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Iraqi Parliament Votes On Ending U.S. Troop Presence; Iran Promises Military Response For Assassination Of General Soleimani; Europe Responds To U.S. Military Action In Iraq; Pompeo: We Are Setting Conditions For A Safe America; Families Caught In Middle Of U.S.-Iran Tensions; Devastating Australian Bushfires Turn The Sky Red; Saudi Arabia, UAE Urge Deescalation In the Region. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired January 05, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): This hour, Iraqi lawmakers voting to look at kicking American troops out of the country.
Iran's foreign minister boasts about his country lasting for years as Donald Trump threatens targeting dozens of sites across the country.
And that's just in the last few hours, folks. There is a lot to catch up on. New threats today as Iran and the U.S. exchange warnings two days
after the killing of Iran's top military general. Both sides say they don't want war but they are both threatening to strike each other.
And Iraq, where Qasem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. strike on Friday, now taking a stunning move. The parliament there voting to work towards
limiting U.S. troop presence in the country. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADEL ABDUL-MAHDI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): To put in place a bill that stipulates the presence of foreign forces be restricted
to training and fighting ISIS under the supervision and approval of the Iraqi government whenever they use Iraqi airspace and ground and
prohibiting foreign forces from fighting on the ground in Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Iran right now mourning its most prominent military general and one of the most powerful people in the country. Tens of thousands of
Iranians turning out across the country as Soleimani's remains arrive back home. He will be buried in his hometown in southern Iran in the coming
days.
Another look at Iran, this one inside the Iranian parliament.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): This was the scene several hours ago as lawmakers chanted "Death to America."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: As you would expect from CNN we have correspondents in all the critical places for you on this very, very busy and messy times, from
Tehran to Baghdad, to Riyadh to Beirut to right here in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. We will hear from all of them across this hour.
First up, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the U.S. is committed to de-escalation after the strike on Soleimani and he defended
that stand just a short time ago on CNN. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're trying to restore deterrence that, frankly, is a need that results directly from the fact that the
previous administration left us in a terrible place with respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Team Obama appeased Iran and it led to Shia militias with money, Hamas, the PIJ, hundreds of thousands of Syrians killed by Soleimani himself.
This was the place we found ourselves in when we came in. And we have developed a strategy to attempt -- to convince the Iranian regime to behave
like a normal nation. That's what our strategy is about. We've been executing it. We will continue to do so. We have every expectation that
we'll ultimately achieve that goal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It's fascinating to hear him talk about strategy, because many people, particularly those in this region, say they see a tactic, they
don't see a strategy from the U.S.
Fred Pleitgen in Tehran and Jomana Karadsheh in Baghdad.
Fred, let me start with you. You spoke earlier today to a senior advisor to the supreme leader, who was pretty clear with you about what Iran's
approach will be next.
What did he tell you?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right, Becky. I think it was more clear than we've heard from
any Iranian officials about what exactly they plan to do in retaliation for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani than we've heard in the past.
We've heard the supreme leader say there will be revenge. Hassan Rouhani, the president, said there will be retaliation. Today we spoke to the main
advisor of the supreme leader, very close to the country's power center, very close to the supreme leader himself.
And he said that there would be a retaliation; it would be a military retaliation, a military retaliation against military sites. But he also
very importantly said that Iran does not want a wider war with the United States. Here's what he said.
[11:05:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOSSEIN DEHGHAN, IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER'S MILITARY ADVISER: The response for sure will be military and against military sites. Let me tell you one
thing, our leadership has officially announced that we have never been seeking war and we will not be seeking war.
It was America that started the war. Therefore, they should accept appropriate reactions to their actions.
The only thing that can ending this period of war is for the Americans to receive a blow that's equal to the blow that they've inflicted. Afterward,
they should not seek a new cycle.
PLEITGEN: What's your response to that, that apparently Iranian culture sites are also now a target of the Trump administration?
DEHGHAN (through translator): Basically he's a veritable gangster and a gambler rather than a politician. He has no mental stability.
Well, the U.N. has a resolution, number 2347. That resolution says actions against cultural centers are regarded as war crimes.
For sure, no American military staff, no American political center, no American military base, no American vessel in the world will be safe. If
he says 52 sites, we say 300 and they're accessible to us.
PLEITGEN: How big a blow to your foreign operations was the assassination of Qasem Soleimani?
DEHGHAN (through translator): Today our will to defend our interests in the region after his martyrdom has increased a thousand times. We don't
feel anything. We have a logic, logic of martyrdom that says, for any commander whose flag falls and is martyred, 10 commanders will raise the
fallen man's flag. Therefore, we don't feel anything.
PLEITGEN: At the same time, the Trump administration and President Trump himself still says he wants negotiations with Iran.
Do you think there's any possibility of that at this point?
DEHGHAN (through translator): Look, for several reasons we didn't want to negotiate with this incumbent U.S. administration. Now after what's
happened to Mr. Soleimani, there's no point for negotiations or relations. It's impossible.
There's only one way, first, Trump must be tried in our own court. He should be punished for the crime he committed. Then we could negotiate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: A tongue in cheek remark from the Iranian advisor to the supreme leader, saying that President Trump should be tried in an Iranian court.
Of course, there's no indication that could happen anytime soon.
However, the Iranians are extremely angry at the assassination of Qasem Soleimani. And they're also saying that the Revolution Guard Corps, Quds
Force, is not going to miss a beat. They'll be able to operate the way they have before.
So a lot of things the Trump administration has been saying, the Iranians are saying are not going to happen. They say they are not going to be
deterred. Their operations will continue the way they have before.
And they also say that they are going to strike back at the United States; however, not giving any details as to when and where that's going to be --
Becky.
ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran.
Fred, stand by.
That targeted killing by a U.S. drone Friday, of course, was on Iraqi soil, a sovereign state. Iraq's approach then made clear in the past hour or so,
expel U.S. troops from the country. Explain.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, at parliament a short time ago that extraordinary session of the Iraqi parliament came to an end,
where Iraqi MPs voted basically to oblige the Iraqi government to work on an agreement, on a deal that would basically end the presence of foreign
forces.
Of course, that includes American forces here in Iraq. That came after we saw the Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi turning up to the session. You
know, they barely managed to hold this session, reaching quorum after three hours of waiting for MPs to turn up.
Then you had the majority there being the Shia members of parliament. Absent there were the Kurds and also most of the Sunni Arab members of
Parliament. Keeping in mind the majority of these Shia blocs have close ties to Iran. So the prime minister explained to them and gave them
background of how we got to this point.
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KARADSHEH: The escalation, the tensions between Iran and the United States and how that was playing out in Iran, how, he was saying, that the United
States, its forces here, were pretty much overstepping what they believe was their mandate, their mission here in Iraq.
And then in a stunning move, he gave them two options, saying, one, you either vote, you decide that we end the presence of U.S. forces immediately
or the second option is to work on some sort of an agreement that will regulate their presence, limit their movement, limit what they can do in
their mission in this country.
Of course, as expected, the vote, as we mentioned, was to basically give the government, now the mandate, to end the presence of these forces.
But Becky, it is a very complex situation. The Shia MPs were celebrating their victory against ISIS. What is going to happen with the rest of the
country, the Sunni Arabs, the Kurds? What is this going to mean to the fight against ISIS?
So a very complex situation and the ball is in the court of what is a caretaker government, Becky.
ANDERSON: That's right. And secretary of state Mike Pompeo saying on FOX just after that vote, and I quote, "the resigned prime minister in Iraq is
under pressure from Iran," he says.
Fred, Iran very keen for us to see these pictures of course, I'm going to show now and the IRGC claiming that the ceremony for Soleimani slated to
take place tonight has been cancelled because there are simply, they say, too many people slowing the procession down.
Are these crowds genuine or are they being encouraged out onto the streets?
PLEITGEN: Well, Becky, they certainly are being encouraged. But even crowds that get encouraged -- and certainly the Iranian authorities do
encourage at certain times people to come out for demonstrations and come out for events -- even if they did encourage people, they would not garner
the kind of crowds that we're seeing there on the streets in various towns.
That goes beyond anything that the government and religious leadership could have hoped for.
For instance, the first place that Qasem Soleimani's body went earlier today, people say hundreds of thousands came out to line the streets. Keep
in mind, that a couple of weeks ago, they had anti-government protests going on. You can see what a respected figure Qasem Soleimani was for many
Iranians.
He was certainly a unifying figure. The reason why the event tonight here in Tehran was being called off is because there are so many people who are
coming. They say hundreds of thousands are there to also pay their final respects to Qasem Soleimani. So certainly a towering figure for many
Iranians.
First and foremost, someone who was remembered by many Iranians for having played such a key role in the fight against ISIS. They certainly remember
the times when ISIS was at the gates of Baghdad and threatening to get into the Iraqi capital.
Qasem Soleimani came in and drummed up those very Shiite militias that are having so much trouble with the United States or are in such a clinch with
the United States. Certainly many people here believe that he was the grantor of stability for this nation.
That's not something that just transcends religious circles here in Iran but certainly more moderate and secular circles as well. There are a lot
of people in this country who do respect and many also who do revere Qasem Soleimani.
Of course a lot of them coming out to mourn Qasem Soleimani and we expect a lot more to be on the streets tomorrow when his body is expected to arrive
here -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Well, that is the perspective in Tehran. Fred, thank you. Jomana, really appreciate it.
Coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD, destroyed homes and scorched land. We're going to move away from the top story for just a moment because this is
really important. Australian bush fires have already left behind so much devastation and the country's leader taking heavy criticism for his
handling of what is this deadly crisis.
And Italy says the E.U. needs to speak with one voice on the fallout from the U.S. airstrike in Iraq.
But can the European Union agree on the matter?
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ANDERSON: The U.S. drone strike that killed Iran's top military man, Qasem Soleimani, in Baghdad, Iraq's parliament voted in favor of instructing the
government to seek the withdrawal of thousands of U.S. troops from military bases in the country. That happened just a short time ago.
Well, that decision comes while the U.S. is sending nearly 3,000 more troops to the region. Along with that, U.S. president Trump warning
Tehran, if it retaliates, that the U.S. will target dozens of sites in Iran.
Meanwhile the European Union is calling for calm both in Iraq and in the Middle East region after the fateful U.S. airstrike. The European Union's
foreign affairs chief has invited Iran's foreign minister to Brussels for a meeting.
They spoke on the phone about the need for de-escalation and preserving the nuclear deal. Soleimani's death, however, deepening long-term divisions,
it seems, between two major powers in the Western Hemisphere, the U.S. and the E.U. CNN's Senior Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson, has the details on
that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Even before the burial of Qasem Soleimani, rancor between the U.S. and some
allies is breaking out. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo dismissive of European allies.
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Frankly, the Europeans haven't been as helpful as I wish that they could be, the Brits, the French, the Germans
all need to understand that what we did, what the Americans did, saved lives in Europe as well.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The reality is, killing Soleimani is deepening divisions that began during Trump's presidency, isolating the U.S. from
valuable support. France describing the current tensions as that the U.S. is making.
AMELIE DE MONTCHALIN, FRENCH MINISTER OF STATE FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS (through translator): It's the next step in an escalation which has been
going on for months. What is happening is what we feared: tensions between the United States and Iran are increasing.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Germany is saying the situation is pushed to crisis point.
ULRIKE DEMMER, GERMAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON (through translator): We stand before a dangerous escalation. Now it is crucial to contribute to a
de-escalation in a cautious and considerate manner.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Even the U.K.'s hawkish foreign minister calling for calm, saying, "We urge all parties to de-escalate.
[11:20:00]
ROBERTSON (voice-over): "Further conflict is in none of our interests."
His predecessor outrightly critical.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JEREMY HUNT, BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER: It's an incredibly dangerous game of chicken that is going on at the moment because both sides have
calculated that the other side cannot afford and doesn't want to go to war.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): None of the rancor bodes well for handling Iran's inevitable reprisal. Gaps began growing a year and a half ago when Trump
pulled out of the multinational Iran nuclear deal and doubled down on sanctions as Europeans stuck to the deal and created financial workarounds
to keep business with Iran going.
Last summer, only the Brits bent to Trump's will, following Iranian aggression in the Strait of Hormuz and joined a handful of allies beefing
maritime security. Soleimani's killing threatens to strain already awkward E.U., U.S. and fractious NATO-U.S. relations further.
NATO announced Saturday that it was suspending U.S. desired training for Iraqi forces. Allies as far away as Australia are unhappy that their
regional staff are unreasonably exposed to danger.
SCOTT MORRISON, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: The United States took this action based off their own information and they took that action without
discussing it with partners.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Let's get some perspective from two other world capitals. Matthew Chance joining us from Moscow. First up, though, Nic Robertson
joining us from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
Nic, what is going on diplomatically in the Middle East region at this point?
What's going on behind the scenes?
ROBERTSON: You know, I think what's going on behind the scenes is a lot of phone calls being made between various capitals. You certainly have the
European powers who are trying to sort of continue to have a dialogue, a meaningful dialogue with Iran.
They all want to see, as they do here in the region, they want to see their situation escalate no further. There is common agreement that it is in a
very, very precarious and dangerous situation.
You have the deputy defense minister, the brother of the crown prince, traveling to London and to Washington later this week from Saudi Arabia.
So there are a lot of conversations going on in the background.
Really people are reacting to the situation as it is changing. NATO calling a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Monday, Monday
afternoon, and the efforts to sort of draw in Iran to dialogue to talk it off the edge, if you will, of taking further action.
That just seems to be incredibly unlikely at the moment. Iran is committed publicly to taking some kind of revenge and that just is not the diplomatic
path that anyone wants to see them go down.
ANDERSON: Let's get to Moscow because, as we listen to Nic's description of what is going on behind the scenes, Moscow is sitting back, one assumes,
and is sort of letting this play out.
Where will it see its irons, as it were, in this fire?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, look, there's undoubtedly some short-term advantage that the Russians are
seeing in all of this, not least the fact that it's watching, I expect with some glee, the fact that the traditional allies of the United States, the
European countries we've just been talking about and seeing in that report, at odds with the United States.
It's always been an overarching foreign policy objective of the Russians to drive a wedge somehow in between Western institutions like NATO and like
Western military alliances, things like that. They're watching it unfold in front of their eyes.
But they're not exactly rubbing their hands with glee because they're deeply concerned as well. What they don't want to see -- remember, Russia
has a strong relationship with Iran. It's a big diplomatic supporter. It fights side by side with Iran on the ground in Syria. They have an
economic and military relationship.
And what it doesn't want is for this situation to spiral out of control, for a confrontation directly between the United States and Iran and for
regime change to take place in Iran. They have seen it in Iraq, they have seen it in Libya.
They intervened militarily to preventing it from happening in Syria. They definitely don't want to see it happening in the weeks or in the months
ahead in Tehran, again, one of their key allies in the region.
ANDERSON: To both of you, thank you. The view from Moscow and from Riyadh this evening.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Still to come, Tehran threatens retaliation as America says it already has potential
Iranian targets in sight.
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ANDERSON: More on our top story after this.
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ANDERSON: Extraordinary scenes as tens of thousands of people pour into Iran's streets to mourn Qasem Soleimani. We are getting a sense of what
the country's top general meant to many people in that nation, people in the crowd sobbing, clutching his picture, others chanting "Death to
America."
That message also ringing through the halls of Iran's parliament. But in the U.S., the message, one of defiance. The country's secretary of state,
Mike Pompeo, once again defending the decision to take out the top Iranian general, maintaining that the act has made America safer. He spoke to
CNN's Jake Tapper just a short time ago. Have a listen to part of that conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: I keep coming back to the fact you keep saying it's safer now, even at the same time that the U.S. government is telling all
Americans to leave Iraq.
I mean, again, I understand the idea that, in the long term, the region could be safer.
POMPEO: You don't seem to, Jake.
(CROSSTALK)
POMPEO: You don't seem -- you don't seem to understand that.
You know, oftentimes, I've heard you say, Jake, America thinks just about the moment and doesn't think about the long-term strategic implications.
This administration...
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: I don't know that I've ever said that about America. I've certainly said that about leaders of this country.
POMPEO: This administration -- this administration -- yes, sir.
This administration is thinking about exactly that. We are setting the conditions for a successful and safe America, prosperous America at home,
secure America abroad.
This is our Middle East strategy.
[11:30:00]
POMPEO: It's what we've done over these last three years in Iraq, in pushing back against the Islamic Republic of Iran. We will not stray from
that course, Jake.
TAPPER: I do want to ask you, because there does seem to be a disconnect here. President Trump, according to polling, a majority of the American
people have never considered him honest, have never considered him trustworthy. This is the American people, not me, OK?
And there is this credibility gap.
In addition, obviously, this nation has heard leaders, whether it's blaming a YouTube video for the attacks on the embassy in Benghazi, or WMD in Iraq,
people have heard this government, the government of the United States, say things to them that were not true when it comes to the war.
Do you understand that there might be a special responsibility to provide proof and evidence to the American people of the imminence of the attack,
of the need to carry out the mission that you've carried out?
POMPEO: Jake, I -- I do understand the power that we have and the need that we have to try and share with the American people everything we
possibly can about why it is we're taking the actions that we take.
And we'll do that. We'll continue to do everything we can, consistent with protecting our sources and our methods and our -- importantly, our capacity
to continue to see and to understand what's going on in presenting threats. We don't want to risk that intelligence.
I spent a little bit of time as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. We never want to put that at risk.
But, as the secretary of state, I also know my solemn obligation to make sure we share with the American people everything we can about why it is
we're taking the actions and how it is we expect that we will deliver to protect and defend America each and every day, Jake.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, Mike Pompeo convinced that this is all making Americans safer. Let's not forget there are Americans being held captive in Iran
right now as the country vows to retaliate. I want to bring in Babak Namazi, whose dad and brother are being held in prison in Iran. They're
dual citizens. He joins us now from Dubai.
How are you feeling at this point?
BABAK NAMAZI, RELATIVE OF IRANIAN PRISONERS: Hi, Becky. Thank you for having me on your show. I've been feeling desperate and despondent, as I
have been feeling for the past four and a half years when this nightmare began. I guess the only way I can describe it is I'm feeling worse than
yesterday and probably better than tomorrow.
This has just been a horrific ordeal that my family has been going through for the past four and a half years.
ANDERSON: Do you believe the campaign to get your father and brother released will be more difficult now?
NAMAZI: I mean, I look back and I appreciate and I do understand that the relations between Iran and the United States have been incredibly tense for
the past 40 years. Obviously, there's been various escalations at various times.
And yet, in the worst of times that at least I remember, we've been able to find humanitarian gestures. We've been able to find ways that we take a
pause and reflect on our humanity.
And that's what I'm hoping that will happen, in spite of the very tense situation we see ourselves in nowadays, that both Iran and the U.S.
administration find a way to at least make that humanitarian gesture.
And I see that, of course, in respect to my family and others, who have been held, both in Iran and perhaps also the U.S., as occurred last month.
ANDERSON: Yes, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British Iranian woman jailed in Iran over spying allegations says he is worried
about what the death of the country's top general could mean for her case.
Sir, this must be extremely difficult. It was only a month ago, of course, that a prisoner swap between the United States and Iran was hailed as a
breakthrough.
Do you feel a sense or did you feel a sense of optimism at that point?
NAMAZI: I certainly did. I mean, after four years, I truly felt we're at the cusp of light. You know, for the past four years, each time I thought
I saw a light, it turned out to be a train in the tunnel, not an actual way out. I did feel, as did my family.
[11:35:00]
NAMAZI: And I know other family members that there was a huge breakthrough, that, in spite of all the harsh rhetoric between the U.S. and
Iran, we were able to find at least, on a humanitarian level, a compromise where we were able to make a so-called deal where, on one side Mr. Wang was
released and our administration released an Iranian. I certainly hope that we can continue building on that.
I mean at the end of the day, I don't think anyone would fault the U.S. administration, certainly my family wouldn't and I doubt anyone else would,
in finding a way out on taking care of Americans. That's very much consistent with America first, Americans first.
And I do believe and it's obvious to me in the past that President Trump is committed to getting Americans home. I certainly hold him up to that in
respect to my family as well. And I have no choice but to remain optimistic that this still can happen. I'm not that naive to think the
situation is an ideal situation right now, I know it's not.
But I'm ideal in a sense that I'm still a human being. I'm still a son and a brother of two captives in Iran and I've seen success just a few weeks
ago, when we thought we were so far away.
Within days, that turned into success and that's why I believe there's every reason, in spite of all the tension that's been going on that
benefits no one, that we could de-escalate and what better way to de- escalate through valuing human life on both sides.
ANDERSON: We do wish your family the absolute best and look forward to speaking to you again under much happier circumstances. Thank you, sir.
Coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD, more than two months of devastation, evacuations and a rising death toll, many Australians are directing their
criticism and their anger at the man behind decisions that are impacting their lives. That is up next.
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[11:40:00]
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY ROBIN, EDEN RESIDENT: Where's the bloody wall?
You know what they'll do?
When the prime ministers from some other country come here, they'll show up and put on the best show for them. We are down here. This is our war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That is just one resident of southeast Australia, angry and feeling abandoned by the country's prime minister after two months battling
a devastating bush fire season; 6 million hectares have been scorched.
Thousands have been forced from their homes and weather conditions have not been making things easy for firefighters. The death toll continues to
climb. The navy has been deployed to rescue thousands stranded in what is the largest mass evacuation in the country's history.
CNN's Lynda Kinkade reports a great deal of anger and criticism has been directed at one man, the prime minister.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fleeing on foot, armed with a few bare essentials, clothes, blankets, pets...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Went down to the shore and it's something I won't ever forget.
KINKADE (voice-over): -- an escape by sea for this group of people forced to leave their homes after bush fires cut off the Victorian town of
Mallacoota. The Australian Navy has been deployed to rescue thousands of people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The response that is required is to get the boots on the ground, to get the planes in the air, to get the ships out to sea.
KINKADE (voice-over): For the first time ever, a compulsory call-up of army reservists, to help carry out the largest peacetime evacuation in the
country's history.
Further north in New South Wales, people, pets and livestock forced to seek refuge on a beach, amid ominous red skies over the New Year's holiday.
This nationwide crisis started back in September.
The prime minister continues to face backlash over the response. Firefighters around the country battling hundreds of fires are exhausted
and angry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you from the media?
Tell the prime minister to go and get (INAUDIBLE).
KINKADE (voice-over): While bush fires in summer are common, this season started very early, it's dragged on for months and it's widespread across
Australia. With at least another two months of hot summer weather to come, firefighters fear there's no relief in sight -- Lynda Kinkade, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: We need to take a look at this. This is a phenomenal view from above of the devastating crisis below. You are looking at photos of a so-
called fire cloud over New South Wales in Australia. This picture taken on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne.
It's really a fire-induced thunderstorm, created when intense heat forces air to rise too quickly. That results in these clouds that you can see,
which can sometimes shoot off dry lightning. Those sparks in turn could trigger new fires on the ground. Well, the scope and scale of what is
going on is extraordinary.
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ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Also ahead, this is a story we've been covering now for the past couple of hours here on CONNECT THE
WORLD and across CNN over the past 72 hours, the targeted killing of an Iranian general by the U.S. in Iraq, which has sent shock waves through
this region of the Middle East. We will discuss the wider impacts of Qasem Soleimani's death after this.
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ANDERSON: Qasem Soleimani's targeted killing by the U.S. opens a new chapter in what is the Middle East's already complicated geopolitical
setup. In the Gulf, where we based here in the UAE, could be at the center of growing tensions. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have both
called for calm.
[11:50:00]
ANDERSON: Qatar's foreign minister met with his Iranian counterpart on Saturday in the wake of that drone strike. I spoke with him a few weeks
ago asking about escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran. Here's what he told me about the situation then.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL THANI, QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER: It's very, very important that we have a regional-led solution because if we are
looking at the issue that's happening now and the escalation happening with Iran, it's -- the direct effect is on the region, it's not on any country
in the West like the United States or others.
And we believe that we need to sit together around the table and to address the real concerns in that relation between Iran and the entire of other
countries.
ANDERSON: How effective has Qatar's role been in mediating Washington and Tehran?
THANI: Well, first of all, both -- we are talking about the United States, our relation with the United States is very important to us, will remain a
very important ally for the state of Qatar.
We have the largest airbase. We have a very strong economic cooperation, a cooperation of several American universities, which are operating here in
Qatar. And Iran from the other side, Iran is our neighbor, agreeing with all of this, agreeing with them is something.
But we cannot change the fact that they are our neighbor and we are sharing with them our knowledge -- we disagree with the Iran policies in the
region. But we talk to them because we believe this agreement can be only result of dialogue -- and we always encourage both parties to talk to each
other.
Because we believe that this situation, if it will evolve, it will be harmful for everyone in the Gulf, not only for -- not only for us in Qatar.
We are not mediating between them. But we are trying to talk to our allies all the time. We are trying to talk to our neighbor all the time and
deescalate and engage and start in a dialogue.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, in this region de-escalate is the word of the moment. Sam Kiley is with me.
Sam, if you just sort of landed from the moon and were trying to work out what was going on, you would think that we are on the verge of World War
III at this point, given the sort of heated rhetoric we are seeing around this region.
But the point is we're not. What we're doing, as you and I speak, is looking at some remarkable pictures from mourners at Qasem Soleimani's
funeral here in Iran as we speak.
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but if we look at where Iran was 10 days ago, it was a very, very different picture. It was
an enfeebled economy, on its back foot domestically in terms of domestic politics. There was demonstrations throughout, some of them violently put
down.
Its satrapsy, near colony of Iraq, was enduring weeks of revolutionary demonstrations on the streets, again, violently oppressed by its militia
there.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: -- anti-Iranian protests.
KILEY: -- anti-Iranian protests. That appears, now as we look at these images, to have been reversed. The streets are now full of demonstrators
condemning the United States. Images we've been used to since 1979, flag burning of the United States, flag demonstrations against the United
States, "Death to America."
Whether that translates over the next few weeks into a greater coherence within the Iranian body politic I think remains to be seen. Those problems
that have drawn people to the streets before have not gone away. Those people in the streets are not massive fans of the United States. They may
even think Soleimani was a hero of the nation.
But that doesn't take away from their essential frustrations. Similarly in Iraq, we've just seen the parliament pass legislation to require the lame
duck government to drive out foreign forces. But it was boycotted by moderate Shias, all Sunnis and all Kurds. It barely got through and barely
had enough MPs there for a quorum.
So the assumption this is going to be long-term empowering for Iran is could be fallacious. But that doesn't make it more stable, it makes it
less. An enfeebled nation is a dangerous one.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: -- your perspective of where the UAE, Saudi and others in the Gulf, with such close geographic proximity to Iran, where do they sit at
this point?
KILEY: There are families on this side of the Gulf who have family on the other side of the Gulf. Some of the wealthiest families, I won't name
names, but they have branches just the other side.
[11:55:00]
KILEY: These are trading nations. They speak slightly different languages, they come from different -- some of them come from different
religious traditions. But they're used to integrating and talking it through.
Very interesting the Qatari foreign minister saying we can't change the fact Iran is our neighbor. What we have seen in the last six months is in
a sense a softening of the position of the Gulf nations with regard to Iran.
They were very much in lockstep even with Benjamin Netanyahu and in Israel ranting on about the dangers that Iran posed to the region, maybe because
some of those dangers have been realized, they are also realizing that an unstable region is bad for business and bad for your health in the long
term.
ANDERSON: Nobody will miss Qasem Soleimani in this region, I think it's fair to say, but it's what happens next that they are concerned about. Sam
Kiley is senior international correspondent. I'm Becky Anderson.
That was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you for watching. I'll be back within a half hour of news for you in just a moment. So if you can, stay with us.
END
