Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Christian Residents in Mosul Recount ISIS Takeover of Villages; Donald Trump Taking Advantage of Latest FBI Bombshell; New Russian Game Illuminates Fears of New Cold War; UN Calls for Additional Aid for Forgotten Yemen Conflict
Aired October 30, 2016 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: A powerful earthquake rattles Italy, damage to buildings near the epicenter, but no reported deaths. A live report from
Rome for you is up next.
Also, twists and turns as the U.S. election draws ever closer. Donald Trump tries to take
advantage of a probe into more emails linked to Hillary Clinton. The latest on the state of the race is coming up.
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't know ISIS was this ugly, this destructive, this evil. They want to send the world to the dark ages.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: A newly liberated town, a view of life under the terror group as the battle for
Mosul continues.
All right. It is just after 7:00 here in the UAE. Hello and welcome. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi.
We begin in central Italy for you this hour where at least 20 people have been injured by yet another earthquake in the region. Rescue workers have
pulled survivors out of the rubble in an area just south of the quake's epicenter. The 6.6 magnitude quake is the third substantial one in central
Italy since Wednesday. No deaths reported, but there has been severe damage to some buildings including this historic monastery.
Journalist and CNN contributor Barbie Nadeau is in Rome with more. What do we know at this point, Barbie?
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, one of the main reasons there's been no loss of life in this earthquake is because those earthquakes last week
have caused everybody to evacuate. That's one thing that (inaudible) protection agency and those people who are on the scene say, that really
did save lives, because the devastation from this earthquake this morning is far greater than those last week.
But again the buildings, like you said, that monastery, 14th Century monestery is really the picture postcard for the region now completely
destroyed. It begs the question, will they be able to rebuild any of these important structures? Will people be ever able to go back home.
This earthquake following the one in August in which 300 people were killed just emptied the area. People don't have anywhere to live and they're
afraid to go back to their houses, Becky.
ANDERSON: The prime minister said during a press conference in Rome just earlier on today in the past couple of hours, we will rebuild houses,
churches and shops. We will rebuild everything. We have the resources to do it. Italy has many faults, but these situations bring out the best in
us, reassuring the Italian general public that this will not be a setback.
NADEAU: Well, that's absolutely right. You know, we may have the resources to rebuild, but do people have the courage to go back?
You know, a lot of people who live in this central part of Italy are very connected to the territory. There are generations of their families have
lived there. They feel very, very much a part of their DNA, these parts of Italy, especially these beautiful mountain towns.
But it really does beg the question. We were there for the earthquakes last week, and people
were afraid. They were sleeping in their cars. They've had aftershock after aftershock after aftershock
between all of these earthquakes. They are afraid to stay there.
And the civil protection agency said today if you have not evacuated, if didn't go in August, if you didn't go last week, go now. They need to make
sure that there are structures that are safe enough to be there. But the civil protection people have said get out of town now if you've said for
then they can go in and try to shore up some of the buildings, try to get the houses back in order, and that's when the rebuilding can start, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah, frightening stuff. But as we've been reporting, no deaths which is a relief in what could have been a whole lot worse.
Barbie, thank you.
Just nine days until America decides whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton becomes the next U.S. president. And the race, well, it has got
even more interesting. The latest bombshell, if you will, of course, is FBI director James Comey's revelation that new emails
may be linked to an investigation of Clinton despite objections from the Department of Justice.
Here's what trump campaign chief Kellyanne Conway said about Comey's decision to Jake Tapper earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Had he sat on the information, one could argue that he also would be interfering with the election by not
disclosing to the public that yet again, for the second time in a year, Hillary Clinton is under FBI investigation for something of her own doing.
We are only having this conversation today, Jake, because Hillary Clinton flaunted the law and went and set up a private sever so she could hide
stuff from the public. And here we are again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the move has dismayed Democrats, not surprisingly, who are demanding that the bureau share all it knows about the newly discovered
emails, potentially related to the investigation into Clinton's private server.
Have a listen to what Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN PODESTA, CLINTON CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: I think this is something that has been tossed into the middle of the campaign. We would have preferred
that that not happened but now that it has happened Mr. Comey really needs to come forward and explain why he took this unprecedented step,
particularly when he said himself in the letter to The Hill that these may not even be significant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Let's bring in David Swerdlick for more on this. He's a CNN political commentator and the assistant editor for The Washington Post. He
joins me now from Washington, D.C.
It was only a couple months ago the Republicans were vilifying Comey for the results of what
was a year-long investigation, which resulted in no criminal charges against Hillary Clinton and now this. You might as well be, if you were
listening to Kellyanne Conway, part of the family, as it were.
Look, and this is the problem, isn't it? The big issue here is, one, nobody knows what is now being investigated. Nobody knows the content of
these emails, and whether or not they would have any bearing on any investigation into Hillary Clinton.
And secondly, we're in such a tight window before this election that this is unprecedented that the bureau would get involved. Where do you stand on
all of this? Just gives us your feedback and analysis.
DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR; Sure, Becky. So, Friday, when this news broke it was 11 days before the election, now 9 days before the
election, and FBI Director Comey sent this vague letter to the congressional committee chairs and the Democratic senior members saying
essentially some new information has come to light, some new emails, but we don't know if they are or are not pertinent.
And as you said, Republicans have seized on this, and Democrats are dismayed by this, which is the reverse of what we saw back in July when
Republicans were dismayed that the FBI recommended no criminal prosecution to the Justice Department with regard to Hillary Clinton and her emails.
So now you have this very tight situation. I think that both sides need to be realistic about what they're with dealing with here. The Republicans do
not have a smoking gun. All we know is that there is some new information, not that there's anything incriminating, not that there's anything that
maybe even hasn't already been disclosed and that this simply is a duplicate found on another device belonging to Huma Abedin, Hillary
Clinton's very close confidante and aide, bu there's no smoking gun that's been reported out yet.
On the other hand, for Democrats, they have to sort of acknowledge, I think that just as the FBI director's unprecedented remarks and move back in the
summer worked to Hillary Clinton's benefit, now, yes, they are facing a situation where with less than two weeks to go in the election, the FBI
director perhaps unintentionally, or I don't think intentionally, has given Republicans something to hammer Hillary Clinton with to message on in the
last days.
ANDERSON: Yeah, and that's the accusation that he's uncertain inserted himself into what is this incredibly tight political race.
Look, what we do know is that justice officials warned the FBI that Comey's decision to update
congress was not consistent with department policy. He went ahead.
The big question is what is the consequence now for what was any way a tightening race? It's very difficult to know exactly how voters feel,
because there hasn't been any polling since this bombshell, as it were, was released. We're likely to get that at the beginning of the week.
What's the consequence here, do you think?
SWERDLICK: Well, the consequence is that we were looking at a situation in the week or two prior to this where on the one hand Hillary Clinton was
enjoying a very strong close to this campaign coming out of debates, which by most accounts she won all three of the debates and was closnig strong.
On the other hand, if you looked at some of the polling in the prior week. Donald Trump was narrowing the gap both in national polls and in some of
the key swing states. Our Washington Post poll at the beginning of last week showed Clinton up nationally by six points, the Washington Post
tracking poll that came out yesterday, Becky showed her only up by two points.
It's just one poll, but it suggests that it's a tightening race. Trump is up in Florida, by one point, according to the polling averages, and --
excuse me, it's tied in Florida, according to polling averages. And he's up by one point in Ohio according to polling averages.
Now, Clinton can afford to lose both those states and still win the race because Trump's path is
very, very narrow, but if he were to some highway flip those states, which were Obama states in 2012 and 2008, all of a sudden Democrats have to start
thinking about what other medium to large-sized states they would have to defend come election day to hold off Trump. That's the consequences.
ANDERSON: We're going to do more on this towards the back half of this show from you for the time being, pleasure having you on. David Swerdlick
for you out of Washington today. Doing the math for you, viewers bottom of the hour on this election.
Well, to Iraq now where a clearer picture of the battle for Mosul is emerging, and it is ugly. As Iraqi forces push closer to the ISIS
stronghold, the terror group appears to be lashing out in the most brutal of ways. One eyewitness says ISIS executed 75 Iraqi officers on Saturday. And the UN says thousands of women and kids have been forced
from their homes, possibly to be used as human shields in the coming battle for Mosul.
Well, senior international correspondent Arwa Damon joins us live now from Irbil. That battle could be days, weeks, if not months away. What are you
hearing on the ground?
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, the advance is still continuing from multiple fronts with different units moving forward
at a different pace. You have the predominately Shia paramilitary units coming up from the west, making, according to their spokesman, relatively
speaking fairly quick progress. Their main aim is going to be to block the supply route from Syria to Mosul and potentially take over the Iraqi city
of Talafar (ph), that could prove to be problematic given that the Turks have already voiced their opposition at any sort of involvement by these
Shia paramilitary units.
You mentioned, though, were 75 executed there. This happened after clashes broke out inside Mosul and then ISIS swept through the area detaining
individuals and seemingly executing those whom it thought was responsible for standing against them. And most certainly as troops getting closer to
the city, the fighting is becoming more intense.
And dozens of Christian villages, among others, have been liberated so far in this process.
We actually went to one of these Christian villages to look at the destruction and damage left
behind. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: Father Binham Lailou voice echoes through the blackened shell of his church. He has loved this place ever since he was a child.
FATHER BINHAM LAILOU, ST. GEORGE SYRIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator)): I was 7- or 8-years- old, and I used to sit in the first row.
The deacons and priests would be praying. I'd sit looking round the church. I never thought the day would come that the church would look like this.
DAMON: He knew ISIS were cruel, but could never imagine this.
LAILOU: How can they come into a church, a house of worship, and do this, with peaceful and loving people? We don't want enemies.
DAMON: But they had no choice. Throughout this once sleepy town, ISIS defaced and destroyed all symbols of Christianity, and the battle to
liberate Bartellah (ph) left entire streets in ruins. Gravestones pock- marked with bullet holes, homes with the warning 'mufakhakh', booby-
trapped, and only traces of the life before. We met Father Lallu (ph) two years ago, before the horror began, when this was a tranquil sanctuary.
LAILOU (through translator): When you were here, I told you ISIS would come, and we asked them what they wanted. We didn't know ISIS was this
ugly, this destructive, this evil. They want to send the world to the dark ages.
DAMON: But Father Lailou is ready to forgive.
LAILOU (through translator): We even pray for them, so that God can enlighten them, and they leave this road. How can someone blow himself up,
or kill just because they're of a different faith?
DAMON: Bartellah (ph) was liberated on the father's 49th birthday. But half his congregation has already left Iraq. He prays the rest will stay.
LAILOU (through transaltor): We're trying, we are trying as best as we can to bring back hope.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: And Becky, you heard the father there talking about how he wanted to bring back hope. That's not just a sentiment that's applicable to the
Christian community, it is to the vast majority of this war torn country, especially those who have and continue to suffer under ISIS's rule, Becky.
ANDERSON: Arwa Damon for you in Irbil this evening. Arwa, thank you.
Still ahead tonight, Mosul, but not as you know it. We're going to get you a glimpse of the city at a much quieter time.
Plus, the latest poll shows the race tightening days before the U.S. presidential election. Our political director shows us how Donald Trump
could get a win.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right. This is what life in Mosul used to look like, mostly calm as it had been for generations in lands spoken about in the bible, the
quiet color of these snapshots testified to that comfortable history.
A Yazidi shrine and a mosque sitting side by side.
Well, now vivid horror bursts across the city, the ancient streets often soaked with blood. A witness inside the city tells CNN ISIS executed --
executed 75 people there on Saturday.
You're watching CNN, this is Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson Welcome back. 20 minutes past 7:00 in the UAE.
They are just the latest victims of the ISIS plague, and it is not just in Iraq, of course. Their brutal rules extend over to their de facto capital,
Raqqa, next door in Syria and they dominate the desert between them, letting things slither back and forth.
But the battlefield isn't just raging on a number of sides, it's also operating in several dimensions all at once -- political, ideological,
ethnic and religious factions all striving to get ahead in a violent pressure cooker, if you will. And that's not putting off Turkey
from wanting to add to the mix. It's now wading in again.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning Shiite Muslim fighters backed by Iran not to dare step foot inside the town of Talafar (ph), because it's
full of Sunni Muslims and Turkman, he says.
Well, CNN's Ivan Watson joining us now from Istanbul with more a threat in no uncertain terms
from the Turkish president. How does Ankara back that up should it decide it has not been listened to or heard?
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Isn't that the big question, Becky? The Turkish president issued a number of warnings, a number of
threats demanding that Turkey be involved in this anti-ISIS coalition, this operation towards the city of Mosul. But it hasn't apparently thus far had
the muscle to follow through on those threats.
Clearly, the Turks very concerned that the popular -- so-called Popular Mobilization Units, or Hashd al-Shaabi, these largely Shiite Muslim Arab
militias are moving in from the southwest of Mosul and that Turkey is very concerned that these are essentially proxies of Iran, which is a rival to
Turkey's for territory and influence in Iraq. And this Erdogan's warning to them to please stay back.
But again can they follow through on these threats and have some influence on how events unfold on the ground in Mosul? That, we do not know at this
time.
In the meantime, Turkey is having some very serious warnings here on the home front, Becky. You had this U.S. State Department issue an order for
dependents of U.S. diplomats working at the U.S. consulate here in Istanbul to please leave for fear of terrorism threats. There, of course, have been
a series of very deadly ISIS bombings and attacks here in Istanbul in just the last year. Clearly, you have U.S. officials worried that their
diplomatic personnel could be targeted, as well here. And this is on top of just the sheer very turbulent and unstable situation here in Turkey
where the government declared an extended state of emergency after a failed attempted military coup last July, Becky.
ANDERSON: Ivan, are we aware of any specific threat against U.S. staff and their families in
Istanbul?
WATSON: We have not been given that information. But we can conclude, because the U.S. government has ordered these dependents to leave the U.S.
consulate in Istanbul, but not the U.S. embassy in Ankara, not from the Incirlik air base that they must have some information suggesting that they
feel that their personnel, that their diplomatic families are more at risk here in Istanbul in the largest city of the country, the cultural and
economic capital, that they feel more at risk here than in other parts of Turkey.
But there's a general warning that's been out for some time from the U.S. government advising U.S. travelers not to visit here and advising U.S.
government personnel to avoid generally southeast Turkey, which borders both civil war-wracked Syria and Iraq, to stay away from southeastern
Turkey entirely, Becky.
ANDERSON: We know that the coalition forces have a plan to liberate Raqqa. We don't know what's the time line on that would be. Perhaps we can
discuss that with our next guest. For the time being, Ivan Watson, we thank you very much indeed for joining us.
And let me bring in my next guess, because the battle for Mosul would probably be playing out
very differently if it weren't for a lot of help from Washington.
For more on how the fighting is going, let's speak to Colonel John Dorian. He is a spokesman for U.S. Central Command and joins us now live from
Baghdad. And, sir, thank you.
How would describe the offensive to date?
COL. JOHN DORIAN, SPOKESMAN, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Well, the Iraqi security forces continued their advance on multiple axes. They have made
great progress and have been able to impose their will on the enemy.
Now, we've conducted a tremendous number of air, artillery and rocket strikes in support of their advance. More than 2,700 munitions have been
dropped on Daesh targets over the last several days, and it's killed hundreds of Daesh fighters and moved their positions. We have even
destroyed about 55 of those tunnels that you heard so much about.
ANDERSON: We are also hearing awful stories about the treatment of civilians at the hands of ISIS, not least in Mosul and in other towns.
John, let me read you -- our viewers as well, what you said just this Friday, talking about
Iraqi forces, quote, they are pausing and repositioning, refitting and doing some back clearing.
After that, CNN spoke to an Iraqi official who told us that's totally wrong. And that you shouldn't be speaking on behalf of Iraq's joint
military commands. This seems to demonstrate a fundamental lack of coordination, of trust, and you're at the center of it. Your response?
DORIAN: Well, I think it represents a poor choice of words on my part. The Iraqi security forces have been able to make progress. they have been
able to do their back clearing refit and they've continued to make made progress on multiple axes.
ANDERSON: There are some who say the U.S. is plays with fire in this fight. And this is why I say this, Shiite militia backed by Iran, of
course, part of the mission to date back Mosul from ISIS, so they are useful, of course, to the coalition and to the U.S. there.
But a spokesman for those same fighters has now vowed that after ISIS is cleared out of Mosul, and that, of course, we know may be some months to
come if you are successful. These same fighters will go to fight in Syria backing President Bashar al-Assad, who your government wants out of power.
In these Shia militia that you are in coordination with in Iraq who say they will go on to Syria and fight with Bashar al-Assad, are you in the
U.S. creating a Frankenstein?
DORIAN: Well, all of our coordination is with -- by, with, and through the government of Iraq. So, they're making the determination what the
disposition of forces are throughout Iraq. And we do our coordination with them.
Thus far, what we've seen is that the government of Iraq has come up with a plan not only taking into consideration the operational requirements on the
battlefield, but also political considerations about who should go into Mosul.
So, we've been successful in that coordination, cooperation between the Peshmerga, Iraqi security forces and so far everyone has done exactly what
they said they would do.
ANDERSON: There is still room, of course, it would be awful to see it before the opportunity for revenge attacks from some of these groups
against some of these civilians. Are you concerned -- how concerned are you about that?
DORIAN: Well, certainly, as we work with the Iraqis, the government of Iraq to come up with their plan, all these issues were taken into
consideration.
Now, the government of Iraq has come up with a plan that has gotten everybody on board all toward the goal of liberating Mosul as soon as it
can be done. And largely they're on plan.
ANDERSON: How long will it take to liberate Mosul briefly?
DORIAN: It's very difficult to determine how long it is going to take. The Iraqi security forces have been able to move steadily forward. We
think that the enemy forces will stiffen somewhat as they move closer to the city. But the Iraqis have a good game plan for working their way
through those defenses. As you know, Daesh have been in the city for more than two years. They have had the chance to dig elaborate defenses,
including tunnels and berms, a lot of blocking tactics, but the Iraqis have been trained. We have trained more than 54,000 of them in order to
negotiate those kinds of obstacles. And we think that they are going to be successful in raising the flag of Iraq in the center of the city.
ANDERSON: Colonel, Turkey, one of America's key friends in this region, just the other day, though, the Turkish president picking up the phone to
the White House and asking Washington to abandon Kurdish militia in Syria after Turkey has been bombing them already.
But they're one of your most effective strategic weapons in Iraq and in Syria, and now warning from the Turkish president, Shiite fighters must
stay out of the city of Talafar, a city between Raqqa and Mosul, or else, he says. And this is despite telling Baghdad -- sorry, telling his country
to stay out Iraq altogether.
Is your patience with Turkey running out and running out fast?
DORIAN: Well, you know, Turkey is a long-time ally of the United States. they're a NATO ally. We have got a lot of great history together. They've
been very successful in fighting Daesh in northern Syria. They moved their lines forward and cleared many areas, and cleared a very significant buffer
zone across their border. And this has been very helpful in reducing the possibility that Daesh can infiltrate that border and move up into Europe
and create international terrorist incidents.
So, they've done a tremendous amount of good work there. We believe that every organization,
every nation, every member of the coalition should work by, with, and through the government of Iraq in order to fight Daesh in this country.
ANDERSON: So, is the answer yes, patience running out, briefly?
DORIAN: No we believe that every nation ought to work with the government of Iraq if they want to come here and fight Daesh. So, that statement is
really all there is to it.
ANDERSON: Sir, with that we're going to leave it there. Thank you. And we are taking a very short break. Back after this with your headlines,
viewers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
ANDERSON: To the war in Yemen now, and Houthi rebels say air strikes on a prison have killed at least 68 people. I want to warn you, some of the
images that you are about to see are graphic.
Nearly 40 people were wounded in the strikes. Saudi-led coalition warplanes targeted the prison in Hodouda (ph), a port city under rebel
control.
Saudi officials say rebels were using it as a command center for military operations
Well, for more on this ongoing conflict, I'm joined now by CNN's Muhammad Lila. And Muhammad, we call this the forgotten war. It does continue.
MUHAMMAD LILA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, you know, it is being called the forgotten war, and what's crazy about that is the scale of the humanitarian
suffering with that is just but finally some images are trickling out that are graphic and vivid and startling that actually show the harsh realities
on the ground.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LILA: They're the shocking images showing what life is like in parts of Yemen. This is 18-year-old Sayeeda Barili (ph), so malnourished she can't
even stand on her own.
Mr. Goldrick (ph), thank you for taking the time to talk to us today.
James Goldrick (ph) is the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Yemen. We spoke to him about the crisis getting worse by the day.
On a scale of one to ten, how bad is this crisis right now?
JAMES GOLDRICK, UN HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR YEMEN: It must be up there at a nine, because we are seeing every single day things getting worse.
The fact that Saudis are not working, the fact that the health and social services are collapsed, we have a cholera outbreak, we have a massive
malnutrition problem here.
LILA: That malnutrition has now left nearly 1.5 million children in danger of starving, according to the UN's latest figures. And in a country of 26
million, nearly half can't survive without some kind of outside assistance. It's all the result of this: 19 months of air strikes that have crippled
the economy and infrastructure.
The Saudi-led coalition behind the air strikes says their goal is to reinstall the internationally recognized government of Abdrabbuh Mansour
Hadi, who fled when Houthi militias overran most of the country.
Over the weekend, an air strike targeted this prison killing more than 68 people. The coalition saying it was being used as a military command
center, something the Houthis deny. And like with so many world conflict, as these two sides fight, it's innocent civilians like Saeeda (ph), who are
suffer the most.
If you had a chance to broadcast one message to the entire world what would you say right now?
GOLDRICK: If we don't (inaudible) and we don't step in in a bigger way in terms of funding or our the ability to address those issues, there is going
to be a lot more difficulties in the country.
LILA: And that's why the UN is now sounding the alarm, warning that much of the damage that's already been done is irreversible, and pleading for
the international community to start paying attention.
GOLDRICK: It's not going to be easy, it's not going to be quick, but we have to do this, because the people of Yemen have suffered long enough over
the last 19 months. And we cannot forgive ourselves and we have an obligation to make sure that we address those needs better.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LILA: And, Becky, speaking of those needs, the UN says that it is able to provide some sort of minimal assistance to about 8.5 million people, that
sounds like a lot of people. But there are actually so many more, so many millions more that are in desperate need of help. And in those remote
regions, they may not get it.
ANDERSON: Muhammad Lila on the story for you. Thank you.
Well, to find out more about how you can help the people of Yemen, do check out the website,
CNN.com/Impactyourworld.
Now, you'll find a list of charities there helping those affected and learn how you can
contribute. That's the Impact Your World site on CNN digital.
Ties between Russia and the U.S. are becoming strained in part because of the war in Syria. And it is raising fears of conflict not felt since the
Cold War.
But some in Moscow are making a game of it. Matthew Chance reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Red alert, and a Soviet style nuclear bunker. For a couple of Russians are racing to prevent a
catastrophic strike on the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nuclear bombs will be launched in one hour.
CHANCE: The aim of the quest, the latest gaming craze in Moscow is to find the nuclear launch codes, deactivate a hidden red button. It's already
been pressed by a mad Russian general.
Of course, it's complete fantasy, but amid the current tensions with Russia, it all feels a little unsettling.
Are you worried something like this could happen in real life?
UNIDENITIFIED FEMALE: I am not. No, I'm not thinking about it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm worried, because it's very stupid information for both sides. And I know that normal people all over the world don't want
any war.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now I e know that in school, in Russia, they tell to the children the same, that our main enemy is the U.S. and it sounds
ridiculous to me. And I'm pretty sure that war is impossible.
CHANCE: But not all Russians agree. National television has been broadcasting a mass training exercise, involving up to 40 million people
across the country, to prepare responses, says the government, for a chemical or nuclear attack.
It's the biggest rehearsal of its kind since the collapse of the Soviet Union and suggests the Kremlin at least wants Russians to take the threat
of war very seriously.
Of course all-out conflict between Russia and the West remains highly unlikely, the principle of mutual assured destruction still holds just like
it did during the Cold War.
But with tensions growing over Syria, Ikraine and the Baltic states, analysts say a small risk of contact, misunderstanding and escalation
between the nuclear superpowers has become very real.
And it's a risk the Kremlin seems keen to spotlight, releasing details of its latest intercontinental ballistic missile being added to its nuclear
arsenal, the Satan 2, as it is known, will be one of the world's most destructive weapons, guaranteeing Russia's place as a top nuclear power.
State television has also upped its hard line rhetoric in its flagship current affairs show, Russia's top state news anchor, dubbed by critics as
the Kremlin's propaganda in chief, recently issued a stark warning of global war if, for instance, Russian and U.S. forces clash in Syria.
Brutish behavior towards Russia, declared Dmitry Kiselyov, could have nuclear dimensions. I
t is an apocalyptic vision that adds a further sense of realism to the fantasy quest being acted out gamers in Moscow.
This time, the Cold War nuclear holocaust is averted. Hopefully one in the real world will be, too.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Live from Abu Dhabi, this is onnect the World. I'm Becky Anderson for you. Coming up, Hillary Clinton's campaign wages war with the
FBI. I'm going to take you to the front line with a closer look at the director's path in Washington.
And later, a look at one of the world's most vibrant religious festivals. The lights and the colors of Diwali.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON; You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson for you at a quarter to eight here in the UAE. We are just nine
days from the U.S. election, November 8th. And Hillary Clinton's campaign is digging in for a fight against the FBI.
Now the bureau's director tells congress a batch of newly discovered emails may be linked
to Clinton's use of a private server. This all came out over the weekend. But Clinton's campaign says the FBI should have looked at the emails
closely before dropping what many see as a bombshell just days before the vote.
Campaign chairman John Podesta, campaign chairman for the Democrats that is, spoke with Jake Tapper earlier. This is what he had to say.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN PODESTA, CLINTON CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: If they're not significant, they're not significant. So, he might have taken the first step of
actually having looked at them before he did this in the middle of a presidential campaign so close to voting.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: But it's not that they haven't read any of them. Obviously, the FBI agents who stumbled upon them read some of them and
determined them to be pertinent.
PODESTA: Do you know that, Jake? Do you know that?
TAPPER: That's according to -- I'm telling you according to the reporting of Evan Perez, our
Justice Department correspondent, it's not as though they didn't know anything in the emails. The stumbled upon them, found that they seeemed to
be pertinent to the Clinton email server investigation. And that is why...
PODESTA: Seemed to be pertinent, might not be significant, 11 days before the election, is that something you toss on table or do you take the time
to do what other prosecutors have done in the past and make sure that it is so significant that you had to go forward with it.
So i don't fault him for taking a look at whatever he's found, we don't know what that is. But at this stage, having taken the steps, and he at
least ought to explain, you know, if he thinks they are significant or not significant, let's let him come forward and say why.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: All right. Well, that was John Podesta, chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign
turning the spotlight on the FBI's director. Well, my colleague Gary Tuchman takes a closer look at who is James Comey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I. State your name.
JAMES COMEY, DIRECTOR OF THE FBI: I, James B. Comey.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: James Comey became the seventh director of the FBI in 2013 in the beginning of President Obama's second
term.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So help me God.
COMEY: So help me God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations Mr. Director.
TUCHMAN: However, years before that, he became the number two at the Justice Department under President George W. Bush. It happens to be a
registered Republican who donated to both the Mitt Romney campaign in 2012 and the John McCain campaign in 2008.
He also served as counsel on the Senate Whitewater Committee in 1996, investigating both Hilary and Bill Clinton, but his reputation for
Bipartisan fairness has long been well known.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bob Muller and Mr. Jim Comey.
TUCHMAN: When Comey took over the FBI director spot from Bob Mueller, this is what Mueller had to say.
ROBERT MUELLER, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: I have had the opportunity to work with Jim for a number of years in the Department of Justice, and I have
found him to be a man of honesty, dedication and integrity.
TUCHMAN: Comey gained the degree of fame for his role in one of the most dramatic incidents during George W. Bush's tenure in the White House.
Comey's boss, Attorney General John Ashcroft, was gravely ill in the hospital.
Two of President Bush's top aides rushed there to try to get Ashcroft to endorse a warrant less eaves dropping program. Comey, was acting attorney
general while Ashcroft was in the hospital and when he found out about the plan, he rushed to the hospital and stopped it.
COMEY: I was very upset. I was angry. I thought I had just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man.
TUCHMAN: The eaves dropping program was not endorsed. As a federal prosecutor, Comey dealt with the Khobar Towers, terrorist bombing case
following the attack 20 years ago at a U.S. military facility in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 service members. He prosecuted members of the Mafia.
COMEY: We are here this afternoon to announce the unsealing of three separate indictments against 14 alleged members and associates of the
Gambino crime family.
TUCHMAN: And he prosecuted America's domestic diva.
COMEY: Martha Stewart is being prosecuted not because of who she is but because of what she did.
TUCHMAN: Donald Trump tweeted the system is rigged after Comey's statement regarding Hillary Clinton.
COMEY: We are expressing to justice our view that no charges are appropriate in this case.
TUCHMAN: But as this news continues to develop, Trump said this.
TRUMP: It might not be as rigged as I thought. Right, right? The FBI, I think they're going to right the ship, folks. I think they're going to
right the ship.
TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the latest tracking poll from ABC and The Washington Post shows that the race is tightening. And if Donald Trump gets in the White
House, one of the first things he vows to do is repeal what is known as the Affordable Care Act.
Well, his campaign manager borrowed a key word from Hillary Clinton when she told our Jake Tapper exactly why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONWAY: He's the right person to repeal and replace it because Obamacare is an unmitigated disaster, it reminds us all how intrusive, invastive,
expensive and expansive the federal government can become in our lives under the guise of helping people. He was in Arizona yesterday and clearly
told them their premiums are expected to rise in Arizona by 116 percent. Will CNN or anybody else ask Mrs. Clinton that today when she's visiting
Arizona? We see these other premiums -- people are opening up their mailboxes and clicking onto their computers and getting notice that their
premiums are about to explode. It is reprehensible and deplorable to coin a phrase that Americans are now choosing between paying the rent, feeding
their families and keeping of their health care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that was Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway. But the question remains will Trump even get a day in the Oval Office? He
faces a challenge, a huge challenge, it seems, when it comes to assembling the 270 electoral votes that he needs to win this election.
CNN Political Director David Chalian breaks those numbers down. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR; We've been talking about Donald Trump's very narrow path to 270 electoral votes. And it was clearly on
display if you looked at his travel schedule on Friday. He went to New Hampshire, Maine and Iowa, a total of 11 electoral votes at play there.
But he needs them all.
Take a look, this is our battleground map where we start right now. Remember, if we give Donald Trump every remaining battleground state --
Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio, I'm even giving him that one electoral vote in Nebraska that's up for grabs that gets him
up to 265 electoral votes. So, he was in New Hampshire on Friday. Look here. If he gets New
Hampshire, that's 269 electoral votes.
But why was he to Maine? Because he went to Maine's second congressional district, which they award their electoral votes by congressional district
to pick up one electoral vote. That electoral vote gets him to 270 if he's able to win that electoral vote in Maine.
This is Donald Trump's path to 270, run the board, flip New Hampshire, win that Maine electoral vote, which has a lot of white, noncollege-educated
voters, Trump voters where they really think they can pick that up and they think it's what puts him over the hurdle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That's the math for you, and that was CNN political director David Chalian reporting.
Well, many of the controversies plaguing Clinton and Trump are of their own making. Stephen Collinson, who was one of my colleagues, likens the real-
life drama to Shakespearean hubris. You can read his take on the candidates self-defeating flaws on CNN.com. He argues they are better at beating
themselves than each other.
Clinton's troubles have often revolved around her penchant for secrecy, while one of Trump's Achilles heels has been his tendency to be set off by
the smallest slight.
You're watching CNN, this is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. Live from Abu Dhabi, coming up, a dazzling display of lights and faith, as
Hindus celebrate the festival Diwali.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're Parting Shots this evening. We look towards India as Diwali celebrations began. The dazzling Hindu festival of lights kicking
off today, lasting for five days until Thursday.
The festival one of the most important in the Hindu calendar, celebrating the return of Hindu
god Rama to his kingdom after 14 years in exile.
The sparkling celebration also said to be when the goddess of wealth and fortune Lakshmi enters revelers homes.
In India's rural areas, the occasion marked by humble offerings and feasts. But in the city's shining across India and in Hindu communities right here
in the UAE, the party hits the streets with cascades of fireworks and ceremonial gambling in the home, while richer Hindus give extravagant gifts
of gold, clothes and other expensive items.
But beyond the presents, for Hindus the lights symbolize a triumph of good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. We wish them all a happy Diwali
this year.
Well, many people living right here in the United Arab Emirates are also observing this colorful
festival of lights, but did you know that an episode of The Office was dedicated to Diwali?
Well, for more fun facts about the Hindu celebration, head to our Facebook page. And that story and, of course, all the others that we have covered
in the weeks and months and those to come, they'll be on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/CNNcorrect.
I'm Becky Anderson. That was Connect the World. Thank you for watching. And for those of you celebrating, happy Diwali.
END
