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Connect the World
Irma's Aftermath; Rohingya Crisis; Drills Amid North Korea Tensions. Aired 11-12p ET
Aired September 14, 2017 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:11] BECKY ANDERSON, CONNECT THE WORLD, CNN: Don't abandon us. That is the plea from people Caribbean island devastated by hurricane Irma, we
are on the ground looking at why it is taking so long for help to arrive. Meanwhile in the US many in Florida are returning home to scenes like this.
The US President Donald Trump just arrived in the state until briefed on the relief efforts this hour. Those stories and lots more and what is in
fact show you this hour, I am Becky Anderson and you are watching Connect the World.
Well Donald Trump has just touch down in Florida for a firsthand look at the devastation left by a monster storm. The US President visiting two
areas hardest hit by hurricane Irma, right now using Fort Meyers for a briefing on recovery efforts, next still ahead to Naples and will be
following him every step of the way throughout show, much of the state rubbles by Irma, and many people there facing a long hard road to rebuild
their lives. And to the Caribbean where the magnitude of the devastation on islands like St. Maarten is just becoming clear this is new video from
our team there. The hurricane left some islands like Barbuda barely habitable and water and power services is still not functioning in many
areas. Food, medical care in short supply we are getting reports. I am afraid of rampant looting. CNN correspondence spread out across the
Caribbean so that we can give you a full accurate picture of what is happening in the aftermath of the hurricane.
We are going to get you to St. John where CNN is as far as met with survivors, who say their suffering has been forgotten.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Once a lust island covered in rolling green hills and pristine beaches now a battered wasteland which by the ferocious
power of Irma. On the grounds trees have been shaken, power lines have been toppled and home are left teetering on the edge of this land, now
stripped bad. Steve Smith was one of the lucky ones. His home partly destroyed.
STEVE SMITH, SURVIVOR: This is it, if you ask me, we had been out here.
SOARES: The next door neighbor's house a reminder of what could have been.
SMITH: It is completely destroyed. You can see the refrigerators in the living room, the slaughtered glass doors in the kitchen.
SOARES: Despite the changing scenery and the destruction in every corner Steve Smith isn't budging. This is perseverance.
SMITH: It use to be a little bit better this is less greenery of the destruction I'm seeing is this horrible, yes I am not leaving.
SOARES: The reality may not sustain this optimism, here there is no water, power and tele service, the only signal, this building in the entire
island. By the dark volunteers delivering supplies are the only connection to the outside world. They will also disperse helping hands. Arriving on
short days after hurricane Irma hits. With water, perishable goods and food. Meagan a resident of St. John is staying put for now.
MEAGAN, RESIDENT OF ST. JOHN: It hurts, I mean a lot of family and all their whole world will be leaving, the question is where do you go? And
not knowing what you are going to come back to is also a big concern.
SOARES: The Catch-22 any further exacerbated by looting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Let me, just a matter of that report, President Trump is speaking in Fort Meyers, let us listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO LIVE FEED)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Also in the fact that I know the case of the coast guard the job you had done in saving people and
saving lives as an example in Harvey, in Texas, we save over 16,000 lives and nobody would even understand that. It's hard to even imagine. Down
here, the same thing. I want to thank everybody, you guys -- I don't want to see you next week at another place, okay? We've seen you enough. But I
just want to thank everybody, the first responders.
[11:05:00] On behalf of myself and our Vice President, Melania really wanted to be with us. It has touched her heart what's gone on here. We
have seen the devastation. We are going the see some more of it now, unfortunately. I have to say that your governor -- where is our governor
her - Rick Scott.
(APPLAUSE)
The job he is done is incredible. I guess I am very lucky because, you know, you have a great governor in Texas. You have a great governor in
Florida. The job that Rick has being talk about all over. And to think that -- I must say, Florida power and light -- where's Eric?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over there.
TRUMP: Eric? Where's Eric? Come here, Eric. Great job.
(APPLAUSE)
I will say they are way ahead of schedule. There are more electrical people in this state I think that ever accumulated anywhere in the world
ever before, is what I heard. People from all over the world came, mobilized all over. I have seen Pam Bondi who has done an incredible job
stopping the problem before it starts. Attorney General. I want to thank you, Pam. Fantastic job.
(APPLAUSE)
And Elaine? Where is Elaine Duke? And where is -- don't lose him, okay, Elaine? I have to say that Barack, working with your governor, working
with Pam, working with Elaine, working by the way with Marco Rubio, who is around here someplace -
(APPLAUSE)
It's a team like very few people have seen. And I want to thank you everybody. Marco, I want to thank you a lot. You were really helpful.
And I just -- again, I have to know? But I hope this man right here, Rick Scott, runs for the senate. I don't know what he' going to do, but I know
that at a certain point it ends for you, and we can't let it end. I hope he runs for senate. Who knows what he is going to do. Again, I came down
the say hello to you folks, and to say hello to you folks. And for the first lady and myself, this is an honor for us to be here. We are now
going to tour some of the areas. And as Rick said we had been very, very fast, and we had to be. We were signing papers as the storm is coming in
and that is never happened before. Rick, thank you very much for the great job. And Brock, and everybody. Thank you very much. Do we have the great
Rick Perry here?
(APPLAUSE)
We have energy. We have Linda, Linda McMahon. We have so many other people, so many of the cabinet members because they are going to help. I
want to thank Mike Pence, he is - in fact, I would like you to say a few words.
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENTIAL-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'd be happy to. Thank you Mr. President, the first lady, it is an honor to be with you here
today. Just to pay a debt gratitude for the great leadership here at the state a local level. I know the President directed the full resources of
the federal government to support Florida's efforts to prepare for, confront and now recover and rebuild from hurricane Irma. The President's
directive over this weekend was very clear. Wherever hurricane Irma goes, we are going to be there first. And thanks for the great leadership of
your governor, and your emergency management team, and all of the great first responders on the ground of that is exactly what Florida did. And as
the President has said, we are with you today, we're going to be with you tomorrow, and we are going to be with you until Florida rebuilds bigger and
better than ever before. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: Just one word on a very important subject. So your power is -- I mean, literally, Rick, it's going on as we speak. It's going way ahead of
schedule. Weeks ahead of schedule and much of it --most of it, I guess, outside of the keys where we have a very special problem, but we are
working hard on that. That is a very, very special problem. That was just dead center. But we are working very hard on that. And we have lot of
goods out food. A lot of everything. But I would like to ask you governor to say a few words. Again, he has been absolutely outstanding. Thank you,
Rick.
RICK SCOTT, ORLANDO, FLORIDA GOVERNOR: First off I want to thank everybody for their prayers. We have had prayers from all over the world. I want to
thank everybody for doing everything to get us back. I want to thank the President and the vice President. What I can tell you is, they were always
accessible. They made quick decisions.
[11:10:02] They surrounded themselves with outstanding people. They were constantly calling me and say what resources do we need? I want to thank
basically the entire military, I want to thank the Coast Guard and the Navy.
(APPLAUSE)
I want to thank Secretary Duke. I want to thank Brock, they were always calling to say what resources can we bring to the table? As you know, our
state has been devastated. I have been in the keys. Keys, there were nine foot storm surges. There were homes just toppled. We don't want to lose
any life. Down here in this part of the state we got a lot of flooding, a lot of wind, and a lot of rain. We are working hard to get our power back
on our utilities have restored, over 4 million homes already. We are down to about 25 percent of our homes of every person in the state wants their
power back. We have high expectations. We want you power back as fast as possible, I want to thank the federal government for all their support, get
our ports reopened so we can refuel back in the state. We have lines at fuel stations. The federal government has been working hard to open the
ports to get fuel back in the state. We have escorts for tanker trucks to make sure gasoline gets back to your stations and fuel. Thank you to the
National Guard members. We have National Guard members from other states down here making sure shelters were open, people were comfortable. We
opened 600 shelters in record time. It wouldn't have happened but the Red Cross, Salvation Army and the National Guard and the National Guard of
other states as well. I know the federal government and locals will continue to be a partner, our state will. We are going to continue to be a
strong resilient state. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everybody's prayers to help us get through this. Thank you.
TRUMP: We are now -- we are going to be making the tour of the areas and we are going to see some of the folks and make sure they are happy because
we are trying to keep them as happy as we can under the circumstances. In many cases they lost their homes and it is a tough situation. So we are
going to go see a lot of the folks. I will tell you, again, I want to thank you. I want to the military. Just incredible. We will see you
later. The media, we appreciate you being so understanding of it's been a tough period of time even for you folks. And we really do appreciate your
understanding. This has been a difficult situation. As Rick knows, almost all of the roads are now open, and the ports are just about open. What we
had to do to get some of those ports open people wouldn't even believe that we did it so quickly. So we are very proud of the job that everybody
around has done, thank you all. Thank you very much. We will see you later. Thank you. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO LIVE FEED)
ANDERSON: President Trump in Fort Meyers in Florida as he gets a first- hand look at relief efforts on mainland U.S. Devastated is how the Florida governor describe some parts of his state. And it is as bad as things are
there, off shore across the Caribbean, the scenes nothing short of a complete disaster in some places. CNN Valle has been reporting from the
Dutch side of St. Martin for several days. Polo Sandoval is in the Tortola in the British Virgin Island. Cyril, first to you. We know that help and
aid has been sometime in arriving, what's going on? Why so long? What is the situation as we speak?
CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky that is a great question and it is a fair question. We had been asking ourselves and some residence of St.
Martin had been asking themselves, you know what I am starting to see some encouraging news today, a lot of things that are true today that wasn't
true yesterday or the day before. Couple of things, first of all I am seeing more traffic on the roads that means there is more gasoline being
made available. We know there are long lines of people waiting to get gas at the few gas stations that have opened. Still, there's more traffic
today. I'm also encouraged by the number of pickup trucks and delivery trucks that I've seen. I have even seen freight trucks that means that
some of the cargo is trickling down. There is also the water situation which has been, you know, over the last few days that is getting better,
too. Water Company has been making runs into neighbors, trucking water in. It's hit and miss either you are there, you see the truck there, you hear
it and you can fill up your bucket or you are not there. Some people still going off the supply they bought before the hurricane.
[11:15:05] As for food just before talking to you I saw something that honestly astounded me. There is gentleman behind the camera who was just
eating a slice of pizza from the nearby pizzeria which has reopened and is selling it. That is also an encouraging sign. I'm also told that the road
were on is a shop that has been reopened and some people have been buying supplies. None of this is happening in great quantity. I' not telling you
it's reaching everybody that needs it and wants out. I have spoken to people today, who say I haven't seen the government. Where is the water?
But these are things I wasn't able to tell you yesterday. There is slow incremental progress here in the island of St. Martin. You were asking why
the aid has been so slow to arrive. There is one huge logistical challenge, when you are getting into an island which is that, there is no
land access. It will be flown in or brought in by boat. And that just makes everything so much slower.
ANDERSON: Cyril, good to speak to you, it is encouraging that you have a sense of optimism, somewhat, as you say, in your observations of what you
see there and how those have changed since the past 24 hours, good news. All right, Polo, what is the situation right there in Tortola and what are
the most pressing needs?
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The answer to that question Becky is relatively simple. Food and information. Those are priceless commodities
right now in this part of the British Virgin Islands. Many people are not only hungry. They are hungry for information. They want to know what is
happening in the outside world. What Irene main eye swept to the island of Tortola it just devastated the region and crippled communication. Many
people have phones but they have no - nothing to connect them to, they also have no cellphone services.
What we saw yesterday here in capital City or in the capital town were people just gathered outside of the internet and cell phone providers
huddled together to get a signal in order to tell their love ones, the neighboring islands, perhaps in Europe or the United States that they are
ok and also about their needs. When it comes to food and supplies there is optimism. Yes, there are some grocery stores that are still open. Many of
them stocked up on supplies but actually getting into one of the grocery stores can mean waiting in a very long line. There are some individuals
that don't have the food a water help. Only an hour ago I spoke to woman who has been living off of a diet of water and biscuits for the last eight
days for herself and her child. That is the reality here in British Virgin Islands, they have long way to go for recovery and rebuilding.
ANDERSON: Polo, Cyril, both of you, thank you. You are watching "Connect the World" live from Abu Dhabi. More after this very short break. Don't
go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:19] ANDERSON: You are watching CNN. This is "Connect the World." I'm Becky Anderson. If you are just joining us, you are very welcome.
Well, President Trump is touring hurricane damage in Florida as we speak. Lawmakers back in Washington are still trying to digest his secretive
dinner with top Democrats. They tackled some big policy issues last night in between bites, including immigration reform, but no Republican leaders
were at the table, and that is making Mr. Trump's base mighty nervous. CNN's Joe Johns has more.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Democratic leaders are hailing another agreement with President Trump to protect hundreds of thousands of Dreamers
from being deported. In exchange for beefed up border security. Key details about the agreement are unknown, but we do know it does not include
the President's controversial border wall. House and senate Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi say, we agreed to enshrine the
protections of DACA into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security excluding the wall that is acceptable to both sides.
But White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders disputes their characterization tweeting while DACA and border security were both
discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not reed to. A senior official tells CNN the wall discussions were the same as the White House publicly
suggested this week. The President will keep pushing for a wall but it doesn't have to be part of this agreement. The framework hashed out at
White House dinner over Chinese food with Pelosi and Schumer. They were joined by eight others to discuss tax reform, DACA, and health care.
Notably absent, the top Republicans and congress, the senate majority leader and the Speaker of the House.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why not also invite Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look you have got the leader of the Republican Party sitting table.
JOHNS: This potential deal on Dreamers comes after the president infuriated his own Party last week when he brokered a three-month deal to
raise the debt ceiling and speed up relief funding for hurricane relief victims. But the President insists there is no reason to skeptical.
TRUMP: More a more we are trying to work thing out together. That is a positive thing. It is good or the Republicans and good for the Democrats.
JOHNS: The new approach a far cry from his usually harsh rhetoric.
TRUMP: I think the losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.
ANDERSON: Mr. Trump took to twitter this morning to deny sealing a deal on immigration with Democratic leaders. Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.
Nancy and Chuck quickly responding to this tweet saying the President's remarks are not consistent with theirs. They said that they announced last
night that a broad agreement was reached, but no final deal. Right. Trump will later meet people affected by hurricane Irma in Florida we've seen him
there on the ground where many residents have now been allowed to return home and are picking up or at least trying to pick up the pieces. Kyung
law met a couple who found by living by the beach can come at a high price.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was the hallway coming into our master bedroom and our master bathroom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are getting a tour of Byron and Jessica Cooper home after Irma raged through it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We still have three feet of standing water in here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is my bed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your bed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was our bed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is my armor that was in this corner of the master bedroom with all of my clothes. We are standing over three feet in the air
right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Beneath our feet, seaweed, three feet of salt water and a beach that used to be outside before it burst into the home. The
couple rode out the storm in the neighbor's house recording this video as the hurricane slammed against their first floor home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First sign that everything wasn't all right was when we start seeing our possession floating out the store.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Their concrete construction stood up but not the windows fails. Those were hurricane shredders?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is only two of them left.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The couple lives in Marathon Key a lower key. Hurricane damage is everywhere you look. It's still closed off for
residence to re-enter. In the upper keys, the cleanup is underway, without power, cell phones, and in some cases water it's agonizingly slow in the
Florida heat. Signs of modern life are returning. U.S. Highway 1 is cleared and open for emergency crews. Gas finally coming back to a few
stations in Key Largo.
[11:25:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know where to start, is my problem. I know I need to start somewhere, but I don't know where to
start.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For those waiting for those glimmers of normalcy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are probably about four and a half feet above what would normally be our patio level. These are full sized sliding glass
doors that you would walk through that now look like bay windows.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The disaster still remains at their front door.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the most catastrophic thing I've ever seen. The price of living in paradise.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This couple didn't have insurance. Despite that they want to do the cleanup themselves, they are going the figure it out. They
want to rebuild, they want to stay but this time they might add onto their second floor. CNN Big Pines Keys Florida.
(END VIDEO)
ANDERSON: To Naples Florida now where senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta is awaiting President Trump's arrival. As we follow the U.S.
President at this hour, as he gets a first-hand look at the aftermath of this massive storm and just what's going on the ground in Florida in
response, many of our international viewers may be confused by what is going on back in Washington. Are we witnessing a paradigm shift in the way
that Donald Trump will be conducting business going forward?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, having covered the campaign and the first seven months of this administration, we
have heard and good-bye to this notion of a Presidential pivot. So I would say -- I would approach this with extreme caution. Just to take a look at
this issue of the Dreamers and this issue of whether to allow this young undocumented immigrants to stay in this country, the so-called DACA issue,
as it's known here in the United States. Some category five confusion you might say from President Trump who is on the ground here in southwest
Florida to look at storm damage. Keep in mind the White House was saying last night there wasn't really a deal between President Trump and the
Democratic leaders of congress. This morning it sounded as if there was some sort of deal. The president essentially saying he is not going to
insist on funding for a wall on the border with Mexico as part of this deal to keep the dreamers here in the United States, instead of sending them
back home, instead basically having them deported back to their country in which they were born. In the last hour the President was asked about all
of this. He said I want to make it clear we are not going to be offering amnesty to these kids, we are not offering citizenship to this kids and yet
his own spokesperson in the preceding hour has said we maybe we will be looking at a path to citizenship as part of this conversation. So they are
kind of figuring out where they are going to be eventually when it comes to that agreement. I will tell you that the President just to set the scene
here for you, the President should be in this part of Naples Florida, within the next hour.
You can see some of the storm damage behind me. He is going to be seeing fairly hard hit areas. There is a roof from a mobile home that was picked
up off o4 that home and dumped across the highway and is left with all of the trees that came down in this part of the southwest Florida. So the
damage, is pretty extensive here. Contrast that with the President's first visit to survey the damage after hurricane Harvey. He didn't see much
storm damage. He didn't really talk to the victims. He talked about how he had a big crowd. He remarked on crowd size when he was talking to
people down there. He seemed to learn that lesson when he made that second trip down to the storm zone after Harvey and was actually meeting with
storm victims. So we do expect that to play out once again here today.
The President will look at the storm damage, be up close and personal with it and talk to victims of this hurricane as well. And he doesn't have to
go very far in this community to find that Becky. We've seen stoplights that are not working. Supermarkets that are basically the only thing open
in town, and people here do not have power. Tensions are getting higher and patience is wearing thin. Sometimes a Presidential trip, even thoughts
very staged and so on, can provide a lot of relief to a community and that's what I think the White House is hoping to accomplish today. Becky?
ANDERSON: Jim, appreciate it. Thank you for joining us. Jim Acosta on the ground for you there in Florida.
We are out of Abu Dhabi in the UAE. You are watching "Connect the World" world news headlines in a moment, then we'll take you to London where the
U.S. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson is meeting with his British counter- part, and they will be talking North Korea. That is the room they will be in coming up.
[11:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: All right, 32 minutes past 7:00 here in the UAE. You're watching Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. These are
the top stories for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And we are a close eye on Florida this hour, where U.S. President Donald Trump is getting his first look at the damage from
hurricane Irma's fury.
He just met with first responders in Fort Myers, the emergency crews who worked so crucial in saving lives after that storm swept in.
Damage to the islands in the Caribbean is hard to measure in the aftermath of the hurricane. Food, water and power in short supply or in some places
completely nonexistent. The death toll now stands at 44.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for a double attack that killed 50 people and injured 87 in southern Iraq. The attack involved an armed self in a
restaurant followed car bomb blast in checkpoint nearby, that was in Nasiriya. ISIS said it was targeting Shiites.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed North Korea with the British Prime Minister Theresa May earlier today. The spokesman for the
prime minister says they agreed on the need for international pressure to make North Korea give up nuclear weapons. Well Tillerson is set in a press
conference any moment now. And when he does, we will get you to that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He will be speaking with Boris Johnson who is his British counterpart. Well, the face of an increasingly bold North Korea, the
president of South Korea vows there will be no nuclear weapons in his country nor will he will accept a nuclear North Korea.
The South Korean president made the comments to CNN in his first TV interview since Pyongyang claimed it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb
believed to be the regime's biggest nuclear test yet. We'll the president spoke to my colleague Paula Hancocks. She joins me now for Seoul. Paula,
what did he tell you?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, as you say, he said that they would not be a South Korean nuclear weapons program. He said despite
what the North is doing, South Korea would not go the same way.
He also said that he would still talk to North Korea but at this point, it is up to North Korea to create the conditions for the talks to go ahead. I
also ask him about that nuclear test. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOON JAE-IN, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA (through translator): North Korea continues to make very wrong decisions, so I'm very frustrated and I'm
saddened to see this.
[11:35:00] It is a very reckless choice made by North Korea that is not helpful to North Korea itself or inter-Korean relations and threatens world
peace.
HANCOCKS: Now Kim Jong-un has stated he will never give up his nuclear weapons, it is part of state ideology, he has written it into the
Constitution. Do you truly believe that you can convince Kim Jong-un to give up nuclear weapons?
JAE-IN: I believe maybe North Korea through its development nuclear program. He wants to guarantee a regime security and maybe North Korea
through being accepted as a nuclear power state wants who wants to sit down at the negotiating table with the U.S. North Korean-U.S. normalization.
However, the international community will never accept a nuclear North Korea and in particular, my country will never accept a nuclear North
Korea.
HANCOCKS: Mr. President, South Korea relies on the United States for the nuclear umbrella, for the protection for Washington. And now the United
States is potentially at threat from North Korea as well. Is it time for South Korea to have its own nuclear weapons?
JAE-IN: We need to develop our military capabilities in place of North Korea's nuclear advancement. I do not agree that South Korea needs to
develop our own nuclear weapons or relocate technical nuclear weapons in the face of North Korea's nuclear threat.
To respond to North Korea by having our own weapons will not maintain peace for the Korean Peninsula and could lead to a nuclear arms race in Northeast
Asia.
HANCOCKS: Mr. President, we certainly seen a stronger military response from -- from South Korea to the North Korean tests, the long-range missile
test, the decapitation drills. Does the South Korea have an assignation squad that's ready to take out Kim Jong-un if need to be?
JAE-IN: South Korea and the U.S. have firm combined defense capabilities to neutralize the threat in the early stage if North Korea actually make
nuclear or missile provocation. However, we do not have a hostile policy towards North Korea.
We do not have the intension to attack North Korea and we do not have the intention to reunify the Korean Peninsula in an artificial way were in the
manner of absorption.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANCOCKS: So the president may also said that he haven't ruled out talks with North Korea. It is certainly not at this point saying that sanctions
and pressure are what are needed now to try and prevent war breaking out on the Peninsula, Becky.
ANDERSON: And Paula, what are the threats of another test at this point?
HANCOCKS: Well certainly, it is something that South Korea accepts could happen. I did ask him about the sanctions that the U.N. Security Council
just pass where they actually cut the minds of crude oil going into North Korea.
And I said, do you think that's enough? U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is not sure it will have any impact and he said we will have to
wait and see that if North Korea does carry out another provocation as he puts it, if it carries out another test, attached another missile launch,
another nuclear test.
Then he said that they deserve the right to go straight back to the United Nations and increase those sanctions. So while they have only at this
point, but the amount of petroleum that North Korea can get its hands on, they can go further, President Moon said.
They can actually stop that completely. So he said they have left the door open to be able to squeeze North Korea even further if these sanctions
don't work, Becky.
ANDERSON: Paula Hancocks, for you out of Seoul, South Korea. Paula, thank you. Well, you heard South Korea's president say he will not accept a
nuclear North Korea nor he said, will the international community and an effort to prevent that.
The United Nations has slapped the North with the harshest sanctions ever but threats and bombastic rhetoric from Pyongyang, do keep coming.
And just today, the North threatened to sink Japan and reduce the U.S. to quote, ash and darkness, and while these sanctions are the toughest
punishment yet for the North, you'll never know it walking the streets of the capital. Our Will Ripley is the only western TV journalist in North
Korea present and has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's tough to find a traffic light in Pyongyang. Traffic cuts direct the flow of cars. The streets noticeably
busier each time I come here, busier at least for now.
The U.S. has the latest U.N. sanctions threatened to cut North Korea's oil supply by nearly a third which could spike prices for everything from taxis
to energy.
A ban on textile exports and the end of foreign labor contracts could further slash the income of this cash starved country but if you ask
(Inaudible), she's not worried.
[11:40:00] Her refreshment stand has a steady flow of customers. She says life is improving despite round after round of increasingly heavy
sanctions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We have no problems, she says. Everything I'm selling is made local. We don't worry. We rely on
ourselves.
RIPLEY: Kim Hye-song (ph) casually shrugs off threats from the United States. The U.S. President Donald Trump said that these sanctions are just
not a big deal and that there is much worse to come. Does that worry you at all?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We don't care what the U.S. president says or what the outside world thinks about us, she says. We
don't worry because we believe in the leadership of martial Kim Jong-un. Keep in mind this is a very thin slice of life in this closed country.
RIPLEY: It's good. Reporters like us can only see what the government allows. But all over the North Korean capital, we see plenty of new
construction and increasingly modern skyline, a mandate from North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un.
Which only to prove, he can grow the economy and the nuclear program, all in the face of unprecedented sanctions for his repeated violations of
international law.
You see these posters all over Pyongyang and they pretty much sum up North Korea's official response to increased pressure from the U.S., more
missiles.
North Korean propaganda is built around their nuclear program. It symbolizes strength, independence. It is key to their national identity.
Is there anything, anything at all that could get North Korea to walk away from its nuclear program?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We'll never give them says Lee Chang Song (ph). If we did, it would mean our destruction.
RIPLEY: Around town, new posters show a pair of hands ripping up U.N. sanctions resolutions. North Korea's defiant message, they will never give
up their nukes even if that means life is about to get a lot harder. Will Ripley, CNN, Pyongyang, North Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well there's a lot more of Will's exclusive reporting from inside North Korea this weekend. He takes some other journey through the
country like you've never seen before.
You can watch his documentary Secret States on Saturday. That is 4 p.m. if you're watching here in Abu Dhabi. If you're in London, that's 1 p.m. only
on CNN of course.
Now, look we get it. It is sometimes hard to care about people you don't know much about in a place you might be able to point on the map but look,
here are their faces, and this is where it's happening, Myanmar. In a story as important as it is awful.
Almost 400,000 Rohingya Muslims, that is more people that live in all of Iceland have fled their homes to Bangladesh in just the last few weeks, so
many have left so quickly that some four in 10 of their villages, if not burned to the ground, are now totally empty.
The government tells us forcing people to long for home in cities of endless tents. The government wants you to think they are fleeing because
of links to militant terrorists but the refugees themselves tell CNN that is not the case.
It's -- they are being tortured and killed in a way simply a devastating Army crackdown. And fleeing it is very dangerous. Landmines, jungles and
rivers can kill and may along the way.
CNN's Alexandra Field takes us to a hospital where people who are hurt while escaping are now being given help. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's no way that you can see or feel the pain of this crisis more than as this hospital. We're seeing
Rohingya men, women and children would tell us that they have lost their families, run for their lives.
There is nothing left to their home and the ones were here are the most badly injured. I spoke to a doctor who tells me that is seeing victims of
gun shot wounds, he seen landmine injuries. I spoke to one woman.
She is 30 years old. She says that she was shot while she was trying to escape, trying to run to safety from Myanmar to Bangladesh. Her two young
children were shot a killed at her side. In total, she lost five members of her family.
A 13-year-old girl talks about the fact that she was trying to escape on foot for 10 days. She was half and hour on the safety of Bangladesh when
she was shot.
Her mother took three bullets. Another man who is a victim of a landmine explosion has lost parts of both of his legs. When we see him here at the
hospital, he keeps pointing to face. He is saying something and the doctor translate it.
He tells us that the plan is, he is pointing to his eyes and saying that he can't see, he going blind. There are more than a hundred Rohingya refugees
are right now being treated at this hospital.
More than 370,000 Rohingyas have crossed the border into Bangladesh from Myanmar since violence broke out in Myanmar towards the end of August.
[11:45:00] The government there says they're conducting a clearance operation, targeting militants. But the refugees that I'm speaking to here
say that they have come under attack from a military that has set fire to their villages, set fire to their homes and shot at them while they are
trying to run with their families for their lives.
They're here right now trying to heal. They are being treated by doctors but one say have appear, they tell me, they don't know where they are
going.
Their best guess is that they will sent back to overcrowded and under prepared refugee camps where surviving members of their families may have
ended up by now. That's the best help that they tell me that they have for now. Alexandra Field, CNN, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, about two minutes ago, you might not have known much about what was going on in Myanmar after seeing, Alex, just there, maybe that you
are looking to find out more for doing our jobs right then that's likely to be the case.
Well the answer is here. We set up a special section of our website telling you who the Rohingya are, their history, world is going to help or
not. That's the case may be and more on all of that CNN.com/Rohingya.
We're live from Abu Dhabi, you're watching Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. Coming up, acts of kindness in the middle of this hurricane, the
story of one man's bravery and the family he saved is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right, Rex Tillerson and Boris Johnson in London talking on North Korea. Let's listen in.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: ... on the people across the Caribbean and in Florida. Our immediate task is to ensure that aid reaches
everyone in need.
And today, there are nearly 1,000 British military personnel deployed in our Caribbean territories supported by RFA Mounts Bay and two Puma
transport helicopters.
More than 40 tons of aid has arrived including one ton of food and enough shelter for 13,000 people. RFA Mounts Bay is now heading to the U.S. Virgin
Islands to pick up more supplies before moving on to the Turks and Caicos.
I thank the United States for allowing the U.S. Virgin Islands to be used as a hub for the distribution of aid and I'm grateful to France and to the
U.S. for assisting the departure of British citizens.
We have been glad to respond to a request for assistance from our French friends by sending an RAF C17 transport aircraft to provide heavy lift for
their aid effort.
The Prime Minister has announced o57 million of help for the overseas territories in addition the government will match every pound donated to
the Red Cross appeal up to a maximum of o3 million. Later today I'm going to chair COBRA to check on the progress of our response.
The Minister for the Commonwealth Lord Ahmad is arriving in the Turks and Caicos tonight to assess the situation on that British Territory.
Once the emergency phase is over the overriding need will be for long term reconstruction to get our Caribbean territories back on their feet. In
that effort, Britain, France, the U.S. and the Netherlands will be working side by side.
I've also today chaired a meeting on Libya with Secretary Tillerson and our colleagues from Italy, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and France.
Libya is a front line in our common struggle against terrorism and illegal migration and we all share a vital interest in that country's stability.
Our shared goal is to break the political deadlock and rally behind the United Nations envoy Ghassan Salame as he seeks to bring all sides
together. Our friends in North Africa share the same interest in a peaceful Libya and that prise is wholly achievable.
We now have a new opportunity to make progress by helping the Libyan people to reach a political settlement based on compromise and consensus.
Finally, we discussed the grave situation in East Asia where North Korea has defied the world by testing a nuclear device and launching ballistic
missiles.
On Monday the Security Council unanimously adopted U.N. Resolution 2375, including the toughest sanctions imposed on any country in the 21st
century.
Today we discussed how best to enforce those measures with the aim of maximizing the pressure on North Korea to reach a diplomatic solution.
[11:50:00] We resolved to continue to work together and with important partners who can influence North Korea including China with the aim of
securing the complete and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
On all these issues and more I'm delighted again to work alongside Rex Secretary Tillerson, demonstrating once again the strength of the alliance
between our two countries. Rex, it's great to have you in London. Thanks for all the time over the years.
REX TILLERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: Thank you so much, of course Secretary Johnson, again it's always an honor and pleasure to be
here in the United Kingdom and to work with such close and committed allies to find solutions to some of the most complex issues of the world, not the
least of which this North Korea and Libya.
I do want to thank foreign Secretary Johnson for his kind words for the American people, particularly in the aftermath of hurricane Harvey and now
hurricane Irma. Many Americans as you know, continue to suffer in recovery, and have a long way to go to rebuild their homes and their lives.
Americans do have a reliable friend, the British people and the British people have a reliable friend in the United States, and I think that was
clearly demonstrated a response to the effect of Irma throughout the Caribbean over its territories -- American territories and French
territories.
The cooperation through that have been -- has been extraordinary. They have got all of this set down, are our own concerns and said, what can we
do to help each other citizens, so we're very, very thankful for that.
We're also committed to take that same spirit into the aftermath and how can we work together and coordinate now to complete recovery and begin the
long, long process of reconstruction in a way that how can they can benefit to everyone.
I do quickly want to recognize and congratulate the United States has a new ambassador to the United Kingdom, Woody Johnson. He has arrived here 18
days ago. I think it ensures that our special relationship will remain in good hands.
I did comment to the ambassador I'm a little concerned I have an Ambassador Johnson and a Foreign Secretary Johnson, and all that assures is that on
any given day, a Johnson's going to be to blame for something.
I do want to also acknowledge that we had a very, I think, useful meeting - - short but very useful opportunity to meet with Prime Minister May and members of her senior staff this morning. We discussed a number of areas
of mutual interest.
I expressed my appreciation to the prime minister for the very strong support and resolve of the United Kingdom both as an important member of
the U.N. Security Council but also in the public statements and actions to send a very strong message to North Korea and the regime in North Korea.
That their efforts to advance their nuclear weapons programs and the threatening posture that they have taken is not acceptable to any member of
the international community. And that support is very important in our efforts to bring that to a resolution.
The prime minister and I had also had a discussion briefly about the threat that Iran poses to the region through its destabilizing activities in
Yemen, in Syria, and other parts of the region.
And we discussed our shared interest to find a solution to the conflict in Syria once the war against ISIS, the defeat of ISIS is concluded. And
again, we continue to welcome the opportunity to work closely with our counterparts in the United Kingdom.
While Brexit does present unique challenges to the British people, please know that you have a steadfast ally in the United States, and we will stand
by our ally as Brexit continues to take shape. And we look forward to continuing this long relationship.
As indicated, Foreign Secretary Johnson and I also had the opportunity to delve into a number of detailed topics of mutual concern.
As again, as I said, we're very thankful for the U.K.'s leadership, and the foreign secretary in particular has been stellar in terms of supporting our
efforts on North Korea, from sanctions to also implementing those sanctions, finding ways to deescalate the violence in Syria.
And we express our deep gratitude to the United Kingdom for their very generous contributions towards humanitarian assistance to the long-
suffering Syrian people as we continue to liberate areas that have suffered under the oppression of ISIS.
Along with representatives from France, we had a very substantial meeting to discuss how to increase that diplomatic and economic pressure on the
DPRK.
And also how we can work together to relay messages to the regime in North Korea that we -- you need to stand down your program and engage in a
dialogue to find a way to a peaceful resolution.
Foreign Secretary Johnson and I also had very productive discussions, as he indicated, with the French, Italian, Emirati, and Egyptian colleagues, as
well as the U.N. special representative for the secretary-general, Ghassan Salame, on the way forward on Libya.
[11:55:00] Again, an issue that's important to the United States to create stability, reconciliation, and restore Libya under a functioning
government, what we don't want to see happen is Libya become a place to birth additional counter -- to birth additional terrorist organizations.
Or provide opportunities for ISIS to re-emerge in a different part of the world. We are all committed to helping the Libyans find the Libyan
solution that will lead to their future.
I think as Special Representative Salame works with the Libyans to advance the political reconciliation, it's important that he know that he has the
full support of the United States.
We think it is time to focus the mediation efforts in one location at the U.N. under his leadership, and I think we had very strong unity among the
group that met today to support the special representative in his efforts.
We will meet again with the U.N .Secretary-General Guterres to consider these issues in New York next week on the margins of the U.N. General
Assembly meeting.
Once again, I want to thank Prime Minister May and Foreign Secretary Johnson for their most gracious welcome, for a series of very, very
productive meetings today on a host of important topics, some of which we've touched on with you, but most importantly for their commitment to
action in the achievement of our common goals. So, Foreign Secretary, thank you again.
JOHNSON: Thank you, Rex. Thank you very much. We're going to take a couple of questions. James Landale from the BBC.
JAMES LANDALE, JOURNALIST, BBC: James Landale of BBC. First of all, Foreign Secretary, on aid. Do you believe that the government should be
able to use its aid budget to help people in need in the Caribbean? And if so, what are you going to do about it?
Secondly, on Libya, do you actually think that elections next year are feasible? And when do you think they should be held? Thirdly, on Burma,
you said last weekend that Aung San Suu Kyi was, and I quote, one of the most inspiring figures of our age. Do you regret saying that now, and has
your view changed as a result of the events of this week?
And Secretary of State, if I could ask you on Iran. What actually is the position of the United States today on the Iran nuclear deal? Are you
going to continue to waiver the sanctions?
Do you continue to believe that Iran is fulfilling its obligations of that deal? And secondly, what is your view on what is taking place in Myanmar
and Bangladesh, and the behavior of Aung San Suu Kyi?
JOHNSON: Let me go first, Rex. Well, on your first question, James, I think anybody who seen -- I mean, I don't believe that anybody's seen the
effects of a hurricane, but it's absolutely catastrophic, awe-inspiring.
And I've never seen anything like it. It's like the destruction that you see in images from the -- form the First World War. And I think anybody
with an ounce of compassion would want to see spending by our government on getting those people back up on their feet.
And indeed, on getting those British -- and I stress it, British Overseas Territories helped in the long term. And of course, we are looking now
across Whitehall at ways in which we can make sure that our aid budget can be used in that way. And I know that Priti Patel, all my colleagues are
looking at how we can do that. That is absolutely natural, and we're on that right now.
On Libya, you ask a very important question, would it premature to hold elections within a year? I happen to think that that could be about the
right time scale.
And I think it's very important, however, that you don't do it too fast and that you get the political groundwork done first. There has to be a
constitution. There has to be an accepted basis for those elections to take place.
That is currently not here. You have to amend the Skhirat Agreement, the Libyan political agreement. That needs to be done. Everybody understands,
broadly speaking across the actors in Libya, what needs to be done. And I think there's -- I think there's a very wide measure of support amongst the
Libyan people for getting on with an election, by the way.
So I think that the program that Ghassan Salame has -- has sketched out certainly commanded support this afternoon in the P3+3, in the format that
we brought together today. Obviously, what we are hoping is that that will gain further, wider support at UNGA, the U.N. General Assembly next week.
END
