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Syria's Grueling Eight-Year War Drags On; ISIS Ideology Festers at Neglected Syrian Tent Camp; Widows and Wives of ISIS Pass on Brutal Ideology to Their Children; International Blowback to Netanyahu's Annexation Vow; Interview with Yuli Edelstein, Israeli Knesset Speaker, Annexation of Jordan Valley; 2,500 People Listed as Missing in Bahamas; U.S. Moving to Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes After Deaths; New Study Discovers Whale "Karaoke Bar". Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired September 12, 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]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. This is a show live from Abu Dhabi. You are most welcome.

Tonight we begin with the grueling war in Syria. Eight years on, the crisis is far from over. Let's remind ourselves this war has claimed the

lives of hundreds of thousands of people and forced 13 million from their homes. Once under the grips of ISIS, the U.S. President declared the

terror group 100 percent defeated earlier this year and pulled out U.S. troops. But his America-first rhetoric has left the region's door wide

open for other world powers to move in and for ISIS to rise from the ashes.

CNN's Arwa Damon gained rare access to what is the sprawling al-Hol camp in Syria, a hot bed for what is called the revenge generation. Have a look at

this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's called al-Hol, a camp that sprung from nowhere, now the size of a small

town. The wind and sand mercilessly blow through the tents in the baking heat of the Syrian summer.

But it's the anger -- the seething hostility that strikes you. To step into this camp is to witness a strange mutation of the caliphate, kept

alive by the widows and wives of ISIS.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There are cells here, they are organized.

DAMON: A spirit of vengeance seeps into the next generation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I tell them your father was killed by the infidels.

DAMON: Hatred and enmity is magnified by the wretched conditions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think it's a camp --

DAMON (on camera): Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- but it's a prison.

DAMON (voice-over): It's a place in limbo, like no other refugee camp on earth, shunned by the international community.

Kurdish forces say this place is a ticking time bomb. An ISIS academy where its brutal ideology is incubated. They don't have the resources to

keep control.

Many of the women here don't know where their husbands and teenage sons are. They tell us quite openly they're teaching their children to hate the

infidels, who imprisoned and killed their fathers and brothers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): If the prisoners aren't released, the hatred will grow. The biggest ISIS cell will be the women.

If the men aren't released, I will go crazy!

DAMON: The camp's population swelled while ISIS was making its last stand not far from al-Hol. Many of the new arrivals have direct ties to ISIS.

They were organized and quickly established their version of the moral police, terrorizing those who refused to wear the full veil.

Beneath the black uniformity, some women want nothing more than to leave. "I don't care if the Kurds or even the Americans who control my town," this

woman pleads.

But there is no reintegration program. This is an open-air prison.

DAMON (on camera): What do you want?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, CAMP RESIDENT: I want to go home. Are you scared of -- from us?

DAMON: Should I be?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, CAMP RESIDENT: I'm just asking. A lot of people, that's why they're talking in our countries because they're scared to take

us back.

DAMON: If they gave you an option, let's say, of creating another caliphate for you --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, CAMP RESIDENT: No.

DAMON: No, you're done?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, CAMP RESIDENT: A lot of women, they think the same.

DAMON (voice-over): But few countries are repatriating their nationals.

The living conditions are horrendous. It's filthy. There's little access to medical care. Clean water is scarce, food is rationed.

A telegram chat group has turned this place into a cause for ISIS, referring to it as the al-Hol death camp, alleging atrocities by the pig

enemies of Islam.

DAMON (on camera): There is a lot of propaganda here -- a lot of promoting of the ISIS ideology. But then, they're also using this platform to send

messages.

DAMON (voice-over): It's where they posted this video -- the ISIS flag being raised inside the camp. That happened here in a part of the camp for

Syrians.

"It's the reaction to the psychological pressure on us," one woman says. "They should know that more can be done than the raising of a flag."

And more has been done. Foreign women here are no longer allowed to leave their annex and go to the market after two incidents when Kurdish guards

were stabbed.

The more radicalized women threaten and terrorize those less devoted to ISIS. One woman says her tent was burnt down. Another, that she's so

afraid of being stabbed she barely sleeps at night.

[11:05:03]

Outside the camp, we get access to a prison -- a surreal scene. Former ISIS fighters painting and crafting paper-mache models.

This man says ISIS held his family hostage to coerce him to join. "ISIS gave me the bombs," he tells us, "and then showed me on WhatsApp how to

plant them." He's serving 20 years, the maximum sentence.

In the crowded cell, some men say they never supported ISIS.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): My cousin turned us in. He said we were ISIS. But he is an ISIS spy!

DAMON: Others accept their fate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I raised my hand. I said I am ISIS. I'm not scared. I'm here, I will pay the price.

DAMON: The Kurds are doing their best to separate the true believers from the rest.

In this rehabilitation center, there are scores of teenage boys. This 15- year-old was an ISIS fighter. His first mission, to plant explosives at a U.S. base.

He describes how they were given the bombs, weapons, and suicide vests. "We covered everything with the women's black niqab," he says, "so the jets

in the sky would not target us."

The operation failed and he ended up in prison. "But even there, ISIS ruled," he says. "But at the rehab center, things are different."

"I've left ISIS behind," he tells us. "It was a mistake. I learned from it."

But the center barely reaches a fraction of the children indoctrinated. They're just aren't enough resources.

"If the situation stays like this and nations don't help, ISIS will come back," Musa'ab Khalaf, an administrator here, tells us. "We hear about it

-- the sleeper cells. They take advantage of the children, trying to recruit them."

And the children are so vulnerable. They know nothing but conflict, destruction, and grief. Some have no parents, like this little boy.

DAMON (on camera): He's just visiting his friends here. His tent is somewhere else. And he says that his mom was killed. His dad has been

detained and it's just him and his siblings, the oldest of which is 16.

DAMON (voice-over): Children pay the price for the sins of their parents but, in turn, are preyed upon.

There's only so much Kurdish officials can do to contain the situation and there is shocking lack of international involvement here. The place is

forgotten, the legacy of yesterday's war, and that makes it uniquely dangerous because if allowed to fester, this sprawling camp contains the

seeds of the next war and ISIS' revenge generation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Arwa joins me now from Istanbul, where she is based. This camp is in limbo, Arwa. You called it an ISIS ticking time bomb. How much

time, having been there, do you believe is left before it implodes?

DAMON: It's really tough to tell, Becky. We were actually asking some of the Kurdish officials that very same question and what they keep telling us

is these women are getting more organized. They have had a few demonstration. One was saying if they manage to swell their numbers to a

few thousand who go out and demonstrate, it would be a nightmare. He said they use the demonstrations as distractions to then carry out attacks

against the security forces that are regularly patrolling it.

They even more recently, Becky, caught a 12-year-old boy who was found with a makeshift map of all the security check points and the locations of the

various NGOs that are operating there. So based on what we're hearing, the time to do something is now. This is not a situation the world has the

luxury of saying, oh, OK, we'll handle this at some point down the road.

ANDERSON: Arwa, one little girl asked you whether you are scared of them. How did that make you feel?

DAMON: Curious, I think, more than anything because that wasn't the first time that we had heard that. And when we asked why she was asking, she

said that it's because that was the reason that she was given as to why she wasn't able to go back home.

And a lot of the women there, Becky, were asking us the same question, saying, are people afraid of us? Is that why we're not allowed to leave?

And one of the big issues at the camp, as you heard in this report, is there's no way to differentiate between those who could and should be

rehabilitated and those who have a more extreme ideology.

[11:10:00]

But the bottom line is the longer the camp stays the way it is, the more the anger festers, the more ISIS is able to capitalize on that.

ANDERSON: This is one camp. How does it compare across the rest of Syria -- Arwa?

DAMON: You know, it's a very good point that you make there, Becky, because it's one camp, it's one location where ISIS is capitalizing on the

situation to continue to spread its ideology and to continue to ensure that at least it had something of a base support. It is a miserable camp. It

is among the more miserable ones that I have been to at this stage.

But it's important to note that it's not the only location where ISIS is able to manipulate the situation and continue to sort of sow the seeds of

its next incarnation. There is a lacking sense of urgency when it comes to dealing with the factors that exist within this camp that would allow for

the rise of ISIS. And one also has to recognize that there is no blueprint for dealing with the humanitarian, moral, and security challenge that the

camp poses.

But the bottom line again is that in dealing with the camp and in dealing with the other areas where ISIS is able to capitalize on the situation, not

doing anything is quite possibly the worst solution and that's exactly what we're seeing taking place.

ANDERSON: Terrific reporting, Arwa, as ever. Thank you for joining us. Arwa Damon on the story for you.

In the final days of a very close election race in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to boost his image as a global statesman. He

left Tel Aviv earlier to head for Sochi in Russia, where he will meet with President Vladimir Putin. Now they are expected to talk about Syria's war,

and they are likely to discuss Mr. Netanyahu's campaign pledge to annex parts of the West Bank, a plan that Russia opposes.

We got a special guest for you tonight to talk about these crucial Israeli elections. Yuli Edelstein is speaker of the Knesset. A Likud member who

is second only to the Prime Minister himself on the party list. Thank you, sir, for joining us. Let's talk about the campaign. Elections of course

Tuesday next week. How is the campaign going? And with five days to go, do you believe at this point that you are likely to win?

YULI EDELSTEIN, ISRAELI KNESSET SPEAKER: Well, it's an uphill battle. We are optimistic. We are working very hard, but the competition is very

tough. I think that all the polls show that it could be a question of just one or two seats in the Knesset to define this or that side's victory. So

we're working in order to continue with the policy that Likud and the (INAUDIBLE) have been leading for the last ten years.

ANDERSON: Let's talk about some of the issues that have been roiling, not least this very controversial announcement by the Prime Minister on

annexation of the West Bank. Speaker Edelstein, I know that you support Mr. Netanyahu's campaign pledge to annex parts of the West Bank if he is

reelected. As you know, there has been massive international blowback from the U.N., to the European Union, to the Arab League and beyond. Yesterday

I spoke with the foreign minister of Jordan, one of only two Arab countries to have peace treaties with Israel, about what could happen if annexation

goes through. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Ayman Safadi, Jordanian Foreign Minister: Despair will prevail and violence is definitely going to erupt in expression of this frustration and

loss of hope. And that is a kind of violence that we fear will have repercussions way beyond the borders of the Palestinian territory --

occupied territories in Israel and the region into the whole international community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Annexation, sir, of the Jordan Valley would be a wanton transgression of international law that brings with it the prospect of

serious unrest. How would you justify that?

EDELSTEIN: Well, first of all, I wouldn't call it a campaign pledge. I think that we are talking about the plan of applying Israel's sovereignty

to the area of the Jordan Valley, an area with those familiar that is not densely populated by the Palestinians. And the Prime Minister, by the way,

was very clear that the sovereignty wouldn't apply to the town of Jericho, where the Palestinians live, according to the Oslo agreements and all the

other international agreements.

It saddens me to hear these threats about the unrest and possible violence, but I would just like to remind you, Becky, that not so long ago when we

were discussing the move of the American embassy to Jerusalem, we heard the same statements coming from all over.

[11:15:00]

How the whole Middle East will be on fire and how peace and prosperity will never come back to Jerusalem. Thank God the American embassy has been in

Jerusalem for the last year and a half and everything is quiet. I'm talking to you right now from Jerusalem. And the streets are full of happy

people. There is no unrest whatsoever.

ANDERSON: OK. Let me put this to you then. Sorry. You sincerely hope -- I want to let you finish.

EDELSTEIN: No, no, I sincerely hope that we won't hear these threats. And by the way, as far as the reaction of the international community is

concerned, well, we heard some statements coming from certain foreign offices, but I wouldn't call it a general uproar. Not everyone agrees with

our policy, but on the other hand, whether they suggest, we already had that experiment according to the -- yes, please, go on.

ANDERSON: OK. Let me put this to you. How would you justify unilateral annexation outside of a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians? And I

just, with respect, sir, want to suggest that I can't remember the last time that Israel or a statement made by the Prime Minister was met with

such almost united outright condemnation.

EDELSTEIN: Well, as I've said, I remember different times when everything we would say about Judea and Samaria in general would be met with much

harsher response. On this particular issue of the Jordan Valley, I would say, I would justify it with two paragraphs.

One, our historic rights there in the area. And the other one, every military expert I know and you know would agree that it's impossible to

defend the state of Israel without the military control in this area. And so with these two issues combined I think that is quite obvious that under

no negotiations we will be able to give up the Jordan Valley. So this is a very simple justification.

ANDERSON: So I'm going to put this to you again. You justify unilateral annexation outside of a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians,

correct? Is that what you're saying?

EDELSTEIN: Well, unfortunately, I haven't seen any negotiations for the last several years. I regret that. That's definitely not Israel's fault

or Netanyahu's fault. But I would dare say -- I noticed the stress of the word unilateral when we were protesting, some of us, including myself, the

unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza strip. I don't remember that anyone was talking to negatively about unilateral steps.

The results are very well known. The moment we uprooted all the Jewish communities there and withdrew all the IDF -- the Israeli Defense Forces --

from the Gaza Strip, we've been in an ongoing war on our southern border for the last 14 years.

So I think that as far as the Jordan Valley plan is concerned, it could bring us even closer to peace because things will become more clear. Right

now is this probably illusion of some people about the future of this area. It makes it harder to negotiate.

ANDERSON: Let me ask you this last question, sir. Does Israel's international standing matter to you?

EDELSTEIN: Absolutely.

ANDERSON: And the damage that election promises -- look, there was a lot more detail from the Prime Minister this week, but ultimately, we pretty

much heard that election promise before. You have no issue then -- you say that Israel's international standing matters. You have no issue with the

sort of condemnation that you have witnessed or we have witnessed this week? I guess one of my questions should have been as a follow, is this

just an election promise for the base at this point?

EDELSTEIN: I'm absolutely positive it's not just an election promise. It's a plan. The Prime Minister was very clear. He asked from the Israeli

voters to support or not support, God forbid, this kind of plan, to get amended, as they say, from the Israeli voters. I do have to say that even

the things that I mentioned earlier, the move of the American Embassy to Jerusalem, the recognition by the American administration of Israeli

sovereignty over the Golan Heights also were met with some condemnations.

[11:20:00]

Right now we see additional countries, some of them moving their embassies, some of them opening all kinds of cultural centers or trade centers in

Jerusalem. So I sincerely hope that if we talk and I hope we talk in two, three years from now, it will be quite natural for a country to have an

embassy in Jerusalem. By the same token, I would say that probably in a number of years, it would be quite natural that Israel has sovereignty over

the Jordan Valley.

ANDERSON: And that the view of Yuli Edelstein, who is the Speaker of the Knesset, a Likud member, who as I suggested of this, is second only to the

Prime Minister himself on the party list. We will be in Israel covering those elections next week, sir. We look forward to the results.

Still to come, a staggering number of people are reported missing in the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. The latest from Nassau is next.

And under pressure and under fire. Boris Johnson is dealing with a new Brexit controversy. Did he lie to the Queen? He says he didn't. More on

that after this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM HERGENREDER, VAPING PATIENT: I first started vaping just to fit in because everyone else was doing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The mysterious vaping illness that is becoming an epidemic. We have one teenager's shocking story for you. Stay with us for that.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. It is just after 20 minutes past 7:00 in Abu Dhabi. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. 25 past or just shy of 25 past 7:00 here in Abu Dhabi. You're watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD with me Becky

Anderson.

Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Dorian left the Bahamas in shatters, the scope of the devastation still not fully known. The Bahamian government

says the number of those missing has grown to a staggering 2,500 people. Although it does warn that number could be misleading since the list may

include names of people who have already been evacuated.

I want to bring in CNN's Paula Newton, who has been in the Bahamas since the start of all of this, live out of Nassau tonight. What's the latest

there -- Paula?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, the issue is let's first get to that terrifying number, 2,500. But as the government says, they really

have to look inside those numbers to determine how many people are legitimately missing, and then they can better focus their search efforts

and try and get that information and that closure that relatives want. I can tell you from having looked at the list, there are two people there

that I know are alive, which is such great news. And yet, you have the other side of this story, Becky, which is people who, they believe, saw

their family members swept away and are dealing with the prospect that their bodies will never be found.

[11:25:00]

So much to deal with here. And that includes, of course, people who are trying to recover. They don't even know how to begin. Many of them, their

homes are completely flattened. They've tried to get a larger impression of exactly what they're dealing with. Part of that was the government is

putting a price tag of about $8 billion of it. That doesn't mean a lot to the people who have lost everything, and this is why. Some had insurance,

some didn't have insurance. So they're starting to deal with if there's aid coming in, exactly how much can I expect to get for the recovery

efforts.

And then we have to say, as this country moves on to try and get back on its feet, disease in these areas is still an issue. A lot of the NGOs

working on the ground, especially when it comes to water and getting clean water, want to make sure this unprecedented disaster isn't followed up by

something else in terms of a health issue -- Becky.

ANDERSON: I just want to pick up on something you were just talking about there. The situation with regarding insurance and funds for recovery.

What is going on to that degree?

NEWTON: Yes, it's an important question, and this is why. Hurricane insurance had gotten so expensive, prohibitively expensive. So I spoke to

families who had no insurance, Becky. They'd been through many storms. They'd see a side of their roof blow off. They would spend a few thousand

dollars and get it fixed. So they made the calculation they were spending $7,000 or $8,000 a year on hurricane insurance. Given the pattern of

storms in the last few decades, they thought they could manage to try and repair their homes on their own.

With this storm, there's so many people it's just not possible. They have lost everything, not just their homes, but the contents of their entire

homes. And it is important that they understand what the government can offer. And when they see all of this aid pouring in -- Becky, you and I

have seen it firsthand for so many decades now. The relief comes in, but how effectively do they distribute it, and how do they decide to distribute

it?

When I mean relief, I mean funds not just for immediate needs but for reconstruction. And those people are already preoccupied, even if they're

sitting in shelters here in Nassau. They are preoccupied because they want to get back on their feet. They are unsure that here in Nassau can handle

the influx of thousands of evacuees, especially when it comes to people having a quality of life for their children. Sending them to school and

understanding that they can have at least a semblance of the life they once knew before Dorian.

ANDERSON: Days after the storm passed, a storm that sat over that island for some 40 hours. You're listening to Paula there reporting on the very

latest from Nassau as we look at images of that sheer devastation. It feels like a cliche when we use that term. But when you see those images,

you can see that it's a description that we need to use.

For more on what is left behind in the Bahamas, you can use CNN.com. CNN's Patrick Oppmann reflects on reporting through what was seemingly endless

category five storm. It's been nearly 2 weeks now since Hurricane Dorian hit the small islands. But there are still so many people suffering in its

aftermath. That is at CNN.com. Do use that site.

I'm Becky Anderson. Coming up, could no deal mean paying more and getting less when it comes to food, medicine, and fuel? As Britain lays out its

worst-case Brexit scenario, the Prime Minister says we'll be ready. So what is his plan? We'll have more on that for you after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:00]

ANDERSON: We are just seven weeks out from the deadline for Britain leaving the European Union. That is less than 50 days, and it is getting

very real. The government's own assessment says that in the worst-case scenario, there could be shortages of food and lifesaving medicine and, it

says, unrest in the street.

But don't fear, says Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He says the government is stepping up plans for a no-deal Brexit. Point is, though, that nobody

has seen those plans, at least nobody outside of the Prime Minister's cohort.

As if Mr. Johnson needs another controversy, today he came out and denied accusations that he had lied to the Queen. Well, Brexit just seems to be

getting messier and messier. Doesn't it? But beyond the politics, and that worst-case scenario, could lives be at stake?

CNN's Nic Robertson is here to sort through much of this. Let's start with that. I mean, this is what was known as the yellow hammer report. The

plan put together by the government in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Does it suggest that lives are at stake?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It does. Worst-case scenario. The reason that you can assess that lives could be at stake is

because they say one of the implications of a no-deal Brexit is there could be protests and counter protests on the street. That's always going to be

a danger. But some food products, the cost of those will go up. The cost of electricity will go up. And the availability of medicines.

Because three-quarters of Britain's medicines come in across the channel crossing from France into the U.K. There's expected to be a day and a half,

2 1/2-day delays to get products across that border. Some of the medicines that would be needed need to be kept refrigerated. Some of them have a

very short shelf life. The government can't stockpile for those. So yes, medicine is short. Food in some areas is short. But the higher price

electricity. And these things will more impact the elderly population, who are at greater risk every day anyway. Plus, those living on a lower

budget.

So the stresses and strains on the country, potentially yellow hammer indicates, though it doesn't spell it out, lives could be lost. The

implication is clear. Lives could be in danger here.

ANDERSON: Nic Robertson out of London for you. Thank you, Nic.

There is a new war. U.S. President Donald Trump is fighting, and it is to keep devices like this out of the hands of Americans. He is moving to ban

the sale of flavored e-cigarettes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Vaping has become a very big business, as I understand it. Like a giant business in a very short period

of time. But we can't allow people to get sick, and we can't have our youth be so affected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, at least six deaths in the United States have been linked to vaping, along with more than 450 cases of lung illness. But authorities

don't know exactly what is causing these health issues.

Now, the American vaping association says flavors and nicotine aren't the issue. The harm, they say, is caused by vaping THC, which is the main

ingredient found in cannabis. The Food and Drug Administration is to finalize the new U.S. policy in the coming weeks.

While the illnesses and deaths have occurred in both young people and in adults, experts warn a rise in vaping -- using these things -- among

youngsters.

[11:35:00]

CNN's senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, has one shocking story for you. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAM HERGENREDER, VAPING PATIENT: My lungs were that of a 70-year-olds.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Adam Hergenreder started vaping when he was 16. A year and a half later, he

landed in the intensive care unit. His doctor said because of vaping.

ADAM HERGENREDER: I had the shivers and I couldn't control it. So, I would just randomly convulse and it was really scary. I knew it wasn't a

stroke, but it felt like that because I couldn't control myself.

COHEN: Initially, Adam thought it was the stomach flu, but after days of nausea and vomiting, he ended up at Advocate Condell Medical Center in

Libertyville, Illinois.

POLLY HERGENREDER, ADAM'S MOTHER: To know that my son's lungs, 18 years old, healthy, an athlete, typical 18-year-old boy to be laying in a bed and

not being able to breathe. And it's every parent's nightmare.

COHEN: Adam first started vaping nicotine, and then went on to marijuana.

ADAM HERGENREDER: So, I first started vaping just to fit in because everyone else was doing it.

COHEN: By the time he got to the hospital, he was severely ill.

DR. STEPHEN AMESBURY, ADVOCATE CONDELL MEDICAL CENTER: If his mom had not brought him to the hospital within the next two to three days, his

breathing could have worsened to the point that he could have died if he didn't seek medical care.

COHEN: Adam is one of more than 450 possible cases of vaping-related illnesses around the country, according to the CDC. But Adam is also one

of the lucky ones. There have been six deaths in California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Oregon, and Kansas. And the biggest mystery, no one

knows exactly what ingredients in e-cigarettes are causing the problems.

AMESBURY: And you can see the hazy white opacity throughout his lungs on both sides. So, although we don't know for sure the exact nature of what's

causing the opacity, it's assumed that related to his vaping.

COHEN: Until they figure it out, public health officials say don't vape. In a statement, the American Medical Association saying they urge the

public to avoid the use of e-cigarette products. And Adam will continue to speak out in hopes that others will learn from him.

ADAM HERGENREDER: If one person stops, hopefully everyone else stops.

COHEN: The White House says that they'll ban nearly all flavors of e- cigarettes. But there is an important note, after that ban is in effect, companies such as Juul can then apply to the FDA to market those exact same

flavors again. Anti-smoking advocates say they hope that the answer to those applications is no. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: That's Elizabeth reporting for you.

Live from Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.

Coming up, we take a deep dive into the big blue to sing. Confused? Well, stick around and we'll have a whale of a time. That is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FISH, FINDING NEMO, DISNEY: Dorie this is not whale. You're speaking like an upset stomach.

UNIDENTIFIED FISH: You must have tried humpback.

UNIDENTIFIED FISH: Now don't try humpback.

UNIDENTIFIED FISH: No. No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Can you speak whale? Or perhaps sing whale? Little known to many, male humpback whales have quite the vocal cords, singing songs

distinctive to their breeding ground, apparently. Now a new study has found a gathering spot off New Zealand where whales are bringing their

local tunes to share and learn from each other. An underwater karaoke bar, so to speak. Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(HUMPBACK WHALES SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well all they need now is an orca-stra.

I'm Becky Anderson. Bad joke. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you, all, for watching. The end of our working week here in the Middle East.

We will see you again on Sunday.

[11:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

END