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U.S. Troops Begin Pullout from Syria Near Turkey's Border; Turkey to Send Troops into Northern Syria; Second Whistleblower Comes Forward About Trump's Actions; Energy Department Rick Perry Encouraged Ukraine Phone Call; Trump's Ambassador to EU to Face Congress; U.K. Prime Minister Says He's Discussing Diplomatic Immunity Incident with U.S.; Zelensky Facing Backlash for Peace with Russia Policies; China Cuts Ties with Houston Rockets Over General Manager's Hong Kong Tweet. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired October 07, 2019 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT (through translator): The withdraw has started as U.S. President Donald Trump stated. Now counterparts are
carrying out their work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: The U.S. President paving the way for a Turkish incursion against a key U.S. ally in Syria.
In Washington, week three of the impeachment inquiry kicks off with news of a second whistleblower complaint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, HARRY DUNN'S RELATIVE: Kill somebody and intentionally or not and just go away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And after a grieving family in the U.K. demands answers the British Prime Minister says he will now get involved.
It is 6:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi, 5:00 in the afternoon in Ankara. It's 10:00 in the morning in D.C. I'm Becky Anderson. Hello and welcome to what is
our expanded edition of CONNECT THE WORLD. And we are across two major stories for you. Both pounding away in the mind of the U.S. President
Donald Trump.
The first, an 11:00 p.m. Washington time whiplash decision, massively shifting U.S. policy in the Middle East. The second that impeachment
inquiry, now accelerating with each day thick and fast in developments.
We begin in the border area of northern Syria and Turkey where a phone call between two leaders has led to a remarkable late-night announcement and a
major shift in the U.S. foreign policy. The United States says it is pulling troops from northern Syria. Why? To clear the way for Turkey to
carry out military operations there. This essentially abandons Kurdish fighters who have fought alongside the U.S. to defeat ISIS.
President Trump announcing the move going against efforts by U.S. officials to keep Turkey from launching military action in the area. Well this
coming after a phone call between President Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr. Erdogan says he wants to clear
terrorists -- as he calls them -- from the area near the Turkish border and to return Syrian refugees. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERDOGAN (through translator): Regarding this matter, after our talk in the evening on this issue, the withdraw has started as U.S. President Donald
Trump stated. Now counterparts are carrying out their work and will continue to do so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Turkey wants to create a buffer zone along its border with Syria where it aims to clear Kurdish militia away from its frontier. There
is a domestic angle, a big domestic angle to this for the Turks. We have every angle of this story covered. Ben Wedeman and Arwa Damon have
extensively covered the Syrian conflict and the fight against ISIS. Ben joining us live from Beirut tonight. Arwa on location in Baghdad. Now
Barbara Starr standing by with how this is playing out at the Pentagon.
And I want to start with you, Barbara. That this decision as we understand it, came after a call with the Turkish President, a call between the two
Presidents, U.S. and Turkish Presidents. Less than 12 hours ago it was an announcement made close to midnight. What do we know that was discussed
and what does this physically mean for U.S. assets on the ground -- Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, according to the White House statement, Becky, the U.S. has decided to now move some of its troops
and assets out of the region next to the Turkish border. Because the Turks say they will conduct a military incursion across the border into northern
Syria. Now, let's unpack a little bit of this.
For U.S. troops who are there, they have been there for quite a while. They're very committed to the region. Fair to say troops on the ground not
happy about having to pack and go. But did it come as a complete surprise to top military commanders? Probably not. There had been discussion for
weeks behind the scenes about Turkey building up on the border the possibility of Turkish forces moving into that incursion into northern
Syria.
And if that were to happen the Syrian SDF fighters that U.S. has been backing for so long would be moving to defend themselves against the Turks.
No longer fighting ISIS, which is the U.S. mission and the U.S. didn't largely see a way out of this.
[10:05:00]
The belief is that it would have put U.S. troops at risk because there are very small numbers up there and if a wide conflict breaks out, they would -
- may find themselves in the cross hairs. That said, come back full circle, the SDF, the Syrian fighters absolutely feeling betrayed, feeling
they did everything that was asked of them in recent months and feeling that the U.S. -- the Trump administration very much may be abandoning them
-- Becky.
ANDERSON: Ben, in a series of tweets Donald Trump writes and I quote. The Kurdish forces were paid massive amounts of money to fight alongside the
U.S. and that we will fight to where it is to our benefit and only fight to win. He went on to say, it is time for us -- the U.S. -- to get out of
these endless wars.
Just explain the consequences, if you will, of this decision for the Kurds, for Turkey and for Syria.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Essentially, the Kurds have now been told that we're abandoning you. We're going to leave
you, the Kurds, to the mercy of Turkey. Which has said it's going to establish a 30-kilometer-deep so-called safe zone along the border on the
Syrian side, the border between Turkey and Syria. And if you look at that strip and we saw a map that the President Erdogan presented to the United
Nations General Assembly last month, that strip of land includes a variety of very large Syrian predominantly Kurdish towns and cities where more than
700,000 people live.
President Erdogan has also made it clear it is his intention to resettle some of the more than 3 million Syrian refugees currently in Turkey in this
safe zone. But we need to keep in mind that this is a part of Syria where there's a delicate balance between the Kurdish and the non-Kurdish, the
Arabs, the Syrians, the Syriacs and others, in that area. To introduce what could be more than a million of these Syrian refugees, most of whom
are Sunni Arabs from the western part of the country in this ethnically delicate area, could spark violence that would complicate the situation
even further.
So we are hearing already that people are starting to leave some of those border towns for fear of a Turkish invasion and as I said, this population
swap that could occur as a result. So the consequences are huge, but President Trump has made this decision and we've known for -- since back in
December 2018 that he was eager to get out and it's always been clear he's not particularly concerned about the details on the ground -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Arwa, the Turkish President, as Ben points out, has been threatening an incursion for months saying it is necessary to protect his
country's borders. Today, the Syrian Democratic Forces led by the U.S.- backed Kurds saying, and I quote them here.
This Turkish military operation in northern and eastern Syria will have a large negative impact on our war against ISIS and will destroy all the
stability that has been accomplished over the past years. They clearly feel abandoned. These Kurdish fighters feel that the Americans are
effectively traitors at this point and they feel that the Americans are hanging them out to dry.
How will this affect the battle against ISIS that we know is a potential problem still?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you have a very stark reality on the ground in both actually Iraq and Syria and that is
that ISIS has not yet been fully defeated, territorially yes, but there are still possibilities of ISIS fighters. There are sleeper cells. And there
is still territory that they do control. And their ideology has not yet been defeated.
What the Kurds are saying and what they have been saying for quite some time now, ever since Turkey began talking about an incursion and wanting to
set up this safe zone, has been that if that happens, they will have to divert some of their forces that are still caught up in the various
different frontlines with ISIS.
[10:10:00]
There are forces that are going after the sleeper cells. There are forces that are protecting camps such as the one Al-Hol that we visited just a few
weeks ago. Which is home to tens of thousands of widows and wives and children of ISIS fighters, most of them. They're saying that they will
have to pull their assets from those different areas and send them towards the front lines with Turkish forces as they do push forward. So that's
going to be one potential, large gain for ISIS, Becky, and that is a big concern that a number of U.S. officials have expressed as well.
And then there's another factor in all of this, Becky. Practically speaking as Turkish forces move forward into these areas, where are the
Syrian Kurds that live there supposed to go. Are they supposed to live under a Turkish occupation? Are they going to be expected to abandon their
homes? Are we effectively replacing or removing one refugee population in an area that is not necessarily their home and forcing out another one? So
there's a lot of aspects to all of this that we're not entirely clear or nor is it entirely clear if it has been entirely thought out. But all of
these various different pieces, Becky, they cause instability in a region that cannot afford it at this stage.
ANDERSON: Barbara, over the past week, U.S. officials warning about a Turkish incursion in northern Syria. The Pentagon spokesman Shawn
Robertson saying, any uncoordinated military operation by Turkey would be of grave concern.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressing similar concerns saying, we've made it clear this conflict shouldn't demilitarize. And Secretary of
Defense Mark Esper, reinforcing the same sentiment saying, it is necessary to make the security mechanism work.
I know you'll have been talking to your sources, ear to the ground. Why then this decision by the U.S. President, Donald Trump, and why now --
Barbara?
STARR: Well, you know, there's a couple of aspects to it. I don't think anybody can ignore the fact there may be a political aspect to this for Mr.
Trump. He has sought to support the Turkish leader in the past even as Turkeys has, for example, sought to buy U.S. -- pardon me, Russian weapons,
air defense weapons, ending its cooperation with the U.S. on the export of an advanced fighter to Turkey. Mr. Trump still supporting Erdogan and his
objectives.
But I think, you know, it very much goes back to what Ben and Arwa were saying. Donald Trump has not been anxious to keep U.S. troops in Syria.
They essentially bought another year's worth of time. Once Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned, nearly a year ago over this very question,
and now he does see a reason to get out. And that reason is that if the Turks move in with a full-blown military campaign, tanks, artillery, air,
it becomes very dangerous for that small group of U.S. forces to remain in the region.
Bigger picture, those detention camps, if SDF fighters are involved in an all-out war and they leave those ISIS detention camps to move north to
fight, ISIS, tens of thousands of fighters back out in Syria and this may be a conflict that once again is going to pivot and take on a much larger
scale.
ANDERSON: Barbara, Ben, and Arwa, this is a two-hour show, of course. We will be back with you as the show continues. For the time being, thank
you.
And next hour, Trump hands off the baton on ISIS fighters as he makes this decision. We speak to a man calling for accountability. Dutch Foreign
Minister, Stef Blok, says a tribunal needs to be set up against ISIS fighters. That would require international unity. Donald Trump has pretty
much said Europe, amongst others, sought sort this out. So hot would Stef Blok intend to do just that? That's ahead.
While the U.S. President defends his military moves overseas the big story back home the drumbeat of impeachment pounding louder and louder. The
President, his supporters and detractors hearing that loud and clear. And this week we'll see two more key officials testifying as part of this
impeachment inquiry in Congress.
Now the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was unceremoniously dumped from her post in May this year after her loyalty to the President was
questioned.
[10:15:00]
And the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, also a Trump donor, involved in text message conversations about Mr. Trump's July phone call to the
Ukrainian President. There's now a second whistleblower who has come forward with what that person calls firsthand details of that phone call.
Also, a group of 90 former U.S. national security officials who have served under both Republicans and Democrats are praising the first whistleblower
in an open letter. And there are still so many unanswered questions. How will Republican lawmakers respond? Almost all of them have remained
silent. How will the upcoming depositions in the second whistleblower's information factor into the impeachment inquiry? Will the House Speaker,
Nancy Pelosi, hold a formal impeachment vote as demanded by Republicans? And what will the Trump campaign do to respond beyond the small number of
surrogates now talking and the President's barrage of tweets.
We have reporters lined up to help answer all of these questions. Boris Sanchez is at the White House. Lauren Fox is on Capitol Hill. And Nina
dos Santos is in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius where she has questioned Donald Trump's energy secretary. President Trump now saying Rick Perry set
off the events leading to his July phone call with Ukraine's President.
So let's -- Nina, let's start with you. President Trump's energy secretary is the latest member of his administration to come under scrutiny. Right
now he is at this conference in Lithuania, an energy conference, to meet the Ukrainian President. What do we know at this point?
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, of course, he is key here, Rick Perry, in this particular incident. Because, of course, he was the member
of the Trump administration who was sent to the inauguration of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine when he was elected earlier on in the spring
of this year.
And this was the first time today here in Vilnius that he did acknowledge as had been broken by another news network over the last couple days, the
news that President Trump claimed it was originally Rick Perry who actually requested that he had a telephone conversation with President Zelensky.
That telephone conversation that led to, of course, this impeachment inquiry, Becky. This is Rick Perry's response as to why he set up that
particular call and the first acknowledgement that he did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): I don't think is a real request, I think for unity. I think he did it to gig you guys.
SEN. ROY BLUNT (R- MO): I doubt if the China comment was serious, to tell you the truth.
REP. JIM JORDON (R-OH): You really think he was serious about thinking that China is going to investigate the Biden family?
RICK PERRY, U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY: Absolutely. I asked the President multiple times, Mr. President, we think it is the United States' and in
Ukraine's best interest that you and the President of Ukraine have conversations, that you discuss the options that are there. So, absolutely
yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOS SANTOS: Well, I couldn't quite see that, Becky. I'm not sure whether that was the exact sound bite that he gave here in Vilnius. But
essentially, the first question he was asked in the press conference was, did you set up that phone conversation? He acknowledged he did and also
said that he had been active, obviously, in the energy space for many years. Obviously as the governor of an energy rich state in the United
States, the previous governor of Texas, and now in his role at the Department of Energy. And as such he had cause to go back and forth to
Ukraine for the best part of 20 years.
When it comes to whether or not -- which according to an associated press report that came out today -- whether he had any role in potentially
recommending board positions for U.S. executives in a crucial energy company in Ukraine. He dismissed that allegation but said, of course,
there was plenty of energy expertise that countries like Ukraine could rely upon coming from the United States and, of course, people close the U.S.
Trump administration -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Another layer to what is this fast-moving story, this controversy between the U.S. -- or the President and the President of
Ukraine. The whistleblower information, which effectively set off this impeachment investigation.
Lauren Fox, how will this week's depositions and the second whistleblower's information, second whistleblower's information, factor into this inquiry
and will Nancy Pelosi hold a formal impeachment vote? Is that clear at this point?
[10:20:00]
LAUREN FOX, CNN POLITICS CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: It's not clear, Becky, at this point. What she has said is that it is not required she have a vote
to launch a formal impeachment inquiry. She argues this is not in the House rules. It's not in the Constitution. She said the President can't
make her do it and perhaps if she wants to do it, she will. If she doesn't, she won't. And I think that's where we are right now with Speaker
Nancy Pelosi.
But big week on Capitol Hill. They are in recess. But three committees will come to interview State Department officials. Tomorrow is Gordon
Sondland. He is the ambassador to the EU. He is a Trump donor. He is someone who was found to be communicating about Ukrainian military aid on
the text messages that were revealed last week.
On Friday, Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine will come to Capitol Hill to talk to the same lawmakers and aids. And I'm told is that
Democrats want to know more about why she was let go from her post in May. They want to understand whether it was politically motivated.
Understandably so, given what we know now about this second whistleblower coming forward. And, of course, the original complaint that launched this
impeachment inquiry, which is that the President was looking for a way to withhold military aid so that he could potentially get dirt on political
opponents like the Bidens -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Boris, we have heard practically nothing from the White House, beyond a small number of surrogates and of course, the President himself
both in sort of impromptu press conferences and Twitter sort of storms. What's going on behinds the scenes? How does Mick Mulvaney, for example,
factor into this? After all he is the chief of staff. Who is running things behind the scenes as this gets a head of steam.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Effectively the same person who is always at the end of the road when it comes to any decision made at
this White House, it's largely just President Trump, who frequently does not listen to advisors. Remember that there were multiple people in this
administration publicly saying that he should not release a transcript of his call with President Zelensky of Ukraine, but the President did anyway.
And in this regard, he's effectively challenging the news of the second whistleblower who potentially has direct information about his dealings
with the Ukrainian leadership saying that they don't matter.
Stephanie Grisham, the press secretary, this weekend literally used that language in a press statement saying that it doesn't many how many
whistleblowers come forward the President already put out this call and it shows that he did nothing wrong.
Important to point out these whistleblowers that are coming forward specifically this first one, outlined a broad pattern of behavior that was
more than just about one phone call but rather an attempt by this White House to sway Ukrainian policy. Now the President, as you heard, has told
House Republicans, that he didn't even want to make this call, it was Rick Perry who encouraged him to. Ignoring the fact that for weeks, people like
Rudy Giuliani, other associates of the President, have been laying the groundwork with the Ukrainian leadership telling them that a good
relationship with the United States is predicated on launching these investigations that Trump wants into a potential 2020 rival in Joe Biden
and into the 2016 campaign as well -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, it's fascinating. Even though most Republicans, Lauren, have remained silent over this, a few are defending the President and they
are brushing off his startling comment from last week while we were doing this show as suggesting China should investigate the Biden family. I just
want us to have a quick listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): I don't think is a real request, I think for unity. I think he did it to gig you guys.
SEN. ROY BLUNT (R- MO): I doubt if the China comment was serious, to tell you the truth.
REP. JIM JORDON (R-OH): You really think he was serious about thinking that China is going to investigate the Biden family?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Is there any change in the Republican position overall? I mean, we're moving into week three of this, Lauren. What do people behind the
scenes tell you about how they feel about this investigation and where they might stand going forward?
FOX: Well, Becky, at this point Republicans are really holding the line, defending the President, arguing that the President wasn't serious when he
made those comments on the White House lawn. But what I will tell you is that we're in recess right now up here on Capitol Hill which means a lot of
these Republican members aren't around. There's not an opportunity to push them and question them on what their positions are. Of course, we've heard
from Mitt Romney that he is very concerned about President's public comments. But so far, he's really on an island by himself talking about
his concerns.
[10:25:00]
Many Republicans defending the President, Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has continued to defend the President.
So at this point, a lot of Republicans seem willing to hold the line for the President and continue defending him -- Becky.
ANDERSON: To all of you, thank you.
Viewers we talked about the fact that President Trump's ambassador to the EU will face questions in Congress. Gordon Sondland's name is featured
prominently in the whistleblower's complaint. And what he said and didn't say in a series of text messages could shed light on just what President
Trump was trying to accomplish with that phone call back in July. These depositions this week extremely important. Watch this space.
Coming up --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLGA REMINNY, MOTHER OF KILLED SOLDIER (through translator): What does this Putin lack? Russia is such a huge country. They have so much oil and
gas in Siberia. I'm saying, when will the scum have taken his fill?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: A mother expresses her anger and anguish after her son's death in Ukraine's separatist war. A live report from Kiev is just ahead.
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do not understand how as a mom you can get on a plane, go back to your own country and completely avoid not only the family
that she's broken.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well a mom lost her son in a car crash. British police say the suspect isn't your average individual. Why pursuing this case might be
difficult. Taking a short break. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We now know the name of an American diplomat's wife suspected of being behind the wheel in a fatal U.K. car accident. British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson identified her as Anne Sacoolas. 19-year-old Harry Dunn died as a result of that accident. And while Sacoolas was initially
cooperating with investigators, police now say she has left the country waiving her diplomatic immunity is the only way she could be forced to
return to the U.K. to face the justice system there. Well Mr. Johnson says he is pressing American officials for precisely that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I do not think that it can be right to use the process of diplomatic immunity for this type of purpose, and I
hope that Anne Sacoolas will come back and will engage properly with the processes of laws that are carried out in this country.
[10:30:00]
And that's a point that we've raised or are raising today with the American ambassador here in the U.K. and I hope it will be resolved very shortly
and, you know, to anticipate a question you might want to raise if we can't resolve it, of course I will be raising it myself personally with the White
House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Anna Stewart joining me from London with the latest on Britain's push here.
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Yes and I've actually just spoken to the family of Harry Dunn, Becky, about this Boris Johnson statement which was
fairly strong. The fact that he named the suspect and said he will do whatever it takes essentially. He will go to the White House himself.
They are delighted with that and they urge him to keep on with this push.
Now they've spoken to the press, to us. Partly because they feel like or felt like they weren't being listened to. The British police haven't been
able to help them. The suspect they were told had left the country without even telling the police. And the U.S. and U.K. government has been unable
at this point to do anything either. So it's been a terrible case. Huge anguish for the family. All they want is justice. They can't bring Harry
back but they can deliver justice if they can get the suspect back on British soil --Becky.
ANDERSON: Anna Stewart out of London with the very latest. Anna, thank you for that.
We're going to take a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We are following two big stories for you this hour. A massive shift in U.S. foreign policy. American troops start withdrawing from
northern Syria and a U.S. official says the U.S. will not defend those left behind there, those being the Kurds. Abandoning those same Kurdish forces
who fought alongside the U.S. against ISIS.
And second, there are major developments in the accelerating U.S. impeachment inquiry with a second whistleblower coming forward.
Rapid developments in that Trump impeachment inquiry are taking a toll on Ukrainians who feel quite frankly, caught in the middle of it all. For
many that's less important than the five-year war still going on in the east. Thousands protested on Sunday after the Ukrainian President backed a
plan to hold local elections in separatist parts of the country. There's also anger over U.S. President Trump's temporary suspension of millions of
dollars of military aid. Now he is being accused of playing with lives of Ukrainians for his own political gain.
Let's get the latest from our senior international correspondent Sam Kylie. He's in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev for you.
[10:35:00]
And bitter resentment there as I understand it against the U.S. President - - Sam.
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. I think this would be exactly the way, as bitter as the weather is now turning,
bitterly cold, bitterly resentful. And the lesson of the Kurds who have repeatedly been betrayed by Western allies since the early 1970s at the
very least, might have signaled to the Ukrainians for them that this is the likely that the United States is an unreliable ally. That's certainly how
it is being seen and will be seen I think in the future relationship, no matter how warm the new President of Ukraine would like it to be. And the
reason for that is that real people are getting really killed almost every day on the frontlines here as my report shows -- Becky.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KILEY (voice-over): Ukrainian soldiers say farewell to a comrade killed by rebels. Another casualty in a five-year Russian backed separatist war.
Oleg Reminny was 33, a volunteer and a father. To his mother there's no doubt about who is the villain here.
OLGA REMINNY, MOTHER OF KILLED SOLDIER (through translator): What does this Putin lack? Russia is such a huge country. They have so much oil and
gas in Siberia. I'm saying, when will the scum have taken his fill?
KILEY: Half a decade into a civil war that's killed 13,000 people, this is trench warfare. Ukrainian forces fought the rebels to a stalemate helped
by $1.5 billion in U.S. military aid since 2014.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just like you throw a ball just like that.
KILEY: But this summer Donald Trump suspended nearly $400 million of that support and sought help from Ukraine's new President to investigate the
roles that his domestic political rival, Joe Biden and his son Hunter, have played here. President Volodymyr Zelensky has mostly resisted President
Trump's demands. He's focused on a controversial peace plan that's running into white spread opposition.
(on camera): This demonstration here in Kiev's famous Maidan, is against proposals from President Zelensky to make peace with the east of the
country. With the rebels in the east that would give them a high degree of autonomy from the perspective here of the demonstrators, too much influence
of Russia, a capitulation they say to Russian aggression.
But there's also a high degree of frustration, even contempt for Donald Trump's efforts to suspend military aid to them right in the middle of this
conflict.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He plays not with Zelensky. He played with the lives of our soldiers. Because we really need this help. Because Ukraine has
not a lot of support from Europe or other countries. And so this aid is very important for us to resist against Russian soldiers and Russian
troops.
KILEY (voice-over): American military aid is once again flowing to Ukraine. But Trump's own legacy here may have been dealt a fatal blow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KILEY: Now, Becky, there is as I say, the aid is coming in. It is vital to the Ukrainian war effort. But as the lesson of recent behavior from the
White House, not only here but in Kurdistan, shows a lot of allies are beginning to get worry that the White House is deeply unreliable -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Sam Kylie's in Kiev for you. Sam, appreciate it. Thank you.
A very busy day as you can see here folks. As we CONNECT THE WORLD for you from our Middle East programming hub here in Abu Dhabi just before 20 to
7:00 locally, 20 to 11:00 on the east coast of America.
Up next, the NBA gets caught up in the Hong Kong protest debate, upsetting China. Well the center of the row, a team that is pretty popular with
Chinese fans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Half a billion, that is the number of people in China who tuned in to at least one NBA game last season, close to half the population. It
is fair to say that China is a country mad about U.S. basketball.
But a move by the manager of one NBA team has Chinese basketball fans mad for other reasons. The country's basketball association says it has
severed ties with the Houston Rockets after their general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for the Hong Kong protesters on Friday.
CNN's David Culver has more on the story from the basketball courts of Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): China's passion for basketball can be seen in a neighborly game of pick-up. When
he's not shooting hoops with his friends in Beijing, 15-year-old Erik Qu is closely following the NBA.
ERIK QU, BASKETBALL FAN: Toronto Raptors.
CULVER: The Toronto Raptors.
QU: Yes.
CULVER: They're your favorite?
QU: They win the championship.
CULVER (voice-over): But a team that's no longer on his preferred watch list, the Houston Rockets. Because of a now deleted tweet sent out Friday
by team general manager, Daryl Morey. The Rockets' GM tweeting a photo that read, fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong. Referring to the
month's long democracy protests under way in Hong Kong. Protests that have embarrassed and angered China's government.
Over the weekend Morey's tweet unleashed a strong response in mainland China. The Chinese Basketball Association severing ties with the Rockets.
CCTV, the Chinese state-run broadcaster, no longer planning to air upcoming games. And the Chinese tech giant, Tencent, suspending its deal to live
stream Rockets games.
The reaction led to an apology my Morey tweeting in part, I have always appreciated the significant support our Chinese fans and sponsors have
provided and I would hope that those who are upset will note, that offending or misunderstanding them was not my intention. CNN was in Tokyo
as the Rockets hit the court Monday. Rockets guard, James Harden echoing his GM's apology.
JAMES HARDEN, HUSTON ROCKETS BASKETBALL PLAYER: You know, we love China. We love playing there. I know for both of us individually, we go there,
you know, once or twice a year. They show us the most important love. So we appreciate them as a fan base.
CULVER: The NBA acknowledging Morey's tweet deeply offended many in China and called it regrettable. But that has lawmakers on both sides upset.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz tweeting, human rights shouldn't be for sale and the NBA shouldn't be assisting Chinese Communist censorship.
Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski called the NBA's response shameful.
Back on the streets of Beijing, Erik and his friends trying to see past the off-court drama.
(on camera): Does it make you think differently about the Rockets.
QU: Just OK. I didn't change my opinion. I still like Harden and -- but maybe I won't watch them too often.
CULVER: Basketball has been a big deal in China for decades. But their love for the sport really intensified in 2002 when Yao Ming, one of their
own, signed with an NBA team, the Houston Rockets. Yao today is the President of the Chinese Basketball Association. The same association that
severed ties with the Rockets, his former team. David Culver, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well "WORLD SPORT" up next. And Rhiannon, this is a big deal not the least because China of course is part of the NBA's global games
initiative, right?
RHIANNON JONES, WORLD SPORTS: Precisely, Becky. Six of the nine NBA preseason games this season are in Asia with teams playing in China as soon
as this week. A particularly awkward timing for the league.
And speaking of off grid. Another miserable weekend for some of the Premier League's top managers. More on that in just a moment.
ANDERSON: Yes, terrific. Short break, folks. You're watching CNN.
[10:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
[11:00:00]
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