it has transpired that his eight point reform plan has in principle been passed by the ExCo, they're
set to establish an 11 person reform task force which will be headed up by an independent personality, as they've put it. Their work will begin right
now. They will begin to put forward their proposals for reforming this organization which has been under fire from so many quarters in recent
times.
The key issues, we understand, are the issues surrounding the members of the executive committee, the talk of bringing in term limits, greater
integrity and eligibility checks and the big one that Sepp Blatter refused to be draw on today, the publication of salaries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEPP BLATTER, FIFA PRESIDENT: The executive committee has decided today that the electoral process will start today. So, I wish all the
candidates best success and also to Michel Platini.
I will not be a candidate for the election in 2016. I have put my mandate at disposal. And now there will be new elections for a new
president. I insisted on that. It's not only for a president, for a new president. I cannot be the new president, because I'm an old president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIES: Nothing would surprise you when it comes to Sepp Blatter, but he did reiterate he will not be standing again for the presidency.
The man who has very strongly emerged as the favorite today, Fred, is the head of UEFA, European football's governing body Michel Platini. He is
understood to have received the support from four of the six regional confederations, the key one is that of Asia. They in the past have been
big Blatter supporters, not so supportive of representatives from Europe. They seem to have changed their tune.
But the UEFA President himself hasn't yet decided whether or not he's going to stand, but we understand that that decision will be taken within
the coming days.
PLEITGEN; It's very interesting developments there.
Amanda Davies, you'll be looking at them very carefully.
Also, of course, because Platini in many ways was an adversary of Sepp Blatter over the couple of months. Thank you very much, Amanda.
And the latest world news headlines just ahead. Plus, in the aftermath of a deadly U.S. shooting we look at how people are choosing to
remember those who were killed. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:31:54] PLEITGEN: Welcome back. This is Connect the World and these are your top stories this hour.
A suicide blast killed at least 28 people in southern Turkey. The explosion ripped through a gathering on rebuilding efforts for the nearby
Syrian city of Kobani, which of course was largely destroyed after fighting with ISIS there. Turkey's president says the attack shows the need for a
global effort to fight terrorism.
Cuban officials have raised their nation's flag over a newly reopened embassy in Washington, D.C. The U.S. is also reopening its embassy in
Havana. Both nations have agreed to reestablish diplomatic ties that were severed some 54 years ago.
And in Greece -- in Greece, banks are finally reopening there three weeks after they were shut to stem a rush of money out of the financial
system. Withdrawals will continue to be limited to 65 dollars per day. The move comes as talks are set to begin for a third Greek bailout.
As investigations continue in both the United States and Jordan, new details are now emerging about the gunman who killed five people in
Tennessee last week.
A source told CNN that Muhammad Abdulazeez had been abusing drugs, and his family revealed over the weekend that he suffered from depression.
Some of his writings have also been found where the -- where he expressed anti-U.S. opinions.
Meanwhile, mourners have been putting up makeshift memorials, placing U.S. flags into the ground as they remember the victims.
Abdulazeez's family has been struggling to come to terms with what he did as well, suffering shock, shame and of course humiliation. CNN's Nick
Paton Walsh has more on that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Where the Tennessee gunman's family began in the hills of the West Bank,
the men of this tiny village now scrutinize his end. Palestinians have seen decades of trauma. In the shade here, words of comfort.
A gathering because the death of Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez has left his father without a male heir and without honor.
(on camera): The emotions on display here have little to do with the loss of Abdulazeez. They are showing solidarity for his father who is
suffering the shame on the other side of the Atlantic. In some ways, this is a wake for that family's honor.
(voice-over): Most of the voices are stunned and angry at Mohammad, but one local, not a relative, speaks out.
"I think what he did is an angry reaction to the regime that is ruling America and the West in general. It's Muslim's enemy and it supports bad
regimes.
But this was a rare voice. His father's cousin wants Americans, grieving their loss, to know their horror here, too.
ASSAD ABDULAZEEZ, COUSIN OF GUNMAN'S FATHER: All the people who are talking with me are feeling very angry and very sad about this behavior.
All of them say, Youssuf was a good man. He...
PATON WALSH (on camera): It's OK.
[11:35:10] ABDULAZEEZ: Youssuf, as a man, must have a good son.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): This village has had martyrs fighting the Israelis whose posters adorned the streets but this won't happen to
Mohammad, we're told, as many here feel he had everything but blew it.
ABDULAZEEZ: He had higher education. He had passport. Can work. He can live where he want in all the world because of the USA passport. But this
choice -- all of us can't know why? Why he do that?
PATON WALSH: Mohammad came here once in 2005, age 15, for a week with his father to get his Palestinian I.D., we're told by his father's other
cousin.
"He looked like an American kid," he said, "didn't speak Arabic. If he played with other kids, it wasn't that casual, as he was really focused
here with his father to get his Palestinian I.D. They were here during the uprising and you could be worried for lots of reasons not just the Israeli
army on the street and people being shot but also being outside playing, the sort of friends you could make."
"Ten years later, the road to radicalization has changed so much," he says. "It's not religion but the technological revolution of the Internet
that's created this. Before people were looked over, but now a father cannot monitor what their son's doing on the Internet."
One visit at a formative age to a village that barely remembers the Tennessee gunman but now deals with the infamy and suffering his twisted
choice wrought upon his family, too.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: Let's turn now to the effort to implement and sell that historic deal with Iran on its nuclear program. This was the scene at the
UN security council a little earlier. You can see there, delegates representing all 15 countries of the security council raising their hands
in unanimous support of the new agreement.
There's a lot less enthusiasm of course in Israel where U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter is now trying to ease concerns expressed by his
country's very nervous ally.
We're going to get all perspectives on this. Our Erin McLaughlin joins us from Jerusalem. And CNN's Richard Roth is with us from the United
Nations.
Richard, let's go to you first. What was the scene like? And what's going to happen next? How quick are the sanctions going to go away?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, over the last 10 years I've watched those same hands in the air from different ambassadors putting
sanctions on Iran. Now it's the beginning of lifting many of those sanctions. Nothing is going to happen for 90 days. The UN security
council resolution just unanimously approved does call for then lifting of economic sanctions, banking sanctions, but regarding military hardware, it
will be five years for the arm's embargo to be lifted if Iran complies with IAEA inspections, and then eight years for ballistic missile technology.
Critics, of course, are having a field day saying that, well, after 10 years Iran can really start enriching those centrifuges for uranium
purposes.
Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador, praised the international unity on this deal, but also warned Iran, whose ambassador was in the room, that
it still has a lot of changing of its behavior to do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMANTHA POWER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UN: This nuclear deal doesn't change our profound concern about human rights violations committed by the
Iranian government, or about the instability Iran fuels beyond its nuclear program, from its support for terrorist proxies to its repeated threats
against Israel to its other destabilizing activities in the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Now, the Iranians, along with the other ambassadors there, the Iranians did praise the deal. It had already been agreed to. This
resolution endorses what was signed on to in Vienna.
However, the Iranian ambassador did return fire to the U.S. allegations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GHOLAMALI KHOSHROO, IRANIAN ABMASSADOR TO THE UN: It is ironic that the distinguished ambassador of the United States accuse my government of
destabilizing the region and terrorism. The country that invaded two countries in our region and created favorable grounds for the growth of
terrorism and extremism is not well placed to raise such accusations against my country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: And President Obama saying a few minutes ago that this resolution is a good stepping stone there towards making sure other
countries don't get nuclear power without international supervision -- Frederik.
[11:40:01] PLEITGEN: Thank you very much Richard Roth.
And we want to go over the Jerusalem now to Erin McLaughlin. And one of the things that Richard was talking about was Iran's threats against
Israel. And we've heard from Iran's supreme leader, those threats aren't going away any time soon.
What role did all of this play in the meeting between Ash Carter and the Israeli Secretary of Defense Moshe Ya'alon?
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORREPSONDENT: Well, it certainly played a big role, Fred.
Earlier today, Secretary Carter and his Israeli counterpart took a trip up north to the northern border with Lebanon to take a look
overlooking Hezbollah as well as Syria to assessing that situation.
Iran -- what U.S. officials characterizes Iran's destabilizing behavior and what to do about it. Very much a theme of this trip, also a
theme, an emerging theme of this trip is friendship, the friendship that exists between the United States and Israel as well as a personal
friendship that exists between Secretary Carter and Minister Ya'alon.
And it's a friendship that has by all accounts been tested in recent days in the wake of the Iran nuclear agreement. The disagreement on that
between the two countries, no secret.
And it was something that they both addressed in their press conference saying that the military cooperation that exists between the
United States and Israel will not be negatively impacted by any differences in terms of the Iran nuclear agreement.
I want you to take a listen to what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHTON CARTER, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Israel is a cornerstone of our strategy in the Middle East. And its security and qualitative military
edge are a top priority for America, for our military, and for me personally.
That's especially true when it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, which the deal reached in Vienna last week, which is a
good deal, is designed to do.
Friends can disagree about whether it will work. And we'll be watching Iran very closely to see.
MOSHE YA'ALON, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: Even the deepest divisions, and there are such differences of opinion between us, will not impact our
(inaudible) and solid relationship.
We greatly disagree when it comes to the agreement with Iran, and fear for the future in the aftermath of its signing. Yet, we discuss this issue
in a fully open manner, alongside many other issues of great importance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCLAUGHLIN: Ya'alon also said that Israel is in the process of carrying out an assessment of the impact the Iran nuclear deal, the lifting
of sanctions, could have on Iran as well as its proxies. He said that assessment is expected at the end of the year. There has been a lot of
talk about the United State potentially increasing military aid to Israel, something that Israeli officials have said they don't want to talk about
now. They said it's something they may want to talk about in the future. Right now, their focus they say over the next two months is on quashing the
deal at the congressional level -- Fred.
PLEITGEN: All right, Erin, still a lot of work to be done as we can see there. Thank you very much to Jerusalem. And also thank you very much
Richard Roth at the United Nations.
And as you know, CNN has made it one of our missions to help combat human trafficking. As part of our Freedom Project, we shine the light on
human trafficking and also efforts to eradicate it.
The U.S. reports that there are tens of thousands of human trafficking victims in America, that's right, and the majority of them are children.
Freedom Project partnered with actress Jada Pinkett Smith to expose this form of modern-day slavery in a documentary called Children for Sale: The
Fight to End Human Trafficking.
She discovers why Atlanta has become a kind of breeding ground for predators. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JADA PINKETT SMITH, ACTRESS: When my daughter was 11, she came to me and she said, mommy, did you know that there were girls that were being
sold for sex that are my age in this country? And I was like I think there's a mistake. That doesn't happen here.
After that, it was just -- I remember I was stuck to the computer for days. Story after story after story, and I couldn't believe that I didn't
know.
Dalia Racine knows. She's DeKalb County's assistant District Attorney. Would you say that there's a difference between prostitution and
trafficking?
[11:45:03] DALIA RACINE, DEKALB COUNTY ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Trafficking is the manufacturing of children for the sex trade. They're
just getting sold and passed on from one exploiter to the other. And a lot of times it's because they don't know another life after this.
SMITH: Those exploiters can come from anywhere.
Is there such a thing as trafficking occurring in airports?
RACINE: It is the world's busiest airport, which kind of lends to us then being one of the hubs is because that man can get on that computer
anonymously say I'm coming in to go have sex with this child. He'll fly in on a 3:00 flight, meet the child at 6:00 and be gone on the 8:00.
How are we to ever find them? How are we to ever know who they are?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Right in the middle of the United States. It's a very important documentary. And you can join us all this week for an in depth
look at this global problem. Be sure to watch the CNN Freedom Project documentary Children for Sale: The Fight to End Human Trafficking. That's
Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. here in London, 9:00 p.m. Central European Time. And of course only on CNN.
Now this is Connect the World. And coming up, we're live in South Africa to hear from this man after he fought off a shark using nothing but
his hands. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PLEITGEN: And welcome back to Connect the World.
Now here is the story that I'm sure that you've been talking about, probably just like everybody else that you know. And it's championship
surfer Mick Fanning who came face to face with a shark during a competition in South Africa. Let's bring in CNN's David McKenzie, he is live on the
beach where the attack happened.
David, you were able to speak to Mick Fanning. What did he have to say about how he got away from the shark. And how does he feel now?
[11:50:12] DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Fred, I think he said it was all instinct as he was in the finals of this pro
tournament here in Jeffries Bay in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
You know, Mick Fanning is a legend in the surfing world. He's one of the world's best. He was in the finals. And then this happened.
Right behind him, this giant fin emerged from the depths and he was attacked by what we believe is a great white shark.
Now, it's not a full-sized great white shark, we don't think. But it's still perhaps the size of a sedan. And certainly he said instinct
took over. He threw a few punches at the shark. And when we spoke to him earlier today, he was certainly still rattled and shaken by the experience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICK FANNING, SURFER: I felt myself getting dragged under by my leash. And then next thing I know I saw his fin and you know, I went on my
board and I guess it smacked me in the head.
I think I tried to punch it. And I like -- and then it started like dragging me under and dragging me by leash and yeah, I was like -- I don't
know what to do here.
You never know. You're just lucky, you just think whatever gods are out there or whatever just say thanks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: He swam away at first and then turned around and faced the shark. He said, well, he might as well go down fighting if he's going to
go down.
Amazingly, Fred, his mother was watching the tournament live from Australia as it all unfolded and she was terrified of course that she'd
lost her son. She said that she wanted to reach out in the TV and grab Mick and save him.
He's now on his way to Australia, or very shortly on his way to Australia. He's going to have a break, but then he says he's going to get
back on the waves and surf again, because that's what he lives for -- Fred.
PLEITGEN: David McKenzie, thank you very much there in South Africa.
And we want to hear from you, will all of this make you a little more cautious about dipping your toes into the water this summer? Let us know
your thoughts on the shark attack by going to our Facebook page, Facebook.com/CNNConnect. And you can also tweet me @fpleitgenCNN. And we
will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PLEITGEN: You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World. I'm Fred Pleitgen right here in London. Welcome back to the show. And today's
Parting Shot is more of a parting swing at history for two golfers competing in today's rain delayed final round of the Open Championship in
Scotland.
This year's Masters and U.S. Open winner Jordan Speith is trying to become the first player in 16 years to win the season's first three major
titles.
Let's cross over to our own Alex Thomas at St. Andrews for an update - - Alex.
ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: And Fred, Jordan Speith is showing incredible mental fortitude. He double bogeyed the eighth hole.
And it seemed his dream of three majors in a row was over. Not a bit of it, he's gone on to birdie the next two holes in a row to be right back in
the mix.
Six players within three strokes in the lead currently held by Australian Mark Leishman. Not a name many outside of the world of golf
would have heard of, and a terrific story, because this is a man just three months ago who was facing the death of his wife who was rushed to hospital
with toxic shock syndrome and given just a 5 percent chance of survival. They have two young boys, age one and age three. And Leishman admitted to
us after an amazing round of 64 on Sunday that he was going to quite golf if she had passed away. Thankfully she has survived and is making a
stunning -- and is making a good recovery. And although they can't be here with him this week in Scotland he's really hoping to lift that claret jug
and take it back home to Virginia Beach where they live in the United States.
And what an amazing fairy tale story that would be if it happens, Fred.
Plenty to go in the wind and the rain here at the home of golf.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:56:00] PLEITGEN: And of course we also have to talk about Paul Dunn. He shares the lead. Does he have a chance of winning?
THOMAS: He's slipped back now, Fred. But certainly the performance of the amateurs has been quite a talking point of this Open Championship.
Finishing on a Monday instead of the traditional Sunday for only the second time in its 155 year history, because of the elements. I think Paul Dunn,
the nerves finally got to the young 22 year old. He bogeyed the opening two holes. And although he has recovered his composure now looks unlikely
to win.
It's certainly a host of names that we've come used to seeing challenge for the major honors at the top of the leaderboard, Fred.
PLEITGEN: Alex Thomas there. Thank you very much for your coverage.
And I'm Fred Pleitgen, that was Connect the World. Thank you very much for watching. Have a good evening.
END
