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Connect the World
Connecting Donald Trump's Chaotic World; Rouhani Mocks Trump Preserving Nuclear Deal; New U.S. Policy Could Break Up Salvadoran Families
Aired January 14, 2018 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: From Abu Dhabi, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. It is 7:00 in the evening this hour. A
show bursting with incredible stories for you all connecting through Washington, just some of the langue too vulgar for us to repeat right now,
and nuclear deal and a phantom missile. It's your world and in many ways, it's a brave new one. We're going to connect and explain it all to you.
Let's get straight to what is the dizzying array of headlines sitting Trump's America since this show was last on air. First, panic in a place
known for being a paradise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The U.S. Pacific Command has detected a missile threat to Hawaii. A missile may impact on land or sea within minutes. If you're
indoors, stay indoors. If you're not indoors, seek immediate shelter --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is not a drill, but also not a real threat. That false alarm sending thousands in Hawaii scrambling for cover, simply because
someone pressed the wrong button. Plus, President Trump keeping the Iran nuclear deal alive, prompting Iranian mocking for once again preserving the
deal President Trump calls the worst ever. And there's a new claim about just how far Mr. Trump went in his attempt to discredit his predecessor
background. Controversial Conservative Filmmaker James O'Keefe said the President suggested he infiltrate Columbia University to obtain Barack
Obama's college records. And global outrage piling in on response to the President's reported vulgarity. Apologies to my language here, he said to
have referred to African nations as, "shithole countries." Well, more now on the false missile threat then in Hawaii for 38 agonizing minutes. Many
people there feared the worst. CNN's Sara Sidner explains what happened.
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know that emergency alert that said that there was an incoming ballistic missile to Hawaii to seek shelter and
that it was not a drill did send out a sense of panic to folks here. People trying to figure out where exactly to go, what exactly to do knowing
that emergency managers have been telling people here in Hawaii that there is only a 20-minute span between the time a missile would be launched from
North Korea to the time it would make it here and make impact here in Hawaii. It's a very short time for people to figure out what to do and
take shelter.
We're also were able to speak with one of the state representatives here who was in tears talking about the fact that he had to explain this to his
children and take shelter in his house while he was also trying to get information out to his constituents and what a difficult, difficult thing
it was to have a conversation thinking this could be their last conversation. And we're seeing that across social media as well. People
talking about their last conversation they thought they were having with their family members after they got this message. All in all, though, we
have heard from emergency management officials and the Governor himself. I spoke to them on the phone. They told me that this was human error. They
apologized for it. They said it will not happen again.
They are looking at exactly how it happened, but they said, what eventually happened and what they determined is that someone accidentally pressed the
wrong button during shift change. They were testing the system and they have been testing the system here in Hawaii, but never anything like this.
The test is an actual emergency siren, an attack siren that goes off, and they have told the population here what it's all about. But indeed, this
time it wasn't the attack system that went off, it was a message to television viewers, it was a message through the radio, and a text message
on the cell phone. As emergency managers try and figure out how to make sure this never happens again, they are apologizing saying this is human
error but it did create quite a bit of emotion here in Hawaii.
ANDERSON: Understandably. So imagine waking up to that early morning alert on your phone or hearing it blare out of your T.V. CNN Associate
Producer Amanda Golden was there as the events and the fear unfolded. She joins us now via Skype from San Francisco in California. Just tell us
where you were and exactly what happened?
[10:05:07] AMANDA GOLDEN, CNN ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Hi, I was on the big island of Hawaii actually vacationing with my family for the last couple
days when suddenly around 8:07 a.m., the emergency alert started coming in on everyone's cellphones. My family and friends didn't really know what to
think of it at first. The text was so striking in the alert saying, in all caps, this is not a drill, seek shelter immediately, and I began using
every resource that I had at my disposal as a news producer calling into our Washington bureau talking to other reporters trying to figure out what
was going on. But for 38 minutes, nobody knew that this wasn't actually a real attack, that there wasn't a missile that had been launched until a
second alert had been sent out through everyone's cellphones and television. I probably had about 10 to 15 minutes of real fear and
uncertainty until I was able to verify that it wasn't an actual threat.
ANDERSON: Now you as many of us, will keep an eye on Twitter, I'm sure, on the best of days. In a situation like that, I'm sure that that was one of
your means for trying to get information. I know the U.S. President was busy on Twitter yesterday, but not, it seems, talking about what was going
on of the hour. Your response?
GOLDEN: Yes. We didn't hear from President Trump to this particular incident in Hawaii. He was active on Twitter yesterday. I was trying to
use Twitter to the best of my abilities to understand what was happening and about ten minutes after the initial emergency alert went out, we then
saw a tweet from Representative Gabbard of Hawaii who said this was an error. But yes, we did not hear from the President either acknowledging
through Twitter that this was anything of a mistake or an error or trying to be any kind of consoler in chief which is typically a role that a
president might take on.
ANDERSON: Amanda, you are right to point out that Hawaii's governor was on message. He was on CNN a short while ago. Let's have a quick listen to
what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. DAVID IGE (D), HAWAII: We've already taken action to institute a change in the process so that there will be two people in involved so that
a single individual will not be able to send an alert out and we will be undertaking a more comprehensive review of the process and make the changes
as necessary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Do you think that will provide any reassurance?
GOLDEN: I would hope that it would. My initial fear with changing the system is not only that there would be other error messages to take place,
but that it could become commonplace, it could become a car alarm issue. You know, if you hear one, suddenly you become immune to others and if
there ever was real need to send out this kind of an alert, I'm worried that people in a situation wouldn't take it as seriously for fear of what
just happened yesterday and being terrified without having any real understanding of what was going on and having it take a while to correct
and be assured that nothing was actually happening.
ANDERSON: Amanda is an Associate Producer at CNN tonight in California. Well, as Amanda was telling us, thank you, there was widespread fear then.
Let's get a sense of that now. On a beautiful weekend morning, people across Hawaii had moments to figure out how to deal with what they thought
could be life and death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I realized we have absolutely no idea of what we're supposed to do. We were already in our house so we didn't know what
procedures were.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, and absolutely at that point there's nothing -- there's -- yes -- at that point there's nothing I could have done. But had
we been out somewhere maybe we get a better idea of what shelter locations because I have no idea where any of them are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was afraid actually. You know, it was like this is not a warning, seek shelter. I'm just looking around thinking like where
do we go? Perhaps Pearl Harbor. We just didn't see any planes scrambling. So it was kind of like waited until we heard something else and called our
family and friends to make sure we're safe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At first, everyone just thought their phones were dinging and then they said this isn't a joke, this isn't a drill, we need
to go so people just started scurrying around trying to get into bathrooms. I was with my two girls who are eight and 10, so kids are crying and nobody
really knew what to do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't panic, neither did anybody else in our class. It was just OK, let's just follow instructions and do what needs to
be done. To tell you the truth, we have no place to shelter.
[10:10:05] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First thing I did was call all my children and I was careful to just say hey, I love you today, and not tell them what
was happening because they're not on the island. But it was very scary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Just hours after people in Hawaii were scrambling to safety, President Trump tweeted this, "So much fake news is being reported. They
don't even try to get it right or correct it when they are wrong. They promote the fake book of a mentally deranged author who knowingly writes
false information. The mainstream media is crazed that we won the election." No mention of the false alarm in Hawaii and no statement for
the people there. Well, meanwhile Mr. Trump's reported insults about Haiti and Africa, not sitting well in many parts of the world. CNN's Kaitlan
Collins reports from Washington.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The President is defying that he used derogatory language while discussing Haiti during a meeting on
immigration with lawmakers at the White House at the end of last week but he is not denying that he referred to countries in Africa as, "shithole
countries" and he is not denying that he said that the United States should take more people from places like Norway as the White House is also not
denying that the President made those remarks. We're seeing the fallout continue from those worldwide. Back here in Washington, Republicans are
trying to take a measured response to the President's comments with House Speaker Paul Ryan referring to them as unfortunate and unhelpful and two of
the Senators who were in the meeting, Senators Cotton and Perdue, saying they don't recall the President making those comments.
However, Senator Dick Durbin who was also in the meeting, the lone Democrat in that meeting, is saying the President did, indeed, make those remarks
and that made them multiple times and we have other senior House Democrats threatening to censure the President by introducing a resolution to do so
early next week. Now, the outrage over these comments is not just here in Washington, but it's also happening worldwide. A spokesman for the United
Nation saying there is no other word to describe his comments but racist. And now as of today, the South African government is threatening to file a
formal complaint about the President's comments. So Becky, just a continued fallout from what the President said at the White House.
ANDERSON: Kaitlan Collins in Washington, for you, all this then whirling around Washington. A myriad of challenges that must have President Trump's
advisors' heads spinning. The west wing version of whack a mole. My next guest Retired General James Jones has been there. Well, sort of. He
served as President Barack Obama's National Security Adviser and by his boss's own account, did a pretty stellar job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Jim has always been a steady voice in situation room sessions, daily briefings, and with meetings
with foreign leaders, while also representing our country abroad with allies and partners in every region of the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: General Jones has also led all military operations for NATO as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. He's now the Chairman of the Center
for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, a Washington based international affairs Think Tank in town here, in Abu Dhabi for a meeting
on the geopolitics of the energy transitional transformation which is incredibly important, clearly, to this part of the world and beyond. But
I'm going to take advantage of you being here, sir, just to pick apart some of what is going on in Washington. Let's start with that false alarm in
Hawaii. Does North Korea even have the capability to hit this chain of islands just out of interest?
GEN. JAMES JONES (RET.), FORMER UNITED STATES NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Well, first of all, I would say that in the United States and in Washington
-- in Hawaii in particular, November 7th every year is a pretty big day because everyone recalls an attack on Hawaii. So you can forgive them for
being a little bit sensitive about this. But you know, whether or not he has the capability or accuracy yet, he certainly is working to achieve a
ballistic capability that has the targeting and weaponized capability to do just that. So it's really unfortunate because that is a -- it's a terrible
experience to have to go through. But maybe in his isolated country, Kim Jong-un will see a -- get a sense of reality of what happens when you play
around with nuclear weapons.
ANDERSON: Well, we take it on the flip side of that, because we've heard warnings that miscalculation could trigger conflict mistakenly with North
Korea.
JONES: Of course.
ANDERSON: We are well aware of that. This incident seems to illuminate that risk, doesn't it.
[10:20:00] JONES: It does. So, you know, as unfortunate as this might be, hopefully, it will -- it will focus people on -- in different countries or
involved in these very important discussions on North Korea's nuclear capability and its intentions.
ANDERSON: We've already been discussing over the weekend and, indeed, at of this show about the President's response, or lack of, to the warning.
Also been talking about his use of vulgar language, I'm not going to use the language again, to describe some African countries. You're here in the
UAE. It would be a topic of discussion at meetings you've been at here and has clearly hit the headlines around the world. How does he --something
like things impact America's standing in the world, sir?
JONES: I think it has a huge impact. And I think it is extremely unfortunate and I would imagine that most of the people who advise the
President are giving him very strong warnings about the impact of that kind of language, whether it's done publicly or privately. It is hurtful. If I
were an ambassador in any African country, that would make my job a lot easier but more importantly, that's not who -- that's not who we are as a
country. We don't talk like that. We don't do things like that.
And what's even worse it that it comes on the heels of a brief moment in time when it looked like some things were getting pretty well on the
bipartisanship and immigration reform, on the economic turnaround, on the tax cut and really, really important things and what do we wind up talking
about for three days? We wind up talking about the latest tweet or t latest vulgar language. So, obviously, I think everybody -- and I would
imagine even the president probably understand that that's not -- you cannot do that. You simply cannot do that.
ANDERSON: Immigration, that is something that I want to discuss with you because, of course, that was a rolling story just before the weekend and
the news of this vulgar language. What was also in play, just back at the back end of last week it seems ages ago, now, almost said back in the day,
of course it's a couple of days ago, was Friday when the U.S. President Donald Trump agree to waive sanctions under the international Iran nuclear
deal. But then he imposed new U.S. sanctions on the head of Iran's judiciary and other individuals. Part of Mr. Trump's efforts it seems to
pressure Iran into restructuring this deal. Iran's foreign minister, though, says that the 2015 deal is not open to further negotiation. Put
yourself in the shoes of those who are around Donald Trump and advising him. He's called it the worst deal in history, he said this is your last
chance and other in his administration have said similar things. The Iranians aren't having any of it. Where does this go?
JONES: Well, be careful about red lines going back to another administration. But I do think honestly that the Iran -- the nuclear deal
and Iran's overall behavior are two separate things.
ANDERSON: Right. We have to be really, really clear about that.
JONES: Exactly right. And so, you may not -- you may not like how we got to the Iran deal, we may not like the transfer of billions of dollars that
look like some sort of a payment for releasing American hostages or prisoners or whatever, we may not like that, but the Iran deal was a
compromise. And so, in every compromise, you have good sides and bad sides. You have people who say this is good, but this wasn't so good. But
it is what we have. And it seems to me that the effort ought to be towards working with our allies who signed up for this as well. By the way, this
is not an American deal, it's an ally deal, working to make sure that the IAEA does its job. If any -- if we should verify anything it's to make
sure that the -- that the authorized international agency does its job.
ANDERSON: And there's no suggestion that they haven't been --
JONES: Exactly. And a to also -- and be clear about what the impact is if that deal goes away. Because there's no question in my mind that Iran will
just immediately launch towards achieving the capability that they so far have been interrupted from achieving. So that's one part. The second part
is -- that concerns me a little bit frankly as a global citizen, is that there seems to be a certain indifference, a certain trend towards
appeasement, for Iran, although we pretend their behavior is somehow -- because they've been doing it so long is somehow acceptable. It's not
acceptable. It's not --this is not a nation that is -- should be welcomed into the family of notions as though everything is fine.
[10:20:39] ANDERSON: Explain what you mean by that, sir?
JONES: Well, I mean -- I mean, they are a state sponsor of terrorism. They are sponsoring the Yemeni's war right now. They are destabilizing the
Middle East, they sponsor Hezbollah, they have played an active role in the Israeli-Palestinian unresolved situation and they clearly have an intention
of building -- I'll use an example, a highway from Tehran to Beirut. I mean, right across Northern Iraq and everything else. So this is not --
this is not a country that we should -- where people should be silent. But you don't hear from the European Union on their behavior, you don't hear
from some of our traditional European allies and I think that's shameful.
ANDERSON: General Jones, I want to take a very short break. I want to continue this discussion after that. Viewers, back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We've been discussing well, basically much of what is being I assumed discussed, or we assume is being discussed in Washington, an awful
lot going on today over this weekend since the show was on air back of to the last working week for the Middle East, which was Thursday evening. I'm
delighted to be joined by General James L. Jones who is the President of the Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council. And perhaps
as important, if not more so for this discussion, former National Security Adviser to President Obama, joining me, still here in the studio. We have
been discussing a number of issues out of Washington with regard to the Middle East, not least that of the Iran deal.
I just want to get your sense, General Jones, on how a year into this Trump administration, how you read its position with regard to its foreign file
on the Middle East? I am told by sources in the administration that we are making it very clear, we are renewing old alliances with the likes of
Saudi, for example. We are looking to the end of the caliphate, the ISIS caliphate. How do you read this because many people in this region see it
as very, very messy, not least the announcement before Christmas on Jerusalem as they say the capital of Israel?
[10:25:51] JONES: So, well, I think overall, this is one of the bright spots of foreign policy of our foreign policy.
ANDERSON: Middle East strategy rather than the move of Jerusalem.
JONES: You know, yes, I'm talking about the overall -- the overall relations in the Middle East. The - you know, it has to be said, I think,
to be honest, and I was a member of the previous administration for the firsts two years, but at the end of the day, the relationships between
Washington and the Gulf States was not very good. And there's a lot of reasons, probably we don't have enough time to go into it, but in a very
short period of time, the -- this administration and I give particular credit to the Defense Department and the National Security Council and
serious people that know a lot about this part of the world, were able to reverse that negative trend and to reassure our friends and allies in the
region that we agree with them that Iran is an existential threat and that it has to be dealt with more firmly and we agree that the United States has
a vital interest in maintaining its security commitments and obligations and helping our friends and allies.
And we demonstrated that almost immediately by attacking the airbase in Syria in response to the use of chemical weapons by Bashar al-Assad. And
so that had an almost immediate turnaround effect that OK, we're back to -- we're back to status quo and the relationships are better.
ANDERSON: Which means what going forward? Because there are many in this part of the world and in the U.S., particularly in Washington, who may say,
we are back to where we were before with a president who knows nothing about this region. Does he care? And he likes your -- he surrounded
himself by generals. Would you want to be one of those in his ear at present given the opportunity?
JONES: I would. And I think it's -- I mean, it's an obligation and I'm -- of course, I know the generals very well, General Mattis, General Kelly are
marines and superb marines and I know that they are men of integrity and they know their profession and they will not back down and they will give
the president good advice. And I think it's that advice that has actually helped us turn around the relationship in relatively short period of time
because as you know Becky, before this, last year, the relationship was not good and there was great worry that the United States was not the reliable
ally that we want to be and need to be for this part of the world which is day in and day out the most dangerous -- the most dangerous region in the
world.
ANDERSON: Let me put this one point to you before we leave, while it's been great having you on.
JONES: Thank you.
ANDERSON: -- coordinated condemnation from Arab and other Muslim countries on the Trump decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. As
you describe a relationship with the Middle East, but perhaps more with the Gulf countries which you say is better than it has been for a very, very
long time, how is that going to play out? How is that move going to play out? Does it worry you?
JONES: When I heard it, I was extremely alarmed.
ANDERSON: Many now call the U.S. simply not the honest broker any longer in any Middle East peace proposal.
JONES: Well, so I have a fair amount of scar tissue on the Middle East peace process ingrained in my mind and I think that the Middle East peace
process remains a central issue for -- there needs to be a resolve for the overall -- if we ever hope to have peace in the Middle East. I was -- I
don't want to -- I don't want to overstate this, but I thought the response was predictable but not as bad as it would have been be 10 or 15 years ago
if we had done that then.
I'm not sure it was the right thing to do. As a matter of fact, I'm quite sure that we probably didn't need to do that. I personally think that the
Israeli Prime Minister has no intention of a two-state solution. I don't think that's in his game plan despite what he says.
And I think it's very important that the United States and the family of nations figure out a way to bring this to a -- to a solution. And most
people really understand that for the future of the region and the future of Israel itself that there has to be some accommodation towards the two-
state solution. That's my personal opinion.
[10:31:12] ANDERSON: And we appreciate it. We appreciate your time and I'm delighted that you've had the time to spend with us here on your trip
to the UAE. I know you'll be back and forth. So, we look forward to speaking into you.
JONES: It would be -- it would be a pleasure.
ANDERSON: Thank you, General Jones.
JONES: Thank you very much.
ANDERSON: James L. Jones, the President of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, and of course, as you will
be well aware, former national security adviser to President Obama. Taking a short break, back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:35:21] ANDERSON: You're watching prime time T.V. news from CNN's Middle East programming have right here in Abu Dhabi. Just after half past
7:00 here. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson, you are very welcome and uncertain future for many immigrants from El Salvador living in
the United States.
The Trump administration's plan to end a special protection program for Salvadoran nationals would affect nearly a quarter of a million people.
Many have built lives and raised kids in the U.S. CNN's Patrick Oppmann asked one family what they plan to do.
PATRICK OPPMANN, HAVANA-BASED CORRESPONDENT: At the end of a dirt road in the mountains of El Salvador is a family facing a gut-wrenching decision.
Rogelio Galdames has lived in the United States for the last 17 years, he may assume return here.
The Trump administration announced in January they're ending the program that allowed over 200,000 Salvadorians, like Rogelio, to live legally in
the U.S. In 18 months he could be deported. Rogelio worries about the impact the change in policy could have on the already impoverished and
crime-ridden country.
The worry is that if there were a massive deportation he says, this would become I guess I would call it a hell, it's a disaster. Everyone wants to
work but there isn't any.
So, Rogelio has come back to El Salvador for a few weeks with the money he earns working as a landscaper in New York, to finish the home he is
building here. Should he return for good?
So, he's telling me that because many people are almost quite as him they might need to come back, it's really hard to get workers because so many
are fixing their homes.
But Rogelio's biggest concern is his three children, all born in the United States. His eldest have been there to El Salvador just twice. This is 6
year old (INAUDIBLE) first visit.
What do they know about El Salvador?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROGELIO GALDAMES, SALVADORAN IMMIGRANT: (INAUDIBLE)
OPPMANN: Rogelio says, he doesn't want to live in the U.S. illegally, or run the risk of having his family separated. So, he may soon move his
children all U.S. citizens back to El Salvador, one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Even here in the remote countryside, criminal
gangs terrorize the population. Barbwire fencing surrounds Rogelio's house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For us, it's going to be really hard and I keep telling him, I like it here, but I was lived here.
OPPMANN: They may have no choice. Rogelio with hoped to provide his children a better life in the U.S. is afraid of what could happen if he's
deported.
The day I'm not with them and they're not with me, he says, I think they're going to suffer and I will too. Rogelio drives his children to the airport
to fly back to the U.S. He will remain in El Salvador a little while longer to finish their home just in case.
They don't know what the future holds, but they say they will do whatever it takes to stay together. Patrick Oppmann, CNN, San Salvador.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN Political Analyst and columnist for The Washington Post, Josh Rogin, joining me now from Washington. Look, Trump is walking
back this vulgar comment that he was said to have made or alleged to have made at this immigration meeting. But the nephew of Martin Luther King,
the man who gave America and the world the thought of having a dream spoke to CNN. Let just hear what he told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISAAC NEWTON FARRIS JR., CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CENTER FOR NON-VIOLENT SOCIAL CHANGE: I don't think that President Trump
is a racist in the traditional sense as we know in this country. I think President Trump is racially ignorant or racially uninformed. But I don't
think that he's a racist in the traditional sense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Divisive possibly but one voice suggesting there that this isn't a racist President. What's the sense as far as you get it? You have your
finger on the pulse there in Washington and Elsewhere. What's the sense of what is materialized over this weekend Donald Trump's comments?
JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, obviously, his comments have caused a huge firestorm amongst people who put them in the context of
several other racist comments that he's made throughout the campaign and his presidency. And while I hear the nephew of Martin Luther King Jr.,
saying, you know, we can't really know what's in the President's heart. I certainly agree with that.
What we have now is a situation where more and more people, journalists, lawmakers, you name it, are willing to take what is now a growing body of
evidence of racist things that have come out of the President of the United States' mouth, to draw their own conclusion that he harbors racist
feelings, right.
So, in the end, it doesn't really matter if we can prove that his -- in his heart racist. The fact that there is this mounting list of racist things
that President has say this now affecting his ability to advance his agenda most directly with the current and really heated and timely debate over
immigration.
[10:40:25] ANDERSON: El Salvador, of he -- see getting caught up in this narrative over the weekend when these -- when these alleged comments were
being reported on the campaign trail, Donald Trump told the world a different story with regard Haiti. Here is what he said just a little over
a year ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whether you vote for me or you don't vote for me, I really want to be your greatest champion and I
will be your champion. I'm running to represent Haitian Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Do they really still feel that, that was an honest --
ROGIN: No.
ANDERSON: -- candidate speaking there?
ROGIN: No, of course not, I mean, I've followed Donald Trump during the campaign and watch him give speech to almost every single ethnic, religious
and interest group saying exactly the same thing, I'll be there for you, I'm dedicated to you. None of that has really translated into his actual
policies in the White House.
And, you know, when we sort of even the parts of the White House meeting that everyone agrees happened, whether or not you agree he said those curse
words, everyone says that he was very vehemently against this idea of accepting refugees from countries he doesn't like. He does -- he doesn't
think are sending people on a merit-based system and that definitely includes Haiti.
So, you know, the inflammatory language aside, what you just showed in that clip is the opposite of what President's position is today. And, you know,
he's forcing the Republican Party to walk down the road with him on that position and that's causing a huge problem inside the process of getting an
immigration compromise that's needed to save the Dreamers, the DACA recipients from being deported and at the same time get Trump something
that he wants on the immigration side.
ANDERSON: Busy-messy weekend for Donald Trump. Josh Rogin, columnist for The Washington Post, thank you.
ROGIN: Anytime.
ANDERSON: To a -- on of huge issue facing the U.S. President. That being in Iran nuclear deal. As a candidate in 2016, he vowed to rip up that
deal, remember? But since taking office a year ago, he has kept the deal alive repeatedly waiving sanctions against Tehran on Friday. Mr. Trump
said it was the last time.
Now Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, says Mr. Trump has tried and failed to kill off this nuclear treaty. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSAN ROUHANI, PRESIDENT OF IRAN (through translator): Our diplomats who wrote this agreement that I'm not saying is flawless, but it's a contract
that Mr. Trump has been trying for a year and even before his election to break, but hasn't been successful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Back and forth we go. Sam Kylie, our senior international correspondent joining me now. You've heard the words of Rouhani there in
response to the position that Donald Trump took on this very specific Iran nuclear deal at the back end of next week. He says, you know, you're on
your last -- you're on your own (INAUDIBLE) effectively.
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Final warning.
ANDERSON: Yes.
KILEY: Yes, like being at school really. I think that the -- what's interesting here is Rouhani is trying to give the impression, he's in
lockstep with the Europeans. That's all about who's driving a wedge between whom with the Europeans really at the center of this.
From the European perspective, from a lot of the diplomats, we heard from former Obama administration official just now, official. The essence of
this is to prevent or postpone the moment when Iran can get a nuclear weapon. That is the global strategic intent.
Simultaneously with that, Israel regions in this -- countries in this region in the Gulf and Elsewhere who are worried about the continuing what
they see is destabilization efforts of Iran and Hezbollah. Support Hezbollah and South Lebanon, Shia militias in Iraq, and above all in the
Yemen. And that is a concurrent activity that Donald Trump is linking effectively and accusing the Iranians of not only being back sliding
potentially on the Iran nuclear deal but also being a false of instability.
ANDERSON: Unless, of course, we must remember was a multilateral deal. It wasn't a deal between the U.S. and Iran, it was a deal between the U.S.,
between the Europeans and five other major -- five major powers.
So, what does happen next? Because while the Europeans and everybody else vow the U.S. and said, this deal is working, let's keep it intact. We hear
a lot of noise from at least the Europeans about their concerns of a hegemonic muscular Iran in this region specifically.
[10:45:04] KILEY: They are very, very worried about it. And it's very interesting with Mr. Trump to work out whether he's simply being reactive
talking off the cuff or whether there is a game plan. There's a reason art to his deal. Now, if you take a positive interpretation of what he's up
to, what he's doing is saying, I'm just crazy enough to do it, I might tear it up. You know, he has reacted in that way, he did move the embassy as he
said he would too --
ANDERSON: Campaign promise.
KILEY: -- to campaign promise and he lived up to it. And that is very different to the Obama administration that repeatedly cross its own red
lines, and particularly rattled a members of the Gulf countries and others in the region.
So, in that context, he may well be signaling to the Iranians that they really do need to rein in some of the destabilizing activities that
conducting. They've just been shown by American officials to have used -- supplied a weapon that was fired against Riyadh, for example. Equally the
gulf nations ought to be criticized for their actions in the Yemen.
But nonetheless, it may be a bit of sort of good cop bad cop almost with the Europeans. But the Europeans do prioritize above all a non-nuclear
Iran. It took 12 years to get to that point and they're terrified it's going to get torn up. And of course, if it does get torn up, then maybe
all bets are off in terms of containing Iran, but also trying to bring Iran into the community of nations through trade and that goes back gets held up
by the Trump administration because of they're attitude.
ANDERSON: We are day short of the end of the first year of this Trump administration, how busy it has been and how messy things may get. Some
colleague in the House fears as you just heard, one of the regional wars that Iran is playing a huge role in is Syria. CNN's Senior International
Correspondent Arwa Damon has just returned from one of the last rebel strongholds, Idlib, which is run by a mixture of opposition groups
including Al Qaeda affiliated jihadists. It is supposed to be a de- escalation zone, but the Syrian military is stepping up its attacks. Have a look at this.
ARWA DAMON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It feels like one is peering into a house of broken lives. Bits of concrete tumble down as
people try to clean up or salvage what they can amid the horrors that they can't escape.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: There has been five of his relatives were told him in that building there was three children among them.
Images like this are familiar a year ago from the siege of Aleppo, but this is Idlib City. This is where families were supposed to be safe. This was
meant to be a refuge, one of the last remaining ones, part of a so-called de-escalation zone. That lately has become anything but.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: Well a rare look from inside that rebel-held territory. You can see Arwa's full report on CNN this Monday. So, be sure to be with us
tomorrow.
Live from Abu Dhabi, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, it's the energy of the sun on earth. Next, we take a look at the brains working
on a revolutionary limitless and safe source of energy. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:57] ANDERSON: Well, our top story this hour, the false missile alarm in Hawaii. We are also learning how local university students
reacted to this false alarm. Ashley Nagaoka from our affiliate KHNL reports from the University of Hawaii.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AUSTIN COLEMAN, STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, MANOA: And I banged on their door, I was like, "Guys, get up!", like "For real," like, "We got to
get out of here." We have like -- because we already know we have 15 minutes --
ASHLEY NAGAOKA, GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER, HAWAII NEWS NOW: Austin Coleman, a junior UH Manoa, says, he saw the alert on his cell phone, and
immediately ran to wake up his roommates.
COLEMAN: We're all packing, we're all like panicking and Jim stuff ready like we're getting water and just like some food that we have, and we're
all calling our loved ones.
NAGAOKA: Coleman says they decided to leave their dorm room at Frear Hall. They recall seeing the fear in people's eyes once outside.
COLEMAN: We're coming down outside at Frear and I just see like people running past us like there's like a group of people like crying and like, I
saw people on the road just like running in the middle of the road.
NAGAOKA: The roommates say they ran here to Bilger Hall because they knew there was a fallout shelter, but when they tried to get in, all the doors
were locked.
COLEMAN: Everyone was freaking out. Everyone was on their phones, so, like what do we do, where do we go?
NAGAOKA: Coleman says someone in the group had a key to a classroom in the marine sciences building, so everyone ran there.
COLEMAN: And people were screaming like you got to shut the doors, like, it's -- time is running out. And there at least was like 200 plus people
in there, it was getting hard to breathe. If you had to go to the bathroom, you couldn't go. It was just a recipe for disaster if the
missile hit.
NAGAOKA: Eventually, the all clear was given, UH officials say the fallout shelter signage on campus is old from the cold war era and scheduled to be
removed. The university says it is working to identify new shelter locations on campus for its students. The school wants to remind students
there are counselors on campus 24/7. And resident's whole staff will be checking in with students. Reporting from Manoa, Ashley Nagaoka, "Hawaii
News Now".
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Very quick break for you but we've got some pictures you will not believe. Up next, so do stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:55:20] ANDERSON: Well, right before we leave you today, your parting shots -- these incredible images out of Turkey this weekend. The passenger
plane skidding off the runway while landing at Trabzon Airport on Saturday. Thankfully, nobody injured, the plane was evacuated safely. Well, new
video from inside the plane shows the passengers exiting. Means all those frightening stuff and no word on what caused the jet to leave the runway.
Well, people across the world have their own stories to tell. Know what matter where you come from the world at your fingers tips and our Facebook
page, it is your show treated as facebook.com/cnnconnect. I'm Becky Anderson. That was CONNECT THE WORLD, from the team here, it is a very
good evening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
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