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Iran Marks Its Annual Holy Defense Week; Graham Calls For U.S. Military Response To Oil Attack; Iran And Saudi Arabia Flex Military Muscles With Parades; 150,000 U.K. Passengers Stranded Thomas Cook Collapses; U.S. President Donald Trump Makes Surprise Visit At U.N. Climate Summit, Listens To P.M. Modi's Speech; Iran And Saudi Arabia Flex Military Muscles With Parades. Aired 11-12p EST
Aired September 23, 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]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- are going to stay in South Africa.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. Thank you so much for joining us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want war, the U.S. doesn't want war but it's really up to the Iranians.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: What would be the consequence of an American or Saudi military strike on Iran now?
MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, IRAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: An all out war.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iran knows if they misbehave, they're on borrowed time. Going into Iran would be a very easy
decision.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: As our region heats up, so does our planet. From Iran versus Saudi Arabia to our climate crisis. We are
connecting your world in a new two-hour edition of CONNECT THE WORLD. It is 7:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. Let's connect you through everywhere that
matters. Well, this hour, two rivals at serious odds. Iran and Saudi Arabia carrying out mirror-image demonstrations of strength.
Today Saudi Arabia celebrates its national day, as Iran marks its annual holy defense week. Arch rivals both bringing out their troops and tanks,
both showing off their military might a little over a week after the Saudi oil attack. Just days after the U.S. announced it is sending more troops
to the region. Let's bring in two of CNN's correspondents, senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran for you.
We'll get to International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson shortly. Let's start with you, Fred. What are you -- what are you seeing and hearing
there?
PLEITGEN: Hmm. Well, I think, Becky, as far as the general assembly is concerned, I think what you're going to see from the Iranians, sort of a
carrot and stick type approach toward the Trump administration. On the one hand they've been very hard as far as the military confrontation with the
U.S. is concerned.
We've seen it all throughout this weekend. We've seen it also in the run- up to the U.N. general assembly where the Iranians are saying, look, the U.S. wants to conduct some sort of a retaliatory strike, none of that is
going to be limited. That one of the things that the head of the revolutionary guard corps said on the weekend, he said, look, any country
that wants to attack Iran, go ahead.
And the Iranians are saying the battlefield would then move to the country that attacks Iran. Obviously a very thinly veiled threat aimed at the
Iranians. And in general, Becky, what the Iranians have been doing is they've been showcasing a lot of their military gear that they have, a lot
of their high-tech military gear over the past couple of years and really showing how they progressed militarily. Let's have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Tehran showing off its latest military gear. Iran kicking off its sacred defense week with a major show of force, warning America not to
pick a fight or face backlash in the entire region. We are present in the resistance from the Mediterranean to west Asia, this former revolutionary
guard commander says. It seems the Americans must be engaged in a war in that entire region.
While Iran is known to control militias in countries like Iraq and Syria, its military has recently also recently shown its high-tech capabilities.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia say Iran was involved in recent drone and cruise missile attacks on two major oil facilities in the kingdom. While Tehran
denies the allegations, Iran's military has praised its own advances in cruise and ballistic missile technology.
The head of the elite revolutionary guard corps aerospace force is claiming Iran is now a world leader in this technology. Today in the field of
missile, we are one of the major powers in the region, he says, and we're also among the top powers in the world. Iran has also developed its own
drones and claims to have reverse engineered American unmanned aerial vehicles. And paraded one of its most advanced self-developed air defense
missile systems which the Iranians say was the system that recently shot down a U.S. drone over the Persian Gulf.
The wreckage of the U.S. global hawk drone is currently on display in Tehran. Touring the exhibit, the head of the revolution guard corps
claiming Iran has a lot more high-tech weapons ready to go. Our enemies must know we have raised our strength to be able to produce unknown risks,
he says. Our major capabilities are hidden. We have shown only a small part of our capabilities.
While Tehran continues to say it does not want an escalation or a war with the U.S., Iran's message is clear. If it does come to an armed conflict,
they are prepared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: So as you can see, the stand-off continues but there is also some movement it seems possibly, Becky, on the diplomatic front as well.
While the Iranians say they don't -- but they plan to speak to any members of the Trump during the U.N. general assembly, they have said if the U.S.
does lift sanctions, if there's some sort of quid pro quo that could happen, maybe the Iranians could be willing to talk.
[11:05:11]
PLEITGEN: One of the other things that President Hassan Rouhani says that he's going to do is he wants to put forward at the U.N. G.A. a new measure
for a possible de-escalation in the strait of Hormuz waiting to see how much backing that could actually already get. And then finally, Becky,
this is quite important, the Iranians today saying that that oil tanker that they seized about -- I think it was about a month and a half ago, the
British flag tanker, they now say that tanker can leave any time.
They say all the paperwork with that is finished. So, timing there could be something that is not totally a coincidence but it seems though the
Iranians also putting some measures forward to try to de-escalate the situation a little bit as well, Becky.
ANDERSON: Well, both presidents Rouhani and Trump of course in New York this week. Nic Robertson, the U.S. sees Iran as the problem in this region
where we are. Tehran sees itself as providing the solution as long as Washington lifts these swinging sanctions. There are also an awful lot of
other countries with skin in the game. U.S. gulf ally Saudi and the UAE, the Europeans and of course permanent members of the U.N. Security Council,
Russia and China. What these stakeholders say this week matters as to what happens next, correct?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPOLOMATIC EDITOR: What they say every day matters. What President Trump says from morning to evening is of huge
interest and significance for Saudi Arabia. They believe that if President Trump is anything less than clear and strong on Iran, that if he was to
hint that perhaps he might meet with President Rouhani or even sort of get into some kind of negotiations and talks without Saudi Arabia being able to
sort of bring in the diplomatic support it believes it will be able to bring in because of its investigation into the attacks last weekend which
it is blaming very clearly on Iran.
Then that would be a -- then that would be a concern because the understanding in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is that it
requires the constancy of President Trump to take a firm position and a clear position and unambiguous position with Iran that what they are doing
-- what they are doing at the moment cannot continue. That is the message that Saudi Arabia believes is the one that's needed to be sent to Iran.
Otherwise they very firmly believe that President Trump vacillates or oscillates on this issue then Iran would see that as a weakness and
potentially attack Saudi Arabia again. That is very, very clear at the moment, Becky. So, yes, what they say absolutely critical.
ANDERSON: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, Nic, calling for a strong response to the Saudi oil attack. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I hope the president will put on the table a military option that will restore deterrence because sanctions are not
enough. I give the President a ton of credit for taking Iran on but this is a defining moment in his presidency. If the Iranians do not change
their behavior, if they do not get put back in a box, it's just a matter of time but they're going to break out and have a nuclear weapon and that
changes the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: At one point Mr. Trump said that the U.S. was locked and loaded, Nic. A week or so is an awful long time in Donald Trump's world. He says
stepping back in response to Lindsey Graham should not be a sign of weakness. What people in this region and specifically in this country of
the UAE don't want is escalation. What happens next?
ROBERTSON: Just pare back all the sort of language that we've heard is happening. If Saudi Arabia can convince the United Kingdom, Germany and
France, and I use those in particular because they were the co-signatures to the JCPOA, the multinational nuclear agreement with Iran that President
Trump pulled out of. If they can convince those countries that Iran was not only supplying the equipment but it was the launch site for this attack
and act of war, as the ministers say for foreign affairs described it over the weekend, then they can -- they cannot sort of go down the route that
Lindsey Graham is looking for here, but they -- Saudi Arabia can align a much stronger, more unified international diplomatic force to essentially
pressure Iran to go to the negotiating table over extension to the sunset clauses over that JCPOA agreement.
But most importantly development and use of ballistic missiles to bring that to the negotiating table. That's the way that the Saudis and the
emirates would like to take this but they need that strong sign from the United States that it is behind Saudi and the UAE in military terms, that
there is an offensive capacity and a stronger defensive capacity to head off this type of attack again.
[11:10:11]
ROBTERSON: But it's diplomacy that I think regionally is recognized as the only realistic track to solve this without huge calamity. But calamity
sits in the wings at the moment. It absolutely does, because weakness and equivocation, the belief in the gulf is would send a message to Iran that
it can essentially escalate from its side, its own pressure and they believe it's doing that militarily an (INAUDIBLE) with a signal and sign
over the past weekend. Becky?
ANDERSON: Fred, the sanctions, these swinging U.S. sanctions have been described as economic terrorism by Tehran and they have said that sanctions
release -- relief is a red line were they to consider even having discussions, talks with the U.S. President. We talk about sanctions in
this sort of diplomatic kind of way. We must remember, lest we forget, that the Iranian people are those that are hurting as a result of such.
What's the story on the street?
ROBTERSON: Well, I think you're absolutely right, Becky. And I think that's one of the reasons also why the Iranians are so keen to get that
sanctions relief if they're even willing to go back to the negotiating table with the United States. I think one of the things the Iranians have
made clear is they're not going to be stand by and be starved economically and come to the negotiating table under those circumstances.
That's something that for them, they want that to be a precondition if in fact they are going to come back in any way, shape or form and talk to the
United States. You're absolutely right, of course, to regular people those sanctions are having a massive effect. On the one hand, the currency here
has already tanked. It's continuing to devalue. The buying power that people have is a lot less than it was before.
There's many people obviously because international companies have pulled out, so many of them have pulled out of Iran who have lost their jobs and
lost their livelihoods. But I think the biggest fundamental issue that a lot of people here face is on the one hand there are obviously some
shortage especially in the medical sector where there's a lot of medicines that are not available to people. To many people it's becoming quite
dangerous for them. Some people for their health are not getting the kind of medicines that they need.
Now, the Iranians are trying to produce as much as they can. They say they can cover a lot of their medical needs but certainly there are specialized
things that are simply missing and that simply people need. And I think one of the things that we've gathered as we've been on the ground here in
Iran not just this time around but of course over the past time that these sanctions have been in place is that the folks here are telling us, look,
these sanctions are not having a massive effect on the Iranian government, on the Iranian power structure but they are having a massive effect very
much on the regular population, on a lot of people.
People are feeling this. People are feeling this in a very major way and people are feeling it in a way where it endangers not just their
livelihoods but in some cases indeed their lives. So certainly this is a fundamental issue for the Iranian government, a fundamental issue for the
Iranian people. And that's probably one of the reasons why you're seeing the Iranians say that this is for them as you've said a red line and
something where they say those sanctions need to go if the Iranians are going to be willing to make any sort of compromises, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. OK. Fred is on the ground in Tehran, important -- really important insight from there. And Nic in New York where we expect all the
action this week. To both of you, thank you. Well, the Iran-backed Yemen Houthi rebels have offered a ceasefire with Saudi Arabia, but say, "they
reserve the right to respond if Saudi continues air strikes on Yemen." Now, do remember it is the Houthis who claimed responsibility for the
attacks on those Aramco oil facilities. To connect you to the context of this story, CNN Sam Kiley breaks down the world's worst humanitarian
crisis.
SAM KILEY, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They called it decisive storm. An Arab-led military intervention to restore Yemen's government.
Against an uprising by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Nearly five years on, the alliance is in tatters. The reputations of Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates soiled by a humanitarian disaster and attacks claimed by the Houthis on the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry now raising fears of a
regional war.
Once the H.Q. for the fight against the Houthis, it is now the scene of warfare between southern separatist backed the Emirates and rival militia
backed by Saudi Arabia. A couple of months ago they were on the same side.
[11:15:08]
Their aim was then to end the Houthi rebellion and prevent Iran from using Yemen to threaten Saudi Arabia and red sea shipping. With Iranian backing,
the Houthis have developed ever more sophisticated drones and missiles targeting Saudi Arabia and there's no sign that they could be defeated any
time soon. Human rights groups have blamed the Saudis specifically for mass civilian deaths in air strikes on both sides for a humanitarian
disaster.
The U.N.'s refugee agency says that more than 15 million Yemenis are on the brink of famine. And backers of the Saudi-led coalition like the U.S. and
U.K. have come under intense domestic criticism for supplying weapons that have intensified their suffering. The U.N. now says that any weapons
suppliers may be complicit in war crimes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAHAM: The current relationship with Saudi Arabia is not working for America. They have been strategic allies and could be in the future, but
right now it is more of a burden than it is an asset.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KILEY: CNN investigations there have found that some U.S.-supplied weapons are now in the hands of radical Islamist groups and that Houthis have
deliberately manipulated food aid to raise funds and win political support. So with hindsight at least, it's now clear that operation decisive storm is
sinking into the Arabian quicksands and dragging others with it.
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Sam Kiley joining me now who of course has been in Yemen recently. The Houthis have offered a ceasefire. A ceasefire that
the U.N. envoy there Martin Griffiths has said is very, very welcome. Where are we now? What is the situation on the ground?
KILEY: Well, technically at the moment there's just a ceasefire hanging -- holding around the port city of Hodeidah which of course is an absolutely
vital route into the Houthi-controlled areas. But of course Aden as I was saying in that report there is a mess, it's the scene of fighting between
factions that have -- who were allies in the fight against the Houthis. The Saudis have not yet responded to this ceasefire offer from the Houthis.
The Houthis have -- it's a highly conditional one. It is enough of saying we will ceasefire, we will stop firing missiles into all of Saudi Arabia so
long as we get the same in return, preempting of course any possibility they hope of retaliatory attacks, if it is indeed found that those missiles
fired against Saudi oil facilities did indeed come from the Houthis, were fired --
ANDERSON: Which they claimed.
KILEY: Which is what they claimed so it's a very kind of somewhat predictable I think on the part of the Houthis, but interesting that they
have been so quick I think and so vocal in saying we really don't want to start escalating this any further.
ANDERSON: Despite the fact that they have also made threats against this country here and others around the region. Look, I just want to have a
look at where we stand. I want to take you out of Yemen, because we can't -- the context for Yemen is this wider Saudi/Iran tension story, which is
absolutely dominating things at present. Have a look at these figures. Last year Saudi Arabia's military spending amounted to an estimated $67.7
billion U.S. dollars making it the third largest military spender globally and by far the largest in this, the gulf region.
Iran's military spending on the other hand fluctuated due to sanctions impacting its economy and amounted to $13.2 billion and clearly the Houthis
have an awful lot less than either of those two. What do you make of these figures specifically?
KILEY: I think they shouldn't be over interpreted. This is all about bang for your buck. If you look at what the Iranians are capable of, they have
influence, dominance over Hezbollah, South Lebanon threatening Israel. They also back Gaza -- the Gaza militant group Hamas. They are intimately
involved in Syria. They have a huge number of followers, not necessarily directly influenced militia in Iraq. And they have got the Houthis.
They are capable of exercising and delivering strategic change with very small tactical operations. We look back to those little pinpricks that we
saw that were blamed on the Iranians of the attacks on the oil tankers using little minds, that got a lot of attention. They -- if the Iranians
are behind all of the attacks, of course. They deny it. Then they are -- we are seeing a steady increase and they are getting a lot of value for
money.
The other thing to remember about the Iranians is that they deploy on the ground. They have --- they get down and dirty. We have not seen very many
Saudi infanteers operationally in the Yemen for example.
[11:20:02]
KILEY: They have been working themselves through proxies. Of course, that has backfired on them. There is no substitute really for getting out there
and on the ground and that's why Iran is so potentially dangerous. The other thing to remember is those figures that are essentially estimates.
We don't really know what --
ANDERSON: No. That makes absolute sense. I mean, this story, this argument certainly from Iran's foes in this region, that it's this malign
influence through the activity of its proxies that people fear the most and it's the reason the U.S. will say alongside its nuclear ambitions that it
pulled out of the JCPOA. Certainly that's Donald Trump's position on this. Sam, always a pleasure. Thank you.
All right, folks. Other top story this hour. The U.N. climate summit is under way and a surprise visitor was the U.S. President. He wasn't
expected to attend. Trump didn't arrive in time to see Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. She had a stark message for world leaders. Have
a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRETA THUNBERG, CLIMATE ACTIVIST: This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you
all come to us young people for hope. How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words and yet I'm one of the lucky
ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can
talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth.
How dare you! For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That's the message from a young girl, a 16-year-old, who this time last year was just an obscure Swedish school kid out on strike,
striking the climate crisis. Today, well, she inspires global strikes around the world and is speaking there, headlining at the U.N. Climate
Summit. Quite remarkable stuff, isn't it? Our big question this hour, we are asking you has time run out to avert a climate disaster?
So far, more than 90 percent of you have voted that we need change now. We want to hear from you, folks. CNN.com/join. Whichever way you want to do
it, use this, use your tablet, your P.C., however you're doing it, get in touch short as world leaders meet in New York to try to tackle that climate
crisis. A new report shows we may not have any time to waste. We speak to a former Trump official at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who was
behind the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.
Plus, the demise of one of the world's oldest and biggest travel firms. Thomas Cook has collapsed. A look at the unprecedented effort in the U.K.
to get British tourists on Thomas Cook holidays back from destinations around the world and the impact this bankruptcy will have on the tens of
thousands involved.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Once upon a time it was a ticket to the world Cook's ticket. The British travel firm Thomas Cook opened a gateway to adventure for
millions of tourists, starting way back in 1841. Now 178 years later, those Cook's tickets have been punched for the last time. Thomas Cook
running out of money Sunday night after last-ditch talks to keep it afloat failed. That's left 150,000 British tourists stranded and it has sparked
what is the biggest peace time repatriation in British history.
This map shows you the global reach of Thomas Cook stretching into four continents. Britain's Civil Aviation Authority started the repatriation
effort today. It will take upwards of two weeks to get everyone home. I'm joined now by one of those stranded travelers, Edward Hardy joins me now on
the phone on the Greek island of Korfu. Sir, how are you?
EDWARD HARDY, STRANDED TRAVELER: Hello, Becky, thank you for having me. As well as you can be when you're dealing with the travel hell that's been
unleashed by the collapse of Thomas Cook. I mean, before I go into how I am, I would just like to say the real tragedy with the collapse of Thomas
Cook is that all of the industry that's taken 22,000 jobs this morning, people who do not have employment and have woken up to find they're out of
work, which is a massive tragedy and a huge loss to the British travel industry.
ANDERSON: Sure.
HARDY: Really with Thomas Cook, as you mentioned in the introduction being one of the oldest firms. So, it's been absolutely chaos really trying to
get home. We found there was no real communication. Woke up this morning (INAUDIBLE) to get the flight that was scheduled to leave at 12:35. The
only communication having received at all was an e-mail last night from Thomas Cook saying it was OK to check in the flight.
There's nothing from the government, nothing from Thomas Cook, nothing at all has come through to let us know what was going on. And really that --
ANDERSON: So, what do you do next?
HARDY: We've been at the airport. Well, we traveled to the airport and hopefully, fingers crossed, will be on a repatriation flight this evening.
This is the operation the government is running operation Matterhorn to get (INAUDIBLE) but no one is telling us anything. No one is communicating
with us. No one is giving us any guidance for flight. We've been given no food or water. Most people at the end of their holiday have spent all of
their holiday money and we're not being given any supplies or support here.
People are just left sitting on the floor of the terminal, chilling outside, and it's quite chaotic really as I was saying and quite
frustrating that no one seems to be willing to communicate and let us know what's going on.
ANDERSON: This is remarkable stuff, thank you. I hope it goes all right and I hope you get home at some point soon. And regards to you and the
rest of those passengers who are there.
[11:25:06]
I wouldn't say stranded because we know this repatriation effort is underway but a big shock and extremely disappointing and frustrating for
those passengers who are involved, and we are talking about 150,000, 600,000 we are told involved as it were with holidays booked going forward.
This is going to be a huge effort. Well, before we go, I just want to connect you to the history at play here. To express the magnitude of what
has happened and we are learning fascinating details about Thomas Cook himself. By the 1860s he was connecting our world in ways that has never
been seen before. Cook introduced a generation of British travelers to the Middle East, taking a group up the Nile River in Egypt in two steamers.
That was part of a global tour that crossed the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. That's the story. Let's get to New York and the French president.
He is speaking at the U.N. Climate Summit.
EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): you have to respond to here because we need to say we're doing what's necessary. But
things aren't going quick enough. Even if you're aware of things that aren't working, you're not going quick enough. That's one of the things
they're saying to us. They also say that we're not sufficiently involved in the response.
And so, I also want to play my role in listening to them. I think that no political decision-maker can remain deaf at this call for justice between
generations. And I think that collectively our young people, our societies, our companies and our investors, heads of state and government,
should rebuild a joint understanding of the world. We need to change our habits so that we can work together because if not, we will have the --
these denunciations that no action can respond to and then we'll also have actions that will be insufficient even though we're saying that we're doing
what we should be.
So the only way to have a useful form of action working with our young people is also to establish understanding and to transform our collective
system to respond to this imperative of the fight against climate change and fall by diversity. And we need to build useful actions. We need our
young people in our countries to tell us to work faster. We need the young people to help us to change things, to act and to put more pressure on
those who are recalcitrant, whether they are states or finances or companies.
This is what the three of us have been doing in most recent months and following the U.N. Secretary General's mandate. We're trying to make
progress. And I think that there is an action agenda that isn't about being self-satisfied but it should be a positive agenda. Firstly, we as
heads of state in government need to work collectively to respond more quickly. We need to keep to the Paris Agreement and to be consistent with
its objectives.
I'm very pleased firstly today that we've had the good news of the ratification of the Paris Agreement by Russia. That is wonderful news. It
wasn't something we expected a few months ago so that's a sign of progress and I think it's worthy of applause. Secondly, if we want to act and we
want to act powerfully, we need to move towards carbon neutrality by 2050. We built this coalition that continues to build with Chile, Japan and other
countries who have -- who have joined.
I know that China is also moving and India has given encouraging signals. This is an essential instrument. Within this framework Europe needs to do
more. And from 2020, Europe will take -- should take very clear decisions so that we can -- we can be up to the wishes of the new E.U. president
(INAUDIBLE) of reducing our emissions yet further by 2030. So reducing emissions by 55 percent by 2030, meaning Europe will have to work more
quickly.
It will also have to be ambitious. We'll have to have a minimum carbon price that is higher than the current one. This is essential if we want
Europe to be up to its own expectations. And within that framework, France will take on its responsibilities. We have already ended any new oil
exploration on French soil. Now, the second part of this positive agenda, I think we need to have a trade agenda that serves the climate's agenda.
[11:35:06]
MACRON: I think that the most -- a great majority of us believe in an open world, believe in a world of exchange, of trade. A world where we do
trade. Where trade is a factor of peace. Where trade can also bring people out of poverty. Nonetheless, today we have to realize that our
young people and sometimes ourselves, we don't understand how the world works. We want to collectively take back control.
We want to ensure that we have regional sovereignty and that we have a control of things and we understand what's happening. And so for that we
need to have a trade agenda that is consistent with our climate agenda. When we are trading, we have to be consistent. I don't want to see new
trade negotiations opened with countries who are running counter to the Paris Agreement.
I think that would be deeply hypocritical given all of the debates that we continue to have today and also previous days. At least at European level
because that is a level that I can think at we need to have a carbon neutral Europe and we need to have zero imported deforestation. This is
essential. This is a deep change. It is a real revolution. And it doesn't mean that we don't import certain things, but that any imports
should have a negative consequence.
We need -- if there is a negative consequence in terms of deforestation, for example, that has to be compensated for. If not, we'll continue to
have fine words but a trade agenda that runs counter to those words. This is essential work that we have to do. And then finally on financing, here
again, we also have to be consistent with our actions. This consistency would mean not financing carbon-heavy infrastructure.
We can't say that we advocate the fight against climate change, that we advocate by diversity and yet continue to finance infrastructure in other
countries that is polluting, that increases CO2 emissions and that runs counter to our commitments. Therefore, each of us within our own trade and
finance agendas has to follow this line of thinking. We've had the international development finance club where commitments have been made and
announced yesterday to provide financing of $1,000 billion.
The aim is to move towards before -- is to -- is to make progress yet further so there is still work that has to be done, but this is the first -
- the first development. We're going to continue to finance renewable energies, promote direct access for the global south to international
financing and also more. We have many countries here who are committed to this agenda, which is absolutely essential and which is very dear to us.
The prime minister of Jamaica and the emir of Qatar will also be covering this agenda and talking about our mandate on the 100 billion that we should
mobilize by 2020 that is essential for helping developing countries to catch up and so that we can have an agenda of climate justice and of social
justice and development. Just one last word by way of conclusion. The immediate priority is the green fund.
The conference recapitalization will take place in a month on the 24th and 25th of October. Its governance was reformed this summer to make it more
effective and more accessible. Germany, the United Kingdom, France, have doubled their contributions. France will put $1.7 billion Euros into the
fund. Norway has also doubled its contribution. Yesterday, Denmark and Sweden also doubled their contributions. The Netherlands has increased its
contribution.
We are now at $7 billion as I'm speaking to you. The target is $10 billion. To also make up for America's withdrawal so maybe there's good
news from the United States. I hope that that will come during this general assembly. But I'm calling for each of you who have not yet done
so, I'm calling --
ANDERSON: All right. You've been listening -- you've been speaking, you've been listening to the French president there saying that the world
needs to work together to fight climate change. He is at the U.N. Climate Summit in New York. And he said we need youngsters to tell us to get on
with it. He said we as heads of state need to work together to respond more quickly and we need to stick to the Paris agreement he said.
And he said it is a sign of progress that Russia has signed up to that Paris Agreement. Russia, of course, the fourth largest polluter.
[11:40:00]
ANDERSON: One surprise from the summit just a short time ago, an unexpected visit from the leader of the world's biggest economy, U.S.
President Donald Trump who of course pulled out of Paris. He wasn't expected to attend. He watched the Indian and German leaders speak.
Meantime, a new U.N. report says damage from climate change is hitting harder and sooner than expected and could soon be irreversible.
And when I say soon, quicker than we had even predicted in our worst dreams. Let's stay on this and bring in Mandy Gunasekara, she is an
environmental lawyer, a former Trump official at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And a chief architect of the U.S. withdrawal from the
Paris Climate Accord. She joins me from Washington. We just heard -- and thank you for joining me. We just heard Greta Thunberg shaming, shaming
people in positions of power in an extremely emotional speech who don't get the importance of climate change.
Quite frankly, people like you. She might as well have been speaking to you. How do you -- how do you feel when you listen to an impassioned
speech like that?
MANDY GUNASEKARA, ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER: I feel good about it. I do think climate change is a serious issue and that's what we worked on from a
serious and effective perspective inside the Trump administration under the direction of the President's approach to true environmentalism where you
balance economic progress alongside advancing the ball and reducing emissions and protecting the environment.
That's why the United States leads the world where it actually matters, which is reducing greenhouse gases. We've reduced greenhouse gases more
than any of the other countries that continue to be a part of what I would call the ineffective Paris Climate Accord process.
ANDERSON: How can -- it's all of those issues, isn't it? We're all well aware of the Trump administration's distaste for multilateral approaches to
things, multilateral agreements. But how -- just explain to our viewers why it is that climate crisis, which is a global phenomenon, shouldn't be
best dealt with on a multilateral basis? And by the way, just in the past couple of hours, the Russians have signed up to that agreement.
GUNASEKARA: Yes. No, certainly. I do think it is a part of serious and ongoing conversations that are had within domestic audiences and
international audiences. The difference is under President Trump, he's a businessman so he likes to invest his time, energy and resources on things
that are effective and return -- and produce a good return. And that hasn't happened in the decades of work at the United Nations.
Where it has happened is through innovations and embracing energy innovations in the natural gas industry. The reason the United States
leads the world in emission reductions is because the President has openly embraced U.S.-created energy. And because the United States extracts,
refines, transports and knows how to consume this better than any other country, those are the type of conversations we should be and are having
with global partners in this area.
ANDERSON: OK. And I hear what you're saying. Let me counter that with the following. According to the rain forest action network, 33 big banks
and many of them U.S. banks providing just short of $650 billion to 1,800 fossil fuel companies last year. In fact the total value of loans, bonds
and shares according to the F.T. today underwritten by these banks has increased year on year since the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015.
And you don't have to be a climate scientist to know how important fossil fuels are to global emissions and global warming. What do you make of
those statistics?
GUNASEKARA: Well, I think it's important to be honest when we're having these conversations. Fossil-based energy will continue to be a huge part
of the energy mix in the United States and globally. And the best thing we can do is to continue to strive for a balanced perfection of efficiency,
where you're doing more with less. That's what's been happening in the United States primarily in the context of hydraulic fracturing which again
is why we lead the world in places where it matters, which is reducing emissions. We can replicate that around the world. The other benefit of
this approach to reducing emissions is some of the alternatives that are being discussed out there in trying to go into areas where there is abject
poverty, they will not provide what those areas need the most, which is a source of affordable and reliable energy.
And if we can do that, we can continue to create energy more efficiently and at the same time lift billions of people out of abject poverty in a
very successful way.
[11:45:04]
ANDERSON: That is one position on climate and it is from Mandy, who is joining us out of Washington today. And what is -- it's a big day for the
discussion of climate change, climate crisis, call it what you will. We've told you about that impassioned plea from 16-year-old Greta Thunberg and
it's well worth a listen again to her message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRETA THUNBERG, CLIMATE ACTIVIST: This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you
all come to us young people for hope. How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of the
lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you
can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you?
For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: How dare you, she says. This hour we are asking you folks whether time is running out to avert a climate disaster. So far about 90
percent of you think we need change now. It's interesting, isn't it? This wave of support for change in support of solutions for climate change. All
right. That's cnn.com/join, still time to get involved.
We're going to take a very short break at this point. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: This is CONNECT THE WORLD live from Abu Dhabi. It is just about 10 to 8:00 here. We are just a short flight from both Iran and Saudi
Arabia who have been carrying out mirror-image demonstrations of strength today. Saudi Arabia celebrating its national day as Iran marks its annual
holy defense week. Both showcasing their troops and tanks amid increasing tensions. Well, CNN contributor and writer for the Washington Post Jason
Rezaian joining me from New York where, Jason, world leaders will be meeting this week.
And the only real story in town apart from climate change which is sort of smothering the -- dominating the headlines today, but the real talk this
week will be U.S./Iran relations and what we should expect next. Your analysis.
[11:50:10]
JASON REZAIAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think, Becky, that the likelihood of a meeting with -- between President Trump and President Rouhani of Iran
is diminishing by the hour. A lot of blustery talk from both sides. But I do think that we're going to avert a more direct military conflict. And
it's only a matter of time between the two sides engage in direct negotiations over the various issues at play. I just don't see happening
this week.
ANDERSON: And if it doesn't happen this week, what next?
REZAIAN: Well, you know, you guys in the region saw very clearly the potential for major disruptions in the oil supply, attacks on Saudi's oil
but also what sort of response there might be against Iran, whether in the form of cyber attacks, attacks on Iranian soil, we'll see. But I think
that this is going to play off over a series of months and frankly, I'm not sure if the world has the stomach for it.
And I think that's why so many world leaders are looking to break the impasse here in New York. But both sides are so entrenched in their
maximalist positions that the likelihood for either one to flinch right now seems low.
ANDERSON: Jason, a pleasure always having you on. And we'll have you again. This story is not going away. Thank you, sir. We'll take a very
short break, folks, and back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, as all of you avid viewers have surely worked out by now, we've added an extra hour to our show and that means more time to bring you
all the latest ground-breaking reports from CNN'S global teams and more opportunity to tell you about the unique stories transforming this part of
the world and indeed our home here in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. This is a region constantly on the move and we are committed to bringing you the
perspective from here.
So I just want to take a moment to have a quick look back at some of what we've had the opportunity to cover over the years since we've been based
here at CNN's Middle East broadcasting hub in Abu Dhabi. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me Becky Anderson. Live from Abu Dhabi through (INAUDIBLE) in Dubai.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Abu Dhabi with all its cultural sites and within its museums and shouting stories that make us who we are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every projector is like a writer. With a little poem you can do a masterpiece.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I never thought I would be so famous (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a ridiculous thought to tell your heir apparent, hey listen, I want to be a -- I want to be a rapper. What?
ANDERSON: He's dancing for us at the moment. This is about the future. Pope Francis moments away here in the UAE.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women in Islam have a choice and they don't have to be weak.
ANDERSON: We are talking change, challenges and above all choice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first female emirates air force pilot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Female or male, it does not matter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a dream since childhood. You try it, go ahead, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's about getting the youth involved.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have over 108 million young people in this region.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To me, freedom is being who you want to be.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are the new generation, the children of the world.
ANDERSON: Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi. This is so much bigger than justice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is about tolerance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just like everybody else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: There you go. New extended show for you. And in the last two hours, we have been asking you whether time is running out to avert a
climate disaster. The results, well, they're in and a whopping 95 percent of you think we need change now. And it's that change that world leaders
are discussing in New York as we speak at the U.N. Climate Summit. We loud and clear, folks. I'm Becky Anderson.
That was your newly expanded two-hour CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you for watching. We hope you will join us again tomorrow. From the team working
with me here and those working around the world, it is a very good evening from Abu Dhabi.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
