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Afghan Forces Battle To Retake Kunduz; Russia, U.S. Offer Competing Visions For Fight Against ISIS: Former FIFA VP Jack Warner Banned for Life; New Delhi's Most Expensive Retail Location. Aired 11:00a-12:00p ET

Aired September 29, 2015 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:12] LYNDA KINKADE, HOST: Global gathering day two of the United Nations General Assembly is underway. We're live at the UN with the

latest on the speeches at the podium.

Also, the talks on the sidelines.

And coming up, also ahead, the five second (inaudible). Afghan security forces battle to retake the country's fifth largest cities after

it was captured by the Taliban. We'll look at what this means for the militant group's new leader and the state of the Afghan military.

Also...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We saw ISIS with our own eyes. How they were capturing people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: They narrowly escaped ISIS last year. And despite avoiding capture, the family remains deeply traumatized. We catch up with them one

year later to find out how they're coping

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

KINKADE: Hello, and welcome to Connect the World. I'm Lynda Kinkade. First, straight to New York where another day of speeches is underway at

the UN General Assembly. We'll be hearing from Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko within the next hour or so. He's expected to have strong words

for Russia, which annexed Crimea last year, and has also accused of sending troops to help separatists in Eastern Ukraine.

A short time ago, U.S. President Barack Obama sat down with Cuban President Raul Castro. It was their first meeting since diplomatic ties

were formally reinstated this summer.

And one day after his talks with Vladimir Putin, Mr. Obama is hearing from member states about how their fight against ISIS is going. The

Russian President used his speech on Monday to put forward his views on how to stop the spread of ISIS, calling for UN-backed coalition. Russia, a

staunch supporter of the Syrian government is arguing against regime change.

Let's cross over to Robyn Curnow now for the latest from the UN General Assembly, and Robyn, you've had a very busy morning, but a lot of

the talks are centered on that icy exchange between President Obama and President Putin.

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. It was quite a stare, wasn't it? So much happening, as you said, and also as

we've heard, really events on the sidelines of this General Assembly today, are commanding as much attention as many of the speeches, in fact.

And of course we heard from world leaders on Monday is still being put under the microscope. People are still trying to digest what was said and

in what context and the tone of what was said.

So, let's talk about all of this. Our CNN White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski is with me. And our global affairs correspondent Elise

Labott is here.

OK, so, we've been talking behind the scenes. It's great having you guys here.

Let's first of all talk about Raul Castro and Barack Obama. We saw the pictures there.

Any sense from your sources what they said?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not yet. We expect a read out, but we know that this -- we're not expecting a big announcement, we're

expecting more of let's talk about what more we can do moving forward, kind of slowly opening things. But no big breakthroughs, because the White

House still sees this as pretty early days. And they still point to the fact that there are big differences on both sides, you know, Cuba making

its demands, this and that, reparations, giving back Guantanamo Bay, which the U.S. has no intention of doing.

So, they say, you know, if human rights is still an issue, let's move forward, work together, but we're not expecting big news to come out of

that meeting. The meeting itself is the news.

CURNOW: Exactly and the symbolism of it. But I mean for the State Department, at least for President Obama, this Cuba relationship is really

seen as a feather in his cap, isn't it?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, definitely. And it's just the first step. And the White House just announced that Penny Pritzker, the

commerce secretary, will be traveling to Cuba. So, clearly American businesses are getting on the ground there, getting ready to try and do

business. But the main thing that's holding it up -- and you heard President Castro talk about this yesterday, was that embargo.

Now, President Obama has said that he really wants to get that embargo lifted. Secretary Kerry thinks it could happen, you know, in short order.

But in order for the relationship to really be normalized, that embargo has to be lifted.

CURNOW: And that's really up to congress.

Let's talk, then, also about this ISIS meeting. It's not really a meeting. People aren't rolling up their sleeves and banging heads. It's

really a whole lot of speeches, isn't it? But still a lot of the hard work has already been done.

Tell us what you think might come out of this, if anything?

KOSINSKI: Right, I mean, there are meetings leading up to this. We'll wait and see if there are additional contributions, but the goal of

this, according to the White House, is to build on what President Obama got together last year.

Having all of these nations unanimously agree to do a number of things to try to stop the flow of foreign fighters.

We all know now, a year later, that it's just not working. The White House, of course, is aware of this. They like to point to the progress

that has been made, and they say that there is a lot of information sharing, much more than there has been. But they agree, it's not going as

planned.

So what they want to do is try to further implement the ideas that they've already ironed out, maybe go a step further, and try to go deeper,

try it again at the ideology as well as the physical flow, which just isn't stopping, and in fact the numbers have doubled according to some estimates

over a year ago.

LABOTT: You know, you heard over the last year this talk about five lines of effort. It's not just about on the battlefield, it's about

stopping the flow of fighters, a Michelle said, it's about stopping the finances, freezing the finances because ISIS through the sale of oil and

smuggling is -- that's how it's funding its campaign on the ground.

And so it's also about the ideology, as Michelle said. But getting these recruits before they are radicalized. So that's in the schools,

that's in the mosques, making sure getting online and making sure they're countering some of this extremism, making sure that these people that are

vulnerable are not leaving and going and joining ISIS, because you see some of the people that are joining are not from under privileged families, they

live pretty normal lives. Some of them are students. And so in order to dry up ISIS you have to stop at the source, and that's the recruits.

[08:06:28] KOSINSKI: Yeah, I think it just highlights how difficult and how frustrating it is. I mean, last year we saw progress and everybody

getting together and actually doing -- you know, agreeing to do a number of things. And, you know, let's get at it. And then a year later we see it's

really not working.

CURNOW: With that in mind, the context of President Putin and his comments, there really is a sense -- or at least Putin is milking this --

that, you know, the U.S. efforts have failed, that you know, this has really been a total misstep, and also diplomatically yesterday essentially

stealing President Obama's thunder on this issue.

How is this playing out?

LABOTT: Well, you start -- look, the U.S. is basically ceding the ground to Russia. I mean, U.S. officials saying, no, there is a plan. But

Russian moves on the ground -- and they're saying this is because the U.S. strategy has failed, Russian military buildup in Syria is really creating

facts on the ground that the U.S. has no choice but to join in.

And so I think that there really is an effort now to get everybody on the same page towards the same aim. You know, certainly the tactical

issues remain about how long a managed transition in Syria would be. But I mean, I think getting rid of ISIS, stopping the conflict on the ground, is

a goal that they can all get around.

But certainly, Russians have the momentum. And I think even those President Obama would never say this, they are in effect letting the

Russians lead on this right now.

CURNOW: Well, what's the sense from the White House, then? Does President Obama feel like, Mr. Putin stole his thunder yesterday.

KOSINSKI: I mean, the White House isn't going to say that. And, no, we're not really hearing that behind the scenes.

This was expected, to some extent. I mean, a portion of this -- and announcements of information sharing and all of that took them by surprise

a bit, even though some of that information sharing between Russia, Iran, Syria, Iraq, it's been going on to some extent.

But here's Putin coming in and saying this isn't working. I can do it better. I'll have my own coalition. We can get this done. And that's

what he wants to portray.

But, you know, I think others see that as a lot of posturing, took, like OK. Well, we have the same goal at the very least, even though the

approaches and how you see the whole thing could not be more different. Let's see how it works.

LABOTT: Well, what he said, in effect on the world stage is, you need me. The Americans have failed. This refugee crisis is bleeding into

Europe. We're all scared of ISIS. You need me. And it's hard for the Americans to say at this point, no we don't.

CURNOW: Indeed. And it's playing perfectly in to the way Putin wants to projects himself at home, and of course internationally.

Thank you so much, both of you.

Michelle Kosinski and Elise Labott.

Well, back to you, Lynda. There are a number of events we're keeping our eye on. And so do come back to us. We'll let you know if there are

any updates on that ISIS meeting. In the meantime, I'm going to let you continue with more news.

KINKADE: OK. Robyn Curnow outside the UN headquarters, thank you very much. I'll talk to you soon.

Well, elsewhere today the war in Afghanistan is escalating as the government battles for control of a strategic city. Kunduz in the north

was largely overtaken by Taliban militants on Monday after several days of fierce clashes. The fight was the first time since 2001 that the Afghan

Taliban has managed to take control of a major city. The Afghan government claims it now has recaptured parts of that city, killing 83 insurgents.

U.S. forces supported the operation from the air, launching an airstrike in militant targets. Kunduz is the fifth most populated city in

Afghanistan, something President Ashraf Ghani says is hindering their efforts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[11:10:07] ASHRAF GHANI, PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN (through translator): The problem is that the treacherous enemy is using civilians

as human shields. The Afghan government is a responsible government, so it cannot carry out airstrikes against its own people in the middle of a city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: This is being hailed as the Taliban's biggest victory 14 years after its government was overthrown in the U.S.-led invasion.

CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson reports on why Kunduz matters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's no doubt that this is an important victory for Mullah Mansoor, the leader of the Taliban.

Whether or not they can hold on to the town over the long-term, this really that the Taliban has strength and depth, that it hasn't been able to show

in over a decade now. So just taking over as leader, that's good for him in the east of the country. ISIS is sort of trying to nip away at

territory, Taliban territory there.

But the real question has to be how was this able to happen? The Taliban had been growing and getting bases north of Kunduz town in the

province of Kunduz, since earlier this year. It is a strategically important town, it sits on a highway linking the country to Tajikistan. It

is an important economic area. Agriculture does well in Kunduz.

So, how did the government, seeing that the Taliban were getting stronger there, the government having more army, more policemen, better

weapons ostensibly in Kunduz than the Taliban, how were they not able to stop the Taliban taking over?

Typically, what we've seen in the past, when the Taliban have been able to come into a town, take it this quickly, it generally means that

they got support in the town, that there are people that are dissatisfied with the government and possibly even to the point of believing that the

senior army officers can't lead them, or are ineffective. So the government really has a double battle on its hands here, not just to retake

the town, not just to sort of regain the narrative from Mullah Mansoor, the new Taliban leader, but also to win back over the support of the people in

the town who may have drifted away from supporting the government.

So, for Mullah Mansoor, this is an important victory. We don't know yet how long he'll be able to hold on to the town, but significant in the

short-term at least. It really puts him on the map at the beginning of his leadership of the Taliban.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Saudi Arabia is denying involvement in a bombing that killed more than 130 people at a wedding party in Yemen. These pictures are the

first we've received from the scene. Witnesses say airstrikes tore through wedding tents yesterday near the port city of Moqqa (ph). Witnesses say

many women and children are among the dead.

Saudi Arabia says it's coalition against Houthi rebels have not launched any strikes in that area for days.

Still to come, according to the New York Times, a new U.S. government report says the number of foreign fighters flocking to Syria and Iraq has

doubled in the last year. We ask why efforts to close borders and stem the flow are failing.

Also ahead, one year ago, this Iraqi teenager saw the terror of ISIS firsthand. We'll show you where she is now and how she has only begun to

recover from what's happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:15:43] KINKADE: Well, arriving home for a solemn occasion, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is back in Tehran after a brief trip to the United

Nations general assembly.

The country is mourning the loss of at least 227 Iranians who died in a stampede during the Hajj near Mecca last week. Iran has accused Saudi

Arabia of mismanagement and lack safety at the annual Islamic pilgrimage. Funerals are set to start on Wednesday.

You're watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Welcome back.

We're going to return now to a story we brought you just before the break, Kunduz in Northern Afghanistan was largely overtaken by Taliban

militants on Monday after several days of fierce clashes. The fight was the first time since 2001 that the Afghan Taliban has managed to take

control of a major city.

Now, for the very latest from Afghanistan, we're joined by journalist Sune Engel Rasmussen who is in the capital of Kabul.

Sune, just give us a sense of the battle right now. Is the momentum shifting towards the government forces?

SUNE ENGEL RASMUSSEN, JOURNALIST: Unfortunately, it looks like there's a bit of a stalemate in Kunduz at the moment. Earlier today around

noon, security officials said that they had taken control of the police headquarters and retaken their prison from where the Taliban yesterday

released over 600 prisoners.

But since then, we haven't heard much news. And it seems like there's a lot of fighting around the airport, which the Taliban is pushing towards.

And from civilians inside Kunduz, it seems like the Taliban are still walking the streets, strolling around the city as if it were their home

some people describe it.

So, it seems like it might be a bit longer of a battle for Kunduz than some people might have anticipated.

KINKADE: What does this all suggest about the strength of the Taliban given this is the first time they've seized a major city since 2001?

RASMUSSEN: Well, it definitely shows that the Taliban are still able to make insecure very vital areas of Afghanistan. I'd be surprised if they

manage to hold on to Kunduz for very long. They've previously this year taken district centers around the country and have not been able to hold

those.

But this is also a sign of the lack of military capability of the Afghan army and the loss of international forces. Most of them pulled out

last year as most of your viewers would know.

So, I think this is not a sign that the Taliban is about to storm Kabul, but it is a sign that there's still a war going on in Afghanistan

and the insurgents are definitely able to make life difficult for the Afghan government

KINKADE: And so what do the Afghan people make of all of this?

RASMUSSEN: Well, the Afghan people, depends on who you ask, of course. But I think here in Kabul a lot of people are worried and there

was actually a gather of people up in the northern part of the capital, people who said they would volunteer to go fight the Taliban.

Inside Kunduz, again reports that the Taliban are running sort a hearts and minds campaign where they're trying not to hurt too many

civilians, they're trying to tell people that they're only after government officials and things of that order.

But in general the average Afghan is worried about these losses, and very worried that the insecurity keeps deteriorating. Now, it's been two

years where the security has been deteriorating steadily.

So, the average Afghan is worried and would like to see the government forces launch a more efficient counter offensive against the insurgents.

KINKADE: Yeah, we can only hope. Thank you very much for that update, Sune Engel Rasmussen. We hope to talk to you again very soon.

Now to a disturbing report on ISIS and foreign fighters that's being released this hour by a U.S. congressional task force. It found that

nearly 30,000 foreign recruits have poured in to Syria and Iraq since 2011, many to join ISIS. 15,000 of them have made the trip in the last year

alone, an astonishing doubling of numbers that coincides with the ramped up coalition air campaign and pressure on Turkey to close the border.

Included in those figures are more than 150 Americans who manage to enter Syria last year.

So, what's behind this surge? Let's bring in CNN's Pamela Brown who is in Washington for us. Pamela, despite the U.S. airstrike campaign and

the fact that thousands of ISIS fighters have reportedly been killed, it seems they can't keep up with this huge influx of foreign fighters.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. This report makes that point clear, Lynda. It says that this is largest convergence of

jihadists in history. And even though 10,000 foreign fighters are believed to have been killed in military strikes, there are still nearly 30,000

foreign fighters overseas with terrorists. And the big problem is that new foreign fighters replace the ones that died almost as quickly as they were

killed.

So, that of course highlights this problem of preventing westerners from traveling to Syria. And right here in the U.S., despite stepped up

efforts, of the 250 plus Americans who have joined or tried to join extremists in Syria and Iraq, this report says the majority, more than 85

percent, still managed to evade law enforcement and several dozen have managed to make it back into the U.S.

Of course, many of these people were operating under the radar, and so that is a huge concern for law enforcement, Lynda.

[11:21:15] KINKADE: A huge concern.

And as this war plays out in Syria, we've seen all these refugees flood into Europe and reports ISIS may be planning attacks there.

Will that spur on more action in support from that region of the world? Will we see European countries join the fight against ISIS?

BROWN: That is certainly the hope that those efforts will be stepped up.

There is some data sharing from European countries, but reading through this report it talks about the gaping security weaknesses. And it

points out that many European countries don't even check, do basic counterterrorism checks. Also, many of these countries don't share the

same amount of information about people and their country they may be concerned about due to privacy concerns.

So, as a result people like the alleged ISIS sympathizer you may recall who recently attempted to open fire on train from Amsterdam to

Paris, he was able to travel from Berlin to Turkey on a plane, then return back to Europe and attempt to launch an attack on that plane without being

stopped even though he was known to intelligence officials in Europe.

And furthermore, his name was never shared with U.S. law enforcement, so he could have boarded a plane to the U.S. to launch an attack here.

That really highlights the problem.

KINKADE: And clearly more has to be done about intelligence sharing between these countries to stop that from happening.

Pamela Brown in Washington, thank you very much for that update.

And you can find our in depth coverage on Syria and Iraq and the threat of ISIS at CNN.com. Our latest reporting includes the recent

revelation that U.S.-trained rebels surrendered equipment to al Qaeda in Syria. There's a lot more on this complex war on our website.

Live from CNN Center, this is Connect the World. Coming up, the first face to face meeting between the President of Russia and the United States

in two years. We'll see if they were able to find any common ground.

And also ahead, find out where the most expensive property in India is. You may be surprised. That story just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[11:25:29] JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: New Delhi, the ancient vibrant capital of India, home to more than 16 million people

growth here has exploded in the last decade and with it consumer spending. As a result, demand for more shopping space is high, but most locals still

favor streetside shops and century old bazaars like these.

At first glance, this area looks like your average New Delhi street market with broken pavements, stray dogs and loose electricity wires. But

this dusty, dirty bazaar is actually the most expensive retail location in all of India and one of the most expensive in the world.

Welcome to Khan Market, where the average rent is more than $200 per square meter a month, that's well more than the average India's monthly

salary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is as recent as 10 to 15 years, I would say, when the market started evolving from being a neighborhood small retail

place to brands started coming in, people realized that all of sudden there are high end restaurants and entertainment places.

This is when the Khan market started coming in.

DEFTERIOS: The district originally emerged as a shopping neighborhood for Pakistani refugees since the late 1940s. But what used to be a market

with grocers and cloth merchants now has many of the trappings of western malls: spas, luxury boutiques and high end restaurants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, if any luxury brand, which wants to come to India or to New Delhi, they want to be here, because it gives them the

highest end of the market. It gives them exposure to the high net worth individuals or the high end of the market, which they want.

DEFTERIOS: For Delhiites to buy or sell here is now a status symbol.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (inaudible) rich people who have money. They want to be seen in Khan Market. (inaudible) came anybody who wants to be in

India wants to be in Khan Market whether they're making money or losing money

DEFTERIOS: Khan market has another key advantage. It is close to India's political elite.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since Khan Market is the closest market to the parliament and member parliament, residents of (inaudible) parliament,

bureaucrats, embassies, this market is frequented by all these VIP people of India.

DEFTERIOS: It may be posh, but it's poorly maintained. Open sewers are a common site. Parking is chaotic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we look at the environment around, it's not that great, but the fact is the choices are very limited. And it's just

now the place to be.

DEFTERIOS: Affluent Delhiites still flock to Khan market with 10,000 shoppers coming here every day. And as India gets richer and fuller, this

football (ph) looks set to grow.

John Defterios, One Square Meter, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:31:16] KINKADE: Hello, this is Connect the World with me Lynda Kinkade. And these are the top stories this hour.

Afghan security forces are battling the Taliban to retake control of the strategic city of Kunduz. Police say 83 insurgents have been killed.

U.S. forces also join the military action, launching an airstrike in the city.

U.S. President Barack Obama has met with Cuban President Raul Castro in the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It's the first face-to-face

meeting between the two leaders since diplomatic ties were formally reinstated this past summer. There are a number of big speeches on this

second day of the assembly, including the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. He'll be taking to the podium within the next hour or so.

Also on the fringes of that General Assembly, Mr. Obama is chairing a summit on terrorism. This comes as the new U.S. government report says the

number of foreign fighters entering Syria and Iraq has doubled in the last year to nearly 30,000.

This is despite coalition airstrikes and pressure on Turkey to secure the border with Syria.

Let's get the very latest now from the UN General Assembly. We're joined again by Robyn Curnow.

And Robyn, it seems there's a lot of focus on President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin.

CURNOW: Absolutely, Lynda. The U.S. and Russia working, or not working, to build on that highly publicized meeting between the two

presidents. The body language said it all, didn't it? Tensions clearly apparent as the leaders shook hands and sort of got straight to business

yesterday with their conflicting visions of how to deal with the Syrian crisis. Their 90 minute talks focused heavily on the Syrian civil war,

also on Ukraine, though, we understand.

Both Presidents, though, agreeing that ISIS must be defeated, but strongly disagreeing on the political future of President Bashar al-Assad.

Well, for more on this, let's bring in our senior international correspondent Matthew Chance. He's following the story from Moscow.

Hi, there, Matthew.

We've just heard President Obama again reiterated here at the United Nations that President Assad has to go. But at the same time he says he's

willing to work with Russia and Iran. How is that going to play out?

CHANCE: Well, I think he also said yesterday that the change in leadership in Russia -- and I'm kind of paraphrasing him here -- not in

Russia, sorry, in Syria, must be part of a -- sort of a process. And so that opened a sort of ray of hope, to mix my metaphors slightly, that there

was some room on the part of Washington to negotiate with the Russians on that key sticking point, the issue of the future of Bashar al-Assad.

Washington and its allies determined that he won't have a role in any kind of post-conflict scenario as leader in Syria.

The Russians, to the contrary believe he is the one man who can stop the spread of Islamic State and the other fundamentalist groups.

You know, Russia has some very solid interests in keeping Assad in power in Syria. Its own security, of course. The Islamist State issue,

the spread of Islamism it's something it's really genuinely concerned about, but also it's got that military base at Tartus, the naval port on

the Mediterranean, its only one on that sea.

It wants to make sure that's kept intact and possibly expanded.

It also has economic interests, of course, to the tune of billions of dollars in Syria. It wants to protect those as well, particularly at this

time of economic crisis. But, again, I think it would be a mistake to think that the Kremlin is married to this one individual in terms of the

leader of Syria. It wants to protect its interests, but I think there's a degree of flexibility as well on the part of the Kremlin that just as long

as that happens, President Assad can be transitioned out in a managed way.

[11:35:14] KINKADE: That said, and even those who perhaps begrudgingly don't appreciate President Putin's antics or theater, concede that he might

have a point. There was a comment from him yesterday here at the United Nations saying, you know, just look at the history of kicking strong men

out of the Middle East, Gadhafi or Saddam Hussein, for example, caused more insecurity, more instability afterwards.

CHANCE: Yes. And this is what Vladimir Putin does very well. He gives voice to some of the opposition, some of the concerns that many

people around the world feel when it comes to U.S. policy in particular.

And, you know, he cites the issue of Iraq, where there is chaos. The issue of Libya where there is also chaos. And he's made clear time and

again that the Kremlin does not want to see the same thing happen in Syria. And that's why he says he's taking this action, this bolstering of his

military support for the Syrian government to prevent the Libyan scenario taking place in Syria, because it would be unstable, because it would

potentially displace Russian influence in the Middle East in its last toehold that is Syria, something the Kremlin certainly wants to avoid.

CURNOW: OK. With that in mind, let's talk also about this conversation that's happening here around ISIS, around foreign fighters.

The implications of the breakdown in Syria, this is a very, very strongly felt point by the Russians and is shared. I mean the issue of foreign

fighters.

What do you think President Putin is at least pushing on that front?

CHANCE: Well, I mean, again the concerns that Russia has when it comes to foreign fighters fighting in the ranks of ISIS are genuine. There

is something in the region of 2,000 Russian citizens, according to the latest figures given to us by the FSB, the Russian security service, the

successor to the KGB, fighting in the ranks of ISIS. Some of them are quite high level military commanders.

And so there are real concerns here in Russia that when the war is over in Syria, these individuals may come back and wreck havoc on the

streets of this country as well.

I mean, remember Russia is already fighting an Islamist war in its southern Republics, in Chechnya, particularly in Dagestan in those other

north Caucasian Republics. It's deeply concerned about the threat of Islamism in central Asia across its southern borders. So this is really

genuine. You know, Putin is not making this up when he says, you know, this is a fight that we have to engage in to protect ourselves as the

international community.

I mean, I suppose the suspicion, though, is that that's not the only item on his agenda. Is it just about that, as Vladimir Putin says, or is

it really about bolstering his influence on the international stage and you know cocking a snoop, as it were, to the United States as well. Possibly

both.

But it doesn't mean -- you know, they're not mutually exclusive.

CURNOW: Absolutely. Either way, President Putin really rebranding himself, or trying to rebrand himself as the sort of statesman coming in to

sort things out and clearly playing well on the domestic stage.

Matthew Chance in Moscow. As always, thanks so much.

Well, of course we're at the United Nations. We're not going anywhere. And we will fill you in on any more developments, any other

conversations that we think you need to know about as the day progresses, but for now I'm going to hand you back to Lynda.

KINKADE: Robyn Curnow outside the United Nations.

Just stay with us a moment. We understand President Obama is just talking -- chairing this summit, rather, at the UN on fighting ISIS and

countering violent extremism. He spoke a short time ago. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They've shown themselves to be resilient and they are very effective through social media

and have been able to attract adherents not just from the areas in which they operate, but in many of our own countries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Robyn, this is obviously a huge and complex task for the various world leaders, not just in terms of border control, but also

intelligence sharing when it comes to trying to attract suspects before they get to Iraq and Syria.

CURNOW: Indeed, and I think what is really clear about this conversation that is being had here at the UN, and of course conversations

that are being had across the world as ISIS grew in popularity and brutality, is that there's no one solution to this issue and there's also a

very multi-faceted problem from the rise of radicalism to the movement of foreign fighters to, you know, the use of social media to really fuel this

conflict and recruit people. And then of course there's the political and military responses.

So, either way President Obama and all the other world leaders who are meeting here today, everybody has an opinion on how to deal with it. Some

differ on the execution of all this, but everybody agrees that the rise of ISIS is no good for anybody, it's just what to be done. What is to be

done.

And what is clear, I think, what there is agreement on is that what has been done so far has not worked. There's been a lot of missteps, a lot

of mistakes, I think. And I think people will concede that.

So, the question is, you know, whether a tougher stance is taken, whether it's just more of the same. And of course the details are all

being thrashed out behind closed doors. What we're hearing now, and probably seeing on our screens as you saw King Abdullah a little bit

earlier while I was talking is that there are basically just a number of statements that are being put forward at this ISIS summit. The real

details and the rolling up your sleeves, banging heads about details that's been sort of thrashed out behind closed doors. What we're seeing now is a

very formal UN type talk shop. But either way, you know, clear points are being made. And of course Barack Obama kicking it off saying his, you

know, bottom line is that Assad has got to go.

So, how that plays out, well, you know, we'll see.

KINKADE: We certainly will. And we'll come to talk to you soon. Robyn Curnow outside the United Nations. Thank you very much.

Among the talk about fighting ISIS, it's worth remembering that one religious minority in Iraq has been particularly brutalized. You may

remember last year ISIS militants overran Mount Sinjar and nearby towns, forcing hundreds of thousands of Yazidis to flee. Thousands more were

massacred by ISIS, others kidnapped and enslaved.

Germany is now offering refuge to hundreds of these former ISIS captives.

CNN, of course, witnessed firsthand the Yazidis desperate escape from Mount Sinjar, one image was especially heartbreaking. A teenage girl

crying as the Iraqi military rescued her and her family. Now they're living in a refugee camp in northern Iraq. How Ivan Watson caught up with

them to see how they're doing one year on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a rescue from hell. In the mad dash to climb aboard a flight to safety,

families scrambled to stay together. These desperate people spent nine days trapped on a barren mountain under siege from ISIS militants who chased

them from their homes.

(GUNFIRE)

WATSON: Amid the chaos and gunfire, terror frozen on the face of a girl in purple, 14-year-old Aziza Hamed.

More than a year later, we found Aziza and her family in this refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan.

(on camera): I'm looking forward to this. We're going to meet some old friends that we encountered in very dramatic circumstances more than a year

ago. And they're right up here.

Dunia, how are you?

WATSON (voice-over): Aziza and her older 18-year-old sister, Dunia, are here along with their elder brother, Thabet, his wife and three

children. Their situation now much better than the unfinished construction site where they lived for the first seven months after ISIS made them flee

their homes.

The girls tell me they go to school here and they say the camp has started to feel like home.

(on camera): Aziza, you've gotten a little taller than Dunia since I saw you last.

WATSON (voice-over): But it does not take long for terrible memories to resurface.

(on camera): What's making you sad right now?

"When I see you," Aziza says, "I remember what happened."

AZIZA HAMED, RESCUED FROM ISIS (through translation): We saw ISIS with our own eyes, how they were capturing people. If we drove down the wrong

road that day, we would have ended up in ISIS hands, but we took a different road and made it to the mountain.

WATSON (on camera): In the year since their narrow escape, their father's health has deteriorated, and he can no longer walk. No one knows

what happened to two elder brothers, who were captured by ISIS last year and haven't been heard from since. And another brother, 23- year-old Karem,

smuggled himself to Europe on the migrant trail taken by so many other people fleeing the Middle East.

(on camera): Hey, Karem.

[08:45:09] KAREM HAMED, RESCUED FROM ISIS: Hello.

WATSON: Hey, how are you? Where are you?

HAMED: Deutscheland.

WATSON: Germany?

HAMED: Yeah.

WATSON (voice-over): I ask Karem if he misses Iraq.

HAMED (through translation): No, that's gone. Iraq is gone for me. I lost it. I want to build a new future for myself. There's no future in

Iraq.

WATSON (voice-over): That hopelessness, shared by so many people we talked to in refugee camps in northern Iraq, where people like Aziza and

Dunia's older brother, Thabet, still struggle to deal with the trauma they endured.

"I just want to start a new life," he says, "And I want my family to stay safe and to stay together."

One of the few times 15-year-old Aziza really smiles is when I ask her what she'd like to do to the men from ISIS who attacked her family.

"I would stomp on their heads and kill them," she says.

This girl may have escaped to live another day, but her innocence has been forever lost.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Dahak, Iraqi Kurdistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: And this incredible story doesn't stop there, it continues online along with a look at what the Yazidis as a whole are going through.

Head to our website where you'll find much more detail on their plight. Ivan Watson traces the agony of the Yazidis as they try to put their lives

back together after fleeing ISIS. That's at CNN.com. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: You're watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Welcome back.

Well, Trevor Noah is the new host of the Daily Show and he made his debut last night. He is the new face for more Americans and he's a

household name in his home country.

CNN's David McKenzie retraces the path Noah took from Soweto in South Africa to one of the biggest stages on U.S. television.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Perhaps the relaunch of the year into the hot seat of The Daily Show. South African comedian

Trevor Noah, replacing Jon Stewart after 16 seasons. The (inaudible) is most unknown in America.

And you can see here, he looks like a naughty boy.

NOMALIZO FRANCES NOAH, GRANDMOTHER: He is naughty.

MCKENZIE: The not so, here in Soweto, where his grandmother still lives in the house where she raised Noah as a child.

N.F. NOAH: She wants way he is. There must be laughter not tears.

MCKENZIE: He was always her favorite.

Was he always making jokes?

N.F. NOAH: Always laughing, always laughing.

MCKENZIE: But she said it was tough for him, sleeping on the couch with his cousins, she had to hide him from authorities.

T. NOAH: I was born a crime...

MCKENZIE: Born to a white father and black mother, illegal during apartheid, Noah likes to say he was born a crime.

Some people are asked being how your comedian from here in South Africa could appeal to American Market. Well, Trevor Noah succeeded here in

South Africa, a deeply divided nation.

DONOVAN GOLIATH, COMEDIAN: Trevor was -- is possible still. For me, the hardest working comedian, person, I know.

MCKENZIE: Friends and competitors alike say Noah is a role model here. They say he grew from a vanilla comedian to an edgy crossover hit.

GOLIATH: People trust enough. And you wouldn't hear what he has to say. That's an obvious thing about being a communist. Gaining the trust

immediately, when you walk on stage people must listen to you.

T. NOAH: Welcome to the Daily Show.

MCKENZIE: Something Noah will have to do all over again if he wants to conquer the biggest of stages.

David McKenzie, CNN, Soweto, South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Live from the CNN Center, this is Connect the World. We'll be back after a very short break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back.

Well, he was once one of the world football's highest ranking officials, but he's now being banned from the game for life. Ex-FIFA Vice

President Jack Warner was given the punishment by his former employers. It follows corruption allegations as well as fraud charges linked to a U.S.

investigation.

This is as we await another decision by FIFA's ethics committee on their investigation into FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA boss Michael

Platini. They could be suspended after criminal proceedings opened against Blatter last Friday in which Platini is a witness. Both insist they've

done nothing wrong.

Our sports anchor, Don Riddell, is here with more on all of this.

Now, firstly, let's look at this ban for life. It is obvious serious in the world of football, but he faces much more serious issues, Jack

Warner.

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean, I think this is a case of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. I don't think Jack

Warner will be particularly worried about being banned for life. He resigned from FIFA several years ago.

Interestingly at that point they said that the presumption of innocence was maintained. So, they've obviously had a bit of time to think

about it. And they've now decided to ban him for life, but he was pretty much out of the game anyway. And he's got much bigger things to worry

about with the extradition proceedings hanging over him. The officials over in the United States want to get him over here to pursue their

investigation. And that's really what he's going to be worried about right now.

KINKADE: And looking at the FIFA president, Sepp Blatter all along it seems he's escaped quite a bit, but now he's facing some serious

accusations.

[11:55:07] RIDDELL: Well, that's right. I mean, this criminal investigation was officially opened into him on Friday. And he was

questioned by the Swiss attorney general's office.

It remains to be scene where that's going to go, but I mean he's the subject of two fairly serious allegations against him, criminal

mismanagement and/or misappropriation, also this disloyal payment to Michel Platini of some $2 million dollars and that is where it gets really

interesting right now, I think, because whatever happens to Blatter, he was on his way out world football anyway. He was due to step down in February

when they have the election to succeed him.

Michel Platini, who is the most powerful man in European football, was tipped by many as the favorite to succeed him. But he now has some very,

very serious questions to answer.

As you say, he was a witness, the other day. But the investigation could yet work its way around to him. He's already been implicated. And

this is where it gets really interesting, because this payment of two million dollars, this disloyal payment, as it's being put. He received it

in February of 2011, nine years after the work was done. It was only the next months where he pulled out of a campaign bid against Blatter and he

then urged his UEFA candidates and colleagues to support Blatter in May of that year.

So, the timeline doesn't look good for Michel Platini. We'll have to see how it works out.

KINKADE: The cleanup continues at FIFA, but very slowly.

Don Riddell, thank you very much.

And that does it for this edition of Connect the World. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks very much for joining us.

END