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31 Dead, about 100 Missing from California Fires; White House Defense Trump's Decision to Skip Cemetery Event; Fighting Continues in Yemen after the West Calls for Cease-Fire; Israeli Military Says Bus Hit by Fire from Gaza; Trump's Foreign Policy after the Midterms; Trudeau Says Canadian Agents Have Heard Khashoggi Recording; Saudis Plan to Cut Oil Experts by 500,000 Barrels a Day; Young Emiratis Tackle Leadership Challenges; No Deal on Brexit Yet, says EU's Barnier. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 12, 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: Hello and welcome, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD, I'm Becky Anderson live for you from Abu Dhabi this
evening.
Paradise has turned into hell. That may sound like a line from a badly- written story but that is what has happened in northern California. The town of Paradise, California, is gone. Burned to the ground in the
deadliest wildfire in the state's history. At least 31 people are dead across California and about 100 are still missing.
Meanwhile, another fire rages in southern California. Threatening thousands of homes in some of the most beautiful suburbs of Los Angeles.
And because it seems everything is political these days, Donald Trump playing the blame game, saying the fires are the fault of poor forest
management. We'll have more on that in a moment.
But first, let's take a look at another storm of controversy, involving U.S. President. Mr. Trump's brief visit to Paris was meant to shore up
Transatlantic relations. Wasn't it? But it may have done more to expose the cracks he and other world leaders gathered to mark 100 years since the
guns fell silent across Europe in World War I. French President Emmanuel Macron used the solemn commemoration to deliver a strong rebuke of the
nationalism that fanned the flames of war, calling it a dangerous portrayal of morality and patriotism.
Well, that didn't seem to go over well with the American first President who calls him a nationalist. Take a look at the stone-cold look on his
face. It sort of says it all, doesn't it? Well, we are live in Washington and Paris to bring you more on this story. Sara Westwood is at the White
House in Washington for you. Melissa Bell, overlooking the Champs-Elysees. Let's start there with you Melissa. Conspicuous by his absence is how you
might have written the headline of the U.S. President's trip to Paris. How is Donald Trump's visit there playing out?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Well, clearly, that series of photo opportunities that really left the American President out, the optics of
all of this, Becky, first of all, his absence from the battlefields of World War I on Saturday. His counterparts, mostly did make the trip out of
Paris in motorcades, and despite the rain to go pay respects to their shoulders. He did not on this Saturday. And of course, there was a
picture, Becky, of the leaders arriving just behind me at the Arc de Triomphe, for those very solemn celebrations, and commemorations, as you
say, of World War I. All of that shared interest of the alliances that have been built and strengthened since. And Donald Trump arriving in his
own motorcade and therefore missing that solemn moment when all together the German, the French leaders, walked toward the Arc de Triomphe to
remember together ball that had divided them. And this is perhaps the picture this afternoon that says it all, Becky, "Le Monde", tomorrow's
edition published this afternoon. The resurgence of old demons was at the heart of Emmanuel Macron's speech. It wasn't just that in front of Donald
Trump he gave those lines. The very heart of his speech about nationalism and patriotism being diametrically opposed. It was also the first tweet
that he made, this is very much at the center of his message. And as you say, that difference, both on the form, the absence of Donald Trump and
some of those moments where together the world was thinking of the past, of history, but also, on the content. I mean there were several
opportunities, both the bilateral and lunch when the leaders talked about the issues that divide them, Iran, trade, what progress was made on any of
those. For now, it seems very little. So, you do get the sense that nevermore have Europe and the United States been divided on so many crucial
questions -- Beck.
ANDERSON: Stand by. Sara, I just wonder, back in Washington, just what, if anything, do you believe the Trump administration believes was achieved
by what was a very short trip effectively?
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Becky, it's hard to see what the administration did achieve. What this trip, as you will recall,
it started out as an alternate to the President's military parade that he requested after going over to France and watching the Bastille Day parade
With French President Emmanuel Macron in 2017. And after the estimated price tag of that military parade here in the U.S., ballooned to over $100
million, a trip to France to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I was proposed, as an alternative. And this could have been a re-set
for the President after what many have viewed as a drubbing in the U.S. midterm elections here.
[11:05:00] But instead, the President exposed more of the tensions with his relationship with the Europeans and France in particular. He started off
that trip with a tweeted message at Macron, firing off about an interview Macron had given in which he said -- he proposed a European military plan.
The President and Macron then sat down for a bilateral meeting, the French chalked it up to a misunderstanding. Said the two remained on the same
page about defense spending when it comes to the Transatlantic alliance but the President continuing to defend his decision to skip that visit to the
American burial ground on Saturday. They are continuing to blame the weather. Although, there was no statement of regret or doubt after he
decided to skip that visit. That's a decision that has been scrutinized as well. And this morning in a tweet, the President putting a period on this
trip by acknowledging that sometimes there are going to be tensions when he is in pursuit of this "America First" positioning -- Becky.
ANDERSON: I wonder then, Melissa, whether the sort of over-arching sort of conclusion to this from the French and perhaps other Europeans who were
there was that as much as Washington can't quite work out perhaps what was achieved by this trip, did the Europeans believe there was no more damage
done to the Transatlantic partnership as it were, in averted comments at least?
BELL: Well, I think it was perhaps the physical manifestation of the conclusion of which so many have arrived here on the European continent,
Becky, which is that despite Emmanuel Macron's best efforts to try and create some sort of dialogue, despite the clear differences of views -- and
we're talking about differences in entire world visions here -- despite those best efforts, that there is very little that can be expected of this
relationship.
I mean if you think back, the last time the French President met the American President, when he had gone over to the United States, that time
of the Macron visit to Washington, that state visit, at the time, remember, before he left, he was very ambitious, telling the press essentially, we
expect to see movement on trade. We hope to convince him on Iran. We've come up with this ideal that might allow everyone to stay inside despite
his reservations. He walked home empty-handed. This time there was no hint from the Elysee that anything at all might be achieved on policy. I
think there was perhaps more than more than there was an acceptance, there will be divergencies that there's very little room for maneuver that there
is very little room for compromise. And you really sense Emmanuel Macron going further. Not just criticizing Donald Trump this time, as he has in
the past at the U.N. and in other occasions for his unilateralist foreign policy objectives and policy. But this time, laying into his political
platform. It was much more personal. It was much more serious. It was much more political than it had been before.
ANDERSON: Melissa Bell is in Paris. Sarah is in Washington. To you both, thank you.
Well, a story that has deep Washington, D.C. links. Pressure mounting on Saudi Arabia to end the bloodshed in Yemen. Britain's Foreign Secretary,
Jeremy Hunt, is in Riyadh urging Saudi leaders to end the civil war that has devastated Yemen and its people. Well, Hunt's visit comes after U.S.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on all parties to come together and negotiate a peaceful resolution to the horrific conflict. Well, CNN's Sam
Kiley joining me here in Abu Dhabi. And Sam, a seemingly concerted effort by leaders with -- it's going to be said some stakes in this conflict.
Albeit through their arms sales, to convince the Saudis, and the coalition, to put an end to what is going on in Yemen. Is there any evidence at this
point that they are having anything like a success in this?
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, all of the evidence is in fact, that things have gone into reverse. That there was a
sort of stalemate, if you like, the Saudi-led offensive, which is combined with the United Arab Emirates, a smorgasbord of militia groups including
Sudanese volunteers, it had run into the sand effectively. The Houthis were holding Hodeidah -- the vital port city on the western coast -- and
they were unable to penetrate.
About two days after the call for a cease fire came, there was an offensive on Hodeidah led by the Saudis, led by air strikes and with a lot of
activity on the ground. And that's ongoing even today. Now, in that context, one might say, well this has all gone completely to pot. The
reality is though, that if there is a call for a cease fire, and it was 30 days hence, from that call, then it is pretty normal the belligerent groups
would try to get the best possible positions ahead of that cease fire.
Now the Saudi today have said that they are determined to -- in their words -- liberate that port city. But there are very deep concerns indeed that
this fighting is going to prevent the shipment of vitally important foreign food aid in particular, 14 million people said to be vulnerable to
starvation, and 400,000 children suffering from what UNICEF says is acute malnutrition. So, there is an emergency behind this. And that I think is
galvanizing the U.S. and the U.K.
[11:10:00] ANDERSON: Let's remind our viewers that the U.N., various aid groups, are calling for a political solution. And all stake holders have
at least in principal agreed that there needs to be a solution at this point. Back in 2015, Security Council resolution 2216, in particular,
calling for, and I quote, all parties in the embattled country, in particular the Houthis, immediately and unconditionally end violence.
And this specifically speaks to the situation in Hodeidah. And to refrain from acts that threaten the political transition. A political transition
that we haven't seen any evidence of at all. There is some talk behind the scenes that there may be Houthi elements moving towards discussions with
the Yemeni government, the internationally recognized Yemeni government, which of course is resident in Riyadh at this point. We spoke to Martin
Griffith, the U.N. envoy to Yemen a week or so ago, and he implored the stake holders to get together. He wanted to put together a meeting in
Sweden, we believe, by the end of this month. Where are we?
KILEY: Well there are no signs at all that the Houthis are prepared to join that. Indeed, just yesterday, one of their ministers defected to the
government side. Perhaps indicating that there is certainly a degree of hedging, that this military -- if you are talking about the real policy,
the military solution, although it is attractive to nobody, ultimately might bring peace more quickly than s stalemate followed by more conflict.
That certainly is some of the attitude we've been getting today from sources I've been speaking to involved in the southern effort.
Then you have how much pressure the Saudis are going to come under. If I read you some figures, you'll start to see why this is slightly awkward for
the U.S. and U.K. In 2017, the U.K. sold $3.78 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia. In the same figure for the same year was $14.5 billion from
the United States. There is a mercantile aspect to this. There is also a very close relationship with the Saudis in terms of intelligence. The U.S.
is supplying intelligence. There are a lot of levers that they could pull, if they want the Saudis-led coalition to slow its advance. But there may
well be a reading that says actually, let's try and get this over with as quickly as possible.
ANDERSON: Very briefly, does the decision by the U.S. to stop refueling the jets being used by the coalition in their attacks in the Houthis in
Yemen, is that significant enough leverage to stop this war?
KILEY: It's symbolic, in military terms, it means absolutely nothing and the Saudis have made that very clear. Indeed, they came out and said
actually it was our idea and we can do it ourselves. And that is also true. But ultimately it is symbolic in the context. I know you will talk
about this later of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. There is a sense of frustration more proudly with the Saudis. And they do need to start to do
a bit of virtue signaling through all of this. And at the same time, they're faced with the military reality and military reality is if you've
got success, develop it.
ANDERSON: Sam Kiley in the house for you. Let's get back to those terrifying wildfires in California. Thank you, Sam.
CNN's Dan Simon is in Paradise, California, a community that appears to have been completely destroyed. Just give us a sense of where you are, and
what you are experiencing there.
DON SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky, this fire is really at a level and scale of destruction that we have never seen in the state of
California. This is the most common thing you'll see in Paradise, California. You see an entire neighborhood leveled. It's just like this
everywhere. We're talking about homes and businesses, and churches, and schools, and retirement centers. You name it. And we're still hearing a
few days later these harrowing tales of people who evacuated.
Now, the main road that leads to this town of paradise -- it's actually called Skyway. In fact, the locals here call it the skyway to paradise,
and on Thursday morning, as people were leaving, it was just bam-packed with car, bumper to bumper, people frantically trying to evacuate. Now, in
that traffic was a mother and her daughter, and you can just hear how terrified they were, as the fire was taking over everything around them.
Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're been losing her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK, mama.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON: Well, I can tell you that that mother and daughter did make it out OK. Like thousands of others, they're staying at a hotel and just trying
to figure out next. Thousands more are at shelters or staying with friends. At least 29 people have died in this fire. And a couple hundred
more are still reported missing. So, in all likelihood, authorities think that death toll figure will go up.
[11:15:00] At this point, this fire is 25 percent contained. The good news is the winds have died down. But the bad news is things remain dry and
there is no rain in the forecast -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Don Simon on the ground there in California.
We are getting word now that Israel's military says an Israeli bus was hit by fire from Gaza, just hours ago. One person wounded. This comes as a
sharp escalation in violence between Israeli forces and Hamas militants. Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem. What can you tell us at this point?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, that was not even hours ago. It was 30 minutes ago that the Israeli military says an Israeli bus just
outside of Gaza was hit by fire from Gaza. Emergency response services saying one Israeli was seriously or critically wounded in that attack.
Since then, there have been red alerts, rocket and mortar sirens sounding all around Gaza. And we've seen video on Israeli TV and as well as images
from inside Gaza of rockets being fired from Gaza towards Israel.
We got a statement from the Qassam brigades -- that's Hamas's military wing -- saying this fire which is not only from Qassam but also from other
Palestinian militant factions is a response to yesterday. A response to an Israeli special forces raid that happened inside Gaza late last night.
This rocket fire they say is a response to that. The Israeli military says they have begun carrying out a number of strikes on what they call terror
targets inside of Gaza. So, that period of calm that we saw earlier today, that has now quickly vanished. All of this fire starting just as it got
dark here, right around Gaza, and that's when we saw this sharp escalation. Again, the Israeli military says a bus was hit by fire, from Gaza, one
person seriously wounded there.
Following that, we have seen a number of these red alerts, these rocket fires and as we're sitting here, I can see my phone, there are red alerts
that continue sounding, meaning there are rocket and mortar sirens going off around Gaza. And again, the Israeli military has begun striking
targets in Gaza. This perhaps just the beginning of what may be a very, very long night along the Gaza border -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Meantime, after months of negotiations, we'll keep an eye on exactly what is going on and get back to you on CNN, of course, as things
develop, if indeed they do. But after months of negotiations, Qatar has delivered $15 million to Gaza, through Israel, it has to be said, in
suitcases. Why and with what intent?
LIEBERMANN: The goal there was from Qatar, not only money to pay the salaries of civil servants inside of Gaza and also to provide money to
those families who need it but also to relieve some of the tension in and around Gaza, and to make sure that the tension, the spikes in escalations
we've seen over the last few months don't happen. It was specifically money intended to avoid the exact situation we're seeing now. Which is why
the timing of all of this is so interesting and so volatile. This was specifically a step by Qatar to try to alleviate the tension there. And
that has vanished it seems very quickly now, as the Israelis carried out a special forces raid inside of Gaza, or a special forces operation, inside
of Gaza. That led to the exchange of hostilities we saw yesterday, where an Israeli officer was killed as well as seven Palestinians and now this,
rocket fire, as well as Israeli strikes in Gaza.
ANDERSON: Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem. We're in Abu Dhabi, and we'll keep a close eye on what is going on there. Thank you, Oren.
Still to come tonight on this show, a deeper dive into Trump on the world stage. The French President Emmanuel Macron slams Donald Trump "America
First" agenda in front of him. Where to next then for U.S. foreign policy? That is up next.
[11:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right, you're watching CNN, this is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. We are in Abu Dhabi. Welcome back.
We want to return to the U.S. President's weekend trip to France where his French counterpart slammed the concept of nationalism. It seems to be a
stinging rebuke of Donald Trump's "America First" policy at home and abroad. Emmanuel Macron made those remarks at a ceremony commemorating
Armistice Day. Let's discuss this further on. I want to bring in Edward Luce. He's the "Financial Times" U.S. national editor, joining me here in
the studio in the UAE. And it's great to have you here, sir.
EDWARD LUCE, FINANCIAL TIMES U.S. NATIONAL EDITOR: Nice to be here.
ANDERSON: Before we talk about some of the wider story of foreign policy, under the U.S. administration, run by Donald Trump, what did you make of
his performance this weekend, in Paris?
LUCE : There was an element of peak. I mean, he's clearly quite rattled by the midterm election, the prospective of impeachment and the
investigation into his tax return, these are all breathing down his neck. They're no longer abstract and he tends to be a fairly moody person. So, I
think the irritation and to some degree fear that he is now feeling were very manifest in Paris. The light rain being an excuse.
ANDERSON: Well, he said, apparently, you know, they didn't want to hold up the traffic, which is why he didn't do.
LUCE: Well, they always right near the White House and they've been on their trips -- on the Air Force One trips, they always have a backup plan
for weather. And there would have been a backup plan for helicopter. All of these options would have been available. Clearly this was him not being
in the mood to stand collectively shoulder to shoulder with countries that he still believes, and tweeted as such, ripping America off and getting
American subsidies for nothing. And the fact that this is century of the 1st world war and you are honoring the dead did not weigh against that.
ANDERSON: I want to share with our viewers an opinion piece that you wrote on Thursday last week. This is, of course, following the U.S. midterms.
A Republican controlled Senate is good for proving any potential nominees for President Trump. You wrote, foreign policy during most of the first
two years of Mr. Trump's term was constrained by the so-called axis of adults. The second two will be stuffed with Trumpian loyalists.
Which I think might surprise someone who could argue almost the exact opposite, that these midterms, with a new Democratic government, running
these committees, where decisions are actually made, on policy, will mean that the adults are back in charge, and that the animals have been running
the farm as it were for the last years, may be constrained. I would like you to explain your counter-argument, if you would.
LUCE: Well, so the Democrats will be controlling the House. So, the house has the power of the purse, the power of investigation and oversight and
they're going to use that with a vengeance. And it might, as I indicated earlier, result in an impeachment process. But the Senate has a much, much
stronger influence over foreign policy. It's the Senate where treaties are approved, ambassadors are approved and so forth. And the Republicans
increased their majority in the Senate. But the point, by just a couple of seats. But the point I was making was more about his personnel. He has
one or two people left from the beginning.
[11:25:00] Most notably Jim Mattis, the Secretary of Defense, who is thought of as the adult in the room, as the sensible sober person, who
shoots down bad ideas. Trump has hinted several times in recent months that he wants Mattis out and a loyalist, a Trumpian in that role. If he
decides to do that, the Senate will rubber stamp it even more quickly than before this election, because his margin is larger.
ANDERSON: Were you then surprised at how quickly Secretary of State Pompeo has clearly drawn a red line in the sand when it comes to, for example,
Yemen. I'm talking about that, because that's specifically important to this region and the sort of affairs that the U.S. administration will have
on its sort of file when it comes to this part of the world. Very quickly, and it seemed almost before they would be told by the House, to sort of get
on with it, there is this call to stop this civil war, this war raging in Yemen. It looks as if the administration is trying to use its leverage
before they are effectively told to do so.
LUCE: That's correct. And what they announce, what Pompeo announced is that America will stop refueling Saudi attacks, or flights.
ANDERSON: Which I think we can agree is probably symbolic.
LUCE: Very symbolic. And they could have done a host of other things like sort of cut off training of Saudi troops and intelligence sharing and
indeed the sale of precision guided munitions. None of which they have done. So, if this feels like a very public relations preemptive measure,
as your question suggested, that was indeed announced by Saudi Arabia, this was announced in Riyadh, not in Washington.
ANDERSON: So, does anything change when it comes to foreign policy then for this region specifically? I'm thinking for example, we haven't seen
this Kushner Middle East peace plan, for example, are we going to see it now?
LUCE: It is promised within, you know, a short period of time, whether that's weeks or months, I don't know. But I think that it's dead in the
water. Everybody knows that anything that includes, that excludes Jerusalem, as a Palestinian shared capital is dead in the water. There is
a very progressive quite balanced on Israel/Palestine younger Democratic intake from the midterm elections which is not going to be automatically
pro-Israel in the same way that older Democrats might be. So, that's going to make it more difficult for this deal of the century so called.
ANDERSON: Fascinating times. Keep an eye on it for us. Thank you. Ed Luce in the house. The "Financial Times" U.S. national editor with
insight. You can read a lot more analysis on President Trump's Paris trip, for example, on our web site. Had to CNN.com, where we look at President
Macron's dire warning, and so many missed moments from Donald Trump's visit. A lot more on this region of course there, as well. Live from Abu
Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, sanctions and supply, and what Saudi Arabia is doing to boost sagging oil prices and what that may
mean for you and me. Stay with us.
[11:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Just 7:30 here in Abu Dhabi. You're watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson. T
he latest development in the Jamal Khashoggi killing, that has emerged that Canadian agents have heard the Turkish audio recordings with what happened
to the murdered Saudi journalist. Khashoggi was killed last month after entering the Saudi consulate, you'll remember, in Istanbul. Now, the
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is the first world leader to go on record saying his country has heard the tapes. Here is what he told
reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you saying that Canadian agents have heard these recordings? them?
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have heard them?
TRUDEAU: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you heard them?
TRUDEAU: I have not. We continue to be engaged with our allies on the investigation into accountability for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, and we
are in discussions with our like-minded allies as to next steps towards Saudi Arabia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well it comes, as we heard, after the U.S. Secretary of State spoke with the Saudi crown prince by phone and warned the U.S. will hold
all those involved in Khashoggi's killing accountable. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is live from Istanbul for you -- Jomana.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, you know, it's been more than 40 days since the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and there are so plane
questions that remain unanswered. And there's so much frustration amongst Turkish officials that they are not getting the answers to what they see as
pretty straightforward questions that they put forward to the Saudis. They say there is serious lack of cooperation from the Saudis who are not
answering questions like where are the remains of Jamal Khashoggi and who ordered the killing.
As you know over the past few weeks, we have this drip of leaks and information coming from Turkey to try and put pressure on Western
countries, the international community, especially the United States, and also Saudi Arabia, to get to the bottom of this. And the latest we have
had is on Saturday, President Erdogan coming out and saying that they have shared recordings, the recordings of the killing, with a number of
countries, mentioning France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany, and as you mentioned there, we've heard today, Prime Minister
Trudeau also confirming that Canadian intelligence also listened to that audio. So, it would seem right now that Turkey is really putting the ball
in the court of these Western nations, to try and put pressure on Saudi Arabia, to get the answers that Turkey has failed to really get so far from
the Saudis. So, we will have to wait and see what happens next. Especially with this reluctance from the Trump administration and other
Western countries to really push Saudi Arabia too much -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Jomana is in Istanbul on the story for you. Jomana, thank you.
It has been a week since sanctions aimed to cut Iran's oil production kicked into effect. Now Saudi Arabia says it will cut its own oil supply.
The news has already got oil prices climbing after they tumbled last week. Earlier this month the kingdom said it would boost supply to replace the
loss of Iranian oil. But since some of Iran's customers were given special wavers to keep buying, Saudi Arabia now says there is an oversupply over
the loss of Iranian oil. But since some of Iran's customers were given special wavers to keep buying, Saudi Arabia now says there is an
oversupply.
Well, the announcement was made at OPEC here in Abu Dhabi. That's the conference, one of the most important events of the oil and gas industry,
bringing together all the key players. CNN's business emerging markets editor John Defterios was there getting the scoop on all things oil and
joins me now. You were chairing the panel when the Saudi oil minister made that announcement. What is the thinking behind this U-turn?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNNMONEY EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Simply put, Becky, I think enough is enough. They had to watch the bear market in October, that
huge correction. They were trying to dance around the pressure from President Trump, because of the U.S. elections and asking OPEC to put more
oil on the market. But the elections are behind them, and now we have clarity on the Iran and sanctions that you were talking about in your lead-
in here. I think the Saudis believe there is more room to maneuver. So, what does that mean?
Between June and October, they added over a million barrels a day to assuage the Americans to be very blunt about it. And now they're saying
what we gave, we can take back and Saudi Arabia themselves committed to half a million barrels a day coming off the market in December, and Khalid
Al-Falih told me on the panel, that they're looking to see OPEC and non- OPEC players, including Russia, take a million barrels off the day, of the market, to recover prices. But more importantly to rebalance supplies.
Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KHALID A. AL-FALIH, SAUDI ENERGY MINISTER: The technical analysis we saw yesterday from the OPEC secretary, and from our joint technical committee
looking at IEA and EIA data tells us that there has to be a reduction of supply from October levels approaching a million barrels.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFTERIOS: Approaching a million barrels. I talked to a senior OPEC source who told me in one of the modulus rooms there, after the panel we
had, he said we're targeting 1.1 to 1.2. I want to be specific here. The wildcard is Russia, Becky, because Russia is producing over 11 million
barrels a day. The view from Alexander Novak who's the Russian minister is, every time we give up production, who comes in? It's the United
States, with the shale production now in total, producing about 11.7 million barrels a day. So, their reluctant to move too quickly to take the
oil off the market. But the role of Saudi Arabia is we want to be the stabilizer. We don't like the ups and downs that we see today of the
volatility and the bear market in October obviously.
ANDERSON: And let's talk about Saudi Arabia, about eliminating OPEC all together. What's that all about?
DEFTERIOS: Is that shocking? We are trying to read between the tea leaves here. What was the motivation? One could say it is a message to Russia
and a message to the United States. You keep on badgering OPEC and you have done so for the past six months, what would it be like --
ANDERSON: They produce 40 percent of the oil on the market.
DEFTERIOS: What would happen if they weren't there though? They're saying, look, In June when you needed more supply, we did it. And it
brought prices down and it stabilized the market. Back in 2016 when the market was over supplies. We got to $30 a barrel. We indeed cut the
supplies and moved forward.
What gets tricky here, and this is what I posed to the minister on the panel, the think tank that was looking at it, it is KAPSARC. It is a Saudi
think tank, that was running different scenarios if OPEC decided to get out of the market and not have collaboration. There is one other thought here,
there's three major producer, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United States. All around 11 million barrels a day, perhaps they just need themselves and
they don't need OPEC. But categorically, Al-Falih said there is not one iota of consideration by the policy maker. Think tanks are supposed to
think and put up scenarios but the policy makers themselves are not talking about getting rid of OPEC. How's that?
ANDERSON: They weren't paying for the think though.
DEFTERIOS: There is a lot of politics that they said, right.
ANDERSON: A lot of politics. Fascinating stuff. John, thank you very much indeed.
DEFTERIOS: Thanks.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Well, as the demand for oil slows, it is clear from these conferences that big oil and gas companies, they are not going
anywhere. One of the companies energizing its youth is ADNOC here in Abu Dhabi. ADNOC is the Abu Dhabi national oil company. Well, I sat down with
a group the company calls the future leaders. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: We all know the story of Abu Dhabi. The emirate that rose from the desert, built by petrol dollars. But if the first chapter of this
emirate was written with oil, a new generation of emirates are being empowered to write its future.
HAIF ZAMZAM, DEPARTMENT MANAGER, GROUP STRATEGY: In the last year, I have learned a lot about the way our industry operates.
SAUD ABDULAZIZ ALSHAMSI, MANAGER, PORTFOLIO DEPARTMENT, STRATEGY AND PERFORMANCE UNIT: I also learned about our most significant challenges and
opportunities that exist.
ALI ASAD ALI, ACTING SVP, HUMAN CAPITAL AND SUPPORT SERVICES: We have learned from our founding father, a challenge is a chance for an
opportunity.
ZAMZAM: Our forefathers, our fathers, our mother, they've all really put in blood, sweat and tears into making the UAE what it is today and we don't
want to drop the ball.
[11:40:00] ANDERSON: Ali, Haif, and Saud where among the first graduates of state oil company ADNOC's future leaders' program, which aims to develop
a world-class workforce through coaching, mentoring and structured training. I sat down with the young executives, at ADNOC state-of-the-art
headquarters.
ANDERSON (on camera): The wall behind us reflects the diversity of this company as it moves forward, the entire supply chain effectively and this
is sort of, allows us to sort of look second by second, minute by minute, at what is going on. To get on to this future leaders' program here at
ADNOC, there was a self-nomination process. How challenging was that -- Saud?
ALSHAMSI: It is always going to be a challenge. When you talk about leaders, it is not just about being a good engineer, or a good IT person,
or a good finance person. It is about certain qualities that you possess that can allow you to reach that next level and be a good leader. It is
not just how good I am at my job, it is also about what other skills I can possess to set myself apart in terms of leadership.
ZAMZAM: It was definitely an opportunity for us to develop ourselves as future leaders of this company. But at the same time, it is a very big
responsibility. Because we have our day to day jobs and our day to day roles and our teams we are managing and a lot of projects we're juggling at
the same time. We're also acting as ambassadors while we're also embarking on this transformation journey and our self-transformation journey.
ANDERSON: ADNOC has an ambitious 2030 strategy to deliver smart growth, great value, and increased profitability. What roles do you think you play
individually in meeting those challenges -- Haif?
ZAMZAM: The idea to ensure there is constant communication across the entire value chain so each one can pick up where the last one left off.
ASAD ALI: As leaders within this organization, as moving across different company, we try to push that commercial mindset across everyone and what
we're trying to get to is establishing that new national oil company across the whole organization.
ANDERSON: When you talk to your dad, who worked for this company for decade, and explained to him the work that you're doing now, and talked to
him about the vision for 2030, and beyond, does it make sense to your father who has worked for this organization in its former iteration, as it
were?
ZAMZAM: Definitely. ADNOC will remain one of the largest companies in our economy and he sees our transformation and the integrated overall strategy
as one of the main drivers of the sustainability of ADNOC.
ANDERSON: If you were to be accused as an Emirati, as it were, of a sense of entitlement given the sense of opportunities that are afforded to you
through a program like this, you say what?
ALSHAMSI: Well --
ANDERSON: Keep it clean, I say.
ALSHAMSI: I say you don't know me very well. And I say you don't know Emiratis very well. We started off, you know, decades ago, with a vision,
by our founding father. The key to our success was again having that vision, and having it fully supported by investments, infrastructure, and
then being able to follow up on the progress of that.
ANDERSON: So, if we were to finally close with your dreams for the future, for the company, and for yourself and as a country, what would they be?
ALSHAMSI: I was asked a similar question the first day of my first job. And I told them that day, I said if I get an opportunity to give back an
inkling of what was provided to me, and that I was able to capitalize on as an Emirati, I would be more than happy.
ZAMZAM: ADNOC as a company has always been a pillar of the economy of Abu Dhabi, and a pillar in our society. So, going forward it will continue to
remain a pillar within the Abu Dhabi economy and it'll touch each and every single Emirati family in one way or another. So, a lot of companies have
come to us to try to understand how we established the ADNOC future leader program. How we establish the ADNOC youth council, and they are building
their own internal future leader programs or youth councils within their own companies.
ASAD ALI: The date of establishment, ADNOC is 1971, correlates with the date of establishment. Then after that -- there are no boundaries
untouched or not explored, we will go forward with everything, whether locally, domestically, internationally, we will push forward.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Three young execs at the ADNOC world company here in Abu Dhabi talking about the past, the present, and indeed the future. From an
organization like that. This is CONNECT THE WORLD.
Coming up, under pressure at home and abroad, the British Prime Minister fighting on multiple fronts to keep her Brexit plan alive. That is up
next.
[11:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JO JOHNSON, FORMER BRITISH TRANSPORT MINISTER: We are barreling toward an in coherent Brexit that is going to leave us trapped in a subordinate
relationship to the EU with no say over the rules that will govern huge swaths of our economy. This is completely unacceptable and unsustainable
for prior democracy such as our own.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the Brexit mess continues. Jo Johnson there outlining his reasons for quitting his ministerial post and calling for a second
referendum on the U.K.'s relationship with the EU. Meanwhile, his brother, you may recognize him, they do look quite similar, has ratcheted up
tensions even further. Mutiny against the British Prime Minister. That is the course of action that Boris Johnson says cabinet members ought to carry
out. The former Foreign Secretary, making that astonishing call, in a weekly common, out today. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister Theresa
May says there's nothing to suggest other ministers are considering resigning over Brexit. Meanwhile, the European Commission's chief Brexit
negotiator, Michel Barnier, says intense negotiations are continuing, but that no deal has been reached yet. CNN's Erin McLaughlin joins us with
more. What are European leaders making of all of this?
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, there was a general affairs council meeting here in Brussels earlier today. And ministers made
it very clear when they arrived that they are in a wait and see mode. The Belgian foreign minister saying that he hopes for a deal to be reached by
Christmas. But that the EU is moving forward with its no deal preparations just in case. They were also briefed by the chief Brexit negotiator,
Michel Barnier, who actually canceled a scheduled press conference to return to the negotiating table. Negotiators had actually been at the
table until 3:00 a.m. in the morning, trying to hammer out this deal, but there is no resolution, in sight. Especially over that illusive North
Ireland backstop.
And the reason why, there is so much pressure for both sides to reach a deal this week, is that because this is really seen as the last window of
opportunity to allow the EU enough time to reach, to have a Brexit summit by the end of November, paving the way for Theresa May to give parliament
enough time to consider the deal in time for Christmas. So, this is really seen as a last window of opportunity, and the longer this process drags on,
the longer this impasse persists, that no deal scenario is perceived to become ever more likely -- Becky.
[11:50:00] ANDERSON: One what are the sticking points do you think, at this point?
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, EU sources tell me that the main sticking point has to do with that North Ireland backstop solution. Essentially what's on the
table right now, is a customs union that would include the whole of the U.K., and a regulatory alignment, the single market, for North Ireland.
That would be a temporary solution, and lesser and until the future arrangement, a future trade deal is secured in order to prevent a hard
border on the island of Ireland. And it's that customs solution, a potential offramp that the U.K. has been pushing for. The EU, though, is
saying that they don't want the U.K. to have the ability to unilaterally withdraw from that agreement. That is one of the main sticking points.
Another main sticking point is they want a level playing field for that customs union, which would require the U.K. to still adhere to certain EU
rules and regulations. So ,all of those things currently on the table, but the fact of the matter is, given EU's red lines in all of this, it is very
difficult to see how Theresa May would be able to take any sort of agreement reached here in Brussels and get it passed her cabinet. Her
cabinet meets tomorrow. And, you know, the mood here is pretty grim here. Not a lot of optimism for Theresa May to be able to break or get the
political space to be able to push through any sort of agreement that would be deemed OK here in Brussels.
ANDERSON: Interesting. Well, we will see how she does. Thank you for that, Erin is in Brussels for you.
I'm in Abu Dhabi. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, British pop sensation, Dua Lipa sharing details of her new music and her thoughts on
Brexit. My interview with the "One Kiss" singer is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight's parting shots for you, we recognize a special birthday happening here in Abu Dhabi, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has just turned one. The
museum already a must visit for art lovers and tourists. The art inside is only half the draw. Jean Nouvel's building has quickly become iconic for
some of its giant lattice-dome rising over the crystal blue waters of the Arabian gulf, is worth the visit alone. Now, a year on, the museum's
director says he has the numbers to prove it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANUEL RABATE, LOUVRE ABU DHABI DIRECTOR: It has been a very, very busy year. As you can imagine. We had more than 1 million visitors. 60
percent coming from all over the world, tourists. And 40 percent coming from the UAE, the residents.
ANDERSON: So, the concern that there was no appetite for art and culture in Abu Dhabi --
[11:55:02] Absolutely not. No, no, no it has, of course, very important and every day we have thousands of visitors coming. And we're very proud
of the diversity. People come from all over the world. From the region, of course, from a very strong art culture, people in the IT and also from
all over the world, and from China, from India, from Europe, from all over the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: We will leave Abu Dhabi, also in this place is a culture palace of sort, it's cosmic dome and glistening reflective lattice and not only
home to world-famous masterpieces but they also serve as a backdrop for performances, from symphony orchestras to pop concerts.
I'm Becky Anderson. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you for watching.
1030
END
