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Victims Remembered At Memorial Service; Tracking Terror Across Europe; Thousands Marching In Boston Counterprotest; Bannon's Departure The Latest In Staff Shakeup; U.S., South Korea Drills Start Monday; Bomb Factory Discovery Shocks Alcanar Beach Town; Syrians Seek Escape From Daily Concerns Of War; Minuto De Silencio For Barcelona. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 20, 2017 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:01] AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I'm Amanda Davies in Monaco and this is CNN.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: This was the scene in Barcelona a few hours ago, a city shaken by terror, now united in grief and prayer. Spain's king and
queen and prime minister joins mourners at the famous Sagrada Familia to remember the 14 people killed in last week's terror attacks. Those 14
include fathers and husbands, a grandmother, and a little boy just seven years old out, enjoying a beautiful day last Thursday when they were mowed
down in the streets.
And here we are right outside this church, as grand as it is vast. We're here though for a reason we hoped we never would be after, a new kind of
terror for this city rampaging through here just like it has across Europe. From Berlin to Nice, Paris to London, Stockholm to Manchester. On this
show which you can see we'll be connecting it all for you. Let's begin. Take you to the investigation into the attacks last week in Barcelona and
Cambrils, we've had big developments in just the past few hours.
Authorities now say, they have found two bodies in a house that blew up last week in Alcanar, which is south of this City of Barcelona. They
believe the terror cell that carried out the attacks was operating there, they also found more than 100 gas canisters and traces of the deadly
explosive TATP. They say the cell has been dismantled, although the driver in Barcelona of the van that plowed people down in Las Ramblas may have
crossed into France.
I want to talk more about all of these, the search for answers and what we know about these attackers. CNN's Melissa Bell is with me now. And you
just got back from where as the border with France about 60 odd miles away from here, and we'll talk about why in a moment. First, let's just bring
me through together that we are learning over the past couple of hours?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all this latest news and perhaps most tragic, Becky, that this seven-year-old boy, Julian
Cadman, we've seen his pictures so much the idea that he was somewhere missing in Barcelona had touched the hearts of so many. His father arrives
from Australia trying to find the boy last night only to be taken straight to the mortuary. It is one of the saddest stories to come out of this one,
also many however.
On the question of the investigation and also a lot of focus on that house you mention in Alcanar, those explosives, those canisters, but also could
see that TATP which is famously easy to use, it was used in so many of the attacks. As you mentioned over the course of the last few months and years
in Europe, in Manchester, in Paris, in Brussels, it is also famously unstable, hence no doubt the explosion that we saw on Wednesday night. And
that possibly prevented even greater attempt from the ones we've seen from being carried out.
ANDERSON: A complex way for the police to work out, and at least now a town to the north of here on the French border, you just come back from
there, right?
BELL: It is - first of all, the home of the last person the police are looking for, Younes Abouyaaquob, we know that he could be outside of Spain
as you said, we don't know for sure that he is still in the country. He is one of eight of the Cambrils and Barcelona suspects that is from this tiny
town, a most improbable location for these young men to all have come from and apparently the thing that links them now. As we went up there, we
hoped to reach out for local and then it turned out that for the last two months, he hadn't been seen.
In the foothills of the Spanish Pyrenees, the quite town of Ripoll was known mostly for its 9th century monetary, until now. In the town's center
the families not of the victims of Barcelona and Cambrils, but of the suspected attackers. Among them, Fatima Abouyaaquob, his brother Mohamed
Hychami was one of the five men killed by police as they launched an attack in the town of Cambrils.
[11:05:09] BELL: Her brother was not alone, eight of the suspected Barcelona and Cambrils' terrorists
came from this small town, their families gathered Saturday night in grief but also to disown the terror attacks. The placards read, not in my name.
On the outskirts of Ripoll, investigators have sealed off an apartment where they youngest alleged attackers Moussa Oukabir lived. One of
Moussas' cousins turns up, he says he wants to collect belongings, but its quickly escorted out. In shock, he can't believe what's happened, Moussa
he says, must have been brainwashed. A neighbor tells U.S. what the family was like.
BELL: The Cafeteria Esperanza is a Moroccan bar where most of the Ripoll suspects would meet to drink mint tea even today, they're former friends
and inside doing just that. But watching the news with a sense of disbelief, they simply can't believe, they say that the men they knew so
well, men who drank, men who ran ordinary lives, and who weren't particular religious might have carried out such atrocity, they also express a sense
of anger that they should have been committed in the name of Islam. Only five percent of Ripoll's 11,000 strong population is Muslim, the town
is peaceful and although proudly Catalonian happily integrated with their local officials.
JORDI GUMI MERINO, ASSISTANT MAYOR, RIPOLL, SPAIN: We worked together, the Muslim community and the local council to make different activities, and
build bridges, and to be a normal - a normal community.
BELL: A normal community whose peace has been shattered. The makeshift mosque where Moussa Okabir prayed is now shattered to the outside world and
to its many questions.
ANDERSON: Well, that was Melissa Bell reporting. Joining me now, Raul Romeva. He is the minister of Foreign of Affairs for Catala, the area of
Spain, you'll find Barcelona in, and a seriously independent part of Spain, a very, very proud part of Spain. Today, we saw the coming together of the
Spanish, here, in the church behind U.S. with the king and queen and prime minister as people mourn, just before we start and interrogate what is
going on, your reflections of the possible 72 hours?
RAUL ROMEVA, CATALAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Well, basically the first thing I want to say is obviously to give my condolences to the
victims. That's the first thing we have to say. Second, to show that the response that the population has given to me is extraordinary, we are not
afraid, this is the message of the population spread out screamed, shouted in the minute of silence that we need on Friday.
This is the best response to -- in a certain situation, I think the population can do. And did you see the streets? Back to normality.
That's the best response to those who tried to divide, to those who tried to install terror in our society. They will not win.
ANDERSON: And I feel exactly what you are describing, and I'm living here now for some days, and it varies that absolute sign in show of defiance,
needless to say there is a man we believe still on the run. What can you tell U.S. about the investigation at this point?
ROMEVA: Well basically, there is - like you say, an investigation ongoing which means that until we have the final results, we cannot be more
specific. I have to end the line the fact that the police is doing a terrific job from the very beginning. Unfortunately, we still have that
situation, one person missing. Arguably, as soon as we can get that we will be very much in the situation to have a clear picture of how they
organize, how many they were, and what was the modus operandi, which is something that's very important to know.
ANDERSON: Did the threat level in Spain has been maintained at full? It could have been raised, that would've put the army on the streets that
hasn't been, is that because Spain is completely convinced that the entire cell is now gone? Uncontrolled?
ROMEVA: Well, I believe 100 percent you have nothing (INAUDIBLE) but what is important to say is that this cell is very much controlled, as soon as
we have - let's say, the knowledge of how this all operated, the minimum, we have controlled, you know, that they are five - I'd say, shot down
people. We have four arrested people. There is one still missing people - person and -
ANDERSON: Is that the van driver? The van driver that plowed people down in Las Ramblas?
ROMEVA: That we cannot confirm yet. It's an hypothesis but we cannot confirm yet. This is under investigation so far. But this is very much
under control, which means that this is what it explains why we still remain on level four.
ANDERSON: So with respect, were any signals missed, was there any intelligence from any other organization or domestic intelligence
organizations that suggested something was in the (INAUDIBLE)
ROMECA: Well, the problem with this type of act is, it is very difficult probably to - well, to prevail.
[11:10:13] The way of the opposites, as you can imagine we'd fine in that situation with (INAUDIBLE) situations made this very difficult. The
intelligence are working in very cooperative way, there's few in a - in a - in a situation where the cooperation is maximum at all levels, police and
intelligence. And this has made - has made possible precisely, the quick response after the - after the attack took place on Thursday.
ANDERSON: Over the past 13 years, The New York Times reports, Spain has arrested more than 700 suspected extremists, part of what it calls you
dogged counterterrorism operators, that timeframe important here of course, because back in 2004, this happened, almost in the same instant, during
rush hour, a series of huge bombs ripping into packed trains in Madrid. Killing what still is astonishingly high number of people, 192. Quite
simply, are they just too many bad people out there? Too many people to ensure they are on the radar at all times?
REMOVA: One single incident shows that there is a problem, no matter how many victims they've provoked. One single person that has that capability
of doing harm is a problem wherever it happens, whoever is the victim, and this is why it's so important that everybody works together, and this is
why it's so important that the message we spread out is that they could not win. The best way to defeat that message of terror, they went (INAUDIBLE)
our home is to lift in a normal way and to make the coexistence the norm, not the exception.
The problem is not the coexistence itself, the problem is those who perceive the coexistence as a trouble, and that's why we need to come back.
One single person questioning this is a problem, and this is to be combated from all point of view, expectation, obviously police service and
intelligence, but politicians as well.
ANDERSON: Let me give you just a moment to provide a message to the international community from here in your capacity as the Foreign Minister?
REMOVA: My message is, let's go back to normality, we cannot let them win, the message that a - we have seen in the cities today, people going back
again with a normal attitude, going back to the straight - in the same place where there attack occur on Thursday, that shows very what the
attitude I think it is and should be. Unity, one thing, respect for the victims, second thing. But also a clear message, you are not going to put
in danger, the coexistence, and I wish that we all living together.
ANDERSON: We are not afraid was the chant that we heard when the King attended a moment of silence at Plaza Catalunya on Friday and that is
message to continue who wants to (INAUDIBLE) the outside world?
REMOVA: No doubt.
ANDERSON: Thank you very much.
REMOVA: Thank you very much.
ANDERSON: And thank for joining us. Well, we are live in a story online for you, search, you can find a quick round up report of the very latest on
CNN.com. Easy to share with your friends and family of course in social media, and look at how this country is remembering even its royal family.
Plus the latest, another terror in Europe, like the stabbing attack in find land. Up next. So a massive show of solidarity against racism and bigotry
over in America. We're going to show you the powerful moment in Boston.
But just before we take you to that break, I want to return for a few moments to the church just behind me where the 14 people killed in Spain
were remembered earlier today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:16:22] ANDERSON: A sight to behold in Boston, thousands of one thousands is out on the streets to take on hate on the fact that they one
week after what was this deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. They marched for several kilometers through the city and the decrying
racism and white supremacy along the way. The march in Boston was in response to a right wing event to build as a three speech rally.
Counterprotesters ended up vastly outnumbering those at the rally itself, its attendees, they'd even filled this gazebo, and they were completely
surrounded by counter demonstrators. Boston's police superintendent calls the day a victory.
WILLIAM GROSS, SUPERINTENDENT, BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT: What we took away from here today, we talked about a victory that we had on the Boston
commons, that we stood together as a city and specially the youth of the city, some are standing around, thank you, my brother. And we took a way a
victory that we told people that are racist, that are hatemongers, that this is not accepted in Boston, and you saw many nations together today
combating racism.
ANDERSON: Well, Boston Police ended up making 33 arrests of what was this largely peaceful protest. Andrew Spencer has more.
ANDREW SPENCER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Despite the fears of a repeat of Charlottesville, the peace held in Boston had made a free speech rally and
it's corresponding counterprotest on Saturday. A group calling itself the Boston Free Speech Coalition that organized a rally before the violence in
Virginia tweeting this message a few days ago. Denouncing all violence and telling participants not to bring any weapons or antagonize other groups or
law enforcement.
But the rotunda where they planned to meet was relatively empty compared to the throngs of counter demonstrators barricaded a god distance away.
Thousands of people marched through downtown Boston, speaking out against racism, Nazis, and white supremacism. They carried signs such as united
against hate, while others criticize President Donald Trump. A few vocal Trump supporters could be found in the crowd amid the sea of
counterprotesters.
Some in the frontline of protest the times go confrontational with police. And they made some particularly tensed moments, several counterprotesters
were taken into police custody. From the sky, you could see the huge visual police presence, some of the confrontations and handful of people
pulled into the crowd of police and taken away. I'm Andrew Spencer, reporting.
ANDERSON: While after being widely slammed of his response to the violence in Charlottesville, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted his support for
those who marched in Boston. I want to applaud the many protesters in Boston or speaking out against bigotry and hate, our country will soon come
together as one, he said. And Mr. Turnball use his favorite medium to address the latest and what is a string of White House staff shake offs
after his controversial chief strategist let this White House post.
The president tweeted, I want to thank Steve Bannon for his service, he came to the campaign during my run against crooked Hillary Clinton, it was
great. Thanks, S and then this. Steve Bannon will be a tough and smart new voice at Brietbart news, maybe even better than ever before. Fake news
needs the competition. Well, Bannon joins a growing list of former White House staff. Let's take a look this photo.
So back in January, just over a week after President Trump took office, surrounded by senior staff in the Oval Office, National Security Adviser,
Michael Flynn now gone, for a secondary resume, Spicer, out. Chief of Staff Reince Preibus, resigned. And Mr. Bannon, fired.
[11:20:12] Jeremy Diamond joining me now from Washington's great to breakdown the Trump administrations staffing struggles. And here's what
Bannon interestingly Jeremy told the - told the conservative magazine, the weekly standing off in his departure, "The Trump presidency that we fought
for and won is over, is it?"
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I don't know that it's over necessarily, but certainly parts of it as Mr. Bannon saw it may be
over, and that is to say that the - that Steve Bannon was a considerable influence inside this White House, particularly on a range with policy
matters, particularly trade for example, Steve Bannon pressed the hardline on trade particularly. Took actions against China, as well as on
immigration, and the slew of other issues really where Mr. Bannon had a large amount of influence.
And so he's voice is no longer going to be in those conversations in the West Wing and so we could see a shift, it's also important to remember that
Steve Bannon was in many ways of daily reminders to this president and this administration of the promises that President Trump made on the campaign
trail to his supporters. He famously had a wall in his office dedicated to all of these promises and he would go ahead and check those off as you went
along.
So clearly, that aspects of the Trump White House will be missing, and there are some concerns among Trump loyalist and the hardline conservatives
who support this president that perhaps the administration is going to shift directions. The people who remain particularly Mr. Bannon's rivals,
Jared Kushner, Gary Cohn, the national economic council director, and several others are viewed as more moderate voices inside this White House.
So it will be interesting to see how president trump continues on, what is clear though is that there is one person who still follows that ideological
bent and that's still Donald Trump.
ANDERSON: I think it's important then for our viewers to perhaps try and understand a little bit further what you mean by what is meant by a more
moderate Trump Administration going for - going forward, as if we saw with that bingo card as (INAUDIBLE) demise -- the demise of those who may have
run a more populist agenda, and an agenda, it has to be said that was voted for by Trump's space. What do we mean by a more moderate administration
going forward? Do we mean for example a more familiar republican administration that might just work?
DIAMOND: It is possible that that could be what it is, you know, we may see the president moderate on certain issues, I think trade is really the
biggest one here, given the fact that Steve Bannon was such a - really architect in many ways of the administration's plans to more aggressively
confront China on trade issues, they will perhaps move towards more of a international free trade vein that is familiar to the republican
establishments in Washington.
But I think again, it comes back to the fact that President Donald Trump still remains someone who shares those views, who shares this vision of
China and as the power that United States needs to confront, particularly on the economic front. So the question is whether that agenda still be
pushed forward when it's really just the president pushing that even though he has a slew of other advisers now who will not be fighting with Steve
Bannon anymore and who will be able to try and push their agenda forward in a more direct and perhaps successful way.
ANDERSON: Right. So we will see more of this as the weeks go on, of course, when we continue to hear talk of a wall between the U.S. and Mexico
or the Muslim Ban for example. Those are the sort of issues that will come to the full as we move on. All right. Jeremy, thank you for that. In the
middle of this White House staff shakeup, North Korea once again a thorn in a president's side, joint military exercises led by the U.S. and South
Korea, happen every year.
But this time the come at a time of heated threats and counter threats between Washington and Pyongyang. Paula Hancocks has the very latest for
you from Seoul.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, North Korea has shown its displeasure of this military drills that are about to start
on Monday. The North Korea newspaper wrote on (INAUDIBLE) issued an article where they say that North Korea has accused the U.S. of reckless
behavior, driving the situation into the uncontrollable fate of a nuclear war. Now, this isn't the first time that North Korea has used this kind of
rhetoric, it's not the first time they've accused the U.S. of pushing the situation on the peninsula up to the brink of a nuclear war. But
certainly, tensions are higher at this point than they usually are. Now these drills that start on Monday, they last 10 days are called the Ulchi-
Freedom Guardian. According to the Pentagon they'd be about 17.5 thousand U.S. Military personnel alongside South Korea military, and also some of
the U.N. command, so seven other countries around the world being represented as well.
[11:25:21] Now, we heard from the U.S. that they are annual, they are defensive in nature, but that's quite simply not the way that North Korea
thinks. And they see them as provocative, they see them as almost a practice to an invasion, so we always see this kind of reaction when these
drills take place. These particular ones are a computer simulation, mainly so we're not going to see the dramatic images of thousands of U.S. Marines
in an amphibious landing on a - on a beach in South Korea. So, potentially, there could be less provocation for North Korea, but quite
simply, we don't know how they're going to react to this point.
Today's statements was really as expected. Now we know that the U.S. Pacific Command Chief Admiral Harry Harris is here he Seoul right now. He
had a meeting with the South Korean defense minister on Sunday afternoon to discuss the North Korea issue, how they can work together more, and also
potentially will be overseeing those military drills happening from Monday for the next 10 days. Becky?
ANDERSON: Paula Newton - Paula Newton - Paula Hancocks reporting for you. Well, there's so much going on in the world just ahead. We're going to get
back to the very reason that we're all right here in Barcelona. Young militants unleashed deadly terror in one of Europe's favorite destinations.
Look at why the town where they hatched their Barcelona plot is in shock.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Breaking News from Spain, a van has plowed into a crowd of people in Barcelona. Police say several people are injured, not clear at
this point whether it was intentional or if it was any possible motive. In the very moment, Thursday, word first came to CNN of an unfolding attack in
Spain, it wasn't clear what was going on at the time, but we rushed to the scene right away anyway right there in Paris in fact where I was at the
time to right here in Barcelona (INAUDIBLE) the carnage on the streets. Now, if you drive a couple of hours south of here you'll find a coastal
(INAUDIBLE) that's not surprising, I hear you say - after all, this is still Spain, but is this concerti, especially for the people who make their
homes or their holidays in Alcanar find inside that tranquil beach town an explosive secrets.
[11:30:33] My colleague, Isa Soares, explains.
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A sleepy unsuspecting community hidden by all these groves and embraced by the mountains. An
ideal spot for a cell of 12. It's from here police believed the suspected terrorist prepared their attack on Barcelona along Cambrils. What they
discovered, a bomb making factory littered with explosives.
JORDI BORT, ALCANAR VICE MAYOR (through translator): The house where the explosions originated from is owned by a bank who says it didn't know there
were people squatting, it has a septic tank that was being used to store explosives.
SOARES: A source closed the investigation tells CNN, they have found traces of highly explosive TATP used in several European terror attacks. A
discovery that has left some in shock. The Shank family from (INAUDIBLE) came here for an ideal holiday. But what they remember is a night the
cell's bomb maker made a big mistake.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The bomb, we see two fireballs and the bomb just shaking the earth.
SOARES: Local resident Nuria Hill is so visibly shaken. A few day since, she's still trying to make sense of what happened on her street.
NURIA HILL (though translator): It's a feeling of impotence, of rage, of emotion.
SOARES: The suspects may have gone, but the echoes of terror remain. This was the fourth controlled explosion on Saturday, but there were more even
while we were on-air. Being very careful, careful, but focusing their investigation right here in Alcanar. Oh, there was another one. I don't
know if you heard that, Lynn? I don't know if you just heard that, that was another controlled explosion. Which each blast, police are clearing
the ground of explosives.
And in doing so, they're learning a little bit more about the cell that used this remote town to mask it's deadly plan. Isa Soares, CNN. Alcanar
in Spain.
ANDERSON: Well, Joaquin Luna is the journalist for La Vanguardia and he covered the September 11th attack, he says the current atmosphere in
Barcelona is similar and the city taking a certain understandable pride in the way it is handing the unthinkable. And he joins me now and it is the
unthinkable, of course, for any city in any part of the world. Except that we know that this is all too familiar, we've been saying from Stockholm to
Manchester, from Paris to Berlin, terror has visited these European cities. But you cannot believe still that it happened here, correct?
JOAQUIN LUNA, JOURNALIST IN LA VANGUARDIA: It's very difficult, because many people think or thought and other things anymore, that if you are - if
you belong to a country that has a not very active political foreign policy in the Middle East, if you are in a country that receives and were millions
of Muslims have immigrated and they live here, and they had been welcomed with open arms, you are not going to be the scenario of such terrors.
Raised the fact on it, it came the terrorist attack, you know?
ANDERSON: It's not like that Spain haven't experience this before of course, we were reminding of you, is it back in 2004, this country
experienced one of the worsts attacks on mainland, you're - how does this city hoped? You're from here?
LUNA: Yes.
ANDERSON: How does it cope?
LUNA: Yes. The - well, the city at this moment is trying to get back to normal life and it's so clear, if you look in the streets, if you look - I
don't know any about it that has changed it's - any plans for - if I have a friend that tonight go - wants to go to the soccer stadium, he will go.
People that was on vacation, they are, like, I mean, the city tries to get a normal life, because we believe it's the only way to react.
LUNA: Well, it's in the future, because I don't know if some people will be scared to come to Barcelona, to visit Barcelona, it's a strong city.
ANDERSON: There may have been people who had been slightly concerned about coming, giving that there's been a quite a movement from some nationalist
here to provide, unless some welcome message to tourists? Just walk me through what's been going on.
LUAN: Yes, yes, this has been for the last move, a very controversial issue, because at certain neighborhoods as through the number of tourism
has changed those neighborhoods. But -
[11:35:20] ANDERSON: Signs saying tourist go home?
LUNA: Yes. That kind of things, but this has been a campaign made by extremely or leftist party that is against European currency, against
European Union, and - but the tourist for Barcelona is a big revenues and because we are welcoming (INAUDIBLE) ourselves, we like to travel abroad,
so in the last weeks there were some kind of people who are waiting, it's crazy to say tourist kill Barcelona.
ANDERSON: The economy?
LUNA: It's the opposite. Some tourist have been killed because they wanted to know Barcelona, because they wanted to visit.
ANDERSON: Now, and you said things have changed?
LUNA: Yes, absolutely.
ANDERSON: Yes.
LUNA: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: I just want to get of you as a sense of just how important this city is to so many people, not least football star Messi for example.
Football stars all over the place, like, their fans in Spain know how they are thinking, but one of them is the world's most revered player,
Barcelona's Leo Messi posting this picture on Instagram with this message, "I want to say my condolences and all my support for the families and
friends of the victims of the terrible in our beloved Barcelona, and to totally condemn any act of violence, we will not surrender, and that is the
message from here.
LUNA: Absolutely. Absolutely. Because what they are attacking, they are attacking the good - the normal life, good life, this is a city very good
to - for living. We have everything near. There is a quality of life, people and we are blessed but that drive a (INAUDIBLE) and they are
attacking that.
ANDERSON: Is there an issue of - is there an issue on Jihadi (INAUDIBLE) I mean, we even - it is - it is clear that over the months and year there has
been a rest of cells, you have been ISIS facilitators, you know, how can concerned are you that below the surface, I mean, clearly this cell, we are
told authorities, it was not on their radar, how can concerned are you that there was some festering discontent?
LUNA: That's true. That this attack has bragged the idea that we had everything under control, because the police has made a very good job
during the last year. But now we are realizing, we have to prove our work, we have realized that there were young people in a small town able to make
a cell, do all of these things, and when you ask their neighbors, they say, oh, we didn't even know, they were nice guys, they had grow up here, they
went out the bar, normal people.
So that means that in this region, we have to improve the - all the controls and all the task of police, because it's true, Jihadist it's a
problem in this area. And it has - unfortunately, these attack has proof that we have to improve. But after the attack in Madrid, I think will
improve our services, it wouldn't happen again.
ANDERSON: We're going to leave it there. Thank you very much indeed for joining.
LUNA: You're welcome.
ANDERSON: The papers have been doing a fantastic job --
LUNA: Thank you.
ANDERSON: -- in keeping U.S. to date on absolutely everything what's going on. And what is ongoing investigation.
LUNA: Thank you.
ANDERSON: We want to show you now a remarkable image form the Middle East, a direct link to right here, look, Lebanese soldiers raised a Spanish flag
on a hilltop, they had just recaptured from ISIS near the Syrian Lebanese border, just days after the deadly attack here in Spain which you'll know
have been claimed by ISIS. It's shows just how squeeze that terror group is becoming, even in Syria. And while the war probably won't be over any
time soon, there are places Syrians can feel like it's a world away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the Syrian Civil War the world sees all too often. Massive carnage, several hundred thousand people
killed according to the United Nations. But believe it or not, this is also Syria. We're at the Cote d'Azur or Syria Beach Resort in Latakia,
where many Syrians come to forget the war ravaging their country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are tired form the war, OK? So we are happy here in Latakia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To relax, to have much - more fun or something like that, I don't know, because so many people have problems in their life
today and it's hard to live in this country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The people got so distinct, they are so tired, even now.
PLEITGEN: From jet skis to booze and hookahs on the beach, this place feels more like spring break than civil war. And what's even more
remarkable, tourism has expanded in the past years.
[11:40:21] Latakia and similar cities along the Syrian coast have grown a great deal since the conflict started here in Syria with new bars and clubs
opening all the time. The folks who come here are everything from holidaymakers to soldiers taking recreation from their duty on the
frontline. Latakia is the heartland of supporters of Syria's embattled president, Bashar Al-Assad. And once night falls many of his soldiers can
be seen in the bars and clubs here like Moscow Cafe, named that way to thank Russia for supporting Asa, the manager says.
The Russian's have always been our friend, he says. We changed our name to Moscow Cafe after the Russians vetoed a U.N. resolution against our
government for the first time in 2011, just to say thank you. Another thing most people may not associate with Syria is a class of superrich, and
this is where they go. The 360 lounge and club near Latakia's port. The owner says the club is good business.
MANAF KADUR, CLUB OWNER: We're aiming to having VIP population or the class A, but we have -- our prices are affordable and we're segmenting the
people from medium class and up.
PLEITGEN: Lavish parties and a brutal civil war, both are realities in today's Syria. A country full of divisions, paradoxes, and extremes,
struggling to find a way to overcome them. Fred Pleitgen, CNN Latakia, Syria.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, today we're just discussing so many around the world, full of Spain for its superb football teams, this was seen in civil on Sunday --
on Saturday where the home team was up against rival Espanyol and Barcelona. Before the kickoff, the two sides held a minute of silence to
honor victims of the terror attack and equally from the mood in the season open in Girona as well. These moments are being held before every Spanish
league game over the weekends. I'm Becky Anderson.
Outside, once again, a place where friends, family, a city, and we the world were forced to say goodbye forever to the victims of hatred and this
is of course connect the world to as a small reminder how we are all connected, joined in our common grief and outrage. We leave you with this
image, the 34 flags of the places, those who were murdered and wounded in the attacks here came from. An attack on one is an attack on U.S. all.
(COMMERICAL BREAK)
[11:45:11] JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST HOST: Coming up on Marketplace Middle East, pharmacy knowledge to build the economy's up
tomorrow. We're into buy where they developing a primary space sector. Well, as to Jordan, a leader in the region's gaming industry. And visit a
text startup in the West Bank. All to see how innovation could be this region's next great export. This week we're at the Mohammed bin Rashid
Space Centre in Dubai.
Since 2006, it's been at the center of the country's embryonic space sector. The country has typically bold and expensive plans for space
including the establishing a colony on Mars in 100 years. This is more than just planting a flag on the red planet, it's about eventually leading
the petrodollars behind and creating a new economy. Over the last two decades there has been a massive shift towards investment in this region
and education and innovation. The knowledge space economy. And it seems to be paying off. Meet Salem Al Marri, he works at the space center also
known as MBRSC, and is fully aware of what the knowledge space economy is all about.
SALEM AL MARRI, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR SCIENTIFIC & TECHNICAL AFFAIRS, MBRSC: One thing that we pride ourselves on is that we want to
celebrate the exporting of our last barrel of oil. And really the way we celebrate that is if we diversify our economy, if we go into a very smart
economy. An economy that is based on technology, that is based on science and is based on knowledge and this is part of what Mohammed bin Rashid
Space Centre is all about.
DEFTERIOS: Here, more than 200 Emiratis scientist and engineers are working on a number of big ambitious projects. One is the development of
the first locally built satellite, KhalifaSat. Due to the launch into the Earth's atmosphere next year.
AMER AL SAYEGH, PROJECT MANAGER OF KHALIFASAT, MBRSC: With the development of KhalifaSat we are not only developing the system or the software system
but also building a console that will eventually progress in UAE of satellite development. And a lot of software development can be done in
UAE and this is what we have started to work on with KhalifaSat. And we believe with more projects the private sector will look at this as
(INAUDIBLE) generating industry and that they can also invest in and support the development of this industry also.
DEFTERIOS: But their most daring project yet is to send an unmanned probe to land on Mars in four years' time to celebrate the United Arab Emirates'
50th anniversary.
OMRAN SHARAF, PROJECT MANAGER OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES' FIRST MISSION TO MARS, MBRSC: The product is on target, so hopefully by mid-2020 we're
going to be launching our mission. The space craft basically is going to be traveling at a very high speed. We talk about more than 128,000
kilometers per hour. The journey is going to take seven months to reach Mars. So if we want to reach Mars before the 50th anniversary of the
establishment of the UAE which is basically on the 2nd of December 2021, the only opportunity we have is actually 2020.
DEFTERIOS: More than $5 billion have been invested in the country's phase program so far. There are plans to develop an astronaut program to train
Emiratis to take missions to the international space center. And get this, there's also a 100-year strategy to have a community living on Mars by
2121.
MARRI: My young generation when they see that we are able to get to Mars, that when they make their decisions of, you know, when they're 16 and 17,
what they're going to study, they're going to go towards math, science, physics, technology, I think that would mean a big success for the UAE in
the next 20, 30 years because that will really support our diversification away from oil and into high tech.
DEFTERIOS: An ambitious space agenda for Dubai. Best-selling author and strategic advisor, Tommy Weir, sat down to share his views on Dubai's major
push to go beyond trade, tourism, and services.
TOMMY WIER, LEADERSHIP DUBAI STYLE, AUTHOR: Pretty much everybody across the region right now is attempting to create jobs more in the knowledge
space, meaning outside of manufacture and industrial revolution. I would reposition the terms slightly and say, we have an entrepreneurial way
coming though the region more than we do just rather than a knowledge economy per se.
DEFTERIOS: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the ruler of Dubai seems (INAUDIBLE) landing the Expo 2020 Mars Mission through the space center.
That's a good thing for this society to stretch as much as possible.
WIER: I think it's a fantastic thing and I would actually argue it should be replicated around the world because what it does is it galvanizes people
towards a goal. So as a leader, as a ruler here but as a leader of the business even, if you set a stretch target way into the future, the society
starts to galvanize, it starts to pull together and it starts to build the leaf into whole. I call his stretch targets confidence builders.
DEFTERIOS: Does diversifications survive an oil price of $50 to $60 a barrel? That could be the new reality. Does it push forward or does it
dive as a result particularly in the Gulf States?
[11:50:15] WIER: I think it fuels it. I'm not sure you have much of a choice. If my revenue starts to drop I have to offset it with something.
If I either offset it to generate new revenue and regrow my economy where I'm going to be faced with social unrest, so we don't want social unrest,
so I think it's actually going to fuel the (INAUDIBLE) for it. It's amazing what survival orientation can make you do.
DEFTERIOS: The business leaders of this region have constantly said for the last 15 years that the education is simple, primary, secondary school
education systems not keeping base with a global knowledge-based economy.
WIER: Our bigger gap is actually to universe (INAUDIBLE) we don't have the global premiere thinking in education, so we still go outside and we jump
out to go learn something to attempt to bring it back. We need to move to the area to where we're building a premiere institution. And if we really
want to be acknowledged economy we need to start creating the knowledge and not importing the knowledge.
(COMMBERICAL BREAK)
DEFTERIOS: Like the high tech space sector videogames are a multibillion- dollar industry. In the Middle East the sector is growing rapidly and Jordan is leading the game. It's the largest producer of digital games in
the region and its homegrown talent that's building the industry.
HUSSAM HAMMO, FOUNDER AND CEO, TAMATEM GAMES: My name is Hussam, I'm the founder and CEO of Tamatem Games. We are mobile games publisher in the
Arabic speaking market. We have been in this business for the past four years now. We have developed over 30 different games and then we published
20 more games from around the world, and we have seen over 40 million downloads to date.
We have been growing 150 percent year over year, but for the past six months we have been growing 20 percent month over month. The team is now
at its peak, 27 employees and I believe I couldn't be prouder at this moment.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMO: The team today is formed from Jordanians who studied in Jordan. We have engineers, designers, we have marketers that deal with social media
influences. Marketing towards Facebook and Google. Jordan at the end of the day don't have a lot of resources like natural resources that we don't
have oil and gas, so people really invest in education and really invest in becoming better and learning on their own.
The gaming industry is still really new. Arabic is the fourth most spoken language in the world and less than one percent of oil content available
online is available in Arabic. So the tension is really there, the opportunity is really there, and we want to take it to become really the
leading mobile games publisher, not only in the Arabic region but in the emerging markets, that's our vision for the company and this is how we want
to grow.
DEFTERIOS: From Jordan to the West Bank now, where they too have been investing in education and innovation to create a knowledge-based economy
and a part of the world where conflict always looms large. Ian Lee has that report.
[11:55:28] IAN LEE, CNN FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT: There's a shiny new city on a West Bank Hill. Construction workers smooth the final cluster in Rawabi.
An experimental hub of innovation for Palestinians where success is strictly defined.
BASHAR AL MASRI, PALESTINIAN ENTREPRENEUR: The name of the game is creating jobs. A Rawabi success is tied to that. And we're looking at the
Israeli modern and how they build a high tech community, a start of nation.
LEE: Bashar Al Masri's dream is being realized by ASAL, a software development company. ASAL's managing director, Murad Tahboub shares the
vision, believing Palestinian engineers have a lot to offer.
MURAD TAHBOUB, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ASAL TECHNOLOGIES: Only 30 percent of them get employed in the high tech sector, so there is -- there is a lot of
talent, there is a lot of passion.
LEE: The obstacle here to overcome is the Israeli Palestinian conflict looming large over the tech industry as everything else.
TAHBOUB: It's like carving in stone, it's very difficult with the political situation that Palestine has. We're being stereotype as a -- as
a travel zone area, but most of the people don't know that we have normal lives.
LEE: One company viewing the pool of talented Palestinians with potential is Mellanox, an Israel semiconductor business. It partners with ASAL to
train engineers as well as cooperate on software development and software verification. Mellanox's chief executive, Eyal Waldman believes others are
missing out.
EYAL WALDMAN, PRESIDENT & CEO, MELLANOX: I have talked to more than five CEOs of medium and large companies (INAUDIBLE) and they haven't made the
move yet. Everybody talks nice and everybody smiles and are nice to you, the big question is they need to execute not just talk.
LEE: Investment, an expert keys from outside is the key as American firms helped Israel when they first invested in tech.
WALDMAN: That's when the Israelis started to learn how to do RNB, how to do operations to the marketing and business. What we hope will happen here
is the same thing.
LEE: If Rawabi's high tech aspirations have a face, then perhaps it is that of 22-year-old computer engineer, Nibal Radwan.
NIBAL RADWAN, COMPUTER ENGINEER: I want to know everything about network from drivers and firmwares to cards to chips (INAUDIBLE) everything, and
maybe one day I'll start my own company.
LEE: The start of a Palestinian Silicon Valley, if the winds blow in the right direction, it's the reality Rawabi dreams of.
DEFTERIOS: Ian Lee there with a real life example of the crucial transition to a knowledge-based economy designed to boost creativity,
productivity, and job growth and very importantly reduce of the dependency in the broad of Middle East on oil.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
