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London Terror Attack; Saudi, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt Cut Off Ties with Qatar. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired June 05, 2017 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:35] BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Hello and welcome. I'm Becky Anderson in London for you.
British Prime Minister Theresa May says we cannot go on as we are, promising a tough response to what she calls an attack on the free world.
Let's get right to the latest developments for you.
Mrs. May says London police have identified all three men behind Saturday's terror attack and will name them when the investigation allows.
This new video, just in to CNN, appears to show the assailants walking calmly on the night of the attack. It is unclear who shot the footage.
Police made several more arrests this morning as they widen their dragnet, trying to determine whether the attackers who killed seven people were part
of a bigger network.
Let's kick this off with CNN's Clarissa Ward.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: British authorities are scrambling to determine if the three attackers are connected to a foreign
terror network. London's Metropolitan Police carrying out a number of raids and arrests as ISIS claims responsibility for Saturday's attack,
although no evidence currently exists to back up the claim.
Neighbors at this raided apartment complex stunned after recognizing one of he dead attackers who they describe as a quiet family man.
JIBRIL PALOMBA, NEIGHBOR: The man I know is - he was a wonderful guy.
WARD: One woman, however, did have concerns, which she claimed she brought to police.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of a sudden, we saw this individual speaking to the kids and gathered them for the last - it was (inaudible) and speaking
to them about the Islam and showed them how to pray.
WARD: Locals showing CNN the Mosque they believe ones of the attackers attended, though authorities have not confirmed his identity.
London police say the three attackers began their killing spree using a rented white van that sped across London Bridge around 10:00 p.m. Saturday
night, plowing into pedestrians.
MARK ROBERTS, WITNESSED LONDON ATTACK: It knocked over several people, came within about 20 yards of where I was. It knocked somebody nearly 20
feet in the air.
WARD: Emergency vehicles rushed to the scene as police responded to more violence at Borough Market where the attackers had driven before getting
out of the van wielding knives and randomly attacking people inside restaurants and cafes.
JACK APPLEBEE, WITNESSED LONDON ATTACK: There were these three men standing there, one of which had a machete. And this one girl it's like
saying that they're stabbing everyone. They're stabbing people.
ELIZABETH O'NEIL, MOTHER OF VICTIM: He only stepped out of the pub for a second. And a man run up to him and said this is for my family, for Islam.
Looked him straight in the face and stabbed him.
WARD: These patrons, hunkering down, fearing for their lives as others fled the scene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People were just literally running away as fast as they possibly could.
WARD: Minutes after the first calls for help, London police say eight officers shot 50 rounds taking down all three attackers. One bystander was
shot in a hail of bullets.
THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Those police officers within eight minutes had shot the three attackers and killed them, and that saved
countless lives.
WARD: Britain's prime minister condemning the three recent terror attacks, vowing a sweeping review of the country's anti-terror laws.
MAY: We will continue to support military action to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. And we will do more to deny this ideology the physical space to
breed here at home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: We are covering all angles of this story for you, of course, this hour, as you would expect.
Let's start with Samuel Burke who is at Scotland Yard.
We know that the police have identified these attackers. We don't yet, though, know their names. When might we expect to hear?
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN MONEY: Well, Becky, we're actually expecting that very soon, that is what the police are telling us here. And that will be
crucial, because once the public knows their names, we can get a better sense of whether these three men were on the radar of the police.
If you were listening closely to Clarissa Ward's report right there, she interviewed a woman who claimed that she had flagged up one of these
attackers to the authorities.
And Becky, just a short time ago there was a meeting with the Metropolitan police as well as Muslim leaders - Muslim leaders of the London community.
And they said, quote, Muslims need to do more.
But I pushed them, and I said we have heard - Becky, you and I were both in Manchester after the terrorist attack at the Ariana Grande concert and we
heard members of the Muslim community tell us that they had flagged Salman Abedi to the authorities. So, if people were flagging up him, and if this
woman did indeed flag up one of the attackers in this London attack, how can they reconcile the fact that Muslims need to do more. And this is what
the commander of the Metropolitan Police told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:05:43] MAK CHISHTY, METROPOLITAN POLICE COMMANDER FOR ENGAGEMENT: Unlike a single person, a lone wolf type of attacker who many keep
everything to themselves.
When you've got three people in concert, necessarily there must have been some discussion around that. And some people, even at the closest point to
them (inaudible) something. And we're saying they had a duty, the Muslim community are saying they had that duty to report it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURKE: So, Becky, essentially what he's saying there is it's not enough for the Muslim community to just flag up an individual that they're worried
about, that they are suspicious of, he's saying if there is an attack and three people knew something that more people must have known something
about the attack and that the Muslim community also needs to flag up a potential attack.
Though we have to say, I asked him about the media reports that in Manchester, those calls may have gone to the wrong department and slipped
through the cracks. And he couldn't answer that.
But it will be very important if we can find out these names and see how the public reacts and how the authorities react if, indeed, these people
were on the radar and somehow the authorities missed it.
ANDERSON: That's Samuel Burke outside Scotland Yard.
Let's get, then, to Nic Robertson who is outside Number 10. And these are questions, Nic, that the government and authorities will need to answer as
the prime minister talks about a top to bottom change in counterterror strategy.
How about starting at the grassroots and those who are actually providing information on people they are concerned about not getting their
information communicated correctly.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is undoubtedly what the prime minister is referring to, in part, that the threat has changed,
the threat as we heard from also from the Met Police commissioner, Cressida Dick, the threat is coming from within the communities in Britain. And
Theresa May has been very clear that within those communities there is too much harboring of extremism or extremist ideas, that there's too much
tolerance of it, that awkward and difficult conversations need to be had. And this seems to be the point that she's getting to that. Within those
communities, we have to find a way, the government has to find a way, to make sure that this information percolates up and out of the communities in
an effective way and is communicated and used in an effective and nuanced strategy.
The criticism of the prevent strategy that exists right now that she oversaw as home secretary, one of the criticisms has been that, you know,
it makes the Muslim - within the Muslim community in Britain, it created that narrative that people were sort of being asked to spy on themselves
and spy on the community. And really that's where - that's where that lost traction and that's where it seems that, you know, she wants to address it.
I know from people involved in counterterrorism in Britain that this is something that they've been working on, that the government has been
trying to address and that they slowly, Becky, are addressing it, that the government has been slow to move in this direction, but has recently begun
to take steps and enable some of the people at the grassroots in the community who are involved, if you will, in frontline deradicalization,
people with excellent track records in reradicalizing. They've been woefully underfunded in the past to increase the support for them.
So, to - one gets the sense that this is what she's talking about, but she's not articulating it, she's not saying precisely who or what or where
those conversations should be had.
ANDERSON: Seven killed, 48 injured, of course, 36 victims still being treated in hospitals, Nic, 18 of those are critical. And while London
authorities are working around the clock to try to crack a possible terror network, U.S. President Donald Trump ramping up his personal attacks on
this city's mayor.
First, he tweeted that Sadiq Khan said there was no reason to be alarmed after the terror attack, misrepresenting the context of the mayor's
remarks. And now this, a new tweet just this morning, U.S. Times says, and I quote, "pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast
on his no reason to be alarmed statement. MSM" - meaning mainstream media, I assume - "is working hard to sell it."
When we all know the context of the mayor's comments were no reason to be alarmed about the number of police on the streets. And those are people
like those behind us who are, as this is still cordoned off just keeping us safe. That was the context.
Any response from authorities to the U.S. president's remarks, which don't appear to be particularly helpful, do they, let's face it?
ROBERTSON: There's been quite a number of responses. And the most striking one, perhaps, in London is the fact that one of the responses has
come from the acting U.S. ambassador here, Lew Lukens yesterday who tweeted that he had - that he thinks that Mayor Sadiq Khan is handling the
situation here in a very - in a very good manor, in a very thorough professional and capable manner.
So, really, President Trump's comments, you know, and amped up again today are in stark contrast to the views of his acting ambassador here in Britain
who thinks Sadiq Khan is doing a good job.
President Trump is wading here into a politically charged situation. Sadiq Khan, of course, from Labour Party, we're into a general election in a
couple of days. The leader at the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, yesterday responded very, if you will, starkly and bluntly to President Trump's
tweets yesterday saying that he has neither the grasp nor the sense to understand precisely what the mayor is talking about, the mayor is trying
to make sure that the communities stay united in London that there isn't, sort of a breakdown on - you know, that people feel that Muslims are
somehow wrong in this, singling them out rather than recognizing as terrorists.
So, you know, Theresa May has politically put herself very close to Donald Trump. Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition is looking for votes
and is criticizing Donald Trump over this. And this reflects, unfortunately for Theresa May, this does reflect difficultly at this time
on her close association with President Trump who says he does support her strongly at this time.
ANDERSON: Nic Robertson is outside 10 Downing Street.
It is 12 minutes past 4:00 as the rain begins to come down here in London.
Let's delve into the latest on the terror investigation, then. CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank joining me now from London.
So, authorities it appears know the identity of these attackers. We are being told that we, ourselves, will learn their identities relatively soon.
What more have your sources been able to tell you?
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, it would appear that the three attackers come from east London. There are 11 people in custody,
including seven women from the east London area. They're trying to figure out whether these attackers had connections to a broader radical milieu. I
think that many people would expect that they would have had connection to other extremists in the UK, especially because they had three of them.
This part of East London is an area where one particular group called al Mahajaroun (ph) has been very active over the years. This is an ISIS
cheerleading group, which has been led by a figure called Anjem Choudary who last year was convicted and sentenced for five years in jail for
encouraging Muslims in the United Kingdom to support ISIS.
So, a big part of this investigation right now is looking at that extremist milieu, the connections between these attacks, and people in the radical
scene in the UK. They're trying to figure out whether this may have been part of a broader conspiracy.
They're very confident now that that night there were just three attackers involved and not, as I understand, finding any sort of fence that these
people had trained overseas necessarily at this point because of the fact that they used very crude techniques in this attack, that they did not
appear to have been trained killers. And so that's sort of pointing away from a sort of overseas training aspect like you saw with the Paris
attacks, like you saw with the Brussels attacks - Becky.
[11:15:03] ANDERSON: Paul Cruickshank is at the bureau in London.
And we will continue to cover every angle of this story, as you would expect us to do here on CNN. Later this hour, we'll tell you what we are
learning about some of those killed or wounded in what was this horrific attack. A bride to be, a journalist on a night out, and two Australians
just among the many.
There will be vigil for them to begin in a few hour's time.
In the investigation, police make two fresh early morning raids. Forensic material has been seized, more to come on that.
And Londoners got back to work today. It is the afternoon on Friday. In fact, they'll be beginning to go home. I can see the buses moving just
behind the cameras here. The mayor says his city will never be cowed by terrorism. We look at the resilience of the people of this, the British
capital.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden if we are going to defeat terrorism and send
its wicked ideology into oblivion. The first task in this joint effort is for your nations to deny all territory to the foot soldiers of evil. Every
country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: But coming together may not be such a cinch.
Let me break down what is pretty much a family feud on steroids for you, if you will. Picture this, a country club full of six really good friends,
all really, really powerful, all really, really, really rich. That's basically this, the GCC. They do a whole load of things together from
raising taxes to waging war. But now three of the most powerful - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE - are you uniting against Qatar.
It likes to go its own way, throwing up loud buildings like this, the shard that's behind me and running loud networks like al Jazeera. But the
others, well, it seems they are finally fed up with them not falling into line. So, they are cutting them off in every way you can imagine and
kicking the Qataris out, effectively, or opening up such a gulf in the Gulf, as it were.
CNN's Muhammad Lila is back in Abu Dhabi with us for the answers.
And one absolutely incredible allegation coming out of Saudi. Do tell us what you know.
MUHAMMAD LILA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically those countries that are blacklisting Qatar, if you will, accuse Qatar of
supporting terrorism and creating instability in the region, pointing out Qatar's support for groups like Hamas or the Muslim Brotherhood.
But I have to point out, Becky, this is much more than just a severing of diplomatic ties. Look, when you severe diplomatic ties, what you would do
is you would recall your ambassador and your diplomatic staff. This goes much, much more than that. For example, these countries are telling Qatari
nationals that are Saudi Arabia or the UAE, for example, that they have 14 days to leave. They've told Qatari diplomats that they have 48 hours to
leave. And they've also closed their borders to Qatar. They've closed off air space to Qatar.
So, this is bound to have a ripple effect in the region, a region that already, as you well know, Becky, any instability in the region is never a
good thing, bu this is a case where, you know, if Qatar Airways, for example, can't use Saudi airspace then that almost cuts off Africa from
their route map. It means that they have to take a major detour. It means that there will be more costs, potentially, to passengers. And there's a
financial - there's the financial hit as well in Qatar itself.
Look, Qatar is a country that might produce natural gas and oil, but it doesn't produce any of its own food. It relies on imports for all of their
food. A lot of those imports come from Saudi Arabia. And if Saudi Arabia closes those borders, there's a real concern of - there's a real concern
that food prices in Qatar, for example, could skyrocket, because imports will be much harder to bring in.
[11:21:25] ANDERSON: Yeah, and there's going to be more on that.
All right, Muhammad, thank you for that. Abu Dhabi, of course, right in the mix. It's been close to Qatar in almost every way since day one. In
fact, since before day one. Check out this slice of history. This is the very first meeting about formally what we now call the UAE. Around the
table at that time all the Emirates, as you might expect, but also Bahrain and Qatar itself. That's right, it could have been a part of the UAE, but
three years after this photo was taken they chose to pass.
Well, our next guest is flying left, right, and center at the moment, but we've finally managed to lock him down. A friend of the show and author
of ISIS: A History, Fawaz Gerges is in the hotseat with me right now, or in the hot stand, as it were.
It isn't really hot here, actually, it's pouring with rain.
I gandered through your book, another gander through your book, which is an excellent one. It's about ISIS and it's a short history. What I didn't
see was any talk of Qatar funding of ISIS in any way.
Now, there have been allegations thrown away about Qatar funding terrorism.
FAWAZ GERGES, AUTHOR: I mean, I think this is the general accusation that Qatar supports and funds Islamist groups, radical Islamist groups.
ANDERSON: (inaudible) or substance in that?
GERGES: I mean, there is some substance to the fact that Qatar supports the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood is not ISIS, but it's
classified as a terrorist organization by Egypt. It's seen as...
ANDERSON: Designated by the UAE and Saudi Arabia as well.
GERGES: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: But it's a movement as far as Qatar is concerned.
GERGES: Absolutely.
It supports radical Islamists in Libya who are seen as a threat not only to Libya, but also to Egypt and North Africa.
But overall, I would argue that - I mean, the key point, the big point, is that Qatar is a small state tries to really now carve a bigger role for
itself in the region by supporting Islamists, whether you're talking about mainstream Islamists or radical Islamists and it does not accept the
consensus on Iran in the region, in particular after the visit by President Trump to Saudi Arabia.
So, on two fronts creating a broad coalition against Iran and a big coalition against the Islamists, Qatar has decided to go its own way, and
that's why this is the new crisis.
ANDERSON: But Qatar was at that meeting. There were some 50-odd Sunni Muslim leaders at the meeting in Riyadh recently that Trump attended when
Iran was front and center as the bogey man, as it were, and there was an agreement to counter its influence in the region.
It seems, Iran, to be enjoying the spectacle of this diplomatic punch up somewhat. And the deputy chief of staff for the president, Fawaz, reckons
this moment was the opening bell for the fight. When the American president, Donald Trump, danced in Riyadh, his first stop, of course, on
his first trip abroad in the drop a couple of weeks ago, Iran thinks the Saudis took this as a green light to take a free hand in the region. It's
what the Iranians are saying.
Between how Saudi sees this, stopping Qatar from spreading terror, and how Iran sees it as perhaps somewhat amusing crack between those who might
stand up.
What's the lay of the land here? Which side is the U.S. or Trump on at this point?
GERGES: Well, Trump would like the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The secretary of state made it very clear today. He said the unity of the
Gulf Cooperation Council is essential to American foreign policy. Why? Because the Americans would like to create, setup, a broad coalition
against both Iran and terrorism. And this particular crisis threaten the unity...
[11:25:05] ANDERSON: So, how does Qatar fit into that?
GERGES: Well, look, yes, the Emir of Qatar attended the meeting in Saudi Arabia, but they were upset, the Qataris were upset. They were not taken
seriously. The Americans believe that Qatar supports the Islamists, not only the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, too, which is designated as a terrorist
organization. And also the Emir of Qatar after he went home he basically criticized the meeting in Saudi Arabia. He criticized some Gulf states.
And he said, look, the coalition against Iran does not make sense.
So, it was the spark that triggered the current crisis.
ANDERSON: These were comments, of course, that the Emir of Qatar says weren't real comments, they were hacked effectively, made up comments.
GERGES: Neither the Saudis nor the Emiratis nor the Egyptians basically bought this particular line. And the reality is the Qataris do not really
accept the consensus that has emerged out of the Saudi meeting. They do not really want to take part in the coalition against Iran. And they want
to pursue an individualistic foreign policy.
ANDERSON: So, let's just work out just how big a deal this is. Consider this, Qatar grows barely any of its own food. In fact, nine out of 10
mouthfuls there are flown or driven in from elsewhere. So, the country being walled off, effectively, is and will be causing panic.
Check out these scenes from a supermarket in Doha, people piling their trolleys high with everything they can. The shopper who snapped these
images tells us she queued for more than half an hour. Normally, she'd be in line for just a few minutes.
This has a potentially huge impact. This isn't just the rift that we saw a couple of years ago, this is bigger than that, isn't it?
GERGES: Absolutely. I mean remember, Qatar has the land border with Saudi Arabia is the only land basically border with oil. So, basically what
Saudi Arabia and Egypt and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and also Yemen are saying they want to choke off Qatar.
I mean, this is not about food, Becky, what the Arab states are trying to do is to exert more pressure on Qatar. It's to squeeze Qatar.
ANDERSON: But what's the big - is there an even bigger picture here, because this is complicated.
GERGES: They want Qatar to accept the consensus that has emerged in Saudi Arabia. They want Qatar to stop its support for the Islamists. They want
Qatar to be a good citizen in the Gulf. And at the end of the day, Qatar is in a very, very weak position. It's in the eye of the storm. It's
isolated diplomatically, politically, and also Saudi Arabia now has called on companies and business people who do business in Qatar to basically pull
out their businesses from Qatar.
This is one of the most important strategic areas in the world. The richest part in the world both in terms of gas and oil. The biggest cash
flow in the world is not in China, it's in this part of the world. It also threatened the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the U.S.-led
coalition against ISIS. Remember, the U.S.-led air campaign is led from Qatar, the headquarters of the U.S. campaign. So, it has tremendous
implications not only on Qatar, also on regional geopolitics and American politics as well.
ANDERSON: Your analysis is very important to what is a multi-layered and complicated story, but an extremely important one. Thank you, Fawaz, as
ever.
Coming up, we're going to have more on the coverage of the London terror attacks from here. That is after this short break. Viewers, don't go
away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:31:09] ANDERSON: And this is Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson. Welcome back.
Campaigning for Thursday's election in the UK has resumed after being paused in the wake of what was the London Bridge attack here Saturday, even
though before it resumed Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a speech Sunday that many criticized as politicizing this attack. She pledged a
tougher stance on extremism saying enough is enough.
Well, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn slammed the prime minister Sunday evening for past big cuts in Britain's police force. He said you cannot,
quote, protect the public on the cheap.
Well, clearly the political gloves didn't stay off for long. Joining me now from London is Charlie Cooper, UK political correspondent for Politico.
And as we say campaigning was supposed to be suspended. And this would have been the second time, of course. We've had two attacks now in a
matter of a couple of weeks. But it seems the politicians couldn't help themselves.
CHARLIE COOPER, UK POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO: Quite. I mean, this dreadful attack just a few yards from here on Saturday night has become
political quicker than any that we've had in the UK, and that is because obviously we are just three days away from a crucial general election.
And it's because Theresa May is not just a prime minister. For six years, she was also the Home Secretary, and that's the minister in charge of
counterterror, in charge of counterextremism, and Labour has seen an opportunity to maybe suggest that her record in that office was not the
best, that she might have done more to prevent terrible attacks like this.
ANDERSON: She was way ahead in the polls, so she didn't have to call this election. She called it because she wanted an even bigger mandate to do
with Brexit what she will, she said.
She's not likely to lose this election at this point, is she?
COOPER: No. I think the safe money is still on Theresa May to win this election, but she's a far less safe bet than she was only a couple of weeks
ago. She began this campaign saying I am strong and stable, and there's been a few things in the course of this campaign that have undermined that
message slightly. That was the U-turn on a big social care policy in her manifesto, and then now in the wake of these attacks, as I say, Labour have
beginning to attack her record as Home Secretary, as the person in charge of Britain's counterterror strategy.
ANDERSON: And lets remember, three attacks in three months.
COOPER: Yeah. There was the Westminster attack, of course, in March only a few weeks ago.
ANDERSON: So, if we should expect anything in the next three days of campaigning, we ought to expect that counterterror policy and issues of
policing and assets will be front and center, correct?
COOPER: I think so. I think this was supposed to be the Brexit election. That has not happened. It has become far more about seven years of
austerity under a coalition and a conservative government. And that has played into Jeremy Corbyn's hands.
He's now saying well you've got the police by 20,000 since 2010, that's part of the conservative economic agenda, that was a political choice, and
he's making political hay out of that.
ANDERSON: Apologies, viewers, if you can hear the wind. It's really blowing up here. So well done for keeping going with us.
Three days, then, of election - of campaigning. Thursday is big election day. Many people would have said, you know, they wouldn't have expected -
an awful lot of people - to come out an vote. Afterall, the Brexit referendum was only last year, and the last election was only a year before
that.
Do you see particularly youngsters now defying what - his odds, actually, and coming out?
COOPER: I mean, Labour's success or otherwise in this election depends hugely on the 18 to 24 vote. Some of them tell pollsters, or some
pollsters say that they are telling them, about 82 percent of them are going to vote. Now that would be like a big difference, because most of
them vote Labour. Whether this is going to buck the trend of previous elections, whether that age group stays at home, we will see. Certainly,
that age group has been infused by Jeremy Corbyn unlike any other politician, perhaps, in a generation.
So, it's all (inaudible) still.
[11:35:03] ANDERSON: Got to work out whether they actually get out and vote, or believe by going online and reading about it means that they've
already sort of cast their vote.
COOPER: Precisely.
ANDERSON: One of the problems.
All right, thank you. Thank you for joining us.
The attacks in Manchester are now the attack here in London will no doubt impact the elections. How will the tough new rhetoric from the prime
minister play into it? Well, check out Jane Merrick's in depth and fascinating analysis. You can find a lot more on that, including profiles
of Labour Party candidate, or Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn as well as the changing face of the UK on the world stage, all at CNN.com.
One city that knows London's pain right now, of course, is Manchester. And tens of thousands of people descended on Old Tratford, as it's known, the
stadium there for this music star Ariana Grande returning and headlining a star-studded tribute concert for the victims of the attack at her concert
two weeks ago.
Phil Black is live in Manchester. He was at the concert last night. And Phil, we've been discussing the atmosphere and the cathartic nature,
perhaps, of what happened last night. Explain.
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Becky. I was left in no doubt that it meant a great deal to the 50,000 people who gathered there
within the Old Tratford cricket ground to witness and to share those few hours together, an opportunity to share some sorrow, certain some of them
were nervous about gathering in those sorts of numbers so soon after the bombing that took place here, and also to share in some joy, to share in
the solidarity that comes with being a member of the community in this city.
There's no sense that it's going to make everything OK, or heal the wound, bring back those who were lost, but it meant a great deal to that crowd.
It was an incredibly emotional, electric atmosphere. There were waves of emotion coming off them. And it meant a lot to the performers as well,
especially Ariana Grande whose fans were targeted at that bombing just two weeks ago.
So many special moments throughout those few hours. Here are the highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIANA GRANDE, SINGER: I had the pleasure of meeting Olivia's mommy a few days ago. And as soon as I met her I started crying and I gave her a big
hug. And she said that I should stop crying, because Olivia wouldn't have wanted me to cry. And then she told me that Olivia would have wanted to
hear the hits.
Thank you so much for coming together and being so loving and strong and unified.
CROWD: (SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not easy to always choose love, is it? Tell them I love you. Look in their eyes, say I love you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All these people who are fearless who came for love. You will not be separated.
CROWD: (SINGING)
JUSTIN BIEBER, SINGER: I just want to take this moment to honor the people that were lost or that were taken. We love you so much. To the families,
we love you so much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: The power of music, the strength of Manchester, it all combined for a truly unforgettable night and also sent a very defiant message, a really
powerful rejection of the violence that has taken and ruined lives both in Manchester and London, Becky.
ANDERSON: Phil Black is in Manchester for you. Thanks, Phil.
Well, more of our coverage of these London terror attacks after this short break.
(COMMECIAL BREAK)
[11:43:03] ANDERSON: Well, you're watching CNN. This is the Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson. Welcome back.
Our top story this hour is the investigation into the London terror attack. Police have identified all three terrorists and will release their names in
the near future. Meanwhile, security being beefed up across this city of London with barricades, in fact, being placed on some of the bridges.
Saturday's attacks saw seven people killed and 48 wounded.
This was the third terror attack in as many months in the United Kingdom and the second in what is this runup to a national election. On Thursday,
voters go to the polls in three days time, then. And one woman banking on a power shift, the Labour Party's Diane Abbott. She wants to run the
police and the intelligence services as Britain's new home secretary. Diane Abbott now joins us live from the heart of power here in London.
If you were to as a Labour Party defy the odds and win this election on Thursday, you want to be running things around here pretty soon. So tell
us, what are your policies? And what are you going to do better?
DIANE ABBOTT, SHADOW HOME SECRETARY: One of the things we would do is halt the cuts in policing that we've seen under Theresa May.
Since 2010, when she was home secretary, to the current day, we've lost over 20,000 police officers. And we don't believe that's the way to help
the British people feel safe.
The other thing we'd want to do, in the light of the awful atrocities that we've seen in the past three months, particularly the atrocity and the
killings on London Bridge, we'd want to review all of our counterterrorism legislation.
ANDERSON: All right.
Let's talk about police numbers. You'll know what's coming now. When you totally botched answering a question on British radio about how you'll add
more police to streets like this. On our viewers on CNN to have a listen. Hang on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:45:07] ABBOTT: The additional costs in year one when we anticipate recruiting 250,000 policemen will be 64.3 million.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 250,000 policemen?
ABBOTT: And women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, you're getting more than 10,000, you're recruiting 250,000?
ABBOTT: No, we are recruiting 2,000 and perhaps 250. And the cost.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did 250,000 come from?
ABBOTT: I think you said that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Diane, have you got a better answer for us now?
ABBOTT: Of course I've got a better answer.
I should point out I did seven interviews on the (inaudible) that morning at around 7:00. I got the figures right in six interviews and yes I
fumbled them on the seventh.
The answer is that we want to recruit 10,000 more police officers over four or five years. It will cost 300 million. And we will get the money from
reversing the Torry cuts in capital gains tax, which will raise around 2.75 billion.
So, it's a funded promise. It's a serious promise. You don't help the British people feel safer by cutting the number of police officers.
ANDERSON: Diane, let me be very clear here, because clearly more people on - more security on the streets, more policemen on the streets, would help
in any country. But let's be really clear here, do you think fear of being seen as none politically correct is tripping up investigations here it
doesn't matter how many investigating officers there are if they are worried about being seen to sort of go after Muslims, as it were, it
doesn't matter how many you've got, does it, if PC is getting in the way. Do you think that's an issue?
ABBOTT: I think the issue is the importance of having more community-based police officers, because when you are trying to work with communities to
get information, to encourage them to come forward with information, then the more community police officers you have that are based in and working
with communities the more effective your investigation will be.
There are two sides to this. There is working with communities so we get the information that we need, and there's obviously the investigation.
And there's a general issue, actually, about the police. All of the stakeholders - the inspector, the constabulary, the police federation, have
said that the police in general are under pressure because of policing cuts, and that's what we want to stop.
Our safety as a nation should not be compromised by austerity.
ANDERSON: Do you believe that communities want to see the sort of policies that you are suggesting?
ABBOTT: Of course. I mean, these - this series of terror attacks - Westminster, Manchester, now London Bridge - have been absolutely horrific.
And all communities stand against that type of terror, and all communities want to fight back. And part of fighting back is not allowing us to be
divided, but also part of fighting back is having the right level of resources.
ANDERSON: Diane Abbott joining us out of the London bureau. And we will have more of our coverage of the London terror attacks and other stories
after this short break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:43] ANDERSON: Well, you're with CNN. This is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson for you in London, just yards away from London Bridge
and Borough Market where we saw those horrific attacks on Saturday evening.
It is the afternoon in London now, and people beyond the move once again on their way home, mostly. This is a city on the move. The terror attack,
though, at London Bridge and Borough Market, the third here in the UK in as many months.
Authorities now again grappling with the fight against extremism. One woman who is a part of that effort was a victim of London's 7/7 bombings
back in 2005.
Sajda Mughal was on a tube train, those blown up by one of the four 7/7 attackers. She now works tirelessly to save young people from being drawn
into extremism, and she joins me now.
I just had Diane Abbott on, who as I suggested defies the odds with her Labour Party and were to win the election on Thursday wants to run the
police and intelligence services here going forward. Shes says it's all about putting more police on the streets, that's what they've been calling
for. Whether she can get he numbers right or not is beside the point, really.
You are involved at the grassroots level. Let's leave the politicians aside and talk to those who are working with communities. What can we do
better?
SAJDA MUGHAL, DIRECTOR, JAN TRUST: OK. So, yes you're right to say I'm involved at the grassroots, which I've been doing since I survived 7/7.
For the last seven years I've been working specifically with my community, the Muslim community, to equip Muslim mothers to prevent radicalization and
online extremism via our web guardians program.
I have traveled the breadth of the UK, and I have heard their concerns. I have heard mothers say we're concerned. I've also heard mothers say to me,
we're unaware. So, hence, we've supported them. We've given them the education. And they've come back, some have come back to say we've stopped
our young people joining extremist pathways.
What needs to happen, this type of work, first and foremost actually from a broader perspective that whole community approach joined up approach needs
to be in place. We have to all fight this together. We've suffered three attacks in three months, it cannot go on.
ANDERSON: So, when you're talking about that joined up approach, you're talking about the community, you're talking about the police as well,
you're talking about politicians locally, all of it - and you're talking about the youngsters.
How big an issue is it for youngsters in the Muslim community getting radicalized these days? Just give us a really honest and basic answer to
that?
MUGHAL: OK, I can't give you numbers, but it's an issue. I can say it's an issue. And why I can say that, because I also work with schools across
London and the UK. And I can hear what these young Muslims, particularly, tell me.
ANDERSON: And what are they telling you?
MUGHAL: How they are feeling isolated. How they're feeling marginalized. How some sympathize with extremist narrative.
So, this is when I know there's a problem. There's an issue.
Then I hear the same from mothers. They're concerned about their children and the online world. What can be done (inaudible)? I have to be really
honest with you, our prime minister came out with a great speech in terms of enough is enough. Correct, I can say that as a 7/7 survivor, enough is
enough.
But I would like to see is our government continued support with the grassroots. Our project, for example, has had to take a step back because
of the red tape and bureaucracy in government. That can't exist. If we are to defeat terrorism...
ANDEROSN: How? Explain how red tape and bureaucracy has affected the implementation or effectiveness of what you are doing? Because I thought
you were going to say money, funding.
MUGHAL: You thought I was going to say that. It is the processes, the number of processes, the jumping through hoops, the talking, the toing and
the froing.
Now, in that time of that happening, our project, for example, can't be delivered, the tri-tested project that works, which means potentially we
have young people who are being brainwashed by the internet. And I know the internet is playing a part, because I researched it over a decade ago
and we know. In fact, we lobbied the government over a decade ago to say it's the internet.
So, what that means is if we're not having that grassroots approach also happening, we could potentially face young people being radicalized.
ANDERSON: There are people who will say that because of political correctness there is an issue for community service, policemen and women
who are struggling to have the sort of conversations that they ought to be having with the Muslim community. They say, you know, it's not politically
correct for me to have this conversation, for example. Have you heard that? And do you worry about that?
MUGHAL: I have heard that.
Now, this is where this joined up approach comes in, because if our police officers are feeling like that, it shouldn't just rest there. They should
be able to talk to members of the community, to turn to them for support, to say actually we need this or we need your support. So, we need that
joined up approach.
But also, if there is a concern that someone says I think something may happen, or I am worried about this person, then we need to see that concern
through.
ANDERSON: 7/7 was what, 12 years ago now? You get over these things, don't you? I mean, there are victims, there are people who are still in
hospital all over London. Those who survived this, they will survive and go on, won't they?
MUGHAL: Exactly. They will.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
Before we go, an update on one of our bigger stories this hour. Saudi Arabia closing down the office of the Qatar-based al Jazeera news network
in the Kingdom. The Kingdom also sealing off its ports with the country, blaming it for supporting terror. Qatar totally denying the allegations,
calling them baseless.
I'm Becky Anderson, that was Connect the World from London. Thank you for watching.
END