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New Warnings Over U.S. Shift On Jerusalem; U.K. Government: Manchester Bombing Could Have Been Foiled; U.S. Considering Recognizing Jerusalem As Israel's Capital; Greek Musician Graces Saudi Stage. Aired at 10:30-11p ET
Aired December 05, 2017 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:17] BECKY ANDERSON, CONNECT THE WORLD, CNN: This war-torn Yemen, a victory rally. Houthis celebrate the defense of the capital. But this is
just a moment in a seemingly endless conflict. Next, the geopolitics behind the latest developments there.
Meantime, a warning from the wider world. Global leaders tell President Trump not to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel. Coming up, what is
at stake if he does?
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARWA DAMON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: I heard you crying.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to see my kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The dangerous journey left o these migrants stranded. CNN's Freedom Project shines a light on the crisis leaving people helpless.
CNN's Arwa Damon's reporting is just ahead for you.
Hello and welcome. This is "Connect the World." I am Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi where from here, right ahead of me is Saudi Arabia. Over to my
right just about here is Iran you. Rapidly represented behind me we are right in the middle of them, but no matter where you are in this region you
are too, just look. This whole place being used to settle their disputes. Everyone here as they go at each other. One of the most violent, Yemen,
where the images are disturbing. This is the man who ruled the country for more than 30 years. Former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh, shot dead on the
streets. Saudi Arabia was hoping he would finally help them win the war there. Just two days before he was killed, he switched sides turning his
back on Iranian backed Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital. On land he help them win. They shot him on Monday. All this a very messy business, we'll
explain how the dancing on snakes ties in a moment, but first let us bring in CNN Ben Wedeman who has been living in this region on and off since
1974, four years before even Saleh came to power. Ben, so you ever really seen the full stretch of Yemen and this region. Where is Saleh's death
leaving it right now?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly at this point Becky, it leaves it on the brink of a worst phase even more intense
fighting. The Saudi led coalition was hoping that when he switched sides and offered to open a new page with the Saudi-led coalition that might be
an opening for them to finally take some sort of progress against the Houthi rebels. But those hopes disappeared as soon as he was killed. It
appears that all the territory that the Saleh loyalists were able to take was retaken by the Houthis. Saudis with a very stark choice, either they
go to the negotiating table with the Houthis and that doesn't seem to be on the cards they accelerate their military offensive, which so far has been
lackluster to say the least. Keep in mind that the Saudis one of the richest countries in the Arab world are fighting against a rag tag group of
rebels in the poorest country in the Arab world where even before this war began, the average per capita income was a mere $3 so the only option the
Saudis have now is to pick up military activity against the Houthis in a war that has already left at least 10,000 people dead from the violence and
perhaps even more from starvation and malnutrition and disease. Becky.
ANDERSON: One clear, Ben, what Riyadh does next in Yemen. Ben, you are in Beirut. Far less violent but still very dangerous front for Riyadh's
supercharge ambitions as it were against Tehran. Just last the kingdom seem to help young Lebanese Prime Minister to the side, may speculate it,
pushed him out of office blaming Iran for that too. You can tell us, I know today that that resignation is now not going ahead. Explain.
[10:05:17] WEDEMAN: In fact it is as if the events that began on the forth of November when Hariri announced from Riyadh on Saudi backed television
that he is resigning, it appears it never happened. Today he met with his cabinet and formerly stated that he has withdrawn his resignation, which he
had before merely suspended. And all the Lebanese parties had agreed to what this association, in other words they will distance themselves from
the conflicts within the region.
Now, Hezbollah which has two ministers in his cabinet does have forces in Iraq and in Syria, the Saudis say also in Yemen. But in both Syria and
Iraq, they are there at the request or the approval of those governments. So it is not really necessarily interference. So there is sort of some
hair splitting going on. But the fact of the matter is that the Saudi's who shortly after Hariri announced his resignation on the fourth of
November, one of their senior ministers said to any government in Beirut that includes Hezbollah will be considered by Saudi Arabia a government
that has declared war on the kingdom.
That whole scenario has backfired. So we see both in Yemen and in Lebanon and we can get on to Qatar if we want to talk the GCC in all this cases,
the ambitions, the plans of the Saudi's seems to backfire very dramatically.
ANDERSON: Watch this space and never say never of course in this region. Let's get back to Yemen, because as you rightly pointed out, thousands have
lost their lives over the past 2 1/2 years, tens of thousands have been injured. Some 20 million are reliant on humanitarian aid. So let's just
focus back in on Saleh's death and what that means going forward. And perhaps we should explain who it seems at least his Saleh's death is good
for and who it isn't. In the short term at least, it appears that it is good for the rebels and so also by default it their backers, Iran. It
seems at least, it's a very bad things for Iran's archrivals Saudi Arabia and of course disastrous for Yemen itself where there is this human
catastrophe. Does Ben, do you think, make a seemingly intractable and stubbornly violent war? Only more intractable and more violent.
WEDEMAN: It does, unfortunately the only certainty at this point is that more people will die. As far as the Houthis go, they are not strong enough
to take over or to extend their control throughout the entirety of Yemen, the Saudis are not strong enough to defeat them, and so it is really a
stalemate with no end in sight. So this could go on for quite some time. Unless as I mentioned before the Saudis really pick up the pace of their
bombardment of Sanaa and their ground activities as well. Now they always put their hope in the government, President of the internationally
recognized government of Yemen, but by in large he has been fairly ineffective as well in rallying the troops. So it is very much a war
between the Saudis and the UAE on the one side and Houthis and before the Salah loyalists, but they are gone. And of course the Iranians who backed
to a certain extent, although perhaps not as much as the Saudis would like us to think the Houthi rebels. There is no indication at this point of an
exit from this conflict. And obviously the people who are going to pay the price are the 28 million inhabitants of Yemen.
ANDERSON: Ben Wedeman on the analysis out of Beirut for you this evening. And while we have been talking about Yemen, we have these words dancing on
snakes right here in red. That is a reference to a quote from Salah himself. That running the country Yemen is, quote, like dancing on the
heads of snakes. In the end even he, a crafty ruthless political hand, was bitten. So many others may want to watch their step.
[10:10:17] Talking about watching one's step, right now there is growing angst over whether Washington will recognize Jerusalem as Israel capital.
U.S. President Donald Trump could make that announcement in the next day or so. And U.S. allies are sounding the alarm from this region. Turkey
joined Saudi Arabia and indeed France in warning against such a move. Turkish Presidential spokesman says that it would be a fatal mistake for
the peace process. And could spark fresh conflict in the region. CNN's Ian Lee joins us now live from Jerusalem. Ian, I want to tell our viewers
about the language coming from Turkish President Erdogan saying that Jerusalem would be a redline for his nation, if the U.S. did move its
embassy, he would convene a leaders meeting of the Islamic cooperation organization, the IOC, it could evenly ton Ankara cutting diplomatic ties
with Israel. And he echoes a growing chorus of concern from leaders around this region that I live in and indeed across Europe. What is the latest so
far as you are here, where you are about the likelihood of this announcement coming anytime soon?
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is the big question right now, Becky. What is President Trump going to say? You know, the White House for the
most part has been mum about what their plan is, we did hear from Jared Kushner a couple of days ago, he said that it is still up in the air what
the President's decision is going to be and that we will know when the president says it himself, but he had been watching very closely a people
in this region, government in this region and also in Europe. Reaching out to United States warning against any unilateral move of taking the embassy,
bringing it here to Jerusalem and declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel when you look at just the two sides, who is for it, who is against it, you
have on one side the vast majority of the international community, you have key allies like France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan who had been warning
against it.
And when you look at the other side, you haves Israeli politicians who have been advocating for quite some time. Recently we heard from the Defense
minsters as well as the mayor of Jerusalem this saying that they would like to see President Trump move the embassy. And you also have President Trump
base. You haven't any load voice in support of that and you also have to look, Becky previous U.S. Presidents. Every President since 1995 has
signed a waiver that did not move the embassy to Jerusalem which is required by U.S. law, but congress gave President this waiver, because they
understood the potential ramifications for this region and also for the peace process, because the status of Jerusalem goes right to the core of a
potential peace process, Becky.
ANDERSON: We continue to monitor this story extremely closely and we'll watch for any further indications on a possible announcement from
Washington. Stay with CNN. Ian, for the time being thank you.
Still to come this hour we travel to one of harshest places on the planet to find migrants, stranded in the searing heat. CNN's Freedom Project
takes you inside the rescue mission in the Sahara.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:16:20] ANDERSON: You're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson out of Abu Dhabi. Welcome back here at CNN. You will know that
you are a regular viewer, I hope you are. We are committed to fighting a practices which is hard to believe still taking place in this day in age,
and that is slavery. That is right, I said slavery. An example of how we can make a change for the better. With our exclusive report on slave
auctions in Libya. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: 400. 700. 700. 800. The numbers roll in. This men are sold for 1200 Libyan pounds. $400 apiece.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the report caused global protests and action from lawmakers across the world. This week building on this momentum, CNN's
freedom project is focusing on modern day slavery within the Africa, Europe immigration crisis. The second piece in what is a week-long series shows
one of the most dangerous parts of an African migrant's journey. Crossing the Sahara desert. CNN Senior International Correspondent Arwa Damon,
experience that and joins us now from Istanbul to talk about it, Arwa?
DAMON: Hi Becky. A lot of these European countries have been offering nation like Niger, like Libya, cash incentives basically to crackdown on
migration in the migrant's route, within their own border. That has resulted in some of these horrific atrocious actions taking place within
Libya. In Niger it has forced the smugglers to go off the main tracks, the tracks that have water points along them. Off road basically, so when they
breakdown the migrants are stranded. And it has made the journey even deadlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: Just imagine what it would take to make this journey, driven by poverty and desperation. Crammed in the back of a truck. The desert wind.
Imagine your truck breaks down and you are stranded in the middle of the Sahara desert in Niger, abandoned with no water, just endless sand.
It really only takes a few moments in the back of the trucks to begin an appreciation of just how tough it is out here.
We are on a mission with the Nigerian army to rescue stranded migrants. Our convoy built off when one truck is troubled. The smugglers turn the
migrants to march. Finally after ten hours driving through the desert, light signal. The migrants have been stranded here for three days after
their struck broke down. There are about 30 in all, left to die. The women who don't want their identities revealed are wearing the local
Islamic head dress because the smugglers told them too so they can blend in. Women are Christian and Muslim from Nigeria and say they had no idea
about the dangers of the road, but that they were lured by a Facebook page.
And what did this Facebook page promising you?
[10:20:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I saw opportunities and I saw good life.
DAMON: Most often, the dream they are sold is a scam to get female migrants to Europe and then force them into prostitution. As we speak, one
of the women start praying under her breath. A single sentence over and over. We can hear the agonizing wales of another woman and go to speak to
her. I heard you crying.
Her name is (inaudible), she and her four children seems to be on another truck. They are the older ones. Ages just 9 and 11. The international
organization for migration tell her husband that they have a local office close to where they think the children were taken and they will try to
track them down. But if the children continue on -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
DAMON: It's only at daybreak that we truly understand the remoteness of where we are. The migrants ready themselves. They pile into the back of
the trucks. They are reluctant to leave. They want to keep going to Libya. They're hardly able to believe what has happened to them. As the
convoy departs, she does not yet known if her children will be able to be tracked down. We learn that three days later, she did, and the family was
reunited. This is a place of death and deceit. For many, the decent life promised beyond the Sahara and across the sea in Europe, it's only a
mirage.
(END VIDEO)
DAMON: And Becky because they are so desperate to try to see that dream come true, those migrants actually did not want to be rescued. They prefer
to stay out on their way and see another smuggler perhaps to turn up with a truck, because they don't want to go back. They don't want to get sent
back home, because for so many of them, it goes not just about bettering their own lives, it is, about bettering their entire family's life, many of
them travelled with all of their family's savings on to get to Europe and become the family's life line, and that is the real issue here in so many
on of these cases.
Complete and total loss of hope. Hope that any sort of economic opportunity to have a dignified life even exist within your own homeland.
So this is not necessarily Europe migrant crisis as we often here it preferred to especially by Europe team leaders. This is a crisis of
poverty, it is a crisis of inequality, of corruption, of famine, of violence, of strive. And unless all of those various issues are dealt with
within those respective African nation, then we'll only going to see more and more people try to make this journey, because when the route gets cut
off at one point or when danger arise at one point, people sometimes either still keep going despite the risk or they simply find another way, Becky.
ANDERSON: Sure. Arwa Damon with her reporting. Thank you for that. Important stuff.
The program manager for the international organization for migration, in Niger or the IOME, he joins me now. Sir, we have heard politicians and
leaders from around the world talking the talk on how outraged they are when they see the sort of reporting that Arwa has just shown and indeed
numerous reporting of the slave markets in Libya, but are the same voices walk? Do you see anything being done to prevent what is this abhorrent
multi million if not billion dollar trade?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning. Thanks for reaching out. I think there are a lot of things and I can speak with Niger, because that is where I'm
based. In terms of preventing and supporting governments to prevent the migration, but not only there is a lot of work to raise awareness with the
migrants themselves. For example, as part of the migrant's response in Niger, we do have communities across the country, they are visiting the bus
stations, the ghettos where the migrants gather before taking the journey. And trying to explain what are the risk and alternative options and what
are the opportunities for regeneration back home.
[10:25:23] ANDERSON: Well, that is great to hear. Clearly this continues. So more needs to be done. In your experience at the IOM, what are you
asking for from governments, from politicians, from leaders who as I say are talking the talk at this point beneath the walk? Specifically what
more need to be done at this point?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we are really pleased to see this mobilization that is happening over that past few weeks. And I think thanks also to the
media coverage about the migrants that they are experiencing in Libya and all across the migratory journey. I think more and more partners, NGO,
civil societies, communities around are getting a sense of the work that has being done and the risks out there.
ANDERSON: All right. We'll leave there but we'll have you back. And incredibly important story. And you know, one at CNN that we will just
continue to plug away at until we see some change. CNN's in-depth five part freedom projects series this week continues this Wednesday where we'll
wait to be reunited with their families after being rescued from the slave trade inside Libya.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: He sold you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
DAMON: Were they buying and selling a lot of people?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. At is how they do it. When they are finished putting their money, if you are standing sell you to another people.
DAMON: Little did she know that like so many others, her goal, her dream of a better life would end in the increasing lawlessness of Libya.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Join "Connect the World" Wednesday to see the full report that is 3:00 p.m. in London, &:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi only on CNN. We will be
right back, don't go away.
[10:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: You are watching CNN. This is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. Welcome back. We want to circle back to one
of our top stories now.
The American presidents made brush-off warnings from his Arab allies and many in the west and plow ahead with recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's
capital.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: To do that, let's rewind a little further to the first Arab country to move towards peace with Israel and work directly on it towards a
Peace Deal with it for the Palestinians as well.
This is Egypt that we're talking about with the Camp David Accords. Although it didn't settle anything on East Jerusalem which Israel took over
exactly 50 years ago.
It was very important but veteran diplomat Amr Moussa doesn't have much faith in the Accords. Five years ago, he described them as being dead and
buried.
Mr. Moussa who has the years -- over the years served as secretary general of the Arab League, Egypt's Ministry of foreign and Egypt ambassador to the
U.N., joining me now.
Sir, the story this hour -- this minute is, well Donald Trump move -- announced that he is moving the U.S. Embassy to Israel and effectively
calling that the capital of Israel.
AMR MOUSSA, VETERAN EGYPTIAN DIPLOMAT: If he does so, he will be committing a major historical misstep.
ANDERSON: Why?
MOUSSA: You know, (Inaudible) used to say that America owns 99 percent of the (Inaudible). And therefore, America should lead the process of peace.
Now, this step is really taken by President Trump who will be burning dollar count that America can play to help peace. And America, therefore,
will have to get out of the way of peace in the Middle East.
ANDERSON: Almost every single Arab ally has called this potential move, dangerous and explicit.
MOUSSA: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: How -- describe what you believe the fallout would be.
MOUSSA: Before I -- first of all there will be no peace, second, no Peace Process, third, no American role because (Inaudible) for America after --
if this happens. Fourth, there will be anger, frustration, refusal by masses of people.
Muslims, Arabs, Christians, Middle Eastern, from all colors. Therefore, this is a provocation and I don't think that American is after that. If
this misstep is really taken, then there is no place for any of us. There is no logic to listen to what Mr. President is going to say later on.
ANDERSON: Let me explain to you how CNN understands this argument in favor of a move of the embassy to Jerusalem. It's being couched by President
Bush's (ph) advisors by the West Wing at present the present.
It seems at least the President Trump may be insisting to his advisors that he is need to be seen as fulfilling a campaign promise on Israel as the
administration continues to debate whether to move this embassy. A campaign promise to his base, he said he would do it, so he must he says.
[10:35:00] Which suggests that the base in the U.S. -- Trump's base in the U.S. is more important to him than the Middle East Peace Process.
MOUSSA: So you are telling me that he is blockading his base in the United States at the expense of peace, at the expense of American relations with
the Arab people, Muslim people and so many people around the world.
I don't think this is a logical point and I don't accept it. And I don't think that many of us would accept that. Why -- should we pay the price of
such promises? Did he promise? Did he consider?
ANDERSON: I mean, you call these accords of yesteryear as it were dead and buried. Where is the Peace Process? What happens to Jared Kushner -- who
was recently been in Saudi Arabia for example and is charged with sorting out what Donald Trump said was something that should be relatively easy he
said. That was six months ago.
MOUSSA: Right.
ANDERSON: What are they framing here?
MOUSSA: Becky, we were told that there is a deal in the OPEC and that the American administration is compacting, is surfing (ph), is trying to draft
something that will come out of this.
ANDERSON: We're you given any details?
MOUSSA: No, not a single detail. I didn't believe in that. I don't think that the American administration is really going to give us an offer we
cannot refuse, and give Israel an offer they cannot refuse. But we will wait.
There was some kind of -- OK, let us see. Let us see. Perhaps President Trump -- he is different than many other presidents than his previous
successors.
He will come up with something that we would work on, with such a move, we'll just close the door. Peace Process is over if this step is taken.
ANDERSON: If it's not, the door is still open. If the move doesn't happen, if the move is not announced, the Peace Process is still open.
What do you think?
MOUSSA: We're waiting for the deal that the administration was talking about but if you ask me, I will tell you. That this issue of a Palestinian
state, is a must to settle the issue and change the whole atmosphere in the area.
But to use -- to use two state solution, that means a Palestinian state as a move in carrot so that the Palestinian rabbit will keep running after it.
But they are both running in the same speed, so the rabbit would never reach the carrot but the carrot will always be inside. This is a game that
not a very honest one. They will promised the Palestinian state and prevent them from achieving anything near a state.
Therefore, I believe that the best thing and the logic thing is for a process of negotiations to be agreed with two items. One state or two
states, not only a Palestinian state because this will get us again into a process of -- it will take 20 years again.
ANDERSON: How significant a player is Saudi Arabia in all of these -- in driving this process towards peace? They have certainly come out...
MOUSSA: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: Let me just -- my point, they have come out with total condemnation about...
MOUSSA: Yes.
ANDERSON: ... the possibility of a move for the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
MOUSSA: Yes.
ANDERSON: Take that out of the equation for the moment, should that not happen? What is their role and influence in all of this?
MOUSSA: Very influential but they would be waiting like all of us. What kind of deal that will -- the administration will come up with? I
understand and you would understand, too, that with Mr. Kushner going -- coming and going to Riyadh, so something must have been discussed about
that, some concrete steps here or there.
So I assume and I don't know that there are some information of it but the final form of the bill as the administration was talking about, I don't
think it is known even to the American officials in Washington.
ANDERSON: We are well aware that the Saudi have some influence in building with the U.S administration, a form of peace and we are well aware of Jared
Kushner's visit in and out of Saudi. In the meantime, Saudi Arabia has (Inaudible) on its plate.
Not at least what is going on in Yemen. How does the death of Ali Abdullah Saleh affect the Yemen crisis going forward? What happens next? This is
conflict turned quagmire for the Saudis?
[10:40:00] MOUSSA: Few days ago were the change that flew in the air as Mr. Saleh is going to change his position.
ANDERSON: Open the door to talk to the Saudis.
MOUSSA: All of the -- with the Saudis to change his position, getting away from the Houthis. So there were some favorable consideration that your
cards are being -- are going to be played in the Yemen, I think.
When he did so, and the decision of Houthis, friend of Houthis, whoever are around the Houthis or behind the Houthis -- or behind the Houthis have
condemned Saleh to death, because Saleh was a power to recon with.
If he moves from one corner to the other this means that there is a major change happening to the Yemeni situation -- Yemeni situation. Now, he is
own and I believe that this was not just by chance that they found him -- that they wanted to kill him in order to prevent such a power from playing
a different rule.
ANDERSON: And what happens next often...
MOUSSA: I believe -- I believe that this is an indication of inapprehensible by there are in transitions very (Inaudible) and not only
them, but if the Houthis are doing so, and Houthis are going with all this power, and of course other will look in the present, the whole present, we
have to...
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Iran proxy conflict. With that we thank you very much indeed for joining us.
MOUSSA: Thank you, Becky.
ANDERSON: A lot to take in there. Fascinating chat. Let's take a quick break to digest all of that. Stay with us, much more coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You are watching CNN this is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. Welcome back. It is quarter to 8:00 in the evening here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The British home secretary has set opportunities to stop the Manchester Arena bomber were missed. An independent review found that the
Counterterrorism Forces had received highly relevant intelligent about the bomber.
Overall, the report says it's not clear whether the attack was planned, it could have been foiled. Twenty-two people were killed back in May when a
bomb exploded just after a concert of a pop-star Ariana Grande. Most of the victims were kids. Well, Diana Magnay is in London, giving us the
latest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky. Well this was as you say, an independent review into MI5 and police.
[10:45:00] On how they access their intelligence in the run to the four terror attacks that happened in three months on British soil over the
course of the summer. And as you say, the summary was that, have the cards fallen differently in relations specifically to the Manchester attack.
It is conceivable that that might have been preventable and that was for two reasons, first of all the perpetrators Salman Abedi was a close subject
of interest. And there are around 20,000 of them who the police have been looking at it some point but they don't have an active investigation into
them.
Now in early 2017, new intelligence was found relating to Salman Abedi and the reports said, if it's true significance have been identified, an
examination might have been reopened and that might have preempted an attack.
Now MI5 have proven that it wouldn't have done, David Anderson, who conducted different review, said he took no view. It's too hypothetical.
And the second piece of interesting data that came out of that report in relations to Abedi was that MI5 had this sort of data sweeping exercise
which looks at this group of close subjects of interests, 20,000 of them.
And will bring out a smaller group who they might want to re-identify and his name had come up in one of those data suites and it had been determined
that there would be a meeting to sort of reassess the likes of him. And that meeting was actually scheduled after the attack took place. Becky.
ANDERSON: Diana Magnay, outside (Inaudible) for you. Will the U.S. Supreme Court is allowing the third version of President Donald Trump's
travel ban take effect? It's a win for the White House.
It has battled all year to keep foreign nationals from several Muslim majority countries from getting in to the U.S. Well now the ban will be
enforced as challenges make their way through the legal system.
Citizens from these countries face restrictions on travel to the U.S. in alphabetical order, Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria,
Venezuela and Yemen.
Well, White House reporter Stephen Collinson joining us now with more on the travel ban and we've been talking about this hour, President Trump's
potential announcement on Jerusalem and can we just start with that it because that is the news that is absolutely roiling in this region.
It is unclear as of yet whether this announcement is going to be made this week but there has been absolute outright condemnation from U.S. allies
plus --plus in this region, should that happen. Stephen.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Becky, the latest information we have as we still believe this announcement is scheduled for
Wednesday afternoon in the United States. But there is a lot of behind- the-scenes politicking going on in the White House.
There is an interesting reporting for my colleague, Kevin Liptak, today that suggesting that Donald Trump is feeling the heat from all these
foreign leaders, the French, the Jordanians, the Saudis, the Turks today have asked him not to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
But he is very worried that he's losing his own political base in the United States and this was one of the big repeated promises that he made
that he would move the U.S. Embassy towards Jerusalem.
And he would do something that no other president in recent memory -- lots of president have said they would do this but when they get to the point of
doing it, the absolute consequences which we're seeing now of doing so, make them decide not to.
But Donald Trump built himself as a disrupter, he's brand is that he is willing to do things that other presidents wouldn't have the courage to do.
So it's I think a conflict between what's good for Donald Trump and his own political interests, and what's potentially good for many of the countries
in the region. And actually the hopes of the U.S. government were to actually promote a Peace Process in the Middle East.
ANDERSON: Just to stick with this point for a moment, what we seem to understand from our reporting on this -- you're absolutely right.
It's been terrific reporting behind the scene from CNN on this, is that President Trump is concerned about sticking to the promises that he made to
his base and prepared possibly to go against the advice and outright condemnation from his allies in this region.
At a time when policy in this region -- U.S. policy in this region seem to be renewing those old acquaintances not least those of the Saudi Arabians
for example.
[10:50:00] He's prepared to go against their advice in order to maintain his reputation as it were and his support from his base back home.
COLLINSON: Yes, I mean that think tells us a number of things, that tells us how much pressure the president is under from the revelations in the
expansion of the Russia inquiry.
But it also tells us something about the president himself is not particularly interested in foreign policy. He is not a details man. He
doesn't think 12 moves in advance. You're right.
It seems very contradictory. Jared Kushner has just spent time in Saudi Arabia -- the president's son-in-law. He's trying to get the Israelis and
the Palestinians together to talk about a final status solution.
It seems completely contradictory to the other U.S. interests in the region but this is the situation wherein with Donald Trump as president.
It wouldn't be the first time that the U.S. allies and many allies in the United States have prevailed upon Donald Trump to do something -- in fact
not to do something in foreign policy and he is going to have and done it.
I'm thinking for example, the Paris Climate Change Agreement which the Europeans, you know, beseeched him not to withdraw from and the Iran
nuclear deal.
You know, recently the president decided not to recertify that deal despite, you know, intense pressure from U.S. allies in Europe.
A lot of pressure from people in Congress but it was something the president had promised and it was something he wanted to do and he went
ahead, and did it anyway.
ANDERSON: Got it. Stephen Collinson, always a pleasure. And your analysis is incredibly important to us, out of Washington viewers for you.
And we have just learned -- thank you Stephen, long-time Democratic Senator John Conyers is retiring effective today.
The Michigan lawmaker made the announcement on a radio show a short time ago. Now this is significant because Conyers has been under pressure to
resign over allegations of sexual harassment.
He called in to the radio show from hospital and said quote, my legacy can't be compromised or diminished in any way by what we are going through.
Now this, too, shall pass. Live from Abu Dhabi, you're watching Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. Coming up, you may have heard the name
Yanni, in fact we -- we're sure you have but what's he doing in Saudi Arabia? He's making history. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Right, the Greek' long-standing influential history and art stand poignantly strong inside the walls of the newly opened Louvre Abu
Dhabi. Now more modern day Grecian is dominating the scenes for the first time ever in another gulf.
Saudi Arabia, there, making history for a different reason because just like his concert elsewhere, Yanni's crowd who are men and women, side-by-
side undivided.
[10:55:00] Where different genders united by their love for this man's great music.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDULAHMAN AL-KHATIB, FAN OF YANNI: (Speaking Foreign Language)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well just for him, it will save me a few bucks. But the maestro himself recognized the importance of his performance. Tweeting after his
first concert there, what an incredible night in Jeddah, there can be only one first time and tonight we witnessed and experienced a lot of first for
the KSA.
It was beautiful to see the people, stole our hearts with their outpouring of love, enthusiasm, passion and acceptance. He will be pleased with more
than 140 characters these days.
I'm Becky Anderson. That was Connect the World. We'll leave you know with what were stunning images from Yanni's performance amidst the pyramids of
Egypt. Feast your eyes and your ears on this and enjoy.
END
