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Jordan's Prime Minister Steps Aside; Trump Says He has the "Absolute Right" to Pardon Himself; Eruption in Guatemala Kills at Least 25; Mattis Says U.S. Troops Stayin on Korean Peninsula; Protests in Jordan Over IMF- Backed Tax Changes; Jordan's Finance Minister says Jordan is on Receiving End of Regional Crisis; Many Women with Common Breast Cancer Can Avoid Chemotherapy. Aired 11a-12n ET

Aired June 04, 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 HOST: Packs of protesters in Jordan demanding change and they got it. The Prime Minister is out of the largest

antigovernment demonstrations the country has seen in years. Next, we'll look at who will replace him.

Also, a shakeup at the top of North Korea's military just over a week before the planned Kim/Trump Summit. I had a live report for you from

Seoul. And the latest on the search for survivors following a deadly volcanic eruption in Guatemala.

Well, hello, and welcome. You're watching connect the world. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. It is just after 7 o'clock in the evening.

The now of change for days now. Thousands of angry people feel -- what is Jordan's normally very calm capital. Demanding that something be done to

help them out. And here's why. Prices jumping, taxes skyrocketing, all a fiscal fix formula from the IMF to sort out the government's book. But

that not rubbing along with the old-fashioned reality of household math. The normal people just don't have any extra cash simply lying around. And

that's why the protests are so big. As you're seeing people shouting for change at the top of their lungs up and down the country.

Let's get to CNN's Jomana Karadsheh. She is in Istanbul tonight, but has been living and working in Jordan for years. And Jomana, will this change

at the top, the change in prime minister? Will this quiet and down at this point?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's the big question right now, Becky. And I think we're going to have to wait and see what happens in the

next few hours. The fascinating thing about this protest movement that we've seen over the past few days is that it's not been led by political

parties and political entities. It's really been this spontaneous popular movement with people taking to the streets across the country from the

north to the south. And as you mentioned, thousands on the streets in Amman. So, we're going to have to wait and see if this is enough. Keeping

in mind that that was just one of their demands. That they wanted to see the government of Hani Al-Mulki gone. This was not the main demand.

People have been calling for that income tax draft bill to be scrapped and they want to see real changes to the country's economy that don't rely --

as they put it -- on taxes and people pain the government's debts.

So, you know, the next few hours and the next 48 hours with the general strike that was called for by the trade unions on Wednesday could be very

decisive and critical -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, the context to this is a country that is suffering under what are these regional crises, not least the influx of Syrian refugees

from its neighbor Syria. Jomana, here's what we know about Omar al- Razzazz. He has been running the education ministry for little over a year now. He went to Harvard and MIT in the States. Then holding some pretty

important jobs at the World Bank. Certainly, sounds like he ticks a lot of boxes. Is he the technocrat that Jordan needs at this point?

KARADSHEH: Well, in addition to having this really impressive background seems to really fit into the current crisis in Jordan when it comes to

tackling that. He also is somewhat of a popular figure, Becky. Some people really reacting to the news that he would be appointed prime

minister saying that it will be a loss for the education ministry because of the revamping of that ministry that he has undertaken over the past few

months. But, you know, really if you want to look at the situation, as you mentioned earlier, this is something that has been building for years. You

know, the government of Hani al-Mulki was trying to do was really tackle years long issues. Something that previous governments have really just

kick that can down the road and haven't really dealt with. So, he has a very, very tough task I had, and I think a lot of it is going to rely on

how patient the Jordanian people are going to be.

[11:05:00] ANDERSON: Jomana Karadsheh tonight for you out of Istanbul in Turkey. Jomana, thank you.

We're not letting this story go anywhere. In just about 20 minutes will be taking this to the very top. Jordan's Foreign Minister will be live on

CONNECT THE WORLD to find out exactly what's going on inside the country and what happens next. Best Jordan's Foreign Minister just ahead, only on

CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay tuned for that.

Well, first we heard it from Donald Trump's lawyers. Now the U.S. president himself is asserting unrestrained sweeping powers that critics

say belong more in a Banana Republic not one of the leading democracies on earth. Just a short time ago Mr. Trump tweeted he has the -- and I quote -

- absolute right to pardon himself in the Russia investigation. Even though, he says, he's done nothing wrong.

He also insisted the appointment of special counsel, Robert Mueller, is totally unconstitutional.

Well, these new tweets come after a weekend of eyebrow raising remarks from attorney Rudy Giuliani that essentially argue the President is above the

law. Kaitlin Collins with the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLIN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump's legal team making a bold new claim about their expansive view of

his executive power in an attempt to justify why he shouldn't face any legal liability in the Russia investigation.

Mr. Trump's Attorney, Rudy Giuliani, telling the "Huffington Post", it's impossible to subpoena or indict a sitting president no matter the offense.

Claiming, if he shot James call me, he'd be impeached the next day. Impeach him, and then you can do whatever you want to do to him.

Giuliani also raising questions about the extent of the President's pardoning power.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ANCHOR ABC, THIS WEEK: Do you and the President's attorneys believe the president has the power to pardon himself?

RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: He has no intention of pardoning himself. But it doesn't say he can't.

COLLINS: This just hours after "The New York Times" published a confidential letter that attorneys Jay Sekulow and John Dowd sent to Robert

Mueller in January. Asserting the President can obstruct justice because the Constitution gives him the authority to quote, terminate the inquiry,

or even exercises power to pardon if he so desired. An argument that is far from settled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an outrageous claim. It's wrong. They were trying to make a broad argument.

COLLINS: His lawyers argue there is no need for the President to sit down with Mueller and he can't be compelled to testify foreshadowing a potential

subpoena fight. Especially if the probe extends outside the bounds of the initial investigation into collusion.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, (R) CALIFORNIA: Let them walk through their investigation. But I think if there is no collusion is time to wind is

down.

COLLINS: Also, in the letter a bombshell revelation that the president's lawyers acknowledged the President dictated the misleading statement from

Donald Trump Jr. A statement the lawyers call it, accurate about the purpose of his meeting with Russians at Trump Tower during the 2016

campaign. Despite an explicit denial from the White House last summer.

SARAH SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He certainly didn't dictate. But, you know, like I said, he weighed in, offered suggestion like any

father would do.

COLLINS: One-month earlier Sekulow strongly refuting the claim multiple times in July after it was revealed that Donald Trump Jr. took the meeting

with a promise of getting dirt on Hillary Clinton. Not as he initially said to discuss adoptions.

JAY SEKULOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: I wasn't involved in the statement drafting at all, nor was the president.

The President and sign off on anything.

I do want to be clear that the president was not involved in the drafting of the statement and did not issue the statement. It came from Donald

Trump Jr.

COLLINS: Giuliani arguing that the shifting explanations are just another reason the President shouldn't testify.

GIULIANI: I think Sekulow was wrong. I mean, this is the reason you don't let the President testify. If, you know -- all recollection she keeps

changing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: All recollection keeps changing, he said. Well, let's get more from White House reporter, Stephen Collinson. Let's just start with that.

Their recollection keeps changing admits the lead lawyer for the U.S. president. What's going on here?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Giuliani there is basically saying we can't trust the president to go before an interview

with the special counsel, Robert Mueller, because he can't get his story straight. Which seems rather like an admission of guilt before you even

start. If you can't get your story straight it suggests you're not telling the truth. What I think is going on in a broader sense, Becky, is that the

president's legal team is making the sweeping claims of presidential power. They are trying to discredit the Mueller probe at the same time. This is

all about trying to create a narrative whereby the president can stand up and say, first of all, I have absolute power so therefore I can do nothing

wrong. Secondly, the Mueller probe is biased against me and therefore there is no reason for me to testify for the special counsel.

[11:10:00] That's the kind of rationale behind everything we've seen over the last weekend.

ANDERSON: Which I assume you'll tell me includes Mr. Trump tweeting that he has, and I quote again, absolute right to pardon himself in the Russia

investigation, even though he says, he's done nothing wrong. You say he's building a narrative here, correct?

COLLINSON: Right. I mean, these are claims that have been made for the power of the presidency that we've never seen a president claim before. On

the issue of whether the president can pardon himself, Richard Nixon asked this question during the Watergate scandal in 1974. And he was told by his

own Justice Department that the president can't pardon himself because of the principle that no one can act as their own judge.

So, this idea that the president is above the law -- and the other question of course, and the President's is saying, well I can't obstruct justice

because I'm ultimately the chief legal officer in this country.

These are questions that are being argued on the sort of fringes of conservative jurisprudence, most mainstream scholars that believe that.

So, is unlikely that a court would side with the president. So, therefore, why is he doing this? It's to kind of, you know, put -- to sort of muddy

the whole idea of the investigation and the question of whether he should testify to Mueller.

ANDERSON: Stephen, on another note. It's a question that began as a whisper but now is being openly debated across America, and it has to be

said, in mainstream and new media. Where is first lady Melania Trump? And why haven't we seen her in weeks? She is expected to honor military

families at the White House today. But none of us will see her as that meeting is behind closed doors. A very simple question to you, because

you're in Washington at the heart of all of this. Why is where Milani is important?

COLLINSON: It's very mysterious. You'll remember that the first lady had a kidney procedure more than three weeks ago. She spent five days in

hospital on a procedure most doctors said was, you know, an outpatient thing or just an overnight stay in hospital. We haven't seen her since.

And you know, that's raising all sorts of questions about whether there something more serious medically with her. Is there something else going

on in the White House? And it's very, very strange. I mean, I think one of the problems here is that the White House doesn't have a record of

telling the truth on very many things. And that is why they're getting less of the benefit of the doubt. It could simply be that the first lady

values her privacy, but she didn't go with the president to Camp David, the presidential retreat this weekend. She's not going to the G-7 summit at

the end of the week in Canada. So, these questions are only going to be multiplied about what is really going on here until we see her in public.

ANDERSON: Talking about telling the truth. Former President, Bill Clinton, back in the news defending himself from renewed criticism of his

affair with than White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. We're talking back in the day, 20 years ago, he told NBC news he doesn't owe her a personal

apology. I just want our viewers to have a listen to this exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't apologize to her.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have not talked to her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you feel like you owe her an apology?

Clinton: No. I don't I've never talked to her. But I did say publicly on more than one occasion that I was sorry. That's very different. The

apology was public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Bill Clinton is on a book tour at present. He must have known that he was going to be asked about Monica Lewinsky given the era that we

live in which is being so dominated by the #metoo campaign. He came across as extremely defensive and quite frankly, as one of my colleagues described

it, tone deaf to the entire #metoo movement in that interview. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. But it still doesn't make it any less offensive or

outrageous. Is the Clinton era over? Have Democrats finally moved on? What was your reaction to that exchange?

COLLINSON: I think it was very interesting. First of all, is not out of character for the president, President Clinton to be very prickly and upset

when this question gets asked. We've seen it a number of times since his presidency. What I think is really interesting is how -- this shows is

just how the times have changed. During the Lewinsky scandal there was much less conversation about the relative power dynamic between the

president and a White House intern. Now with a lot of these metoo cases, it's all about the question of power and the man sort of exerting power

over female subordinates.

[11:15:00] So if the Clinton/Lewinsky issue has surfaced today, I think that would be much more of a conversation. The question is, would it have

changed anything? The president was impeached for lying under oath about a sexual relationship. At that time a majority of the American people

believe that that was not a high crime and misdemeanor meriting his removal from office. So, he wasn't convicted by the Senate. I think it's an open

question of whether that would be the same now. I sort of tend to believe it would. But as you say, it's a sign how the Clintons -- Bill Clinton was

one scene as the consummate political figure of his generation with great political skills.

What we saw with the failure of the Hillary Clinton campaign in the 2016 election and subsequently is that the Clintons don't have that connection

now with the American people. It was the reason in an economic sense that Bill Clinton first got elected in 1992 and that is the reason why in the

midterm elections in November Democrats who usually want Bill Clinton specially to coming campaign for them are going to be much less keen to see

him out there on the campaign trail having to address these questions that relate to events happening 20 years ago and make the president look and a

lot of poor light now.

ANDERSON: Stephen Collinson, a regular guest on this show. Always a pleasure, sir, thank you for your perspective. And you can get a lot more

from Stephen online. Do make sure to check out his piece, "Trump's above- the-law presidency." He explains how Mr. Trump is, in Stephen's opinion, trying to expand the definition of executive power to essentially make

himself legally unaccountable for any possible wrongdoing. That Stephen's work at cnn.com.

Still to come tonight, a military reshuffle in North Korea just days before leaders from Pyongyang and Washington meet face-to-face. The latest on

what is this much talked about historic summit, coming up.

Plus, a volcano of fire erupts in Guatemala killing dozens and covering villages in lava and ash and the danger may not be over.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:20:00] ANDERSON: You're watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Welcome back. It is 7:20 in the UAE. That is where we

are based.

11:20:00] In Guatemala it is known as the volcano of fire. And this weekend it tragically lived up to its name and unbelievable almost

apocalyptic scene there as cars try to outrun a cloud of ash from the Fuego volcano. Rivers of lava swept through villages and fields, 25 people

confirmed dead and searches are looking for others who are still missing. Well, the eruption sent people running for their lives with just the

clothes on their backs. CNN's Patrick Oppmann following all of this from Havana, Cuba, for us. What do you know at this point?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, three days of mourning have been declared for the entire country of Guatemala. As Guatemalans try to come

to grips with this terrible eruption, explosion that took place yesterday. You know, this is a very active volcano, Becky. In February there was an

eruption, but it did not cause any injuries or fatalities. And here some of the witnesses described what happened, they really didn't have any time

to evacuate, to prepare. They had to run from their houses as these rivers of lava and mud came pouring into their communities. As they said, huge

rocks that were on fire came crashing down on their homes.

And rescuers have still not been able to get into every town that was hit. So, while the government says there are 25 dead, tens more who have been

injured or missing. Expect those numbers to rise because only now are they getting into towns nearest the volcano that were hard hit. The absolute

breath of this disaster is really hard to take in. It's expected to eventually impact over a million people. More than 3,000 people had to

leave their homes 25 miles away from the volcano. In the Guatemalan city airport was closed down because the ash was considered a danger to

aviation.

So, this is a disaster that's going to have a major impact. And it may not be over. This volcano could erupt at any time, Becky. People are being

told to stay away.

ANDERSON: Patrick Oppmann is in Havana covering the story for us and those images really telling that story. As we are seeing the dangers from the

volcano not over. Let's cross to Atlanta and check in with CNN's meteorologist Chad Myers. You know, as we consider these images, what have

you been learning about what's happening and what could happen next?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it was an explosive eruption. Unlike what's happening in Hawaii, Kilauea, where the lava is just flowing out.

This is like a champagne cork exploding out of the top of a champagne bottle. Not just oozing, coming over the side. So, we had lava, ash and

soot 10,000 meters in the sky when this erupted. It's a strata volcano along the ring of fire. Similar volcanoes go all the way around the

Pacific Ocean. In fact, 450 of them at current count. But this was the story, the ash cloud in the sky, people breathing in the ash, getting away

from what we call a pyroclastic flow as well, moving at 700 kilometers per hour down this mountain. So, ash going up, pyroclastic flow going down in

obviously, lava coming out of it as well.

Taking to a visible satellite. This is a satellite. It's visible because this is what the satellite is truly seeing. You can see the darkness in

the cloud cover. Now, they're just clouds here, but watch there's a brown mass right there that comes out and into the cloud cover and that's all

ash. And they're cleaning up the airport here in Guatemala City because you cannot have ash on the runway. If it gets sucked into a jet engine

that jet engine will come to a complete grinding halt. It's pumice, it's lava, it's sand. You don't want sand in your engine.

So, something else here. Look at the other lava, the ash fall, here. This is the concern about today. Not so much that there is going to be another

eruption, certainly that could happen. What is going to happen is that is going to get rained on now in this ash. It could be a couple meters deep.

It's going to get wet and is going to start sliding down hill like a big mudslide. It's called a lahar. It's the most dangerous thing now that

these people face, because there could be 150 millimeters of rainfall making mud to go down all of the hills until it eventually washes away --

Becky.

ANDERSON: Chad, yes, amazing. Remarkable stuff, we're going to stay on the story and keep our viewers up to date. Thank you, sir.

A major military shakeup in North Korea. The country's top three military officials have reportedly been replaced just over a week before what is a

historic summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump that we are promised. But the show must go on and preparations are still underway for the June 12

meeting in Singapore. The first time a sitting U.S. president will meet with a North Korean leader.

[11:25:00] Alexandra Field is live in Seoul, in South Korea. And question, when is a summit not a summit? It appears the answer is when it ends up

being nothing more than a meet and greet, a photo opportunity effectively. Is that what this is likely to end up being and if so, what should we make

of that?

ALEXANDRA FIELD CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, well, the summit's biggest success just be that the fact that this summit happening. And certainly,

President Donald Trump has lowered expectations to the point of calling this a get to know you meeting with the real work potentially coming after

that. It certainly moves off the mark of what we heard from the State Department just last week when they were talking about getting some kind of

historic gesture from North Korea. Something they had never done before and now you got these words like, I get to know you meeting. But look,

Becky, from the North Korean perspective, even if it is a get to know you meeting, it's a win already.

You got a North Korean dictator coming face-to-face, as you point out, with an acting U.S. President. This is certainly giving the North Korean leader

some legitimacy that he craves. It's also opened up the door to a flurry of diplomatic activity for North Korea. You have these two meetings with

the Chinese President already. You had the Russian foreign minister traveling to Pyongyang to meet with Kim Jong-un.

Now news that Kim Jong-un will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin possibly as soon as September. And news that Kim

Jong-un plans to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who could be the first foreign leader now to travel to Pyongyang. So, in the run-up to

this summit, a summit that we don't know what it will accomplish if anything at this point other than this get to know you, North Korea is

taking advantage of the timing. They are shoring up its closest relationships. And you got these other leaders in the region who are

making sure that their voices are going to be heard as North Korea moves toward any potential negotiations here -- Becky.

ANDERSON: And not just regional leaders. Talking to reporters Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary, James Mattis says American troops on the Korean

Peninsula are staying put. Stand by.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES MATTIS, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: . keeps coming up. Our troops strength on the peninsula -- I'll say it again, I'm not making news here.

And the same thing, they're not going anywhere. It's not even a subject of the discussion. You know, at this stage they are there because of security

conditions of ten years ago, five years ago, this era.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And apologies for the quality of the sound. Important there that we get it on. Alex, how does what matters sit there about U.S. troops

feed into the context that this meeting is taking place?

FIELD: Well, look, there are these big questions, because the U.S. has said that the goal of engaging in this kind of talk with North Korea is

about working toward the ultimate goal which is, of course, complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization. But there are the huge

outstanding questions of how that happens and how you get North Korea to agree to that and what kind of concessions North Korea would demand for

that. You have the State Department saying just last week, Secretary Pompeo, himself, saying that they aren't going to talk about the shape or

elements of a deal at this point. But it's raised a lot of questions in the region about whether troop levels would be on the table. And if there

is some kind of lasting peace on the peninsula, if the U.S. troops levels would need to be maintained out here.

Look, you've heard President Trump say it a couple of times and now you have heard secretary Mattis stayed as well, that troop levels are not on

the table when it comes to this negotiation. Those are key words for allies like Japan. Allies that are warning the U.S. of an untrustworthy

pass from North Korea when it comes to these kinds of conversations and negotiations. Countries like Japan do not want to see North Korea

prematurely rewarded for doing nothing more than having a meeting.

So, yes, what we can do right now is we can take at face value what the administration is saying. Which is that they're not going to negotiate

when it comes to the presence of U.S. troops on the peninsula. But this is a question that will continue to come up because, Becky, you'll remember,

even on the campaign trail, this is an issue that President Trump was talking about, candidate Trump at that time. The kind of spending the U.S.

does on its defenses abroad. So, while it might not be part of this conversation it could come up again and that's why you have Secretary

Mattis addressing the question right now.

ANDERSON: Reporter in Seoul, in South Korea, thank you.

We are all watching the small but extremely important Jordan be pulled in 100 different directions, it seems. What's the real story for Jordan at

home in the region and around the world? Only CNN can get you those kinds of answers. We speak to the country's Foreign Minister. Up next.

[11:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWN PRINCE HUSSEIN BIN ABDULLAH, JORDON: His Majesty sends his regrets, all law you made us proud. The most important thing is to protect the

citizens, and that's what you all did today. I mean, let them express themselves and their opinions while we protect them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: What unusual words in this part of the world. A wise move at just 23 years old, Jordan's young Crown Prince out and about telling the

police to let the protesters speak their mind. And in doing so as we reported at the top of the show they got what they wanted. The prime

minister gone. But have they got a solution, those protesters? Let me explain that for you. Everything that we have been seeing out of Jordan

the past couple of days, in fact weeks, months if you've been traveling in and out, comes down to just one number, $723 million. The IMF loaning that

out but there's no such thing as a free lunch. That cash injection coming with a lot of strings attached. At home it basically means less money in

people's pockets. A lot less. And that is why you are getting scenes like these.

Well, this is all part of a much wider, regional political mosaic as well. Let's get into that with Ayman Safadi, Jordan's foreign minister, live on

CONNECT THE WORLD. And sir, thank you so much for joining us at what we know is that incredibly busy time for you. This is by no means the first

time we have seen protests on the streets of Amman and other cities. But this certainly feels or felt more serious. Just how big a job does this

new prime minister have in fixing the economy, and why is Omar al-Razzaz the right man for the job at this point?

[11:35:07] AYMAN SAFADI, JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, first of all, let me just clearly state that the government has resigned, and we stay on

as caretaker until a new government has been appointed. There has been no announcement of who the new prime minister is. It is all speculation, so I

cannot comment who is coming or not coming because that's not -- that information is not out yet.

That said, look, Becky, Jordan has been going through very, very difficult economic situation. And that is not due to failure within the country. It

is due to the fact Jordan has been on the receiving end of every crisis in the region. Iraq has been battling the terrorists and Iraq has been

traditionally Jordan's biggest market. That market has been lost for a few years. Syria was our path to Europe not only has that path closed but we

also having to host about 1.3 million Syrians. With all that brings in in terms of pressure on the economy, pressure on jobs, pressure on education.

Add to that the surge on energy prices, oil prices, for a country that imports almost 98 percent of its energy.

All these are conditions that have been leaving a very heavy impact in Jordan, creating a very difficult economic condition. And no matter what

we tried to do, these are facts on the ground. And I have to say we've been having to shoulder all that pretty much to a great extent on our own.

I mean, we're grateful for a lot of the support that we've had from international donors to help us on the refugee issue, but that was not

enough. And ultimately two years into this burden carried by Jordan, the results are starting to appear, and people are genuinely hurting.

ANDERSON: Let's just pick apart some of what you have been suggesting there. Many of your neighbors unstable, among them, of course, the most

recent Syria and its carnage and civil war. In total from there nearly, what, three-quarters of a million people fleeing to your country and that

is the latest influx that Jordan is accommodating. All this going on while at the same time the IMF extending this credit line back in 2016. And fund

said at the time, and I quote, the authorities developed a comprehensive program to enhance conditions for inclusive growth and preserve

macroeconomic stability.

Foreign minister, while the IMF at the time did allude to the difficult external environment, and we'll talk about that momentarily, those words it

used on stability and growth in Jordan now read as naive at best. Does the IMF bear some responsibility for this mess?

SAFADI: Look, I think to be honest, a lot bear responsibility not just the IMF, the whole economic community. Again, Jordan has been carrying the

consequences of conflicts in the region that have had nothing to do with but, unfortunately, it's getting most of the burden of that. Again, as I

explained Syria, Iraq, the absence of political rise for the Palestinian issue as well. All these have combined to put pressure on us. And we've

been opening our doors to refugees, 20 percent of the population from Syria alone let alone refugees from other parts of the Middle East.

And, again, our schools are open, being shared for everybody that came from Syria and elsewhere. Our medical sector, our roads, and people are hurting

and genuinely sore. Unemployment in Jordan is about 18 percent and even more in the periphery. That means people are in no position anymore to

accept a hardship. And I have to say, that we're extremely proud, Becky, of the way in which the Jordanians have carried themselves. They've

exercised their rights to peaceful demonstration. They expressed their rights. They expressed their concerns and the government, his majesty was

the first to come out and say, he understands the pain and he's doing everything he can to be able to address the challenges that we have.

But I think, Jordan, once again, paints a very, very assuring picture of a country that comes together and is trying to do the right thing. That

said, we need the international community also to step up to the plate. Why should Jordan alone shoulder the burden of 1.3 million Syrians? Why is

the world not coming to their help? Why are we not seeing the amount of aid that is necessary to enable us? And we all say that Jordan is key to

the security and stability of the region and it is.

I mean, look at the role we've been fighting in trying to bring about peace and fighting Daesh. This is pressure. 378 kilometers of border with

Syria, that does not come without a price. So again, Jordan is resilient, Jordanians have been very, very responsible, acted in a very responsible

manner, but I think it's about time that the world acted responsibly as well and help Jordan carry out the burden it is caring on behalf of the

international community and frankly, much of the region.

[11:40:08] ANDERSON: Let's talk about that. I want to know from you what that responsible should be that the rest of the world should carry at this

point. You rightly point out the impact on Jordan from the refugees, the very latest refugees, is enormous. Let's also agree that Turkey and

Lebanon are struggling as well. But Jordan has particular problems and you have emphasized those. Jordan gets $290, I think, per person in

development aid every year. Twice as much as Haiti or Afghanistan.

Washington offering quite a lot of extra cash in recent years. Even while it dries up from some of your Arab friends at a time when Jordan needs more

help and the country carrying a huge regional burden. Why do you see that dynamic shifting like that? Why aren't the regional allies -- and we'll

talk about them -- coming to help?

SAFADI: Let me just point out that before the crisis in the region, before Syria and Iraq, our economy was growing at about 7 percent. Now our

economy is growing at under 2 percent. And again, that is because of the situation in the region. Yes, we're getting some support from some of our

allies and friends and we're grateful for that. We're grateful to the U.S. for the support it's giving. But again, we're saying it's not enough

because Jordan is in the middle of this regional situation. We've been doing everything we can to help. Step up to the plate and shoulder are

responsibility. But others have to do the same.

And now, what is the world going to say if we come and say, all right, we cannot take any more refugees, our borders are blocked. All those refugees

have to go out. Let me give you one other number. In the last year or so, two years, we've given work permits to about 100,000 Syrians. That is

twice the number of jobs the economy can create on an annual basis. This is not coming without a cost to our people. And our people are saying

enough, and rightly so. They can no longer shoulder that burden on themselves. And as government, as a country, we're trying to do our best.

We did everything we could to manage our economy.

But then again, the pressure was too much for us to handle. Basically, what's been thrown on us is beyond our ability to handle on our own. And I

think again, it's about time that people put their money where their mouth is when they speak about the responsibility and the role of the importance

of Jordan. We need people to paying their share for refugees. Again, why should Jordanians alone be responsible for providing education to Syrian

kids and providing jobs to Syrian laborers who come into the country? We are going at a difficult moment. But we're confident of our people. We're

confident of our leadership, of our country. And again, if you look at what has been happening in Amman over the last two, three years I think

we're all proud of what we're seeing happening despite the difficulty that the situation is putting on us.

ANDERSON: We know in less than ten years Jordan plowing through some seven prime ministers, that's almost one a year much higher than in most places

even in this part of the world. Is there appetite, do you think, at this point, for fundamental change? And I'd have to ask you what happens in

Syria has a direct bearing on Jordan as you have rightly explained. What is the solution there? And you clearly aren't satisfied that the

international community understands sufficiently the impact of the continuing crisis on a troubled Jordan. So, if you have one message

tonight, what is it?

SAFADI: Is that, you know, I mean, step up to the plate and help us in shouldering a burden that is our collective burden when it comes to Syria

and the impact of that. Again, as I said, we're a small country that is doing a lot. A lot is being asked of us. And while we're grateful for a

lot of our friends and allies who have come to our help and helped us, I just have to say it's not enough. The problem is bigger than we thought.

The impact of refugees is harder. The fact that we've lost our traditional market is having impact. The fact that we're going through those economic

reforms at a time when we're also having to address the consequences of regional crises is something that is -- we need others to realize that

Jordan is doing a job on behalf of everybody in the region and elsewhere. And I think, we are doing what we have to do. Others have to do what they

have to do. And again, Jordanians have seen challenges in the past and we've dealt with them. But I think it's time now that others came and

shouldered their share of responsibility as well.

ANDERSON: Ayman Safadi is the Foreign Minister of Jordan on CONNECT THE WORLD for you on CNN. Thank you, sir. A pleasure having you on as ever.

[11:45:00] I'm Becky Anderson. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. Next, a breakthrough that has been more than a decade in the making. Which could

affect hundreds of thousands of women worldwide. The details on that are just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: You're watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. It is 7:45 here in the UAE. This is our Middle East broadcasting hub.

To a medical breakthrough, I mean it is great news for some women with breast cancer. The most common cancer in women worldwide. Today doctors

reveal a study showing that some patients with early stage breast cancer can skip chemotherapy entirely. Now it's down to a genetic test that

allows for tailored therapies with the potential to spare thousands the grueling process of chemo.

CNN senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen joining me now. Just how does this work? Is this something that will help women in the future? Or

is this about right now.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, this is about right now. And that's because these genetic tests that the doctors used in

this study they're available right now. In the U.S. most women are getting them. You know, it used to be, Becky, that we thought breast cancer is

breast cancer is breast cancer. Well, doctors have learned is that that's not true and that we need to have, as you mentioned, Becky, tailored

therapies.

So, they use this genetic test that's already out there, already in use, and they used it to further delineate who needs chemo and who doesn't. And

what they found is that in just the United States alone there are 85,000 women a year who are getting chemo who don't need it. It's not helping

them. And avoiding chemo it's not just avoiding hair loss or nausea, chemo puts you at a higher risk for heart failure, also for leukemia. So, if

85,000 women, again, in the U.S. alone, can avoid chemo, that's game changing.

ANDERSON: Can we trust this test? Is it possible that the test could be wrong, and that some women won't get chemo when they really needed it, for

example?

COHEN: Yes, you know, I asked an oncologist that question. And he said, according to the test 2 to 3 percent of the women who did not get chemo,

the test said don't give her chemo. So, they didn't give her chemo, 2 to 3 percent of those women did go on to relapse and had cancer again. So,

we'll never know. Would those women have relapsed even if they had had chemo? It's possible. But for 2 to 3 percent of the women in the no chemo

group it is possible that maybe they should have gotten chemo. But still that's a very small percentage when you think of the vast majority of women

who didn't get chemo and so were able to avoid that increase risk of heart failure and leukemia as well as other side effects.

ANDERSON: Elizabeth Cohen on the story. An important one and thank you for getting us being up to date on that. You're watching CONNECT THE

WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Coming up, it's a lot of hard work. We meet and Emirati ballerina preparing, well, for the performance of a lifetime.

That's next.

[11:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, your parting shots tonight we meet an inspiring young lady who wants to put the culture of the country, the UAE, on the global stage.

Local media called Alia, first Emirati ballet star. And Alia Al Neyadi recently opened up about what is her incredible passion for dance and why

she's opted not to wear traditional Islamic clothing on stage. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALIA AL NEYADI, EMIRATI BALLERINA: My name is Alia Al Neyadi. I'm the first Emirati ballerina. I first started at the age of 4. For me ballet

is freedom. So, when I'm on stage I like to be free. I always wear very flowy costumes. The persona that I embody on stage is completely different

than me in real life, me at home, me when I go out.

But when I'm on the stage I always wear exactly what I'm comfortable with. If not necessarily that I'm not covered. It's just how I'm comfortable.

It's more of a personal choice. My mother has inspired me obviously in pursuing ballet. My mother is from Ukraine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That was nice. That was nice.

AL NEYADI: My mother was a professional performer at the time, ballet performer in Russia. And when she came here that's when she met my father.

After that she just moved everything to UAE, her whole life. She obviously had to quit being a professional performer. But that didn't stop her from

reaching her other goals.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is her big day. That's why I say double happiness. For me as a teacher, as a belly master and as a mom.

AL NEYADI: I have always and only been performing with the people from my mom's academy. We're all girls. So, to be on stage with a partner and to

have someone to depend on when I perform that's obviously something new for me.

I think that because of the strong, you know, ballet idea in Ukraine or in other parts of the world they have everything there we don't. And I really

want to show everybody that we can do this. Yes, it's going to take some time. But we are still a very young country. We haven't even reached 50

years. So, I think it is just going to take some time. But we will get there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: A little local talent. Why not? You can always follow the stories that the team is working on throughout the day, of course,

especially what's happening right here in the Middle East by heading to our Facebook page, Facebook.com/CNNConnect. You can get to me on Twitter at

BeckyCNN. I'm Becky Anderson. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. From the team working with me here and for those working with us around the world, it's a

very good evening.

[11:55:00] Thank you for watching. CNN continues after this.

END