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UK: Russia Plans To Install Pro-Russian Leader in Ukraine; France, Russia, Germany, Ukraine To Hold Talks Wednesday; Biden Given Options to Boost Forces in Baltics, E. Europe; UAE: Ballistic Missiles Intercepted Over Abu Dhabi; Dozens of Chinese Warplanes Fly into Taiwan's Airspace; U.S. Stocks Tumble, DOW Falls 700+; Beijing 2022 Lowers COVID Testing Threshold Ahead of Games; Nigeria Knocked Out of Africa Cup of Nations; Aired 10-11a ET
Aired January 24, 2022 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LARRY MADOWO, CNNI ANCHOR: EU foreign minister, they're warning Russia of never seen before sanctions if it continues its aggression towards Ukraine.
Those ministers meeting right now as another week of diplomacy pushes ahead.
Another attack by Houthi militants on the UAE capital, the second in a week. We're live in Abu Dhabi. And two years and millions of deaths since
the Coronavirus was first discovered in Europe. Are we any closer to the end? We're live with the WHO's Europe Director Dr. Hans Kluge. I'm Larry
Madowo in Atlanta in for Becky Anderson.
Hello, and welcome to Connect the World. The U.S. and its allies are ramping up pressure on Russia to head off a potential Russian invasion of
Ukraine. Within the past 24-hours, the U.S. sent a second weapons shipment to Ukraine but coming after President Joe Biden received options to deploy
up to 5,000 additional American troops to the Baltics and Eastern Europe.
NATO allies are putting their forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to the region. And the U.S. is reducing its embassy
staff in Kyiv in preparation of a possible conflict. There's also news on the diplomatic front, Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany will meet in
Paris Wednesday in another round of the so-called Normandy Format talks.
In Moscow, the Kremlin dismissed reports that Russia plans to install a pro-Russian leader in the Ukraine as informational hysteria. There is so
much to cover here, and we're bringing you the story as only CNN can. Matthew Chance is in Kyiv, Melissa Bell has the diplomatic angle from
Paris.
And in a few minutes, Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr will join us. I want to start with Matthew. The U.S. and NATO are ramping up pressure on
Russia beyond the threat of sanctions.
With NATO troops going on standby and President Biden weighing options to send even more troops to Eastern Europe. So, what's the feeling in Ukraine
following all of these developments?
MATTHEW CHANCE, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, I don't think we've seen a significant shift in the mood in Ukraine. In fact, the
development that has been reacted to here is the decision by the United States to the State Department's in the U.S. to, you know, allow or approve
the departure of non-essential staff from the embassy here.
And to order the evacuation of families of diplomats here. They're saying they're doing that out of an abundance of caution, not because there's been
a significant deterioration in the security situation.
But I mean, there's been a -- sort of quit a -- a sort of prickly response from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry saying that they think this is an
overreaction basically. Because I think one of the frustrations behind the scenes here in Ukraine is that they feel the prospect of war, of imminent -
- an impending Russian invasion has been somewhat overstated by the United States and by others as well.
And they think that's having a detrimental affect on their country's economy, people are pulling out, you know, funds and foreign investment
from the country. It's costing them billions of dollars, and the economy, of course, is already weak for various other sort of -- because of various
other issues.
And so, it's really putting them in a difficult economic place. And so, you know, on the one hand, you do have this build-up of tens of thousands of
troops from Russia near the borders of Ukraine.
There is this sort of ongoing Russian threat. But the Ukraine is very sensitive to the idea that the invasion may be -- may be imminent and
they've reacted strongly to any suggestion that it may be.
MADOWO: All right. Melissa, European Union diplomatic staff and their families are staying in Ukraine for now. And a decision we are told has not
been made for them to leave. But that is not to say that the Europeans are not as alarmed as the Americans or the British about the tensions right now
with Russia, is that correct?
MELISSA BELL, PARIS CORRESPONDENT, CNN: That's right, Larry. And even though those foreign ministers are meeting to try and discuss what to do
and we await the conclusion of that meeting. The question of sanctions, for instance, what would trigger them? What sort of sanctions would be taken?
What they could agree on.
And remember, that has to be done unanimously, of course. But, you're right, a great deal of tension going through this meeting not only because
of that build up in the potential for things to worsen still.
But also because the very tension itself only really exposes rifts that exist already. Not just within NATO but within the European Union
specifically on how individual nations have chosen and want to continue dealing with Russia going forward.
[10:05:00]
Now, those divisions likely to be at the heart of that meeting. But that question about sanctions has been on the table for some time. We know that
behind the scenes Europeans have been looking at exactly what they might do.
Have a listen to what the Danish foreign minister had to say this morning, Larry, as he went into that meeting on that question of what we might
expect in terms of European sanctions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEPPE KOFOD, DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER: There's no doubt we are ready to react forcefully with comprehensive sanctions never before seen -- unseen -
- a number of sanctions if Russia will continue and invade Ukraine again. And it's also very important to say that at the same time we are ready to
discuss with our diplomatic track in a coordinated fashion with Russia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: Europe really divided, Larry, between those who historically have been more favorable of dialogue with Russia, de-escalation, and so on. Very
aware of the impact that any sanctions would have on their own economies. Questions, of course, of natural gas supplies as well at the forefront.
There might in those countries who feel much more directly threatened by aggressive Russian policies and military build-ups like the one we're
seeing on the border with Ukraine.
Now, what we get from this meeting later today, and bear in mind, Larry, that they're also going to be hearing these European foreign ministers from
the American secretary of state on what his negotiations have been like with the Russians, with Sergey Lavrov in particular.
They're also going to be tell him -- telling him what the outcome of their meeting is. And it is important because this isn't just, of course, about
Europe and NATO, it is about America's strategy now dealing with Russia.
Antony Blinken's been very clear that this is not just about coming down hard, coming down forcefully but coming down in a way that is united. And
NATO unity, of course, depends on European unity, Larry.
MADOWO: Matthew, I saw this one man on the street interview or (inaudible) if you like of this on Ukrainian gentleman who was asked do you have a plan
of action? Does your family have a plan of action if Russia were to invade Ukraine?
And he said, yes, absolutely. I will take up a weapon, and I will go to war. So it seems that people -- ordinary people on the street are ready to
defend their country if it came to it.
CHANCE: Yes, I mean -- I mean, yes, I mean, there's definitely a strong sense of patriotism and nationalism that exists in the country. And of
course, the Ukrainians have been fighting, you know, Russian occupation, Russian-backed insurgency in the east of the country for the past eight
years.
And it's left them, you know, of the mind that, you know, they're already at war with Russia. And so, if Russia chooses to come in again they'll pick
up their weapons and they'll fight.
I think you have to though, you know, remember, that what Ukraine has been fighting for the past eight years in the east of the country is a static
trench warfare with a -- with a proxy rebel army that's backed by Russia.
And, you know, if the speculation and if the worst fears are correct that Russia is now poised to stage extensive invasion of Ukraine it will be
doing it with the Russian Army and the Russian Air Force, which is one of the most powerful air forces in the world. And with the Russian Navy as
well.
And they'd be doing it not just from the east but from the north, the south, the southeast, the south, you know, the north -- the northeast. You
know -- you know, it'd be a multi-pronged, sophisticated, devastating assault.
And so, yes, there will be people that will be prepared to pick up their weapons and fight. But I don't think that's necessarily going to change the
outcome of the conflict, Larry.
MADOWO: All right, many thanks for the moment Matthew Chance and Melissa Bell. Now more on the prospects of a U.S. troop deployment. The possibility
of sending thousands more American troops to the region signals a shift of White House strategy from the threat of crushing sanctions to the use of
military muscle.
Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr joins me now. Barbara, you previously reported that the Defense Department was considering a series of military
options to beef up military presence in Eastern Europe.
This is supposed to deter Russia from invading Ukraine. We've already reported that just over the weekend a second weapons shipment did go to
Ukraine. But how advanced have these plans for troop deployment?
BARBARA STARR, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, Larry, it looks like they are advancing fairly rapidly pending that final decision by President Joe
Biden to move ahead. What we've learned is that the administration is working right now on identifying specific U.S. military units that would
get orders to deploy to Europe if it comes to that.
So that would put U.S. troops on European soil with the specific mission of providing deterrence to Russia and reassurance to U.S. allies in Europe
that are so nervous about all of this. Think of the Baltics, Poland, Romania, these are countries that have a lot of concern about Russia being
on their doorstep.
And the U.S. is considering now sending more forces just as NATO is to that eastern region of Europe to try and provide, again, both the deterrence and
the reassurance.
[10:10:00]
Now, what we're waiting for is that final decision by the president. The Pentagon will move ahead, will -- it, you know, as it always does with
planning out the options, writing the orders to deploy if it comes to that. But they will need the final decision by the American president to move
ahead.
And what will be so interesting is to see if this potential movement of U.S. troops now would come in advance of any Russian military incursion. In
the past, the administration's been a -- sensitive about that point not wanting to have some kind of claimed provocation (ph) by Russia.
But now they may be ready to move ahead even now to provide that reassurance to U.S. allies, Larry.
MADOWO: Barbara, in the region last week Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that President Biden had asked his team to take stock of the
situation. But over the weekend it seems that decision has moved from just threatening sanctions to actually considering military action.
What more is the Pentagon, the White House looking at and making them make these decisions right now?
STARR: Well, I think minute by minute they're looking at the positioning of Russian troops, Russian military equipment, of course, we saw over the
weekend the U.S. embassy take the step of sending home -- beginning to send home non-essential workers and family members.
Other nations in Kyiv haven't jumped onto that action yet. But the U.S., obviously, very sensitive to this. I think it's important to reiterate
there's no indication the U.S. is looking at any kind of combat mission here.
What they're looking at is the use of messaging, if you will, of the presence of U.S. troops in Europe to send that message to Vladimir Putin to
back off, Larry.
MADOWO: Many thanks, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. And you can read much more about Ukraine on our website, including in-depth reporting on what
it's like to be a Ukrainian soldier on the front lines. One soldier telling our team there we've accepted this inevitability of a attack.
That's on CNN.com on your computer or through the CNN app on your smartphone. All eyes on the skies above Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirate
says ballistic missiles were intercepted over the UAE's capital in the early hours of Monday.
No causalities have been reported. Iran-backed Houthi rebels are claiming responsibility for targeting Abu Dhabi for a second time just this month.
For more than 60 years now the Houthis have been battling a Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE. The UAE has designated the Houthis as a
terror group.
In this video posted on Twitter by the UAE's Defense Ministry, you can see the moment an F-16 jet destroyed what's described as a Houthi missile
launcher in Yemen. The UAE says it took the action immediately after the missiles were intercepted. Witnesses in Abu Dhabi say they heard explosions
overnight.
CNN's Sam Kiley's there and joins me live. Sam, we discussed this escalation throughout this past week following last Monday's drone strikes.
But the Houthis in Abu Dhabi, they're backed by Iran, of course. So what does this mean for negotiations between Iran and western powers on Tehran's
Nuclear Program?
SAM KILEY, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, it makes it extremely awkward at best if you like for -- from -- in one perspective for
the Iranians. Not least because the Iranians not only had been reaching out their part of a (inaudible) not just with the Emirates here but also with
the Saudis.
Two people belligerent on the other side of a war against the Houthi rebels whom you rightly point out are backed by Iran in Yemen. Now, the reason for
that (inaudible) certainly from the Emirate perspective is that they believe that there's been a -- that the hard-line taken with Iran
historically recently has been a failure.
They rejected recently suggestions coming out of the United States, only suggestions that there might be an increase in economic sanctions against
Iran to try to bribe them back to the negotiating table over restarting that nuclear deal.
And then this happens. And inevitably, there will be a degree of private blame assigned to the Iranians because it's the Iranians that's here in the
Emirates who supply a lot of the sophisticated weaponry being used -- that we've seen being used now at least twice in the last week here over the
skies of the Emirate capital.
The real issue though, Larry, is the extent to which the Houthis got permission from -- even informed Tehran as to whether or not they were
conducting this. Was it done with the approval, indeed encouragement, or orders coming from Tehran? Was this Iran's efforts to maintain military
pressure while seeking diplomatic breakthroughs?
[10:15:00]
Very hard to see how that might work positively for the Iranians. I think a lot of the smart money is on the Houthis acting really on their own or in
cahoots with a splinter group, perhaps hardliners within the Quds Force, which has been the force, the external force prosecuting these sorts of
destabilizing wars.
Very much backing Hezbollah in south Lebanon. So a very complex area to navigate both militarily and diplomatically. And definitely, something
that the Emirates did not want to see happening.
Because they've been blamed by the Houthis for recently stepping up support for a fighting force there on the ground. Fighting alongside the
international Saudi-led coalition there, Larry.
MADOWO: All right, Sam Kiley in Abu Dhabi for us. Thank you. And now onto another potential regional conflict. China sent 13 more warplanes over
Taiwan early on Monday. This comes a day after dozens of Chinese warplanes flew into Taiwan's air defense identification zone, the biggest such
display by Beijing this year.
Paula Hancocks gives us a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Beijing has carried out frequent flights into Taiwan's air defense identification zone over recent years. And
Sunday's was the largest so far this year. Thirty-nine warplanes were involved in this incursion according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense.
Thirty-four of them fighter jets, and one nuclear-capable bomber. Now, Taiwan says that it did issue radio warnings, it also activated and
deployed its missile defense system. But it has criticized Beijing for what it calls gray zone tactics, which are being used in order to put pressure
on.
Now, it's always worth looking at the timing. It's very rarely coincidental these incursions, and just one day earlier the U.S. and Japan had carried
out a large naval drill in the Philippine Sea. So just to the east of Taiwan.
It's unclear exactly how close it was to the coastline, that information not available at this point. But what we heard from a U.S. statement is
that it was part of this freedom of navigation policy and they were doing it in order to protect a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
It was significant, though, in size, and clearly something Beijing did not appreciate. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: Is the Omicron Variant a new phase of the COVID pandemic in Europe? Hear what a WHO official is saying about that. Two years since the first
COVID case was detected on the continent. And the former Pope sets the record straight on a meeting 42-years ago. Find out why it's dredging up so
much controversy.
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MADOWO: We want to take a quick look at our markets right now. You're looking at the big board right now. Wall Street opened sharply lower today.
Stocks continue to slide, in fact, Wall Street's losing streak has stretched into a fourth straight week. The DOW kicked off about 1.5 percent
down, that's about 513 points.
You're looking at it right now, 766. The S&P fell 1.7 percent, and the NASDAQ COMPOSITE is opening down today 2.2 percent. So a lot to think about
in the markets right now. Probably all the geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine also playing into this. We'll have more for you when we
know on CNN.
Today marks two years since COVID-19 cases were first confirmed in Europe. Since then we've all become familiar with vaccines, lockdowns, and face
masks to try to stop its spread. More than 5.5 million people worldwide have died from the virus. England is about to allow fully vaccinated
visitors to enter without tests.
And France is rolling out its controversial vaccine pass for access to many public places. And more countries are pressuring the unvaccinated. But
those against mandates are pushing back. On Sunday in Brussels police fired water cannons and teargas to disperse thousands of people protesting
against COVID restrictions.
My next guest is Dr. Hans Kluge, the World Health Organizations regional director for Europe. He says we could reach the end of the emergency phase
of the pandemic this year. He joins us live now from Geneva. Dr. Kluge, thank you so much for coming to talk to us.
DR. HANS KLUGE, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR EUROPE, WHO: (Inaudible).
MADOWO: You were appointed to the job at the start of the pandemic in Europe. Two years on you say the pandemic is still far from over in the
region. But we could be ending the emergency phase this year.
Should Europeans prepare for a thirty (ph) on the pandemic with all the lockdowns, and mask mandates, and other restrictions we've become
accustomed to, or is there likely to be some change?
KLUGE: There's actually light at the end of the tunnel. Important that the pandemic is not over but there are three things coming together in European
region. The first one is that once the Omicron Variant subsides there will be a large capital of immunity be it central to the vaccine or due to
infection.
The second is that winter seasonality will have a boss (ph). And a third one is that we know that the Omicron Variant is milder in the boosted
individual. Which means that for some weeks or months there will be tranquility and the governments and their people can prepare to get out of
the (inaudible).
MADOWO: I was in South Africa in early December reporting on the first few weeks of the Omicron surge in the country when it was first discovered. And
it has dissipated there but this variant appears to be spreading quite fast in Europe. Is there a cause for concern or what's the prognosis there?
KLUGE: This actually cause of concern. Because it's incredibly rapid transmissibility. We estimate that by the first of March 60 percent of
Europeans will be infected. We see that the period between the onset of the wave and the peak is very short, about 20 to 25 days.
In some countries, actually, the peak appears already to have subsided like in UK, Ireland, Greece, Spain. But in most countries, there is still a
rapid expansion, and hospitals will face stress due to the fact of the sheer numbers of infections and the hospital workers, which are infected
and have to go in quarantine.
MADOWO: So are you saying that it will get worse before it becomes better? And therefore is no time to relax lockdowns or these mask mandates just
yet?
KLUGE: Well, we know what to do. We call it the five pandemic stabilizers. It means vaccination, boosters, respirators, ventilators, and increased
access to antiviral drugs and to increase the surveillance.
So if this is applied during the period of tranquility it should be possible, (inaudible) political responsibility and citizens behavior that
even if there will be a new variant, and most likely there will be that the societies do not have to return to pandemic era mandates.
MADOWO: Dr. Kluge, some public health experts think we made a moving towards an end-game phase of this crisis where COVID is endemic and we
learn to live with it. Considering the current rate of infections in Europe and you're saying in March it could be worse, is the region anywhere close
to that of what will it take to get there?
KLUGE: Well, we are not there yet. But it's definitely a plausible scenario. The good news is that it all depends on us.
We are now at crossroads. It means today institutionalize the COVID response and put more responsibility on the people because of the sheer
percentage of the population infected, self-testing, self-quarantine, and governments to advise their policies on targeted testing, duration of
quarantining, and contact tracing.
[10:25:00]
So it depends on -- first, we're going to go through a test period. So it's too early to relax but definitely, we know what to do. And we saw it,
remember, three months ago I alerted for 500,000 possible deaths by the first of February.
And 43,700 (ph) deaths has been materializing but 200,000 were saved because countries moved from a reactive mode to a constructive prepared
space.
MADOWO: Can you say for sure -- do you have any projections, Doctor, about when Europe will enter the endemic phase of the pandemic?
KLUGE: That's a very tricky question because let's not forget that this virus has surprised us more than once. And because of the billions of
infections since last November due to Omicron for sure new variants will emerge.
But if the people take responsibility and the governments it should be possible to get out of the acute phase this year.
MADOWO: The French vaccine pass law takes effect today and anyone over the age of 16 in France will have to show proof of vaccination to enter public
places. But Austria's gone even further. They have become the first country in Europe to fine unvaccinated adults. Is this the way to encourage vaccine
uptake do you think?
KLUGE: Well, I will say that any measure to increase vaccination uptake is what we need as long as this will remain legal boundaries and also
societal. We have to be little wary of experience before that mandates can also increase public distress, and social exclusion.
So if a country decides and it's a national competency then there has to be a implementation plan with provisions for exemptions and definitely a very
strong communication component.
MADOWO: Dr. Kluge, Israel has been ahead of the world in terms of vaccinations and they are sharing some new data. A fourth dose for people
over 60 made them three times more resistant to serious illness. Will the World Health Organization recommend fourth doses for dealing with COVID?
KLUGE: There's a period after each dose that immunity is increasing. The third dose you'll not be seeing as a luxury but part of a primary regiment
but for the full dose, the evidence is not there yet.
Some countries are administering for high-risk groups as a precautionary measure but we are closely walking with our colleagues in Israel and other
countries to study the impact.
MADOWO: Dr. Hans Kluge, thank you so much for talking to us. We appreciate your time.
KLUGE: My pleasure.
MADOWO: Just ahead the founders of WikiLeaks get -- the founder of WikiLeaks gets another chance to try to block his extradition to the U.S.
We'll break down that legal case next.
And we're learning more about a meeting attended by Pope Benedict back in the '80s after the break why that meeting is so important right now.
[10:30:00]
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MADOWO: Welcome back. I'm Larry Madowo in for Becky Anderson. Julian Assange has won rights to try and appeal to the U.K. Supreme Court against
expedition to the U.S. Assange faces espionage charge in the U.S. for his role in publishing thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables.
Last month the British High Court said Assange could be extradited based on assurances from the U.S. about how he would be treated if he came here.
CNN's Nina Dos Santos is in London and joins me now.
Nina, we're getting into the weeds of the legal situation here, but bear with me, and maybe you can break it down for us. Technically the high court
denied Assange permission to appeal, but left the door open to the U.K. Supreme Court to take up the case, right?
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN EUROPE EDITOR: That's right. So WikiLeaks' legal team put forward three argument, Larry, basically saying the case against Julian
Assange they believe is politically motivated and he wouldn't get a free trial if he were since extradited to the United States to face justice
there for the aforementioned charges you said before in your introduction.
There was one particular issue, though, that they did manage to gain some ground on. And that was essentially whether or not this bunch of assurances
that the U.S. Diplomatic and legal team had put forward to try and secure his extradition when you'll remember the end of last year, one court
overturned another court's decision on this subject in this long-running back and forth.
Well, it appears as though the high court has said, look we don't want to decide on that but the Supreme Court may want to weigh in on the subject
and he might be allowed to have the right to have his appeal heard in the Supreme Court.
So essentially this is where we're at. Julian Assange has been in a bit -- been given an ability to try and appeal through the Supreme Court on this
particular legal technicality. His partner and fiance, Stella Morris, who is also the mother of two of his children put it like this -- by the way,
remember, she herself is also a lawyer and has fought hard on his behalf to secure his freedom.
She said this keeps them in the game and keeps them fighting and keeps Julian Assange on British soil for now. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STELLA MORRIS, ASSANGE'S FIANCE: What happened in court today is precisely what we wanted to happen. The high court certified that we had raised point
of -- point of law of general public importance and that the Supreme Court has good grounds to hear this appeal.
The situation now is that the Supreme Court has to decide whether it will hear the appeal. But make no mistake, we won today in court.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOS SANTOS: So they have 14 days to lodge this request to try and see if the Supreme Court will hear that appeal. So we'll know whether or not this
is going to go forward probably in about two weeks from now. But make no mistake, for anybody thinking this is the end or another defining chapter
in Julian Assange 's long running desperate attempt to not get extradited to the United States, Larry, this is just part of a protracted and
complicated legal process that has gone on now for years. Back to you.
MADOWO: You've done a great job trying to untangle it for us. Nina Dos Santos in London, thank you.
Let's get you up to speed now on some of the stories that are on our radar. Norway is hosting talks with the Taliban and officials from the
international community. The country says it's worried about what it calls the grave situation in Afghanistan where millions of people are facing a
full-blown humanitarian disaster. Norway insists the Oslo meetings aren't being held to legitimize the Taliban. They're due to wrap up on Tuesday.
Sudan's military leaders say they are renewing a nationwide cease-fire. It comes as thousands continue to march in Khartoum against military rule. And
it comes after a Sudanese leader visited Ethiopia. The two countries have clashed over a disputed border region.
U.S.-backed forces in Northeast Syria are getting closer to a prison taken over by inmates, many of them ISIS militants. The Kurdish led Syrian
democratic forces say they've learned some 200 ISIS members spent six months planning the prison break. There's been fierce fighting there since
Thursday.
Police say a lone gunman is dead after attacking an auditorium at the University of Heidelberg in Southwestern Germany. Local media say the
shooter was a student who opened fire in a lecture hall. Several people were wounded. Investigators have not determined a motive.
[10:35:00]
Pope Benedict XVI says he was, in fact, at a 1980 meeting where an abusive priest was discussed. An earlier statement denied Benedict was at that
meeting in Munich. It came up during an investigation of sexual abuse at the Munich Archdiocese where Benedict was archbishop. His private secretary
says the denial was an error in the editing of his statement.
Delia Gallagher joining us live with the details. Delia, this is all a little confusing now because the retired Pope initially said he was not at
this meeting, and now he says, in fact, he was. So could this be interpreted as an admission that he was aware of abuse under his watch and
did nothing?
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: So, Larry, no. He's not admitting he was aware of abuse. What he did this morning in a statement
was clarify something the investigators had said on Thursday, which has to do with this meeting in 1980 where the case of one priest was discussed.
In Pope Benedict's initial statement to investigators, he said he was not present at that meeting. The investigators said that was not credible
because they had minutes suggesting he was there. So this morning he said there was an error in the editing of his original statement. He was present
at that meeting, but at that meeting what was discussed was psychological therapy for this priest, not a question of putting this priest back into
ministry.
Because in this case, Larry, what happened was the priest was transferred into the Archdiocese of Munich in 1982, received therapy. He was
subsequently put back in ministry and in 1986 convicted of sexual abuse. So the statement we have this morning from the Pope Emeritus is that he was
aware of this meeting, he was at the meeting and he was aware about therapy for this priest.
What we don't have is the rest of the details about that, and he says that that will be forthcoming about this case and the other cases. In the
statement this morning he also says that he is still reading through, he's asking for understanding while he reads through the nearly 1,900 pages of
this report and that there will be a fuller and more detailed response coming which is obviously important, Larry.
But what he's clarifying today is, yes, he was present at that meeting. It was an error in the transcription of his original statement, but still
maintaining that what was discussed in that meeting was just therapy for this priest. There was no discussion exactly about what -- what had
happened previously or what had happened afterwards. So it's a -- it's a small point, but an important one because t was one of the first obvious
conflicts between what the investigators were saying and what the Pope Emeritus' statement was. Larry.
MADOWO: Delia, in the time since these revelations came out, has there been any -- any conversation around possible prosecution for the pope for
his involvement or lack of in this -- in these abuse cases?
GALLAGHER: Right. Well, when the investigators held their press conference on Thursday, Larry, giving the information, their findings, remember this
was a report requested by the Archdiocese of Munich to look at historical situations, 75 years of how they handled sexual abuse, that question was
asked, could there be legal ramifications about obstruction of justice or aiding and abetting.
The investigators themselves weren't quite sure about that because a lot depends on the individual cases and again now on the response from the Pope
Emeritus. So that answer is still not clear, Larry.
MADOWO: All right. Delia Gallagher in Rome for us, thank you.
Just ahead, another shock exit from the African cup of nations. We'll tell you who is out of Afghan and who to look out for now, and you know I'm
rooting for the underdogs.
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[10:41:09]
MADOWO: We're less than two weeks from the Winter Olympics kicking off in China, and Beijing 2022 has announced it is making it easier for those
participating to produce a negative COVID test. The committee and Chinese authorities are lowering the so-called cycle threshold. It measures how
much viral genetic material is in a testing sample. So far there have been over 3,200 arrivals for the Olympics, and at least 72 of those people have
tested positive for COVID.
Nigeria has been knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations, losing 1-0 to Tunisia on Sunday. It's another sharp exit in the month-long tournament
held this year in Cameroon. Our Amanda Davies is here with me. Nigeria is, again, another big team tumbling out of the competition considering that
the Tunisia team had, what, seven players out with COVID?
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS REPORTER: Yes, absolutely, Larry. I've got to tell you I've had some really funny messages on social media
thanking me for my solidarity with Nigeria. I'd like to say, you know, it was a deliberate move to wear the colors of the Nigerian flag this morning,
but it wasn't!
(LAUGHTER)
MADOWO: Of course, of course. It's a good luck charm.
(LAUGHTER)
DAVIES: Always supporting the team that have done out of the competition. But no, I mean, I feel like every time we've spoken over the last few weeks
we've been talking about another sharp exit.
MADOWO: Right, right.
DAVIES: Nigeria now joining the likes of Algeria and Ghana heading out. And you know, people saying what went wrong with Nigeria, but it was
pointed out to me in WORLD SPORT we should be crediting Tunisia given the fact that they've, you know, fought back against the adversity of that
defeat to Mali where the game was -
MADOWO: Right
DAVIES: -- called to a halt early doors (ph). Then the COVID cases that you've been talking about. But of course, now we have to look forward,
don't we? And I know, you know, everybody's favorite new team, Comoros -
(CROSSTALK)
MADOWO: Comoros, of course.
DAVIES: -- going up against the hosts, Cameroon, promises to be a fantastic evening of action.
MADOWO: You know (inaudible) is rooting for the underdogs here, right, between the Comoros and Equatorial Guinea can't decide, but Comoros and
Cameroon, you - I'm taking predictions.
DAVIES: Oh, well I mean, if you look at the odds -
MADOWO: All right.
DAVIES: -- it doesn't make pretty reason. I've got to tell you.
MADOWO: OK. We have (inaudible) Amanda Davies, I'm going to have to leave it there. Amanda is back right after the break with WORLD SPORT.
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(WORLD SPORT)
[10:57:00]
DAVIES: But that is it for myself and the team for now. Back to you, Larry.
MADOWO: All right. Thanks, Amanda, and I will be back with more CONNECT THE WORLD after this short break.
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