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Massive Security Operation Underway in D.C.; Banning Trump: Does It Make Sense?; Massive Earthquake in Indonesia. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired January 15, 2021 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:17]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER FRANCIS STAGER, CHARGED IN U.S. CAPITOL INSURRECTION: Everybody in there is a disgrace. That entire building is filled with treasonous
traitors. Death is the only remedy for what's in that building.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNNI ANCHOR: Unacceptable language. Unbelievable scenes. Washington, D.C., looking more like a combat zone than the home of American
democracy. We are on the ground there this hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that big tech is doing a horrible thing for our country and to our country. And I believe
it's going to be a catastrophic mistake for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Russia's president on Twitter. Venezuela's leader on Twitter. Iran's leader on Twitter. Donald Trump banned. How does that make sense you
might ask? We investigate.
Plus, a massive earthquake in Indonesia leaves dozens dead with many still trapped this hour underneath the rubble. We are live in Jakarta.
(MUSIC)
ANDERSON: Well, it's 10:00 p.m. in Jakarta, it's 7:00 evening here in Abu Dhabi, 10:00 in the morning in what is a very crisp day in D.C. where it
must be said, it looks quite from this vantage point, almost serene. It is anything but.
I'm Becky Anderson. And tonight, I'm connecting you to an America, the likes of which we have not seen in our lifetime.
At this hour, Washington, D.C., is on alert and under very tight security - - not because of some foreign invader or sleeper cell waking up, but because of concerns over domestic terrorists planning chaos around the
inauguration of Joe Biden next week.
Crews worked through the night putting up 3 1/2-meter high fencing. Some 21,000 National Guard troops stand at the ready. Despite that, the work of
the nation's lawmakers continues. Senators themselves will return on January the 19th, possibly to begin the trial of President Donald Trump.
The House, meanwhile, is about to start meeting just days after impeaching Mr. Trump for the second time. Meantime, the head of the FBI has briefed
Vice President Mike Pence about the very real threat that awaits all of them on Inauguration Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: We are seeing an extensive amount of concerning online chatter is the best way I would describe it, about a
number of events surrounding the inauguration. And together, with our partners, we evaluate those threats and what kind of resources to deploy
against them. Right now we're tracking calls for potential armed protests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The FBI's goal, of course, preventing a repeat of this. The FBI has identified about 200 of thee rioters in last week's insurrection at the
capitol and arrested more than 100 of them.
Among them, this man, seen here apparently beating a police officer with an American flag. The symbolism lost on no one. He explained why he was there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER FRANCIS STAGER, CHARGED IN U.S. CAPITOL INSURRECTION: That entire building is filled with treasonous traitors. Death is the only remedy for
what's in that building.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Death is the only remedy, he says, for those in that building.
We are also hearing from the police officers who stood between the hate- fueled mob and the halls of democracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL HODGES, DC METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICER: A guy ripping my mask off. He was able to rip away my baton and beat me with it. He was practically
foaming at the mouth. So, just these people were true believers in the worst way. Just the absolute zealotry of these people, how they would --
they 100 percent believe they -- what they were doing was right and that they were the patriots and that no one would get in their way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Another officer talking about those who helped him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL FANONE, DC METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICER: A lot of people have asked me my thoughts on the individuals in the crowd that, you know, that helped
me or tried to offer some assistance. And I think kind of the conclusion I've come to is like, you know, thank you, but (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you for
being there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Sunlen Serfaty connecting us to all of the developments on Capitol Hill.
[10:05:05]
And reports that rioters plan to capture and assassinate officials. We have just heard some quite remarkable stuff. And that, of course, has all led to
Mr. Trump's impeachment. We're going to bring our viewers more on exactly where these investigations stand in a moment, but stand back if you will
for us and give us a sense of the big picture where you are for our viewers around the world.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, as far as the Senate impeachment trial, a lot of the details are very unclear,
exactly how it's going to work, exactly when it's going to start. That is a subject on a lot of negotiations up here on Capitol Hill today, and those
negotiations and conversation will continue well into next week.
At this moment, it looks like it potentially could start as early as the day of inauguration, the 20th, when the new President Biden is sworn in up
here on Capitol Hill on the steps of Capitol Hill.
It could very well be that that afternoon, the impeachment trial of the former president begins. As far as witnesses, will the House Democrat
impeachment managers call up witnesses? That is still an open question at this point. How quickly? How long? All of those details being worked out.
But certainly things are moving behind the scenes. Democrats will hear from speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi shortly, potentially getting more
indications about how their case is coming together.
But certainly over here in the Senate, key to pay a close eye to what Senate Republicans are saying. They essentially hold this in their hands.
The Senate to convict President Trump will need two-thirds majority to vote for conviction. So every Republican's vote matters. They need 17
Republicans, Democrats do, to cross over, break ranks and vote with the Democrats.
One Democrat, Lisa Murkowski, signaling that she could be open to the potential of conviction. She says, quote, such lawful -- excuse me, such
actions cannot go without consequences and the House has responded swiftly, and I believe appropriately with impeachment.
Another person to watch, of course, Becky, is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He's indicated that he is potentially open. He's going to hear
the case. He's told people behind the scenes that he's still undecided on whether to convict Trump or not. He holds so many of the cases, so many
Senate Republicans are watching what he is doing. He has a lot of sway with other members. So if he potentially votes to convict President Trump, there
might be a lot of other Senate Republicans that follow -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Sunlen Serfaty there on Capitol Hill.
U.S. law enforcement says those riots Wednesday may have just been an opening salvo. According to an intelligence bulletin obtained by CNN,
domestic extremists are likely emboldened to carry out follow-up attacks on Inauguration Day and later this year. The area around the capitol has
become a virtual fortress, as inauguration security reaches levels never seen before.
And CNN now learning that rehearsals for the event have been pushed back a day due to security concerns. States, as we have been reporting now, also
beefing up security after the FBI warned of possible armed protests at capitols nationwide in many states. Security barriers are being put up,
windows boarded up and the National Guard is coming in.
CNN has reporters covering this story across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN YOUNG, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ryan Young in Atlanta, Georgia. You can see Georgia state capitol behind me.
There are extra patrol here. In fact, you see officers walking around with long guns. You can also see this armored patrol vehicle put in place just
in case. The Georgia National Guard is also sending 300 troops up other in to Washington, D.C., and we've been told by the Georgia Building Authority,
no permits have been issued so far for any protests, but the Atlanta Police Department tells us they are watching and waiting just in case.
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Matt Rivers outside the state capitol in Austin, Texas, where we've learned the state Department of Public Safety
has been offering active shooter training to lawmakers and their staff across multiple sessions this week. Now, DPS tells us those sessions were
scheduled back in December, but they take on added relevance right now given what we saw happen in Washington, D.C., last week and with the added
threat of potential armed protests here in Texas in the next few days leading up to the inauguration.
During the day Thursday, we saw several dozen officers outside the Capitol guarding this area. They are part of the additional security resources that
have been deployed here.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: I'm Miguel Marquez in Lansing, Michigan, at the state capitol where they're beginning this process to
protect the building. They'll put up a fence along this area all the way around the capitol here, much like the U.S. Capitol.
[10:10:04]
From the state police, which will be in charge of security, to the National Guard here to local authorities, they are not entirely sure what to expect.
But they are planning for thousands of armed protesters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, social media fed the rage of the Trump supporters who stormed the capitol last week, and it's been Donald Trump's most effective
way of reaching his base.
But in the days since the unrest, the president, many of his most radical followers, have been kicked off platforms like Facebook and Twitter as a
result. Many of them have -- millions have been signing up for more secretive apps that are harder to track, like Signal and Telegram. Telegram
says it has added 25 million users this week. And Signal has become the most downloaded free app on Google and Apple devices.
Well, some are asking if the ban on President Trump makes sense. After all, many world leaders with violent track records remain on social media sites.
Twitter's CEO Jack Dorsey says banning the president was the right move, but he admits it sets a dangerous precedent.
With more on this, here's Scott McLean.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWD: USA! USA!
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESONDENT (voice-over): Following the deadly U.S. capitol riot, many political opponents are cheering Twitter's decision to
permanently ban the person they say encouraged the insurrection, President Trump. Twitter claimed his account posed a risk of further incitement of
violence. Trump's personal Facebook account was also suspended indefinitely.
SHERYL SANDBERG, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF FACEBOOK: He violated our policies and it was a risk we couldn't take.
TRUMP: I think that big tech is doing a horrible thing for our country and to our country. And I believe it's going to be a catastrophic mistake for
them.
MCLEAN: Social media platforms have consistently pointed to their own rules to explain controversial decisions but experts say it's consistency
that's been lacking.
MARIETJE SCHAAKE, STANFORD UNIVERSITY CYBER POLICY EXPERT: They're not consistent, so you also have to wonder whether some of these companies have
become basically monsters that they cannot tame themselves anymore.
MCLEAN: Trump's ban has set off a fierce international debate around free speech and who, if anyone, ought to be policing it online.
The Mexican president called the ban contrary to freedom, while a spokesperson for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it's problematic.
Critics also pointed to the odd paradox of a U.S. president barred from Twitter while a cast of repressive regimes and brutal dictators remain.
Like Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro whom the United Nations has accused of crimes against humanity, including murder and torture, or the
government of Saudi Arabia which has a long record of jailing even killing dissidents.
The company explained in 2018 that blocking a world leader would hide important information people should be able to see and debate.
CINDY COHN, ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION: I don't think they made the wrong decision by kicking off president Trump. However, I'd like to see
them apply that same standard to leaders around the world.
MCLEAN: But many of the world's most unsavory leaders also have some of the tamest Twitter accounts. Russian President Vladimir Putin has a
verified Kremlin account, but offline he's been accuse of silencing his critics, his agents even poisoning his political opponent Alexey Navalny.
Navalny warns the precedent will be exploited by the enemies of freedom of speech around the world.
COHN: Expecting the companies to be the speech police of our dreams, you know, only policing the bad speech and always allowing the good speech, is
simply unrealistic.
MCLEAN: This week, Twitter's CEO Jack Dorsey defended the ban but said platforms should look at inconsistencies of our policy and enforcement.
President Trump used his Twitter account unlike any other world leader, to inflame debate, insult critics and spread outright lies. He wasn't the only
one accused of bad behavior.
Just last week, China, which denies accusations of forced sterilizations of Uighur minorities reportedly tweeted from the account of his embassy in
Washington that the minds of Uighur women have been emancipated making them no longer baby-making machines. The tweet was removed by Twitter.
But other incendiary posts are still up like the 2018 tweet from Iran's ayatollah calling Israel a malignant cancerous tumor that has to be removed
and eradicated. Twitter told CNN, we've taken enforcement action on world leaders prior to this but didn't give any details.
A former executive summed up the reluctance like this.
ADAM SHARP, FORMER HEAD OF NEWS AND POLITICS AT TWITTER: If I threaten my neighbor, it's a crime. If the president threatens our neighbors, it's a
statement of foreign policy.
MCLEAN: In 2018, Twitter explained that we review tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them and enforce our rules accordingly.
But local political context is where experts say American social media companies have a blind spot.
[10:15:03]
That same year, Facebook conceded it didn't do enough to prevent a genocide against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar the previous year. Human rights
activists say the killings were fueled in part by hatred ginned up by military leaders on the social network. Facebook now says it's made vast
improvements and banned 20 accounts.
Why is it only now that we're kind of waking up to this? This has happened before.
SCHAAKE: Well, I don't think it's a secret that Americans tend to look at their own society with much more attention than at the rest of the world.
And it's also a matter of resources. I mean, how much effort have these platforms really put into understanding the societies in which they were
unleashing their products?
MCLEAN: Europe is already planning vast new legislation to rein in the power of social media platforms while both parties in Washington agree
something needs to change. They just can't agree on what.
Scott McLean, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Let's just pause for a moment and check out what the reality of incitement on a platform like Twitter really is and how it translates into
real life.
Pete Muntean is standing by next to the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
Just describe what it's like down there, Pete.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's deserted here. This is Pennsylvania Avenue, which is the parade route between the Capitol for the inauguration
and the White House. This would typically be teeming with people in the days leading up to an inauguration. Now it's been blocked off, essentially
deserted. Gone are the bunting and the bans and the port-o-potties and even the crowd.
This is going to be an inauguration like no other. In fact, this is about as close as one could get to the inauguration stage before facing some of
the major fencing here that's been erected around the capitol. This is the 8-foot tall non-scalable fence that has been going up here, but also around
the National Mall blocks away. And then there is the 12-foot fence that's also been erected here new overnight.
Security officials say the threat here is very real. Even if somebody did make it over onto the other side of this fence, they would face a lot of
firepower, 20,000 members of the National Guard are descending on Washington right now. They are armed.
Security officials are especially worried about new chatter that they are hearing online. They are worried about improvised explosive devices like
those found outside Republican and Democratic Party headquarters during last week's attack.
So, this is a very real threat in a very big fortress in Washington that's only getting bigger.
ANDERSON: Have you ever witnessed this level of security before in America?
MUNTEAN: I've covered inaugurations before. Nothing before like this.
Typically, the national mall is a bit of a secured zone. You still have to clear security like you're going into an airport. In this instance, it
seems like people will be kept very, very far away.
The road blocks here in Washington stretch for miles but this has become a big imposition on people who live here just trying to get through everyday
life going to work, schedule, et cetera, all the things that still exist in the pandemic. This is going to be very tough. We're still days away from
this inauguration like no other.
ANDERSON: Pete Muntean on the story for you.
Meantime, a brand-new poll finds a majority of Americans have had enough of Donald Trump's presidency. The Pew Research Center says 54 percent of the
country thinks Trump should be removed from office now even though there are only days left in his term. More than half of those surveyed thinks he
bears a lot of responsibility for the violence at the Capitol. The president's approval rating has fallen to 29 percent, the lowest in Pew's
tracking of his presidency.
Well, still ahead -- rescue teams working around the clock searching for survivors of a deadly earthquake in Indonesia. We'll get you to the
devastating scene, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:21:26]
ANDERSON: Right now, a desperate search for survivors is under way in Indonesia after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck in the early morning
hours when most people would have been sleeping. At least 42 people were killed and hundreds have been injured when the powerful quake hit the
island. Fifteen residents have lost their homes, while rescue teams say that many people are still trapped under buildings, completely wiped out by
the earthquake. You can see one person being carried to safety here after being pulled from the rubble.
Indonesian officials fear the death toll will only rise as the search for survivors continues.
CNN's Will Ripley has the latest for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Becky, rescuers on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi are facing a growing list of obstacles right
now as they try to find people who may still be alive under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Many of those buildings were damaged in the earthquake
on Thursday and then collapsed when an even more powerful quake hit during the early morning hours on Friday morning, a time when many people may have
been asleep.
One official on the scene in the cities nearest to the epicenter of this shallow 6.2 earthquake estimates half of the buildings may be severely
damaged or destroyed. That could mean that tens of thousands of people, even if they were out of the buildings, are displaced. And others whose
homes may still be standing are afraid for their lives, afraid as aftershocks continue to rattle the island, their homes may join the
buildings that have already come down.
Trapped under one of those collapsed buildings, this little girl, angel. She, her sister and brother buried alive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is next to you?
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Catherine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is she still breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Yes, she is. I can still hear her voice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please be patient. Do you still have a drink?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, we don't have.
RIPLEY: Rescuers struggle, without heavy equipment, pulling all three siblings to safety. Their mother lies just feet away, dead. Their father
survived.
This family, one of many, torn apart. For hundreds injured, hospital beds are in desperately short supply. Most medical centers near the epicenter
have catastrophic damage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you can see behind me from this hospital, we have retrieved two dead victims. We are still trying to find more victims in the
rubble. But we don't know yet if they are still alive or not.
RIPLEY: Patients with the most horrific injuries are evacuated by air. Many main roads are destroyed. Forcing rescuers to come in by sea, delaying
badly needed help as precious daylight fades away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, that is my colleague reporting there for you.
Jan Gelfand is the head of the International Federation of the Red Cross in Indonesia. He is joining us from Jakarta.
And, does what -- and we were just reporting there marry up with how you are hearing the situation on the ground? Just describe what your staff are
telling you.
JAN GELFAND, HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS & RED CRESCENT IN INDONESIA: Well, we have, through the Indonesian Red Cross and our own
staff, about 100 volunteers and staff. Water trucks, convoys going into the area. But it's not an easy job. The task is difficult because as your story
made clear, the infrastructure has been destroyed.
[10:25:05]
There's landslides on the roads. From the major capital, there's no way to get into this area. Ironically, we're getting into the area coming from
Palu, that if you remember two years ago, there was a major tsunami and earthquake. And we have a fairly large team there and we're able to clear
out our warehouses, get the transportation and moving people there.
But it's going to be chaos there. It's nighttime. You can bet that the people that are on search and rescue are working tirelessly because every
hour counts in order to find people that are still alive.
But it's chaos. People are scared. There's the hospitals have been damaged. Not even in one of the areas, we haven't been able to get there to do
proper assessments so the numbers are going to go up. That's the unfortunate reality of what we're dealing with.
ANDERSON: Can you confirm the number of deaths and those missing at present?
GELFAND: Well, we usually go by official government statistics, and right now, there's 67 people, though some reports are up to 75. But we like to
keep away from that, because that number is going to go up. So it's a number that, unfortunately, is not -- may be accurate one minute and isn't
the next.
I'd like to just point out, if I could, Becky, that one of the things that people seem to be forgetting is this is happening in the middle of a major
pandemic. And this area is one of the red zones in Indonesia where there's 11,000 positive cases in the country every day. And so, there's a huge
worry for all of us of both keeping community members safe, as you can see in the pictures that your viewers saw.
People are congregating. People have lost their homes. Where are they going to sleep in they'll be in close proximity. And same for our volunteers and
staff from the Indonesian Red Cross. We need to keep them safe. So, for the very first time, we're not just sending tarps and tents and hygiene kits.
We have to send washing stations and protective -- personnel protective equipment and masks and all those different things to make sure that we
don't compound an already very complex situation.
ANDERSON: What do you need now?
GELFAND: Well, we need to get in there. That's what we really need to do because what's needed is an assessment. But we already know from history
people are going to need water. They're going to need food. There's water is often stagnated because of broken pipes and so that carries disease.
Garbage is there, cleaning. And still there's search and rescue and hospital care.
And one of the things that, again, people don't think too much about is we bring in volunteers that are skilled in psycho social support because
people are traumatized. We also try to link them with their family members that are from outside of that region because, you know, family members that
are trying to find out if their loved ones are still alive, and it's a big job because communication systems are down.
So, we're just trying to get in there, assess, make sure we get the right stuff in the right way and work together with the government and other
organizations that are working hard. It's our experience that the government will clean the roads as fast as they can. Heavy equipment is on
its way. But every minute, every hour counts.
ANDERSON: Sure, absolutely. We applaud your work. The work of your colleagues and volunteers, and we hope that this situation improves
quickly, 67 dead. Many missing. And that number, as Jan Gelfand pointed out, is likely to go much, much higher.
Sir, thank you.
Up next -- life could become even more cruel for the people of Yemen. A top U.N. aid official connects us to the reality on the ground in the wake of a
Trump White House decision.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:31:29]
ANDERSON: It is just after half past 7:00 here in the UEA.
A stark warning about Yemen and the United Nations couldn't be clearer. Real people already staring starvation in the face could see their country
consumed by large-scale famine all because of words on an official document.
The U.N. is imploring Washington to change its mind about how it sees Houthi militia. In the dying days of the Trump administration, the White
House has designated the Iran-backed group which controls much of Yemen as a terrorist organization. Now, the Houthis and the coalition backed by the
UAE and Saudi Arabia are fighting a long war in Yemen, making it the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
One of the top U.N. voices speaking out about Yemen's growing desperation and the U.S. Houthi blacklist is Aid Chief Mark Lowcock. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK LOWCOCK, UNITED NATIONS AID CHIEF: First, what is the likely humanitarian impact? The answer is a large-scale famine on a scale that we
have not seen for nearly 40 years. Second, would licenses and exemptions for aid agencies prevent that? The answer is no. Third, well, what would
prevent it? A reversal of the decision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Mark Lowcock joining me now from New York. So you think the reversal of the Trump administration's decision is the only way to
prevent an exacerbation of an already humanitarian catastrophe. It is, though, Mark, not that easy and even if, let's say, Joe Biden were to come
in and want to reverse that decision, once he's in office, it is a long process.
So what are the other options at this point?
LOWCOCK: Well, we looked at this over recent weeks, Becky. And you know how dire the situation is in Yemen because you reported on it for a long
time. And the conclusion we came to and all the humanitarian agencies have come to and my colleague David Beasley from the Nobel Prize-winning Food
Programme said the same thing to the Security Council yesterday is that licenses and exemptions are not going to solve the problem.
And let me just explain the reason for that. What aid agencies do in Yemen is they give people money and vouchers to buy food in the market. That food
is imported by commercial traders.
So they go into the international market. They contract with a supplier of grain, with a shipping organization. They contract with a bank to organize
the payments. And they contract with the insurers.
And all of those organizations, international businesses, now fear that they could be affected by this designation, that they could be prosecuted
as criminals through the U.S. legal system facing severe penalties, including imprisonment. And those organizations are saying, well, thanks
very much. I don't think I'd want to take that risk.
And until those organizations confirm they are ready to keep doing what they were doing before Sunday last week, they -- there is a very severe
threat to the import into Yemen of all the food those 30 million people consume every day.
[10:35:09]
ANDERSON: And let's be quite clear about this. The threat is, and the concern that these individuals are and organizations have is that because
the Houthis run so much of what is going on, on the ground, it is inevitably that anybody trying to help the Yemenis out at the moment will
come into contact with and be doing business with Houthi individuals.
Now the Trump team is defending its decision, Mark, saying it was a necessary thing to do to stop the violence from the Houthis.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said of the group, quote: It has led a brutal campaign that's killed many people, continues to destabilize the
region, and denies Yemenis a peaceful solution to the conflict in their country.
There is, Mark, merit in that argument, is there not?
LOWCOCK: I am not questioning the intent of the U.S. decision, but I made that clear in the Security Council yesterday. What David Beasley and I are
doing is explaining the implications, the consequences of that decision.
And so, you know, from our perspective, it's not really acceptable to sacrifice on this altar millions of innocent men and women and children.
There needs to be a different solution found to the concerns that the U.S. have. Now it's up to them, obviously, to work out how to deal with this
issue.
Ambassador Mills for the United States who was in the Security Council yesterday, made clear he was listening very carefully to the things David
Beasley and I were saying. We know lots of other people are getting into this discussion. Obviously, they're on the point of transition to a new
administration. And I don't think anybody actually wants a huge famine. And so the solution to avoid that does need to be found.
ANDERSON: David Beasley, the chief of the WFP and as you rightly point out, Nobel Prize-winning organization this year, said in the very meeting
that you are talking about, after everything we have done, he said, the fight back from the brink of famine in Yemen in 2019, we are now back where
we started. Famine-like conditions already a reality in some areas. The people of Yemen are depending on us, the world cannot let them down.
Given what you are saying, and given the funding shortages that agencies like David's face in Yemen, let's be quite clear. The world is letting
Yemenis down at present, correct?
LOWCOCK: Yes, and we've been saying that for months now. Yemenis, it's not right to say Yemenis are going hungry. They're being starved. The
designation problem adds to all the difficulties we have in preventing that happening.
One of the big messages David also conveyed yesterday is, even if we solve this issue on the U.S. designation, we have no money. We've run out of
money. And David was calling on Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, who have the principal responsibility, I think everyone would accept, to
get back to the position they were in in 2018 and 2019 in financing the relief operation because the U.N. was feeding mostly through the World Food
Programme, 13.5 million people very month.
And because we've run out of money, we're stopping doing that. David explained to the Security Council again yesterday how we would be cutting
rations, taking away the food from more people next month.
So this designation issue is not the only problem. The money is a big problem. The war is a big problem. The constraints on the economy are a big
problem. These things all need to be addressed if we're going to avoid the tragedy you're describing.
ANDERSON: Mark Lowcock on a story that sadly we have been reporting on for years. Let's hope that we do not have to continue to report on it for
years. Let's hope that a solution is found soon.
Mark, thank you.
We are taking a very short break. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:41:43]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's played for Japan's oldest team, Yomiuri Giants, before transferring to Major League Baseball
and stints with Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs and signing again with the Giants.
Now retired, 45-year-old Koji Uehara reflects on his storied baseball career at the MLB cafe near Tokyo Dome, his former home field.
KOJI UEHARA, RETIRED BASEBALL PLAYER (through translator): I've had great moments, thanks to baseball. I've also had bad moments but baseball made it
possible for me to become who I am now. I'm really grateful to baseball.
For example, I was so proud to become a World Series champion in Boston in 2013, because I pitched at the end. This is a moment I will treasure for
life.
WIRE: Uehara says other Japanese baseball players like Hideki Matsui and Shigetoshi Hasegawa paved the way for his transfer to the major leagues.
UEHARA: To be honest, I didn't think I was capable of playing in the Major League, but I wanted to experience American baseball. I didn't want to
damage the image of Japanese players as there will be others who will want to go to the States and succeed in the future.
WIRE: His sport will be featured in the Tokyo Olympics for the first time since 2008. With no guarantee that the sport will return in future games,
Uehara is hopeful that team Japan will have a home field advantage.
UEHARA: As the Olympics is coming to Tokyo, everybody in Japan should be excited.
I want the team to feel how exceptional it is to carry the national flag when they play baseball.
WIRE: Coy Wire, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, for the first time since 2013, Manchester United are top of the English Premier League table after January the 1st. Now they face
bitter rivals and defending champions Liverpool on Sunday in what is certainly the early race for that league title.
CNN's "WORLD SPORT'S" Don Riddell is here with me.
I have to say -- it's fair to say, we certainly weren't expecting a top of the table clash between Manchester United and anybody else.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Right.
ANDERSON: I might have pulled Liverpool out of the hat for that but certainly not Man United.
We'll take this, though, right?
RIDDELL: I think so. Yes, it's going to be a shame there aren't going to be any fans there. I mean, you could describe this as the classico of the
Premier League. Of a similar importance to when Real Madrid and Barcelona take on each other except these two teams haven't been good at the same
time for a long, long time.
So, here they are first and second, very, very exciting and a big title race is going to happen this weekend.
ANDERSON: Absolutely, absolutely. Looking forward to it.
And "WORLD SPORT" after the break. We'll be back after that with the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. See you then.
(WORLD SPORT)
RIDDELL: Becky, that does it for this edition of "WORLD SPORT." So, I'll hand it back to you in Abu Dhabi.
ANDERSON: Thank you very much. Ending out with a Shaq attack. Thank you, sir.
D.C. on alert. We're in the States for you, up next. Stay with us.
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[11:00:00]
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