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Eve Of Historic Impeachment Trial In Washington; Royal Departure; Iraq Gripped By Deadline Protests; Aired 11:00-11:45a ET
Aired January 20, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:00:13]
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: All eyes on the White House. The clock is ticking for President Trump's defense team as a key
deadline looms ahead of the Senate impeachment trial.
Also Prince Harry speaks out. We'll bring all the latest on the couple's world departure.
And a deadline for leadership change in Iraq. Protesters step up the demands for the prime minister to step down.
Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Christina McFarlane in London in for Becky Anderson this hour. Now, U.S. President Donald Trump is just
one day away from facing a historic impeachment trial in the Senate. It's only the third time an American president has been impeached. And let's not
forget today also marks exactly three years since Donald Trump became president.
Mr. Trump's high powered leader team has just one hour left to submit their trial briefing laying out the case they'll make before senators. We've
already seen the glimpses of their defense arguing abuse of power is not a crime and not impeachable. The House will have until noon Tuesday to file a
rebuttal. All eyes on Capitol Hill this hour. CNN Politics Congressional Reporter Lauren Fox tells us what to watch out for.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUREN FOX, CNN POLITICS CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: With the start of President Trump's impeachment trial just one day away, the Senate majority
and minority leaders are still battling over the rules.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Why is McConnell being so secretive about his proposal? He's afraid that more damning evidence will come to light.
FOX: House impeachment managers amplifying the Democrats' case to include new witnesses and evidence.
JERRY NADLER, U.S. HOUSE IMPEACHMENT MANAGER: This whole controversy about whether they should be witnesses is really a question of, does the Senate
want to have a fair trial or do they -- or are they part of the cover for the President?
FOX: But most Republicans seem focused on acquitting the president quickly.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): This is the first time in history where a president has been impeached for a non-crime, for events that never
occurred. It's just really unique. And I think every senator is going to take this very seriously.
FOX: Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham saying that's what the President wants to.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): His mood is to go to the State of the Union with this behind him and talk about what he wants to do for the next --
rest of 2020 and what he wants to do for the next four years.
FOX: Still moderate Republicans like Senator Lisa Murkowski are waiting for proceedings to begin to make a decision, emphasizing her desire for a fair
trial.
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): I don't want this proceeding to be a circus. I don't want it to be viewed as a mockery or a kangaroo court.
FOX: President Trump's legal team filing a formal response to the Senate summons, giving the very first glimpse into their defense strategy. They
call the House's articles of impeachment, " brazen and unlawful and example of "poisonous partisanship." Trump also recruiting high-profile defense
lawyer Alan Dershowitz to help build his case.
ALAN DERSHOWITZ AMERICAN LAWYER: I will be advocating against impeachment of this president based on the constitutional criteria in the constitution.
FOX: House Democrats once again highlighting why they believe Trump should ultimately be removed from office. Filing their 111-page trial brief
calling "President Trump's conduct the framer's worst nightmare."
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): The mere idea of this would have appalled the founders who were worried about exactly that kind of solicitation of
foreign interference in an election for a personal benefit. The danger poses to national security, that goes to the very heart of what the framers
intended to be impeachable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Lauren Fox reporting there. And joining me now is CNN White House reporter Stephen Collinson and CNN Political Analyst Paul Callan.
Welcome to you both. So there are many issues that we've just seen in Lauren's report that I want to touch on with both of you. But as the report
is due in just an hour's time, Paul, I want to start with you. Talk to us about your expectations for what Mitch McConnell is going to bring with
those proposed parameters for the trial. What are your expectations?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm really expecting that he will mimic what happened during the impeachment of President Clinton. And in that
impeachment, each side was given 24 hours to present arguments in favor or opposed to the impeachment of President Clinton. That lasted, believe it or
not about six days. That was followed then by a motion to dismiss everything.
One of the Democratic senators made that motion and had that motion been granted. The Clinton proceeding would have ended without witnesses.
However, the Senate voted that down and said, no, we're going to hear witnesses. And I would think that there will be a vote on that question
also, and they'll probably be a motion to dismiss and it's going to follow the same procedure that the Clinton impeachment followed.
[11:05:04]
MACFARLANE: And I want to come to the issue of witnesses in just a second poll with you both. But first, just to talk to the fact that the Republican
senators are fighting here for a speedy trial. As we know, we've heard from both sides over the weekend. And I just want to play to you both of what
Lindsey Graham told Fox News over the weekend, have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAHAM: This mood is to go to the State of the Union with this behind him and talk about what he wants to do for the next -- rest of 2020. And what
he wants to do for the next four years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: So Stephen Collison, that is Mr. Trump's timeline here, as we - - as we now know it to have this all behind him for his State of the Union speech on February 4th. What will the trials timeline actually look like in
reality?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, we really have to wait and see what Mitch McConnell comes out, the Senate Majority Leader in the
rules to know exactly how long this is going to take and to assess whether there are going to be three or four Republican senators who are willing to
vote with Democrats to prolong this trial by hearing witnesses. What the Republicans would like to do is to get this done as quickly as possible to
equip the president to move on.
They want to protect several swing state Republican senators who have really tough reelection races this year. And they don't want to take tough
votes. They are concerned that by voting to acquit the president, they will get a political backlash but they also know that they cannot separate
themselves from Trump's political base. All the politics going into this, you saw Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Minority Leader earlier is being good
on the Democratic side to portraying this as an unfair trial.
That the Republicans and the Senate are using their power to cover up for a president who has abused power. That's going to form the centerpiece of one
of the arguments in November's election by which Democrats will say that Trump is unfit for office and he should be ejected and Americans at the
polling booth are the only people now who can constrain an unrestrained the president.
MACFARLANE: And he mentioned Chuck Schumer, Stephen. Obviously, we've heard fighting talk from him saying that he will force these votes to be had on
the issue of the witnesses. But what we know, of course, is that that is not going to be his decision. This is all going to hang on the votes of
four Senate Republicans and which way they will go on the issue of whether witnesses will be heard.
From what we know at this time, do we think that there's going to be much movement on that?
COLLINSON: I think it's unlikely if Schumer comes up with a vote tomorrow to call witnesses. There are these three or four Republicans who will vote
to hear witnesses that point. I think it's an open question after having heard the case from either side whether those Republican senators including
the former president candidate Mitt Romney will then vote to decide, OK, we actually do need to hear witnesses.
For example, like the former National Security Advisor John Bolton who has said he would now be prepared to testify in the Senate trial. The White
House and the President particularly this morning has come out very strongly against allowing John Bolton to testify. He clearly is concerned
about what he might say about the President's scheme in Ukraine. And I think that shows the pressure there's going to be on these three or four
Republican senators who might want to hear witnesses directly from the President himself.
They're going to have to stand up against the leader of their party, the President who has a stranglehold on the conservative base and defy the
present. That is why this is such an uncertain process.
MACFARLANE: It certainly is. Paul, just to come back to you briefly. But part of Donald Trump's defense strategy will be to argue that his actions
in Ukraine didn't constitute a crime and therefore aren't impeachable. Well, CNN spoke with one of the attorneys arguing on the President Trump's
behalf. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DERSHOWITZ: They will be paraphrasing the successful argument made by Justice Benjamin Curtis in the trial of Andrew Johnson back in the 1860s,
where he argued that the framers intended for impeachable conduct only to be criminal like conduct or conduct that is prohibited by the criminal law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Paul, that is Alan Dershowitz who of course went on to call these charges brazen and unlawful. What do you -- I mean, what is your
response to that? And what sort of legal precedent might this trial create now?
CALLAN: There's very little legal precedent. By the way, I should tell you that we can blame the British for all of this because the framing -- the
founding fathers base the U.S. constitution on British common law and impeachment was well used and often used in Great Britain at that time. But
in any event, I don't think that his constitutional argument will hold water given the precedent of not only the Andrew Johnson trial but the
President Bill Clinton trial.
[11:10:10]
CALLAN: That the case against Clinton was extremely weak, but it was not dismissed and witnesses were heard in that case. There's a political
consideration here, though, that also is going to come into play. And that is if you call witnesses in the case, the Republicans are going to try to
call Joe Biden and Hunter Biden to try to dirty them up by saying why was Hunter Biden being paid so much money when his father was in charge of
Ukrainian policy under the Obama administration?
Of course, the Democrats will try to block that, but that's going to force it into a whole political realm I think and a lot of Republicans and maybe
Democrats would not want to see that happen.
MACFARLANE: Yes. Interesting note on the British, it seems a lot of it comes back to how the British got started. Paul Callan, thank you very
much. Stephen Collinson, thank you to you as well. And you can of course, seek out full analysis from Stephen Collison on Donald Trump's defense.
Head over to CNN.com. The legal strategy of the President's high-powered attorneys will use to try and protect his presidency and setting precedents
for the office going forwards.
Our pro-gun rally is taking place right now in Richmond, Virginia amidst heavy security. Thousands of people are taking part to oppose state
legislation that would restrict access to firearms. Authorities have been worried about potential violence but so far, the protest has been peaceful.
We will continue to monitor the scenes you can see right here.
Well, meanwhile in London, Prince Harry met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he made an unannounced appearance at an investment summit.
It comes hours after the prince broke his silence and spoke publicly about stepping back from the royal family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY CHARLES ALBERT DAVID, DUKE OF SUSSEX: The decision that I made for my wife and I have to step back is not what I made lightly. There was so many
months of talks after so many years of challenges, and I know I haven't always gone to it right. But as far as this goes, there really was no other
option. What I want to make clear is we're not walking away, and we certainly aren't walking away from you.
How hard was to continue serving the queen, the commonwealth and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that
wasn't possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, this comes off the Buckingham Palace announced Saturday that the couple would no longer represent the queen. Well, our Anna Stewart
is live for us at Buckingham Palace. And Anna, I mean, what has become clear after this weekend is that Harry and Meghan can no longer be in and
out of the royal family. That has been made very clear. How much of this is not only a statement but a precedent that the royal family are setting
here?
ANNA STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: The statement in itself and the speech made by Harry has been fascinating over the weekend. Clearly this is
not what they wanted. They wanted a more hybrid role within the royal family and they cannot have that if they want to be independent,
particularly they want to be financially independent. And it's brought Prince Harry's, he said great sadness.
In terms of the precedent, we are in absolutely uncharted territory. This is if you like the future episode of the crown in the making. It'll be
interesting to see how the transition goes that begins in the spring. That's when they will no longer be using the title HRH, his and her royal
highness. It's been interesting how the public have received this information. I feel like there's been a softening of how people view that
decision. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it told a lot. It showed that he was very uncomfortable the decision that he's had to make, but to me the reason why
he's made this decision is because of the terrible treatment that Meghan Markle has received. Why she received his treatment? Because A, she's a
foreigner. B, because she's biracial and she seemed to be diluting the purity of the royal family.
And to me, it's an -- it's a bad indication for British society that somebody like that shouldn't be welcomed and treated in a respectful
manner.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's probably not really the right thing to do in terms of, you know, the Queen's obviously, tries to be as kind as you can be and
it kind of seems like speed a bit stuff in the back really, by the speech.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he's doing what he wants with his family and I support it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: I was getting more of a sense that a couple of weeks ago when the initial announcement from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex came through, that
they were sort being pitted against the royal family and people were taking sides. Now I do feel like there is more sympathy for their decision. And
for the royal family, perhaps all the back and forth all the statements has meant that people feel more comfortable with the decision going forward.
Christina?
MACFARLANE: Yes. Certainly appears to have been a softening perhaps indicating as you say that the royal family have really played this right.
Harry mentioned also in that statement made yesterday, Anna, that he will be second stepping back from his honorary military roles. I just wonder,
you know, how much of a personal loss that will be to him given his association with the military, you know, serving in the military for almost
a decade and the fact that he is no longer going to be able to wear military uniform.
STEWART: He really highlights that in the speech. And I don't think you can underestimate how important the military is to Prince Harry, not least
because he served for 10 years in the army, and he wore his blues and royals uniform at his wedding two years ago, but also the ceremonial roles
he has. He's the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines. He makes clear in the speech last night that he wanted to continue the military associations,
but he says it was not possible.
So I think that's certainly part of the great sadness he feels making this decision. He says he had no other choice and he puts, I think, a lot of the
blame on the media, which he describes as the big force of the last few years. And he thanks everyone for supporting him. He thanked not just as a
prince (INAUDIBLE) as Harry, he says the man that everyone is followed for some 35 years. Christina?
MACFARLANE: We will of course be watching very closely to see where this goes next but for now, Anna Stewart there live from Buckingham Palace.
Thank you.
OK. Coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD. The deadline for leadership change in Iraq. Protesters step up their demands for the prime minister to step down.
An update on the situation just ahead.
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MACFARLANE: All right. Let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now. Oil prices jumped to $66.00 a barrel after
rogue Libyan military commander choked production in the country. Khalifa Haftar's forces close the pipeline in two major oil fields. Libya's
National Oil Company says shut down will cut production by 800,000 barrels a day.
A violent clashes in Lebanon between security forces and protesters continued for a second night Sunday. People are frustrated with lawmakers
who've been unable to form a new government amid the term or Lebanon's currency has lost 60 percent of its value.
Well, violent protests in Iraq have claimed the lives of at least three people and left dozens injured Monday. Protesters have set the day as the
deadline for a new interim Prime Minister to be named. The U.N. official tells CNN security forces are using tear gas and live ammunition to stop
the demonstrations from spreading to other places. Well, Arwa Damon joins me live now from Istanbul, Turkey with the latest.
[11:20:09]
MACFARLANE: And Arwa, we've seen these types of protests before in Iraq, of course since October of last year, but it appears Iraqis are getting
increasingly desperate now. Where does all this lead?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, in theory, at least what the protesters are aiming for, and it is a rather ambitious goal
given certain realities that exist in Iraq but that would be a complete and total upheaval of the system of governance. They want to change the way
that elections work. They want to end corruption within the system. They want to eradicate the tentacles of foreign interference that have permeated
government politics and to a certain degree, the military.
They want to end outside influence Americas and Iran. They want an Iraq where they -- bearing in mind that most of them are young adults, but any
rock where they have jobs where their university degrees don't go to waste where they can have successful futures and live in relative security. I
mean, what they're really fighting for is -- as they will say, a basic human right. But to date since the beginning of October, almost 500 people
have been killed making those demands.
What we saw happening today is perhaps a reflection of an even bigger frustration because earlier in the day, protesters in Baghdad went out and
they were trying to block off using burning tires and so forth. Some of the main roads through the capitol to try to, as they were saying, prevent
government officials from moving around the city reaching their offices because they want to try to put pressure on government from all aspects
that they can.
There is an overriding concern that the government as it so often does, when it comes to these kinds of major decisions and moves. Stall. This
government success of Iraqi governments are quite experienced when it comes to trying to stall. And what these protesters want is a new prime minister
name so that the process can move forward. Remember, Adil Abdul-Mahdi is currently a caretaker Prime Minister because he stepped down in early
December.
They have been waiting for a new prime minister to be named. They have specific requirements. They don't want this person to have any sort of
experience or rather have been a part of any government since 2008 to ensure that he is "Clean and independent", but they want the country to
move forward. That is basically what they're demanding.
MACFARLANE: Now we will wait to see if they get their demands in any format. Arwa Damon there live from Istanbul. Thank you, Arwa.
Now an outbreak of a SARS-like virus in China is spreading and now finding its way to other parts of Asia. China has just reported 218 cases of
pneumonia caused by the new strain of corona virus this weekend. Three people have died. The outbreak is now spreading we understand beyond the
City of Wuhan where it was first identified. A total of four cases have been detected in South Korea, Japan and Thailand.
Officials in China think they know where the virus originated. Here's Kristie Lu Stout on more and just a warning some of the images in this
story are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Barricaded and guarded by police with masks. Chinese authorities have traced a new deadly virus
back to this seafood market in the City of Wuhan. They say a new strain of corona virus originated here has struck dozens of people and put an entire
region on edge. CNN has obtained this video filmed inside the market showing that more than seafood was on offer for sale.
Images of the market from early December taken by a concerned customer indicate it was apparently selling other live wild animals including skin
birds, snakes and raccoon dogs sparking concern that the virus might have been transmitted from animals to humans. CNN has not independently verified
this footage posted on Chinese social media site Weibo, which has since been deleted by government sensors according to the poster.
When CNN contacted the market, they would not comment. China's Ministry of Agriculture says that since they shut down the market, there have been no
reports of new cases related to this corona virus.
That's the large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS. The School of
Public Health here at Hong Kong University is a leading authority in the study of emerging viral diseases.
Professor Leo Poon is a virologist at the university and was among the first to decode the SARS corona virus.
LEO POON, VIROLOGIST: I will believe that this one outbreak was caused by animal virus and then the animal equity carried (INAUDIBLE) spread to
human. And what we know is causing pneumonia and then they don't respond to Lomo antibiotic treatments which is not surprising.
But done in terms of mortality, SARS killed 10 percent of the infected individual.
[11:25:05]
STOUT: Between 2002 and 2003, SARS infected more than 8,000 people and killed 774 and a pandemic that reached 37 countries. Officials say the new
virus was first detected in Wuhan On December the 12th. Some of the initial patients were employed at the seafood market.
Hundreds of kilometers south of Wuhan at this market in the southern City of Qingyuan, wild animals are crammed inside cages. Mallard ducks, rodents,
even porcupines to be sold for consumption. It's not a unique site and markets across China were both animals and humans are in close contact.
This footage not independently verified by CNN is from Hong Kong broadcaster I-Cable filmed on the 6th and 7th of January as the new strain
was discovered.
No indications any diseases lurking here. But according to the World Health Organization, scenes like this pointed the potential risk of a new virus
spreading.
POON: These animals, we don't know their history. We don't know what type of pathogens or viruses that they are having in their body.
DR. GAUDEN GALEA, WHO REPRESENTATIVE, CHINA: And our interface with the animal world, there will always be the danger of spillover. As long as
people eat meat that is going to be some risk of infection.
STOUT: The corona virus that causes SARS was traced to the civic cat, a wild animal considered a delicacy in parts of South China. After the SARS
outbreak, China outright ban the slaughter and consumption of civet cats in 2004. Local authorities in both Wuhan and Qingyuan tell CNN they don't know
anything about the sale of illegal animals that such markets and there are no open investigations.
But 15 years after the ban, in this market in southern China, civet cats are seeing lying inside cages and this stall keeper says he is selling
them. Ready for purchase. Kristie Lou Stout, CNN Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Important report there from Kristie.
OK. Still ahead. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is all smiles as he meets Egypt's president even as he expresses outrage over the death of an
American system in Egyptian custody. Our report just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD where I want to return now to our top story. The impeachment of President Trump. His trial in the Senate
is set to begin on Tuesday, although what it will look like is still unclear. Democrats are pushing for witnesses to testify. Republicans are
honing in on the defense that what President Trump did is not criminal and therefore not impeachable.
And as the political situation at home enters uncharted territory. President Trump is heading abroad to Davos, Switzerland. He'll join the
world's elites for his second visit at the World Economic Forum. Nina Dos Santos looks ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN EUROPE EDITOR: U.S. president's rare sightings at Davos, even among the elite crowd the events draws. But when Donald Trump
turns up as he did two years ago, he is impossible to miss.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now we have a tremendous crowd and a crowd like they've never had before.
DOS SANTOS: The Word Economic Forum with its globalist agenda is thousands of miles away from the President's populist base.
TRUMP: We are going to drain the swamp.
DOS SANTOS: Both geographically and politically. But Davos is first and foremost a business gathering and Donald Trump is keen to attract outside
investment.
TRUMP: So I'm going to Davos. I'll be meeting the biggest business leaders in the world getting them come here.
DOS SANTOS: With the ink no dry trade truce with China, a victory lap is also the (INAUDIBLE)
GREG SWENSON, REPUBLICANS OVERSEAS SPOKESPERSON: What better place to talk about global trade and global economics and Davos?
DOS SANTOS: This year's summit focuses on how to create a sustainable and cohesive world. Among the attendees, Greta Thunberg who has clashed with
President Trump on climate change. And Angela Merkel, the rated by him for spending too little on defense and too much on Russian gas. After the U.S.
killed Tehran's top general, Iran's delegation has decided to pull out.
SWENSON: If everybody else wants to talk about climate change or Iran. And that's where he could get into some spats. I think we have to anticipate
there, you know, there could be some cringe worthy moments but we hope that the President gets all of his tweets done before the doors of Air Force One
open on the tarmac.
DOS SANTOS: The trip will be the President's first foreign event and what is set to be a politically charged here on the home front. It coincides
with his impeachment trial in the Senate and it comes two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, kicking off the primary season to determine his likely
Democratic opponent. As such, it's little wonder that a survey commissioned to head of Davos rated U.S. politics as one of the global business
community's biggest concerns.
Trump first trip to Davos in 2018 only the second sitting president to attend of the Bill Clinton.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much.
DOS SANTOS: He may not yet have schooled the standing ovation but this president's actions continue to keep Davos his decision makers on the edge
of their seats. Nina Dos Santos, CNN, Davos.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, meanwhile, Egypt's president is in London for a U.K. Africa Summit amid fresh questions about the country's human rights record.
Activists say Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has crackdown on freedoms ever since he took power six years ago. Over the weekend, U.S. Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo met Sisi in Berlin and expressed outrage over the death of an American citizen detained by Egypt. Scott McLean has more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Family gatherings can get awkward. The diplomatic variety are no exception. The cameras it's all
smiles. But at the U.K. Africa Investment Summit the presence of this man, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi should make plenty of leaders
uncomfortable. Sisi's trip to London comes after a week of bad headlines.
Last week four staff members from a Turkish state news agency were detained at their office in Cairo. They were later released on bail. Anadolu said on
Egypt, the outlet was described as a terror cell, not a newsroom. That was just a day after the death of 54-year-old Egyptian American Mustafa Kasim
who was on hunger strike six years after being arrested. He was convicted in a mass trial with hundreds of others accused of being a spy and for
taking part in anti-government protests, which he denied.
At a weekend meeting in Berlin, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed outrage at Kasim's pointless and tragic death. But for the
cameras the pair were cordial.
[11:35:05]
MCLEAN: Sisi even joked about President Trump's chances in 2020.
ABDEL FATTAH AL-SISI, PRESIDENT OF EGYPT: This is a done deal. An assured win.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will see.
MCLEAN: It's not new for Western leaders to happily rub shoulders with dictators. But many described Egypt under the CC regime as especially
repressive place where human rights are routinely ignored. Dissent is barely tolerated.
MAYA FOA, DIRECTOR OF REPRIEVE: Lots and lots of young people, people who've been tortured, innocent people are all being swept up in this system
of mass trials, this repressive system and they're being systematically sentenced to death by their hundred.
MCLEAN: Sisi's government has vehemently denied the allegations. Egypt receives over a billion dollars in U.S. military aid each year. Senator
Chris Murphy says the U.S. has failed to use its leverage to force Sisi to behave.
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): We have influence. We are not using it today. The long-term consequence of this kind of repression is not good for the United
States, it's not good for our allies.
MCLEAN: On stage at the investment summit, the leader of America's most important ally discussed Egypt only once.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The monorail trains that will shortly be conveying citizens through the streets of Cairo, that great and
growing city will be made here. The monorail trends will be made here in the U.K.
MCLEAN: Celebrating economic success was clearly on the agenda. Downing Street would not say whether Sisi's dismal human rights record would be as
well. Scott McLean, CNN, London.
MACFARLANE: OK. We want to show you some images now that are surely seared into the consciousness of humanity. These huddled masses are the survivors
of the horror that the world vowed never again. We're just days from the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz. January 27th, 1945. That
is the day when the Soviet Army liberated the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz- Birkenau.
Auschwitz was the largest of the concentration camps and extermination centers built by the Nazis in occupied Poland. Historians estimate more
than one million men, women and children, mostly Jews were murdered at the camp. And one of the survivors of the Nazi death camp will be recalling
another personal anniversary. While in Auschwitz. He had the dream about his mother and remember life-saving advice from his father.
As Sarah Sidner tells us every year since then, he marks this time with a special tradition. And some of the descriptions of these survivors'
experiences are disturbing, but important for you to hear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At 89, Abraham (INAUDIBLE) Leitner once again examines the only physical possession he has linked to
his mother. The brick is from the ruins of the crematorium in Auschwitz, where she was murdered. He was 14 when the Nazis sent him and his Hungarian
family on a train to the death camp.
DAVID "DUGO" LEITNER, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR (through translator): I smell the scent of burning bodies and I saw flames two meters high. And so I asked my
father, what's going on? And my father said, my sons, it seems like we've reached hell.
SIDNER: Indeed it was hell on earth. At one point Dugo as he's known was tasked with cleaning the sewers and dumping the feces outside crematorium
number five.
LEITNER: We were made to dance and sing so that people didn't know that they were basically waiting for crematorium five to be emptied so they
could be put to death.
SIDNER: He too eventually found himself in that line.
LEITNER: I prayed for the Messiah but the Messiah did not show up and I found myself inside the crematorium.
SIDNER: Suddenly, he was pulled back. He was one of 50 chosen to gather potatoes. At one point the work, the hunger and death of his friends pushed
him to the brink.
LEITNER: I wanted to Jump on the electric fence and end life.
SIDNER: As liberation grew closer, the Nazis forced the remaining prisoners to march to other camps, exhausted and emaciated. Dugo fell asleep for a
few moments on that march.
LEITNER: My dream was about my mother. I dreamt she said, when we get to the land of Israel, there will be bones cold build, collect on trees, and
if you're hungry, you can just pick one and eat.
SIDNER: It was January 18th. He woke still starving and frozen, but he remembered his father's words to do whatever it takes to survive.
Liberation finally came and Dugo eventually made his way to Israel. In this Jerusalem market, he thought falafel, and it reminded him of the bun he had
dreamt about. Now, every year on the anniversary of the death march, Dugo eats falafel. His personal tradition has inspired others to take part.
This time he shares it with the Israeli military's chief of staff.
[11:40:04]
SIDNER: The idea spread with the help of the testimony house, a Holocaust Memorial Center. It is helping Dugo fulfill yet another of his father's
last request.
LEITNER: He told us, you must survive. Make it to the land of Israel. And tell the whole world what the Nazis did to us.
SIDNER: Sarah Sidner, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: So important for us to continue to keep these stories alive. Meanwhile, in a project in Poland is trying to preserve the last chapters
of the Holocaust as well by placing transparent Jewish headstones in places where cemeteries were once located. It's called Currently Absent by a team
of two Polish experts on ethnic studies. The pair look through archives and speak to local people to find where cemeteries may have been.
They then installed clear glass like headstones etched with Hebrew Epitaphs. All right. I am Christina McFarlane and that was CONNECT THE
WORLD. Stay with us. "MARKETPLACE AFRICA" is coming up next. Thanks for joining us.
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