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CNN Exclusive Reporting On Mueller Investigations; Donald Trump Jr. In India; Abbas To Address United Nations Security Council; Investigation Reaches Netanyahu's Inner Circle; Survivors Take Gun Control Fight To State Capital; Migrants Abandoned At Sea By Traffickers; Palestinian Leader Addressing Security Council; The Magic In Movie Make-Up. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired February 20, 2018 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:00] ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exclusive CNN reporting special counsel Robert Mueller interest had expanded beyond Russia now he
is asking about Jared Kushner foreign financing effort. Next we are live in Washington with all the details, plus Donald Trump Jr. is in India
wining and dining fires of Trump branded apartment will examine why that is raising ethical questions. Also this hour Palestinian Authority president
Mahmoud Abbas is set to address the United Nations Security Council the first time he spoke of the world body since President Trump from Jerusalem
decision. Our reporters are in the U.N. and Jerusalem.
Hello and welcome to connect the world. I'm Robyn Curnow in Atlanta city in for Becky Anderson. Now Donald Trump once called it a redline warning
investigators looking at his campaign contacted Russia to not delve into his family's finances, well CNN exclusive report finds that Jared Kushner
business dealings are now under scrutiny, that of course his son in law special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating efforts by the transmittal
to secure financing from none Russian foreign investors during the presidential transition and also some more big news just breaking from
special counsel Mueller, we just learned that he filed charges to against the lawyer accusing him of lying to investigators about his interaction
with former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates. Well Kara Scannell is one of the reporters who broke the story she's joining us now from Washington.
Good to see you, tell us more about this latest breaking news.
KARA SCANNELL, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: That's right, so Robert Mueller seeing as how that information, which is a document that the easement has
to plead guilty against his lawyer. Alex (inaudible) he's effectively govern states making false statements during his interview with special
counsel Robert Mueller's team and there are two elements here of which he is alleged to have made false statements one is about the last time he
communicated with Rick Gates and an unnamed person. The other is he had told special counsel investigators that he could not find her recall and
email which states that he had deleted and he did not turn over other emails. So we are expecting this guilty plea later today and it will be
and yet another cooperator in this investigation, which is now I'm not even quite one-year-old.
CURNOW: Yes, and certainly another sign that Mueller means business, let us talk about Jared Kushner the president son in law, we understand he is
asking questions, what is he trying to figure out yet?
SCANNELL: That is right Robyn. The special counsel Robert Mueller is asking questions about Kushner's personal business dealings during the
presidential transition, so that people familiar with the investigation of most lawyers are exploring these discussions, Kushner had the potential
Chinese and Qatari investors. This is the first indication that Mueller once know about contacts the president and with partners beyond Russia in
these discussions revolve around the building in Manhattan at 666 Avenue which Kushner's family business owns. The financing on the building is
over billion dollars in debt. That is not clear what is behind Mueller's specific interest in these discussions, but were told the special counsel
have asked Kushner companies for information. He also has not asked for interviews with other executives from the family business, a spokesman for
the special counsel declined to comment, but we do hear a statement from Jared Kushner's attorney, Abby Lowell responding to our story, I will quote
is, another anonymous source of questionable motives now contradicts the facts and all of Mr. Kushner's extensive cooperation with all inquiries
there is not been a single question asked or document thoughts on the 666 building or Kushner company deals. Will there be any reason to question
his regular business transaction.
Robyn, we had multiple sources for the story who told us that these questions are being asked and Kushner himself may not increase in the
companies dealing with multiple people familiar with Mueller's probe had told us investors have been exploring these questions in interviews with
people over the past two months.
CURNOW: So the question is suppose, where is this going in and what he's trying to pin down here, the special investigation?
SCANNELL: We are exploring this areas, it is not clear exactly what they're looking at with respect to this, it could be that they're trying to
your checkboxes and decide that there is no impropriety between these meetings. The meeting were when Kushner was wearing two hats. He is
running his family business and the process of divesting his assets, He does both bring his family business in the process of divesting his assets.
One of these meetings was right after the election and the other is part of the transition team.
[10:05:00] He was one of the top officials who was dealing with foreigners. So I think there's also a question of was there any impropriety between
these meetings and given both rolls his company and his particular building was very much in that.
CURNOW: OK, thanks much for the reporting Kara Scannell there in Washington, I appreciate it. So just as the news emerge about Kushner and
the lawyer, one of the president's son began a business trip that is raising concerns about possible conflict of interest. Donald Trump Jr. is
in India to help sell luxury condos and apartments featuring his family's name. He's wining and dining bias in what local partners call a token of
gratitude. CNN Nikhil Kumar ask Donald Trump Jr. about possibly ethical concerns as he emerge from a new daily hotel. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Perhaps silence speaks volumes here, Nikhil joins us now live from New Delhi it is worth a try, what exactly is the concern here?
NIKHIL KUMAR, CNN NEW DELHI'S BUSINESS CHIEF: The concern Robyn is that he is here all week and he is here promoting these properties of the largest
international markets on the Trump organizations that license their name for five projects including the New Delhi financial capital Mumbai and
elsewhere in the country and concern is that you know he is been ahead of his trip. You'll see. Trump has arrived have you and just the (inaudible)
on the front page big picture of Donald Trump Jr. and promising a dinner for people who have bought these condoms, so they get to meet Donald Trump
Jr. at this dinner. You know about two dinners that are taking place, one is in the eastern city of Calcutta where there is run project and then one
that we know about in Delhi which is at the end of the week. It raises the question very serious question about whether these buyers are buying these
properties to access the Trump White House. You know via the president son. That is a major question Mr. Trump Jr. is also giving a speech while
he is here, in addition to promoting the property that's at the end of the week at a business summit were in Prime Minister Nairobi will be speaking.
According to the organizers, the topic for this speech is reshaping in the Pacific ties, a new era for cooperation. That sounds like a foreign policy
speech so there is concerns about the blurring of this line between the commercial and then of course the Trump brand which is in the White House,
Robyn.
CURNOW: So what is the response and the reaction there in India?
KUMAR: There has been a lot of interest, as you know this morning when we try tossing this question at the Delhi hotel, he arrive early today. He
had just before, we try to ask him this question he had met with a select group of unions or the local press on those international press there and
you know he's been even in the news, and the papers he is given into these local press that has been published today and it is a thing to hit you know
he is in Delhi and he is gone to Kolkata from what we understand he is going to go to these other projects in Pune, Mumbai, and in the speech back
in Delhi and is been a lot of coverage will continue to be coverage all week and all of this coverage raises the question about the blurring of the
line being him promoting these properties and on these projects, but also the fact that you know people do associate the Trump name now with the
president of the United States. In the backgrounds, this is the country which in recent years is no pushed on ever deeper relationship with the
U.S. diplomatically trade is on the rise in the New Delhi and Washington, cooperate in all kinds of areas around the world. So this is just any
other country. It's a country which views the U.S. is an important ally was the U.S. used as an important ally and I'll be with a president son
here selling the luxury condos and so do all kinds of very important questions.
CURNOW: And giving what you say.
KUMAR: We haven't able to get his answer too.
CHURCH: And giving what you say seem like a foreign policy speech the same time with the prime minister right there. Thank you so much. I want to
take you right into the mist of the battlefield in Syria. The area of Eastern Ghouta, can see how close it is to the capital Damascus. It was so
called de-escalation zone, instead on Monday there was terror.
It is one of the world's deadliest day ever if you can believe that reports say more than 100 civilians including many children were killed after
Syrian government unleash massive bombardment. These images which we must warn you are graphic show the horrific aftermath. The state have five
hospitals were also bombed.
[10:10:00] CNN Ben Wedeman has been covering the Syrian war since it began, he has been closely watching this from Beirut, Ben I mean look at those
images you hear is one of the deadliest day ever this war has hit really low lows, but in continues to shock.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Indeed Robyn. We spoke to a doctor there today who told us that this is the worst they have
seen in the eastern Ghouta since the war began, and this is an area of very close to Damascus. It's been under siege for years now. The last
significant convoy of aid was allowed in was back in November. Now it's interesting to note that according to local tradition the Ghouta is the
Garden of Eden, but today seems to be the closest thing to hell on earth. We've seen in addition to more than 100 people killed in the bombardment
yesterday. Dozens have already been killed, today I was interested in fact is that UNICEF, the United Nations children's fund helped put out
essentially what it was a blank statement at the bottom there was a footnote not read it to you. We no longer have the words to describe
children suffering and our outrage to those inflicting the suffering still have words to justify their barbaric acts. Now we reached out to the
government in Damascus to see if they had any comment on the situation in Damascus to see if they had any comment on the situation in the eastern
Ghouta, they had no words, Robyn.
CURNOW: Yes I mean UNICEF perhaps is right, because we are -- we do struggle for words, this level of violence is horrific. So my question is
why now and why this location?
WEDEMAN: This location is very close to Damascus is essentially a suburb of it, and there have been on regular occasions the firing by the rebels in
those areas of rockets of artillery into the city of Damascus itself resulting in fatalities and casualties and that's perhaps one of the
reasons why the Syrian government, which has essentially gained the upper hand in this war may have decided that the time has come to crush one of
this last pockets of resistance to the government and everyone we spoke to in the eastern Ghouta today said that they do expect a major offensive by
the Syrian forces supported by the Russian Air Force to come within the next few days and many people are like you to what happened at the end of
2016 when the government finally crushed the last pockets of resistance in Aleppo where we saw a massive exodus of people out of the city.
Now the difference with the eastern Ghouta is they have nowhere to go. There is no contiguous area under opposition control, so the people in that
area. It is interesting that hard -- the Ghouta used to have a population of about 4 million people now there are only 400,000 left, but they really
have absolutely nowhere to go, Robyn.
CURNOW: And as we point out was 100 civilians, many of them children when you talk about clearing out the last bits of resistance for the Syrian
government, but the familiar path isn't it? Because hot target -- hospital are being targeted to again the same way we saw in Aleppo.
WEDEMAN: Indeed, it's the same pattern that's been repeated time and time again, and areas put under siege. Occasionally they allow the U.N. to
bring in a convoy of food and medicine, but very rarely in the situation deteriorates. Of course for quite some time. We've been hearing reports
of malnutrition. There's very little fuel very little medicine. Very little food available so it could get to the point where the rebels could
surrender, but not until after they've been subjected to -- they had been subjective bombardment of for years now, but as I said this is the worst
bombardment that this area has seen since the beginning of the war and they expect only the things just basically to get worse.
CHURCH: OK. Thank you so much Ben Wedeman there in Beirut. We appreciate it. Still ahead here at CNN worries are mounting for Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his close associates are named in new corruption investigation, we are live from Jerusalem with the latest on
that, also Turkey cracks down for its freedom and CNN talks to the daughter of the journalist who has been jailed for life, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
10:18:00] CURNOW: You are watching CNN this is Connect the World with me Robyn Curnow welcome back. Now we turned to more trouble for Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, two new corruption cases has emerge reaching Netanyahu's inner circle. Just last week Israeli police said there was
enough evidence to indict the Prime Minister on two other cases, but he denied any wrongdoing and is fighting back. We let is go to CNN Oren
Liebermann with the latest from Jerusalem, tell us about the latest case, Oren.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORESPONDENT: Hello Robyn, the fifth case was just revealed by police this morning and it involves a member of Netanyahu's
inner circle. In fact, his former family spokesperson, Police have not put out that many details, but here's what we know so far. Police say that one
of the suspects and there are two were arrested in this case approached a senior public servant as was said in the investigation. We understand the
high ranking judge and offered that high ranking judge that if you if your consideration a further case not detailed in the investigation, but that
judge will be made the Attorney General well the police investigation didn't specify name, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself did.
Coming to the defense of his former family spokesperson said if efforts never approach the Prime Minister's family with such a suggestion of
dismissing the suggestion. We have not found out the name of others suspect arrested in this case, but that's just the latest one, because
seven other people arrested in a different investigation, just a couple days ago and that focuses on the relation between the Ministry of
communication and Israeli telecom firm Bezek.
Now it is important to note that when this investigation was going on, Netanyahu himself was the minister of communications and his close friend
was a controlling shareholder of Bezek, the suspicion in exchange for illegally advancing Bezek interests, Netanyahu would get favorable news
coverage, among those seven arrests were again near efforts, Netanyahu's former family spokesperson as well as a controlling shareholder in Bezek
and a number of others.
[10:20:03] So this is getting very close to the Prime Minister Robyn, but it has to be noted that Netanyahu is not been name as a suspect in this two
latest investigations still is right on his inner circle.
CURNOW: So there are legal issues and as you say that in a few and them, how much pressure is on politically?
LIEBERMANN: Certainly growing at this point, his key coalition partners and said look we are going to back until the Attorney General makes a
decision on whether or not to indict the prime minister that could take months so the question of how much political support does he have? Right
now seems like he's OK, but each growing investigation, each growing allegation makes it more and more difficult for his coalition partners to
say yes, we support you and that essentially is the political calculation of all of his partners are going through right now. The problem here is
that everyone around them. This is a right-wing government so all the parties draw from the same right-wing voter base to take down Netanyahu, to
withdraw support from Netanyahu too soon, means risking upsetting that same voter base, but that Robyn is the calculation of all of the coalition
partners to support Netanyahu are making right now.
CHURCH: OK. The perspective there from Jerusalem, Oren Liebermann thank you so much. So it is an imaginably dark time for the press in Turkey. An
issue life sentences to six journalist and media employees on Friday they will serve 40 years in prison. Now you remember the failed coup attempt
back in 2016, Turkey came three of the journalist knew about it beforehand, all six had been sentence on terrorism charges. Amnesty International says
the ruling says the ruling sets a chilling precedent for journalist facing similar charges. CNN's Arwa Damon spoke to the daughter of one of the men
jailed for life. She joins us now from Istanbul, Arwa good to see you, what did she say?
ARWA DAMON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: You know when that sentencing came down she said that they weren't necessarily surprise, they
were expecting this to a certain degree but it was still a very bitter moment although this families are holding out, hope that they will be able
to reverse it throughout the appeals process, adding that Robyn the unspeakably difficult time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: The photographs are of happier times moment may be forever lost for (inaudible) and her father Ahkmed. He is a renowned author and journalist,
the former editor of the liberal newspaper that fell out with the Turkish government.
Maybe he is being made to pay the price now and speculate. Ahmed his brother and four other journalists and media company employees were
convicted on terrorism charges. Found guilty of being members of the media wing of the Gulan movement. That Turkey says is behind the sale July 15
coup and that they knew about the coup beforehand.
The six handed an aggravated life sentence, meaning they must serve 40 years, they have denied all of the charges.
There is no judicial base and at this moment we don't find justice in Turkey, but that can change at any moment.
Turkey no matter who is leader has historically ranked among the top country where the most journalist behind bars and in this post-coup fact on
is causing the nation to come under some very, very serious criticism.
Human rights groups have also decried the ruling Amnesty International was chairman in Turkey is also awaiting trial, says a chilling precedent for
scores of other journalists facing piled on similar trumped up terrorism charges for the Turkish state and those who fervently supported it is black
and white and associate professor and lawyer (inaudible) argues that Turkey is justified in his actions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think for Turkey some of the media outlets tried to distort the fact that as if there was no coup attempt in Turkey and there
was a coup attempt, it was so serious.
DAMON: And he says this sentence have a chance to appeal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not the last decision will be oblates process all this, but we should bear in mind that said, being a journalist is not the
kind of ship for us saw from the academician become a journalist on you can become a soldier who is cool.
DAMON: For those who state they are the escape goats paying the price, there is no logic left.
I'm not scared for myself (inaudible) says, I'm scared for us all. I have a 10-year-old daughter of course I'm scared this cannot go on like this.
(END VIDEO)
DAMON: And Robyn there are around 150 journalists who are currently jailed, arrested in Turkey with various different allegation being leveled
against them to do with affiliations with a number of different terrorist organizations.
[10:25:04] The Turkish government does insist that those people those people that it is putting on trial is not putting on trial, because of
their journalism per se, but because the Turkish government says they are ties to terrorism.
CURNOW: OK still 150, that is the last, thank you so much Arwa Damon there in Istanbul. The latest world headlines are just ahead, plus we are
learning some very new disturbing details about the Florida's shooter arsenal, the survivors all throw the school massacre fight for new gun law.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: Thank you so much for joining us, you are watching Connect the World our top stories this hour. Some big developments in the Russian
investigation, special counsel Robert Mueller is now looking into Jared Kushner business dealings, he's investigating efforts by Mr. Trump's son in
law to secure financing from non-Russian foreign investors during the presidential transition. Mueller have also reportedly struck a deal with a
former Trump campaign aid Rick Gates and now Mueller is also charging a lawyer with lying to investigators about his communications with Gates.
We will keep you updated in all of that. An Oxfam said that is investigating 26 cases of inappropriate behavior since Haiti scandal broke
the charity CEO appeared before a parliamentary committee on Monday apologizing for the damage cause and for previous comments where he
appeared to downplay the scandal and Britain's Brexit secretary says leaving the E.U. will not turn the country into quote, a Mad Max style
dystopia in a speech in the Austrian capital of Vienna, David Davis laid out how the U.K. plans to continue trading with the European Union after it
leaves saying Brexit will not leads to a race to the bottom.
Russia's Olympic delegation says one of its athletes had tested positive for a banned substance, a second a drug test by Olympic curler Aleksandr
Krushelnitckii showed signs of meldonium.
The scandal could compromise Russia's efforts to regain full Olympic status after being banned because of state sponsored doping. And at to the U.S.
where survivors of the Florida school massacre are taking their fight to the state capital.
And they are demanding political action on gun control to prevent such brutal violence from happening again. But are lawmakers listening? CNN's
Rosa Flores had the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMERON KASKY, SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVOR: My friends and I, my community and I, have stare down the barrel of an AR-15 the way you have not. We
have seen this weapon of war mowed down people we know and love the way you have not. How dare you tell us we don't know what we're talking about.
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Survivors of the high school massacre in Florida demanding that lawmakers make changes to America's gun laws after
they horror they lived to tell about.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never again should a student be silenced by gunshots. Never again should anyone fear going to school.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The time for change wasn't now. The time for change was years ago.
KASKY: Are you for taking steps to save us or are you for taking NRA blood money? We are not letting the United States be run by that terrorist
organization.
FLORES: In Washington, D.C., a group of teenagers staged a protest outside the White House, lying on the ground for three minutes to symbolize how
long it took the killer to gun down 17 students and teachers last week.
ALEX WIND, FLORIDA SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVOR: I want to see action. I don't want to see talk. A 19-year-old who can't purchase an alcoholic
beverage should not be allowed to purchase an AR-15, a weapon of war, a weapon of destruction. It's absolutely absurd.
FLORES: A new national poll shows that 77 percent of Americans do not think that Congress is doing enough to prevent mass shootings, with 62
percent saying President Trump could do more.
As for how to solve the problem, the majority of Americans think that more effective mental health screenings and treatment could have prevented the
massacre, while 58 percent think that stricter gun control laws could have had an impact.
The White House announcing that President Trump supports efforts to improve the federal background check system, that after speaking with Senator John
Cornyn on Friday about the bipartisan bill he's introduced that would strengthen how state and federal government report offenses that could
prohibit people from buying a gun.
But President Trump's only action on guns since taking office undid restrictions aimed at mental illness, and the president's proposed budget
would cut millions from existing background check systems.
All this as CNN is learning more about the confessed killer. A law enforcement source says he purchased at least 10 rifles in the last year.
But the buying spree did not set off any red flags with authorities, the killer appearing in court Monday for the second time. He kept his head
down and said nothing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: CNN's Rosa Flores there reporting. Now survivors of the Florida school shooting will take part in a town hall hosted by CNN's Jake Tapper.
Watch Stand Up: The Students of Stoneman Douglas Demand Action at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday in New York, at 6:00 a.m. in Abu Dhabi Thursday morning.
And all this week, the CNN Freedom Project follows migrants escaping Libya who are been abandoned in the Mediterranean by human trafficker. Now the
International Organization for Migration says young teenagers are the most vulnerable. Isa brings us some of their stories.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Smugglers abandoned this dinghy of the coast of Libya, no engine, no paddle. Humanitarian Organization proactive
open arms, rescued 695 migrants in this deadly sea in the space of one week.
But these Mediterranean waters have claimed more than 400 lives in 2018 alone, according to the International Organization for Migration or the
IOM. For most, the panel begins before boarding a dinghy. In Libya, 80- year-old from Ivory Coast tells about her experiences of the five months she's spent waiting and worrying.
[10:35:05] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)
SOARES: Violence and a lack of dignity, but the abuses don't end there. Migrants between the age of 14 to 17 are most at risk with nearly nine out
of 10 exposed to human trafficking along the central Mediterranean root, according to the IOM. Soliman (ph), knows it well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)
SOARES: In the summer pf 2016 as a 17-year-old.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)
SOARES: As each step of this journey through Mali and Algeria, Soliman (ph) says they had to find the money to pay for the next step, but as he
tried to leave Libya...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)
SOARES: Soliman (ph) says he (Inaudible) have been sold and board by gangsters in the city of (Inaudible), their business, exhorting money from
defenseless migrants.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)
SOARES: After several months of torture, Soliman (ph) says he got out, thanks to payment of $1,000 made by his family. But he says hundreds were
left behind many have been imprisoned.
According to the Italian government, the number of migrant arrivals dropped by 70 percent since July of 2017, while some in Europe may have applaud
this drop, thousands of migrants are now in Libya, trapped in limbo, huddled in fear. Isa Soares, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: Thank to, Isa, for that. And on Wednesday, CNN will bring you the story of a 140 rescued from a dingy in the choppy waters of the
Mediterranean, after they were abandoned, after months of abused at the hands of human traffickers. Now here is a preview of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: After 10 hours in rough waters, 140 migrants traumatized and shaken are rescued by volunteers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Foreign Language)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: So we will have much more on their story and their new found freedom at this time tomorrow only on the CNN. Now the Freedom Project are
all part of CNN's work to highlight the plague of modern day slavery. And less than a month from now, on March 14th, put it on you diaries, we will
host our second ever My Freedom Day.
CNN is partnering with young people from around the world for a student-led day of action, driving My Freedom Day is really a very simple but important
question, what does freedom mean to you? Well, we want to hear from you, what does freedom means to you. Post a photo or video using the hashtag My
Freedom Day.
And still ahead here at CNN, Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas makes a rare address to the Security Council. We are live from the U.N.
[10:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: You are watching CNN and this is Connect the World with me, Robyn Curnow. Thanks for joining us. Now we've certainly been keeping an eye on
the U.N. Security Council in the last hour or so.
This is Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas. And he's been addressing members for the first time in nearly a decade. And for the
first time since the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Well, CNN's Ian Lee is following this from Jerusalem and Richard Roth is at the U.N. Richard, to you first, Mahmoud Abbas has just been speaking to
about four minutes or so. What has he been saying and what do we expect him to always?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's been building up I think to his main part of the speech. But he comes to the Security Council
after some of losses you might say on behalf of the Palestinian people.
As you mentioned the U.S. plan to move the capital of the United States of Jerusalem and increasingly deteriorating situation in Gaza, increasing
settlement activity and now he has been telling the Security Council in effect, we joined the peace accords and peace conferences for Oslo to
Madrid, to Annapolis, and what have we got in return.
People have been wondering why you see here but this is really -- he's going to be responding in a way to U.S. ambassador Haley. Well, a few
weeks ago, in a rare undiplomatic gesture at United Nations, blasted Abbas, saying look, should, Sadat, would have the courage to come to Jerusalem,
make peace overtures with Israel, why can't the Palestinians move accordingly?
So we also have some fiery remarks. We know that Ambassador Haley is going to elaborate also at Abbas again after he speaks. Robyn.
CURNOW: And I understand that Jared Kushner is also there in that room with her. Also there to you, Ian Lee, in Jerusalem is the Israeli
ambassador. He will also get to respond to Mr. Abbas.
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, that's right. You know, we're following both sides. On one hand you have the Palestinians and they're going to be
talking about how the United States isn't really this partner in peace that they thought the U.S. was, especially after, Richard said, the moving of
U.S. embassy, the declaration that they are going to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and declaring it the capital of Israel.
For the Palestinians though, they are going to be looking at what's the next step in this peace process. Who can they go to and we're likely to
hear that from the Palestinian president during the speech in front of U.N. Security Council who they would like to see, take up the mantle, if you
will, of the peace process.
Will it resemble something like what happened with the Iran nuclear deal where you have the five-member -- permanent members of the U.N. Security
Council plus Germany or something like the Quartet, which has been up trying to create a peace process here which involved in the E.U., the U.N.,
the U.S. and Russia.
And so we'll likely to see something like that. From the Israeli side, though, you're going to like to see the Israeli ambassador talk about how
the Palestinians have not been a partner in peace and how they have set up roadblocks.
Something that we've heard time after time from Israelis is that the money going to Palestinians or Palestinian families who commit what they say are
acts of terror in the West Bank and inside Israel.
And so they are likely to say that, you know, it's the Israelis who have been real -- sorry, the Palestinians who been the ones that have created
these obstacles to the peace.
CURNOW: And, Richard Roth, to you there, I mean in many ways, Abbas -- we're expecting him to put aside 25 years of policy which is essentially
having the U.S. be the mediator in this conflict, as, Ian, has said for some other sort of international coalition using the Iran deal as an
example of how that was done.
In terms of at the U.N., how much appetizers there and how much support are there for some other kind of mediation process? Who would put their hands
up to do that?
ROTH: Listen, there's a lot of talk but it's hard to overturn decades of diplomatic movement that has always had the U.S. as the main arbiter.
[10:45:04] The so-called Quartet has not exactly produce results over the years, yet they continue to meet. President Abbas just said Israel has
shut the door on the two-state solution.
We are hearing similar rhetoric at the table that we have heard before, though it's possible Abbas will say that he would like to see a different
forum outside of the U.S.
And he is always interested in playing a leading role diplomatically, but the U.S. is always insisted the Israelis and the Palestinians have to
settle things together.
The level of decisions made by Washington, now the rhetoric is certainly threatens any type of quote, traditional diplomacy that we have seen in
this form.
Unprecedented language by the U.S. ambassador at the table on the Middle East subject aimed at the leader or de facto leader of a state. Well, the
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon will speak right after President Abbas at the Security Council table.
CURNOW: And, Ian, you there in Jerusalem, you have also traveled to the territories recently. What's the feeling on the ground, both in Israel and
in the Palestinian territories, in both Gaza and the West Bank?
I mean, is there a sense that this is a new phase of the struggle of which on what we expecting Mr. Abbas to say in some of the pre-analysis? What do
people feel about this is taking place in the U.N. right now?
LEE: You really get a diverse reaction, Robyn. If you talk to people in Gaza, their main concern right now is their daily lives with electricity,
with medicine, with food just making it through the day.
You know, the peace process and reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. Two of the main Palestinian political parties definitely is something
they're concerned about.
But when you talk to just about their immediate concerns, it is about just making it through. In the West Bank, you talk to Palestinians and you
know, there is another disconnect there between the old and the young.
You talk to Palestinian officials and older Palestinians, they still talk about this two-state solution, and they want to see a strong Palestinians
show at the United U.N. Security Council to push for this two state solution.
But when you talk to younger Palestinians, to pull him aside and asked them about what they believe is the right way forward, what they actually think
the future looks like more and more we speak with, and talk about one-state solution, where the Palestinians and Israelis live side by side under one-
state.
Now this is something that the Israelis won't even entertain that idea or most Israelis won't entertain the idea of a one-state solution, you know,
because that really jeopardizes Israel's status as a Democratic Jewish State.
Will these Palestinians in a one-state solution have equal rights? These are all different things that will be -- would be brought up. But there
are a lot of young Palestinians who are just exhausted.
They don't see this going forward anywhere. You have a leader who a senior citizen and they don't see any fresh ideas coming from him.
So, there's a lot of despair I think you could say with a lot of Palestinians about the way this is moving forward, especially the state of
the peace process, where it doesn't look like you have the United States -- or the Palestinians say you don't have the United States as a partner for
peace. Robyn.
CURNOW: OK. Ian, there in Jerusalem. Richard Roth at the U.N. We will continue to monitor all of these comments. Thanks, guys. So, how do you
get an Oscar-nominated actor to turn into Winston Churchill. Well, coming up, behind-the-scenes look at the transformation of one of very special
makeup had to be talks into creating it.
[10:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: You are watching CNN and it is Connect the World. I am Robyn Curnow. Welcome back. Now his performance as Winston Churchill in the
film, the Darkest Hours already won 26 awards, including the Golden Globe Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA trophy for best actor.
So one might assume that Gary Oldman is the favorite to find himself back on the stage at the award season grand finale -- the Oscars.
But how ever great his performance, he didn't become prime minister on his own. CNN Nick Glass spoke to the makeup artist who came out of retirement
to transform the actor into Winston Churchill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY OLDMAN, ACTOR: When will the lesson be learned? How many more dictators must be wooed, appeased -- good God, given immense privileges,
before we learn? You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth.
NICK GLASS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So how did they do it? How was Winston Churchill reincarnated so convincingly by Gary Oldman on the face of it,
even the shadows the actor politician is exactly look-alike.
KAZUHIRO TSUJI, MAKE-UP ARTIST: Gary's face -- for example, Gary looks like a greyhound. But Churchill is like a bulldog.
GLASS: The extraordinary transformation from greyhound to bulldog began here in an artist studio in Los Angeles. Kazuhiro Tsuji is a sculptor of
hyperrealist faces. He likes to recreate historical figures, the bigger the better. But once upon a time, he used to work in the movies.
OLDMAN: I needed not only a makeup artist but I needed an artist, I felt, for this. And I remember saying, there's only one man, Kazuhiro Tsuji.
And my playing Winston was really contingent on Kazu.
OLDMAN, "WINSTON CHURCHILL": So here's to not buggering it up.
GLASS: Kazu, as he's known, created the makeup for Jim Carrey in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and for Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button. But in 2012, he decided to leave the industry.
TSUJI: I love to do special effects makeup but it was stressing me too much to the level that I felt like I'm shortening my life.
GLASS: So Gary Oldman had to coax Kazu back just for this one movie.
TSUJI: I never had opportunity to do a historical character in a film, like a main character, with the makeup. And I felt like, OK, well, this
could be once in a lifetime.
GLASS: Under the liquid resin, Gary Oldman with a shaven head, this process gave Kazu the mold for a life cast and, from that, he began to
design the prosthetics.
TSUJI: This is the neck. It's like a hood piece that goes over his head.
GLASS: Kazu did the tests on Oldman himself, everything like real skin, including a prosthetic Adam's apple. In all, he designed six pieces,
including cheeks, nose and chin. Kazu left the meticulous daily application to British colleagues, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick.
The process took them more than three hours every day, for 48 consecutive shooting days. Kazu made a series of wigs from baby hair and Angora rabbit
fur.
TSUJI: The great thing about Gary is, like, he just disappears. After 10 minutes, I start to forget about the makeup and start to forget about the
Gary, because it's just became Churchill. And that's really rare.
GLASS: Nick Glass for CNN, with Kazu Tsuji.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[10:55:00] CURNOW: Now for your Parting Shot, a reminder, don't chickens before they hatch. Kentucky Fried Chicken in the U.K. is unable to wing it
after a shipping mix up, the fried chicken chain had to close 800 of its 900 restaurants across Britain on Monday.
Many might be closed for the rest of the week after they said the chicken shortage was caused by a logistical area with its new delivery company.
Some KFC customers might collapse a paltry excuse.
I'm Robyn and that was Connect the World. We will have a quick break, and then I'm back with more on the International Desk, stay tuned.
END