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Olympic Animosity Over Doping; Oil in Libya Cause of Political Chaos? Syrian Doctors Pen Open Letter to President Obama; Outrage In Baghdad After Hospital Fire Overwhelms Neo-Natal Ward; President Erdogan: Either U.S. is With Turkey or With Gulen. Aired 11:00a-12:00p ET
Aired August 11, 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] JONATHAN MANN, HOST; In wartorn Syria, the last doctors left in Aleppo pen a
letter to U.S. President Barack Obama.
Next, their call for help and the White House reaction.
Also, things heat up on the U.S. campaign trail as the candidates trade barbs. The latest on the state of the race for the White House
coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: It just proves that you can compete clean and still come out on top.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: And taking a stand: athletes weigh in on the doping controversy. We're live in Rio later this hour.
Thank you for joining us. We do not need tears, we need action. That desperate plea in an open
letter to U.S. President Barack Obama written by doctors in Aleppo, Syria, a city that's been under constant bombardment.
Only 15 doctors remain in the city's eastern part. Constant shortages and bomb attacks are raising fears that medical services could come to a
complete halt in just a month's time. The doctors say they are often left with the painful decision of choosing who to help while someone else may be
left to die.
Our Clarissa Ward has covered Syria in depth. She has been there many times. And she gave a firsthand account of conditions there to the UN
recently.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The ones who have decided to stay year in and year out, who have braved the relentless
bombardment day in and day out most of them don't plan on leaving. They made a decision a long time ago
that they would rather die in dignity in their homes than leave. And they have watched what happened in other places in Syria and they know how this
movie ends -- bomb them, starve them out until they finally leave. We've seen it again and again in Homs, in Moadamiya, in Maday. They know what
happens to the people who leave their homes, most of them never see their homes again, many of them are loaded onto bus asks never see the light of
day again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: Clarissa Ward joins us now from London. Tell us about this letter to Washington, the timing is particular, it comes just as Moscow is
offering a daily three-hour humanitarian corridor to try to help the people of Aleppo.
WARD: That's right.
Well, the Russians have said that they would essentially stop all military activity for three hours to let in desperately need food, aid,
medical equipment. But just to give you some sense, the UN has said that they would need at least 48 hours to go in on the ground, repair the damage
that be that done to the infrastructure, to electricity, to the water supply, to properly get aid into that area of 300,000 people who are
stranded essentially in eastern Aleppo.
They have been under siege now nearly a month. Rebels have partially managed to lift that siege, but there is still heavy, heavy fighting around
that area. And so no aid, or very little aid, I should say, just a trickle is getting in. And that's what you heard in the letter from these doctors,
this is just a handful, 29 doctors who are servicing some 300,000 people.
And as you heard, and as you said, they have to make decisions every day essentailly about who to let live, and who to save and who to let die
because they don't have enough oxygen. They don't have a CT scanner. They don't have life support machines. There are shortages of diesel, which
power the generators that keep those hospitals running. And all of this, Jonathan, is against the backdrop of this relentless bombardment, much of
it has historically, particularly in the last month, targeted hospitals and medical facilities, as well as other civilian infrastructure, whether it be
courthouses, bakeries and markets.
So, one other thing to underscore with that letter -- and you said it in the introduction here -- is the palpable sense of anger and
disappointment and frustration from the Syrian people, who really feel that the international community has essentially left them to die, Jonathan.
MANN: Clarissa Ward in London. Thanks very much.
Donald Trump getting back to business on the campaign trial this hour. The Republican presidential candidate expected to speak any minute now to
an association of home builders in Miami Beach. You are looking at the empty podium.
This was supposed to be the week that Trump turned the page on a series of controversies and got back on message at appearances like this
one. But instead he created one of the biggest uproars of all by suggesting that gun rights supporters could somehow stop a Hillary Clinton
presidency.
Trump says he wasn't advocating violence. He is blaming the media for twisting his words.
Now, now a new controversy making headlines: Trump is calling U.S. president Barack Obama the founder of ISIS and Clinton the co-founder.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared on CNN a short time ago to defend Trump's remarks. Here's his fiery exchange with Chris Cuomo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: With all the legitimate lanes of attack on the current state of play with ISIS in the United States, why go the route
of saying that President Barack Hussein Obama, as Trump likes to remind people, founded ISIS? He didn't found ISIS. Many says ISIS honors Obama.
ISIS doesn't honor Obama. Why say those things?
RUDY GIULIANI, FRM. MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: Well, first all I think what he is
saying there is legitimate political commentary, legitimate political...
CUOMO: But it is not true?
GIULIANI: Well, it is true in the sense that before Obama, ISIS was a almost unknown small little organization. He even called it the JV,
totally wrong. And here's why it happened, because he withdrew the troops from Iraq. General Petraeus had secured the eastern part of Iraq. It
wasn't in turmoil, it wasn't in revolution, it's wasn't breeding terrorists. He had gotten support of the Sunni tribes.
When we pulled out, and the Obama administration and our secretary of state, were unable to get a security of forces agreement for our troops,
that's when ISIS formed.
CUOMO: That's a legitimate argument to make, but he doesn't make that argument. He says the guy's a founder. He doesn't make a legitimate
argument about the second amendment, he says maybe you can guys can go and do something. He makes a joke that winds up becoming a story.
GIULIANI: It wasn't a joke. I was with him, it wasn't a joke.
CUOMO: You're not saying he had serious intention about encouraging second amendment people to do something bad?
GIULIANI: Of course not. No more than Hillary Clinton had eight years ago when she
said she was going to stay in the race because remember a candidate was assassinated.
CUOMO: You know what she did after she said that? She apologized...
GIULIANI: Well, because she was wrong.
CUOMO: Why didn't he apologize?
GIULIANI: Because he wasn't wrong.
CUOMO: How was he not wrong? To encourage people of the second amendment, which means they have guns, that maybe you can do something?
GIULIANI: Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, he said didn't encourage him to do that. He was saying don't vote for her. It's the Clinton spin
machine.
CUOMO: No. Here's why -- I'm not part of the Clinton spin machine.
GIULIANI: You accepted it.
CUOMO: No, here's what I accept -- the context, I accept. He didn't say during the election, he says if she picks the judges it's over, you
can't do anything. Well, maybe you can. That's after she's elected. You only pick judges if you are president. That's not about voting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: OK, people are talking like that over dining room tables and bars all across this country. Let's bring in Mark Preston, executive
editor of CNN Politics, who has a dining room table even if we don't see him at the bar.
You know, first it was the second amendment remarks making headlines, now the idea that Barack Obama is the founder of a psychotic terrorist
organization, is this really Donald Trump getting back on message?
MARK PRESTON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CNN POLITICS: No, it's certainly him staying way far off message. And if you are part of the Republican
establishment right now you woke up this morning saying when can he turn it around?
You know, ever since the Republican convention, Jonathan, there had been talk that Donald Trump would become more in line with the Republican
message, whether it be on economics or whether it be on foreign policy decisions. But what we have seen with this statement again is as some
would argue a reckless comment by him, not just saying that he is the founder, because you can maybe
perhaps make the argument that decisions by the Barack Obama administration led to the formation or helped to foster the formation of it.
The fact that he said they honor him implicit -- makes this implicit connection between Barack Obama and ISIS, which is entirely wrong.
MANN: Now, there's a bigger thing going on here. And Zeke Miller of TIME magazine, has just written a piece about the meltdown of the Trump
campaign, which is interesting. But he makes a point that both candidates want to turn this complicated election into a referendum about a single
candidate.
Hillary Clinton wants to make it a referendum about Donald Trump, and according to Miller, Trump wants it to be a referendum about Trump, too.
He likes the attention. Is that the sense you get that as off message as he may be, as damaging to the Republican project in this election at all
levels, Trump is actually enjoying messing things up this way?
PRESTON: I think so. In some ways.
I mean, look, I do think that in a successful presidential campaign, you do have to make the election about why not choosing the other person --
so Hillary Clinton going after Donald Trump is very smart. In some ways Donald Trump is going after Hillary Clinton as well, though. I mean, we
should point out that he is calling her Crooked Hillary, saying that the Clinton global initiative was a
pass-through pay for play scheme when she was at the State Department, that her economic policies aren't going to help the rise up America, what have
you. He says this.
But to your point, Donald Trump does enjoy the spotlight. Donald Trump enjoys making comments that can be interpreted many different ways
and then sitting back and seeing how they play out. We saw this play out with these ISIS comments. We see Rudy Giuliani just a few hours ago on our
air trying to defend them. We also saw -- you know, with the gun rights comments as well.
So, it is definitely an interesting if not bizarre election year, Jonathan.
[11:10:03] MANN: It's a study in contrasts, because we have one candidate who won't stay on message, Donald Trump, and another whose
message discipline is relentless. I'm talking about Hillary Clinton, obviously here. Very controlled candidate.
Today, her message is about the economy. What are we expecting to hear?
PRESTON: So, what we are hearing now from aides for Hillary Clinton is that they are going to try to do a compare and contrast. We saw Donald
Trump talking about the economy two days ago where he laid out his vision. Hillary Clinton today is going to try to
compare and contrast that and say that the Donald Trump vision is only going to help the wealthy while her vision is going to help the
middle class.
And certainly she is going to be very direct in saying that she is going to require, if elected, the more wealthy here in the United States
pay more in taxes, that's not going to play very well with the wealthy here in the U.S.
MANN: Mark Preston live for us, thanks very much.
PRESTON: Thanks, Jonathan.
Looking further afield, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is giving the United States a warning: hand over activist cleric Fethullah Gulen or
jeopardize relations with Turkey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY (through translator): Sooner or later the United States will make a choice, either Turkey or Feto
(ph). They will choose the (inaudible) terrorist Feto (ph) or Turkey, the democratic country. They need to make a choice. We sent 85 boxes of
files.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: This just days after a second request to extradite the cleric was submitted to the U.S.
government. Mr. Erdogan blames Gulen for the attempted military coup last month. Gulen has lived in self imposed exile for years. And he denies any
involvement. CNN senior international correspondent Arwa Damon joins us now from Istanbul. Arwa, what kind of ultimatum is this.
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's is a very serious one. And the Turkish government fully expects the U.S. administration to
realize what is at stake when it comes to Turkey and America's relationship, because from Turkey's perspective, this would be akin
to Turkey for example, having harbored Osama bin Laden and refused to turn him over following the
9/11 attacks.
So, from Turkey's perspective there is absolutely no logical reason why the U.S. would not fulfill this extradition request, especially since
officials here say they have information that Fetullah Gulen maybe attempting to flee to yet another country where perhaps Turkish authorities
would not be able to reach him.
And they do believe, and they say that have evidence contained in those boxes that the Gulen movement has infiltrated various different
levels in stratus not just of the military institution, but also the educational institution, the judiciary, which is why they say the net post
this failed coup attempt has been cast so wide.
And there really is a lot of anger and frustration, Jonathan, with the United States and with the
west whom Turkish authorities feel are focusing too much on the nation's post-coup crackdown, and not enough on what it was that was actually at
stake the night that this coup unfolded.
MANN; I wonder if we can shift gears a little bit because there is something else i wanted to
talk to you about. That -- that horrible hospital fire in Iraq. It has shocked so many people. What can you tell us?
DAMON: Yeah, Jonathan, we sent a crew out to follow up with one of the families. We will be having that story on our air later on. But the
mother, her name was Shaima Hussein (ph). She was just 36 years old, and she and her husband had spent everything. they had gone into debt, sold
their car, said they could conceive eventually successfully doing so through in vitro. And they were so happy. They were overjoyed the moment
that their little baby boy was born, but hours later he was among those babies who perished inside their incubators when a hospital broke out in
one of Baghdad's maternity wards at a hospital in the capital. And many people are heart broken. Yes, those who suffered personal losses, but
there is also outrage amongst the population because they quite simply say that this should not have happened.
They are blaming government corruptions, broken promises over the years for the country's
ongoing struggle with shoddy infrastructure and poor wiring. Because frankly these types of electrical fires are fairly common in Iraq. And it
just underscores how as one person tweeted out yesterday this is a government that not just is actually physically stealing from the
population, it's now also also stealing lives as well.
And in fact today after all of this, Iraq's health minister did publicly resign.
MANN: Families losing newborns, it's unimaginable.
Arwa Damon thanks very much.
Still to come, she is only 19 years-year-old but American swimmer Lilly King has become
the poster child for clean sport in these Olympic games.
Plus, Libyan forces make gains against ISIS. We'll speak to a man who says the country's oil wealth should be a way out of chaos.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:17:35] MANN: You're watching CNN and this is Connect the World. I'm Jonathan Mann. Welcome back.
It is day six of the Olympic summer games. 21 gold medals up for grabs and anger over doping continues to make waves in the pool. American
gold medalist Lilly King finished 7th in the 200 meter breaststroke semifinal Wednesday, but she'll compete again on Saturday and will probably
face Russian rival Yulia Efimova.
World Sports Don Riddell asked King how she felt about being the new poster child for clean sport. King replied, quote, if I'm going to be a
poster child for anything, I think that's a good thing. for putting in the work and knowing that work wins. Don has more now from Rio.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: It takes sacrifice and determination to make an Olympic champion but it takes courage and leadership to become a
role model. At the age of just 19 American swimmer, Lilly King has achieved both here in Rio taking a stand against her Russian rival in the pool and
all drug cheats saying "It just proves that you can compete clean and still come out on top."
MARK KING, LILLY KING'S FATHER: Hopefully this will create some momentum with the governing bodies with FINA, with you know of course the
governing body of swimming and hope that this could give them some momentum to push a little harder to do it right.
RUTA MEILUTYTE, LITHUANIAN SWIMMER: I think it was very brave of Lilly, you know, just after she became a champion to speak out and be brave
to show her opinion and I think she said what we all think.
RIDDELL: It all started when King's Russian Yulia Efimova declared herself the number one after winning in the semis. Among other things, the
Russian was caught doping in 2013 and was banned for 16 months. But King beat her to the gold medal saying, "You wave your finger number one and you
have been caught drug cheating. I'm not a fan."
Neither it seems is the Olympics' most decorated athlete, Michael Phelps who has voiced his support. After the revelation of a state
sponsored doping program, Russian athletes have been cast as the chief villains of the games, rekindling sentiments of the Cold War.
SVETLANA KHORKINA, RUSSIAN GYMNAST: No, it's not war it's an attempt to mix politics and sport but I wouldn't want to do that because the
international sporting tent was an idea of a nice little island where everybody was friends, talked, make peace. We in Russia have a strong state
and strong sportsmen and it seems that disturbs someone.
[11:20:03] RIDDELL: But it's not just the Russians and it's not just the Americans taking a stand. The Australian gold medalist Mack Horton
clashed with his Chinese rival, Sun Yang found to be taking prescribed heart medication which was on the banned list but no longer is.
KITTY CHILDERN, CHIEF OF MISSION, TEAM AUSTRALIA: We won't be apologizing. (inaudible) won't be apologizing and the Australian Olympic
Committee won't be apologizing. Mack, as I just said had every right to express that opinion. He has strong opinions on the need for clean sport.
RIDDELL: Athletes used to assume that their governing bodies would protect them from cheats but that confidence has been eroded because of
poor tests, inconsistent punishments and politics.
ADAM NIELSON, 2004 SHOT PUT GOLD MEDALIST: Athletes have to come together and say this is what we demand. This is where we're going to go
with it and you guys, the IOC and WADA need to follow us for a change.
CONOR DWYER, U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMER: People are starting to speak up about it and some of the people I have raced against have failed tests and
that stinks to be racing people that have failed a test before.
RIDDELL: There are many questions that need to be answered after these Olympics; rules and policies that need to be addressed. The athletes say
they've been too quiet for too long. But they are learning fast and they are not prepared to let it lie.
Don Riddell, CNN, Rio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: World Sports Amanda Davies joins us live from Rio. And Amanda, we have been talking even before the games began, but especially since they
did, about doping in general, about Russia in particular, and a man named Sebastian Coe was key figure in keeping a lot of Russian athletes from
competing, he says unfairly. You spoke with him. Tell us about that.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT; Absolutely. It's definitely been a growing narrative over the last couple of weeks, hasn't
it Jonathan, this athletes speaking out about the doping issue. I spokes - - before I spoke to Seb Coe, I spoke to Britain's gold medal heptathlete from 2012, Jessica Ennis-Hill. She said for her, it's the fact that so
many competitors athletes have been so shocked about the scale of what emerged out of Russia. They said -- she said that people had fears, they
had suspicions, but the report that came out, the McLaren report, confirmed the
worst fears and more.
And there's really been this feeling that the governing sporting bodies are letting their athletes, the competitors down. Of course the
IAAF went a step further than the other international sporting bodies. They issued that blanket ban before the McLaren report was even published.
It's going to be very interesting to see what happens next week when the track and field events get underway to see whether this narrative
continues. There is only going to be the one Russian athlete here.
So, when I spoke to Seb Coe, I asked him given what he has seen has happened in the pool over the last few days, does he still feel he made the
right decision regarding Russia?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN COE, IAAF PRESIDENT: We make the decision that we felt was in the best interest of the sport, it wasn't a triumphant decision. It was
a sad decision actually when you ban a federation and by implication their athletes.
But we felt that the charge sheet was such a serious one.
DAVIES: Have you spoken to any of the Russian athletes about it?
COE: No, I haven't. It is absolutely our focus to get the Russian federation back into international competition, their athletes back into
international competition. When we are satisfied, and I'm confident that they can do so, and maintain a level playing field across competition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIES: So, Sebastian Coe, Jonathan, saying it's all about reintegrating Russian athletes. That's very much the next step.
The big problem at the moment is how you change a culture that has been engrained in sport in
Russia for such a long time. You can tick boxes, you can change structures, but ultimately it is changing that culture, and that takes
time.
MANN: You know, let's try to avoid talking about doping for a moment and go back to the games themselves. There has been some great drama,
fabulous competition. What have you been watching?
Absolutely. There is 21 gold medals today that are on offer. It's been a busy morning already. The sun is shining, as you can see. So that
means the events over at the Lagoa, the rowing events that were canceled yesterday, have been able to take place.
I think it's actually six golds that will be won there today.
And we have seen the famous New Zealand pair, the men's pair of Hamish Bonds and Eric Murray, their unbeaten run that extends all the way back to
2009 continues. They managed to successfully defend the gold medal that they won in London in 2012.
It's been a good day for the Germans in the quad skulls. They both won the men's and the
women's events.
It is a historic day as well today, Jonathan, one for the sporting statisticians. The first Olympic golf event for over a century has gotten
underway. That's very much in the early stages, though there has been so much controversy, hasn't there, about whether or not golf should be here at
all. So many of the top names pulling out.
But some of the big stars are here, the likes of Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Padraig Harrington. It's the same format as a major, so today the
first rounds of four that we'll see the conclusion of that on Sunday.
And also historic, because the first men's rugby 7s gold will be awarded later today. Fiji very much the favorites for that one. They are
the world number one ranked team. And gold, or indeed any other medal, would be their first ever Olympic medal for Fiji. So, that would be quite
something.
Plenty to look forward to in the gymnastics hall as well. Super Simone Biles leading the way for Team USA. looking to become a five-time
Olympic Gold medalist, fairly lofty ambitions but she does seem absolutely unbeatable at the moment.
Also, plenty going on in the pool. Michael Phelps going head to head going with his roommate, his old adversary Ryan Lochte in the 200 meters
individual medley. Katie Ledecky back in action as well. It's a great day to sit back, relax and enjoy, Jonathan.
MANN: Fabulous stuff. Amanda Davies thanks very much.
Live from CNN Center, this is Connect the World. Coming up, Germany takes new steps to protect its people from terror, a live report from
Berlin is next.
And also ahead is the fight against ISIS in Libya seems to take a step forward. We speak to
the man in the charge of oil and what it brings to the chaos.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:57] MANN: Germany is taking tough new steps to confront terrorism inside its borders.
The country's interior minister wants to change the dual citizenship law for example. His proposal would allow authorities to strip dual citizens
who join terror groups of their German citizenship.
Fred Pleitgen joins us now live from Berlin with details on the proposals. Frederik, what do they have in mind?
FREDERIK PLETIGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, a flurry of proposals that were announced today by the interior minister. And said
basically what he's trying to do is on the one hand obviously preserve the democratic freedoms here in Germany also preserve the
welcoming culture that Germany has had, especially to the 1.1 million refugees that have been taken in here in the past let's say about 14
months. But at the same time, of course, be tough and crack down on people who are radical here and who want to perhaps commit acts of terrorism here
in this country.
Now, some of the proposals, Jonathan, are fairly straightforward. He was calling for more law enforcement officials, more cops, more
investigators, also calling for more powers for those cops and investigators and also for better equipment. And that's not just for
police officers on the street, but also for instance for internet surveillance.
One of the main things that Germany is dealing with, they say, is online radicalization. And it's one thing that they want to be better at
combating.
Now, there's other measures that certainly are going to cause more of a stir here in the political landscape, stripping dual citizenship so their
-- citizens of their German citizenship is one of them. Another one that's already causing a lot of discussion here is that they want to weaken the
confidentiality between patients and doctors.
Now, that's something that has been in discussion for a while, but basically they want to make
it easier for doctors and psychologists to come forward and say whether or not someone might be in danger of committing a criminal or terrorist act.
And then last but not least, they also want to make it easier to deport foreigners who become
radicalized here. So, really a lot of things that the minister proposed. Again, some of them should be
fairly easy to enact. There is political consensus. But there's other ones, where especially left leaning parties have a lot of problem with,
Jonathan.
MANN: When they are bringing doctors and psychiatrists into the debate, I'm wondering if they're thinking more than terrorism. What comes
to mind, of course, the Germanwings crash, 144 people killed by a pilot who was said to be suicidal. And his doctors knew it.
PLEITGEN: Yeah, exactly. I remember we had that discussion right after the Germanwings crash happened where this man had been seeing a
psychologist. He had gone to various doctors. First of all, those doctors couldn't tell each other that they were seeing the same patient, but they
also couldn't tell his employer, which was Germanwings and Lufthsansa that he had been seeing a doctor and that he was in fact unfit to fly, and that
was because of that same patient confidentiality agreement.
This to a certain extent has to do with that as well, but it also has to do with the recent cases
of attacks that happened here in Germany. You had one on a commuter train in the southern part of Germany where a man went on a stabbing rampage. He
was someone who claimed asylum here. And it came out later that he was seeing a psychologist, that he was getting psychological help, and that was
something that the authorities didn't know about.
Then you had what was by most accounts the first suicide attack here in Germany, which happened in Ansbach also a few weeks ago, also the south
of Germany a few weeks ago also in south of Germany. That man as well had been getting psychological
counseling and authorities knew nothing about it. They say they want to to work with the doctors to make sure they are comfortable with on the one hand, the responsibilities they
have for their patients, but then also of course the responsibility they have for keeping the larger public safe, Jonathan.
MANN: Fred Pleitgen live in Berlin, thanks very much.
U.S. backed Libyan forces say they are close to defeating ISIS in its coastal stronghold of Sirte. The terror group took over the city last year
but the fight to dislodge it has been hindered by Libya's deep divisions and infighting over influence and oil.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: U.S. warplanes are once more in the skies over Libya five years after rebel there
overthrew Moammar Gadhafi with NATO's help. This time it's ISIS in the U.S. crosshairs at the request of the fragile new unity government in
Tripoli.
Washington is not the only western power to be drawn back into the Libyan quagmire. Last month, three French intelligence officers died when
the helicopter they were traveling in was shot down. And there have been calls for the British government to explain its role after reports of UK
special forces on the ground.
Libyan fighters battling in Sirte are loyal to the internationally recognized government in Tripoli but there is a rival government in the
east of the country led by a powerful General Khalifa Haftar that's still not on board. A tense tug-of-war over lucrative oil and gas installations
has already sparked a reaction from Washington and its European allies urging all sides to work together.
After lurching between rival governments and state institutions for years, and drained by a poisonous mix of militia vying for oil, influence,
and territory, working together may move a tall order for now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Joining us now is a man who says that Libya's immense and relatively untapped oil wealth
could be the solution to its chaos, but in fact is only adding to it.
Mustafa Sanala is chairman of the National Oil Corporation based in Tripoli. He joins us now from London.
Thanks so much for being with us. For people outside of Libya, it is dizzying trying to keep track of what's going on inside. Two rival
governments, ISIS, militia men and warlords also fighting for influence. Oil is big part of this, and not a helpful one, I gather. What is oil's
impact on Libya today?
[11:36:37] MUSTAFA SANALA, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL OIL CORP.: Thank you very much. The oil is the -- you know, Libya is only relying on the oil.
And more than 95 percent of the GDP is coming from oil, unfortunately. The oil was located since July 2013 by some militias and to
prevent (inaudible) activities from producing oil and exporting oil.
This is a big hassle in the country. And I think the situation in the country now is very, very dangerous because of run out of the cash and no
more reserves in the country, and unfortunately because of the oil.
So, some militias are all behind the locating of oil through the country, specifically in the middle of the country.
MANN: Militias are blockading oil. The United Nations and the envoy to Libya have been trying to convince them to end that blockade. Is there
any prospect for success? Because I know you have been critical of the approach that the UN has been taking.
SANALA: I'm afraid the (inaudible) by UN two weeks ago, it is a very dangerous to reward the criminals, you know, to take our money. Those
militias who are locating the (inaudible) for more than three years, you know, cause us a lot of problem. We lost more than $100 billion U.S.
dollars (inaudible) and our IOCs. And now we are seeing some rewarding those militias and to be regarded as a hero in the country, unfortunately.
MANN: The United Nations has been mindful of your opposition. You are an important man when it comes to Libyan oil and they have released a
statement describing what they're trying to do. Here's the word from the UN mission to Libya. The mission commends the efforts made by the
presidency council to regain control over the oil installations and facilities, including in the crescent area and increase the oil production
which will eventually lead to increasing the money flow and will allow the government of national accord to deliver the urgent basic services,
including electricity and medications to all Libyans across the country. All oil facilities, ports and installations must be under the full control
of the GNA -- that's the government of national accord, the UN-backed government -- the sole legitimate executive authority in Libya.
So, they are trying to put all of Libya's oil under the government's control, which I think is a worthy idea, though you disagree about the way
they're doing it.
Let me just ask you, though, about the role of Libya under the past Libyan government, the government of Moammar Gadhafi and under the two
governments that are in place now. Is oil helping those governments ? More importantly, is it helping the people of Libya?
SANALA: I'm afraid the oil in the country, if the (inaudible) an institution -- a very mportant institution, and those who are politically
neutral to be a lack of petroleum source close unfortunately.
The problem is rewarding the criminals. It's very bad. (inaudible) the only -- the total numbers less than 3,000 soldiers and all of them are
soldiers protecting the whole country from the far east up to the southwest of the country. And now we are seeing more than 27,000
in oil -- in the (inaudilbe) of the country. Unfortunately, they are not available whenever we need them, we don't find them.
Beginning of the siege -- January 4 and January 21, unfortunately, when ISIS launched two attacks on (inaudible) most of the BFG (ph), you
know, (inaudible) they cannot fight our facility, unfortunately. And most of the area (inaudible) especially in Sirte, we lost more than 80 percent
of the source (ph) capacity at Sidre (ph), and more than 50 percent of source (ph) capacity at Rasanouf (ph). And the government was (inaudible)
more than 27,000 soldiers, or militias -- most of them are militias, unfortunately.
MANN: Now, how much has changed, though, for the people of Libya? Because under Gadhafi, obviously, the repression was terrible. The
paralysis of the country was complete, but oil paid for subsidies. It basically paid for their food, it paid for all their basic necessities they
couldn't ordinarily afford.
What role is oil playing now for the people of Libya?
SANALA: Unfortunately, you know, I'm not hiding secrets. You know, if you look for the last seven months of this year, only we could have only
$2.3 billion U.S. dollars. That's total money entered into the treasury department or central bank account unfortunately.
Combining, you know, by the year 2012, we earn more than $41 billion U.S, you see because of two problems. First problem is locating the oil by
those militia, especially in the center of the country, and because of all low prices of the oil.
And now I believe most of the reserves is depleted you know, to cover the expenses. And there is no reaction by the concern of the institution
and the country unfortunately.
MANN: Would peace and progress be closer for Libya if it didn't have oil?
SANALA: Sorry, can you repeat the question, please?
MANN: Would Libya be better off without oil?
SANALA: I'm afraid as I said, you know, FNC is preventing from performing this activities to produce oil and to work independently and
those who are politically neutral, I'm afraid that will have, you know -- petroleum would be under the petroleum resource curse, if I can say.
Then we have to avoid this problem. You know, we have to avoid the corruption. We have to avoid, you know, the war. We have to avoid the
authoritarianism we see.
I'm afraid that we have a big problem.
MANN: Mustafa Sanala of Libya's National Oil Corporation. Thanks so much for talking with us.
SANALA: Thank you.
MANN: You are watching Connect the World. Still to come, the tensions rising and the tough words keep coming. The latest from Moscow as
this man, Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin trade barbs over Crimea.
And then the latest from the president of The Philippines. This time his wrath is directed at
the U.S. ambassador.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:08] MANN: You are watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. I'm Jonathan Man. Welcome back. Tensions between Russia and
Ukraine are ratcheting up once again, Kiev ordering all its troop in the country's east to be on what it calls the highest level of combat
readiness. This following Russian allegations of a Ukranian incursion into Crimea. Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko described those accusations
as insane.
Matthew Chance has the latest from Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This latest upsurge in tension comes as the Russians accuse the Ukranian government of sending
agents or activists or special forces into the Crimean peninsula. The Kremlin has said there have been at least two incursions over the weekend.
Two of their soldiers, they say, an FSB officer, and a military officer, died trying to repel what they say were these Ukranian incursions into the
Crimean peninsula.
And Russian state television has broadcast images of some of the equipment that they say was seized from the people inside Crimea, including
rucksacks packed with explosives. The Russians say that these persons carrying out the incursions from the Ukraine intended to attack
infrastructure places inside Crimea. And the presence of Russia has said that the Ukrainians are turning away from peace talks and towards
terrorism.
The Kremlin has said that there will be special measures. Vladimir Putin has convened a session of his security council saying there will be
some security measures coming out of this to try and increase security around the Crimean peninsula, which of course was annexed by Russia from
the Ukrainians after an unrecognized referendum a couple of years ago.
But the sense is that this could be the precursor, perhaps, to some kind of increased military
action, some kind of renewed conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Russia has certainly been apparently been apparently deploying new forces towards
the Crimean peninsula. It has announced naval exercises in the Black Sea. And so it's on a higher state of military readiness as well. So that is
one possibility.
Another possibility of course is that this is just Vladimir Putin trying to raise the stakes over
this conflict over Crimea and eastern Ukraine in a bid to get some kind of settlement from the international community. But it is a very opaque
picture, but a very worrying picture on the ground at the moment.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: Some other stories we are following this hour. In China at least 21 people are dead and five injured after a pipeline explosion. It
happened in the central Hubei Province when a high pressure steam tube burst at a power generating plant, that's according to the Xinhua News
Agency.
Hot, dry windy conditions across much of Europe fueling some of the worst wildfires the continent has seen in 20 years. This is the scene in
southern France, not far from Marseilles. Since the fire broke out Wednesday, thousands of people have been forced from their homes. One
firefighter said the flames are advancing at phenomenal speed covering up to 2,500 meters an hour.
17 major wildfires are burning in parts of Spain and Portugal as well.
A terror suspect has reportedly been killed by police in Canada. The CBC and CTV networks report that the man was killed in a confrontation with
officers in the town of Ontario, Strathroy. The suspect's name has not been released, but he was an ISIS supporter who had been detained last year
in a highly publicized arrest.
The Philippines is trying to downplay tensions with the U.S. after President Duterte triggered a diplomatic row by using offensive language
about the U.S. ambassador.
Our Kristie Lu Stout is following the story from Hong Kong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: The U.S. is asking The Philippines to clarify a vulgar insult made by the president of the Philippines. Rodrigo Duterte
used a homophobic slur during a recent speech when he referred to the American ambassador to his country.
And this is the moment when he used that slur and other profanity to describe Ambassador Philip Goldberg.
RODRIGO DUTERTE, PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES (through translator): I told them your ambassador is a gay sun of a bitch. I was annoyed at him
for interfering in the elections, giving statements here and there.
LU STOUT: On the back of those comments, the Philippines department of foreign affairs issued a statement today emphasizing that the insult has
not damaged ties between the Philippines and the U.S. Now, the Philippines government spokesman said what I can tell you is that Philippines-U.S.
relations remain strong.
During the call with Secretary Kerry, the president said that he places much importance Philippines-U.S. relations and used effusive
language to describe the very productive bilateral partnership.
But there is still no clarification as to why the president made those comments.
Now, Duterte earlier said he was annoyed with the U.S. ambassador for, in his words, interfering with the election.
Now the Philippines president first came into conflict with the U.S. ambassador while on the campaign trail after Duterte made light of a brutal
rape and murder of an Australian missionary in 1989 in the Philippines. The U.S. ambassador strongly criticized those comments and Duterte has
apparently not forgotten that criticism.
Now, as Manila attempts to clarify Duterte's insults directed at a U.S. envoy, Duterte has sent an unofficial envoy to Hong Kong to break the
ice between China and the Philippines. On Monday, former Philippines president Fidel Ramos was in Hong Kong on a mission of goodwill.
At a press conference on Monday he said my job is to look for old friends that have links to the officials in Beijing not to negotiate, but
to pave the way, break the ice with the friends during my time in the PRC.
Now the visit comes at a time of high tension still between China and The Philippines especially after an international court ruled against China
over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MAN: Coming up on Connect the World, the secret to her astonishing success. American gymnast Simone Biles explains how she led her team to
gold in Rio.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MANN: You are watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. I'm Jonathan Mann. Welcome back.
A 19-year-old man who climbed Trump tower in New York, the hard way, on the outside of the building, has been charged with reckless
endangerment. It's owned, of course, by Donald Trump and houses his campaign headquarters. It took police and emergency
services almost three hours to stop the climber who told police later he just wanted to meet the Republican presidential candidate.
CNN's Rachel Crane is at Trump Tower and joins us now.
You know, it seems kind of funny but the truth is this was a dangerous drama and it played out
literally in the middle of Manhattan for a lot of people to just sit and watch and worry about.
RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
Now this 19-year-old man from Virginia has been identified as Steven Rogata. Many people wondering why he would do something so drastic. Well,
Rogata says that he had a very clear reason behind this stunt. He took to YouTube posting a video the day before he did this. Take a listen to what
he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN ROGATA, CLIMBED TRUMP TOWER: I am an independent researchers seeking a private audience with you to discuss an important matter. I
guarantee that it is in your interest to honor this request. The reason I climbed your tower was to get your attention. If I had sought this via
conventional means I would be much less likely to have success because you are a busy man with many responsibilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CRANE: And he said he was intent on getting to the very top.
Finally, at around 6:30 the authorities were able to pull him in through a window where they had removed the glass from. He was then later
taken to Bellevue where he was medically cleared, but he is undergoing a psychological evaluation.
Now, he also has been charged, in addition to reckless endangerment, he has been charged with criminal trespassing at this point.
MANN: Was there anything political about any of this? Of course, we are all talking
about Trump because he is a candidate for president these days.
Rachel, I'm not sure you can hear me.
CRANE: Jonathan, I think we might be having a technical difficulty. Unfortunately, I can't hear right now. But as you can see behind me,
things have sort of back to normal, a lot of looky-loos, here, a lot of people coming to see trump tower as usual.
There is a security presence here, but that is not unusual for Trump Tower as this is the campaign headquarters for Mr. Trump as well as his
residence.
[11:55:10] MANN: Rachel Crane in New York.
American gymnast Simone Biles will go for gold again today in the women's individual
all-around competition. In today's Parting Shots, Biles and her teammates explain what makes the tiny powerhouse so unbeatable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMONE BILES, OLYMPIC GYMNAST: Once I go out there and compete it's all up to me
and I can think about what everybody else is worrying about.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sometimes I just think she isunhuman just because she is just
so amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is a very good competitor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm always in awe when I watch her, but I have a lot of respect for her because normally when girls are like super, super
talented they don't work that hard, but she is super talented and she works very hard, which is why she has been unbeatable.
BILES: My signature move, named after me, is called the Biles. And it's on the floor. And it is a double A half out. So, I will flip twice
in a straight body and then at the end I'll do a half twist.
I've seen just like everyone so shocked whenever I do that skill, because it is a forward landing so it's harder. And to do a half twist is
hard also. So, nobody thought it was like possible. And so every time I do it, everyone just gets so excited.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MANN: She is amazing. If you haven't seen her, it's worth your time to watch.
Ever wonder who gets to design the Olympic medals? Or how long it takes to create the detailed mold? Find out, head to our Facebook page,
Facebook.com/CNNConnect. They are the most coveted items on Earth. The making of Olympic gold.
I'm Jonathan Mann. You have been watching Connect the World. Thanks for being with us.
END
