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Syria Invites International Inspectors to Douma; Trump Furious About FBI Raid Targeting Personal Attorney; Mark Zuckerberg to Testify to U.S. Lawmakers; Trump Weighs Response to Alleged Gas Attack. Aired 11a-12n ET
Aired April 10, 2018 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00] LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: Welcome to our show. You are watching CONNECT THE World. I am Lynda Kinkade in Atlanta sitting in for Becky
Anderson.
Well, we begin in Syria where we're waiting to see how U.S. will respond to an alleged chemical attack on the rebel held town. In the past couple of
hours Donald Trump has scrapped a visit to South America to monitor the situation. The President has promised to make a decision in the coming
hours. Now Syria denies carrying out an attack and has even invited the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to Douma.
But there is mounting outrage after disturbing and very graphic images emerge from the area. We want to share them with you because we believe
it's important to show you the level of violence that some people are facing. You can see some of the apparent victims of the suspected gas
attack including very young children. Now, CNN has not been able to independent verify these pictures, which were provided by an opposition
activist group and were edited before they distributed it.
But the head of the United Nations says he is outraged by the reports. And diplomats say the United Nations Security Council is set to vote on this
issue later today. We're covering all angles of this complex story. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has had the where opportunity to report to us live from
Syria's capital, Damascus, close to Eastern Ghouta. Sam Kiley is in Moscow and our Jeremy Diamond is in Washington. I want to go first to Fred. And
President Trump late yesterday, Fred, said he is promising a response within 24 to 48 hours. At this state, other world leaders want an
investigation. Has anyone been able to access the site at this stage?
PLEITGEN: Well, there certainly have been, Lynda. It's quite interesting, because the Russians have actually managed to get to the site where all
this happened. And one of the things that we have been pointing out is that this neighborhood where this alleged attack took place, Douma, was in
the hand of an Islamist rebel group called Jaysh al-Islam when this happened. But has since then switched sides essentially to the Syrian
government and also the Russian forces as well. The rebels have been bussed out. I think that's about complete now. And the Russian forces
moved in.
Now the Russians are saying that they've had teams on the ground with specialists, so they have investigated the site. They say that they found
no traces of any sort of chemicals or chemical weapons that may have been used. They also say that they spoke to local doctors on the ground who
also have said that they knew nothing about any sort of chemical attacks. Now, of course, that will not be enough for the U.S. and other
international players who, of course, are demanding an international-free investigation into all this. And that is of course where the reason why
the UN Security Council meeting is going to happen later.
But the Syrian government has now also come forward and said that it has agreed to this and it wants the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons, the OPCW, to start a fact-finding mission on the ground. They say that they can work in any way that they like and that they can
move in as fast as possible -- Lynda.
KINKADE: All right, Frederik Pleitgen in Damascus. Thank you.
And want to go no to Sam Kiley in Moscow. And Sam, President Trump says he won't just hold Syria accountable for this but also its allies, Iran and
Russia. Just take us through the response from Moscow. They claim there's no evidence of the chemical attack.
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, they insist there's no evidence of a chemical attack. And as Fred was saying there, they claim
to have specialists on the ground to have conduct their own investigation that has exonerate the Syrian regime. Also, General Graziano, over many
months now since the last American attack against Syria has reiterated the Russian point of view that if Russian forces were to come under attack from
the United States or any of her allies inside Syria, then there would be retaliation. Nonetheless, I think that the hope for the Russians is that
there may be some diplomatic wiggle room for them to get out of this. But nevertheless, the Russian are taking a pretty strong line. This is what
the foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): We've asked the OPCW to go there and we will try to make sure that this visit takes
place. We cannot continue to lend credence to reports that we hear of analyses conducted remotely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KILEY: Now, credence to reports that may or may not be due, of course, is the line at the Russians take frequently when these sorts of atrocities are
committed.
[11:05:00] But there is force in the region, a very potent one, that has been calling for a no-fly zone since the early days of the Syrian
revolution. That's a no-fly zone applicable to the Syrian regime to prevent them bombing the Syrian people. It's a NATO partner, of course,
I'm talking about Turkey. And Turkey's President has laid down the law pretty tightly in terms of how he would expect to react if it is proven
that the Syrians did conduct this latest atrocity using chemical weapons. This is what President Erdogan had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT (through translator): I cast those who carry out this massacre whoever has done this, the perpetrators will be
brought to account and will certainly pay a heavy price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KILEY: Now, a heavy price has been threatened by the United States. It's now been threatened by Turkey. There are talks going on to perhaps involve
the British and the French have offered, too, if there's confirmation that this was a use of a chemical weapon, a banned substance by the Syrian
regime. Now, that may be some time off. And therein lies the opportunity really for a diplomatic solution before perhaps what looked more like
military gestures will be made in response to this latest atrocity -- Lynda.
KINKADE: And Sam, this, of course, is not the only thing upsetting Russia. Israel has reportedly attacked a military base in Syria killing Iranians.
KILEY: Yes, that's right. This was the T-4 base, not necessarily connected directly to the use of chemical weapons. Although, the Israelis
have made it abundantly clear that the development of chemical weapons on their doorstep as they see it inside Syria is almost in existential threat.
But really, the Israelis have been steadily trying to pick away at the capacity of Iran through its client militia, the south Lebanese militia,
Hezbollah, to reinforce, to get the capacity to threaten deeper and deeper inside Israeli territory.
There is something of a doom-laden feeling. I've been recently in Lebanon and in Israel, and in both countries, people are directly involved with the
sort of planning for these issues whether Hezbollah or the Israelis fear that some kind of a clash perhaps inside the next year is almost
inevitable. And it will probably start as a consequence of something coming out of Syria. So, I think that's how we have to see this latest
attack by the -- allegedly by the Israelis on this Iranian target, the Syrian/Iranian target inside Syria. Not directly connected, of course,
with the chemical weapons. But part of the mail stream of chaos that Syria has now become.
KINKADE: All right, Sam in Moscow. I just want to go now to Jeremy Diamond. Because, Jeremy, we've heard strong statements from both the U.S.
president and also the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who late yesterday said we've reached the moment where the world must see
justice. These sort of statements we're hearing are quite contrary to what we're hearing from President Trump last week. Explain this mixed signal
we're hearing from the White House.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right. Well, White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, just yesterday had to, you know, face
questions about the president's comments last week. Not only his comments about pulling out of Syria but his meeting with top military officials in
which he told them to essentially begin drawing up plans for a potential withdraw of U.S. troops. Probably within the next six months to a year or
so. But what the White House also made clear is that while that is still the President's position, he still does want to take those several thousand
troops that remain in Syria out of there, pull them out and bring them back to the United States.
They don't believe that that is contradictory with the message of countering the use of chemical weapons in Syria or anywhere else in the
world. Sarah Sanders, the White House Press Secretary, insisted yesterday that the United States will push back against these chemical attacks,
regardless of whether it has U.S. troops in Syria or not. And we know that the President is now considering a series of options. And by the makings
of it, it looks like it will be something in coordination with the French. President Trump has spoken with the French President, Emmanuel Macron,
twice over the last two days. And so, we're anticipating a decision on that front shortly.
KINKADE: Jeremy Diamond, thank you very much in Washington. I just want to go back to Fred. Because as we hear all these world leaders weigh in on
a possible response, I want to get a sense of how Syrians are feeling there?
PLEITGEN: Well, you know, Lynda, I think that in the early stages after this alleged attack took place, I don't think anybody was really expecting
here on the ground in Syria that there would be U.S. military action because of that. In fact, there were some people that we've been speaking
to, regular people, it really wasn't even on their mind at all. I mean, we have to keep in mind that all this happened at the same time that that last
rebel stronghold in Eastern Ghouta fell.
[11:10:02] And that was what was preoccupying people at the time. But now that this is going on, now that you have these additional statements by the
U.S. president. Now that he's canceled his trip to Latin America to oversee the response, I think it's thinking and with many people. Also,
the Syrian leadership that most probably the United States is not bluffing. And there is a very real possibility that the folks here could see U.S.
military action very, very soon -- Lynda.
KINKADE: All right, Frederick Pleitgen, one of the few international journalists in Syria. Our thanks to you. Thanks also to Sam Kiley in
Moscow and Jeremy Diamond in Washington.
And we have an update now in the case of the former Russian spy whose poisoning set off a diplomatic crisis. Now that his daughter, Yulia, has
been released from hospital in Britain, Moscow is sending a stern warning. The Russian Embassy says any attempt to secretly resettle the pair will be
considered an abduction. So, with Yulia out of the hospital, and her father Sergei doing a bit better, what happens now? Let's bring in our
Phil Black, who joins us from Salisbury, England, where the two were found more than a month ago. In Phil, with Yulia discharge and well and truly on
the mend, the big question is, was the likelihood she'll meet with any Russian diplomats?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it doesn't seem very likely at this stage, Lynda. The Russians have been demanding access to Yulia Skripal for
weeks now while she was in hospital. And they had been consistently outraged because they believed British authorities were preventing them
from seeing her. That will sort of putting an end to late on Friday, when the foreign office here released a statement saying, that the invitation to
meet with Russian consular officials had been passed on, but so far Yulia Skripal hadn't taken them up on it.
Now that she's been released from hospital, we learned today that she was discharged yesterday, on Monday. The Russians are saying that well, they
welcome the news, firstly of her recovery, but they want is urgent proof they say that she is still acting under her own freewill. And they've gone
beyond that, in commenting on what at the moment is really only a hypothetical scenario. Something that's been discussed in British media,
the possibility of Yulia and Sergei Skripal being secretly relocated under new identities in another country. And that's where they talk about this,
as you touched on there, with that sort of scenario they say it would be classified as the abduction or isolation of Russian nationals.
KINKADE: And Phil, just quickly, her 66-year-old father, the former double agent is still in hospital. How is he doing?
BLACK: He's doing OK too, we're told. So, both of them have responded, in the words to the hospital, exceptionally well to treatment. But his
recovery is slower. He's no longer critical, but he's improving. And the hospital today said that they are hopeful that he, too, will released in
due course.
KINKADE: Good to hear. Phil Black for us Salisbury, England. Good to have you with us, thank you.
Still to come, Donald Trump is lashing out over a legal raid on his personal attorney's office. Calling it an attack on the United States
itself. We'll see what the FBI wants from Michael Cohen.
[11:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: You're watching CNN. And this is CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Lynda Kinkade welcome back.
Well, a total witch hunt. Those words all in capital letters, screamed on Donald Trump's Twitter page this morning. A sign that his frustration with
the Russian investigation is reaching a boiling point. He's furious about a FBI raid on his personal attorney's office. Lashing out at special
counsel, Robert Mueller. Except Mueller did not directly order the raid targeting Michael Cohen. And that could be a troubling sign for Mr. Trump
that new jurisdictions are getting involved. As Abby Phillip reports, the President now suggesting he may take action.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a disgrace. It's, frankly, a real disgrace. It's an attack on our country in a true sense.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump boiling over, launching a lengthy tirade against special counsel, Robert
Mueller's Russia investigation, after the FBI raided the office of his long-time personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
TRUMP: So, I just heard that they broke into the office of one of my personal attorneys, a good man. And it's a disgraceful situation. It's a
total witch hunt.
PHILLIP: Flanked by a room full of stern faced military officials, President Trump falsely claiming the lawful raid was a break-in and
attempting to undermine the credibility of Mueller's team. But Cohen's lawyer says referred the case to New York prosecutors.
TRUMP: This is the most biased group of people. These people have the biggest conflicts of interest I've ever seen.
PREET BHARARA, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: The Justice Department is run by his people. The special counsel was appointed by his people. This U.S.
attorney is the person who I am told, he actually met with before appointing him to the position.
PHILLIP: A source tells CNN that approximately a dozen agents carried out Monday's raids on Cohen's office and the New York City hotel where he was
staying. Multiple newspapers reporting that Cohen's home was also searched. Sources say that using a broad search warrant, authorities
seized bank records and information related to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Who Cohen paid $130,000 days before the election in an attempt to
silence her from talking about an alleged affair with President Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Do you know about the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels?
TRUMP: No. No. What else?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Then why did Michael Cohen make those if there was no truth to her allegations?
TRUMP: Well, you'll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. Annual have to ask Michael Cohen.
PHILLIP: A source tells CNN that communications between Cohen and President Trump were among the record seized. Cohen's lawyer calling the
raids inappropriate and unnecessary. Insisting that Cohen has cooperated completely with all government entities. "The Washington Post" reports
that Cohen is under federal investigation for possible bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign violations. Daniels' lawyer responding to the FBI raid.
MICHAEL AVENATTI, STORMY DANIELS ATTORNEY: We have substantial reason to believe that when Michael Cohen opened the bank accounts at First Republic
Bank for the purposes of wiring this money, that he was not truthful and honest with the bank as for the purpose of those accounts and what they
were designed to be used for.
PHILLIP: A source close to the White House tells CNN that the Cohen raid could push the President to take action against the special council or
deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein who is overseeing Mueller's probe.
TRUMP: Why don't I just fire Mueller? Well, I think it is a disgrace what's going on. We'll see what happens. But I think it's really a sad
situation when you look at what happened.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Meantime, more turmoil in the White House, as the homeland security adviser resigns. Let's get more now from CNN White House
reporter, Stephen Collinson. Stephen, that revolving door at the White House keeps turning. What can you tell us?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: This was a surprise, Lynda. Bossert is widely considered to be one of the White House officials who's
actually been doing a good job particularly in some of the hurricane situations we faced last year. In fact, he was out on the Sunday talk
shows in the United States this weekend, talking for the administration. What we understand, my colleague, Kaitlan Collins, is reporting that
Bossert was in fact, pushed out by the new national security adviser, John Bolton, who only started on the job on Monday. Bolton is someone who's
known to have pretty sharp administrative elbows in Washington. And it seems like he's trying to get his own team around him.
[11:20:00] But even so, this was still a surprise. Bossert wasn't really seen as somebody who that was threatened by Bolton's arrival. But I think
it maybe gives us some hints into how fundamentally the new national security advisor is trying to reshape the entire internal White House
operation as it pertains to national security.
KINKADE: Is certainly incredible. Never a dull moment. And while this is all playing out, Donald Trump is dealing with major concerns when it comes
to his personal lawyer. I just want to play again that sound of Donald Trump yesterday discussing the FBI raid on his personal lawyers' offices.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They raided an office of a personal attorney early in the morning. And I think it's a disgrace. So, will be talking about it more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: In terms of those raids, we saw on Twitter, a total witch hunt. We saw also, the attorney/client privilege is dead. Those tweets from
President Trump. Is he angry enough to take action that would force out Robert Mueller? Is it likely to happen?
COLLINSON: He's certainly the most angry that we've seen and he's talking about the possibility of firing Mueller, at least yesterday, more openly
than we've ever seen, Lynda. I mean, this is really something that's stunning. The personal lawyer of the president of the United States is the
subject of an FBI raid. That's unprecedented territory. And you have to think that in order to carry out that raid, judicial authorities Mueller
and Washington, the authorities in New York must have pretty strong indications that there is some evidence that they really need. That
there's something nefarious going on to take such an aggressive step and full knowledge of the political impact of that. This is something we have
not seen before.
So, it really is one of the most stunning revelations of the Mueller probe so far. Whether the President was venting there, against Mueller, against
the deputy attorney general, Rob Rosenstein, who oversees the investigation or whether he was seriously contemplating taking actions that would really
throw America's political system into disarray. The firing of Rosenstein as an attempt to get Mueller. We don't really know. All we know is nobody
in the White House seems to know what the President is going to do next. So far today, we're not even at lunchtime in Washington. He hasn't taken
any of those steps, but it's something that's going to be very closely watched today and in the coming days. And Washington really is on edge.
KINKADE: Yes, no doubt. With Cohen under investigation for bank fraud and campaign finance violations according to "The Washington Post" reports. In
times of crisis it was often said that President Trump would return to Hope Hicks. With her gone, is there anyone that is filling that void right now?
COLLINSON: It's pretty unclear. I mean, the White House staff say that none of them were really aware that the President was going to come out and
give that statement yesterday about the raid on his lawyer's office. So, there's certainly a question about, is Donald Trump so angry and so
isolated in the White House, so sort of convinced that there is this persecution against him by the FBI and the Justice Department, that he's
going to act without recourse to any of his lawyers or his political advisers? That certainly seemed to be the case yesterday.
That appearance, by the way, he was surrounded by all of the military's top brass. Ostensibly to talk about the looming action against Syria to punish
chemical weapons use, allegedly chemical weapons attacks. That was hardly the kind of forum you'd expect him to give the highly political, highly
personal, inflammatory remarks in. So, I think that just shows how angry the President is. And how unlikely it is that anybody in the
administration, whether it was Hope Hicks, who is now gone, or anybody else can talk him off the ledge.
KINKADE: Yes, we'll see how this plays out. Stephen Collinson, always good to have you with us, thank you.
Well, let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now. Chinese President, Xi Jinping, pledging to lower tariffs on
vehicles and other imports. This is raising hopes that the U.S. and China can avoid a trade war. Now, investors were hopeful sending U.S. stocks
more than 300 points higher at the open. Right now, you can see they're us almost 500 points.
[11:25:00] The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has accepted an invitation to visit North Korea. Lavrov today hosted his counterpart from
Pyongyang. He said the leaders of the two countries regularly exchange statements, but there was no talk about a possible meeting.
And today is equal payday in the U.S. When on average women have now caught up with what men earned last year. The American women still earn about 80
cents on every dollar the men take home. The gap is wider for many minority women and its present across a variety of fields.
Well, now to the meeting of two young world leaders in France. French president, Emmanuel Macron, will host the That, Mohammed bin Salman at a
gala dinner. Their combined age of 72 is just a year older than U.S. President Donald Trump. Well, it's the final event of the Princes multi-
national PR tour as he tries to present a more moderate image of Saudi Arabia. Well, the goal is to strengthen relations and to also bolster
trade and tourism.
And Mr. Macron faces strong pushback in France from those opposed to arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners fighting in Yemen. I want to
bring in our correspondent Melissa Bell. Melissa, we've seen the Prince on his tour so far in the U.K. and across the U.S., meeting with some
Hollywood heavyweights here in California. What is he hoping to achieve there in France?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Well, meeting here with Emmanuel Macron won't necessarily be as easy as it was with his counterpart in the
United States since he's normally found a more natural ally on so many of these Middle Eastern issues in Donald Trump. He and Emmanuel Macron simply
don't see eye to I on so many of these conflicts in the region, which all have, of course, is a background as a context that rivalry and those
tensions between Riyadh and Tehran. Take, for instance, the Iran deal. Emmanuel Macron is leading the charge for it to be preserved, for it to be
saved. Something, of course, that puts water between them, but there's also the question of Qatar. France has remained a staunch ally of the
country even as Saudi Arabia has led its blockade. And then, as you mentioned, Lynda, theirs is a question of Yemen. Which causes a great deal
of conflict here in France. In fact, the French President is under pressure not only from the press but also from parliamentarians here in
France over arms sales to Saudi Arabia in the context of what the U.N. describes as the worst humanitarian crisis facing the world in 2018 --
Lynda.
KINKADE: And Melissa, I also understand that President Macron has spoken to President Trump a couple times about the apparent chemical attack in
Syria. With the French president saying it's a red line. What sort of action is France prepared to take? And how is the news being received
there?
BELL: Well, this is very much what we are hoping to hear fairly shortly, Lynda, since in the next few minutes we are expecting the Saudi Crown
Prince to arrive. Those meetings between him and Emmanuel Macron will begin. And then there will be a press conference. And of course, that
question on Syria on which the French president has been absolutely clear that this usage of chemical weapons would constitute the red line. That
France was prepared to intervene militarily. That will be the question on lips of all the journalists present at the press conference. What does he
plan to do and when does he plan to do it? He's now spoken to the American President twice in many days, and again, Paris is showing its determination
this time to act.
KINKADE: All right, Melissa Bell, we will come back to you, no doubt, when the press conference takes place in Paris. Thank you very much.
You are watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. Still to come, he runs a virtual nation, population 2 billion people. His net worth is $60 billion.
So, will he have to say sorry that many times? In a watershed moment, we look at Facebook's boss who is about to testify to American lawmakers.
[11:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ZUCKERBERG, FACEBOOK CEO: This was a major breach of trust. And I'm really sorry that this happened. And we have a basic responsibility to
protect people's data. And if we can't do that, then we don't deserve to have the opportunity to serve people. So, our responsibility now is to
make sure that this doesn't happen again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, from offering his first sorry in that CNN exclusive to now. In less than three hours Facebook's 33-year-old boss, Mark Zuckerberg, will
take his apology all the way to some of America's most powerful lawmakers. Spending today and tomorrow owning up to his mistakes and answering
questions about a massive data harvesting scandal that exposed the private information of 87 million Facebook users. Well, CNN's Laurie Segall is on
Capitol Hill for us where this is all going down. Laurie, of course, is that first interview with Zuckerberg after this scandal broke that we just
played. So, Laurie, obviously we know Mark Zuckerberg is the type of man that generally likes to lay low, but he has had to prepare for this
grilling today. You've got the inside word on that. What is his strategy?
LAURIE SEGALL, CNNMONEY SENIOR TECH CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, in short, his strategy is to be contrite, humble and respectful. That's what I'm
told from a source within Facebook. And what they've done over the last week is essentially turn one of the conference rooms into a congressional
hearing room and they've been doing these mock trials. And he's prepared to answer a lot of hard questions. They've been trying to throw him
curveballs. One thing he's ready to talk about is why he believes he should be leading the company through this tough time. There have been a
lot of questions on whether he should step down. So, he's ready to answer that question.
I'm also told by this source that, you know, we're going to hear him try to remind people why Facebook is a good thing. I think we have seen a very
tough news cycle, tough narrative around Facebook and what it's doing essentially for democracy, for the mental health of users, what it's doing
with our data privacy. He's going in and try to tell a different story, the other story of Facebook. And I'm told he's also prepared to push back
a little bit, so say, you know, Senator, I respectfully disagree with you. And he's prepared to answer the question of whether the business model is
fundamentally broken at the cost of the users, which I think a lot of folks are asking about -- Lynda.
KINKADE: And Laurie, it's no surprise we have heard a lot of criticism of this. Let's just take a listen to what the U.S. president's chief economic
adviser had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those in reference to The Hill, this week to testify. Does the administration feel that Facebook should be regulated?
[11:35:00] LARRY KUDLOW, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: Is he going to wear a suit and tie and a clean white shirt? That's my only question.
Is he going to behave like an adult? As a major corporate leader or give me the phony baloney -- what is it? Hoodies and dungarees and what does
that kind of say to itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Is Larry Kudlow there not mincing words. Unusual phrasing perhaps. But also, is there any truth to that, that people as powerful as
the man running Facebook, need to essentially grow up?
SEGALL: Well, first of all, I'm told from behind the scenes he's definitely wearing a suit. So, to answer his question. But look, I think
this is a point -- this is a moment of maturity for the company. You know, I've been covering Silicon Valley for nearly a decade and you know, there's
an amount of hubris. When you used to go into Facebook's offices years ago, there was these signs that said, move fast and break things. There's
this idea that, you know, were doing great work at any cost without looking at the human cost of this. And I think, you know, this is a moment for
accountability. And I also think to really shape how were looking at the power in the future of the internet.
Our Suzanne Malveaux spoke to Senator Chuck Grassley. And what he said, which I thought was interesting in his interview, he said people have a
constitutional right to privacy. I think we're all trying to figure out what did we sign up for when we sign up for Facebook? Should we have
trusted them with our data? And what are they doing to be responsible? And if they're not being responsible with it, what kind of regulatory
issues are we going to see? What kind of regulation are we going to see? I know that Facebook has been trying to get in front of this in a big way
over the last couple of weeks.
Ever since I sat down and spoke with Mark, they've rolled out a number of changes, you know, for data protection and data privacy, political ads and
issue ad transparency, verifying users within big pages. You know, so, it's been an onslaught of news over the last couple of weeks. I think the
frustration, which you'll hear from lawmakers, that you hear from us users, is that this is really the first we're hearing of this after the fact.
KINKADE: And I want to get a bit more of your take on that, Laurie, because some of our viewers might have a look at Facebook and see this
morning. I want to show the viewers. This warning may pop up when they log into Facebook. That basically their information was harvested. And
you can remember that, of course, that the company shied away from ever even telling anyone that it happened back when it took place. So, we have
seen this warning, we have seen this apology. But take us through the steps that Facebook is actually taking right now to rehabilitate its image.
SEGALL: Well, even that speech that you just saw, I mean, what you can do is see what apps you sign up for. You can actually kind of opt out of
these apps. They've tried to -- they're now billing their ads with more transparency. Slapping the word political ad or issue ad on them. That'll
be rolling out at the beginning in a couple months.
And you know, they are taking steps, but there is that 'frustration. You know, is it, you know, are they getting in front of this? You know, when
we look back at the Cambridge Analytica data, we still don't know exactly how that was used. And we still don't also know, they said they were going
to do an audit. We also don't know if that data has been deleted. Those questions aren't clear. There's frustration around that. And then, you
know, they just announced a data bounty program, just literally in my inbox a couple moments ago I saw this, where they are trying to, you know,
incentivize people to find misuse of data. And so, I think the big question is, you know, what else are we going to find? What else are we
going to see? And how is our data used in all these different ways? And these are important questions and you can argue, you know, from covering
this company for a long time, and for me, stepping into Mark's orbit a little bit. You know, he's not used to this setting. This is political
theater, too. He was very nervous during our interview because he is very much, I don't want to joke, he's been almost living in his own filter
bubble of sorts. He's ruled his constituents of 2 billion people from afar with Facebook live, with blog posts, after the fact. And I think, you
know, that's got to change. Because at this point he's a world leader. And the company needs to be more accountable, more transparent and humbled
by this big moment in time. And this is, you know, a moment for Facebook. But I think that the tech community as a whole to do some soul searching.
KINKADE: Yes, they will certainly have to do that. Laurie Segall on Capitol Hill. We will, no doubt, be covering that testimony when Mark
Zuckerberg faces the lawmakers there in three hours from now. Thank you so much, Laurie.
SEGALL: Thank you.
JONES: Well, you will remember, of course, Donald Trump's own deadline to decide how to respond to an alleged gas attack in Syria. It is fast
approaching. Mr. Trump says nothing is off the table and that issue has been thrown into sharp focus for American allies, too. British Prime
Minister, Theresa May, spoke to Mr. Trump earlier on Tuesday while friends say there will be a response if Syria has crossed a red line.
One person with firsthand experience of military strategy is our next guest. Cedric Leighton is a retired Air Force colonel and CNN military
analyst. He joins us now from Washington. Always good to get your perspective. We heard from President Trump that there will be action and
that it will come soon within 24 to 48 hours. And he made that statement late yesterday.
[11:40:00] Just explain for us what options he has?
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, AIR FORCE COLONEL (RETIRED): Lynda, his actions include several things that we've tried before such as Tomahawk missile
strikes. They also include possibly using aircraft to go after select targets within Syria. And they could include ground forces. Of course,
the other option would be to do absolutely nothing, which I think is extremely unlikely given his announcements and given the kind of ramp-up
that we've had in the last 24 to 48 hours as a result of the chemical attack in Douma.
The most likely action I think will be a combination of what we did last year, which was a tomahawk missile strike plus a select series of air
strikes. Exactly what targets we would hit? That depends on what kind of advice he will get from the joint chiefs of staff. The President will get
this from the giant chiefs of staff. But it could also have an impact on where certain dispositions of forces are, such as the disposition of
Russian forces and the disposition of other more friendly forces in the Syrian theater.
KINKADE: But when you look at what happened last year at those U.S. strikes on that Syrian air base, if this was indeed another chemical attack
at the hands of the Syrian regime, clearly last year's response wasn't a deterrent as it should have been. So, what else could the U.S. do and what
are the ramifications if it goes too far? Especially given the fact that Russia has threatened grave ramifications.
LEIGHTON: So, Lynda, this is really the difficulty of planning these kinds of strikes. I think the attack last year had an effect for a period of
time. But of course, is not a lasting effect. And the only time you are going to really prevent somebody from using chemical weapons is to take
those chemical weapons away from them or take away their ability to use those chemical weapons. So, failing that, we are left with a series of
options that are probably not the most palatable. They are the kind of options that are inconclusive, that are not as decisive as many of us would
like. But that's the kind of situation that the President finds himself in, unless, unless he's willing to commit ground troops to Syria. And I
don't see that happening based on his other pronouncements and on the general political mood in the United States and around the world.
JONES: And on that point, Cedric, why hasn't the U.S. gone after the chemical weapons warehouses along with its allies?
LEIGHTON: That could be something that would be part of the planning effort that is happening right now. So, it is possible that we might be
doing that. I think the reason that -- I think there's several reasons. One of them is that they are very difficult to find, in some cases,
although we do have an intelligence as to some of the locations of the chemicals, especially sarin gas and chlorine. But chlorine is a very tough
thing to isolate because it is so pervasive. Everybody uses it for industrial purposes and it is not necessarily a precursor to a chemical
munition. And that makes part of this difficult because you've got legitimate uses of chemicals and you have uses of chemicals that are
completely illegitimate and immoral, such as we saw in Douma.
KINKADE: Right. I just want to play sound that we've got from the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, who spoke yesterday. Let's just take
a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI HALEY, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: The monster who was responsible for these attacks has no conscience. Not even to be shocked by pictures of
dead children. The Russian regime whose hands are all covered in the blood of Syrian children cannot be ashamed by pictures of its victims.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: And Nikki Haley went on to describe Assad as a monster. Very early in this Syrian civil war, there was a lot of discussion about his
fate. What happens to him when this civil war is over? That seems to be off the table given the support he has from Russia and Iran. What is it
going to take for that to come back on the table of discussion?
LEIGHTON: Well, I think that is a very interesting point because all of the that we've seen right now, Lynda, are on the part of Assad or action
that are characteristic of a criminal behavior. In that this time of criminal behavior extends very much into the category of war crimes. Assad
is frankly, a war criminal. And what would have to happen is the Russians would have to agree that Assad must go.
To get them to do that would require a degree of coercive force on the ground in Syria and really around all of Russia's activities globally.
[11:45:01] And that, in essence, prevents them from doing some of the things that they're engaged in. To include the cyber-attacks that they are
committing against European nations and the U.S. It would also include other things such as tightening up sanctions until Assad left. So those
are the kinds of things that would have to happen. It would take a really concerted strategic approach to do this. And right now, I don't see the
U.S. administration going that route.
But it could happen. But it would take a long time for Assad to be in the same court dock Slobodan Milosevic, the late leader of Serbia was. So that
would be really the goal of the international justice system or it should be the goal of the international justice system. But for us to get there
would require an international agreement on the part of not only the U.S. and its Western partners, but also an agreement on the part of Russia to
get Assad out of there. And that is something that is very, very difficult to achieve.
KINKADE: Yes, no doubt. Really good to get your perspective. Colonel Cedric Leighton in Washington, thanks so much for joining us.
LEIGHTON: You bet, always a pleasure.
KINKADE: You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Still to come, a city in India that's literally on the way up. Will look at what is behind the boom
in our Gurgaon report next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNNMONEY EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: This is New Delhi, India's capital. Head southwest for 30 kilometers and you'll find grinding
traffic with technology workers heading to Gurgaon. After property reforms, the city sprouted up from rural farmland to become a land of
skyscrapers.
AKSHANT GOYAL, VICE PRESIDENT, ZOMATO: I'm Akshant Goyal, vice president of Zomato. I live and work in Gurgaon.
DEFTERIOS: Zomato, the restaurant search platform, has its headquarters here in what's called the old part of the city. Meaning, just 20 years
back.
GOYAL: Many of the new part of Gurgaon was doubled in that point in time. Or maybe just around the Highway. And actually, on the other side of the
highway compared to where we are right now.
DEFTERIOS: As he helps plot Zomato's growth strategy, other global tech names are nearby doing exactly the same.
GOYAL: And you have Google, Facebook, and even in this building you will find Uber, Trip Advisor, you name it.
DEFTERIOS: But Gurgaon is a city struggling to keep pace with all the building taking place.
(on camera): The population growth has been in a word, explosive. Near the turn of the millennium, there were less than a million residents. That
number nearly doubled in a decade and is expected to hit 3 million by 2021.
[11:50:00] Salman Akbar, a director at family-owned developer, ILD is writing that growth. This is new Gurgaon.
If I came here a month ago was there paved road?
SALMAN AKBAR, DIRECTOR, ILD: No, you would actually use this very narrow road for commute -- for commuting inside.
DEFTERIOS (voice-over): His father bought 6 million square feet of land over the last decade. Half of that in this area known as sector 37. With
growth so rapid there's no point names for neighborhoods. Viewing from above, one can see that ILD has 4,000 units in total for India's
aspirational middle class. Akbar says, prices for flats have tripled since they came into the Gurgaon market, which introduces another set of channels
for the government.
(on camera): Due to the rapid development, the contrast between rich and poor is visible. With the old villages living in the shadows of the tall
towers behind.
(voice-over): A city facing constant chaos, but the model arguably works with 40 of the world's top 100 companies calling it home. John Defterios,
One Square Meter, Gurgaon, India.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. For today's parting shots, they're all about a big arrival. When most of us start a new job, we are typically given a day or
two to settle in and find our feet. But when you're Donald Trump's national security adviser, that is just not an option. Former U.N.
ambassador John Bolton had to hit the ground running. And as our Jeanne Moos reports, the White House's new recruit was given a special welcome on
social media.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You've probably thought your first day at work was stressful. But John Bolton has to advise on whether
to attack Syria. And the leader of President Trump calls animal Assad. At the near mention of his own name --
BILL MAHAR, HBO, REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHAR: You remember John Bolton, yes, you remember him at the...
MOOS: Bolton gets booed on liberal leaning comedy shows.
STEPHEN COLBERT, CBS, THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT: Mustache who grew a man.
MOOS: Critics greeted his arrival with tweets like, happy John Bolton day, we're all going to die!
While a supporter posted, feeling safer already.
You know how Batman is summoned with a Bat Signal? That's how Bolton fans portrayed the White House sending for its very own mustachioed crusader
using the bolt signal.
(on camera): John Bolton now has the president's back, literally. He was sitting behind President Trump's back at Monday's cabinet meeting.
(voice-over): John Bolton's facial hair has even inspired Michael Bolton.
MICHAEL BOLTON, SINGER: My walrus mustache can kill on command.
MOOS: And then there's this John Bolton, an actor, who plays the U.S. attorney general on "Madam Secretary."
JOHN BOLTON, ACTOR, BARBARA HALL PRODUCTIONS, "MADAM SECRETARY": And remove the President effective immediately.
[11:55:00] MOOS: They voted to temporarily remove the president because he had a tumor and was about to blow up Russian satellites.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, BARBARA HALL PRODUCTIONS, "MADAM SECRETARY": Where's my national security team?
MOOS: Here he is. Well the actor John Bolton pokes national security advisor, John Bolton, by tweeting, what we need is a national maturity
advisor.
Love him or hate him, John Bolton seems to press everyone's buttons.
SHOWTIME, "OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT": Ugh, it's not a nuclear button, John. Is the get Lou Dobbs on speakerphone.
SHOWTIME, "OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT": Hello, this is Dobsy.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, you can always follow the stories our team is working on throughout the day by going to our Facebook page. That is
Facebook.com/CNNconnect. Among other things we have a story on the possible yacht of the future, one that can fly. You can also get in touch
with me on twitter. You can tweet me @LyndaKinkade. I am Lynda Kinkade that was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thanks so much for watching. I'll see you
tomorrow.
END
