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First Televised Public Hearing Begin This Week; Activist: Four Protesters Killed Saturday In Baghdad; Warnings Of Catastrophic Fire Danger For Sydney. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 10, 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]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Linda Kinkade. Good to have you with us. I'm sitting in for
Becky Anderson who is out on assignment.
Well, this week looks to be the most crucial yet in the U.S. impeachment inquiry. The first public televised hearings will start this Wednesday.
And it comes as Democrats is sending a clear message to Republican lawmakers, your latest requests a pretty much nonstarter.
House Republicans had given Democrats a list of people they'd like to testify, including the whistleblower and the son of former Vice President
Joe Biden, Hunter Biden. The one of the Democrats in charge of that inquiry House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff argues the whistleblower
testimony would be redundant and unnecessary. There's no sign of him calling Hunter Biden either.
Analysts say Schiff's comments represent a dramatic shift in the inquiry. Back in September, the whistleblower his testimony was seen as paramount.
Now, remember, the whistleblower's complained claims President Trump abused his official powers to solicit interference from Ukraine in the upcoming
2020 election and that the White House took steps to cover it up. Mr. Trump continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Joining me now is CNN Political Analyst and Princeton University Historian, Professor Julian Zelizer. Good to have you with us, Julian. So the
impeachment inquiry finally going public this week in what will be a televised inquiry. How much could -- this could be a game-changer?
JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it can go either way. The Democrats are going to use it to try to have the public see and hear
firsthand everything that the committee itself is heard behind closed door. And it's been very damaging information about what happened in the White
House.
On the other hand, Republicans will try to turn this into a circus. They'll attack the process, they'll attack the witnesses, and they'll try
to use it ultimately to discredit everything that Democrats have put together.
KINKADE: And now, Julian, this is all about a phone call that took place between President Trump and the President of Ukraine. But there was a
second call between those two leaders. And Mr. Trump is saying that he is willing to release the transcript of that phone call. And that phone call,
of course, took place in April before the July one that has been scrutinized. Let's just take a listen to what President Trump is saying
about that call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now they want to have transcripts of the other call, the second call, and I'm willing to provide
that. We'll probably give it to you on Tuesday. Monday being a holiday, we'll probably give it to you on Tuesday. But we have another transcript
coming out, which is very important.
They asked for it and I'd gladly give it because I actually had two calls with the President of Ukraine. So you'll read the second and you'll tell
me if you think there's anything wrong with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: I mean, you wonder if his team now regret the fact that he released the transcript of that July phone call. What would it mean do you
think if he released the transcript of this other call? What could investigators glean from it?
ZELIZER: Well, based on how the first release, well, it didn't go very well for the president and only confirmed what the whistleblower had said.
And at this point, we're well beyond any particular phone call.
What Democrats have put together is a record of diplomats testifying that there was this ongoing push from a group in the White House led by Rudy
Giuliani to obtain this information and investigation from Ukraine, in exchange for the military assistance. This is not one call. This is now a
concerted group of diplomats saying something wrong happened.
So I'm not sure the transcript or the notes of a phone call will do anything other than to further harm President Trump's case.
KINKADE: Yes, you can't imagine it's going to help his case given that second phone call actually took place between the one that is at the center
of this inquiry. But I want to have a look at the President's support particularly from his base because there's a full display at a rival
football game between Louisiana State University and the University of Alabama which President Trump and First Lady attended. Let's just take a
listen to the response he got there.
I mean, people there not paying attention to the impeachment inquiry. Do they not care or they just, I guess, back him no matter what?
[10:05:07]
ZELIZER: Well look, putting aside the boos or cheers in this case, it's sports events, it is true that in red states, in very republican areas,
support for the President has barely diminished if it's diminished at all. And that is what he is counting on.
If that is true, if in red states his support is as strong as it was before this started, that protects him in the Senate from being removed, and it
protects him from having any Republicans in the House vote in favor of articles of impeachment. And that's what he's counting on.
I think they are paying attention. And I don't think what they've heard bothers them. They are on the side of the President regardless of what
comes out of the news.
KINKADE: Absolutely. As much support for him as they have their football team it seems. So I just want to move on and take a listen to some sound
we've got from Cindy McCain. This the wife of the late Senator John McCain, she spoke to CNN about the state of Congress. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: What would John McCain be saying right now?
CINDY MCCAIN, WIFE OF SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: Gosh, I think -- I think he'd be disgusted with some of the stuff that's going on. I really do. I think
he'd be -- what he would be saying was he'd be railing against what's going on. And I think John provided a lot of cover for other members. And when
he would do it, then they could get behind him kind of thing. And I'm not seeing that real rudder in the Senate right now in all this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, she wanted to emphasize that at some point, "you have to do what you were elected to do," and that is to represent the country. What
do you make of those comments?
ZELIZER: Well, she's talking in her rhetoric about Congress, but I really think she's talking about the Republican Party that Senator McCain was part
of. The party has changed dramatically over the last decade. It's really been front and center, how extreme the party has become during the era of
President Trump.
And I think she's correct. I think Senator, the late Senator McCain was not happy when he -- when he passed about the state of the GOP. It's
dysfunctional, it's radical, it's pretty extreme. And it's unclear if that's going to reverse itself anytime soon.
KINKADE: All right, Julian Zelizer, good to have you with us as always. Thanks so much. We'll speak to you again very soon.
ZELIZER: Thank you. Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, amid President Trump's visit to Alabama, anti-Trump supporters were proudly flying the baby Trump balloon when tragedy stark.
The airborne protest symbol that found international famous floating among the crowds of college football fans, when a man allegedly slashed it with a
knife.
Well, the balloons handler who crowdfunded thousands of dollars to get it to the game told CNN "a random dude just ran up, stuck a knife in it, and
runoff." Well, he went on to say the police then arrested him and his getaway driver. Local reports a 32-year-old Hoyt Hutchinson h1as been
charged with first-degree criminal mischief.
Well, the baby Trump balloon gained notoriety in July last year when it was seen floating above the British Houses of Parliament during President
Trump's trip to the U.K.
I want to sign on to Iraq where protesters demanding change to their country are paying for it with their lives. CNN has just learned 319
people have been killed since the unrest began on October 1st. And on Saturday, at least four protesters were killed.
That's according to an Iraqi activists who add that security forces push back against the protesters with tear gas and live ammunition. Now for its
part, the government says it only fires when fired upon.
The protesters are demanding Iraq's government stepped down and they want new elections held. The main concerns, corruption at the highest levels, a
lack of basic services, and rampant unemployment.
CNN's Sam Kiley takes us inside Tahrir Square, ground zero for Iraq's anti- government protests. He's faced with frustrated, angry, and scared protesters who say their only demand is to change the corrupt system in the
country and to make their voices heard. He joins us now live.
Sam, good to have you with us. Bloodbath is one way these protests have been described given the number of people that have been killed, hundreds
over the past month. What's being said about the use of excessive force?
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the government are denying that they're live ammunition at all. I don't know whether
they've ever claimed that they've really been fired upon. There's certainly been no evidence of any gunfire coming from the demonstrators
side, certainly not here in Baghdad.
[10:10:06]
There have been more violent demonstrations elsewhere in the country with an attempt to set fire to the Iranian embassy in Karbala about ten days
ago. That's very significant because of course, Karbala is a sheer town and it's predominantly sheer movement. There's ground swelling of anger
against a government that they say is very strongly over-influenced by neighboring Iran, a Shia nation.
Out in the ground, though, I met Christians, Sunnis, Shia, and many people who simply don't want to be identified by any kind of sectarian label. And
that I think is a significant change here. A lot of the young people out in the ground are saying that they want an improvement in their lives.
Many of them were toddlers when Saddam Hussein was toppled by the U.S. led invasion. Since then they've seen nothing but sectarian violence, civil
war, war against the American lead occupation, a war to rid the region of the so-called Islamic State. And they have not seen any benefits flowing
for example, from the massive oil reserves that Iran has.
Now, of course, Iran had some catastrophic economic problems that flow largely from the mismanagement of that period under American led coalition
rule and the subsequent economic policies that flow from that including, again, creating a large amount of unemployment without creating anything
behind it.
But nonetheless, the levels of corruption here, Lynda, are extremely high. But people on an everyday basis are absolutely a scam. So why, for
example, their regular power cuts in a country that produces energy. Why there is no clean water for most towns and villages in a country with a
massive river that runs through it, and the -- in theory, the energy capacity to clean water?
And on top of that, you've got an increasing education, an increasing number of educated people coming out of universities and high schools with
no job prospects. And what they're doing is trying to sweep away the predominant sectarian structures of the political parties here that ally
themselves either with Sunni, with Shia, or with some more older ideologies, but predominantly fall into a Sunni or Shia set of categories,
then allows for the Shia majority to be heavily influenced by Iran.
And many Shia are saying they're absolutely fed up with that. They want to have a body politic that reflects the realities of young people today who
are rapidly at least among the demonstrators moving away from these ultra- religious self-definitions and into a definition they say of being Iraqi, of being one nation.
But what they don't have, Lynda, is any kind of a clear program for what would happen next if the government did indeed step down or fall. Of
course, the Prime Minister here has offered and his resignation has been accepted but he stayed on.
Yesterday, he offered a degree but we don't know how much of unspecified political reforms. But at the same time, the political parties here are in
unison with the government in trying to clear away these demonstrations. Because if they really take hold any further and force the collapse of a
government, they could also force the end of these political parties that have really been dominant since the American led invasion.
And many of them were exiles, were formed as parties in exile, particularly in places like Iran, but in other countries to and came back and were
imposed or impose themselves on top of the Iraqis who are living here in the country.
So this is partly a youth movement, but also people's parents are now turning up. Parents are bringing their children to these demonstrations.
But then right on the front line, there is this very heavy degree of violence. It's not clear that the Iraqi authorities really got a hand
about on how to deal with this.
They are using live ammunition, a lot of its shot in the air, but every day, there is a steady increase in the death toll. A lot of people being
killed with tear gas canisters, 40-millimeter projectiles that I've seen a video of one, for example, that hit a young man in the head. And the gas
actually spurred it out of his skull. It continued to emit gas even though it was embedded in his skull. Clearly, that person would not have survived
that strike.
A lot of people have been killed by these tear gas grenades as they're called. And a lot of the graffiti reflects that, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes, absolutely. More than 100 people killed but many others injured. And we've been seeing this vision of these tuk-tuk drivers going
into the protest sites. And it seems that perhaps being the unlikely heroes. They're trying to help some of those injured.
KILEY: Well, I think it's a very good reflection of what this revolution which is what it's been called on the street is all about. The tuk-tuk,
the three-wheeled motorized tricycles is the ubiquitous means for the cheapest travel here in the urban areas in Iraq. The people that drive
them are among the more humble working-class people.
[10:15:16]
A lot of them in this city come from Sadr City, which is a predominantly Shia suburb built under Saddam Hussein. And it's a symbol really of them
trying to throw off the shackles not only of their own poverty but also the identification as Shia.
They're very keen to just get out to the front line to transport as many people to the demonstrations, to evacuate wounded. The tuk-tuk label
themselves as ambulances. Some of them even got sirens fixed to them. And they grab people, throw them in the back and then get them to medical tents
and medical treatment, which again, mostly volunteers, mostly medical students, but also qualified doctors too who were standing back from the
areas where the clashes are most intense and getting people treated, getting people evacuated.
But they've been -- the parliament here is confirmed 319 deaths. Human rights groups say there's another 15,000 wounded so the death toll and the
numbers of wounded are climbing all the time. Behind me, I don't know if you can hear, but there's a lot of fireworks going off. People are shining
lasers from time to time.
We also hear gunfire and the use of sound bombs. The Iraqi security forces trying to throw these very, very loud bombs trying to scare people back.
But they do resort to live ammunition when they feel most pressurized, Lynda.
KINKADE: Very active situation even now. Just after 6:00 p.m. there in Baghdad. Good to have you with a Sam Kiley. Thanks so much. Well, up
next, dire warnings of people in Sydney, Australia. Also in Queensland, unprecedented number of fires already burning in the north could be heading
their ways in the coming days. It's not just Australia suffering. We're going to have a live report when we come back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Firefighters had been battling this blaze for weeks, and that is peak this summer. There were thousands of similar fires in
other parts of the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: And our Ivan Watson shows us the devastation of Indonesia and what it's doing to an endangered species. And Jordan takes back some land
it loaned to Israel more than a quarter of a century ago. We'll have a closer look at how relations have soured since then.
[10:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Well, firefighters are working furiously to bring dozens of dangerous bushfires under control in the east coast of Australia. Roughly
half of Queensland is under a state of fire emergency. And a total fire ban was issued Sunday for the neighboring state of New South Wales.
So far, at least three people have been killed, several more and missing, and dozens of people, including firefighters have been injured. Well,
officials are warning of catastrophic fire danger for New South Wales in the coming days. More now from Nine News reporter Arlie Walsh.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARLIE WALSH, REPORTER, NINE NEWS: The bushfire emergency in New South Wales and Queensland is headed into uncharted territory. Where I am in
Sydney, residents in the greater metropolitan area are being told to brace for catastrophic conditions come Tuesday.
It will be a very dangerous day with very hot, very dry, very windy conditions. And it will be the first time in history that Sydney has ever
been met with such catastrophic conditions. As such, more than 40 schools will be closed with emergency crews warning residents to get their
evacuation plans in place now.
As it stands, more than 70 fires burning across New South Wales. 150 homes have been destroyed and three people killed. Of course, the border in
Queensland, people have also been forced to flee with more than 40 fires burning across the Sunshine State with dire warnings that the worst is yet
to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, the fire is already leaving an indelible impact on the environment. Take a look at this footage we just got it in. The fire is
costing a surreal orange glow a few days ago. And as side by side, these pictures showing the before and after, the devastating drought there in the
mid New South Wales North Coast.
Those photos taken two years apart and you can see that those sort of conditions have contributed to the devastating fires we are seeing. Well,
CNN Meteorologist Alison Chinchar joins us for more on that. And it seems like the next few days are going to be crucial with how firefighters tackle
these blazes.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. I mean, they've got about the next 12 to maybe 20 hours to really get as good of a hold on these fires as
they can before we start to see those winds really beginning to pick back up. And that's when it's really going to start to get dangerous not only
to trigger new fires, but spread the ones that are already there.
And yes, we've been talking about some of these images. Look at this. Again, this is from Port Macquarie, Australia. Again, you can see that
sun. Now, here's how this works. You have the smoke particles that are in the air. And what's happening is it's scattering that light so that you
end up seeing that very orange, that very vivid red color.
And this was a scene across many areas in this region, all due to all of these fires that you can see right through here. Again, there's a lot of
them. We're not just talking one or two brush fires here that we've been dealing with. Again, when you look at some of these numbers, 74 active
fires right now. 43 of them are uncontrolled at this time.
They're hoping they can get that uncontrolled number back down as quickly as possible before these winds kick up. And this quote here, this really
tells the story. We've simply never had this number of fires burn in New South Wales at the same time. That's coming from the Rural Fire Service
Commissioner. Again, just to go to show you the expanse of this.
Now keep in mind, yes, this is fire season for this region. Basically, here from Brisbane all the way down to Sydney, you really start to see it
begin around October, November, and carry through into January. So that's the other concern. We have several more months to go before you really
start to see an end to the fire season in this region.
Here's a look at the winds going forward. For right now, for at least the imminent timeline, they're not expected to be that strong. But as this
next system begins to slide in late Monday and especially into Tuesday, look at how these numbers begin to go up. This is where the concern lies
because as those numbers go up, we mentioned this can trigger new fires by taking some of that brush. Even just a few sparks, small ones can set off
a new fire. But more importantly, it can take the fires that already exist and spread them rapidly.
Here's a look at what we can expect, the forecast for Tuesday. Again, around the Sydney and Hunter regions, you can see we do have the potential
for catastrophic fire danger, looking at a lot of these different colors indicating the high risk, the extreme risk, or even the catastrophic
levels. And these are the levels that they put out to give people warning time.
We also talked about not only the winds going up, but temperatures are also expected to rise. Take a look at Sydney going from a high of 26 on Monday,
all the way up to 36 on Tuesday. And that's going to be another thing not only to spread the fires, but Lynda, it also makes it very difficult
conditions for the firefighters themselves to be working in when it's very hot and it's very dry out there.
KINKADE: Yes, I really feel for those firefighters. They are dealing with what looks to be an absolute inferno.
CHINCHAR: Yes.
KINKADE: Good to have you with us, Allison Chinchar. Thanks so much. Well, north of Australia, Indonesia, also battling fires. It has been
Indonesia's worst fire season since 2015. And the destruction of the rainforest on the island of Borneo is endangering one of the world's most
endangered species, the Orangutan. Our Ivan Watson reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[10:25:15]
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A grinding battle deep in the jungle. Firefighters on the Indonesian island of Borneo
struggled to control a forest fire that threatens the National Park.
This is just brutal, brutal work they're doing here.
Toxic smoke in the tropical heat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are facing almost two weeks already in here. Stay in here. Sleep in here.
WATSON: The rain forests in Indonesia are burning. Firefighters had been battling this blaze for weeks. And that is peak this summer. There were
thousands of similar fires in other parts of the country.
They're fighting on the ground and in the air. These are aerial firefighters. Right now, we're on a water-bombing mission.
Helicopters dumped giant buckets full of water on the flames.
Bombs away.
Firefighters say this crisis was ignited by man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the fire coming, I think from the human. Yes.
WATSON: You think humans started this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, of course.
WATSON: An unusually dry summer fueled this inferno visible from space. The haze engulfs cities and neighboring countries like Singapore and
Malaysia. While in Indonesia, the smog closed airports and schools creating apocalyptic skies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sometimes it's like science fiction.
WATSON: This doctor saw panic civilians flood his hospital. Indonesian authorities estimate about a million people suffered respiratory problems.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be grateful to the air that we have that is not toxic like this because not everyone can enjoy a fresh air.
WATSON: The forest fires also threatening one of Asia's last great rain forest home to Orangutans, symbols of an entire ecosystem under threat.
This is Poppy and she's a one-year-old example of one of the world's most endangered species. Right now she's attending a class in jungle school.
Activists from the Center for Orangutan Protection take orphaned animals and teach them to survive and hopefully one day return them to the wild.
As Borneo is rain forest shrink, the Orangutan population has plummeted.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The threat is deforestation, maybe because of illegal logging or like conversion of the forest to make building or something by
human, and also for the forest burning.
WATSON: These activists also rescue and relocate Orangutans stranded by mass deforestation. The clash between man and nature on display when ape
confronts the heavy machinery ripping down its home. And this is what's replacing much of Borneo's jungle, sprawling plantations of palm trees,
Indonesia's most lucrative cash crop.
Palm fruit like this makes vegetable oil used in around half of all household products sold in your neighborhood grocery store. As palm oil
exports ballooned over the last 20 years, so did the Indonesian territory used to grow palms. It's now bigger than entire countries like England or
Greece.
TIUR RUMONDANG, ROUNDTABLE FOR SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL: It's now way out of our control in Indonesia.
WATSON: Even this industry insider is calling for stricter government regulation of the palm oil industry.
RUMONDANG: If we just do it halfway, we should always expect this forest and land fire in the future.
WATSON: But this cash crop has also lifted millions of Indonesians out of poverty. People like this farmer.
Before a grow palms, I couldn't even afford to feed my children chicken, he tells me. Farming palm, I've been able to buy a T.V. and the refrigerator.
The cheapest way to clear land for farming is to burn it. The government says it's trying to crack down on these man-made fires.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For us, the forest fire is a serious crime.
WATSON: Official show me how they use thermal satellite imagery to detect fires to then prosecute palm oil companies. They say they've opened cases
against 21 companies in the last four years. But some activists fear it's too little too late.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please protect the forest.
WATSON: Ramadani is trying to reintroduce a rescued Orangutan named Michelle to the wild. But the island halfway house where she now lives is
in the shadow of a growing coal mine, yet another industry, yet another threat.
[10:29:54]
Michelle's protectors fear that in 20 years' time, there may be no forests left for these incredible animals. Ivan Watson, CNN, Indonesian Borneo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And they really are incredible. Some great reporting there. Well, it is 25 years since Israel and Jordan
signed a peace accord hoping for a better future. But things haven't quite gone to plan. We're going to head to Jerusalem next.
Plus, protesters in Lebanon want to see if the government makes good on a promise to crackdown on corruption. We'll have a live report from Beirut.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade, you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Well, it's been 25 years since Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
and Jordan's King Hussein, signed a peace treaty.
One they hoped would usher in a bright future for Israel and its Arab neighbors. But a piece of land loaned to Israel by Jordan as part of that
deal, highlights the failure to realize that future. Today, the Island of Peace returns to Jordanian hands with Israelis no longer able to access it.
Well, Oren Liebermann, joins us now from Jerusalem with more on this story. Oren, so the Island of Peace, hundreds of people basically took the chance
to visit it for one last time before the Israelis basically closed the gate the last time under Israeli control.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, I would say for something like 24 of the last 25 years, it was assumed that the lease on
this land by Israel from the Jordanians would automatically be renewed as it was supposed to be under the Israel-Jordan peace treaty.
But as tensions grew between the two of them, Jordan announced that it would not be renewing at least. Meaning that the gates that closed may
have very well have closed for the last time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[10:35:18]
LIEBERMANN: This was supposed to be an opening to a better future. The dirt road leads to the Island of Peace, a symbol of the goodwill between
Israel and Jordan. 25 years ago, a landmark peace treaty ended a state of war.
As part of the treaty, these 200 acres had a special arrangement. Jordanian land but leased and farmed by Israelis for a quarter of a
century. Idan Greenbaum lives next the Island of Peace.
IDAN GREENBAUM, HEAD, JORDAN VALLEY COUNCIL (through translator): The feeling after the peace agreement was signed in 1994 was that the special
agreement relating to the Island of Peace will continue forever. Not 25 and then finish. That was the feeling.
LIEBERMANN: Now, the rivers are all but dry here, and so, is the warmth between neighbors. Jordan is not renewing the lease and the Island of
Peace and one other Jordanian enclave will no longer be opened to Israelis.
KING ABDULLAH II, KING OF JORDAN (through translator): I also announced today the end of annexation on the two enclaves and our imposition of total
sovereignty on each of them.
Greenbaum never saw the will on either side to renew the agreement.
GREENBAUM: It is not a secret that we have strong criticism on the Israeli government, who we believe did not do enough and did not do whatever it
took to make the talks with the King of Jordan work.
LIEBERMANN: On the other side, the king of Jordan has his own challenges and problems at home with his opposition and his anger with the Israeli
government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu often boasts of emerging ties with the Arab world, but rarely speaks of Jordan.
Two months ago, his election promised to annex the Jordan Valley in the West Bank infuriated Jordanians. Two years ago, Netanyahu's embrace of an
Israeli security guard who killed two Jordanian citizens after one stabbed him with a screwdriver, sparked protests in Amman.
Israel's second peace treaty with the Arab world after one with Egypt has been tested before. In 1997, a Jordanian soldier shot and killed seven
Israeli schoolgirls. King Hussein personally apologized to the families. Relations were strong enough to withstand the massacre, but they are far
more frayed now, and it remains unclear if these gates will one day open again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIEBERMANN: It's unclear what will also happen to a second piece of land like the island -- like the Island the Peace, this one called, (INAUDIBLE)
south of the Dead Sea. As you heard, the Jordanian kings say that it's Jordanian once again. But, Israeli farmers were working there today and we
spoke with the head of the farmers who said he expects he hopes the farmers will be allowed to work there tomorrow. He is awaiting a statement from
the Israeli government as to what's happening with that second piece of land.
And frankly, Lynda, so are we, we've asked the Prime Minister's Office, the Foreign Ministry, and the military what happens with that second piece
of land and we have yet to get an answer.
KINKADE: So, the family you spoke to living in hope clearly. What is this going to mean really looking forward for the relationship with Israel and
its neighbors?
LIEBERMANN: Well, Israel and Jordan will continue to have a peace treaty and that's not going anywhere. Aside from the sort of warm ties, those are
certainly frayed right now, but there is security cooperation, there is economic coordination, and that will continue even if the relationship
between the leaders and the relationship between the states itself is strained right now.
It is worth noting the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, once again talked about emerging relations and normalization with the Arab world. But again,
not relation to Jordan, this time in relation to the Dubai Expo that Israel is expected to attend next year.
KINKADE: And just brings up speed with how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing, what is the state to play right now, politically
speaking?
LIEBERMANN: Well, there's still no government in Israel and doesn't look like that's changing anytime soon. There are some internal negotiations
and the potential kingmaker. Former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, has basically said, look, both you and Netanyahu's rival come to the table
or he'll support the other guys.
So, that's his way of trying to break the political impasse, but as of right now, it looks like that impasse is holding firm. Meaning, there is
no political solution on the horizon as potential indictment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in ongoing corruption investigations gets
closer and closer. Lynda.
KINKADE: Interesting times Oren Liebermann, as always. Thank you so much. We will speak to you again very soon.
Well, a reminder of our top story, a violent weekend protests in Baghdad, claiming, at least, four lives. That's according to activists, who add the
police are using live ammunition and tear gas to clear protesters.
The Iraqi government, says since the unrest began on October 1st, 319 people have been killed across Iraq. Protesters are demanding the
government step down, but so far, only the prime minister is resigning.
[10:39:59]
KINKADE: Iraq, of course, isn't the only place in the Middle East to facing a huge crisis. Lebanon is limping under major debt and widespread
corruption. Three weeks of protests there forced the prime minister to step down.
The government insists it is cracking down on corruption, but demonstrators are not so sure, and there's no sign of a new Cabinet being formed. Our
Ben Wedeman has more from Beirut.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Your eyes are on our pocket, he chants. They're protesting outside a branch of the Lebanese
Ministry of Finance, the government and the politicians leading it for three decades stand accused.
The warlords became strongmen in peacetime, says protester Hania Bazi. We gave them 30 years but things went from bad to worse. The state is
infected with corruption.
Lebanon's corruption ranges from petty bribes to a complex Ponzi scheme, where many politicians have a stake in banks that provided loans to the
state at sky-high interest rates to rebuild the country's infrastructure after the Civil War. But the infrastructure is still a mess.
Lebanon has little to show for its more than $80 billion of debts, says investigative reporter Riad Qubaisi.
RIAD QUBAISI, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, AL-JADEED T.V.: If the money that we borrow for -- from the politicians didn't work, and they didn't fix
electricity. They didn't fix water. They didn't fix anything.
Why do -- why do we have to give them the money back with an interest rate -- a high-interest rate, extremely high-interest rate?
WEDEMAN: Politicians have paid lip-service to cleaning up the system.
NICOLAS TUENI, FORMER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMBATING CORRUPTION, LEBANON: They said, this is mission impossible.
WEDEMAN: For just over a year, Nicolas Tueni run now-defunct state ministry for combating corruption. The country's complex politics stymied
his efforts.
TUENI: Religious power plus political party, plus the world warlord wear a red line you cannot decloth. Now, you have seen the godfather one and two
and three, you know how it's happen. It's not very far. Society, Sicily are not very far from Lebanon.
WEDEMAN: And now the people say they've had enough.
More than three weeks of mass protests have borne fruit, at least on paper. Lebanese President Michel Aoun, says that 17 corruption-related files have
been open for investigation. And the finances of two former prime ministers are also being investigated. But the reaction of many Lebanese
is, why wasn't it done before.
The protests continued unabated.
We're living in the land of the prince and the pauper, says math teacher Hanan Faour -- 4 million poor and 200 men.
As the rich got richer and everyone else got poorer, the gap between the rulers and the ruled has grown ever wider, says political scientist Sami
Atallah.
SAMI ATALLAH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LEBANESE CENTER FOR POLICY STUDIES: People have no faith or trust in the government and the political parties
that have run the government of over the last 30 years.
WEDEMAN: To rid Lebanon of corruption the whole lot of protesters say has got to go. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come. Could Saudi Aramco take Alibaba's crown? We're going to look towards what could be the largest IPO in history. And
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel urges Europe to defend democracy, coming three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall. We're going to reflect on
the lessons from the past when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:46:38]
KINKADE: Welcome back. Well, let's dip into the world of business. A major milestone for Saudi Aramco this weekend. The oil giant releasing
fresh details of what could be the largest IPO in history.
Just how many pieces of invest to fire up for grabs is still largely unknowing. But here to unpack what we do know is CNN's markets wizard John
Defterios.
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Investors are now one step closer to the opportunity of owning a piece of the world's most profitable
company. This 600-page perspectives by Saudi Aramco, outlining what could be the largest public offering ever.
Exactly how big the IPO will be remains unknown, but it could be the biggest listing ever with Alibaba of China holding the current crown.
The oil giant is set to sell half a percent of its shares to Saudi retail investors with the offering period kicking off on November 17th. It will
then price the chairs on December 5th, with trading under Tadawul. And the Saudi Stock Exchange expected to start mid-December.
The prospectus did not say how much of the company would be floated. Original plans for five percent listing are now looking less likely.
Scaling back in the region of one to two percent. Low oil prices, the climate crisis, and geopolitical risks remain concerns for investors,
including, the September 14th attack on its oil facilities, which temporarily cut their production in half.
After that speedy recovery, the Aramco chairman Yasir remain in saying, listening Riyadh makes sense at this juncture.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASIR OTHMAN AL-RUMAYYAN, CHAIRMAN, SAUDI ARAMCO: I think this is the right time for us coming to a juncture where we want to take Aramco to be a
public company, to have more of disclosure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFTERIOS: Let's not forget, this is one of the crown prince's priorities, Mohammed bin Salman in his 2030 vision. And well, maybe smaller than
originally expected, he wants it delivered before the end of 2019. John Defterios, CNN Business, Abu Dhabi.
KINKADE: Well, one of the most potent symbols of the Cold War assigned to the dustbin of history. Now, Berlin, indeed the world marks that historic
moment 30 years ago.
And also ahead, another historic anniversary remembered. Britain's Queen Elizabeth sheds tears for the victims of World War I.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:51:27]
KINKADE: Welcome back. It's 30 years since the Berlin Wall came down. And for decades, it stood as the most visible symbol of the Iron Curtain --
the divide between East and West. Over the years, many died trying to escape from communist East Germany, but there were those who made it to
freedom.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has the story of one man who managed to escape.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The line of demarcation in the Cold War lies in Berlin.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For 28 years, the Berlin Wall symbolized the struggle between capitalism and communism
and the cruel division between the people of East and West Berlin.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
PLEITGEN: So, here at CNN, we actually own our own CNN Trabant. This was the epitome of communist East German automotive engineering. And for the
anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, what we're going to do is we're going to take this car and take a drive back into history. That is if I
fit into the car. Because it's small and I'm big. Ready to go.
The remnants of the wall are a tourist attraction nowadays. But this deadly barrier with border guards, observation towers, and barbed wire
struck fear into the Berliners it divided.
I stopped and picked up Peter Bieber, who grew up in East Germany despising the communist regime and the wall it needed to keep people from fleeing
into the West.
PETER BIEBER, ESCAPED EAST GERMANY: You look and saw the wall. And you know it's the end.
PLEITGEN: Yes.
BIEBER: It's the end of the world. You can't go where you want.
PLEITGEN: As a young man, Peter Bieber attempted to flee East Germany several times until he finally succeeded in 1972. He then helped others
get out as well until he was betrayed and arrested by East Germany's secret police, the Stasi and spent five years in jail there.
BIEBER: It was a little (INAUDIBLE).
PLEITGEN: Psychological terror.
BIEBER: Yes. Me, I sit in a little room, not so light. And one month, two month, and nobody came and said anything.
PLEITGEN: The West German government eventually paid East Germany to release Peter Bieber, but many others who tried to get away paid with their
lives. More than 100 of them in Berlin. In 1989, East Germans had, had enough, after wave of mass protests, the regime opened the wall leading to
mass celebrations as people from all over the world joined in to literally tear down the wall.
BIEBER: I think about the freedom, that's for me, the highest point --
(CROSSTALK)
PLEITGEN: The highest good.
BIEBER: Yes.
PLEITGEN: The highest good that people can have is freedom.
30 years later, a united Berlin is thriving, having shed the shackles of communism and dismantled the wall many thought could never be breached.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Great piece there. Well, in our "PARTING SHOTS", another part of history remembered. Some people call it the war to end all wars. 101
years after World War I ended with an armistice, Britain's Queen Elizabeth, her son Prince Charles, and other members of the royal family took part in
Remembrance Day ceremonies.
[10:55:10]
KINKADE: As we now know or too well, World War I did not end all wars. As the name implies, there was indeed a second world war. And even today,
armies are still fighting on multiple battlefields.
In London, the anniversary of the armistice was marked both by a sound and silence to remember the war dead. Big Ben chimed as a two-minute hush fell
over the crowd. Down through the years, it's become painfully apparent that remembering old wars doesn't prevent new wars. But, at least,
ceremonies like this one remind us of the human price.
We'll going to be back with a lot more to CONNECT THE WORLD in just a moment. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
