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U.S. Hits Allies with New Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum; Mike Pompeo, Kim Yong-chol in Second Day of Talks; Forced from U.S., El Salvadorans Face Uncertain Future; Zinedine Zidane Abruptly Resigns as Manager; Calm Returns After Days of Violence in Gaza. Aired 11-12n ET
Aired May 31, 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] BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. It's 7:00 in the
evening here.
We begin with breaking news. Donald Trump's administration has just slapped steep tariffs on steel and aluminum from three of America's biggest
trading partners. And Wall Street, well it is already feeling the effects. Down about 250 odd points this hour. It is only about 1 percent but the
drop there noticeable as renewed fears of a global trade wars will be rattling investors.
The trade penalties take effect at midnight targeting steel and aluminum, imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. Now the EU slamming
the tariffs as totally unacceptable and calls this and I quote, a bad day for world trade.
Let's get right to the money and the CNNMoney's John Defterios in London. Also joined by White House reporter and regular guest on this show, Stephen
Collinson. Taking off with you John, you're in London today. You'll have heard these calls from Europe. This is a bad day for trade they say. Just
how bad? What sort of hit are we talking about in practical terms here?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNNMONEY EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, first and foremost, Becky, it's a very tough way to negotiate. You slap tariffs on
some of your biggest trading partners, the European Union. And I'm standing in Europe as you suggested, Canada and Mexico. But this is
exactly the approach by the Trump administration. Put tariffs on and then go back to the negotiating table and say we want action. This despite the
pleas by the European Union, Cecilia Malmstrom, the trade Commissioner, meeting with Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary, who just briefed
correspondents around the world an hour ago, saying do not go with a unilateral route against trade. We would prefer that you use the World
Trade Organization.
To your point it brings into doubt the multilateral platform of the WTO, something Donald Trump has criticize when he was campaigning for President
and ever since he came into the White House. As you suggested there were quotes out there from the European Union already. Today is a bad day for
trade, said Malstrom. We did everything to avoid this outcome.
I think it's worth remembering, Becky, a month ago, Emmanuel Macron of France and then two days later Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany,
both went to the White House suggesting, we would prefer you not to slap tariffs on us and then try to bring to us the bargaining table. Angela
Merkel suggested we don't like the idea of the guillotine over our head. It will be Germany that pays the biggest price when it comes to steel and
aluminum.
They export about a million tons a year to the United States right now and their looking at tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum.
To our point here it covers about $7.5 billion of trade to the United States. That's not a big number and that was the argument by Wilbur Ross,
the commerce secretary of United States. We're talking about less than 1 percent of U.S. GDP. The roof will not fall in, but we want to negotiate.
But this is clearly not the way the Europeans see it this evening.
ANDERSON: Yes, they say it's a big slap. Stephen, he promised, and he has delivered. During the campaign, Mexico, Canada and the EU all villains as
far as Donald Trump was concerned with regard to trade and the way it works between those zones as it were and the U.S. So, we probably shouldn't be
surprised at all, in fact there will be those who say this could have been a whole lot worse.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. This is "America First" in action. That creed that Donald Trump spelled out in his
inaugural address that he will take care of America first. Use America's strength to try and get better bargaining positions.
I think there are a few this to note here. This is an act of an impulsive President who is acting his own believes despite the fact that people are
telling him in America and in his administration, even, that this is not a smart economic move. This could end up hurting as many American consumers
as it helps. But this is Trump spreading his unpredictability around the world as he did in the United States last year. So, I think that's one
thing to note.
The other thing is that the first question Donald Trump asks when he thinks about international relations is what's in it financially for us? He sees
things as a very narrow transactional sort of mercantilist calculation. Now, this act is going to deeply worsen relations across the Atlantic. The
most important bilateral relationship in the world, you can argue, between the United States and European Union.
[11:05:02] Some people would say that's China. But the most important alliance at least now in the space of a few months, Donald Trump has
completely ignored European treaties out of the Iran nuclear deal. Back last year he pulled out of the Paris climate deal which was a huge deal for
the European Union and now these tariffs come on. I think you could argue the transatlantic alliance -- and it's not just isolate to trade -- is in a
much worse shape than it has been for many years.
ANDERSON: Sure, yes. John, you're in London. I got to ask how this do you think will affect Brexit, we're what a month or so away from a
scheduled trip for Donald Trump to London. How does this fit into sort of a broader picture for the U.K. at this point going forward?
DEFTERIOS: Well, it'll be interesting to see if the United States under Donald Trump tries to negotiate a separate transatlantic deal with the U.K.
as it tries to exit the European Union here. But I think it raises a much broader question here beyond the World Trade Organization which I was
talking about before. As Stephen suggested, on the transatlantic alliance Donald Trump is not stopping with steel and aluminum products right now,
Becky. He's actually started a special investigation into the German automakers themselves. But this is where world trade gets very tricky.
The German automakers alone produce 850,000 cars in the United States. That number has quadrupled over the last decade employing 110,000
Americans.
So, this doesn't square with the "America First" strategy of Donald Trump here. If you're employing 110,000 Americans, you're producing 850,000
cars, and exporting to hundred 35 countries outside the United States from that American base, how do you decide to put on this special investigation
on national security grounds? So, this is breaking the rules we set up since the end of World War II. I find it difficult to see where Britain
engages with the United States and says we want to set up a separate partnership when the trust has been broken with the European Union.
It's not like the European Union doesn't apply tariffs by the way, Becky. They've done it many, many times before. But what their argument is let's
use the World Trade Organization as a structure, the multilateral platform that's been set up over the last 50 years. As Jean-Claude Juncker, the
President of the European Commission, was suggesting here, this is protectionism, pure and simple. And it's done unilaterally right now. And
this is what I think rubs the Europeans in the wrong way. Particularly the fact that Macron and Merkel both went to the White House a said don't go
down the path of putting on the tariffs. Let's try to negotiate our way out of it and he ignored it. This is applied pressure on the European
Union and on the Chinese at the same time.
ANDERSON: As Stephen was pointing out -- you and I have talked about this a lot, you know, this a transactional President. And he doesn't do
multilateral frameworks. Does he? He does bilat. That's what he does. That's what he understands. And the news headlines that we are getting on
a near daily basis are showing that. All right guys, thank you for that.
Another big story out of the United States today the big push towards a summit between Donald Trump, of course and Kim Jong-un. That's Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo in a second day of meetings with the top emissary from Pyongyang, Kim Yong-chol, is the first North Korean official to visit the
U.S. in 18 years. Mr. Trump says the talks are going very well and he is expecting to receive a letter from soon from Kim Jong-un himself very.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hopefully we'll have a meeting on the 12th that's going along very well. But I want it to be
meaningful. It doesn't mean it gets done in all one meeting. Maybe you have to have a second or third or maybe we'll have none. But it's in good
hands.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, following the story tonight from Seoul. By very well, The U.S. President means what,
do you think with regard to talks?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, you know, frankly, Becky, that's really in his own mind. Isn't it? Because what
we've heard from the State Department spokeswoman today is that although the meeting between Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and his counterpart,
Kim Yong-chol in New York last night. Although, it went well there is still much to be done.
So, what does President Trump really mean by that? Well, you know, he sets the agenda here and he tells his diplomats what he wants them to do. He's
got team in Singapore right now preparing the logistics there for the summit if it goes ahead on the 12th of June. He has a team hanging here in
Seoul that have been meeting a couple of times this past five days with North Korean counter parts in the DMZ, that border area between North and
South Korea. And he's got his top diplomat there in New York having another meeting again today.
[11:10:00] I mean, the way the State Department's been framing this is that North Korea needs to do something it hasn't done before that it needs to do
something historic. The expectation is and the pressure on Mike Pompeo at the moment is to try to narrow the gap and refine an understanding of what
both sides could do productively to come to some measure of agreement on the issue of denuclearization. Complete irreversible, verifiable is what
the United States wants to apply to North Korea nuclear weapons and what North Korea says is prepared or denuclearize of the whole Korean Peninsula.
These are two different set of expectations and where they cross over isn't clear.
The only thing that's very clear here is that President Trump is exceedingly keen to have this meeting and exceedingly ready to pressure his
diplomats and others to make this happen quickly per his vision. But this vision to some people seem to lack some amount of clarity -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Nic Robertson on it for you out of Seoul. Thank you, Nic.
I want to get you viewers a quick update on a story that exactly 24 hours ago, well, it shocked the world. We were doing it here as breaking news.
Russian journalist falsely reported murder in Ukraine today defending his participation in the hoax. Calling it a response to a real-life threat to
his life. Authorities say the ruse helped them arrest a man who was planning the murder of the journalist and 29 other people.
At a news conference a short Arkady Babchenko said he decided to cooperate with the sting operation after he saw photographic evidence of the plot.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen standing by in Moscow. He's not just defending his actions, come out swinging to some degree against those who've criticized
the whole episode. What else did he have to say?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, he gave a play-by-play essentially of how everything happened on that
evening, Becky. It was very interesting to hear some of the details. That apparently, all of this was planned for about two months. He was in on the
whole thing for about a month. He said he had been shown evidence by the Ukrainian authorities that strongly indicated that there was a plot to
assassinate him. He was shown photographs that he said could only have come from Russia because they came from a passport that he had about 20
years ago, when he was 25 years of age. So, he decided to go along with this.
He said on the day that all of this was supposed to happen a makeup artist came over and essentially make him look bloody and dead. He said that
pig's blood was used. There was a shirt that had bullet holes in it. And that then it was pretended that he had been gunned down in front of his
house. He was placed in an ambulance and then declared dead by a doctor and also by a mortician. And only when he was in the morgue and the doors
were shut was he then, as he called it, resurrected. He said he then had to be brought away from the morgue because, obviously, journalists showed
up there as well. It certainly was a very elaborate plan.
And you're absolutely right, Becky, he did come out swinging. Not just at that press conference but earlier today on social media posts where he
essentially attacked journalists who were questioning whether or not it needed to be necessary to fake the death of a journalists to get behind
this plot and to stop it.
He said the Ukrainian authorities showed him the evidence. He said, look, in the end he had the choice of standing by these values as he called it or
to save his own life. He decided to save his own life, he says. And also says he doesn't have any criticism. He also seemed to indicate, Becky,
just really quick, it seemed to be up to the Ukrainians authorities to decide how all of this went down. He said, he didn't really question the
plan that they had to make it happen this way -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen is in Moscow for you. Busy first 15 minutes or so, it is a busy news day. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you,
Fred.
Still to come --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK PAYTON WALSH: Many here in a matter of hours noticed no chance even to call ahead as they're forced back to a country, some have not seen for
years maybe even decades.
ANDERSON: A nightmare for immigrants forced to return to their violent homeland. Next my colleague Nick Payton Walsh's exclusive reporting from
El Salvador.
[11:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You are with CNN. And this is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. It's 7:16 in the UAE. This is our Middle East broadcasting hub.
Ripped from their lives, forced back to their homeland and fearful they will never see their families again. But for deportees kicked out of the
United States and return to El Salvador another fear, violent gangs looking for new recruits. This is the terrifying new reality for scores of people.
Our CNN correspondent Nick Paton Walsh was there when some these deportees arrived back in El Salvador for years and years, even decades. Nick, we've
heard U.S. President Donald Trump suggest these men could be criminals. Are they?
WALSH: Some have been guilty of immigration offenses, absolutely. Some have been guilty of other crimes too, and where caught doing those when
their immigration status came to light. But as time goes by the decision by the U.S. President Donald Trump to remove TPS -- temporary protective
status, for El Salvadorian's as many as other Central American nations too, will cause many more people to lose their ability to stay in the United
States.
TPS was given to people who fled the earthquakes in the late 90s early 2001 and that has enabled many to build lives there over decades. Never
anticipating someone would suddenly pull the rug from underneath them. And now terrifyingly we are seeing adult men torn from their families, thrown
back to all land they haven't seen for decades that is rife with gang violence and having to start all over again. Here's what we found.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH (voice-over): Someone is murdered here every two hours. One in ten people ensnared by gangs. Streets plagued by machete killings, rapes and
police abuses. Welcome to El Salvador, the cruelest of homelands. And the toughest of places to be forced back to. These are the first moments of
men deported from the United States, back to a land they can't really call home any more. Blinking, sleepless, now homeless. Some 200,000 El
Salvadorians deported from their long-time homes in the United States under President Trump's immigration crackdown.
TRUMP: We can't let people enter our country. We have no idea who they are, what they do, where they come from. We don't know if they're
murderers, if they're killers, if there MS-13. We're throwing them out by the hundreds.
WALSH: Many here in a matter of hours noticed no chance to even call ahead as they are forced back to a country, some have not seen for years maybe
even decades. Welcome home here is about name tags, humiliating roll calls, lacing your shoes again and realizing as a grown man you have to
start from zero again, empty handed. [11:20:00] Christian Lara lived in the USA for 20 years. And was deported coming out to his Florida
construction job. He had only committed immigration offenses. The best choice now is a five dollar a day job
CHRISTIAN LARA PINEDA, SALVADORAN DEPOTEE (in Spanish): I have to work a lot to earn five dollars, but how can I support my family with only five
dollars?
WALSH: He doesn't know when or if he'll see his family again.
WALSH (on camera): And so, what are your daughters names?
PINEDA: Jennifer.
WALSH: Sorry.
PINEDA: Jennifer.
WALSH: Jennifer. How old.
PINEDA: Twelve.
WALSH: Twelve.
PINEDA: and another one of three years.
WALSH: Three years, her name?
PINEDA: She's my little baby, Angela.
WALSH: I'm sorry, Christian.
(voice-over): Oscar is more complicated. He's 20, went to America age 10 and served four months for assault and bodily harm in Houston. Yet back
here he trembles.
(on camera): Are you scared of the gangs here now?
OSCAR MORALES FLORES, SALVADORAN DEPORTEE: Yes.
WALSH: Are you scared you may end up involved in caught up in that?
FLORES: While I was in the USA, I see the news, like 16 people killed every day. It's scaring me man.
WALSH (voice-over): He's already counting the money in his account to see if he has enough for $8,000 smuggling fee back to the U.S.
Christian meets his mother after four years and recently deported brother Asway. Only two weeks later Asway messages me on the way to Guatemala to
pay to be smuggled back to the United States.
48 hours pass since we meet Christian and Oscar in which there are two beheadings, over 20 murders and a policeman is killed.
(on camera): It's no accident that these elite police come here in large numbers heavily armed. This is a gain-controlled area and literally
streets away from where Oscar is beginning his new life back in El Salvador. Oscar agrees to meet us again. He's had two nights in his new
home, but it took just four hours for the gang to approach him.
FLORES: MS-13, they take my shirt down and I tell him, what you doing man? I want to check if you're tattoos on our body. OK. I don't have any
tattoos on my body, all right.
WALSH: Because he's looking to see if you are barrio 18 or the other gang, right.
FLORES: Yes.
WALSH: In this is your first few hours back at home, right?
FLORES: Yes.
WALSH: What are you thinking, right?
FLORES: Man, I don't want to live here. I'll be leaving here man.
WALSH (voice-over): His dad didn't want to know him.
FLORES: He looked like I'm a shit, man. He looked like, why you coming round to my house man.
WALSH (voice-over): And this is what falling down here looks like in the crammed prisons that are gang playgrounds where Oscar, his family and the
U.S. frankly hope he doesn't end up. Where gang culture brews and hardens and tattoos and no opportunities unavoidably lead. Petty theft in
California led to deportation for Edwin and now jail.
EDWIN, PRISONER: Here in this country, if you have tattoos, gangs automatically think that you are member of some gang or you have been part
of a gang. So, here it's different. A little kid could take your life away. If you don't talk to them you're their enemy. And if you talk to
them then they want you to be part of them.
WALSH: Some deported from the United States have committed crimes. Others none but being in the U.S. illegally. All come back to a world where their
desperation and vulnerability and the grip that the gangs have on their new world deepens further still El Salvador's chaos.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH: Now, Becky, it's important to realize exactly what the impact of sending these men in the thousands back to El Salvador actually will be.
We're talking about 18,000 just last year, 20,000 the year before that. More likely this year as well. And these are the men who have some degree
be the substantial breadwinners for families in El Salvador. Working in the U.S., sending money home, known as remittances. Now some estimates
that's about a tenth of the GDP, the economy of El Salvador. A lot of that will now disappear and instead they'll have men coming back.
[11:25:00] Most of the deportees, I should say we saw were men coming back looking for jobs in an economy that's already suffering. On top of that
too, you have gangs where frankly polls suggest the crime is thought to be rising even though the homicide rate has slightly fallen off in the past
years or so. Gangs increasing their grip on society. One in ten people said to have links or under the grip of gangs within El Salvador. And that
is the reason people are fleeing often in the first place too.
So, this mass deportation really impacting El Salvador's tender ability to keep a cell phone track in the middle of violence, frankly, which is quite
remarkable. You know, as you'll see tomorrow in our report we literally drove to meet somebody past the scene of a female homicide, a woman killed
in the early morning. It is shocking how omnipresent the violence is there -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Nick Paton Walsh is on the story for you out of London today. Amid the bloodshed of El Salvador's gang violence, a crime wave focused, as
Nick points out, on women is collecting more victims in tomorrow's report. Nick Paton Walsh gets rare access to a women's prison where gang targets
turn hitmen end up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH: A jail is so rarely a place for sympathy, but women are so often dragged into barbaric gang culture and often find themselves on the
receiving end of a violent society. She remembers her initiation into the gang, Barrio 18.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I got kicked and hit. That was necessary to be a part of it.
WALSH: How long did that last for, I ask.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 18 seconds. Yes. There are women that go through wars. Sometimes they are raped. Beaten up. Mistreated.
WALSH: She was young when she joined. That was at was her choice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My father died, and my mother was an alcoholic and left us. I looked after five brothers and that's how I ended up on the
streets.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Friday, watch the rest of Nick's reporting starting at 5:00 a.m. London, that is 8:00 a.m. here in Abu Dhabi only on CNN. If you missed
any of the of the exclusive reports in Nick's series find them all, plus, a lot more the website CNN.com and that's CNN.com.
Up next if you were absolutely smashing at work doing amazing things, making boat loads of cash. Would you A, stay and bask in the glory? B,
ask for more money? Or C, just up and leave? We'll find out what football icon Zinedine Zidane did right after this.
[11:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZINEDINE ZIDANE, FOOTBALL LEGEND (through translator): I think it's the moment both for me, the team and the club to step down. It's a strange
moment to do so, I know. But an important one too. I have to do this for everyone. This side should carry on winning and need to change for this.
After three years it needs another voice. Another method of work. For this, I took the decision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Incredible. If you are hearing a strange buzzing noise right about now it's the sound of everybody's head spinning at million miles an
hour all because of what is happening here. Zinedine Zidane packing his bags at Real Madrid just days after getting them not their first, not their
second, but their third Champions League title in a row. Here he is with those trophies. Proud as punch. Part of two and a half years running the
blockbuster club.
Let's bring in the man who, eats, and dreams football sports. Expert and journalist, Ben Hayward. Beaming to us from Madrid. Real Madrid's base,
of course, and then kind of gives it away. Ben, 178 days he was in charge. There have been rumors of a summer exit. Even so, coming as it did without
any warning, it can only be described as a shocker. How is the news going down where you are?
BEN HAYWARD, SPORTS JOURNALIST AND FOOTBALL WRITER (via Skype): It's a big shock, Becky, here in Madrid as well. I mean, I don't think anybody really
expected that after winning, less than a week after winning the third straight Champions League. You know, in 2 1/2 years it's not a very long
tenure, nine titles in total. History made with that third over the weekend. And yes, total shock.
ANDERSON: Managers are pulling in megabucks nowadays, we're talking player type money. The money mad magazine "Forbes" pegs Zidane as racking up
almost $10 million a year. Handsome salary plus bonuses. Naturally and back in the day, managers would hang around forever. But given this is all
about entertainment these days and given this big money, big ego world of football, should we really be surprised if a manager comes in goes within
three years?
HAYWARD: I don't think we should be surprised. You know, Real Madrid like Barcelona, it's huge, huge clubs and it's a real high-pressure job and
we've seen it in the past with Pep Guardiola, Barcelona staying for four years, and you're not regretting that final season. Jose Mourinho, three
years at Real Madrid. You know, after that it's very, very difficult to keep motivating the players. And I think we saw signs of that this year at
Real Madrid. Obviously, they won the third straight Champions League, but it wasn't an easy route. And you know Real Madrid had been very, very
disappointing in LA Ligia, disappointing in the [11:34:06]. So, I think the tune is he went in a way kind of masked those disappointments. And I
think Zidane feels that, you know, very much like he did as a player when he went out after the World Cup finals 2010. He wants to go out on a high
instead of staying in the year things not going so well next season.
ANDERSON: So, let's give our view the skinny on his time. Keep you all real -- bad joke, but sorry about that. But anyway, 149 games, three
Champions League titles, as you rightly point out. Just one LA Liga. Taking some flak for that. But his three Champions League titles really a
stand out achievement. Putting him ahead of the likes of Jose Mourinho, Alex Ferguson, and Pep Guardiola at Man City. Legendary player,
absolutely. Some say only a very good manager.
[11:35:00] So where does he go from here?
HAYWARD: I think, you know, despite all of that success, Becky, it's funny there are still doubts about Zidane as a coach, as a tactician. Before the
Champions League final, he was asked, you know, about his coaching ability and he said, you know, I'll admit, I'm not the best coach. I'm not the
best coach tactically.
Obviously, he has other qualities. He's a great man manager. He has the respect of all the players at Real Madrid, they look up to him. He was a
legend, a symbol here at the club and I think that helped him a lot to deal with guys like Cristiano Ronaldo and the egos, you know, in the dressing
room. You know, for me that makes him ideal for national job, and obviously, he had a wonderful career with France. Obviously, the World Cup
is coming up. If Deschamps, maybe he's not successful with France in the summer, I could see Zidane taking over the French national team. I think
he'd be ideal for that role.
Yes, I think if I was betting girl, I think I might bet on that. Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez, saying Zidane's departure coming as a
shock to him. Certainly, I saw a close up of him at the press conference. I have to say, he looked pretty shocked. But they haven't necessarily been
the best of buddy, particularly it is rumored this season. So, what does the club do next? This is a massive football club. Who will be their next
manager?
HAYWARD: Well, yes, you mentioned their relationship, you know, tensions are high in a job like Real Madrid's. Zinedine Zidane said that from day
one. You never know how long you've got. However, much success you have you know it's not going to last forever. And you know, obviously, tensions
have come this season with poor results in LA Ligia and the conference as well. But, yes, you're right. You know, Florentino Perez, his face was
picture, wasn't it? He was totally somber in that press conference and, you know, I think it's come as a surprise even for him. And, you know,
difficult now for Real Madrid because there aren't many top-class coaches available. Let's talk of Antonio Conte, who is on the way out at Chelsea.
Obviously, Mauricio Pochettino, has long been admired by Florintino Perez. Perez just signed a five-year deal and telling him that wouldn't be easy
either. You could lure the Germany coach. Has been linked many times in the past and again now. Even Arsene Wenger, which has just finished up
Arsenal. So, it's too early to say. Real Madrid will be looking in the next few days and a short list of possible candidates.
ANDERSON: I spent a few days with Mo Salah of Liverpool recently. Surely one of the hottest footballing properties on the earth right now. Quick
clip of that and will talk. Hold on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So, who were your idols growing up as a kid? Who did you admire.
MOHAMED SALAH, FOOTALLER: Brasilia Ronaldo. Because I was young, and I was fully engrossed. And, Zidane.
ANDERSON: Zidane.
SALAH: Zidane, yes.
ANDERSON: Zinedine Zidane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Everybody loves a bit of Zidane it seems. Also, careful to point out Brazilian Ronaldo there, not the Portuguese one. Who will
course, plays at Real, too. Now, how about this? If Mo Salah was going anywhere and he certainly wasn't suggesting to me he is, but if he were to
go anywhere at this point, maybe it might have been Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane. I've also heard today the talk that Klopp could
potentially be an ideal candidate for this sort of football that Real plays. And if he wanted to be tapped out would he take Mo Salah with him?
Just chuck it out there.
HAYWARD: I don't know. I mean honestly, I don't have anything either or going to happen at this stage. I think both are very, very happy at
Liverpool. I think the club, feels very identifiable with the club. And, you know, I see him as being happy there. And Mo Salah, let's remember
he's a player who's, you know, had a spectacular season, just amazing. But, you know, he's moved around quite a lot in his career and I think he's
genuinely grateful to being at a club that's offered him stability and offered him the chance to really perform at the highest level. It's been
his explosion this season, the season just gone. And I don't think we'd see Mo Salah moving on quite yet. But perhaps, you know, in the future, if
you've grown up and are in Sudan or if not, Real Madrid and Barcelona are two clubs that are a huge attraction huge attraction for any player and any
coach really. So, perhaps in the future.
ANDERSON: You live in a great city. Two great football clubs. Ben, thank you. Ben Hayward, sports journalist and football writer extraordinaire.
With us from Madrid, beautiful town this time of year. Thanks for joining us on the show, sir. We'll have you back soon.
[11:40:00] We have connected you to the experts. We want to connect you with a regular viewer like yourself, from one who also happens to be a huge
Real Madrid superfan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow. Where are all the (INAUDIBLE) been. Less than a week ago we won our third Champions League in a row and today the man that
made it all happen, the legend, Zinedine Zidane, known us as Zizou has stepped down. And in true Zidane style, he's done it at the top and on his
own terms. Just the way he did it as a player.
We will never forget, and you will always be missed. And as he so rightfully signed off at his press conference, "hasta pronto." See you
soon Zizou.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: The Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has been out of the public eye for a month or so. Saudi state TV releasing these images of
Mohammed bin Salman meeting with the Yemeni President. The state news agency said this was Wednesday. The kingdom also releasing footage to CNN
of the Crown Prince chairing an economic affairs meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday.
You're watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Welcome back.
It's been relatively quiet along the Gaza border over the past 24 hours even though it remains unclear if there is, in fact, a cease-fire. On
Wednesday Hamas said Palestinian groups would implement a truce if Israel did as well. CNN's Ian Lee is live in Gaza for us -- Ian.
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, that truce does seem to be holding. We haven't seen anything today. So far that's been 36 hours. And as you
said, the different factions here in Gaza have said they're committed to the cease-fire, one that was negotiated with the Egyptians. We're hearing
in reports Israelis not speaking about it.
But I spoke to the IDF spokesman earlier today and he told me that there will be calm, quiet will be met with quiet and as he said that terrorism
will be met with violence and so far, that has held. The last night the U.N. Security Council tried to have a draft resolution condemning Hamas.
That resolution was blocked. That resolution also was calling for Hamas to be declared a terrorist organization. But this is something we've seen a
lot, Becky, where it comes to the UN Security Council, they have been unable to do really anything when it comes to conflict between the Israelis
and Palestinians. You may have remembered last month they tried to pass a resolution against the violence in Gaza where over 100 Palestinians were
killed by Israeli soldiers. Looking forward though, we are expecting next Tuesday to see the similar type protests that we saw last month -- Becky.
[11:45:00] ANDERSON: Ian Lee there in Gaza. When I spoke to Israeli opposition leader, Isaac Herzog, earlier and I began by asking him if he
supports what is this Egyptian brokered cease-fire. This is what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISAAC HERZOG, ISRAELI OPPOSITION LEADER: We welcome a cease-fire right now. But one has to understand this was a very rogue step that was taken
yesterday by Palestinian, Hamas and jihadist operatives against Israel. We saw, we identified over 250 launchings against Israel, against our southern
border. And we had the missiles landing near a kindergarten. So, I asked the international community, I sent an urgent letter to the Secretary-
General of the United Nations demanding, demanding unequivocal condemnation and support. A condemnation against the step and support for Israel's
right to defend itself.
Well, you have written that letter to the U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, basically saying that failure to speak up after yesterday's
attacks, and I quote, risks reinforcing Hamas' sense of impunity and provide additional incentive for them to drag us into yet another unwanted,
unnecessary and costly conflict.
Sir, you also say that if the international community fails to speak up, then Israeli confidence in the U.N. will be undermined. Why did you write
this letter and why now?
HERZOG: Because there is enormous sense of frustration in Israel as to way things are perceived on our southern border. Look, Israel withdrew in
2005, uprooted all settlers from the Gaza Strip. We withdrew on to the last inch on our border. It was clear that we have the right to defend our
border. Since then we've gotten only got terror. We had almost 10,000 missiles launched at Israel from Gaza.
In one has to ask himself or herself is that acceptable? We are not the root cause for the tragedy in Gaza. The root cause for the tragedy in Gaza
is the hijacking of Gaza by Hamas and its operatives, killing their brothers, sisters and cousins in 2006 in a coup d'etat. And ever since
managing themselves as the long arm of Iran. That's the whole story.
So, the reason that the world is kind of putting a blame on us or the image that Hamas are the ones that are weak when they march to the fence with
tens of thousands of people is extremely frustrating because we're simply defending our people. And yesterday's event was a proof. All of a sudden,
out of the blue, they sent dozens of missiles against all our citizens around the Gaza Strip. And the world is looking idly by and not
condemning.
ANDERSON: Let me put this to you. I hear your frustration just as we hear a huge sense of frustration on the part of Palestinians. For our viewers a
reminder of what daily life is like in Gaza, the whole population, some 2 million people are affected by lack of electricity, often facing black outs
every few hours and only 10 percent of people have access to say drinking water. There's widespread poverty and huge unemployment. And among 15 to
29-year-olds that rate is a staggering 60 percent. How, sir, do you feel about the situation facing these people? And to those who say life is no
better than living in a prison and one filled with toxic sewage at that. Do you sympathize?
HERZOG: First of all, it's an enormous tragedy. It's heartbreaking. And all Israelis, I tell you all Israelis feel a sense of sorrow and pain and
great sense of sorrow and pain. But the problem is the Palestinians won't allow Israelis to manage the store. It's their store. Now it's President
Abbas the leader of the Palestinian authority, so his decisions who has been choking Gaza for the last few months because of his clash with the
other organization, Hamas. They are in a direct political clash. So, he decided to cut off salaries for tens of thousands of Palestinian workers
and employees who he has been paying for the last many, many years. And all of a sudden, he cut it out. There was hunger and there was poverty and
there's a lot of pain. The other issue is that Israel is willing to transfer water, electricity in full capacity. There's nobody there who can
take it and do with anything. There is no real government.
ANDERSON: If his reports suggest a Trump administration peace plan is rolled out soon, some say as early as next month.
[11:50:00] And if as is reported it slashes millions of dollars in funding for humanitarian and development projects in the West Bank and in Gaza,
would you still sport that plan?
HERZOG: First of all, Israel is open to any support of the international community towards the development of infrastructure in Gaza. There was a
donor's conference, namely states who donate to this cause in the White House two months ago. Guess who didn't come to that conference and refused
to come? The Palestinians. Now I'm saying I want as one of the leaders of the pro peace liberal camp in Israel. Let's just be fair in analyzing this
debate. Yes, Gaza has to be a very important agenda item. Perhaps the top of the agenda item. But this requires the international community to move
into Gaza and repair Gaza and help Gaza and, of course, needs the Palestinians to help themselves rather than using Gaza as a launching pad
for terror.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Isaac Herzog speaking to me earlier. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson live from Abu Dhabi. Coming up, in London
fasting has brought about a new taste for tolerance. We find out how after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Parting shots tonight. At time when political and religious tensions are high. It's the simple things like meeting strangers from all
walks of life over a meal, for example, that can really get real dialogue going. Well, London's Ramadan tent project is using the Muslim month of
fasting to do just that. Have a look.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OMAR SALHA, RAMADAN TENT PROJECT FOUNDER, DIRECTOR: We invite people from all different faiths to come together. People from the wider community to
explore the Islamic faith and learn about Ramadan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I myself am Buddhist actually. I really love the atmosphere here. This warm welcome to people of other faiths is something
beautiful.
SALHA: The open tent project has been running since 2013, and we've serve over 50,000 people across seven cities and four continents.
People love the simplicity of the concept which is, you know, inviting people over a meal. Getting to appreciate the other, turning strangers
into friends.
[11:55:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need to share a meal together is great. You get to know them, and I've met by a few cool people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all that spirit of community and togetherness which makes you feel not alone and it makes you until breaking fast more.
I think it's just opening myself wide-open for the community to see that and how we celebrate, how we brake fast, why we do this. Have a
conversation with us. We're people too, join in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: It's a wonderful initiative connecting people. Bringing you stories like that all throughout the holy month of Ramadan. I want to hear
from you too, how are you celebrating if you are fasting. Do let us know. And for those of you who are Ramadan Kareem poster, comment on our Facebook
page. That's Facebook.com/CNNConnect. And a very good Ramadan Kareem, of course, from all of here at CONNECT THE WORLD.
This short segment was about the little things that can make a difference. Like this for instance. This little boy helping an elderly woman on a
walker up a flight of stairs after seeing her from his mom's car. Well, it's enough to make you smile and say, yep there is hope after all, isn't
he just gorgeous? That was CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Good night.
END
