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Federal Judge Ordered Don McGahn to Testify; Pompeo Delivers Remarks at State Department; A 6.2 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Albania; U.N. Reports on Climate Crisis; U.S. Resuming Operation with Kurds against ISIS in Syria; Lebanese Prime Minister Will Not Form New Government; Captain Planet. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired November 26, 2019 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): A federal judge ruling former White House counsel Don McGahn must testify before Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): The president`s claim of absolute immunity is absolute absurdity.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The White House is saying this decision contradicts longstanding precedent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their obsession with impeachment is going to cost them next fall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, Donald Trump is winning that election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): This hour, he is the most powerful man in the world but he`s got his limits. A judge`s reminder to Donald
Trump.
The search to find survivors after a deadly earthquake in Albania.
Plus CNN on the ground in Northern Syria as America starts working with the Kurds there again.
I want to start with Donald Trump, staring down what could become his biggest test yet to the limits of his presidential power. A federal judge
on Monday issuing a blistering ruling against White House efforts to block former counsel Don McGahn from testifying to Congress.
Now the judge rebuking the president with these words, stated simply, the primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is
that presidents are not
kings. McGahn appealing the ruling which could compel other officials to testify, including the one Democrats want to hear from most: John Bolton.
A lawyer representing Bolton and his former deputy says that the ruling did not involve national security issues so it`s not applicable to them.
This all coming as a new CNN poll shows that Americans haven`t budged: 50 percent want the president impeached and removed from office; 43 percent
oppose, that`s the same than before those televised hearings. I want to bring in Stephen Collinson.
Some extremely strong words from this judge with regard to the president.
How significant is all of this in the big scheme of things, Stephen?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think on a thematic level, it`s significant because the Trump presidency is boiling down to the
scandals.
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COLLINSON: They all have a common thread, the president`s vision of his own exceedingly expansive power. He has now a much weakened cabinet.
There are few advisors around him to restrain him. He appears to believe that he has almost limitless power.
This ruling in that sense is a sign of the judiciary under the U.S. Constitution is starting to rein him in. The Justice Department has
already appealed that ruling. There`s every chance it could go all the way up to the Supreme Court.
Politically, that means this could drag on for some time. And given the fact the Democrats want to give the impeachment process over in the next
few months, it may not be that significant in terms of getting these witnesses to testify.
In terms of history and in terms of the ground for which the 2020 election is going to be fought, I think is significant in that sense.
ANDERSON: Well, Donald Trump has just responded on Twitter, of course, his platform of choice. Here`s some of what he has just said.
"The D.C. wolves and fake news media are reading far too much into people being forced by courts to testify before Congress. I`m fighting for future
presidents in the office of the president. Other than that, I would actually like people to testify."
He goes on to say this about his former national security advisor John Bolton.
He said, "John Bolton is a patriot and may know I held back the money from Ukraine because it`s considered a corrupt country and I wanted to know why
nearby European countries weren`t putting up money also."
Your thoughts?
COLLINSON: Well, first of all, if the president really wants his people to testify, he could just go ahead and let them testify. That`s the first
point about that.
The second point, with all due respect, he hasn`t exactly shown a great deal of respect for the office of the presidency. He`s tried to stretch
its boundaries on almost every occasion and has given often the impression he cares most about his political fortunes rather than the institution of
the presidency himself.
So I think we can take that with a pinch of salt. He does appear to be trying to coach Bolton in a way, a potential witness, to say that the
president didn`t hold up the $400 million of military aid to Ukraine because he wanted a political payoff because he was -- because he was
worried about corruption in the Ukraine.
There`s not a great deal of evidence, either, that the president has suddenly turned into this great searcher for corruption and reformer around
the world. So plenty to talk about in those tweets.
ANDERSON: We`ve been doing some extensive polling, Stephen, I want to pull up one of CNN`s latest polls surveying Republicans. It asked how much they
think congressional Republicans are defending the president: 24 percent say too little; 64 percent say just the right amount; only 6 percent say
too much.
What do you make of these numbers?
COLLINSON: I think it explains the president`s confidence that there is no chance this process is going to lead to him being ejected from office.
It`s not really going to chisel away at the political base that he believes is enough to get him reelected next year.
It`s interesting that poll shows public perceptions of impeachment; while they`re elevated from where they were earlier this year, they haven`t
really changed in the time since we saw those public televised hearings which, by any objective, account painted a pretty damning picture of the
president`s behavior.
That tells us you know once again this is a completely tribalized political environment. If you like Trump, you`re going to view everything through
the lens of the partisan media and the idea that, you know, the president did nothing wrong and the Democrats are out to get him.
I think the thing about the poll that`s most worrying for the president is his approval rating among women is low, around 33 percent. That`s a danger
sign as he heads into the 2020 election. It doesn`t seem likely he can win unless he can get that figure up somewhat.
It`s such an unbalanced gender gap and it could be dangerous with him in suburban areas, particularly where many people think that the election will
be won and lost.
ANDERSON: Sure. While you`re talking, we`re monitoring Mike Pompeo, he`s addressing the press as we speak.
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ANDERSON: We`ll monitor that and give our viewers any newslines that come out of it.
Before I let you go, I want to circle back to a story we covered yesterday. The firing of the U.S. Navy Secretary after what has to be said was an
unusual series of events involving a demoted Navy SEAL. Richard Spencer now speaking out about the president`s decision to restore the SEAL`s elite
status. Have a listen to this.
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RICHARD SPENCER, U.S. SECRETARY OF THE NAVY: What message does that send to the troops?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, what message does it send?
SPENCER: That you can get away with things.
We have to have good order and discipline. It`s the backbone of what we do. I don`t think really he understands the full definition of a war
fighter. A war fighter is a profession of arms. And a profession of arms has standards.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was quite some -- a comment about the commander in chief, Spencer there, challenging Trump`s own words. The president often paints
himself as a military man, Stephen.
Is he out of step here?
COLLINSON: I think Spencer was reflecting a great deal of unease in the military establishment about what this episode means, making the argument
that a military needs standards and if a commander in chief can just weigh in and save his favorites when they have transgressed military justice,
that`s a very slippery slope to go down.
Yes, the president sees his strong support for the military, which is a long-standing personal trait -- he went to a military college when he was a
young man and never served and got out of serving on Vietnam on a medical exemption -- he sees it as a political weapon.
He came out in the Oval Office and claimed his political reward for shielding this Navy SEAL, saying I`m standing up for the troops. No other
president has stood up for the troops as much as I do.
This is part of the president`s political identity; in effect, anybody who criticizes this ruling is being accused by the president of not standing up
for the troops. It`s a nakedly political act that does work, once again as we saw in the Ukraine scandal, to advance the president`s own personal
political goals, necessarily the structures and the institutions that have underwritten American power and influence in the world.
ANDERSON: Stephen Collinson is a regular guest on this show, sorting the chaff from the wheat when it comes to Washington, D.C., these days.
Stephen, thank you.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
ANDERSON: Just moments ago, secretary of state Mike Pompeo said a U.S. citizen was killed in a terrorist attack in Kabul on November 24th. CNN
reported on Sunday the explosion targeted the U.N. vehicle and was the result of a hand grenade that was tossed into that vehicle.
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ANDERSON: A desperate search for survivors underway following a deadly earthquake west of the capital in Albania. Rescue teams digging through
the rubble of buildings brought down by the 6.4 magnitude quake early this morning. At least 18 people are confirmed dead and more than 300 are
injured.
Several other people remain missing. Serbia`s president says his country is sending a rescue team to help with the search and recovery efforts.
Fatos Xhengo is currently with the Albanian Red Cross and is coordinating the earthquake response in the capital.
The quality on this line isn`t great, please, folks understand it`s incredible to get any line out after a natural disaster.
Firstly, what is the latest on the ground, sir?
FATOS XHENGO, ALBANIAN RED CROSS: Thank you for calling. As you mentioned there are 17 people dead, 43, 45 injured from the rubble. And people are
missing, the specialized units, troops are in the process of searching. Accessing to this, the human data of the situation.
ANDERSON: I just want our viewers to see a map of the impacted areas. The epicenter of this earthquake struck near the port city of Durres.
Is it clear, sir, how far and why it was actually felt outside of that city and how many people have ultimately been affected?
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XHENGO: The epicenter of the earthquake is 30 kilometers, this load. Because of that, the most impact is into the city, Durres, mostly the
buildings which collapsed. And nearby there is another area, which is in total there are some six buildings collapsed, and in another area.
ANDERSON: Right.
XHENGO: This is the situation. This more here, at the epicenter of the earthquake that hit Albania .
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Right. The president I know has dispatched a team to help with search and rescue efforts.
How are emergency services coping at this point?
XHENGO: I mean, all emergency units and institutions are responding to the situation. The police perception of the rescue, the health sector is on
duty. Other police, fire brigades, fire units have responded. Other institutions are dealing with it.
Other governmental institutions dealing with damages, other non-state government institutions are responding to the situation, to cope with the
situation in Albania.
ANDERSON: Just what can the international community do to help at this point, sir?
XHENGO: We are calling on our -- asking the states, federations, Turkey, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, I mean, Germany is close. The
sister national societies are next to us in this situation, ready to help the people in need in this situation we`re facing with the earthquake that
hit Albania.
So the humanitarian organizations, the societies, Red Cross are ready to dispatch relief, dispatch troops in case they are needed. Some of them are
already in wait for relief items. Macedonia is close and other are close as well. So we are responding locally and nationally. At the same time,
we`re receiving the international help to facilitate families in need.
ANDERSON: Well, our hearts and prayers are with you and your colleagues, including those victims and family members. Thank you, sir.
Still to come, how many dire climate warnings does it take for our leaders to listen?
Why they should pay attention to the new U.N. report that has been released today. That is next.
And you`ll remember or likely remember these pictures, U.S. troops pelted with rotten vegetables when leaving Syria last month. While they`re
resuming operations with the Kurds. That is up next.
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ANDERSON: 3.2; as we tick into a new decade, I want you to burn that number into your brain. Those two digits will define the next 10 years to
come.
Today, the United Nations warning the world`s temperature is heading to a rise of, yes, that`s right, 3.2 degrees by 2030 if we don`t drastically
alter our path. You may think this is just another dire warning. Keep this in mind. That number is twice as high as the Paris climate accord`s
target. Let`s bring in CNN`s correspondent Jim Bittermann who is in Paris and Chad Myers who is at the CNN Weather Center.
Jim, what are the key takeaways from this report?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One thing it`s 3.2 degrees Celsius the temperatures are expected to be by 2100, not by 2030.
By 2030, if things go on as they have been going on, it will be 2 degrees over the pre-industrialization temperatures.
What basically happened here in Paris four years ago is that various countries of the world agreed to a goal of 1.5 degrees above those pre-
industrialization temperatures. The pre-industrialization temperatures right now, compared to today, something like 1 degree higher.
We`ve already seen the kind of extreme weather events we have seen. If things continue as they are right now with no cutbacks, we could be at 2
degrees higher by 2030. And that is not what the climate change scientists wanted in terms of the goal. They wanted to hit 1.5.
This report that came out today says global greenhouse gas emissions have to be cut by 7.5 percent each year over the next 10 years. That`s an
awfully lofty goal, especially when you think about the United States that opted out of the climate change accords.
And a message to the United States, I think, the secretary-general of the United Nations said there`s never been a more important time to listen to
the science addressing the climate change deniers like President Trump.
ANDERSON: Great. All right. Thank you for that.
Chad, let`s get real about this. Have a look at these pictures of wildfires which are happening in California. They`re shocking but
unfortunately this is not a new sight. They`re becoming the new normal. You`ve been a meteorologist at CNN for at least 20 years.
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ANDERSON: But you`ve written that you used to be a climate change skeptic.
What has changed your mind, sir?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Let`s go back and go look at some numbers. Preindustrial our CO2 is over 400. Because the ocean is absorbing 90
percent of all of the heat that 2 degrees that we`re putting into the air is nothing compared to the heat we`re putting into the ocean.
We`ve taken our eyes off killing the ocean and put our eyes on the 2 degrees or 3.2 like you said by 2100. If we kill the ocean, we all likely
die. If we harm the atmosphere, we all may starve, a slower death. People migrate from one place to another for a better life.
What if they were migrating for life itself because their country no longer has food?
Can`t make food, drought, fire, flood, whatever it might be. Here`s our numbers. Over 800,000 years, we`ve never been this high.
I never denied the climate was changing. My denial was that, hey, we need to put our eyeballs back on what we`re doing to the ocean itself. All the
plains, trains, automobiles, boats and all transportation only add 14 percent to our carbon budget.
There is so much else that we`re doing wrong. We`re trying to drive electric cars and do all those things. We need to focus on everything else
in this, because we can`t do 7.5 percent cars. It`s 7.5 percent of everything. It`s about cooling your home, industrial, making cement.
Where we`ve been to where we are now is obvious. This is nothing you can deny. The consequences are going to be huge.
But I believe still to this day either we`re going to kill the Earth by climate or we killed the oceans first. If we don`t stop what we`re doing
right now and make big changes, it`s a race to see what happens first.
ANDERSON: That, ladies and gentlemen, is a man who knows his stuff, a former climate denier or at least skeptic, who has just explained where
we`re at.
Chad, thank you.
Here at CNN we`re committed to combating the climate crisis. While the initiative is new, CNN`s commitment has been there quite frankly since the
birth of this network, starting with CNN`s founder, Ted Turner. Coming up, why he believes saving the planet means saving every species. Have a
listen.
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the core of the idea of saving everything is that, in order to save the planet,
you have to save all the species that make up the planet.
From the biggest bison down to the smallest prairie dog and including predators like the endangered gray wolf. A personal dream of Ted`s was
that they find their way to his ranch in Montana on their own.
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ANDERSON: You`re watching CONNECT THE WORLD. If you`re just joining us, you`re more than welcome. It`s half past 8:00 here in Abu Dhabi. This is
a show from our Middle East broadcasting hub.
And a quick recap of our top story for you. A major court decision that could dramatically impact the U.S. impeachment inquiry. A federal judge
ruled that former White House counsel Don McGahn must comply with a subpoena and testify in the U.S. House.
In a stinging decision against the Trump administration, the judge rejected the White House claims of absolute immunity, writing, "Presidents are not
kings."
McGahn`s appeal was filed by the Justice Department that he not be forced to testify as the appeal plays out.
The United States is resuming a large scale operation in northern Syria. A statement by the combined Joint Task Forces saying recent tensions in
northern Syria led to a brief pause, the coalition remains committed to their pursuit of ISIS.
It also confirmed a mission was conducted last Friday, killing multiple ISIS fighters. So folks, the bottom line here, President Trump said he
wanted to bring troops home, arguing that the U.S. has no part in the conflict 7,000 miles away. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Sometimes you have to let them fight a little while, then people find out how tough the fighting is. These guys know right up here. These
guys do. Right?
Sometimes you have to let them fight. Like two kids, you got to let them fight and then you pull them apart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Seemingly the U.S. didn`t pull them apart, Russia stepped in brokering an alliance between the Syrian government and the Kurds, as well
as forming an agreement with Turkey to push Kurdish fighters out of the buffer zone.
But six weeks later, we`re here. The U.S. once again joining with the allies, capping what was a tumultuous couple of months in northern Syria.
Clarissa Ward was in northern Syria when the Turkish incursion began. She`s back on the ground, taking the human toll of the current situation.
What are you hearing and seeing on the ground, Clarissa?
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, I think there is a persistent state of confusion here as to what this was all in
aid of.
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WARD: As you just mentioned, it now appears the U.S. troops are once again conducting patrols, working to take out ISIS sleeper cells in various parts
of the country. President Trump has said the U.S. will remain here to protect the oil.
So the question becomes why on Earth was it necessary in the first place then for U.S. troops to be pulled from the border area?
That essentially precipitated this Turkish military incursion. As you mentioned, we have been traveling all across this part of the country,
trying to get a sense of how Kurdish forces and civilians had been impacted by this.
Our viewers may remember it was Kurdish fighters who were fighting alongside U.S. forces in the battle against ISIS. And it`s Kurdish
civilians who have borne the brunt of the Turkish military incursion.
More than 200,000 people, an estimated 160,000 people displaced, most of them living either in schools, which cannot obviously then serve their
local populations, or in these very basic, rundown, bleak camps that have been set up in a hasty manner to try to house the vast numbers of displaced
people, who simply put cannot go back to their homes and do not know when they`ll be able to, if at all.
ANDERSON: Yes, Clarissa, you were there in northern Syria when that Turkish incursion began. I want to ask our viewers just to hear a small
part of what was then your reporting. Stand by.
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WARD: These people are now fleeing to try to get to safety but they don`t know exactly where safety might be. And let`s take a talk and chat with
these people quickly.
(Speaking foreign language).
They`re saying they`re frightened for the children. You can imagine why. Look at the skies, thick with black smoke. There have been strikes for the
last couple of hours.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Six weeks on, Clarissa, where are civilians like this family now?
WARD: This is interesting, Becky. The town I was standing in there, as those Turkish shells were raining down, is Ras al-Ain. And as we have been
traveling to different settlements and refugee camps throughout this part of northern Syria, we`ve encountered a lot of people from that same town.
It`s incredible, their real fear is that this offensive is geared not just as clearing a so-called buffer zone or safe zone but essentially at pushing
Kurdish people completely out of these areas to try to reengineer the ethnic or demographic makeup.
The example they give is the example of that town that used to be 75 percent Kurdish. We`re told now there are just a handful of Kurds still
living in that town and it certainly does not feel safe in that safe zone. Just tonight, we`re hearing reports that 17 people have been killed in a
car bomb in that town, Becky.
ANDERSON: Clarissa Ward on the ground for you. Clarissa, thank you.
There will be a lot more from Clarissa coming up when she gives us a sense of what it`s like to be in northern Syria, talking to civilians.
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WARD (voice-over): Just days before the offensive began, Ibrahim`s children were smiling with U.S. troops. He said the U.S. presence gave him
a false sense of security and suddenly they were gone.
IBRAHIM, KURDISH CIVILIAN (through translator): Since America betrayed us, every time I look at these photos of my children with the Americans I want
to erase them.
WARD: Do you feel you trust the Americans still?
(Speaking foreign language)?
Definitely not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That report at 9:00 pm London time, 1:00 am here in Abu Dhabi, that`s only on CNN. Important stuff.
News just coming to CNN, top of the hour, moments ago, the U.S. secretary of state ignored questions about his phone calls with Rudy Giuliani, the
U.S. president`s personal lawyer. That`s after President Trump`s personal lawyer handed over materials with unproven claims about former Vice
President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
His reply?
"I don`t have much to say with respect to the Ukraine investigation, other than this: we`ve continued to comply with all the legal requirements."
He went on to list out what they are doing. This was in front of a gathered group of press.
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ANDERSON: Essentially, he skirted the questions which were asked of him.
Just after when he was asked if he would testify in the impeachment investigation, Pompeo said, let me quote this, "When time is right, all
good things happen."
The question stems from President Trump`s tweet a little earlier that he would love to have Mike Pompeo testify in this ongoing impeachment inquiry.
Meanwhile, bombshell revolutions from an executive of Ukraine`s state owned gas company, who is now cooperating with federal prosecutors. In his first
interview since cooperating, he tells CNN, Giuliani`s associates were seeking corrupt deals in Ukraine. He spoke with CNN`s Drew Griffin in what
is this exclusive interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SR. INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Andrew Favorov thought it was a joke that two shady businessmen from south Florida
had no backing or experience but they did have the Trump administration`s ear. They wanted a cut of Ukraine`s natural gas business.
ANDREW FAVOROV, NAFTOGAZ: It`s completely crazy. It`s the first time in my experience when two private actors were offering or discussing the
issues that are supposed to be part of U.S. foreign policy.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): He says Parnas and Fruman were proposing a takeover of management at the Ukraine-owned oil and gas company, Naftogaz. Favorov
would be their new CEO. Parnas and Fruman would get sweetheart deals and anyone who got in their way, like U.S. ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who
opposed this old style corruption would be removed.
FAVOROV: I didn`t take it seriously at first. You hear all sorts of crazy stories and then it actually took place. That`s when it was just a moment
of, wow, for me. How is this happening?
GRIFFIN: Did you fear that they were connected to the Trump administration and had the power to carry out what they were doing?
FAVOROV: After the events transpired with Ambassador Maria Yovanovitch, yes, I think it was a possibility.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Parnas and Fruman had been indicted for violating federal campaign laws, prosecutors alleging the men funneled foreign funds
into the campaign of Republican Party candidates and a Trump super PAC in an effort to buy political influence for the new gas company called Global
Energy Producers.
They have pleaded not guilty. Frumas` attorney declined comment. Favorov says he immediately turned down the effort they were making to him and
reported their actions to the U.S. embassy in Kiev. He is also cooperating with the federal investigation, CNN reports, is also focusing on the
actions of President Trump`s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.
A source familiar with the matter said federal prosecutors are investigating Giuliani`s possible business ties to the company Global
Energy Producers. An attorney for Giuliani told CNN Mr. Giuliani had no interest in GEP at any time. Earlier this month, he vehemently denied any
wrongdoing.
RUDY GIULIANI, ADVISOR TO DONALD TRUMP: The reality is everything I`ve done is totally legal.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Favorov says he never met or discussed anything with Giuliani but says the two men that came to him with a corrupt plan used
their association with Rudy Giuliani as proof they could carry it out.
GRIFFIN: Did they mention Rudy Giuliani?
FAVOROV: Yes.
GRIFFIN: As their conduit?
FAVOROV: Yes, as one of the channels of communication in getting the right message across to the decision-makers within the Naftogaz administration.
GRIFFIN: They thought they could remove the ambassador of the United States?
FAVOROV: To this day I find it hard to digest how it`s possible.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Favorov says what`s at stake is much bigger than just gas or even Ukraine. Russia, he says, is hoping Ukraine will fail and
Russian style and Russian supported corruption will creep back into Ukraine`s struggling economy, helping Russia to further destabilize Europe.
Rooting out corruption is the best way for the U.S. and the West to fight back. He only hopes the leader of his adopted country still believes that.
FAVOROV: That`s why people all over the world look to the United States to set the standard, to show how things can be done in a moral and ethical and
transparent way. I certainly hope, as a U.S. citizen, that this beacon does not lose its value because of some bad actors and greed and, you know,
opportunism.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:45:00]
ANDERSON: After 40 days of revolt, Lebanon Lebanon`s caretaker prime minister no longer wants the job.
Who is going to take it?
That`s up next.
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ANDERSON: Lebanon`s outgoing prime minister said he`ll not lead the nation`s next government just before we came to air. A statement was
released denouncing what Saad Hariri calls the chronic state of denial of the crisis engulfing his country.
He resigned nearly a month ago in the face of nationwide protests against Lebanon`s ruling elite, largely viewed as corrupt and incompetent.
Political leaders have still not chosen a new prime minister, tone death say many of the protesters.
Ben Wedeman is live for us in Beirut.
He said he won`t have the next government, despite being asked to do so by the president. He didn`t name an alternative, which leaves the country in
turmoil.
Exactly where at this point?
WEDEMAN: It remains in turmoil, it`s in limbo. The situation is still not clear. The prime minister resigned on the 29th of October. He stayed on
as the caretaker prime minister.
He made it clear in his statement today he has no desire to be the prime minister of Lebanon, an understandable desire given the country`s profound
economic crisis. He has said he wants to see a technocrat government formed but he has no desire to lead it.
One interesting part of the statement is he said that the demands of the protesters should be satisfied and that women should be given a prominent
role in the next government, given that they have played a prominent role in these protests that began on the 17th of October.
And one of the names that`s been bandied about as a possible successor is Raya Hassan who is the Arab world`s first interior minister. Currently
she is the caretaker interior minister. She was the Arab world`s first finance minister and you interviewed her when you were here in Beirut last
month.
She is somebody who has managed to maintain good relations with Hezbollah and, at the same time, is seen as somebody who has not alienated the
protesters. She`s not seen as corrupt. Certainly that would indicate that the prime minister, caretaker prime minister Hariri, is perhaps pointing in
her direction.
[11:50:00]
WEDEMAN: It`s a long way to go between his pointing possibly at a successor to one actually being selected by Lebanon`s often squabbling
political parties, not to mention, of course, what the --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Let`s be polite and say there are competing interests when it comes to the political elite in Lebanon. That, of course, at the crux of
these protesters and their demands to get rid of that kind of -- the system as it is. Ben, it`s a pleasure having you on sir, thank you.
They say if you save just one life, you save the world. Up next, we have the story of a man who wants to save everything in the world. That is up
next.
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ANDERSON: This is a big week on CNN. We are launching "Call to Earth," a call to action to protect our only planet. For one man, that means saying
not just one thing but all things. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a good colleague of mine, found that CNN`s billionaire founder, Ted Turner, has spent his
entire life putting his money where his mouth is. This is part of Ted`s story.
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GUPTA (voice-over): At the core of the idea of saving everything is that, in order to save the planet, you have to save all the species that make up
the planet.
From the biggest bison down to the smallest prairie dog and including predators like the endangered gray wolf. A personal dream of Ted`s was
that they find their way to his ranch in Montana on their own.
MIKE PHILLIPS, TURNER ENDANGERED SPECIES FUND: It was just a matter of time before gray wolves found the Flying D. It`s a superb habitat.
Managed against a deep land ethic that celebrates ecological relationships and wildness. So once they found the D, they were, my lord, in heaven.
TODD WILKINSON, AUTHOR: I was with Ted and he gets a call from Mike Philips and Mike is says, "Ted, I`ve got good news for you. Wolves have
been seen on the Flying D."
Ted was giddy, almost childlike.
PHILLIPS: Gray wolves have been on the ranch ever since. It`s one of the largest packs in North America.
[11:55:00]
PHILLIPS: In September of 2018, the biggest count was 26 wolves.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, yes, look at that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The species don`t have to go extinct. We can rise up in their defense. We could say no more. No more species will disappear on
our watch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ve got bison, elk, field deer, white tail deer, antelope.
GUPTA (voice-over): Today spread across the Flying D`s 113,000 acres...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wolves, grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, foxes.
GUPTA (voice-over): -- you`ll find more species than ranch manager Danny Johnson can even list.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then we move on to the birds. We`ve got golden eagles, bald eagles, ospreys.
GUPTA (voice-over): Ted would soon become the largest private landowner in the U.S. in the name of conservation, not status. But there`s a funny
thing about dreams. As beautiful as they are, they`re also fragile.
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ANDERSON: And tomorrow, another chapter in Ted Turner`s story, looking at why he suddenly decided to give a billion dollar gift to the United Nations
and why it was so significant.
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GUPTA (voice-over): On September 18th, 1997, Ted Turner stunned the world with this announcement.
TURNER: I decided that what would be really exciting to do is I`m going to donate $1 billion to the U.N. causes myself.
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ANDERSON: More on that as we move through this week and months ahead. #CallToEarth, folks. I`m Becky Anderson. That was CONNECT THE WORLD.
Thank you for watching.
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