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Humanitarian Crisis in Syria's Last Rebel Stronghold; Paul Whelan Says He's Subjected to Threats and Abuse in Russian Jail; Iran Exceeds Limit on Uranium Enrichment; U.S./North Korea Relations Get Boost After Sunday Meeting; London Police: Stowaway Falls from Kenya Airways Plane; China Severely Condemns Storming of Legislative Building; Whistleblower: Pompeo's Security Running Errands;. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired July 02, 2019 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:00] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has unleashed a humanitarian nightmare. And like any scene in the blood-soaked civilian conflict.

DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What's the point in all you're filming? For there is no humanity in this.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The world is watching.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The consequences will be dire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A horrific and bloody battle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are so many ways to die in Idlib.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With about 3 million civilians also still believed to be in that area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I am Becky Anderson, live from Abu Dhabi. Our worst fears are materializing in

northwestern Syria. That warning comes from nearly a dozen humanitarian organizations who say millions of civilians could be facing a death

sentence if the world doesn't do something and do something fast.

The Syrian regime stepping up bombing raids in Idlib province where anti- government fighters are making their final stand. But it's not just a rebel strong hold. It is also home to some 3 million people, many of whom

simply have nowhere left to run. Aid groups have launched a public awareness campaign to highlight the desperate situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENRIETTA FORE, UNICEF: Despite our repeated warnings about the impact of a military campaign in northwest Syria, Idlib is on the brink of a

humanitarian nightmare, unlike anything we have seen this century.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well the U.N. says at least 330 civilians have been killed since the latest government offensive began two months ago. In a war that has

stretched on for so long, numbers can start to sound clinical. I want to remind you what it looks like when human beings are being trapped beneath

crumbled buildings after a bombing raid. And I warn you the next video is disturbing and heartbreaking, showing white helmets, volunteers, following

the sounds of screams to rescue a child.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SCENES OF RESCUE VOLUNTEERS PULLING A CHILD OUT OF THE RUBBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Lest we forget, tonight we've got rare access inside Syria for you. CNN's Arwa Damon is in Idlib just outside and joins us now live.

Describe exactly where you are and what you are witnessing, Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, we're at one of these makeshift camps that have sprung up under the olive trees

because the main camps in the area are simply too full for anyone else to be able to move back. People have gone and asked for tents, and been told

no, that's not possible. In these are people that are fleeing from those areas that you talked about. These areas that are currently under

bombardment. That southern part of Idlib province.

We were down there, Becky. The fighter jets are overhead constantly. It's terrifying. We met mothers in the hospital looking at their wounded

children. One mother sobbing quietly as her three-year-old child laid there, skin filled with pock marks and injuries from the shrapnel. Crying

because she had lost two of her children in that same strike. And that is what all of these people here around us are fleeing, and they literally

came with nothing.

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Rashad came and when we arrived here, brought her baby up to us. Because she said she doesn't have diapers. The child is a year and a half old.

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Yesterday her diapers ran out. And she is saying that -- and they all been saying that they're not really getting any sort of aid here. They're not

getting food distributed to them. They're not getting medicine distributed to them. They're barely even getting access to clean water. And most of

these families have been here for the last two to three months.

[11:05:00] Many of them come from these agricultural lands that are now, as I was saying, that are being targeted and their fields are being targeted

as well, deliberately targeted in some cases. And they say that this is the regime and the Russians and their other backers' deliberate attempts to

not just terrify a population, not just target specifically a civilian population or the medical facilities that are also constantly being hit but

also to try to target people's livelihoods.

When we were coming in, we also stopped and talked to these two women who were showed us all that they have to eat is basically bay leaf and

vegetation that they have managed to get from the field next door. They don't actually have proper food supplies. And they were showing this as an

example of their desperation. And these are not people who are used to having to live like this. These are people who left behind farmlands.

They left behind their homes.

NGOs are saying one in three women who have been displaced in this most recent round of bombings are either pregnant or breastfeeding. There's an

example of that in this tent over here.

As we have been walking through camps, Becky, people will come up to us. And everyone has a horrific story. Everyone knows someone who died.

Everyone knows someone who has been detained, early days, by the regime. And there is the little baby down over there who was a month old when

forced to flee along with his family.

People's situation is beyond dire, beyond heartbreaking, Becky. And you really get the sense that despite everything that this province has already

been through, they are still in the process of trying to brace themselves for something that they say is going to be even worse. They're really

feeling under pressure from all sides. They're being squeezed into an increasingly smaller piece of territory. And many people will say to us

you keep coming to film -- talking about journalists. People keep coming by, they're looking at us, but no one is helping us.

And for the last better part of more than 8 years, Becky, since this all began, this is a population who has not only felt abandoned by the

international community, by world leaders who have made repeated promises to protect the population, and yet repeatedly failed to do so. They are

also continuously they say being used as political pawns by leaders, global leaders, world leaders, instead of being shown just a little bit of

compassion, Becky.

ANDERSON: Sure. Yes, fascinating. Arwa, thank you for that.

Last September Russia and Turkey hammered out a deal to set up a demilitarized zone in Idlib. Now that was a deal designed to protect Idlib

from attack by the Russian backed Syrian regime and prevent the mass displacement of people along Turkey's border. As Arwa is clearly pointing

out, that has failed.

The state of relations between Russia and Turkey then are clearly key in finding a solution to what has become known as this Idlib dilemma. We

continue to watch the state of play between those two key players. Just flushing out the geopolitics, this is not just a local domestic Syrian

story, of course.

To the fight to free an American man held in Russia on espionage charges. The U.S. Embassy says Paul Whelan's condition is deteriorating behind bars.

And he's only receiving basic medical care. Whelan denies the charges of spying. And his family is urging the Trump administration to get him

released. His brother talked about that with CNN just moments ago. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID WHELAN, BROTHER JAILED IN RUSSIA: We know Paul's case has been escalating in the American government. My sister met with ambassador John

Bolton and so we know it had gotten to that level. That they're aware of Paul's issue. And so, we're assuming that it's being spoken about at

Secretary Pompeo's level, perhaps at President Trump's level, and to not have a public statement of support that Paul is wrongfully detained in

Russia is hard to bear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well CNN's Matthew Chance has been following this story for us from Moscow, and he joins us live. Paul's brother there, clearly very

frustrated. Remind us of Paul Wheelan's story, if you will.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a former U.S. marine. He's a citizen of the United States, but he's also got

citizenship from Canada, Ireland and Britain as well.

[11:10:01] And he was detained by the Russian Security Services last December. While according to family, he was merely in Russia, attending a

wedding of a friend to show guests of the wedding around the city of Moscow. A city which he is said to know very well indeed. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE (voice-over): For six months now, Paul Whelan has languished behind these grim walls of the Lefortovo prison in Moscow. He faces the daunting

prospect of 20 years more if found guilty of espionage charges that he denies.

For months, U.S. diplomats have been expressing concerns for the former U.S. Marine's welfare. Whelan himself spoke of alleged mistreatment in a

recent brief court appearance.

PAUL WHELAN, AMERICAN HELD IN RUSSIA: I have been threatened. My personal safety has been threatened. There are abuses and harassment that I am

constantly subjected to. There is a case for isolation. I have not had a shower in two weeks. I can't use a barber. I have to cut my own hair. I

can't have medical treatment. I can't have dental treatment.

CHANCE: It was at this upscale hotel in central Moscow where Whelan was detained last December by Russia's Federal Security Service, the old KGB.

Details remain murky, but his state appointed Russian lawyer confirms Whelan was arrested shortly after accepting a flash drive containing

classified information which could have been planted, he said, on purpose.

An acquaintance put that top-secret information into Whelan's trousers, his lawyer told reporters last month. He had known that person for ten years,

the lawyer added, and regarded them as a friend.

Indeed, it seems Whelan cultivated a range of social media friendships with Russians, including former and active members of the Russian military,

regularly posting photos and messages in Russian online.

His family says he was in Moscow to attend a wedding to help show American guests around the city he knew so well. His friendships, his job in

corporate security, his multiple passports from Britain, Canada, and Ireland, as well as the U.S. seem to have flagged Whelan for special

attention. He regards himself as a hostage.

WHELAN: I want to tell the world I am a victim of political kidnap and ransom. There's obviously no credibility to this situation. This is

retaliation for sanctions. There's absolutely no legitimacy.

CHANCE: It's been speculated Maria Butina, a Russian gun rights activists imprisoned in the U.S. for acting as a foreign agent could be swapped for

Whelan. Or Victor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, dubbed the merchant of death. Sentenced in the U.S. to 25 years behind bars.

Earlier this week, the Russian foreign ministry raised yet another possibility, that this man, Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted in a drug

smuggling conspiracy in 2011 could also be returned in exchange for any American national held in Russia.

This so-called small step as the Russians phrase it could be Paul Whelan's best hope of getting home soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: Well, Becky, up until now, both Russian and U.S. diplomats have basically ruled out the possibility of a sort of prisoner swap situation to

get Paul Whelan out of Russia, and to get Russians back into Moscow. But in the new environment of Washington and Moscow perhaps attempting to

rekindle a better relationship, no one is asked -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Matthew Chance in Moscow for you folks.

Up next, how can you break a rule but at the same time not break it? Rifling through 30,000 words. To Iran, only one paragraph matters. I'm

going to tell you what's going on with this, the Iran Nuclear Deal ahead.

[11:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They know what they're doing. They know what they're playing with. And I think they're playing with fire. So no message to Iran whatsoever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well perhaps as far as Tehran sees it, if it is playing with fire, it's only because it is up late burning the midnight oil pouring

through all of this. This is the Iran Nuclear Deal as you'll know it. This hour Iran piling up more low enriched uranium than its allowed to

under the agreement. Except it is now insisting it can do exactly that under this agreement.

How? Well, it is invoking paragraph 36, buried deep in the legalese. But we've dug in to find it and can translate that lawyer talk into plain

English. It basically sets out a series of increasingly important steps to raise and fix issues. That's kind of the yada, yada counsels minus 15 days

here, 15 days there. Now Iran telling the world it's been through the lot. And so this is where things get interesting.

It is now able to say we didn't get a resolution. We're not happy. So we're going to stop doing our part, too. As we read it, that is the letter

of the law. And the Iranian Foreign Minister detailing that line of thinking exactly in a tweet. So what now? CNN's award-winning

international correspondent, Nick Peyton Walsh -- Nick.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Very hard to say really what comes next to be honest. The danger here is we are in an escalatory

kind of series of steps. Now Iran has after 60 weeks since the U.S. reimposed sanctions on it, that's the U.S. violating what it said it would

do under the deal. 60 weeks later, Iran has said we will take a very, very minor, frankly inconsequential step when it comes towards a nuclear weapon.

We will take a step that violates what we agreed to do under that deal, enriching low enriched -- low enriched uranium at 3.67 percent purity.

They are meant to have 300 kilograms of stockpile. They're going to have more than that. They passed that in fact yesterday as a kind of limit

according to U.N. nuclear inspectors, the IAEA.

So what do we see now? We've heard threats from them potentially. They may enrich past that the 3.67 percent purity mark. You've got to get to 20

before alarm bells start ringing, because from 20 it's not far to 90 percent purity. And that's what you need for a nuclear weapon.

But that's all far off the table from now. But we are instead seen the Europeans, the U.K. and the French saying get back within the terms of the

deal, please, Iran. But perhaps I say this step in itself, it doesn't really change the kind of military dynamic in the region. That's already

pretty volatile as we speak. Because as you know, Becky, the Strait of Hormuz, the oil tankers there, the shooting down of a U.S. drone that

almost took us to out and out conflict between Washington and Tehran in the last week or so.

So what comes next really? It's still in the hands potentially of hard liners in Iran and Washington. The question that they seem to misread each

other a lot right now, they're not talking. And they both seem to get more out of confrontation than calming things down -- Becky.

ANDERSON: You have written an excellent analysis piece on CNN.com, "Iran has violated the nuclear deal in a small way, but the implications could be

huge". Well worth a read.

[11:20:04] It was the White House putting out a statement to Iran, a bit of a weird one -- it has to be said. It reads and let me quote here.

There is little doubt that even before the deal's existence, Iran was violating its terms.

Well, Iran's Foreign Minister asking somewhat incredulously, seriously? Do they have a point?

WALSH: Well it's a bit difficult to violate a deal that doesn't exist yet. But that's a sort of semantic issue here. The issue is the Trump

administration believed that this deal was somehow about fixing Iran's behavior. That's the issue that Donald Trump and his sort of hawkish

advisers around him have with Tehran at the moment.

Iran and its ascendance really did very well in Syria against the rebels there, assisting the regime somewhat brutally. It helped fight back ISIS.

It's at a, you know, a good place strategically at the moment. And the Nuclear Deal help take some of the pressure off it too. But the Nuclear

Deal was about the nuclear issue. It was just about Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon. It always denied that and said that nuclear power was for

peaceful means.

But Obama said we can't deal with everything right now because we've been tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. We can just deal with the

nuclear bomb. John Kerry and Javad Zarif spent a lot of time dealing with that particular issue. And there's no doubt at all frankly that the Trump

White House believes the whole thing was wrong. Iran's behavior needed changing not its pursuit of a nuclear weapon. But you got hear Donald

Trump frankly at the moment. He's been making noise about how really, it's the bomb that worries him. So maybe back to square one for Washington --

Becky.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. Nick Peyton Walsh on the story for you today.

The U.S. adamant that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Will President Trump make exception for North Korea? Well Sunday's meeting between Mr.

Trump and Kim Jong-un has revived relations it seems between the two nations. Now "The New York Times" reports that the White House is mulling

a plan that would accept North Korea as a nuclear power. CNN's Will Ripley has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: CNN has learned that working level negotiations between the United States and North Korea are expected to

resume in the next couple weeks. Those negotiations have been stalled ever since President Trump walked out of summit talks in North Vietnam without a

deal. But they seem to have been revived over the weekend when the President made an impromptu -- so he says -- visit to the demilitarized

zone and a meeting with Kim Jong-un. It came together in just a span of 24 hours or so after the President tweeted the idea of shaking Kim's hand at

the military demarcation line that separates North and South Korea.

Of course we know the President ended up making history, taking 20 steps inside North Korean territory, the first sitting President to do so. And

then the two had private talks on the South Korean side for nearly an hour where they agreed to resume these working level negotiations.

Now there's this new reporting from "The New York Times" that seems to expose a deep divide within the Trump administration over the right

approach, the next steps. What the U.S. should do to try to engage the North Koreans and actually make some progress on the issue of

denuclearization.

"The Times" reported, and David Sanger, a CNN contributor, spoke at length on this, that the administration is considering proposal of a nuclear

freeze. Which would essentially allow Kim Jong-un to retain his nuclear arsenal, which is believed to include dozens of war heads and the ballistic

missiles that could deliver them potentially to the U.S. and other targets. Keep that in place for now but promise not to produce any new weapons and

shut down facilities that are used to produce nuclear fuel and other things.

If the North Koreans would agree to that there are some here in South Korea certainly who would say that would be an encouraging step, a step toward

the eventual goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. "The New York Times" also reporting that there are hawks within the administration,

the most vocal of which is the national security advisor, John Bolton, was in Mongolia during the DMZ visit. But when "The New York Time" reported

about this possible nuclear freeze, he did not shy away from tweeting his discontent, his anger at what he felt was attempt to box in President Trump

to force him to do something that the administration has repeatedly said it would never consider. Which is allowing North Korea to keep nuclear

weapons and get some sanctions relief to get the diplomatic process rolling. We'll see what happens when working level talks resume. They're

expected later this month. Will Ripley, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: OK, Will is in Seoul. I want to get to London now. To a story that is unbelievable as it is desperately tragic. Police say a man

plummeted from a plane on Sunday. His body landing here in a garden, barely missing a man who was sunbathing. It appears he fell from the

landing gear compartment of a Kenya Airways plane as it was approaching Heathrow Airport. Now a bag with water and some food were discovered in

the landing gear compartment once the plane touched down.

[11:25:00] Nina dos Santos is outside that London home where the body landed with the details on what is a frightening and desperately sad story

-- Nina.

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, Becky. And unfortunately, it's not the first time that we as press have been reporting on stow always,

losing their lives, trying desperately to board some of these planes setting off from Africa to touch down in Heathrow airport in London. One

of the busiest aviation hubs anywhere in the world.

And tragically, when the compartment of the actual aircraft opens to let the landing gear down, this is when you see these bodies fall from some of

these planes. We saw it back in 2012. We've also seen it in 2015. And over the course of the weekend, the residents of this property behind me in

Clapton in southwest London also saw that.

This body falling 2,500 feet to the ground, just yards away from where one of the residents was sunbathing on a sunny Sunday afternoon. And images of

the deceased show the depression in the grass there and on the marble pathway. The stone pathway has been partly shattered by the force of this

impact.

Aviation experts say that the conditions inside that landing compartment where -- as you pointed out -- there was a bag containing food and also

water as well. An indication of some level of preparedness potentially by this individual for that journey, would have been treacherous. And it may

well have been that the individual lost their life not necessarily upon impact here on this property but many hours before throughout the course of

an eight-and-a-half-hour flight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALASTAIR ROSENSCHEIN, AVIATION EXPERT: We're talking about extremely low temperatures minus 60 Celsius. And the other thing is the partial pressure

of oxygen is so low that a stow away will pass out at about 20,000 feet, and above 30,000 feet they'll shortly expire, die, and then they freeze.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOS SANTOS: The metropolitan police have said that they're not treating the death of the man as suspicious, but there will postmortem examination

of his body in due course. We don't know who this individual is, what nationality they were, or what their age was. We only know that like other

bodies that have fallen from the skies, on entry towards Heathrow airport from landing compartments, he was a male.

Now obviously, this presents security concerns here. As I said before, this has happened in 2012 and in 2015. And those instances those were

flights coming in from Angola and from South Africa. Kenyan airport authority officials have issued a statement saying that they've launched a

joint investigation team to work with the U.K. authorities. And they say, quote, we wish to reiterate the safety and security is a priority at our

airports. This incident is being treated with the seriousness that it deserves -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Nina dos Santos in London for you. You're watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD live from our Middle East programming hub in Abu

Dhabi.

Still to come. China has left no doubt about how it feels about Hong Kong's violent protests, and it is warning other nations to butt out. We

speak to a pro-democracy activist about what's next for the protest movement.

[11:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CNN, this is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. If you're joining us, you are more than welcome.

Let's recap you on our top story this hour, a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Syria's last major rebel strong hold. Idlib province is where many have

fled or been sent as the regime of Bashar al Assad regains territory elsewhere. But that is making it a prime target for government forces.

The White Helmets volunteer rescue group report six were killed in attacks Monday, adding to a toll the U.N. says topped more than 300 people since

the beginning of May, keeping that front and center. More on that as we get it.

Let's get you to Hong Kong now. Where we are hearing the words radical violent criminals and severe illegal action. That's the language being

used by China after protesters smash their way into the Hon Kong's Legislature Building on Monday. You are looking at the aftermath of that

now. And that is -- that's just the outside. Here's what the chamber looks like. We are hearing all council meetings have been cancelled for

two weeks. Beijing says the protesters' actions damaged the city's rule of law.

Well, the last British Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patton, says he deplores violence, and says Monday's events were of out of character with

the earlier protests. In a statement he shared with CNN, he says and I quote: "Violent demonstration always plays into the hands of hardline

opponents, whatever the cause. And they take away from the impressive effect of hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong citizens who demonstrated

peacefully and bravely. It is a tragedy that the government has not responded to them already. And worse than a tragedy that the communist

party in Beijing pretends they are being orchestrated by outside forces."

Let's get the view of prominent pro-democracy activist Denise Ho. She is a popular singer and producer in Hong Kong, she joins us live from there now.

And Denise, just your response to what is now being described as violent criminal acts in Hong Kong in that chamber and on that building yesterday.

DENISE HO, HONG KONG SINGER AND PROMINENT PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST: Yes, hello, Becky. I was personally in the premises of admiralty when

everything happened. And I was there is support of the students, I was outside. And from what I saw during the protests and also afterwards in

videos, I wouldn't really put it as a riot or as even violence. It was more like a vandalism of the premises of the government building. And from

what I saw --

[11:35:00] ANDERSON: Hold on a minute. We saw a lot of graffiti. We saw a lot of expletives on the wall. Would you agree with me that there was an

awful lot of damage, this wasn't a peaceful protest? I mean, we watched the pictures live here on CNN. Do you agree this was wanton damage and

violence?

HO: Yes. The protesters they went into the building and of course they have a lot of frustration. And we really have to look back at the root

cause of all these frustrations that are coming from the government. It is because of the way that they have ignored voices of the people that these

young protesters they broke into the Legislative Council. But I need to enforce the fact that they have not hurt anybody, and even the libraries

and artifacts in Legislative Council were left alone, so I don't think they were there to hurt people or really to cause violence, just for that, for

violence itself, it was really to get their voices heard and also because of the way --

ANDERSON: OK

HO: -- you know, they have really tried so many things and it's just not working. And so --

ANDERSON: They're frustrated.

OK. OK. I want to show our viewers part of an interview that one of my colleagues did with the pro-Beijing Hong Kong lawmaker, Michael Tien. He

asked him, this is Andrew, Andrew Stevens, asked him if he understands the frustrations of young people as you are describing here who stormed that

Leg Co building on Monday. Here's his response. Have to listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL TIEN, pro-Beijing Hong Kong lawmaker: Of course I do, of course I do. That doesn't mean I can condone the action and the way they go about

expressing what they want. But if they feel that this is the only way to get themselves you know on all the cameras, all right. And otherwise,

nobody will listen to them. It is their decision to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Denise, some people aren't as understanding as that. Do you believe the protesters may have risked turning public opinion against this

movement?

HO: Well, honestly, I think that in face of a government that has turned a blind eye to all the requests from the public, two million people, like

almost one-third of our population on the streets they have not responded to most of the requests of the people. They have suspended the bill, which

is not really a legal confirmation in the Legislative Council. They can just withdraw all the --

ANDERSON: Denise, the question, sorry. Let me stop you for a moment. The question was with the greatest of respect, do you believe the sort of

images we saw yesterday will end up ensuring that the protest movement has less support, not more going forward?

HO: I think we should not really cling onto only the support of 2 million people. It is really how can we really get the voices heard. I think that

is the thought in these young protesters' heads. And also, I would agree with them in this aspect. Because the government, they really are just

giving us the silent treatment in many ways. And so I think this protest and this fight will be going on for a very long time and I think these

images that we saw yesterday, it would not happen on a daily basis, but I think was become a --

ANDERSON: Right.

HO: -- threat to the Hong Kong government, and they have to face the fact that they really need to listen to the young people who are on the streets

and trying to get their voices heard.

ANDERSON: Denise's position on this, clear frustration by many of these youngsters, what happens next of course is very unclear. Thank you.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. We're out of Abu Dhabi for you. More to come. The U.S. Secretary of State's security team

may be doing tasks which, well, fall a little outside their job description. We've got new allegations from a whistleblower, that's up

next.

Plus a teenage tennis powerhouse takes on one of the world's greatest players and wins. The latest upset from Wimbledon. SW19 is where we are

at. That is CNN's WORLD SPORT, that coming up in just over five minutes.

[11:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, your PARTING SHOTS is a little different tonight. It's called the Learjet effect, when people in government become so used to the

lavish trappings of office, drivers, security guards, five-star hotels, private jets, they ultimately believe they're entitled to such perks. Now

if allegations are correct, looks like the U.S. Secretary of State may have a bad case of Learjet-itis. CNN's Michelle Kosinski has the details for

you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Multiple Congressional aides tell CNN a whistleblower alleges to Democrats

on a key House committee that on multiple occasions, diplomatic security special agents were asked to run personal errands. In one instance picking

up Chinese food for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when he was not in the car. The whistleblower said it led to complaints the security team was

treated like quote "uber eats with guns." Another time picking up the Pompeo dog from the groomer. The Secretary has discussed his fondness for

the pets during Congressional testimony.

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: I have a soft spot for my golden retrievers.

KOSINKSI: And according to a document provided to the committee and shown to CNN, agents were told to pick up Pompeo's adult son at Washington's

Union Station. According to DS protocol, the Secretary should be in the car during these kinds of drips, and DS should be doing them only if

there's some threat that would necessitates it. The State Department did not deny that these trips took place, but a DS special agent in charge

insisted that at no point during my service did he or any member of his family ask me or any member of my team to act in a way that would be

inconsistent with our professional obligation to protect the Secretary.

It's not clear whether these alleged tasks were initiated by Pompeo himself or someone on his staff without his knowledge, but the whistleblower told

Congressional investigators that there's a culture right now at DS to try to please Pompeo, and not make him angry.

JOHN KIRBY, CNN MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC ANALYST: These are not the kinds of people that go around complaining. They do their jobs, and they do them

proudly, and they do them quietly. And so that you have somebody who felt so strongly about this that they decided to go to Congress, I think that

has to be taken seriously.

KOSINKSI: Congressional investigators are also seeking to understand why Pompeo's wife Susan has her own security detail. This is unusual according

to a former senior DS official who said if security was granted to a Secretary's spouse in the past it was just for short periods of time, and

only after a threat assessment for that person was done with an intelligence division of diplomatic security. The whistleblower told

Congressional investigators that multiple agents understood that the normal procedure was not followed and that they were warned not to use her call

sign, shocker, over the radios, because they quote, "know it is not kosher."

Something a State Department spokesperson calls absolutely and definitively not true. The spokesperson tells CNN only that an initial threat

assessment was done for Susan Pompeo in July 2018. A special agent in charge defended the assignment. Today, the security threats against

Secretary Pompeo and his family are unfortunately very real. The Diplomatic Security Service is proud to protect the Pompeo family from

those that would harm the Secretary of State and the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: All lavish trappings, you say? No sign of Learjet-itis I am going to say around here in journalism. Let me tell you. I am Becky

Anderson. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. I hope you enjoyed it.

[11:45:00] Up next, America goes head to head with England at the Women's World Cup and a bit of changing of the guard. It seems that Wimbledon, all

that and more with Christina Macfarlane, it's WORLD SPORT up next. See you tomorrow.

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(WORLD SPORT)

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