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Trump's U.S. Is Strong Right Now, Iran Is A Corrupt Dictatorship, We Wont's repeat mistakes With North Korea, We have Turned the Page On Unfair Trade Deals; CNN Across the World. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired January 31, 2018 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[11:00:15] DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Since the election, we have created 2.4 million new jobs after years and years of

wage stagnation, we are finally seeing rising wages. Unemployment claims have hit a 45-year low. The stock market has smashed one record after

another gaining $8 trillion and more in value, and so let's begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our union is strong, because our people

are strong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: We begin tonight by analyzing and connecting the state of our world. Hello and welcome to our show. I'm Becky Anderson

here in Abu Dhabi. Well, last night, Donald Trump, the world's most powerful man gave his idea of how America is doing in his first ever state

of the union. His scorecard for himself, well, tick, tick, tick. He went on for a lot longer than most almost an hour and half focusing mostly as

you might expect on his own country. He did talk about the rest of the world as well, and we are here to connect your world, so we want to show

you how he sees it and wants to shape it. Kick off with Iran and touching on the protests there start of the year, last night, he said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: When the people of Iran rose against crimes of their corrupt dictatorship, I did not stay silent. America stands with the people of

Iran in their courageous struggle for freedom. I am asking congress to address the fundamental flaws in the terrible Iran nuclear deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well about three hours after his speech, Iran's foreign minister, the key architect of that calling Mr. Trump quote ignorant. And

now the American president left in lumped into Iran along with North Korea in his own axis of evil talking about Pyongyang working on the missile

technology to let them carry out a nuclear strike on America. Trump explains why he is different from previous commanders in chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to present that from ever happening, past experience has taught us that complacency and concessions

only invited aggression and provocation. I will not repeat the mistakes of past administration that got us into this very dangerous position.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: All right, next door to North Korea, China. Mr. Trump once accused Beijing of quote, raping United States. Last night he only brought

China up directly once calling it rival. Later on without naming names, he did touch on unfair trading.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: America has also finally turn the page of decades of unfair trade deals that sacrifice our prosperity and chipped away our companies and or

jobs and our wealth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, from the kind of the talk that normally goes with trade wars, a now to another kind of war, and that is he one again, against ISIS.

On the campaign trail Donald Trump promised to bomb them hard. Well, CNN's reality check found his claim to have done that to be true. Take a listen

to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I am proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated very close to 100 percent of the territory, just recently held by

these killers in Iraq and in Syria and in other locations well.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, as you know, if you are a regular viewer of the show, we do not just talk about connections, but we make them. This hour, we will

dive into all of that more across the world. To do that for you Fred Pleitgen is in Moscow, Will Ripley is in Seoul, and he has been to North

Korea more than a dozen times and Nick Paton Walsh is in Kabul for you, Nic Robertson here in, Abu Dhabi with me, and Joanna Summers at the epicenter

of American power in Washington. Well, Nic and Fred standing by now, we will get to everyone. First lets us begin with Will.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

[10:05:12] WILL RIPLEY, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: There was plenty in President Donald Trump state of the union address that would certainly

infuriate the North Korea government led by Kim Jong-un. He talked about the United States bolstering its nuclear defenses against North Korea. He

characterized Kim Jong-un's government as a depraved regime, and he profiled North Korea defector named Gi Hong-un who has publicly call for a

regime change and he brought up the case of American student Otto Warmbier who died 6 days after being released from North Korea custody after being a

vegetated state for more than a year. And now we are getting information from sources that North Korean may be planning a strong response of their

own next week. When they or expected to stage a large military parade through their capital Pyongyang.

Two diplomatic sources with deep knowledge of North Korea's intentions have told me that the north will be unveiling an unprecedented number of

missiles and rockets during the parade on February 8. We are talking about hundreds of missiles and rockets including what I am told many dozens of

the (inaudible)-15 intercontinental ballistic missile.

And Kim Jong-un in his new year's address promise to mas produced the kind of nuclear weapons of the North Koreans say are deterrent against United

States, and if North Korea were in fact able to unveil such a large number of ICBM at one time, it would be a very strong statement on the eve of the

winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, and the sources saying that the intent here to quote scare the hell out of the Americans.

The sources also not ruling out the possibility of the North Korean missile test at some point in the very near future. The North Korea have made no

secret of their anger towards the United States, and they know that the joint military drills postponed until after the Olympics are still going to

happen. Normally those types of drills or with some kind of a response, and they are also not happy with the tone of the coverage in the South

Korea media, in fact North Korea has already cancelled one inter-Korean cultural event. And they have sent warnings that perhaps more events could

be cancelled if they continue to be displeased with the way things are headed on the Korean peninsula. After President Trump state of the union

the direction of many Korean watchers say things are going is downhill and quickly. Will Ripley CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEO)

ANDERSON: Will Ripley with some story from Seoul for you, and let's spread out elsewhere around the world. Fred is in the Russian capital, Nic in the

Afghan capital. Let me start with you Fred. Donald Trump's speech was more than 5,000 words long and yet U.S. president use the word Russia a

grand total of one. Does that surprise you?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, to a certain extent, it is a bit surprising, I think from the Russian pint of

view, if you look at the Russian government and many observers also here in Russia, I think they were actually a perfectly fine with that being the

case with Russia being mentioned as little as possible.

Especially the fact that Russia's alleged meddling in the U.S. 2016 election, and the whole Trump-Russia collusion told that is thoroughly

going on was not mention in the state of the union is something that many observers here in Moscow as a positive sign as they were concern. In fact

there is one known newspaper called it Trump trying to quote erase the Russia legacy. So from that vantage point, I don't think they were too

unhappy listening to what President Trump said exactly in that sound bite lumping in both Russia and China as well. Let us listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The rivals like China and Russia that challenge our interests, our economy and our values. In confronting these horrible dangers, we now that

weakness is the surest path to conflict. An unmatched power is the surest means to our true and great defense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So, reporting on that and many of the Russian publications has been taking that quote by President Trump and putting it in the headline,

now of the things we ask the spokesman for Vladimir Putin, Dmitri Peskov earlier today is whether the fact that Russia was mentioned so little, the

fact that the probe into the alleged collusion was not mentioned in the state of the union and whether it could lead to a thaw in relations between

Moscow and Washington and he said absolutely not.

He says at this point in time, the bilateral relations the way they are is way too early to speak of anything like a thaw. He also said that if you

believe the U.S. was quote an unpredictable partner in the international affairs, of course the Russians are quite unhappy by what happened

yesterday when the U.S. treasury put out a list the names of many Russian oligarchs on it that could be the basis for sanctions in the future as the

head of the treasury and this is something that did not go down very well at all here in Moscow.

[10:10:00] Again the spokesman's for the Kremlin's saying that the Russians are viewing this as hostile act. To the relations at this point in time

don't seem to be getting better, but at the same time I don't think that the Russia government was very unhappy with the fact that Russia was

mentioned as little as possible in the state of the union address, Becky.

ANDERSON: Nic, you are in Kabul for days now and we have been witnessing images of horrific and barbaric violence which is America's longest war, a

Pentagon date from last October show that the Taliban and other insurgence have taken over more of the country now controlling 14 percent of it. Is

it clear what Washington's commander in chief makes of this battlefield?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well it is the only real foreign policy issue which he personally laid out his own strategy in a lengthy

speech. As point out that the referring to the 14 percent rose from 13 percent just two months earlier and control about 44 percent of the country

is contested or controlled by the insurgency which is not a very good percentage, but Donald Trump in the speech as he gave just over sentence to

this America's longest war in which it is clear that he disagree with his predecessor. Here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Our warriors in Afghanistan have new rules of engagement.

(APPLAUSE)

Along with their heroic Afghan partners our military is no longer undermine by artificial time line and we no longer tell our enemies, our plans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PATON WALSH: He is referring to Barack Obama's surge in which it may it quite clear the end date. My troops will come out, meaning some to believe

the Taliban just waited them out. And now, we are seeing the impact of that here now, reduction of the troop numbers in previous years and now

back up again, and Donald Trump has not specified what the new rules of engagement troops have here, but there are more troops going to train the

afghan troop, and that said, how badly or how well afghan security forces are doing is now classified apparently in the request of the Afghan

government by the United States.

So we know less about what is happening here apart from the bold and unavoidable fan. I am standing here it has never really been quit anxious

or frankly terrified at times. There was intense attacks long run after and after another had led to unprecedented climates of fear here. And also

to Donald Trump fair out one of the other main platforms in the U.S. policy for about a decade which is eventually the talks the Taliban he said the

time for that is not right now. U.S. military policy here always said let us beat the insurgency to the point where it seeks a political

accommodations.

That is not eminently happening but now the Afghan government disagreeing with the White House that they need to find peace on the battlefield said

the options is war on the Taliban has said the Trump administration has shown its true color as war mongers here. Despite the fact we are seeing

lesser American numbers here than the Obama administration and renewed focus from the White House, the political strategy for this conceivable

future on the back burner and we are looking to perhaps cobble many call it the new front line in the battle for months ahead more terrifying violence,

Becky?

ANDERSON: The story in the ground is Afghanistan, Nic thank you. Fred, back to you in Moscow there are reports of the CIA director meeting top

Russian spies, and what more are your sources telling you about that?

PLEITGEN: It is interesting thing that last night on a Russian talk TV show where the ambassador, the Russia ambassador to Washington was

interview and he said, that, yes, top Russian intelligence folks including the head of the foreign intelligent service, serving a risk in war indeed

in the United States, and they say they even met with Mike Pompeo, the director of the CIA, and the U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, Jon Huntsman has

confirmed there was a delegation in the United States, he did not exactly say who is part of that delegation, but it seem that the meetings did take

place, and the CIA did not confirmed or denied, but they say if meetings did took place then they took under clearly ground rules. So the say that

all of it was legit, but of coursed Becky, anything like this causes the grave questions in Washington where senate minority leader Chuck Schumer

coming out and saying he wants to know exactly what was discussed there and he wants to know exactly who was at those meetings as well, because you can

imagine that the head of the Russian foreign intelligent service being at the CIA possibly and also having those meetings certainly something that

politicians in the U.S. would rale some pretty clear alarm bells. So they want some answers, and them, but it's certainly something that was talked

about here in Moscow and in Washington as well, Becky.

[10:15:22] ANDERSON: Fred is in Moscow for you viewers still to come tonight. Thank you, Fred.

From the specific claims to sweeping statements, what could President Trump's remarks in his State of the Union to this test to the team of fact

checkers and who is in control in Aden. More on the situation in war torn Yemen, former allies clash leaving dozens dead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: We will get you to conflict that we have been looking at closely all week. CNN has just returned from the rare behind the lines trip to

war-torn Yemen in the last few days and situation in the City of Aden has worsened with one time allies in the fight against the Houthi rebels now

turning their fire it seems on each other. International diplomatic editor Nic Robertson explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

NIC ROBERTSON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yemen's civil war pits the internationally recognized government of President Hadi and the

Saudi led coalition backing it against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The Houthis control the capital Sanaa while Hadi government has established

in Yemen's second city, Aden in the south, although the President, himself, lives in, Saudi Arabia. Yemen has become a proxy war between the Saudi

coalition and Iran.

Hadi's government comprises many different factions including the powerful Isla Party or the Muslim brotherhood, and the Southern separatists. The

separatists themselves are divided into two main groups and unified wanting an independent southern state. The north and south of Yemen were only

unified in 1990 and in the past four decades the north and south had fought three civil wars. The southern separatists or hara accuse Hadi's prime

minister of being corrupt and attempted to over throw him in the recent few days.

[10:20:07] Further complicating the civil war, Hadi's government also fighting al-Qaeda and ISIS with U.S. and coalition support. Layered in to

all of this a tribal interest and powerful regional governors and political parties plummet up and made more powerful by support from Saudi and the

UAE.

However as the UAE and Saudi Arabia appear despite their denials to ISSA: agree on some key issues, for example the influence and the future

government of the Muslim brotherhood headed by Saudi Arabia getting a political deal everyone, government, the separatist, and all of the of

coalition partners can sign up to is proving elusive.

(END VIDEO)

ANDERSON: It is certainly is, Nic Robertson is here with me in Abu Dhabi and just revealing there quite how complicated this is. So many

stakeholders, and let's call it on the ground, and you spoke to the prime minister there when you were on a rare trip into the country just a week

ago and what did he the tell you at that point?

ROBERTSON: What told us then, and today, and you know the question, what is the impact of the separatist? What is the impact of the Houthis? And

the question I started out asking him, and I asked people on the street, and I said, I will be meeting the prime minister this afternoon and what

would you ask him, and they said, ok, where are our salaries? And what about the corruption? And this is how he answered the question

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: I asked people today, what question would you ask the Prime Minister? They said we'd ask him to pay our salaries, and we'd ask him to

end the corruption. What would you say to that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATOR): When it comes to corruption, we say honestly that the largest portion of the opposition is to try defamed the

government by talking about corruption.

But if you ask them where the corruption is, they would not provide you accurate information and they will talk about the corruption from are the

political standpoint and because they disagree with the government. And for example the (inaudible) the Southern separatist movement in Yemen

stared hundreds of false rumors about this topic.

ROBERTSON: You mentioned the Houthis that there are other groups in this country, and there are a lot of people who would like to see independence

for the south of Yemen and how are you going to put this country back together, you said before that this group is a problem. Can you put this

country back together, and the southern separatists are they going to the block the way?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATOR): We will not allow at all in any way shape or form with a conflict with the separatists to reach a military

confrontation. They call for separation and it is their right and we told them and I still tell them to get your own political parties and have

elections and even work on inviting the Yemeni people to divide the country, but it does not mean imposing opinion on the entirety of the

Yemeni people.

Houthis and the separatist are unfortunately and here I am talking specifically about the extremist separatist movement, they agree on one

principle and that is diving Yemen. The Houthis want successions in the north, the radical separatists in the north but if you get the Yemini

people a choice you will find the majority on unity but in a new form as a federation.

ROBERTSON: There's an internlznal dimension as well to bringing a solution here as well, the coalition partners, United Arab Emirates and the Saudi

Arabia, they don't always agree for what the right solution should be for Yemen. How much of the problem is that for you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATOR): There is no problem. We also want peace. I said this before, if the Houthis want it tomorrow, we want it today.

(END VIDEO)

ROBERTSON: So we have been trying to figure out where is the minister could say today about the current situation, and here are people who have

said they are close to him and we can give you other ministers, but not put the Prime Minister on the phone or get any statement from him, not able to

pin down precisely the claims of the people who are close to the Prime Minister who is saying that the government has order a retake some of the

government buildings in Aden back from the southern separate as it happens yesterday.

ANDERSON: There is a possibility that the prime minister no longer has an eye on the file. Let us be clear about this at this point. The big

question is this, what is the end game? There are so many factions on the ground, and so many backing so many others. What is the end game at this

point?

[10:25:00] ROBERTSON: Well, what the prime minister says is the end game is a more looser federal state. The Southernist can have their own

political --

ANDERSON: That is not what he says, and that is what those financing the war thinks surely.

ROBERTSON: They don't want a stable Yemen, because they don't want any problems coming out of Yemen, they don't want it as a base for al Qaeda or

ISIS and they don't want huge number of migrants flowing out, and the key is stability. So the six province is maybe they are talking about and four

in the north and two in the south, they have a loose arrangement that they will hang together, but we are a long always from that right now.

ANDERSON: And yet, Yemen was not mentioned in the state of the union address as we had been discussing during this hour, there were some

international threads, but this is clearly important and he did get name check at Donald Trump las night. He was sort of ticking his own scorecard

when it came to American jobs, business, and foreign investment.

Jobs massive of course for the U.S. president and interestingly enough, were a year into the Donald Trump term, and key diplomatic post which are

the ones that quite often we care about more than anything else when we are still not filled, take a look at the map. Some 23 posts vacant globally

including five key states in the Middle East who still don't have a U.S. Ambassador. Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Some key U.S.

partners on that list, Nic this is the situation out of time of enormous turmoil in this region. Just how much of a diplomatic handicap is this

absence? I think that we would be discussing this a year into Donald Trump' administration?

ROBERTSON: Well, two answers to that question one is the jobs, because quite often our ambassadors or advocates in those countries to get jobs to

bring the business back to United States so you put that aside, but let us take Qatar who had the foreign minister in defense minister in Qatar in

Washington Secretary of State Tillerson saying that he is as concerned today as he was between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates,

Bahrain and Egypt began last summer.

So that is a burning issue there is no ambassador there. Jordan right next to Israel saying that Jerusalem is the capital of the Israel that is a

problem for the Jordanian king that there is no ambassador there. The billions and billions worth of arms deals with no ambassador there. And

Turkey, the key figurehead in NATO that President Trump has a lot to say about that in the past has an offensive going on in Syria right now that

could impact the U.S. Troops in the border, with Syrian fighters.

So you know, again, you would want to be an ambassador there, to talk about peace in Syria and talk about the relationship with NATO which is

deteriorating as well with Turkey and you want a representative there. And let us not forget that Turkey is one of the main transit route for ISIS out

of Syria, out of Iraq to the rest of the world, and President Trump says ISIS is a big deal for him and so you would want a strong person there and

plus, the occasion and tackle on the U.S. embassy there. Turkey has many, many points that you need an ambassador here to deal with.

ANDERSON: Fascinating stuff. Nic it was a pleasure. He visit me in Abu Dhabi. Just ahead, we will return to the Donald Trump state of the union

address and see how his statements stack up with the facts. A reality check for you just ahead.

[10:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Words matter, and so do the facts. We heard some soaring rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump in his State of the

Union speech, as well as specific statistics used to bolster his case that America is thriving under his leadership and those statements stack up with

the facts? Well, here is CNN's Tom Foreman with a reality check for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The president made some huge claims about what he's done for jobs.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Since the election, we have created 2.4 million new jobs, including 200,000 new jobs in manufacturing

alone. African-American unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded.

FOREMAN: And, of course, the recovery started under Barack Obama but it has continued under President Trump. He has his numbers right and while

African-American unemployment is much higher than white unemployment, it's still at a record low. All of those claims are absolutely true. He also

had this to say about taxes.

TRUMP: We enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history.

FOREMAN: You will recall the Republicans passed their big tax plan late last year and it did have some whopping raw numbers in it. But, as a

percentage of the U.S. economy -- of the GDP, as you can see, several presidents have had bigger tax cuts. That claim is false. What did the

president have to say about one of his favorite topics, immigrants?

TRUMP: Under the current broken system a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives.

FOREMAN: If you become a U.S. citizen or a legal resident, yes, you can probably bring in your spouse and your children. But aunts, and uncles,

and parents, and grown children, that's a lot harder.

It is not the free-for-all that he is suggesting. That claim is false. And what did he have to say about the great, long battle with ISIS?

TRUMP: I am proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated very close to 100 percent of the territory just recently held by

these killers in Iraq and in Syria, and in other locations as well.

[10:35:07] FOREMAN: Again, it started under Barack Obama but the military says President Trump has really helped them energize this fight. All the

green in there, that's territory that ISIS has lost and you can see the raw numbers over here. So, yes, that claim is true.

He said a few other things we should mention. For example, that he implied terrorists exploited the U.S. immigration system for some recent attacks in

New York, but authorities say the suspects there were radicalized after they got here. So that's true but misleading.

He said a Chrysler plant was moving back from Mexico to Michigan. Some production is coming back but the plant is remaining in Mexico as well, so

that's false.

And he said he's appointed more circuit judges than any other president at this point. That is true. We checked out a whole lot more. You can check

it out and go to our Website cnn.com/reality check.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Tom Foreman in the house for you. Juana Summers has been doing some fact-checking herself. She is a senior writer for CNN politics. We

saw what, Tom, had gathered for our viewers, and what else have you got from last night's speech?

JUANA SUMMERS, CNN POLITICS SENIOR WRITER: So, Becky, one of the big things that I've been looking at is the polling surrounding this speech.

CNN polled people who watched the speech. Now those are people who typically tend to agree with the president's political position -- so,

largely Republicans.

And what we found is that about 48 percent, so roughly half of those viewers said that they had a very positive impression of the speech.

Now what's important to note is that is down from last year where 57 percent of those speech watchers after the president's first address said

they had a very positive impression.

So certainly some movement there, and of course, the speech comes amid a significant amount of division politically here in the United States. The

president had announced a number of goals that he has a not lot of specific policies but some that can be difficult to get through to with one of the

most divided Congresses that we have seen in years.

ANDERSON: And so, what do those numbers mean for the president?

SUMMERS: I think that there yet another marker that shows us just how divided and how deeply polarized our politics is. This is a president who

ahead of the speech told a number of anchors, including our, Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer, that he wanted this to be a unifying message.

He sent signals during the speech that he wanted to have some bipartisanship, and he wanted to bring people together and I think these

numbers really show that there is quite a bit of work to do particularly on issues like immigration, one of the president has under sort, as, Tom

Foreman, noted in his speech last evening.

ANDERSON: Sure. And wouldn't it be fair to say that it was a sort of sigh of relief from the Republicans gathered to listen to the speech, that the

U.S. president was gaffe-free and disappointment from the Democrats that while Donald Trump's speech was gaffe-free?

SUMMERS: I think that is fair. We certainly haven't seen any big moments that have broken out -- to be considered a gaffe, but what we have heard

from a number of Democrats is they feel like the speech was all talk and no action.

They tell us, the president proposed in broad strokes, a lot of things that he would like to do but there was no, but there was no meat on the bones.

He says he wants to spend more $1 trillion on the infrastructure plan.

Something that has typically gotten bipartisan support, but where does that money come from, and so they were not really satisfied with the amount of

details that they heard from the president, saying the kind of all talk and no real action plan.

ANDERSON: So, we have spoken and discussed this past hour on this show which is based out of the Middle East, that there were a number of

countries that were name-checked in this speech, those being Iran, North Korea, perhaps easy targets, some might say.

And China got a mention there or thereabouts, and Russia got a mention once in a 5,000 word speech, and it is the cliche of cliches.

Now, there is this cloud hanging over Russia, which is called the Kremlin and it's possible collusion in the campaign. What was the are response

locally to the fact that Russia was pretty much left out of this speech?

SUMMERS: Well, Becky, I have to say here in Washington...

(CROSSTALK)

SUMMERS: Yes, most people didn't expect a very thing about Russia. We didn't -- the president and other settings has called the investigation and

the potential collusion with Russia, a witch-hunt, something he said in private conversations and publicly.

No one really expected to hear him to bring it up. This is a situation and a speech that is one of biggest ceremonial moments of the presidency.

This is a time where the president has the opportunity to paint his vision for what he sees is -- sees of America, and what he wants to see his

government do moving forward.

[10:40:02] So something like that, that has kind of hung the cloud over to head at the administration and that we continue to see developments on,

even right now, we didn't really expect to hear him talk about quite a bit of it as, pretty much what was expected of this White House.

ANDERSON: Pleasure having you on out of Washington this hour. Thank you. That is not all from, Juana. In fact, for more of the reporting, do check

out to CNN.com, where she talks about political candidates of color and their journey in the age of Donald Trump.

You are watching Connect World. I'm Becky Anderson. If you are just joining us, you are more than welcome. Coming up next -- it is 20 of 8:00

here.

The world's most famous parliament needs a big fix-up but some U.K. law makers worried that the Palace of Westminster could be the ultimate money

pit -- really? We're going to give you a rare look inside, up next.

And a little later, if you have forgot to take a look at the Super Blue Blood Moon, don't worry, we will tell you all about this celestial marvel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: It's 43 minutes past 7:00 and you are watching Connect the World. I am Becky Anderson and we are coming to you from our Middle

Eastern hub in Abu Dhabi.

And now, Brexit is not only departure being debated in the U.K. parliament. U.K. lawmakers are discussing whether to move out of the Palace of

Westminster for up to six years while major repairs take place. Cameras are rarely allowed inside, but CNN's Max Foster was invited to see why

make-do mend just won't make it anymore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is one of the most iconic buildings in the world. But look closely and the Palace of Westminster is falling

apart.

A rare glimpse inside these walls shows that behind the imposing exterior, beneath the ornate arches and stained glass lobbies, cracks are beginning

to show.

The patch and mend method adopted over the centuries, no longer able to keep up. Lawmakers were warned in a recent report that the building faces

a growing risk of catastrophe unless urgent work is carried out. Surrounding around the roof and you get a real sense here about the scale

of the problem we are dealing with.

ANDREW PIPER, DESIGN DIRECTOR, PALACE OF WESTMINSTER RESTORATION AND RENEWAL PROGRAMME: Yes, I mean, what you can see here is the damage is

caused 150 years' worthy use of our victory in -- you know, cost on roofing system. They kind of represents what the aging condition of the rest of

the building is.

FOSTER: The building has seen prime ministers come and go, some leaving more of an impact than others. The decades have taken their toll. And the

British weather house, too.

[10:45:00] Water seeps through the roof in many places. Well, rare access indeed. This is what the whole project really comes down to. The Commons

Chamber where British laws are so famously debated. You can almost hear the noise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the chamber, questions to the prime minister.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The prime minister is franklyn is denial.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker.

FOSTER: This chamber could fall silent for six whole years under a proposal to move MPs out to allow for a multibillion-dollar overhaul.

TINA STOWELL, COMMITTEE FOR RESTORATION AND RENEWAL: This kind of work is what you might think of as surgery to the major arteries and veins, and

major organs of this building. What it's not in any way shape or form a facelift or makeover.

FOSTER: It's not until you go underground that you really see why this proposed work is so critical and so complex. When we come down to the

basement and we found the typical sort of problem released, some evidence of a leak here.

We've discovered it's coming from a pipe right up in there. But they can't get to it because of this massive cabling, a lot of it don't know where it

goes, we don't know what is for.

You can't just rip it out because it could cause all sorts of other problems. The 19th-century building is struggling to keep up with the

modern world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's still current (Inaudible) which is in desperate need for replacement.

FOSTER: The tangle of phone lines, not a reassuring sight for anyone trying to get in touch with their MP. Officials would like to make

Westminster ready for the future while it's restoring a key piece of Britain's past. Max Foster, CNN London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, let me direct you to a not to be missed experience, CNN's VR tour taking you from the roof of the British parliament to the members

lobby to the robing room, and of course, Big Ben -- simply head to CNN.com/parliament for unique 360 degree access.

Oh, yes. Live from Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World. Coming up, we will turn our eyes to the sky, and a look at the Super Blue Blood Moon in

just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bye-bye.

(WHALE SQUEAKING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bye-bye.

(WHALE SQUEAKING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bye-bye.

(WHALE SQUEAKING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Yes, you heard it right. That is Wiki, the 16-year-old killer whale saying bye-bye.

[10:50:04] And the world is saying hello of the orca who lives in a French marine themed park has learn unique way to mimic human words in English.

It is sought to be eight words for her. I wonder what Wiki will think when he looks up.

Did you look up at the sky early this morning? Star gazers around the world have been witnessing a Super Blue Blood Moon according to NASA.

The lunar trifecta only happens once every 35 years. And let's bring in Chad Myers in the weather center to explain what all of those name Super

Blue Blood, actually mean. Chad, help me out, mate.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm baffled by why a French orca say bye- bye and not au revoir.

(LAUGHTER)

MYERS: That just blows my mind.

ANDERSON: And who is it saying bye-bye to?

(LAUGHTER)

ANDERSON: Moving on.

MYERS: Moving on. A blue moon -- now there are couple of definitions for that, a blood moon, one definition for that and they it rarely happens all

of the same time.

So first of all, we would go with the picture here from Taz Mania beautiful shots of the full moon all night long, every where really around the globe.

Now you only truly saw the blood part of the moon, the eclipsed part of the moon, if you are west of, let's say, California. It was a big moon. It

was a super moon. So you've got super Blue Blood Moon.

The super part is because the moon is closer, kind of like your hand is closer here, it is big here, over here, it's far. So the moon is closer

right now at this time called the perigee.

That is always what happens and that is why we always get the super moon when we get the moon close to us. Now, the red part is because, is the

same reason why you get red at sunset.

The light from the sun refracts and reflects around the Earth itself, and this is why we get red at sunset, but that red continued to go around the

earth, and it was projected on to the moon.

Now this always happens, you just don't see it because the moon is in the sunshine directly and not in the shadow of the Earth. So if you were in

the white area here, no lunar eclipse for you.

If you were on the darker area on the other side, that's where the eclipse actually happened, clearly all of the way to, really, Abu Dhabi. And I

think hey you have a shot there or did have a shot from Abu Dhabi of the moon, still now in full bloom.

The eclipse part is pretty much gone. There we go, there is what it looks right there. That is kind of a fuzzy, but we'll take that show. Now,

let's put up some video here from the observatory in California when it was beginning to get the eclipse.

And you can see how the bottom part -- the bottom right hand [art of the moon is still in sunshine, but on the left part, that is where it was

getting to be the blood part, the red part of the moon.

So, that is why we call that the Super Blue Blood Moon and it's not a blue hair moon. So let's get to the blue part. Why is it a blue moon?

Well, the modern definition is two full moons in a month. So we had one already in January, and that is the longest January. I hate Januarys that

have five Mondays. One is bad enough, not to have five of them.

Full moon in January, but now we are not going to have a moon at all in February, because it's 28 days, and it takes 29 to get another full moon,

and there you go, March is going to have another blue moon.

And that's where we get -- we're going to have two in the same year, pretty rare, it is still going to be big, but it will not be a red moon, because

we will not have the eclipse. All of that in less than three minute, and more than you wanted to know, bye-bye. Au revoir.

ANDERSON: Blue moon.

MYERS: There you go.

ANDERSON: You saw him standing alone. Oh, sorry. Are you done?

MYERS: Yes, standing alone.

ANDERSON: That was for you. That was for you. End of January and let's see February and this was brilliant. Well done. You got it, folks.

All right. All this week, we've been shining a spotlight on Yemen. The war there is causing incredible destructions, starvation, disease, ramped

and many are resources are scarce, and we forget, Yemen is a beautiful country, and its people resilient and still full of hope. And your Parting

Shots tonight, one photographer captures the human faces among what is the war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)

(FACES OF YEMEN'S WAR)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Some of Ali's (ph) photos have gained international recognition and rightly so. And he continues his work despite the danger it puts him

in every single day. I'm Becky Anderson, and that was Connect the World. Thank you for watching, from the team here, it is a very good evening.

END