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Connect the World
Trump Names ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State; Rebels on Verge of Collapse in Eastern Aleppo; Saving the Bumble Bee; One Square Meter: East Manchester; Not Much Change in Qatar's Labor Laws According to Amnesty International. 10:00a-11:00a ET
Aired December 13, 2016 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:16] HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, HOST: Eastern Aleppo's last stand: the Syrian army pushes deeper into what used to be rebel territory.
(AUDIO GAP)
JONES: ...with a difference this hour.
Hello and welcome to Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones for you live in London. The UN calls the last few days in Aleppo, Syria a complete
meltdown of humanity. The Syrian government's push to flush rebels from the city is costing dozens of civilian lives. And for those who have fled
the city, many have nowhere to go.
Meanwhile, a very different story in the western parts of the city. Many people living there filled the streets to celebrate the governments gains
in Aleppo.
Well, our Frederik Pleitgen is following the story from Beirut for us and joins us now live. Fred, you were in Aleppo just last week. Did you see
or hear anything to suggest that these extrajudicial killings have been going on?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, we certainly didn't see anything that seemed to indicate that that was taking place. In
fact, the frontline areas that we were at, they seemed to be going out, the civilians of those areas in a fairly orderly fashion. I mean, there was
certain places where of course there were some very heavy battles going on. But if anything, what we saw was the Syrian military and some of its allied
forces actually helping some civilians to try and get out of that dangerous battle zone.
Now, of course, we're in a very different situation in this battle now that it's moved on. At this point in time, the Syrian government in many of
those places is really sweeping a lot of these areas. And there are these reports that apparently some of these extrajudicial killings have taken
place.
Now, a lot of these reports, most of these reports, are unverified, and probably, quite frankly, unverifiable given the chaos on the ground and
really how difficult it is to ascertain any sort of reliable information from those areas.
Nevertheless, the United Nations says it's very concerned about those reports coming out. Let's listen in to one of their spokespeople had to
say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUPERT COLVILLE, SPOKESMAN, UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: Yesterday evening, we received further deeply disturbing reports of
numerous bodies are lying in the streets, but residents were unable to retrieve them due to the intense bombardment, and their fear of being shot
on sight.
In all, as of yesterday evening, we've received reports of pro-government forces killing at least 82 civilians, including 11 women and 13 children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: And once again, the UN says it can't independently verify those reports. They say they have this information from sources who have been
credible in the past, but of course at this point in time it's unclear how much direct access those sources themselves have to some of these events
going on as, of course, many of them are on the run themselves. And it is, again, that very chaotic situation.
There hasn't been any sort of response from the Syrian government just yet. But of course nevertheless, there is that grave concern for the safety of
the civilians who are still trapped inside those very small besieged areas, especially the children, Hannah.
And UNICEF put out an urgent plea earlier today saying they believe there's a lot of unaccompanied minors in those besieged areas, including one
building where apparently 100 unaccompanied children have fled to very much in harms way as those dangerous battles continue to rage, Hannah.
JONES: Fred, thanks very much indeed. Fred Pleitgen live for us there in Beirut, in Lebanon.
Well, the International Red Cross is also relaying horrific stories from Aleppo where thousands of displaced people are in temporary shelters. They
are pleading for the government to spare the lives of civilians trapped in the war zone.
And we're joined now by a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross Pawel Krzysiek who is in Aleppo, in western Aleppo. Pawel,
thanks so much for joining us on the program.
And from your viewpoint in the west of the city, are we witnessing the annihilation or the liberation of eastern Aleppo?
[10:05:04] PAWEL KRZYSIEK, INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS: I don't think it's up to me to actually answer this question, because our
main concern is right now the fate of the civilians, either those who are trapped, you know, between the warring sides in eastern Aleppo, or those
thousands of people who actually are either in the past two weeks into (inaudible) in Aleppo to the collective shelters, temporary shelters in the
western side where there's thousands who are actually since August, since actually the city witnessed escalation of violence, of the fighting, and
has been displaced and have to (inaudible) their homes.
That's our big concern right now, because the humanitarian needs are growing here. I'm not sure if we actually can talk about crisis anymore.
I think this is really a different humanitarian catastrophe that we are facing on all possible levels here.
JONES: And in your role within the international Red Cross. Are you able to cooperate and collaborate with the Russians, with the Syrian regime, in
order to try to help those people who are fleeing the east?
KRZYSIEK: We recently made an appeal, make a plea, for the civilians. We offered our expertise, the expertise that as you know we derive from more
than 150 years of humanitarian work, because this is how long the ICRC has been on the ground helping the civilians.
We are ready to play that (inaudible) road in order to implement any provision, any provisions of the agreement that has to be reached by the
fighting sides for the sake of the civilians. Since over a week, we have been in touch with all sides in order to find the solutions for the
civilians.
For the time being, this has not materialized, but it does have to materialize right now. We are running out of time. We are hearing really
desperate reports. I man, I've been in one of the districts that has been retaken recently by the government (inaudible) -- you can really feel there
how fierce, how violent the fighting, the clashes, can really be and what the civilian population can actually go (inaudible) when they are trapped
in the middle of that.
JONES: We're just looking at some of the images that I believe you've sent in to us as well. As things stand right now, what kind of facilities do
you have on the ground in Aleppo to help those people. What is in place by the International Red Cross?
KRZYSIEK: So, the International Committee of the Red Cross since the very beginning of kind of violence in Aleppo has been working through its office
here over (inaudible). Of course, we do this humanitarian work with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
Right now, our priority really is to focus on those thousand people who are fleeing, or who have fled because in the past 24 hours, we have seen a
certain decrease of movement, who has left the eastern Aleppo to the collective shelters on the western side to abandoned cotton factories,
concrete barracks with very high ceilings, really dramatic conditions where we, together with the Red Crescent, we try to meet their basic needs where
the entire humanitarian community, local charities, other international organizations trying to really provide these people with the bare minimum.
But this, of course, is not enough. We have noticed that many people return to their houses, return to their districts, and (inaudible). So, we
will be focusing on that in the days, probably weeks, maybe months to come.
JONES: You mentioned earlier that time is now running out. It seems like time has been running out for years now in Aleppo.
What is it about this moment in time that is different?
KRZYSIEK: Well, I think we definitely see the escalation of the fighting. We definitely see the increase of the military operation. We definitely
see enormous, enormous human suffering on the ground. I mean, we have seen, as you said, we have seen this in Aleppo before, but never on such a scale.
And you know looking -- talking to the people in the collective shelters, listening to the stories, and we fear that this might yet be a tip of an
iceberg, and the worst is yet to come.
And we have to be ready for that. We have to be ready for that and also the fighting sides need to be ready to make compromises in order to ensure
the safety of the civilians who are trapped in this fighting.
[10:10:12] JONES: Pawel Krzyseik, we appreciate your efforts in trying to deal with this catastrophe in Aleppo right now. And we appreciate your
time talking to us on Connect the World. Thank you.
Now, some breaking news just in to us here at CNN. And sources tell CNN that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rick Perry as his energy
secretary. The former Republican governor of Texas once ran for president himself and has said he favors scrapping the department. He's now been
picked to lead.
We also know who Trump has chosen to be the face of American diplomacy around the world. Mr. Trump says ExxonMobil CEO, Rex Tillerson knows how
to manage a global enterprise and calls his relationships with world leaders second to none.
Tillerson has no formal foreign policy experience, but his close business ties to Russia have already caused concern on Capitol Hill. As spokesman
from Trump's camp told CNN Tillerson will promote the America first foreign policy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON MILER, SPOKESMAN, TRUMP TRANSITION TEAM: He negotiates tough. He's known as one of the toughest negotiators on the entire planet, but when he
goes in and he gets that deal just the same way he's been fighting for shareholders, he then now will start fighting for the American citizen to
make sure that we're getting good deals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Well, it didn't take long for the Kremlin to weigh in on this. It calls Tillerson respectable and professional, noting that he has strong
ties with Russian officials.
And that will probably only deepen the concern of some senators, though, who have already raised concerns about his appointment. CNN's Sunlen
Serfaty has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REX TILLERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE NOMINEE: We are the largest American oil company. We're very global.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over: Rex Tillerson, a career oil man, on track to become the nation's chief diplomat.
TILLERSON: As someone who has spent his entire career in the energy industry --
SERFATY: Tillerson, a 64-year-old conservative Texan, has no government or foreign policy experience. He has only held one job in his adult life,
working for the last 40 years at Exxon. First hired as a civil engineer out of college, working his way up the corporate ladder through the
international division, and then rising to CEO in 2006.
TILLERSON: The belief in the promise of international engagement and in the potential for global approaches to meeting this nation's challenges.
SERFATY: At the helm of ExxonMobil, Tillerson operated at a high level internationally, negotiating on behalf of Exxon's interests with deep
relationship in the Gulf and Middle East, Asia, and Russia.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT: He's much more than a business executive. I mean, he's a world-class player.
SERFATY: Tillerson having deep ties, especially to Russia and Vladimir Putin, even receiving the Order of Friendship in 2012, a high honor
bestowed to him personally from Putin.
TRUMP: To me, a great advantage is he knows many of the players. And he knows them well. He does massive deals in Russia.
SERFATY: But that's seen as an asset to President-elect Trump is a problem for some on Capitol Hill.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I have obviously concerns of reports of his relationship with Vladimir Putin, who is a thug and a murderer.
SERFATY: Marco Rubio tweeting, quote, "Being a friend of Vladimir Putin is not an attribute I am hoping for from a secretary of State." Meantime,
Tillerson's views on climate change in opposition to the president he's about to serve.
TRUMP: We will cancel this deal so that our companies can compete.
SERFATY: Tillerson supported the Paris climate change agreement reached earlier this year and has declared climate change a problem, at odds with
Trump.
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS: Where are you on the environment?
TRUMP: I'm very open minded. I'm still open minded. Nobody really knows.
SERFATY: While Exxon spent years denying that burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change, under Tillerson's time the company softened
its stance.
TILLERSON: While there are a range of possible outcomes, the risk posed by rising greenhouse gas emissions could prove to be significant.
SERFATY: Outside of his work, Tillerson, a father of four, has deep lineage in the Boy Scouts of America. An Eagle Scout himself, he served as national
president in 2010 and had a big role in moving the organization forward and allowing the acceptance of gay scouts.
Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Well, lets get more now on Trump's choice for secretary of state. We're joined by Elise Labott, CNN's global affairs correspondent. She's in
Washington. Elise, good to see you.
What sort of reaction are we getting from State Department diplomats about their next boss?
ELISE LABOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it's very open-minded, Hannah. I mean, obviously this is a new approach, a kind of hard-nosed
dealmaker in terms of the top U.S. diplomat. So, I think that, you know, I've talked to a lot of career diplomats. They say that this could be a
new approach that could kind of shake things up.
But there are some concerns about Rex Tillerson's connections to Vladimir Putin, perhaps that he might be a little bit soft on Russia and that kind
of leans into questions that career diplomats about President-elect Trump's larger policy toward Russia.
But I think there's also -- there could be a bit of a culture clash. I mean, when Rex Tillerson, as the head of ExxonMobil was dealing, for
instance, in Iraq, he was dealing with the Kurds on a business deal for exploring oil there, that kind of rankled the State Department who thought
that this should be done with the central government in Baghdad.
So, I mean, diplomatic dealmaking is a little big different than business deal making. Obviously, Rex Tillerson has a very large worldview. He's
been around the world as president-elect Donald Trump said. He's a worldclass player.
But as one diplomat told me, you know, Diplomacy has a long tail. And so you might be going in to make a business deal as a CEO when you're the top
diplomat. You have to think of the whole world and how that long tail -- you swing it one way, it affects another policy. So, there's a lot of, you
know, things to work out. Obviously, Rex Tillerson has a very complex history, but comes very highly recommended from former Secretary of State
Condi Rice, former Defense Secretary Bill Gates. A lot of people are very impressed with what he has been able to do as the head of ExxonMobil.
It will be an adjustment as the top U.S. diplomat.
[10:16:24] JONES: And we should discuss as well the outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry. He's had a difficult relationship with Sergey Lavrov,
his Russian counterpart over the last couple of years, still trying to negotiate some kind of diplomatic deal to solve the Syria crisis, among
others. And what's his likely reaction going to be to a Russian insider, some people would say, taking over his role?
LABOTT: Well, I mean, John Kerry has a very good relationship with Sergey Lavrov, personally, it's the relationship between U.S. and Russia that is
very tense. And that's because of Russian actions around the world.
So, if, you know, President-elect Trump -- and it's going to be his policy, really, that Rex Tillerson is implementing, is willing to kind of give
Russia a pass on its actions in Syria, on its actions in Ukraine, if it's willing to lift sanctions against Russia, that would be a problem.
But certainly as a person with an international view, with an international experience, I think he's seen as very qualified for the job. I think it's
the larger questions about he -- the interests he promoted as the head of ExxonMobil and how that might play into his role in U.S. diplomacy.
JONES: And what about the overall cabinet picture at the moment, and in particular, of course, Tillerson with this new role as well. Does this
signify business over diplomacy as far as the Trump administration goes?
LABOTT: Well, I mean, and some of the picks -- certainly and his Labor Secretary that was the chairman and CEO of Hardees, and other, you know --
and Carls -- and other types of CEOs that he's picking, Treasury, you know, there is a very businessminded approach. But then you have as defense
secretary Jim Mattis, who is obviously -- there's a concern and an interest in how many generals he's appointing.
I think what Donald Trump is interested in is appointing, you know, strong leaders who are able to lead, that have real life world experience that are
able to lead these institutions.
You know, some of them are CEOs, some of them are generals, obviously. They come from a position of leadership. And so we'll just have to see.
It's a very interesting cabinet that he's shaping up for sure.
JONES: Certainly is. Elise Labott, thanks very much indeed.
You are watching Connect the World live from London. Coming up next on the program, we'll get the view from Moscow on Donald Trump's secretary of
state pick.
And, as Qatar gets ready for the World Cup in 2022, it abolishes its controversial labor system. But does the reform do enough to protect
workers. We'll be discussing that later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:21:18] JONES: Hello. Welcome back. You're watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones live in London for you.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, says his nation welcomes the choice of Rex Tillerson as U.S. Secretary of State and Russia is ready to
work with him, that's according to the country's Sputnik news agency.
Well, Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil, negotiated a deal with the Russian oil giant Rosneft, to provide access to oil resources in the Arctic. And
that deal is expected to be part of a confirmation battle on Capitol Hill.
Matthew Chance joins us now with the view from Moscow.
Matthew, can we expect quiet celebrations behind the Kremlin walls tonight?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I expect so, yes, not just on the announcement that Tillerson is Donald Trump's choice for
Secretary of State, but also on this whole idea that the Trump administration in waiting seems to be much more sympathetic, much more
positive when it comes to bridging the divide in relations between Russia and the United States that have widened over various issues over the course
of the past several years.
Now, Donald Trump, as he often does, tweeted his announcement of his choice of Secretary of State. He said he's chosen one of the great -- the truly
great business leaders of the world, Rex Tillerson, chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, to be secretary of state. Mr. Tillerson, of course, has no
government experience. He has no diplomatic experience, but he is a sort of legendary dealmaker. And of course he has excellent contacts on Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: He's so Kremlin friendly, the Russian president personally pinned a friendship medal on Rex Tillerson's chest, in fact one of Russia's
highest civilian honors.
The Exxon CEO had recently agreed one of the biggest ever oil and gas exploration deals with the Russian state worth nearly half a trillion
dollars. He's certainly a figure with whom the Kremlin appears happy to do business.
Even before Trump formally announced his choice for secretary of state. Russian officials were heaping praise on the Texas oil man. President
Putin's spokesman told CNN he's very professional and has numerous contacts with our representatives.
The head of the Russian parliamentary foreign affairs committee Alexei Pushkov (ph) went even further. The selection of Tillerson is a sensation,
he tweeted. The choice confirms the seriousness of Donald Trump.
It also gives us a sense of what a Trump/Tillerson policy towards Russia might look like. After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, fomenting a brutal
war in eastern Ukraine, Tillerson criticized as ineffective the economic sanctions imposed by Washington.
Exxon says it could have lost up to $1 billion in profit because of them. And there's concern as secretary of state, Tillerson could advocate easing
off.
It's that sympathy to Russia, which has many hard liners questioning Tillerson's suitability.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: I have obviously concerns of reports of his relationship with Vladimir Putin who is a thug and a murderer.
CHANCE: But for others, including Donald Trump himself, high level Kremlin connections make the Exxon chief an ideal pick.
If a deal is to be done with Russia, as secretary of state Tillerson may be the man to pull it off.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: Well, shortly after his announcement of his choice, Donald Trump tweeted again. He said the thing I like best about Rex Tillerson is that
he has vast experience of dealing successfully with all types of foreign governments, but it is of course his dealings with the Russian government
that when it comes to his confirmation hearings in the Senate that could prove to be most problematic, Hannah.
[10:25:16] JONES: And Matthew, this dynamic that will emerge between Rex Tillerson and Sergey Lavrov, his counterpart in Moscow, what might that
mean for global conflict?
(AUDIO GAP)
CHANCE: ...so that incredible potential for all of this to fall apart very badly. I mean, other administrations have come into power trying to reset
their relationship with Russia and failed dismally. The same could happen this time simply because it is very hard, for instance, for any White
House, even one under Trump, to acknowledge the sovereignty of Crimea -- of Russia over Crimea, for instance. It's going to anger all the European
allies. You can't do much with NATO. Syria is a quagmire and there's no good solution to it.
And so, as I say, it could very easily go very wrong in this relationship.
JONES: Now, Matthew Chance, live for us in Moscow. Thanks very much indeed.
You're watching Connect the World. The latest world news headlines are just ahead.
Plus, China says if Donald Trump thinks the One China policy is a bargaining chip, he is sorely mistaken. We'll be examining the tense
situation next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:31:01] JONES: President-elect Donald Trump has put himself on a collision course with China during the campaign, and the tensions have only
increased since that election victory.
Over the weekend, Trump took on the One China policy sparking a stern warning from Beijing as Matt Rivers now reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chinese officials here in Beijing showing no signs of backing down on this, the second full day
here in China after the president-elect made his controversial statement about the One China policy. What we are hearing from Chinese officials is
that in no uncertain terms can any issue dealing with the One China policy be used as some kind of bargaining chip in any type of bilateral
negotiations about any major issues between the United States and China.
That, of course, is what the president-elect said when he spoke to Fox News over the weekend saying that he wasn't beholden to the One China policy, or
he would consider not being beholden to that policy unless China came to the table and gave what the president-elect would call a better deal on
issues like trade and North Korea.
But again today, we are hearing through unofficial channel from the Communist Party, namely state run media, newspapers that are controlled by
the Communist Party, reiterating Beijing's opposition to the president- elect's comments.
And so in a statement, or rather an editorial that was published in the Global Times, a tabloid newspaper here again overseen by the Communist
Party, the editorial read in, quote, "the truth is this president-elect inexperienced in diplomatic practices probably has no idea of what he is
talking about. He has greatly overestimated the U.S.'s capability of dominating the world, and fails to understand the limitations of U.S.
powers in the current era."
That is the exact kind of line that we have heard both officially from members of the ministry of foreign affairs, a spokesperson there speaking
yesterday. And we are also seeing that in state-run media that consistent negative line from Chinese officials saying that they do not agree with the
president-elect's statements, really towing their line saying the One China policy is not up for sale.
Matt Rivers, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: OK, let's take a closer look at the man who could take the lead in this Trump administration to smooth any rift between the U.S. and China,
and of course other countries as well.
Jason Carroll joins us now from outside Trump Tower in New York.
So, Tillerson, he's going to be the chief diplomat, the chief negotiator. We assume he's good at striking business deals. But what about diplomatic
deals? Do we know how good he is on compromise, for example?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I think this is somewhat of uncharted territory. When you think about this man, Rex Tillerson, you
know, he does have the business experience. He does have what Trump has said vast experience in terms of dealing with foreign entities. Clearly,
he has a number of solid relationships with the Kremlin, a solid 15 year relationship with someone like a Vladimir Putin.
The larger questions of how he'll deal with other issues. How he'll deal with the Middle East. How will he deal with China and what's happening
there.
I mean, this is uncharted territory simply because we're dealing with a man who does no come from a government background.
So, I think what we're looking for is looking back in some ways, looking to how he did some of his business dealings at Exxon where he is known as
being a tough negotiator. And certainly that is something that Donald Trump is going to want going forward.
As you know, Hannah, from many of his rallies, he's made it very clear that his mandate is America first. And so anyone who comes into his
administration is going to have to have those marching orders going forward.
JONES: He's -- his appointment, though, still needs to be approved, though, by the senate. And that could prove pretty tricky. I mean, he
might not actually get the job, right?
CARROLL: It is going to be sticky. You know, it's too soon to tell at this point how that confirmation hearing will go. But it is going to be
tough, because you've got people on both sides of the aisle who have expressed opposition to Tillerson. You've got people like Senator McCain,
you've got people like Senator Marco Rubio who have expressed serious, quote, concerns about Tillerson.
But on the flip side, you've got a number of GOP leaders who are already coming forward saying that, look, this is the man who is the right person
for the job.
One thing is very clear, there is going to be a fight on their hands.
JONES: And Jason, you've got to explain this one for us, Kanye West seen at Trump Tower just behind you. Is he is in line for a cabinet position?
CARROLL: I will try to explain that for you. Kanye West, as you know, throughout -- as he just had many of his concerts -- came on stage and
basically expressed his support for Donald Trump, the president-elect. And then shortly thereafter seemed to have some sort of a physical condition,
some sort of possibly mental condition that he had to see some doctors for. Some say it was exhaustion, some say it was more than that. There are
reports that he had some sort of a breakdown.
He was here at Trump Tower this morning, had a short meeting with the president-elect. What that meeting was about, who knows. I mean, this is
New York City. And you know Donald Trump is Donald Trump. He is a celebrity before he became the president-elect, so perhaps it's not all
that unusual for one celebrity to come back and want to give his thanks to another in some ways -- Hannah.
JONES: Yeah, we should keep our eye on Twitter, I guess, and find out what both of them have to say about that meeting in the coming hours.
Jason, thanks very much indeed.
CARROLL: You bet.
JONES: Now, changes to Qatar's controversial labor policies go into effect today. A new contract-based system is replacing the state's
internationally condemned kafala system.
Now, kafala translates to sponsorship. And under the old rules, expat employees needed a local sponsor, be it an individual or a business, to get
a visa and to maintain their legal status. Well, in order to change jobs, or leave Qatar, permission was needed from the worker's employer.
The government in Qatar says the new system gives more protection to about 2 million migrant workers in the country. While the reforms are said to
abolish the kafala system, employees need exit permits to leave Qatar, and that could be blocked by the employer, though workers can appeal.
Well, it comes as the country is in the midst of a building boom, working on hotels, transportation, and sporting venues as it ramps up to host the
2022 football World Cup.
Well, my next guest and his organization argue that the changes do not go far enough. And the new law barely scratches the surface of labor
exploitation.
So, joining us now is James Lynch, the deputy director for global issues at Amnesty International.
James, thanks very much indeed for coming in.
Is this just a new name but the same old law, in effect?
JAMES LYNCH, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Well, that -- you know, the government has presented it as an abolition of the previous system, the sponsorship
system. But when you look at the details of the law, the key -- the two key elements that we were really interested in: can a worker go home
without the permission of their employer, and can they get a new job without the permission of their employer -- the situation is the same.
There is some tinkering around the edges to that to the way it works, but the key elements there is the same thing. And those are the key things
that have driven exploitation and abuse, have given too much power to employers.
So, we just don't see that this law is fundamentally going to change the equation here.
JONES: I just want to bring in the response from Qatar, since your report was issued as well. They have said, "we remain committed to the
development of a labor system that is fair to both employers and employees alike. That these new legislative changes, combined with ongoing
enforcement and a commitment to systemic reform not just in Qatar, but also in countries of origin will ensure workers' rights are respected across the
entire labor pathway. We will continue to review and adapt our laws to ensure our approach to reform is fit for purpose."
So, it might not be perfect, but it is still progress, isn't it?
LYNCH: Well, I mean the line that encourages me in there is the fact that they say they're committed to reviewing their laws, adapting their laws and
future systemic reform that this isn't a finished product.
But they've really got to move fast. I mean, the construction boom that you mentioned is really hitting the peak time in the next two years. And
we've seen Qatar's population grow at a dramatic pace. It has risen by about 35 percent since Qatar won the World Cup, that's only in six years,
you know, about a third growth.
But the labor laws, the sponsorship law, has not moved in the same -- with the same speed. This is a really, really small move by Qatar. And it
needs to appreciate that actually it's labor force is still at risk of really serious abuse.
JONES: Is this modern-day slavery? And if yes, what do you mean by modern-day slavery? Is it just the withholding of someone's passport so
that they can't leave the country, for example, unless they get their employers...
LYNCH: Qatar actually commissioned a report by an international law firm about two years ago, which said very clearly that the kafala system, or the
sponsorship system can facilitate and drive modern-day slavery.
So, what it is, is that if you allow -- if you say to an employer, you have the ability to deny your worker the right to leave the country, but if that
worker wants to stop working and go home, well the employer can prevent that happening and can make their life a misery, can use that as a threat
to keep them working involuntarily. And then of course combined with that, they can withdraw the passport from the worker, keep the passport. And one
of our big concerns about this new law, which is obviously counted as progress in the right direction is it actually makes it slightly easier for
an employer to confiscate a worker's passport. So that's really something of a major worry for us.
[10:40:37] JONES: OK, what about FIFA, because obviously they've got their own internal chaos over the last year or so, as well. But looking ahead to
2022, how involved have they been in their pick of Qatar to host the games, or the championship at least, and the controversies that have been unveiled
since.
LYNCH: Well, in 2010 FIFA picked Qatar as a host of the World Cup without thinking about human rights. And it has done very little since then to
really address the issue. In the last year, we've seen some signs that the organization maybe thinking more seriously about human rights. It had a
very serious review done by, you know, a respected actor in terms of human rights and businesses. And it's saying that it's going to move forward.
But what we're not yet seeing from FIFA is the kind of pressure that we need. We need public and private pressure by FIFA for real structural
change, not just special standards on stadiums, which is something that they talk about a lot, but we need to see them pushing for structural
change, and change that goes beyond this law.
What we don't want to see if FIFA and other partners of Qatar counting this new law as the answer, right, as if this problem has been solved.
JONES: And to bring about structural change, you effectively are saying you want FIFA to strip Qatar of the 2022 World Cup.
LYNCH: What we're saying is FIFA needs to use its influence. FIFa has such a major influence over Qatar, and many other countries, and it could
use that influence to put pressure, for example, the abolishing of the exit permit -- proper of abolition of the exit permit -- and that's what we want
to see happen, you know, as soon as possible.
JONES: OK, James Lynch from Amnesty, thank you very much for updating us on the situation with this law. Thank you.
And the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte faces harsh criticism from within his own government over his war on drugs. The effort is leading to
a deadly crackdown. The country's national police says nearly 6,000 people have been killed since July 1. Just over 2,000 of those deaths happened
during police operations. And more than 3,000 were extrajudicial vigilante style killings.
The Philippines Vice President Leni Robredo is a former human rights lawyer and is now leading a campaign against Mr. Duterte's anti-drug tactics. She
says she hopes that will grab his attention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENI ROBREDO, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES: Where do these very poor victims go to? We are giving them a very limited, you know, limited area
wherein they can air their complaints. There is a feeling of helplessness at this time, considering that there is a growing sense of, you know, of a
belief that government is behind all this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Live from London, this is Connect the World. Coming up on the program, after spending months trapped in limbo in the Calais migrant
jungle, one Afghan refugee's dream has finally come true. And we have his story in just a moment.
And bees are not always the most popular of creatures, but their impact on the world is immense. And their future uncertain. We'll hear from one man
determined to save them.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[10:46:02] JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Two things have come to define Manchester in northwest England: its industrial past and an
obsession with the beautiful game. Manchester boasts two of Europe's elite clubs: United and City. Etihad Stadium is home to Manchester City, under
Abu Dhabi ownership since 2008.
In this blue part of town, Man City is not just part of the landscape, it's transforming it.
John Stemp lives and breathes regeneration for the club's parent company.
So far, $300 million has been spent on a football training academy, a shiny new secondary school and sports medicine facility.
JOHN STEMP, CITY PARENTAL GROUP: It's not about trying to impress people in the here and now, it's about doing the right thing for the club and for
the community over a longer period of time.
DEFTERIOS: Before the start of this year's season, Man City fans were introduced to A-list manager Pep Guardiola and what's known as Citizen's
Weekend. A club's chairman says appointing one of the most successful managers of all-time is part of the club's on pitch development.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I consider Pep to be one of the best, if not the best manager to date. You know, in footballing terms, success can only be
judged by winning. Our objective is to win.
DEFTERIOS: The idea is to take this development off pitch as well. More fans, bigger revenues, and a higher club valuation -- now pegged at around
$2 billion -- all play into a strategy to develop over 800 square meters. This, in turn, helps earn back their hefty investment.
STEMP: What we're looking at here is a model replicate of each Manchester.
DEFTERIOS: Stemp says they're in phase three of their masterplan with four more to come.
STEMP: Phase four is the community village that you see here. Phase five is the stadium expansion. Phase six will be the development of the gray
area, the commercial opportunities here. And Phase seven is the housing between here and city center.
DEFTERIOS: This is phase seven of the development that will take up to 20 years to complete, $1.3 billion going into eastern Manchester, and
eventually this area will have 6,000 homes.
It's called Manchester life, old red brick factories that date back to the industrial revolution are being transformed into flats, and new housing is
on the rise.
Nearby at Bonnie's Cafe (ph), business is cooking for owner Sheila Duffy. She and her niece now serve 200 customers a day as the areas perks up.
SHEILA DUFFY, CAFE OWNER: It will be a place to live. It will be somewhere where you're not frightened of going out at night, or eating
alone from the corner. But it's 1,000 times better than it was.
DEFTERIOS: 1,000 times better and less than halfway to completion.
John Defterios, One Square Meter, east Manchester.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:26] JONES: You're watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones in London. Welcome back.
Now, two months ago, we first met a teenager named Mohamed (ph) in the Calais migrant camp in France known as The Jungle. He was traveling alone
from Afghanistan with dreams of reaching the UK to reunite with his family there.
Well, as CNN's Melissa Bell now reports, Mohamed's (ph) dream has finally come true.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Heathrow Airport every 45 seconds a plane lands or takes off from the world's third busiest airport.
Tens of thousands of hellos and goodbyes are said here every day.
But for Assam Armadi (Ph) and his nephew Muhammad, today, is no ordinary day and there is no ordinary hello. They haven't seen each other in almost
a decade.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finally, I'm so happy to come to the U.K. and join my uncle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I'm glad too.
BELL: CNN first met Muhammad in the jungle in Calais just before this month in October. He showed us around the camp that have been his home for
months, but we couldn't show his face.
He, like many thousands of unaccompanied minors were living in limbo in Europe, after leaving Afghanistan armed with nothing but a dream of
reaching his family in England. The walk had been long and lonely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to join to my uncle. I'm so tired here. I left more than a year ago but I didn't arrive to my uncle yet. I love football.
I want to play football and I want to rest in peace.
BELL: The British home office finally approved Muhammad's case and he can now have that peace. Living with his uncle Assan (Ph) and his young family
in Yorkshire and going to school.
It doesn't matter is the weather is cld. I am very warm because I am with my uncle. I don't feel any cold there now.
BELL: Muhammad's future is certain to look very different from his past but he says he will carry with him wherever he goes his long, lonely time on
the road and in the jungle.
Melissa Bell, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: This week, we are looking at the impact climate change is having on our planet. On tonight's Parting Shots, we're drawing attention to the
bumble bee. It's an insect that may not be popular with everyone, but it is critical for the production of food. And this integral part of our
ecosystem is vanishing at alarming rates.
John Sutter explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBBIN THORP, RESEARCHER: He wants to hang on (inaudible). And there she is, just another one of the common bumble bees.
JOHN SUTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The vacuum in one hand and net in the other, Robbin Thorp is on a quest.
THORP: So, we're coming in to the area where I last saw Franklins.
SUTTER: He's searching the mountains of Oregon for Franklins bumble bee. It's a species he's believed to be the last person on Earth to have seen
alive.
And he's got a sample of the bee in the back of his truck. It's from the 1950s.
THORP: And this is Franklins. And you can see, she has a black face, a little touch of whitish hair there that's pretty subtle.
SUTTER: This is a bee that could be extinct in the wild.
THORP: Could be. I'm not willing to give up on it, but I'm hoping it's still out there under the radar.
SUTTER: The last time you saw it was 2006, exactly 10 years before he invited me to join him.
Thorp is 83 now, a retired professor from UC Davis. And mostly he works alone day after day, year after year. It's like something out of
Hemingway, the old man and the bee.
THORP: You know, at times it's kind of a lonely task, but I don't really get wrapped up in that. I've got the bumble bees for company, basically.
And I enjoy that.
SUTTER: And bees already are showing signs of rapid decline. Scientists say that pesticides, farms, climate change and disease all are to blame.
SARINA JEPSEN, SCIENTIST: Franklins is a particularly dramatic example, but a quarter of our bumble bees in North America face extinction risk.
I think it's an alarming number if this happens. And many of our bumble bee species do go extinct. We might start to see a loss in some of the
ecosystem function that bumble bees provides.
SUTTER: You also should know that bees pollinate 35 percent of the world's crops. That's a service that's worth billions of dollars per year.
[11:55:03] RON MOES, FARMER: So, basically when we get the bees, they come in a box like this.
SUTTER: As wild bees disappear, commercial bumble bees are becoming popular in greenhouses like this one in British Columbia.
The bees are raised in a factory some 2,000 miles away and then they're flown in by plane. Think of them almost like cows on a farm. They're
domesticated insects.
MOES: They're great workers. They put in a lot of time. They basically go from sunup to sunset. And they work seven days a week, so they do a
great job for us.
SUTTER: The bees buzz each flower, shaking out pollen and helping it reproduce. Without them, tomato growers would have to pollinate their
crops by hand.
But here is the irony, the commercial bee industry may be contributing to the decline of wild bees. The research isn't conclusive, but Robbin Thorp
and others believe that greenhouse bees are carrying diseases into wild bee populations and that that may have killed Franklins bumble bee.
Moes told me that his greenhouse takes precautions to prevent that. Queen bees are trapped in their boxes so they don't create new colonies, and the
bees are incinerated after eight weeks in the greenhouse.
No one knows for certain what caused Franklins bumble bee to disappear from California and Oregon, but it's clear we're doing something to cause these
once common species to vanish.
Is there a gut that Franklins bumble bee is still out here somewhere?
THORP: I'm hoping so. That's about the best I can say. Obviously, since it hasn't been seen in 10 years, every year that goes by it makes the
chances of finding more and more doubtful because they have to reproduce every year.
SUTTER: Just have to keep searching.
THORP: Yeah, right. That is basis for the quest.
SUTTER: I spent two days looking for Franklins bumble bee with Thorp. I found the work absolutely maddening.
THORP: The ones that you hear fly by your ear. I'm always -- well, that must have been a Franklins.
I don't think you can put an economic value on a species. They're all priceless really. But Franklins is one that I've had a lot of personal
investment in. And, yeah, I feel an attachment and kinship to it.
SUTTER: I'm sure whether he'll it, but maybe that's beside the point. The truth is that for anyone to know a species like Franklins bumble bee had
vanished, someone like Thorp has to be looking.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Taking care of the bumble bees.
Well, we have covered an awful lot this hour, but for even more on Syria, Turkey and of course news from the rest of the world, you can, as always,
check out our Facebook page. That's Facebook.com/CNNConnect. I'm also on Twitter, so don't forget to tweet me. The address is @HVaughanJones.
Always great to hear from you. In the meantime, though, that was Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones in London. Thank you for watching.
END
