Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Democratic Presidential Debate Turns into Family Feud; Democratic Rivals Test Biden's Strength as Frontrunner; U.S. Imposes Sanctions On Iran's Foreign Minister; U.S. President Phones Putin Over Siberian Wildfires; Third Case of Ebola Virus Confirmed in Congo; Pompeo Optimistic Over Future Talks with North Korea; Chines Army Stokes Fears of Intervention; U.S. Teen Murder Suspect Charged in 2016 Assault; U.S. Believes Osama Bin Laden's Son Hamza is Dead; Iowa Watch Party on Who Made an Impact on Voters. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 01, 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)
SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have a system right now that's broken. And if you want to compare records -- and frankly I am
shocked that you do -- I am happy to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HALA GORANI, CNN HOST: Rift exposed and records challenged. The race for 2020 is heating up. We take a look at the winners and losers of CNN's
Democratic Debate.
Also, the U.S. making good on a threat to Iran, targeting the country's foreign minister with new sanctions as tensions boil between the countries.
And Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden's son and heir, is reported to be dead and the U.S. may have had at hand. We'll look at that story.
Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Hala Gorani. We're coming to you live from London on this Thursday. Welcome.
They all share the goal of ejecting Donald Trump from the White House. But the second and final round of the Democratic presidential debates here on
CNN, turned into sometimes a bitter family feud. The frontrunner, Joe Biden, knew he would come under fire from all sides. And this time he
seemed more prepared, answering punches with counter punches.
But he was not the only target. Senator Kamala Harris also took some heat. Proof, she says, that she's a top tier candidate. Also notable last night,
some names that don't normally get a lot of headlines had some standout moments. Let's bring in Athena Jones, live in Detroit, for all of the
details. Give us highlights -- Athena.
ATHENA JONES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Hala. Well as you mentioned and what we all expected, frontrunner Joe Biden was the top
target on that stage last night. He wasn't the only target. But he was the main focus. He took fire from all sides on a series of issues.
Everything from health care to criminal justice to women's rights, trade, immigration, climate change.
Now as promised, the former Vice President was more aggressive in fighting back. He was able to deliver a steadier performance than he did at that
first debate in Miami, if not a spectacular one.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONES (voice-over): It didn't take long for Senator Kamala Harris and all of the Democratic rivals on stage to pounce on former Vice President Joe
Biden.
BILL DE BLASIO (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Vice President, you want to be president of the United States, you need to be able to answer the
tough questions.
JAY INSLEE (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Vice President, your argument is not with me. It's with science. And unfortunately, your plan is just
too late.
BOOKER: If you want to compare records -- and frankly I'm shocked that you do -- I am happy to do that.
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Vice President, you didn't answer my question.
JONES: But Biden came swinging, too.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have guts enough to say his plan doesn't make sense.
You can't beat President Trump with double talk.
JONES: The former vice president slamming Harris' health care plan, bringing back one of his old catch phrases.
BIDEN: So, this idea is a bunch of malarkey what we're talking about here.
I don't know what math you do in California, but I tell you, that's a lot of money.
JONES: Harris hitting back.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Your plan by contrast leaves out almost 10 million Americans, so I think that you should really
think about what you're saying.
JONES: After Senator Cory Booker brought up Biden's support of a controversial crime bill in the '90s, Biden lashing out.
BIDEN: The bill he talks about is a bill that in my -- our administration, we passed. We passed that bill that you added onto. That's the bill, in
fact, you passed.
And the fact of the matter; secondly, that there was nothing done for the entire eight years he was mayor. There was nothing done to deal with the
police department that was corrupt.
BOOKER: Mr. Vice President, there's a saying in my community, you're dipping into the Kool-Aid and you don't even know the flavor. You need to
come to the city of Newark and see the reforms we put in place.
This isn't about the past, sir. This is about the present right now.
JONES: Former Housing Secretary Julian Castro also sparring with Biden on decriminalizing border crossings.
BIDEN: If you cross the border illegally, you should be able to be sent back. It's a crime.
JULIAN CASTRO (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: First of all, Mr. Vice President, it looks like one of us has learned the lessons of the past and
one of us hasn't. Let me begin by telling you --
JONES: Biden wasn't the only one taking jabs from the other contenders. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard slammed Senator Harris's record as a
prosecutor.
REP. TULSI GABBARD (D-HI), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she
was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.
And she fought to keep cash bail system in place that impacts poor people in the worse kind of way.
HARRIS: I did the work of significantly reforming the criminal justice system of the state of 40 million people which became a national model for
the work that needs to be done, and I am proud of that work. And I am proud of making a decision to not just give fancy speeches or be in a
legislative body and give speeches on the floor but actually doing the work.
[11:05:06] JONES: Some 2020 hopefuls were tired of talking about the past.
SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is the fourth debate that we have had and the second time that we have been debating what
people did 50 years ago with busing when our schools are as segregated today as they were 50 years ago. We need a conversation about what's
happening now.
JONES: Political outsider Andrew Yang implored his rivals to stop attacking each other and instead take aim at President Trump.
ANDREW YANG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're up here with makeup on our faces, and our rehearsed attack lines, playing roles in this reality TV
show. It's one reason why we elected a reality TV star as our president. We need to be laser-focused on solving the real challenges of today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: That was Athena Jones reporting. We'll have a lot more analysis on day two of those Democratic debates a little bit later in the program.
We'll have a Republican strategist and also a Democratic voice to talk over big standout moments. What this means for Democrats going forward but also
what the Trump team might be thinking and strategizing right now.
Just moments ago, President Trump tweeted that China, Iran and other countries are quote, drooling over the prospect of dealing with the
Democratic candidates. His administration's feud with Iran is escalating. New U.S. sanctions are targeting Iran's tough diplomat, the foreign
minister, Javad Zarif, was a key player in the Iran nuclear deal and has been scrambling to save it. So have Europeans. Tehran says the sanctions
are childish and desperate.
CNN's chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, has been following these escalating tensions and she joins me with more. Some told me today
when they heard that Javad Zarif was being targeted by sanctions, we thought that the entire leadership was probably already being targeted by
American sanctions. Why now for the foreign minister?
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that's the really interesting question here, Hala, is the timing of this. Why at
this specific moment has the Trump administration decided to go ahead with this threat. It's a threat that they have been wielding for several weeks
now. But why do it now when there have just been some burgeoning indications or hints that potentially, potentially Iran would consider some
sort of a renegotiation with regards to the nuclear deal between Iran and the U.S. And Zarif would be the natural person to lead those
renegotiations. He was of course, the man who led the negotiations for the current Iran deal.
Now one U.S. official has told CNN that perhaps that's part of the issue, that because Zarif is associated with the current Iran deal -- which the
U.S. pulled out of -- that that's the very reason that they wouldn't want to work with him on this. That they would want to work with someone who
was even closer to the seat of power who is more of a decisive decision maker. The irony there is, the whole reason they're leveling these
sanctions against Zarif, is because they say that he is essentially a proxy for the Ayatollah. That he is responsible for implementing the Iranian
regime's will.
And so you have these kinds of dueling narratives almost. Where it seems unclear as to why to choose the man who would potentially be the one to
renegotiate a deal to level sanctions on for the reason that you're saying is that he is not even an effective person to negotiate that deal. So some
degree of confusion still, Hala, as to why Zarif and why now.
GORANI: And what practical impact would this have on the foreign minister himself. It's not like -- I presume -- he doesn't have assets in the
United States or anything.
WARD: CNN doesn't know whether he has assets in the United States. Certainly he came forward on Twitter and said he does not have assets in
the United States. He also added a sort of sarcastic note. Thank you for considering me such a huge threat to your agenda.
I think the question a lot of people will be asking is does this now preclude Zarif from traveling to New York City in September for the United
Nations General Assembly. And it's important to remember as well, Hala, as you well know, that Zarif is very active on the international circuit. He
is one the most skilled diplomats certainly that Iran has. He speaks fluent English. He is constantly traveling around, sitting down with
journalists, with our own Fareed Zakaria just a you weeks ago. And sort of artfully putting forward Iran's perspective on this. And that may be part
of why the Trump administration is uncomfortable with him and why they would prefer ostensibly to negotiate with somebody else.
One other thing though that should be mentioned in all of this is that on the same day that the U.S. administration decided to level sanctions
against Zarif, they also extended a waiver on some other sanctions against Iran. And I think you see this over and over again. That decision
actually upset a lot of Iran hawks in the U.S. administration.
[11:10:00] What you see again and again is this kind of push and pull, good cop, bad cop, carrot stick or mixed messages -- depending on which way
you're looking at it. Where on the one hand, the administration is at least perceived to be escalating tensions, to be taking a more aggressive
posture. And then on the other hand will be allowing, giving certain allowances such as when we saw President Trump renege on the decision to
launch some kind of an air strike against Iran. So a very interesting time but also, a very tense time in the Persian Gulf. And no sense yet as to
what kind of impact sanctioning Zarif will have on future tensions -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. Our chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward. Thanks very much.
Now speaking of President Trump, a gesture from him could help improve relations between the United States and Russia. At least that's how
Vladimir Putin sees it. Mr. Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart on the phone Wednesday. Why? Because he offered assistance in fighting the
massive forest fires burning in Siberia. President Putin praised the call. He called it a first step toward better relations. CNN's Nathan Hodge is
following the story for us from Moscow. Do we know what was said during the phone call -- Nathan?
NATHAN HODGE, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: We, Hala, here's what we know. Late last night, the Kremlin put out a news release, basically a readout
saying that they had held this phone call at the initiative of President Trump. And Trump had made this goodwill gesture, offering to assist in
fighting these enormous wildfires that have been sweeping Siberia.
But what we don't know is whether, for instance, they based on the readout from the Kremlin and from the White House, is whether they for instance
discussed things like the mass arrests that took place in opposition led protests last weekend in the capital in Moscow. So certainly it does seem
to be an olive branch that the White House -- that President Trump is extending to President Putin.
And as Putin pointed out, as the Kremlin pointed out in the statement that followed, relations between Washington and Moscow have been quite abysmal.
The U.S. and Russia have been at odds over everything from arms control, to Syria, to Middle East policy. And this seems to be an effort -- this is
certainly an outreach by President Trump to President Putin. Whom he praised personally in the past, despite the ongoing sanctions that the U.S.
has levied against Russia. The U.S. as well as European Union have heavily sanctioned Russia over the annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea
in 2014 and Russia's support for separatists in east of Ukraine. So certainly is a pretty remarkable outreach I would say from the White House
-- Hala.
[11:15:00] GORANI: Nathan Hodge, thanks very much.
Still to come. One year after an Ebola outbreak was declared in Congo, a new case of the virus is confirmed. We have live report coming up. Stay
with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: You're watching CNN. I am Hala Gorani. Welcome back to the program.
Now the Ebola outbreak and turning to the Democratic Republic of Congo. International health officials have now confirmed a third case of Ebola.
It's been one year since an outbreak of the virus was declared in Congo. A second person died Wednesday after contracting Ebola in Goma just across
the border from Rwanda. The Congolese city is a major transit hub, with more than a million people. Meaning there's a high risk of the virus
spreading from there. That is the concern now. CNN's David McKenzie joins me now from Johannesburg with more -- David.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Hala, it's a grim milestone as we've had a year of this outbreak. More than 1700
people dead. And as you say, the third case in Goma, that city of more than a million people, a transport hub on the border of Rwanda of North
Kivu in the Congo.
This is significant because it's the third case in about two weeks. They have been preparing for this. It's a big worry of responders there. And
the key will be in the next few days whether there are instances outside of the immediate group of a miner -- a person who is working in the mine's
further north in that region who came very sick to Goma.
The problem with this outbreak, Hala, is that despite an experimental vaccine, despite millions of dollars, there's mistrust of those responders
in the community that we saw when we were there recently. And also that this outbreak is inside a conflict zone. There are areas that have shown
decreases in incidence and then increases again. And the transmission just continues and continues and no end in sight, despite this being named a
global health emergency of international concern a few weeks ago -- Hala.
GORANI: And so, how does this compare to the very big Ebola outbreak that we saw in some African countries' a years ago, scale wise, how does it
compare?
MCKENZIE: We're not yet at the scale by any means. More than 11,000 people died in West Africa, Hala, as you remember. But what is really
troubling here is the duration and also the geographic spread within the northeast Congo. As I said, you've got many different health zones that
have been affected. It's less populated and also at times the movement is less pronounced than that part of West Africa. The big difference here is,
is this vaccine, which has shown to be very effective.
If they get a case, they'll trace the contacts. They will do a ring vaccination of all those contacts and try to stop the spread off of that
person. But many of the people getting who are getting sick and dying are still dying in communities and health workers haven't even heard of them.
They're not on those contact tracing lists. Until they get a handle on those lists, this Ebola outbreak will spread, and there's a high chance --
according to the World Health Organization -- that it could spread significantly to countries like South Sudan, Uganda, as well as Rwanda in
coming weeks if they can't clamp down on this. And it's just not showing any signs of slowing -- Hala.
GORANI: David McKenzie, thanks very much.
South Korea says it expects more missile tests by Pyongyang through the month of August. As North Korea shows its disdain for Seoul's joint
military drills with the United States. It comes as the U.S. Secretary of State says he's optimistic. Despite all of that the talks between
Pyongyang and Washington will resume soon. Anna Coren has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has responded to North Korea after it fired a newly developed rocket
system for the second time in a week. Mr. Pompeo, who was attending the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, made no mention of Pyongyang's launch of two
missiles on Wednesday. But said the United States was optimistic about getting back to the table to discuss denuclearization with the North
Koreans.
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We stand ready to continue our diplomatic conversation with the North Koreans. I regret that it looks
like I'm not going to have an opportunity to do that while I am here in Bangkok, but we're ready to go. We hope that Chairman Kim will deploy his
team to meet with special representative Biegun, so that we can continue the dialogue, so that we can ultimately achieve what those two leaders set
out in Singapore in summer of last year.
COREN (voice-over): Earlier in the day, North Korea official news agency, KCNA, showed footage of the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, and the testing
of what it calls a new type of large caliber multiple launch guided rocket system.
[11:20:00] But Kim said would be, quote, and inescapable distress to the forces becoming a fat target of the weapon. American and South Korean
officials had initially called them ballistic missiles. However, after the KCNA announcement, the South Korean ministry of defense said they would
conduct additional analysis, but maintain the weapons system has similar flat properties to a ballistic missile.
South Korea's national intelligence service believes North Korea will continue to test missiles throughout August in protest of the joint
military drills to be held between South Korea and U.S. forces later this month. Which the North Korean foreign ministry has labeled a rehearsal of
war.
His latest test comes one month after the U.S. President Donald Trump met with Kim Jong-un in the DMZ, vowing to restart talks for denuclearization
of North Korea within weeks. No date has been set for those working level talks. And despite the fact this is yet another North Korean violation of
the U.N. Security Council resolution, U.S. President Trump has made no comp, leaving it to administration staff to do the talking.
Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: The leader of China's army is speaking out for the first time against the latest unrest in Hong Kong. Saying that those anti-government
protests should not be tolerated. Now there's concern Chinese troops could intervene in ongoing demonstrations. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Advancing soldiers armed with shields, about a vehicle that resembles a Hong Kong taxi, and a soldier
carrying a machine gun, shouting in Cantonese that all consequences are at your own risk. It's all part of a new promotional video for China's
People's Liberation Army, Hong Kong garrison.
It comes as the Chinese military marks its 92nd anniversary and as Hong Kong enters nine consecutive weeks of protests against its pro-Beijing
leadership. In a rare move ahead of the video's release, the commander of the China's People's Liberation Army, Hong Kong garrison, spoke out for the
first time about the unrest.
MAJOR GENERAL CHEN DAOXIANG, PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY, HONG KONG GARRISON: (through translator): Recently there have been a series of violent
incidents happening in Hong Kong. The incidents have seriously violated the bottom line of one country, two systems. This should not be tolerated
and we express our strong condemnation.
LU STOUT: After the hand over the PLA established a of 6,000 soldiers in Hong Kong. China has never ordered them to interfere in the territory's
affairs. But Chinese officials reacted angrily after protesters targeted the Chinese government's liaison office, Beijing's top representative in
Hong Kong. Located in Chin Juan, the area has become a flashpoint after a group of hardcore protesters threw eggs and vandalized a government seal in
front of the building. And that has raised concerns that the Chinese military could become involved in maintaining order as the protests rage
on. That is something pro-Beijing lawmaker, Michael Tien, firmly disputes.
MICHAEL TIEN, HONG KONG PRO ESTABLISHMENT LAWMAKER: We can take care of our own problems. We want all foreign intervention and foreign elements to
stay out of Hong Kong. And we also want Beijing to leave us alone.
LU STOUT: According to Hong Kong law, the Chinese military can intervene in local affairs, only when requested by Hong Kong leaders. Carrie Lam may
have attended the reception to celebrate the Chinese military founding but she has shown no indication of asking for their assistance so far. Toward
the end of that PLA video, there's this montage of Cantonese speaking citizens praising the Chinese army. This is three minutes of propaganda
that could not have come at a more politically fraught time for China and Hong Kong.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now.
American rapper, ASAP Rocky, has returned to a Swedish courtroom today for his second day on trial. The musician has pled not guilty to charges of
assault. Today he testified that he was scared and acted in self-defense during a street fight in June.
Also among our top stories, the U.S. Federal Reserve has cut rates for the first time since the great recession in 2008. Rates will now hover just
over 2 percent. The move is expected to boost an already very strong American economy.
And the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, is in Bangkok at the ASEAN Summit of foreign ministers. At a press conference this morning, he
criticized the Chinese, quote, coercion in the South China Sea and said the U.S. was ready for more North Korea talks.
A health official tells CNN 36 people were killed in Yemeni side of Aden when government troops came under attack during a military parade. Houthi
rebels have claimed responsibility.
[11:25:04] In Italy, investigators are looking at the police station where a slain officer worked. Questions are being raised about why Mario
Cerciello Rega did not have his weapon during what turned out to be a deadly confrontation with two American teenagers. CNN caught up with one
of the suspect's lawyers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you give us an idea how your client is doing?
FABIO ALONZI, ATTORNEY FOR GABRIEL NATALE HJORTH (through translator): He is a young man who is tired. He is very exhausted. We had a long meeting
obviously with regards to what our defense is going to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Still to come, the U.S. now believes that Osama bin Laden's son, Hamza bin Laden, is dead. We have the details in a special report next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: You're watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. I am Hala Gorani. Welcome back to the program.
More now on a story we brought before the break. There's new information about a U.S. teen suspected in a brutal killing of a police officer. This
is Finnegan Elder's father paying him a visit at a prison in Rome a few hours ago. Now we're hearing that his son was charged in another assault
in the past that left one person seriously injured.
Let's get more on this. Melissa Bell joins us from Rome. What are you learning -- Melissa?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: What we managed to established, Hala, and we know very little about how these teens' defense is going to
pan out. Because we just haven't heard very much from either their families or from their lawyers for the time being. So the version of
events that we have, Hala, is very much that of Italian prosecutors so far. Who have given us an awful lot of detail about what they believe happened
in the early hours of last Friday morning and that led to the death of that Italian police officer -- who is more in here. This was the exact spot
where the confrontation, say Italian authorities, between the two teens and the Italian officer took place.
Now that question of Finnegan Elder's past in particular has now been confirmed by CNN, thanks to a source close to it. Then for the time it
managed to establish that he was charged back in 2016 with an assault on a fellow football member at his prep school.
Still of course so many questions. You saw pictures of his father arriving here in Rome and going to the prison for what would have been a very
emotional meeting. All eyes very much on that prison where the two American teens are being held. We caught up earlier with the lawyer of the
other teen involved.
[11:30:03] So just to be clear and remind our viewers, Finnegan Elder is the one accused by Italian authorities having wielded the knife. His
friend, the American that he was with, the other American there, Gabe Natale. We caught up with his lawyer just after he'd a meeting with his
client early on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: Can you give us an idea how your client is doing?
ALONZI (through translator): He is a young man who is tired. He is very exhausted. We had a long meeting obviously with regards to what our
defense is going to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: So while we wait both to find out whether and when Italian authorities will charge these American teens and more precisely, Hala, how
they plan to defend themselves. A lot of questions here in Rome today and in the Italian press in particular about the police's version of events.
In fact, the prosecutors confirm to CNN that a parallel investigation has now been opened into precisely who was on the streets, who was on the beat
for the Italian authorities for the Italian police that night? Why they were out? And specifically why the two officers who confronted teens, why
the one who was killed was not armed at the time of that confrontation -- Hala?
GORANI: And that is the question. That's the other side of the investigation, is the police response, right? Do we have any answers at
this stage?
BELL: Well, very little. We understand that the prosecutors opened that investigation earlier this week, and it is now ongoing. They're trying to
work out specifically, there were many questions in early days, Hala, about whether the two police officers were on duty or off duty. Since from
prosecutors and police we heard both versions of events. And why the man who was killed? And of course, Italy has been mourning for much of the
last week his death. Why he was unarmed? Why he would confront two American teens when not he was not armed? That is really the heart of so
many of the questions that the Italian press is asking. And again, a lot of people waiting for answers in what is a very complex and of course,
absolutely tragic case on all sides -- Hala.
GORANI: All right, Melissa Bell, live in Rome. Thanks very much.
The U.S. believes that a son of Osama bin Laden is dead. Hamza bin Laden was said to be an emerging leader in al Qaeda -- the same terrorist group
run by his late father of course. "The New York Times" is reporting he was killed in an operation within the past two years, but we're just learning
about it now. Ben Wedeman has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was seen as likely heir to Al Qaeda. An emerging leader with a distinctive
name. Hamza bin Laden, son of late Al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, is believed to have been killed according to evidentiary centrally received by
U.S. officials.
A U.S. official telling CNN that the U.S. had a role in the death, but he did not provide details. Including how he was killed. Where it happened,
or even what year he died. "The New York Times" quotes unnamed American officials as saying, he was killed sometime during the first two years of
the Trump administration.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump declined to answer questions about the situation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any intelligence that bin Laden's son has been killed?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want to comment on it.
WEDEMAN: Earlier, the U.S. State Department issued a $1 million reward for any information on the junior bin Laden. Stating he had released video and
audio messages online calling on his followers to launch attacks against the United States and its Western allies in revenge for the May 2011
killing of his father by U.S. military forces.
On the same day, the U.S. Bureau of Counterterrorism called for United Nations member states to freeze his assets and enforce a travel ban and
arms embargo.
As a response, his home country of Saudi Arabia said it had already revoked his citizenship. In 2015, Al Qaeda promoted Hamza as a top leader in the
jihadi movement. He had been featured in Al Qaeda propaganda videos as a child but only posted audio messages in his later years.
The most recent footage of him was released by the CIA in 2017. Showing glimpses of his wedding to the daughter of a senior Al Qaeda leader, which
had occurred years before. Those videos were retrieved from Osama bin Laden's computer when it was seized during a Navy SEAL raid that killed him
in 2011.
Hamza is but one of Osama bin Laden's sons to be labeled by U.S. intelligence as a significant threat. And a third to die while trying to
follow in his father's footsteps.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:35:00] GORANI: The Democratic presidential debate double header is history finally. The question now is, how might it had change history in
reshaping the race for the White House. The frontrunner, Joe Biden, came under attack all night as expected.
But Senator Kamala Harris also took some blows as the ten candidates on stage clashed on everything from immigration to health care to criminal
justice reform. The only thing they all seem to agree on is the need to defeat Donald Trump. Our Vanessa Yurkevich watch the debate on television
with voters in the crucial state of Iowa.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIDEN: I think Democrats are expecting some engagement here and I expect we'll get it.
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS REPORTER (voice-over): And with that it was on.
BOOKER: You're dipping into the Kool-Aid and you don't even know the flavor.
YURKEVICH: Voters here in Dubuque, Iowa, comparing this debate to --
JAMES UHLENKAMP, IOWA VOTER: Speed dating.
TAMORA COX, IOWA VOTER: A ping upon match.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A family road trip.
YURKEVICH: Some candidates breaking through the noise picked up new fans.
COX: I have to say Yang has been very impressive. And, you know, it's scary because of what we got with Donald Trump being a businessman and then
you say, well, Yang hasn't been in the government and he's a businessman. But I like what he's saying.
YURKEVICH: And others fell flat in voters' eyes.
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Vice President, you didn't answer my question.
UHLENKAMP: I think Gillibrand probably hurt herself on -- in continuing to go after it when clearly it wasn't going to go anywhere.
YURKEVICH: Joe Biden taking a lot of incoming heat.
BOOKER: The vice president --
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Vice President Biden --
BOOKER: Mr. Vice President --
DE BLASIO: Vice President Biden --
CASTRO: The Vice President --
YURKEVICH: His supporters in this room had his back.
CAROLINE KOPPES, IOWA VOTER: Everybody can have a good talking point and everybody can have a breakout moment because that's what they're all being
coached for. But I want the person who has been steady.
YURKEVICH: But some still questioned his performance.
COX: I'm concerned about certain people like Biden. I found him stammering and not finding his words.
YURKEVICH: A standout for a number of voters here was Cory Booker. Many feeling like he could earn their vote and their donation.
(on camera): If you had to write a check, make a donation to one of the candidates up there on that stage, who would it be?
COX: Cory Booker. Definitely. I just -- I like his message. I like his demeanor. I feel that he's the kind of person that a lot of people will be
able to relate to.
YURKEVICH (voice over): In the end, still, few say they walked away with a clear winner.
UHLENKAMP: I've got about seven or eight I'm looking at hard. Six or seven, not so much. And the rest are -- that's nice, but we can't all be
president.
YURKEVICH: Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, Dubuque Iowa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: We can't all be President, true, and can't all be at the next debate. To make it to the third Democratic debate next month in Houston,
candidates have to score 2 percent or higher in at least four qualifying polls by the end of August. The polls can be national or from early voting
states like Iowa and New Hampshire. But they must be conducted by four different pollsters. Candidates will also have to demonstrate they've had
at least 130,000 unique donors and that including 400 donors per state in at least 20 states. So far seven candidates have qualified.
Live from London. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. Still ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUISE SIGNORE, JUST TURNED 107: If they had dancing, I'd dance. I still do a little dancing. And then after my lunch, I will play bingo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: She's 107 and she's still dancing. What is her secret to a long life? We'll be right back.
[11:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: In tonight's Parting Shots, we meet a woman in the U.S. who is celebrating her 107th birthday. That's 107. Louise Signore has a very
full life. She exercises. She still dances. She plays bingo. So how did she get to 107? Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIGNORE: The secret of 107, I never got married. I think that's the secret. My sister says I wish I never got married, she says, Ha, ha, ha!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So listen to Louise, if you want to be 107, don't get married. There may be a lesson in there for us all. Not sure studies usually agree
with that. It's good to have a companion in life. Now if 107 years old isn't going back far enough for you, go to CNN.com where we're following
one museum's makeover of ancient statues of Egypt and Greece. It's giving them a not so new look to show audiences exactly how they would have been
painted millennia ago.
I'm Hala Gorani and that was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thanks for watching. I'll see you on "HALA GORANI TONIGHT", 7 p.m. British time on CNN.
[11:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
[12:00:00]
END
