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Connect the World
Inside the USS Missouri; Russia Stages Concert in Palmyra; Donald Trump Last Republican Standing; Venezuela's Hospitals Struggle To Cope with Medicine Shortages. Aired 11:00a-12:00p ET
Aired May 05, 2016 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:13] ERROL BARNETT, HOST: Stepping down, Turkey's prime minister will not run again when his party holds a special congress later
this month.
Next, what this means for the country and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Also coming up...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDERIK PLETIGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They maintain a fleet of
strike aircraft and fighter jets showing that Russia is still very much capable of
playing a decisive role in the Syria conflict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: CNN gets an up close look at Russia's military might in Syria.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, 2016 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm even surprised by it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for U.S. president now turning his focus to picking a running mate and his
Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.
Hello there, and a very warm welcome to Connect the World. I'm Errol Barnett in today for Becky Anderson. It's great to have you with me.
Now at this moment, there is a political shakeup going on in Turkey and this means the country's prime minister is stepping down. Ahmet
Davutoglu announced that he wouldn't seek another term as his party's leader.
He says the ruling AK Party is entering a new era and it will choose a replacement later this month.
Our international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins us now from London to try to break down what's really happening here, Nic, because on
the surface, Prime Minister Davutoglu makes this seem as if there is no crisis in Turkey, but if we read between the lines, is this a sign of yet
more power for President Erdogan?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That certainly seems to be
what's happening. The leader of the opposition has called this a palace coup, certainly opponents of the president believe that he is essentially
sidelining the prime minister because constitutionally the prime minister has the powers in the country, the presidency is more of a sort of a
constitutional figure head type position.
The belief is that by the prime minister stepping down, Erdogan will be able to sort of hand select if you will the next leader of the AK Party,
his party, the leader of the party becomes the prime minister, so he will be able to sort of hand pick a replacement for Davutoglu.
Now, Davutoglu said look, the president and I are very, very close. I won't hear any criticism of us. You know, he's a friend. You know, we're
in the same family. Criticism of him is criticism of me, criticism of our family, yet at the same time, he also has some very intriguing lines in his
speech today, 40-minute speech by the way, it wasn't short, saying that, you know, for example, it's important to sort of travel the path with your
friends rather than knowing the destination that you're going to.
And he also said -- and that seemed to imply that where the president wanted to go to wasn't necessarily where he wants to go to, but better to
be a friend of the president and go with him where he's going. And he also said, you know, I've never negotiated or bargained for any political
position and I think that's another indication there that, perhaps, this hour and 40 minute meeting he had with the president yesterday he was put
in a position where potentially he might have needed to negotiate or compromise his position to continue as prime minister.
So, it very much is being read, the president, Erdogan, gets more power.
BARNETT: Do we have any indication of what the differing of opinions was over? Was it the economy and what now of the outgoing prime minister's
future?
ROBERTSON: His future seems to be one of quiet obscurity and loyalty to the -- political obscurity at least -- and loyalty to the party. That's
what is set up.
This has been so choreographed, part of that long speech that he gave, outlining that he was going to be stepping down essentially. He talked
about the continuity that had sort of come with his leadership as prime minister, the fact that there had been peace, the fact that the economy had
been doing well, all of these sorts of things. So, really he and the president appear to be scheming in a way to -- for us not to be able it to
read anything into the differences.
However, the prime minister is the one that has the constitutional powers in the country, the president is more of a figurehead position and
it is sort of understood by critics of Erdogan that he has tried to sort of push ahead, use more power, take more -- take more power that isn't
constitutionally there yet, and what the prime minister would rather see is that perhaps the president get those powers but through a constitutional
process. And that may be the nub of the difference between the two men.
[11:05:05] BARNETT: Yeah, you have some observers comparing this to Russia and the moves of President Putin with Dmitri Medvedev, not sure if
the Turks would appreciate such a comparison, but it certainly is there.
Nic Robertson live for us in London, just past 4:00 p.m. Nic, thanks.
Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail today with only a single target in his crosshairs: Hillary Clinton. Trump is now the lone U.S.
republican presidential candidate still standing, freeing him up to focus on his expected Democratic opponent.
But as Phil Mattingly reports, that's not his only big challenge ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm even surprised by it.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Donald Trump's elevation to presumptive nominee of the Republican Party happened suddenly, even for Donald Trump.
TRUMP: I thought that I would be going longer.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): His ascent now has conservatives scrambling, deciding whether to back a billionaire, unabashedly vocal about his disdain
for the party.
TRUMP: The Republicans' system is rigged but in a much more sophisticated way.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Both former Presidents Bush have made it clear they will not support Trump, according to close aides. Bush 41 is, quote
"retired from politics," and his son does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign.
In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer Trump is looking ahead in hitting his clearest target, the likely Democratic nominee, Hillary
Clinton, falsely accusing her of being the first to speculate on Obama's citizenship.
TRUMP: You know who started it?
Do you know who questioned his birth certificate, one of the first?
Hillary Clinton, she's the one that started it. She brought it up years before it was brought up by me. And, you know, so she can talk, look,
here's a person under investigation by the FBI. She's only going to get the nomination because it's a rigged deal and, frankly, maybe she won't even be
able to run.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): The new standard bearer of the Republican Party outlining some of his potential policies, taking a cue from Bernie
Sanders, when asked if he will raise the minimum wage.
TRUMP: I'm actually looking at that, because I'm very different from most Republicans. I mean, you have to have something you can live on. But
what I'm really looking to do is get people great jobs so they make much more money than that, so they make much money than -- more money than the
$15.
Now if you start playing around too much with the lower level, the lower-level number, you're not going to be competitive.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): And vowing to implement his ban of all Muslims from entering the U.S.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: You're sticking with this temporary ban?
TRUMP: Until we figure out what's going on. We have to be very tough; we have to be very vigilant, yes.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Trump now focused on potential running mates.
TRUMP: I'm starting to think about it very soon and we'll be vetting people.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): In a possible push to unify the GOP, name check previous rivals who have since supported him.
TRUMP: I'm going to set up a committee and I may put Ben Carson on the committee, I may put Chris Christie on the committee. I've had a good
relationship with John, I've gotten along with him well. But John will -- whether he's vice president or not, I think it will be very, very helpful
with Ohio.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): John Kasich has always said there is zero chance that he would be Trump's V.P. But his future is still left unknown.
GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), OHIO, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have always said that the Lord has a purpose for me, as He has for everyone. And as I
suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith that the Lord will show me the way forward.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: Now while Trump can focus solely on Clinton, she's still facing opposition on two fronts since her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders
is not going anywhere. In fact, Senator Sanders is on the campaign trail at this moment.
We are expecting him at any moment at rally in West Virginia. We'll show that to you when it takes place. But in an interesting twist, both
Clinton and Trump are now courting Sanders' supporters. If you weren't sure about how Sanders feels about Trump, just keep listening. CNN's Chris
Frates has the latest on the Democratic race starting with a Clinton takedown of Trump here on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLINTON: I think he is a loose cannon. And loose cannons tend to misfire.
FRATES (voice-over): Hillary Clinton says she's ready to take on Donald Trump in the general election, brushing off his "Crooked Hillary"
moniker and repeatedly calling him a loose cannon.
CLINTON: I've seen the presidency up close. From two different perspectives. I think I know what it takes. And I don't think we can take a
risk on a loose cannon like Donald Trump running the country.
You know, Donald Trump has said that it's OK for other countries to get nuclear weapons. I think that's just downright dangerous.
FRATES: But elsewhere, Clinton is treading more lightly, declining to say whether she agrees with this tweet from Senator Elizabeth Warren,
saying Trump, quote, "built his campaign on racism, sexism and xenophobia."
CLINTON: I think Elizabeth Warren is really smart.
COOPER: You agree with all that?
CLINTON: I think that anybody who's listened to him and how he's talked, certainly can draw that.
[11:10:07] COOPER: Do you think he's a racist?
CLINTON: I'm going to let people judge for themselves.
FRATES: Clinton also seems unfazed by Trump's more personal barbs.
COOPER: He's made references to your -- to your marriage, to your husband. Are you prepared?
CLINTON: He's not the first one, Anderson. This can't -- I can't say this often enough. He wants to go back to the playbook of the 1990s, if he
wants to follow in the footsteps of those who have tried to knock me down and take me out of the political arena, I'm more than happy to have him do
that.
COOPER: You're ready for that?
CLINTON: Oh, please. I mean, look, this is -- this is to me a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who -- who has knocked out of the way
all of the Republicans, because they were just dumbfounded.
FRATES: And fresh off his primary victory over Clinton, Bernie Sanders is also criticizing Trump's abrasive campaign tactics at his rally last
night.
SANDERS: I know that there is a lot of nervousness around this country that Donald Trump may become president. Ain't going to happen!
The American people will never elect a candidate who insults people every single day in incredibly ugly ways.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: Let's check some other stories on our radar right now.
Londoners are heading to the polls to vote for their new mayor. Candidates have been costing their votes across the capital. The new mayor
will replace Boris Johnson, who has held the job for the past eight years.
Now, we are getting reports of an ongoing security operation in the Mecca region of Saudi Arabia.
Reuters quoting Saudi state TV says forces are targeting alleged ISIS militants. Now this operation, we understand, is taking place in the wider
region not inside the holy city itself. That information is according to a spokesman for the interior ministry. We will of course keep watching this
closely.
Now there have been chaotic scenes in South Africa's parliament. Take a look at this, a brawl breaking out as President Jacob Zuma was due to
give an address on Wednesday. He was heckled by members of the economic Freedom Fighters Party before they were ejected.
Now, twin bombings have killed at least ten people and wounded dozens more east of the city of
Homs in central Syria. An opposition group says a suicide car bomb caused the first blast. Then a bike rigged with explosives blew up. The violence
erupted in the town -- in the center of the town about 32 kilometers east of Homs.
Meanwhile, a 48-hour cease-fire is under way in that battered city of Aleppo. This is north of Homs. Residents beginning to emerge from their
homes and fruits and vegetables markets are open again at least for now.
Despite the truce, though, Russian fighter jets continue to lift off from a staging ground on the
Mediterranean coast. Frederick Pleitgen reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Russia's air force still flying missions at a high pace. We saw more
than a dozen strike aircraft and fighters take off within only a few hours.
A top general says they're intensifying pressure on ISIS.
"Russian aviation was at work today in Raqqah," he says, "also in Central Syria and Deir ez-Zor. In total, Russian aviation carried out 87
sorties in the past four days."
While the Russian air force has withdrawn several aircraft in the past months, it's ramped up other assets, deploying advance MI-28 gunships that
have already seen combat action.
Despite Russia's announcement that it would withdraw most of its forces from here from Syria, they maintain a fleet of strike aircraft and
fighter jets, showing that Russia is still very much capable of playing a decisive role in the Syria conflict.
The Russians took us to what they say was the signing of a local reconciliation agreement near the town of Hama. Russian military brass say
they are working closely with the U.S. to also make a cease-fire in Aleppo work to finally halt the bloodshed there.
The general says so far cooperation with the U.S. has been positive.
"The coordination of our air operations is going well," he says.
"In the past month a national reconciliation, frank and professional contacts have been established. We share a lot of information."
On May 9th, Russia will mark its national holiday, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany. The parade will also be held at the air base, even
featuring Syrian troops. But while Russia celebrates past victories, a clear end to its intervention in Syria's civil war still seems elusive.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, at the Khmeimim air base, Syria.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:15:12] BARNETT: Now, we just want to pause here for a moment and take you to what is an most unlikely event happening right now in Palmyra,
Syria. What you are watching three is a renowned Russian conductor and many of the people in the orchestra leading a concert there. This is to
remember victims of ISIS militants. And we're told this is also to help restore the Roman ruins that were partially damaged by ISIS.
It's bizarre when you consider what's happening in the country, but we do just want to listen in here for a moment.
(MUSIC)
BARNETT: You are watching a Russian concert in the war-torn country of Syria amid the Palmyra ruins and what has been one of the hotspots in
the fight against ISIS.
Our Frederick Pleitgen is there. And Fred, I've just noted how unusual this is, considering all
that's happening around the country. But detail for us why this is an important event to stage for the Russians?
We don't have Fred at the moment, but we will try to reconnect with him.
The composer -- or I should say the conductor of this orchestra is Valerie Gergiev (ph) who is a staunch supporter of Russian president
Vladimir Putin. All of this happening at a time of a fragile cease-fire in other parts of the country as the ongoing civil war continues to displace
thousands and, of course, kill hundreds of thousands of people.
Our Fred Pleitgen has been traveling and has been embedded with Russian forces. We'll try to get him back on the line. But for the
moment, let's just take in this moment.
(MUSIC)
[11:20:00] BARNETT: We've been able to establish contact with our Fred Pleitgen who is there in Palmyra, Syria, as this Russian orchestra
continues to perform.
Fred, Syrian forces backed by Russia retook Palmyra from ISIS in March. Are we witnessing some kind of victory celebration?
PLEITGEN: I mean, that's exactly what this is. If you look at this concert that was taking on today. I think that the feed that we're seeing
is actually a bit of a delayed feed, because the concert actually just ended. We're just walking out of it right now.
But it certainly is a celebration by the Russians of their contribution to the liberation of Palmyra from ISIS and it's something that
we viewed all day, because we've been around here with Russian forces.
They went to great lengths to bring us to Palmyra. It was a gigantic convoy with a lot of journalists, constantly -- by two attack helicopters
to ensure our security. They showed us the demining process that they're doing here in Palmyra. The Russians have set up their
own camp here with anti-aircraft cannons that they have here as well. They have demining specialistst hat are also training the Syrians. And today
was really very much the Russians celebrating the contribution that they made to the liberation of Palmyra.
There's a lot of Syria dignitaries here, a lot of high level Russians here as well. In fact, right now we're watching the Russian culture
minister come to a press briefing. So, certainly the Russians very much showing that the liberation of ISIS is also very much their victory, which
is of course something that we also saw now right before this concert took place there was a speech by Vladimir Putin where he applauded the Russian
troops that took part in all of this and called on everybody to continue to fight terrorism as he called it, Errol.
BARNNETT: And Fred, I think what makes these peaceful, joyful scenes so strange is that the country is still at war. And you wonder what
difference this makes to the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by that ongoing conflict.
Is this an effort by Russia to perhaps win Syrians over?
PLEITGEN: Well maybe a little bit.
I think there's probably two messages here. I mean, on the one hand we do have to say the Russians are very proud of the contribution that they
did make to getting ISIS out of Syria (sic). It's something that they talk about again and again.
On the other hand, of course, it was indeed also a very important victory for the Syrian government as well, which is, of course, not only
war on the battlefield for a lot of opposition groups but very much in a war of public opinion.
Also to try to win Syrians over. And it's something where they haven't been very successful
over the past couple of years.
So, this is certainly something that is also the -- something the government is trying as well as
important to the Syrian government. But it is also very important for the Syrian people, Syrians that you speak to say that Palmyra is very much part
of their national identity. It is the place that's very, very important to their national heritage.
And so Syrians, even if they don't support the government at least who I have spoken to also say that the liberation of Palmyra was something that
benefited not just the Syrian government, but all Syrians to get ISIS out of this place and also, Errol, we have to keep in mind that many thought
all of Palmyra would be flattened by ISIS and it turns out in the end about 80 percent of it is actually still intact. We saw some of the places that
have been blown up, including the Triumph Arch and the Temple of Bel (ph), but much of it does still stand. I'm standing in the middle of it right
now.
BARNETT: we're listening to our senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen in Palmyra after what you're watching now, a Russian
orchestra performing there.
We'll just take a quick moment to listen in to what is a proud moment for the Russians and the
Syrian government.
(MUSIC)
BARNETT: We are now watching what is a replay of a unique event that ended just moments
ago, a Russian orchestra performing amid the ancient ruins of Palmyra.
This is being broadcast on Russian television. Our Frederick Pleitgen is there. He's been embedded with Russian forces for the past few days.
And Fred, just underscore for us why this location is so significant, not just to the people of Syria but really to the world?
PLEITGEN: Yeah, absolutely.
It's really interesting, Errol, a couple minutes ago I spoke to the Syrian antiquities minister
who actually went to great lengths to save large parts of this before ISIS moved in evacuating a lot of the ancient artifacts. And he said that he
believes that this is not just an important site for Syrians but certainly part of really the world, history of the world heritage and
also a UNESCO heritage site and that's because it lies in the crossroads of many culture.
You have the Greco-Roman ruins here, a very important Roman city. But then you also, of course, have all the influences that took place
afterwards -- Islam coming through here and then, of course, it is also a place that attracted people from all over the world.
So, this is a site that many people know, that also many people very much identify with Syria. People who before the civil war started here
came to visit this country.
One of the most visited places in Syria was Palmyra. So, this is certainly a place that people -- many people had visited before and that
many people identify as being very much part of Syria culture, but also very much parts of Middle Eastern culture, European culture, all the ones
that have really met here on this place which is an important place on the Silk Road for many, many years.
So, this is certainly a very, very important moment, not just for the Russians, but really for the
Syrians as well.
And I can tell you by the amount of Syrian dignitaries that I'm seeing right now, they are taking their time to celebrate this also.
BARNETT: And Fred, in our just last few moments with you, how far away are ISIS militants?
PLETIGEN: That's a very good question, Errol.
I would say that right now they are probably several dozen miles away from here. What happened was that when the Syrian military moved in here,
ISIS was pushed back pretty far. The interesting thing about Palmyra, is that it is very much in the Syrian desert and in the desert, the gains that
are made by the various forces, whether it's ISIS, whether it's the Syrian military or rebel forces, usually lead to a lot of territory being gained,
because there really aren't very much towns that are around Palmyra, it really is very far to the east of Syria.
So, ISIS is fairly far away, but ISIS also is close enough still for the Russians to have a big military presence here. You were hearing
howitzers going off earlier when we were here in this area.
So it is still certainly something that's being seen as a threat. But at this point the Syrian military says that they are the ones who are on
the offensive, trying to continue to push ISIS back and, of course, retake towns like Raqqa, like Deir ez-Zor that are still under the control of
ISIS.
BARNETT: Frederick Pleitgen speaking to us from Palmyra, Syria, as we watch what was a Russian performance there, amid those ancient ruins in
this city in the desert.
You're watching Connect the World. We'll have more after the break. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
[11:31:57] BARNETT: Now, the economic crisis in Venezuela is taking its toll on the country's leader. Take a look at this new poll by Data
Analysis. Reuters is citing this because it shows falling approval ratings for President Nicolas Maduro.
According to that survey, in March, just one -- just over one in four Venezuelans were happy with their leader.
Now, CNN cannot independently verify the poll, but what is a fact is the country is struggling with high inflation, power cuts and long lines
for basic goods.
As Paula Newton found out, the situation in hospitals is also dire. And just a warning for you here, her report may be disturbing for some of
you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You are about to get a rare look inside one of Venezuela's largest public hospitals. The searing
view of the catastrophic conditions stalking patients the moment they step inside.
The true state of these hospitals is contentious. Doctors granted us access because they want you to witness just a fraction of the suffering
and indignity that their patients endure every day.
We are just following the doctor here (inaudible) conditions that he's allowed to let us in here.
As we rush through the corridors, Dr. Rani Viesmele (ph) details the long list of shortages: medicines of all kinds, syringes, saline solution,
IVs, gurneys, even cleaning and sterilization supplies. And then he takes us to meet Jose Louis Vazquez.
"I was shot so they could steal my bike," he recounts.
"The bullet came in and came out the other side."
And then he goes on to say there is only a makeshift drain for his lungs. The hospital has no gauze, no needles and he had to buy this
himself.
And then he shows us where he keeps his money. Counting out the cost of his needle, the equivalent of $10 that he can't afford.
Next door we gather to meet Winifra Mesa (ph), just 21, with a horrifying tumor on her neck. She is clearly in pain. Her mother tells us
they've been waiting for the operation but it was canceled today: no medical supplies.
Winifra (ph) lies waiting in a hot room, bringing her own sheets and drinking water in a hospital that is crumbling, no working toilets or
shower.
So Dr. Rani (ph) here is telling us that, throughout the entire hospital, you'll have scenes like this. The infrastructure is absolutely
crumbling and falling apart. There are leaks everywhere. The water doesn't work.
Then he shows us a wing which was supposed to open months ago.
So these are operating rooms that were inaugurated by the government just last year and the doctor says that they have never seen any equipment
in here and they've never been used.
We find Luis Igal (ph) go in the corridors, 40 days in the hospital, still waiting for surgery.
And on the meantime, he, too, buys his own medicine, he says, and he has even had it stolen inside the hospital.
Behind closed doors, the doctors vent their frustration, not over their salaries at barely $30 a month but at what they now describe as a
humanitarian crisis not yet acknowledged.
"We used to have operating rooms working 24 hours a day," she points out.
"The surgeons would work a lot. This was an elite hospital."
Still, I want to know why Dr. Rani (ph) would risk his career by speaking out.
He answers that, "Supposedly, there is still democracy and free speech here. It's part of my job," he says.
"It's part of my commitment to the patients and we have to raise our voices."
[11:35:50] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Things are not getting better, just getting worse.
NEWTON: Have you had cases of people dying?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, of course, of course.
NEWTON (voice-over): Places of healing, rendered horrific by years of unending financial misery. Here, you find the human costs of Venezuela's
deepening crisis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: Paula Newton joins us now with more from the Venezuelan capital Caracas.
And Paula, you just showed us how bad things are in one of the largest hospitals there. I shutter to think of conditions at the smaller clinics,
the moredistant locations which for many are the only lifeline they have.
It must be much more serious for them?
NEWTON: Yeah. And you hit on the key there, Errol. I mean, we traveled outside of Caracas to see what the situation is outside of the
capital. Keep in mind, one thing the capital is one of the only places in this country with even stable electricity.
So yes, they are having a hard time throughout the country and that's why you're starting to
see more of these protests cropping up, medical professionals, patients saying that they've absolutely had enough.
To a certain extent the government is doing what it can, but it has also made a stunning admission in asking the United Nations for support at
times for trying to get those medicines into this country. And that really for a country that's really as we can't repeat enough, sitting on the world's
largest proven oil reserves, extraordinary that they can't provide the basics in medical care.
BARNETT: Now as we noted before, heading into your report, President Nicolas Maduro's popularity is dropping, understandbly. B ut politically
speaking what is the alternative? How can the country turn this around when it took many decades of mismanagement to get here?
NEWTON: Well, no matter who runs this country they would have quite frankly a steep road uphill to try to get people back on course here. They
are running out of money and running out of money fast, talking about about debt default in the fall, oil production does nothing but go down. So,
even though the price of oil is going up, Venezuela still, because of those infrastructure problems, not producing the amount of oil that it can.
Having said that, Errol, there is a very contentious political process going on right now. The opposition trying to launch a referendum to take
President Maduro out of office. The problem is, time is rung out on that. And as I've said to a few people, Errol, you know, the political crisis is
unraveling, it's going at the speed of a Ferrari off a cliff. The political process going much more like a crickety two-wheeled bike. And it
seems that at this point people here understand that and understand that in many times whether it's the economic or the medical crisis they're on their
own coping any way they can.
BARNETT: Yeah, and as the patients -- many of the patients you spoke with, they just don't have time to wait for this to be sorted out.
Paula Newton live for us in Caracas, just past 11:38 in the morning there. Paula, thanks.
NEWTON: A single siren honors the memory of 6 million lives.
Israelis coming to a brief standstill Thursday marking Holocaust Rembrance Day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid a wreath at the
holocaust museum. Hewarned that anti-Semitism still exists today in both the Arab and western worlds. 6 million Jews perished at the hands of Nazis
and their collaborators in World War II. Others were murdered as well including Roma, gays and people with disabilities.
Oren Liebermann talked with some holocaust survivors who lost their youth but managed to managed to reclaim their lives.
(BEGIN VDIEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This ceremony has been 70 years in the making. It's a bar mitzvah, a Jewish rite of passage,
a celebration. Bar and Bat mitzvah's mark the passage to adulthood, at 12 or 13 years old, but these men and women ares in their 70s and 80s. They
are holocaust survivors, and they lost their youth much earlier.
It was torn from them in concentration camps, or as they fled the Nazis. They never had a chance to have bar mitzvahs. This is their chance
to reclaim their youth at one of Judaisms holiest sites: the western wall.
[11:40:09] SOLOMON MOSHE, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR (through translator): After we finished, everybody had a spirit of harmony. Here we are, we have
done it. We are here today more complete. What we felt were lacking we got back.
LIEBERMANN: Solomon Moshe is 79 years old. He was born in Athens, Greece in 1937. As a young boy, he moved with his mother from one home to
another every few months, fleeing the Nazis. He came to Israel in 1956, but never had a bar mitzvah. He says there was no one to celebrate with as
he focused on a new life.
His bar mitzvah, decades later made him feel something he never imagined.
MOSHE (through translator): I felt we met thought in heaven who are looking at us below, the previous generation who would not have imagined
that a 13-year-old could have a bar mitzvah at the western wall.
LIEBERMANN: Moshe now shares his story with groups across Israel. On stage with his grandson, he reveals a family secret, the bear Yumbo (ph)
that he had with him during those terrifying years in hiding.
As he shows me the bear, his voice cracks for the first time in our interview.
MOSHE (through translator): This bear, I will show it to our children, and we will tell them Yumba (ph) was with with your great-
grandfather in the worst possible moments for the Jewish people. And I will hold on to him until I go.
LIEBERMANN: Moshe says he will give this bear to his grandson, the way of passing on a story that is finally complete.
Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: And there is another development we're following today from that part of the world. New cross-border attacks between Israel and Hamas
in Gaza. Israel says it launched airstrikes against four Hamas terrorist infrastructure sites after Hamas repeatedly fired at Israeli forces.
According to media reports, the Gaza health ministry says several Palestinians were wounded in the strikes, including children.
Now, the Cold War ended decades ago, but underwater tensions between the U.S. and Russia are escalating. The U.S. navy says Russian submarine
activity is reaching levels not seen in some time.
And the Pentagon is racing to keep up. CNN's chief U.S. security correspondent Jim Sciutto got an exclusive look inside a U.S. attack
submarine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The USS Missouri Nuclear Attack Submarine sailing to exercises and a deep dive off Florida. The
Atlantic is on the front lines of a new cold war. We join for an exclusive embark.
The USS Missouri is an attack submarine. It could launch torpedos at other submarines and surface vessels. It could launch missiles at ground
targets. It gathers intelligence. It could also deploy Navy SEAL units for special operations. It is the most advanced submarine in the world.
(voice-over): And it is facing the most advanced threats to U.S. submarine forces in decades. Russia is deploying attack submarines in
numbers and with aggressiveness. And advances in technology not seen since the Cold War. And now China, North Korea, Vietnam, India and others are
joining a new arms race under the sea.
Commodore Ollie Lewis commands a squadron of ten Atlantic-based subs including the Missouri.
COMMODORE OLLIE LEWIS, COMMANDER, SUBMARINE SQUADRON 12: We were operating places where we didn't have to rely on an adversary being there
to challenge us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Play it forward (ph).
LEWIS: Now that's changing. We're back to the point now where we have to consider that there's an adversary ready to challenge us in the undersea
domain. And that undersea superiority is not guaranteed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On breach (ph) shore (ph) levering (ph).
SCIUTTO (voice-over): New threats require a new state of readiness. Which we witnessed at every turn.
Missouri's 135 crew repeatedly trained for anti-submarine warfare.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire. Cube (ph) two.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): They simulate firing cruise missiles from depth, that targets on land.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Torpedo course 3-3-7. Unit running, wire good.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): And they're constantly testing the sub's enormous speed and maneuverability.
(on camera): So we're in the midst of another steep ascent. You're hearing that alarm as we approach 20 degrees. We're going to get to a 25
degree angle. Keep in mind I'm standing up straight now, but as I'm leaning forward, that's keeping me vertical in relation to the ground as the angle
ascend gets sharper.
(voice-over): These are just exercises, but the Missouri -- the "Mighty Mo" to its crew -- has repeatedly come nose-to-nose with real-world
threats. When Russia annexed Crimea, and launched military action in Syria, the Missouri was deployed nearby. And when a Russian sub turned up off the
coast of Florida in 2012, it was the USS Missouri called into action to track it.
That's just showing hey, showing where they can go?
[11:45:11] COMMANDER FRASER HUDSON, USS MISSOURI: Honestly, I think it's operational experience. If anything were to ever happen, they have
experience. They know those waters. I don't think it's a political statement on their part at all.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): The Missouri's greatest asset may be its silence. Invisible to satellites, virtually inaudible to other ships and
subs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dive, dive.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): Giving the U.S. the element of surprise.
HUDSON: Whether there is a submarine there or not, they don't know. A potential adversary has to take that into their calculus when they make
decisions to do bad things.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): And so underwater is where these boats and their crews spend 90 percent of their time deployed.
So USS Missouri is coming into port now, Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida. And that's not something -- if you're a submariner -
- that you do very often. Their most recent deployment, they were out for 181 days, 163 days were at sea. That is the life of a submariner.
(voice-over): And that is a call to action the U.S. Navy's 70 submarines are getting more, and more often.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: CNN's chief U.S. security correspondent Jim Sciutto is back on land all dry. And joins us now with more. And Jim, these subs are as
impressive as they are expensive. So, how did the commander you spoke with make the case it is worthwhile to fund these types of defenses when the
Russian threat to the u.S. homeland, so to speak, isn't as visible as it had been in decades past?
SCIUTTO: It's a good question. I think the price tag per is $2 billion for these Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines.
A couple of things. One, they say that the competition is getting greater and not just from Russia, China investing an enormous amount in
submarines, India just launched their first nuclear powered submarine, North Korea just launched a missile for the first time from a submarine.
So, they talk about demand, but they also talk about capability.
You know, these attack subs in particular, they tend to go out solo and when they're solo they have those multiple abilities. They can attack
other submarines or warships. They can attack targets on land. They could deploy Navy SEALs. And they're also gathering intelligence.
And it allows them to -- allows the U.S. rather to project power very, very far afield. And keep in mind, Errol, you know, think -- the U.S.
carrier the big -- first of all it's a big target, travels with a lot of other ships, the sub can do a lot on its own.
BARNETT: Yeah. And I think you were telling you telling some of our programs earlier that you as an individual more than six feet tall had a
hard time cramping into those machines, but it's impressive that those men and women do it each and every day.
Jim Sciutto, live for us in New York.
Jim, thanks.
SCIUTTO: Thanks, Errol.
you are watching Connect the World. Still to come...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They've had people staring at them and poking at them and laughing at them all their lives. Now they can go and be free.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: We'll take you to a one-of-a-kind sanctuary that's helping dozens of abused lions recover.
And in Ethiopia two entrepreneurs are using their tech start-up to help students learn. See how they're making study easier and more
accessible next in this week's African Start-up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[11:50:35] AMIR DAFTARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's been a while since Eskandar (ph) some time ago.
Yet, schools and students in particular, help launch his business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a problem in the quality of education, so there's a shortage of resources like textbooks.
There's little support of technology, so -- and that's something we would like to change with (inaudible).
DAFTARI: Mari and Elshadi (ph) are among hundreds of high schoolers using Fidel (ph), an app that acts as a study aid and one that also led to
this: a hadutech (ph), a start-up creating apps and opportunities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We started with Fidel as a project and somehow we realized there's a
huge potential, very talented people in Ethiopia, but also a gap in software development.
DAFTARI: I met up with Eskandar (ph) for as closer look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the Fidel app, the mobile app, so you download it and you can choose your grade and your topic.
DAFTARI: Now, two interesting things about your app. One, that you can use it off-line.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DAFTARI; And two, that it's free of charge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First of all, the off-line application is important because of the connectivity issues which you have especially in
rural areas, and also you know, the data cost is really high for students to afford.
And the second thing is, that if it's free of charge, many students can use it.
DAFTARI: It might seem counterintuitive that Eskandar's (ph) business is centered around an app that's free of charge. But what it does do is
enable him to build a brand and create other opportunities. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have diversified portfolio of clients and products. So, we have our own products. At the same time, we'll also
develop software for different companies and organizations.
DAFTARI: In Ethiopia, the tech sector is still in its infancy. So, for a company like a Hadutech (ph), it's a case of making up the rules as
you go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very happy. You know, my co-founder, he's very experienced. He's been working for Nokia for quite some time. So --
and also we have an amazing team here, so everybody is helping each other and, of course, there are a lot of challenges, but as we go we have
been learning a lot.
DAFTARI: One of their latest creations is a tourism app. It couldn't come at a better time. The country is aiming to be a top five Africa
tourist destination by 2020.
A Hadutech (ph) is aiming high too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our solution is really based on the local needs and we understand the culture, the context, everything is developed here in
Ethiopia.
DAFTARI: Local development, for a Hadutech (ph) and for Marion Oshadi (ph), it's the right formula.
Amir Daftari, CNN, Addis Ababa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:55:06] BARNETT: You are watching CNN. This is Connect the World. And I'm Errol Barnett. Welcome back.
Now, last week we told you about the largest rescue of its kind when nearly three dozen lions were saved from terrible conditions in Latin
America and flown to South Africa.
Well, in today's Parting Shots, CNN's David McKenzie went to their new home to find out how they're settling in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Feeling out their new surroundings have this sanctuary in South Africa. These are no ordinary
lions. For years, decades, they were kept in horrific conditions, performing in traveling circuses in Peru and Columbia.
SAVANNAH HEUSER, EMOYA SANCTUARY: How do you force a lion to listen to you? You break their spirit. That's what you do.
MCKENZIE: A 19-year-old, Savannah Heuser's dream was always to save lions in distress. And these lions have been declawed, nearly starved and
often tortured by their circus owners.
Years of investigation by the charity Animal Defenders International led to the ban of circus animals in the two countries and to this. The 33
rescued big cats going across the world in a cargo plane. The largest single relocation ever.
TIM PHILLIPS, ANIMAL DEFENDERS INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGNS DIRECTOR: Rescue on this scale is really important because it actually tackled the
problem.
HEUSER: To look at their birth right to be in Africa to where they belong. I mean, they're African lions. They -- another being brought back
to their homeland.
MCKENZIE: But still so much to learn. Lions are incredibly social animals and what they're doing here is trying to get them used to each
other. Because for years they were kept in isolation in these circuses, and in fact, this enclosure is six times bigger than the kind of cage they were
put in for all that time.
JAN CREAMER, ANIMAL DEFENDERS INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT: They've been on display all of their lives. They've had people staring at them and poking
at them and laughing at them all their lives. Now they can go and be free.
MCKENZIE: Freedom for these lions, but so many others still forced to perform.
David McKenzie, CNN, Emoya Santuary, South Africa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: I'm Errol Barnett. And that was Connect the World. Certainly flew by for me. I hope for you as well. We leave you with more
of a remarkable concert we showed you earlier, a Russian orchestra playing a concert in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra. This event remembering
victims of ISIS militants who briefly took over the area.
END
