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Trump Policies; Brexit; Trump Building A Wall; Jordan's King Abdullah Met With Russian President Vladimir Putin In Moscow; Prime Minister Theresa May Meeting With U.S. President Donald Trump; British- Iranian Mother Had Her Sentence Upheld; Battle Over Condoms. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired January 25, 2017 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00] BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: A very good afternoon from London and it's just passed 3:00 here. I'm Becky Anderson and this is Connect the
World. Let's begin in New York, feed this out. Well, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is crossed 20,000 in the last half an hour. Numbers as
they stand 20,032, spot 28 that's a 60 -- 6/10, so one percent rise or around 120 points. And it's all down to one thing, "The Trump bump",
meaning a lot of businesses and investors out there are bullish that the Trump administration will assure in a new era of friendly business or
business friendly policies, covered earnings also helping boost sentiment.
Let's bring in Maggie Lake with the look at what this milestone means. And that is really what we saw. What do we mean by this at Trump bump and why
should we care about this big round number, Maggie?
MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, Becky the round number in itself perhaps more symbolic but it does represent this sort of sense of
confidence and optimism that people have. We've seen all the way since Trump was elected. And remember there were a lot of forecast that this was
going to be disaster economically and you might see a sell off in the market that didn't happened.
We went on a rally that hasn't stopped and took us right to this historic point, a lot of investors are looking at this and CEOs and saying that not
the promises that he made, he plans a follow-through on, he's going to cut regulation, he's going to cut corporate taxes, he's going to listen and sit
down around the table that's what we saw this week with executives. Hear what they need and what they want to try to improve the economy.
But you've also now -- and this is the key today got some earnings coming in from companies were saying, you know what? Our profits are up, we're
doing better, we feel good and confident about the future. You've seen oil prices rise that's got the U.S. energy sector moving again. So all of
these things combining today to push us over this mark, doesn't mean investors don't have some reservations and concerns, but there is a feeling
that the economy is moving ahead and that the environment is much more business friendly.
ANDERSON: Yes, it's interesting, isn't it? Because a rise like this inevitably begs the question how long will it last? And there will be
those two take some profits out of this market as it hits the small state.
Trump hasn't even started revealing what his policies will be, what they will mean to investors and businesses alike, what those constituents want
to hear from the new President now. And what perhaps -- and this is the bigger question, what do they want to hear?
LAKE: Yes, exactly. So the business community would like to see continued progress and deliberate. Right now, a lot of them are hoping a promise and
him setting the agenda. It's going to get Congress to pass a lot of this.
There is optimism he is going to make that happen on regulation. Everybody can agree on that. It's the lower hanging through tax cuts can be
expensive. Can he get them through, that's a question certainly. What they don't want to see is they're uncomfortable with the trade war
rhetoric, right? They're concerned about some of the immigration issues. They're not keen on that. And they're frankly concerned with, you know,
when he gets on Twitter and starts going off on things like, you know, audience size and now voter fraud. Those are all distractions, but -- very
interesting, Becky, investors are not paying attention too much to what he says, they're looking at what he does. And he came right out of the gate,
made bold moves on some of these issues this week putting pressure on Congress, sitting down with executives, calling them as I mentioned before
to the table. They like all of that. They think it's going to be a benefit.
So it seems that they are certainly giving him the benefit, the doubt this is a vote of confidence getting over this 20,000. What's going to be the
key for the U.S. economy and for President Trump is whether the good times for corporations trickle down to the average person, can he get them to
take all that profit and reinvest it in the real economy that's going to be a big challenge, that's were policy matters and that remains to be seen but
right now, I'm hearing a lot of confidence from investors. They're really putting that skepticism on the back burner.
ANDERSON: And Donald Trump himself just in the past few minutes tweeting as he is want to do great #Dow 20K. What sort of companies are benefiting
out of this rise on the Dow, because --
LAKE: Yes.
ANDERSON: -- you know, he made a lot of noise about how his opponents in the campaign for president were in hacked to the big corporations, right,
on Wall Street. Those very same big corporations seem to be doing pretty well out of this new era.
[11:05:10] LAKE: That right, and he's OK with that as long as it's -- they're on his page. I mean, I think you saw this play out, he is -- I
mean, he knows all of them. He comes from this community in many ways. And I you saw the outrage, the carrot and the stick at the same time, when
he's meeting with the auto executives, right? His cabinet is laying people from Goldman Sachs, I mean, he is not antibusiness person but he is willing
to call them out more vocally Becky, on issues that really people have not today (ph) and that is, you know, having factories abroad maybe not
investing in the way they should in the U.S. Isn't fair, you really haven't heard that voice, that's what got him elected and you've heard him
around the table at the auto executives indicate that.
Listen, we're going to do great things but if you don't I'm going to hit you with the tariff. So we have seen certainly the beneficiaries,
infrastructuries (ph) got that big plan for infrastructure spending, that is been very good for any industrial companies related to that, healthcare
a little less clear, that's were gets a little murky. But in general there is this feeling that he is going to be -- try to be pro-business and at the
same time be pro-jobs and pro-U.S. worker. Can you be all those things in this global economy? I'm not so sure, but he is going to try.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right, we have got the Dow Jones above a key milestone now 20,040 and change 6/10, so one percent higher, 127 points up
on the day and we are tracking through that trading day back to these markets throughout the hours. Maggie, thank you.
LAKE: Sure, thanks.
ANDERSON: He promised to build a wall, didn't he? And put the brakes on Muslims entering the United States. So now, Donald Trump is ready to move
on two of his biggest campaign pledges. The U.S. President expect to droll out sweeping changes to immigration policy this week starting with plans to
wall off America's border with Mexico.
It's not just looking to shut out illegal immigrants, he's directives, will also target legal immigration containing the flow of people seeking refuge
from some of the world's deadliest war zone.
Athena Jones now reports Mr. Trump says it's all in the name of national security.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: We are going to build a great border wall.
ATHENA JONES, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: President Trump sat to take his first steps in executing his signature campaign promise. In just
hours, the President will sign an executive order to begin the construction of a wall along the Mexico border.
TRUMP: We are going to build a wall, OK? Don't worry, don't even think about it.
JONES: The order would direct federal funds toward building the wall. But we still don't know how he intends to get Mexico to pay for it.
The President also expected to announce a second executive order on Thursday, seeking to eliminate so-called sanctuary cities and restrict
visas from, "Terror-prone countries" and the flow of refugees entering the U.S.
TRUMP: Twenty-eight thousand jobs. Great construction jobs.
JONES: The orders follow a blitz of executive actions in the president's first week.
TRUMP: I am, to a large extent an environmentalist.
JONES: On Tuesday, Mr. Trump signed orders to revive construction of two controversial pipeline projects, but President Trump's policies continue to
be overshadowed by his conspiracy theories. The White House defending his unfounded claim that millions of illegal ballots cost him the popular vote.
SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He continues to maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented to him.
JONES: Numerous independent studies refute his claims. The media continues to demand proof of the president's assertions.
SPICER: He believes what he believes based on the information he's provided. Yes, ma'am?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What does that mean about democracy, though? Sean, what it does mean if he does believe that,
what does that mean for democracy?
SPICER: I means -- Yes, I've answered your question.
ZELENY: Have you?
JONES: Republicans and Democrats unified in opposing the President's baseless claims.
LINDSAY GRAHAM, REPUBLICAN SENATOR: I would urge the President to knock this off. This is the greatest democracy on earth. You're the leader of
the free world, and people are going to start doubting you as a person.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Athena Jones reporting for you there. Sarah Murray has the very latest now from the White House. Ben is following international reaction
on some of these expected to executive orders on immigration out of Turkey.
Sara, let's just start with you, I don't want to talk about Mr. Trump's extraordinary and unsubstantiated claims about massive voter fraud is one
of the most powerful jobs in the world that a lot of work to do moving forward. Yet he cannot seem to accept that he lost the popular vote to
Hillary Clinton.
[11:10:01] Just this morning tweeting I will be asking from major investigation into voter fraud including those registered to vote in two
states, those who are illegal and even those registered to vote who are dead and many for a long time, in brackets, depending on results we will
strengthen up voting procedures.
Sara, he won, why can't he just move on?
SARA MURRAY,CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really depends on who you ask when we heard from Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary yesterday, he
said that Donald Trump feels very strongly that there was somehow widespread voter fraud although there is absolutely no evidence to support
that.
And it's worth noting that even the things that Donald Trump is pointing out in his tweets, those aren't voter fraud. Yes, there are some people
who are dead, who are on voter registration rules because some die throughout the course of an election cycle or throughout the course of the
presidential campaign. That doesn't mean that people impersonated those people and showed up to vote. There's no evidence of that.
But I think that you're seeing is Donald Trump taking this to the next level and ordering an investigation into voter fraud. And not going to
have real ramifications, obviously we do not expect there to be any evidence of widespread of voter fraud. There has been no evidence of
widespread voter fraud but you could certainly find examples like he you noted in those tweets, problems with outdated voter rules, problems with
them not being updated as quickly as people would like, and that could cause them to push forward new rules, new laws about oversight and new
voting restrictions, that's something that's going to be really worrisome to Democrats going forward.
So there are real ramifications of ordering a report like this and real action Republican could take.
ANDERSON: Sara, thank you for that, Sara at White House for you.
I want to get back to some of what we are expecting to hear sweeping changes in store for U.S. immigration policy.
Ben Wedeman, as I promised, he's out of Turkey for you. Today the President expected to just sign these executive orders shutting out
refugees, halting visas from several Muslim majority countries and by the way starting on this wall that he's been banging all about between the U.S.
and Mexico for sometime now. The details though at this point are very sketchy. Ben, what more do we know of anything?
BEN WEDEMAN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we understand that there are a variety of countries that he's looking at in the Middle East
predominantly Muslim, then he wants to impose a temporary blanket ban on issuing visas to know that countries mentioned are Iraq, Syria, Iran,
Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen but of course it's important to keep in mind for instance when you look at foreign fighters joining ISIS that the
majority or rather the largest numbers come from Tunisia Jordan and Saudi Arabia which aren't on that list going back to September 11.
In fact out of the 19 bombers, 16 of them came from Saudi Arabia. The other three each one -- each from Egypt, Lebanon and the United Arab
Emirates, so they're not -- those countries aren't on this list. So, it's all a bit confusing and of course his rhetoric is not going down very well
for instance in Iraq. Remember over the weekend, he went to CIA headquarters and said that perhaps we'll have another chance to take Iraq's
oil, the Iraqi Prime Minister quickly responding to that saying that nobody has the right to do that and such talk is unacceptable. But when you're
talking about a blanket ban on visas to people from Iraq, Iraq is a U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS. There are more than 5000 U.S. troops on
Iraqi soil.
Now how this -- how you can implement this sort of policy and maintain cordial relations with the country like Iraq. It's rather difficult to
imagine, Becky?
ANDERSON: Ben is out of Turkey for you today. Sara at the White House, thank you. And viewers before we move on, given that we've been talking
about these executive orders, powers, what (inaudible) President Trump do using these executive powers? Or he can give direct policy, giving
instructions to government agencies and departments on how to operate in certain areas, but he cannot reverse a law passed by Congress nor can he
reverse a decision made by the Supreme Court.
However Mr. Trump can overturned any of Pres. Obama's previous executive orders just as the next president will be able to over turn anything Mr.
Trump signed while he is in office.
Well, it's not really a funny side to all of this, but if that is one or there were one, I know a man who will be able to find it, it's comedian
Dean Obeidallah and he'll be with us in about 10 minutes time right here on CNN so do stay with us for that.
To Brexit now, the British Prime Minister doing some damage control in the House of Commons. Theresa May tells MPs she'll spell out her Brexit
strategy in writing for them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:15:10] THERESA MAY, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: A bill will be provided for this House, and there will be the proper debates in this
chamber and in another place on that bill. There is then the separate question of actually publishing the plan that I have sent out, a bold
vision for Britain for the future.
I will do that in a White Paper and (inaudible) gentleman knows that one of our objectives is the best possible free trade arrangement with the
European Union, and that's what we we'll be out there negotiating for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Right, well, the Prime Minister wanted to trigger the Brexit talks without a vote in Parliament but the British Supreme Court said not
so fast.
So let's go to Prime Ministers Residence in Downing Street outside number 10, where Isa Soares is standing by. We're talking triggering Article 50.
I'm sure many of our viewers will now be aware of that. That will effectively trigger this Brexit talks with members of the European Union.
This so, we now know has to go before parliament, a lot more work to do in ensuring that she can indeed keep her own timetable here. So what do we
know at this point? What is the timetable?
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What we know Becky in the last hours so we have confirmed from David Davis press -- the spokesman
David Davis, that's the Brexit Secretary that the bill, the Article 50 bill reports presented tomorrow, here at the Houses of Parliament. We know
there'll be full stages as got of defendant last half hour with a Tory MP who talked me through that, who basically said, (inaudible) full stages
tomorrow is a pure presentation.
This is what the Article 50 bill is. This is the title and then, the second stage would involve actual debate things, so a lot of back-and-forth
between Member of Parliament and what they want to see done.
And the question here Becky, is the majority of piece I've spoken to in the last 48 hours actually said, look, we'll back this bill of course, we will.
It's the will of the people, we will back it, but we want amendments and when I say amendments I do mean a tweak here in that. They want major
changes to what this Article 50 bill may have including access to other single market, movement of people.
So you see you're going already. We have one party saying, you know, we need that bill to be put to the people in a referendum. We have S&P
discusses national party. Actually say, we're got 50 amendments that we have to put through. And then, you have labor opposition basically saying,
in fact going to fight tooth and nail to get what we want.
So that Brexit deadline -- that Article 50 deadline on March 30th, we've been told, it is achievable, it can be done, but there will be a lot of
hurdles and a lot of political fireworks, Becky.
ANDERSON: Nobody said this is going to be easy. All right, Isa, thank you for that. Isa is outside number 10 for you today in London. You can take
almost everything, you know about the world, put it in a box, and put it to this side because Donald Trump is turning so much of what we know upside
down. I wan to take a look at how he could be about to totally change one idea many of us have of America itself.
Stay tune for that with my next guest, plus the leaders of Jordan and Russia sit down for meeting, the U.S., Syria and the Middle East all on the
agenda. We're live in both countries for an update. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:20:37] DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: The Muslim ban is something that in some form has morphed into a extreme vetting from certain areas. Our
country has enough problems. We don't need more, but we will build a wall. Mexico is going to pay for the wall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: For more than 200 years, America has laid out a welcome mat to the world inviting the huddled masses to a life in the pursuit of
happiness. But Donald Trump may be shutting the door and the idea for many, many people, staying true to some of what you just heard him say on
the campaign trail. It's all tells CNN the American President is going to use an executive order to get cash flowing for a border wall with Mexico,
and another to put visa controls on these seven countries where most people who live are Muslim. America's bombed at least four of those places in the
last few years by the way.
To dive into what is this changing faith of the United States, friend of the show and comedian Dean Obeidallah joins us now live from New York. And
Dean, love him or hate him, laugh or cry, this is a president who is sure starring some emotions five days into his presidency, what's your take?
DEAN OBEIDALLAH, THE DEAN OBEIDALLAH SHOW: I think that people around the world, if you're watching. You have to liberate us from this dictator.
That's what I'm hoping. We need a regime change here. I think as a comedian the -- he provides with a lot of material, but at the same time
what's different from him President Trump and George W. Bush who provide a lot material is that Donald Trump causes fear in many communities,
including the Muslim-America community that I'm a part of that he ran the campaign saying things like Islam hates us and 1000 of Muslims cheered in
New Jersey in 9/11 which is a lie.
So we're really fearful of where he's going, but at the same time comedy is cathartic. I think it's empowering. Do we have to laugh at them? I think
Donald Trump will make America laugh again. And I think if we unite in America people of color will be fine with our allies we have other
communities. I think we'll be OK. It's going to be stressful times.
ANDERSON: Interesting, all right. With the last comedy show before Trump deports us, you brought together 10 comedians to talk about life in the age
of Trump. And you called your antics that let's just get to our viewers a sense of the fun that you had and the laughter that you had.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to go run for every show and I kind of get talking on Trump. I get to link, now you think because Mexican heritage
and Muslim like we banned just go.
UNIDENTFIED FEMALE: Adam Hussein, everyone's like oh men, it's such a hard time with Muslim right now. It's such a hard time. I grew up in Alabama
and there was never a good time .
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: None of my friends ever, ever came out, you know, of the dark Trump closet. And then the day after the election, they're like
oh help Trump. And I was like oh.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Is that true. I mean if there was never a good time to be a Muslim in the U.S., is now really worth at all do you think?
OBEIDALLAH: Look. There have been times where it's challenging Latin- America to be a Muslim. I think it has a lot to do with issues beyond our control. You know, unfortunately have a terror attack somewhere in the
world and we'll feel of backlash here in the United States. I think that Donald Trump, what really fears -- makes us worry about this man is that he
truly has trafficked openly and anti-Muslim bigotry against our community. And what a conscience to George W. Bush who went to Mosque at 9/11, who
spoke to Congress two weeks after 9/11 and said, Muslims are not our enemy, they're our brothers and sisters.
There are different time and a different person, and people in his cabinet concern us from Steve Bannon, to Michael Flynn who have a history of some
of Anti-Muslim rhetoric.
So, yes, we are concerned. As a comedian my job I think is to make them laugh about it. To make them feel it's going to be OK to empower them,
because it's a reason why Mel Brooks put Hitler in springtime -- in the producers. And so you can laugh at something that scares you. It's
cathartic. So that's what we're trying to do. But all kidding aside, it is a trying time we've seen a spike and hate crimes. You know, my
community is very concerned about where we're going forward.
Donald Trump. I do not think views us as part of the fabric of this nation. And that's very troubling to have that feeling coming from
President Obama who truly went out of his way to make all Americans feel included and part of the American Society.
ANDERSON: You are the son of a Palestinian father I know, and a Sicilian mom. Does what you're hearing from Trump feel really personal about it?
[11:25:07] OBEIDALLAH: It does because my father was a Palestinian refugee who came here as a Muslim. He would not been allowed in the United States
of America if there was a President Trump now and my father wanted to make a better life in this country for his family, for his family back home and
ultimately he was able to bring some of his family members at home.
To me Donald Trump really destroys the promise of this country that people like my Sicilian grandparents came to America for and my Palestinian father
came to this country for and millions of other immigrants came to America for. The words in the statue of liberty need to be erased. Forget your
huddle masses striving for freedom and yearning for freedom. That's gone. Under to Donald Trump to be quite honest, it's a white nationalist, white
supremacist in campaign. So much what we've see in some parts of Europe and we're not used to it in America. And I think it goes against the
American value. So it is very personal to me and many of my community that's why we're out there, we're speaking out. We're not going to be
silent. We're not going to surrender, and that's why we have to think all the resistance and we are part of it in America resisting our president.
It's a unique place to be in that you're actually resisting your president a few days into his administration. I've never felt this before but we
need to.
ANDERSON: Well he may make America laugh again. You've been making America laugh for some time, please continue to do that.
OBEIDALLAH: I will.
ANDERSON: And if unlike us, you just can't seem to get enough of Dean. Thank you Dean. There is much more of him on the CNN website including the
rest of the comedy show we put together as a kickback with some cup popcorn viewers and check it out. But only after Connect the World finishes of
course. And Dean also penned this first on op-ed on what he thinks are some pretty hilarious contradictions from Trump's team. All and more,
CNN.com.
Before we move on, consider this, Donald Trump taking to Twitter to show off the crowds and his inauguration last Friday. Well, that Thursday maybe
worth 1000 words. There are only three little words here that counts, thank you Abbas. That's Abbas Shirmohammadi, an Iranian immigrant who
moved to America decades ago.
If Trump goes ahead with his plans, they'll be far fewer people like Abbas helping make America the place we all admire it for. The latest world
headlines are ahead for your viewers, plus the British government says it's finally publishing it's roadmap for Brexit. That's how it will get out of
the E.U., the details are just ahead taking a very break back off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:13] ANDERSON: This is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. If you're out of London today, help us through the top stories for you this
hour. The Dow has made history within the last hour hitting the 20,000 milestone. Since U.S. President Donald Trump was elected in November, the
Dow has jumped more than1600 points. It signals the optimism investors feel about the U.S. economy and Mr. Trump's pro-business plans. Will the
President will soon roll out sweeping changes to immigration policy starting with an executive order to begin work on wall with Mexico? He is
expected to sign that order about three hours from now when he visits the Department of Homeland Security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked Jordan's King Abdullah for supporting the most recent round of Syria peace talks. The two have been
meeting in Moscow. Their discussion was also expected to include bilateral cooperation and combating terrorism. Iraq's Prime Minister says the
military has driven ISIS out of Eastern Mosul. The British to retake Mosul began in October more than two years after ISIS seized. Control experts
say it will take about two more months to recapture the entire city.
On a major deal, it's just been struck for the United Arab Emirates to supply India's strategic oil reserve. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi is in New
Delhi right now as the two countries forged closer ties.
On Thursdays, the Emirates deputy ruler will be the guest of honor at India's republic day parade.
As we mentioned the war in Syria was pretty much top of the agenda when Jordan's King Abdullah met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The King and Mr. Putin also expect to discuss ties between their two countries and ways to combat terrorism across the Middle East and North
Africa.
This comes on the same day Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told lawmakers he wants to reestablish normal U.S. relations under the Trump
administration. He told the lower house of parliament time and a lot of work will heal the rift that opened during the Obama administration.
We got the story covered from both countries for you. Matthew Chance is in Moscow and Jomana Karadsheh joined us live from Amman in Jordan. Stand by
Jomana. To you Matthew firstly, a reset and Lavrov is suggesting is on the cards in the works. But he -- as he says, this could take some time and an
awful a lot of work. What's the feeling the Kremlin and in Moscow at this point towards the United States?
MATTHEW CHANCE, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh well I mean I think they're trying to publicly play down the possibility of the relationship
between the United States and Russia which has been very rocky over recent years, over issues like Syria, but also a greater expansion and the
conflict and in Ukraine as well. They're trying to play down the idea that this is going to be a dramatic transformation. But, you know, behind the
scenes they're quietly confident that that kind of transformation can take place. Certainly those who wants at the top of Russian politics Senate for
instance, and who's very senior in the upper house of the Russian parliament is said the first meeting for instance between Donald Trump and
Vladimir Putin will be historic and be the most important political event of the decade.
And so, you know, you speak to Russians as well and they're very optimistic that this very poor relationship between these two countries will be
transformed in this Trump presidency.
ANDERSON: Mean time, Jomana with the Jordanians in Moscow meeting with Vladimir Putin. This is post theist stall meeting about how to provide
some sort of roadmap for a political solution in Syria. Syria, a five letter word that some people say will be Obama's legacy. Are we looking at
what many experts are describing now as a post-U.S. sort of new era? Post U.S. policy for some of these Middle Eastern countries in Jordan including
perhaps at the top of that?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think how you look at it Becky is that Jordan has always maintained this good ties with Russia. It
really doesn't put all its eggs in one basket. Yes, Jordan is a key U.S. ally, but there has been frustration here over the past few years, the last
year especially with the Obama administration in dealing with issues in this region. And is the U.S. has moved more to the sideline when it comes
to issues for example like Syria, as you mentioned we've seen obviously Russia taking more of a key role. So I think we could see more of this
cooperation between the Jordanians and the Russians.
[11:35:04] And one important thing that was mentioned there as you said, combating terrorism in the middle east and North Africa is high on the
agenda. King Abdullah, the second has voiced some frustration when it comes to the West in the way they deal with the fight against extremism.
He said that the focus has been pretty much on Iraq and Syria. But he wanted to see more being done to combat terrorism in other parts of the
world. And he's mentioned last year for example Libya where he wanted to see more happening in recent days we've seen the Russians potentially
moving closer to fill that vacuum in Libya, with all this talk of cooperation perhaps with General Khalifa Haftar there.
So that's one issue and of course as you mentioned Syria, Jordan wants to see an end to that crisis. And the U.S. is really not been playing that
major role it did to an extent in the past. Russia is key pretty much to resolving that crisis as it's becoming more obvious in recent days. And
Jordan has closed ties with Syrian rebel groups here in opposition. It has also maintained that it has to be a political solution.
So I think we could be seeing more of this cooperation between Jordan and Moscow going forward.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right. To both of you, thank you.
Britain's Prime Minister has promised to lay out some detail for the first time her Brexit plan. Theresa May has installed Parliament. The lawmakers
will be able to scrutinize the document. It said to be published on Thursday that is tomorrow London time just ahead of Mrs. May's visit to
Washington.
On Friday, she will become the first foreign leader to meet U.S. President Donald Trump since he took office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAY: I'm pleased that I'm able to meet President Trump so early in his administration. That is a sign of the strength of the special relationship
between the United Kingdom and the United States of America. And special relationship on which he and I intend to build. But can I also say to the
leader of the opposition, I am not afraid to speak frankly to a President of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, this is May, reiterated to law makers that she will not sign up to a bad Brexit deal. But how much wiggle room does she have once
negotiation starts especially within E.U. that appears keen to show Britain it can't cherry pick its way towards a Brexit that it wants. Full Quentin
Peel is an associate fellow with Chatham Houses Europe program, a regular guest at our show. So thank you for joining us.
Let's start off with this visit to Washington. And is the one take away that Mrs. Brexit wants or is hoping for from Mr. Brexit plus, plus, plus.
QUENTIN PEEL, CHATTAM HOUSE ASSOCIATE FELLOW: That I am top of your agenda. That I am special to you and that we can do a trade deal. Because
that's what I really need to do. I Theresa May really need to do in order to prove to my people and the rest of the European Union that they're not
the only game in town.
ANDERSON: Well, how does that work then? I mean how conceivably is it that there would be a U.S -- a new U.S.-U.K. trade deal anytime soon.
PEEL: It can't happen until Britain has actually left the European Union, because they're legally bound to the rules of the European Union. And I
don't think it can happen anything like as quickly as Theresa May would like us to believe. Because these trade deals are really very complicated.
You get all sorts of lobbies getting stuck in to try and get there a little bit. And there are quite a lot of things in there that could be on top of
--
ANDERSON: What it will do though if we see a lot of optimism of the back of this at this meeting and she is having in Washington as a first foreign
leader to meet a new U.S. President Trump. Is the perception surely that Britain can go it alone? It will help to provide some confidence to
businesses as you may otherwise decide there's no point being in Britain going forward. The optics are important here aren't they?
PEEL: Yes. I'm not sure who provide that much reassurance to businesses. I think it's political. It is as you say the optics, the symbol. And that
hopefully, she wants to reassure her voters and the people who are real doubters about the wisdom of Brexit, after all 48 percent of the country
voted to remain in the European Union. There is a big body of people there who are deeply unhappy about this process. And she's going to try and
prove that it works.
So, she and Donald Trump in a way of both outsiders, they're outside the multilateral game. They've deliberately turned their backs on this. So a
bilateral deal nation state to nation state suits them both quite well.
ANDERSON: We know that she -- I'm talking about Mrs. May here -- will be publishing her Brexit plan tomorrow.
[11:40:00] While we await details on that, the Supreme Court ruling that the U.K. government needs permission from parliament, but before triggering
Article 50 comes just a week after Theresa May finally laid out her Brexit vision.
Let's just remind ourselves some of what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAY: Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in half-out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, British prime minister opting for a so-called hard Brexit. What happens if parliament doesn't like her plan Quentin?
PEEL: She's promised them not just before she triggers this Article 50 and asks to leave. But at the end of the process, but it isn't a very nice
choice she's offering them. She's basically say either you take the deal I've done or there will be no deal at all which I think care some of the
opposition Brexit person said it's a bit like being asked to choose between jumping off the cliff or drowning in the ocean.
ANDERSON: Many E.U. leaders of course said welcome clarity around Theresa May's Brexit plan. Germany's finance minister has his own ideas about what
model the U.K. could pursuit.
He told a Swiss newspaper and I quote Quentin "Britain's should take an example how cleverly Switzerland has linked national sovereignty in close
cooperation with the European Union." Theresa May in that press conference last week said we're not looking at anybody else's models. We don't do
other models. But what this ever be acceptable in London do you think. Switzerland quite a success story.
PEEL: Yes. But the Paramount a priority for Teresa May and the Brexit people in her party and in her cabinet and want to stop or control
immigration. That's absolutely paramount. Now Switzerland has actually gone a little way down the route of trying to say they want control
immigration, it's not backing off. Because the European Union has said you can't be in a single market if you don't accept free movement. And that is
-- not just the dilemma. That's the choice that Theresa May has made.
ANDERSON: Free movement of goods, services, capital and people are the four pillars of the single market. That Mrs. May says she no longer wants
to be a part of he said there will be some sort of customs agreement and should she be able to negotiate it. I was just interested to Germany's
finance minister by the way will sort of now begin an example of life Switzerland. When we know that effectively the patients in Brussels has
been running low. Is it running out with the U.K.?
PEEL: They're going to be very patient because this thing is going to go an awful long time. The problem for Theresa May I think is this. She is
up against 27 different countries, every single one of whom has slightly different national priorities. The only thing that will really make this
hard work is to hold together. So she's up against 27 countries. So again that take a long time to stitch up their own position, and then she'll try
and unstitch and it'll be very different now to change. So, she is only outside if you like begging. And that's a very difficult. She's putting a
very brave face on it. She's saying, you know, I've got a strong hand.
ANDERSON: Very briefly. And she was asked this question now at the press conference. She didn't campaign for the U.K. to leave Europe. Does she
really believe in a Europe free United Kingdom do you think?
PEEL: I think she does. We were very surprised most of us that she on the remaining side. We actually expected it to be Brexit here. She's always
been very tough on immigration question. So I think that actually she is a top's of Brexit. So she doesn't really want to stay in the European Union.
ANDERSON: Oh we're not staying. We, that being those who leave here and I'm British myself. I hold my hands up. And -- but not many living here.
All right. Good. Thank you. And that's Brexit. If you're live from London, this is Connect the World.
Coming up, a family torn apart a British-Iranian mother serving five years in prison has just had her sentence upheld. I want to talk to her husband
up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:46:37] ANDERSON: We'll get you a family tragedy that spans continents. A British-Iranian woman learned this week that her appeal on a five-year
prison sentence was rejected. Charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in April last year during a visit with her toddler daughter. Her
family, say she was kept in a high-security conditions before being moved to Evin prison in Tehran almost a month ago.
Now her daughter, a British citizen has been stranded in Iran since the arrest and is living with her grandparents. Well, several months after
Nazanin's arrest, Iranian revolutionary guard issued the following statements "By being a member of foreign companies and institutions, she is
being participating in their scheme and implementation of their media and cyber projects for their soft overthrow of the sacred system of Islamic
Republic. Well, Nazanin's husband and father of that little girl he hasn't seen for 10 months joining me now Richard Ratcliff' has been tirelessly
campaigning for his wife's release. And we thank you for coming in and today. Just remind us about the sort of work that Nazanin most doing in
Iran which is .
RICHARD RATCLIFFE, NAZANIN'S HUSBAND: Well, she wasn't doing anything in Iran. She really was there on a holiday. And the work she does in the
U.K. So she works for Thomson Reuters Foundation which is the charity of her Reuters media. And then took basically journalism training, so she
would at the Thomson in Lebanon and some in Morocco. And many years ago, she was a project assistant for BBC media direction. Because BBC link is a
little bit more toxic. And similar thing where she was, you know, a training assistant and chasing people do their homework, and so on and a
lot of the youth trading scheme. So the sort of the for little nab of why they're building this big story.
And she went on holiday in March with effort which is Eastern Iran in New Year. And on the way back was stopped to the airport and was taken off.
And she begged many times before without any problem. And then this time, a huge big story invented.
ANDERSON: How is your little one?
RATCLIFFE: Well, so Nazanin, she obviously gone through phases. And from the hardest part was that initial period of the shock and the integrations
and just being, you know, kept apart for so many months. And as it's going on and it's become less traumatic day to day, she's got angrier in the
prison (ph). So, the last time I spoke to her which was on Wednesday before the verdicts came out. But, yes, she was very angry that, you know,
she's being kept here. Held as, you know, some kind of political bargaining chip.
ANDERSON: And let's talk about that, but just before we do, because she referred to as being used as a political bargaining chip. Does she get to
see anybody? Does she get to see family members and she get visits.
RATCLIFEE: It's gone through phases. And so Christmas, about few days, she was moved to the general cells. So she's now in a political prisoner
cells. And so they have a weekly visit. So the families queue up. And because Gabrielle is so little, so she's two and a half now and she's
allowed with extra visits on her ways. So in fact today, we had a visit.
So, seeing Gabrielle is used often as a weapon. Sometimes it's prevented particularly around the times of trial. So, she never won for one before
this trial and also of the first trial.
ANDERSON: I know that you've questioned the support that you've been given by the Brits in the past, and the Britain's foreign comrade office says
this to say about your case today, your wife's case. Today, we are deeply concerned at Mrs. Zaghari-Ratcliff's sentence has been confirmed following
an unsuccessful appeal, while Iran continues to refuse the U.K. concept access to her. What sort of information and support if any have you been
getting from the British government?
[11:50:14] RATCLIFFE: It's gone through phases and if you have asked me, a few months back I was pretty angry with the foreign office. And, I mean in
fairness recently, we had, you know, better communication, better understanding. And actually last week to myself what has the ministry of
Middle East, he went to around to raise Nazanin's case and he met her father. So, I mean I'm grateful that he went and did what he could. And
in terms of, you know, what else foreign office could do. And actually right the Iran continues to deny access, you know, she's taken because
she's British but claiming because she's Iranian. We can't have access.
So, the foreign office needs to look at, I mean, if asking nicely doesn't work, how can they escalate to protect British interim of British citizens.
ANDERSON: What is next?
RATCLIFFE: For us. And, I mean obviously the campaign goes and, you know, we build up and hoping she'll be back by Christmas and -- and then we had
the appeal. So there was the hope that somebody will come and in fact obviously appeal, if anything that got worst. So we had -- she was accused
to being the head of recruitment for BBC farce, just not true. And was accused to a British spy, also not true.
So, there's an ominous quality there. And so I need to think about what next that. But we carry on and keep pushing and keep raising her case.
ANDERSON: Good luck.
RATCLIFFE: Thank you so much.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
RATCLIFFE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: You're watching Connect the World live from London.
Coming up, the Pope, the head of an ancient catholic order and a battle over condoms, we'll be live in Rome with that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Here with CNN, this is Connect the World. I am Becky Anderson for you. Welcome back to the Vatican now and the head of an ancient
Catholic order has resigned at the request of Pope Francis. It is a result of a leadership dispute involving condoms.
Now, the Knights of Malta as a unknown, a charitable group defend from Knights of the Crusades, the Grand Master of that group Matthew Festing
would normally serve in the role for life, but was asked to step aside. CNN's Vatican Correspondent Delia Gallagher is in room. Why Gallagher?
I'm so sorry, Delia.
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, this is a really dramatic story which is unfolded because Pope Francis has really in an
unprecedented way forced the resignation of the head of one of the Catholic Church's most ancient institutions. As you mention the Knights of Malta
around since the 11th century involved in charity work throughout the world. And what's more and what's at the heart of this story is they are a
sovereign order. That means they're like their own country. They have passports. They have diplomatic relations with other countries including
the Vatican. And they contest the legality of the Pope's intervention in their order.
What happened, Becky, was back in December, the Grand Master of the order an Englishman man named Matthew Festing fired one of his top officials for
allegedly allowing the distribution of condoms in Myanmar through one of their charitable agencies. That official appealed the decision to the
Pope. The Pope said he didn't want the official fired and he was going to investigate, but the conservative leadership of the Knights of Malta
publicly defied the Pope and said they would not cooperate with the investigation, because they are a sovereign order. And they questioned the
Pope's jurisdiction over them. But the Vatican pressed ahead anyway, and the result is the news we have today that the Pope asked for and received
the resignation of the Grand Master.
It's less a story about the distribution of the condoms Becky, as much as the hard-line removal of the official allegedly involved, and obviously of
the open defiance on the part of the conservative leadership of the Knights of Malta against their progressive Pope, Becky.
[11:55:07] ANDERSON: Our Vatican Correspondent Delia Gallagher. And thank you and apologies for mispronouncing your name with the double. That
expertly done as ever. Thank you.
If you enjoyed the stories that we brought you throughout this hour, you can always find more on our Facebook page, from our interviews and stories
you have might missed in all show. You can find all of that hear at Facebook.com/CNNConnect. And do not hesitate to get in touch with me
directly.
My twitter account is @BeckyCNN. So do feel free to tweet me. And it's always great to hear from you our viewers. And do remember, it is your
show to do keep in touch however you want to keep in touch for this. Do use the Facebook side and do connect us on social media. I am Becky
Anderson. That was Connect the World from the team who are working with me here in London, those in Abu Dhabi and those working around the world,
thank you for watching. The CNN will continue after this short break. So, do not go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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