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Xi Jinping And Vladimir Putin Meet Ahead Of Winter Games To Show Solidarity; The Profitable Relationship Of Russia And China; Some Western Nations Staging Diplomatic Boycotts; The Athletes To Watch At The Winter Games; Five Boris Johnson Advisers Out As U.K. PM's Turmoil Deepens; U.S. Pressed To Give Evidence Of Russia's "False Flag" Operation; Details Emerge On Timeline Leading Up To U.S. Raid In Syria; Surprisingly Strong U.S. Jobs Report; Jeff Bezos' Boat Versus Rotterdam's Bridge. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired February 04, 2022 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:24]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Safe and splendid. That is how Beijing described its Winter Games and the opening ceremony certainly delivers
that.
Well, ahead of the ceremony, a high-powered meeting between these two men who say they are on the same page. More on the meeting between Russia's
Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping.
And to lose one's political adviser may be regarded as misfortune. To lose five in 48 hours looks like nothing short of catastrophic. Can Britain's
prime minister survive so many resignations in his camp?
I'm Becky Anderson. Hello, and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. That is 7:00 in the evening here.
The 2022 Winter Olympics are officially underway in Beijing. We'll get you some of the colorful pictures and early results during this couple of
hours' worth of newscast. But ahead of the opening ceremony a closely- watched meeting between the presidents of China and Russia, with smiles and they show unity and solidarity from Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, as
tensions mount on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
The countries releasing a joint statement after the meeting, calling on NATO to hold further expansion and also vowing to deepen strategic
coordination.
Well, CNN's David Culver looks at the warming relations between the Chinese and Russian leaders as they stand up to the West.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A mesmerizing opening ceremony, attended by two strongman leaders. Traveling from Moscow,
President Vladimir Putin, landing in Beijing to meet with his counterpart, Chinese President Xi Jinping. No handshake due to the raging pandemic. But
their countries stand shoulder to shoulder in defiance of the West.
Despite lingering disputes over issues such as economic interest in the Middle East, Beijing and Moscow managed to see past those differences.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: Our bilateral ties are an example of a sound relationship that helps the two sides grow and at the same time
support each other in their development.
CULVER: United to focus on one common adversary. The United States. Which has launched a diplomatic boycott of the games over Beijing's human rights
record.
And as tensions rise between Russia and NATO over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, Beijing has publicly backed the Kremlin. In a recent
phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that Russia's reasonable security concerns should
be taken seriously and resolved.
(On camera): This marked the 38th time that President Xi and President Putin have met since President Xi took power here back in 2013.
(Voice-over): These frequent interactions a sign of increasingly close bilateral ties, despite how different the two leaders are. The images tell
it all, the pair in 2018 happily sampling together a traditional Chinese pancake. A few months later, they made a Russian version of the dish,
complete with caviar and vodka. They visited with China's iconic pandas the following year. And took an ice hockey game. Later basking in the sunset
boat tour.
The cozy China-Russia relationship not stopping the U.S. from trying to sway China on the Ukraine crisis.
VICTORIA NULAND, U.S. UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS: We are calling on Beijing to use its influence with Moscow to urge diplomacy.
CULVER: But analysts say Beijing sees little benefit to side with the West.
DANIEL RUSSEL, ASIA SOCIETY POLICY INSTITUTE: What Putin and Xi Jinping have in common here is actually the desire to undercut U.S. credibility, to
drive a wedge between Washington and its allies.
CULVER: Other democracies and U.S. allies like Taiwan will be watching closely. As China steps up its military activities across the Taiwan
strait.
RUSSEL: If the people in Taiwan saw that despite all of Washington's efforts and all of NATO's tough talk that they didn't succeed in deterring
Putin, they're going to ask themselves, can we on Taiwan really count on the United States in a crisis?
CULVER: After the U.S.'s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Ukraine presents the latest test on the U.S. capability to maintain global peace
and security, and the outcome may further convince China and Russia of an emerging new world order that both have long sought.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
[10:05:00]
ANDERSON: David Culver who is in Beijing. David, there is a clear effort here to show a united front and frankly we shouldn't be surprised, as you
rightly point out. This has been a burgeoning relationship at a time when both countries talked and frankly act tough with the West, and the Russian
president came bearing gifts of an enormous amount of gas supply for China.
So you see here just where the two countries may come together in the future, not just in the sort of bellicose talk with regard to the West but
also doing an enormous amount of business together. This is important, isn't it?
CULVER: It's crucial, Becky. It's striking a big energy deal that you referenced there and the economics are obviously something that play
heavily into this. I mean, just go back last year 2021, there was a huge jump, more than 30 percent, in imports and exports between Russia and
China, so they saw the benefit with that. Militarily, there's also another sort of an alliance, though it's not that official, I mean, you look at
AUKUS, for example, with Australia, the U.S., U.K., that has a name in and of itself, it's obviously more of a structured alliance.
China and Russia say we don't need to put it so much in that clear cut of a manner. We just can go forward and protect our sovereign territory because
we're neighbors and we're able to do just that. But this is a relationship that is increasingly cozy because of perhaps the optics, not only to the
West and the U.S. in particular, but the fact that you got to look at those other countries that are perhaps relying on the U.S., and other
democracies, that maybe questioning whether or not they can count on the United States going forward.
And perhaps they are looking at the era of a new world order. And you heard Putin today, part of his statement that came out was that this is a new
era. They really are trying to strike that tone. And yet they are doing so not with an aggressiveness, so much trying to show a peaceful calm, if you
will. And that was echoed even in the opening ceremony. It was a beautiful event. We know China would put on the pageantry and performance, a
beautiful production, it was just that.
It was a bit subdued, in tone with COVID-19 and the pandemic, and yet two who were there among other foreign leaders that were probably the guest of
honor, if you will, President Putin and then President Xi, and then standing side by side going forward to show that they are shoulder to
shoulder as friends and as nations.
ANDERSON: And look, no one should underestimate the importance of this very visible relationship, which appears at least to be getting warmer by the
day. These two are two of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. They have an opportunity to move the needle on policies, that
being West, and issues and events, that the West won't support, or indeed, they may stand in the way of times they do.
Just how significant and how concerning should this relationship be to, for example, Washington and London at this point?
CULVER: Yes, diplomatic sources have told me this is something they're watching incredibly closely. This relationship, as you point out, they can
play up that unity, and they can portray it in defense against the West. They can take an assertive stance and really go forward with actions
together, and that in and of itself becomes very difficult to counter, and if you look at certainly from the economics of it, I mean, China is the
second largest economy in the world.
They are able to really manipulate a lot of the market holdings, and the incentives for businesses, and so all of this is playing into the power
that they wield in all of this. And so I think one of the things that you also have to consider is that there aren't total agreements on everything.
I mean Russia and China have their confrontations. Go to the Middle East, for example. You have shared interests there that are oftentimes
contentious, and yet they're pushing past some of these differences, if only for the optics, not only to the West, but to other nations who may
want to question whether or not the U.S. really has a hold on global security and stability.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. David, thank you.
Well, as we've been discussing, while Presidents Xi and Putin met on the sidelines of the Olympics, their two countries struck a deal for Russia's
oil giant Rosneft to provide 100 million tons of oil to China over the next decade. Rosneft says it's the biggest oil provider to China, supplying 7
percent of its demand. And as Russian tensions with the West grow, its economic options some might say dwindle or others might say they look for
opportunities elsewhere, making China all the more important.
[10:10:04]
Well, Anna Stewart joins us now to take a closer look at the Asian neighbors.
And this is important, isn't it, because it does depend on what your prism is here, while some will say, you know, Moscow is going to need to look for
other friends, as its relationship with the West deteriorates. Others will say it's just, you know, a sensible play, it's where, for example, when it
comes to the oil market, where the action is these days. I mean you only have to live here in the Gulf to know where those with hydrocarbons are
selling their wares these days. So where does this relationship go now? More deals?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think so. And it is a sensible move, and it's been one, frankly, Becky, that's been in the works now for years.
Russia has been pivoting to China increasingly. China is their biggest trading partner now, representing some 16 percent of overall trade.
And I can bring you some stats here just to show you how much that's grown actually just in the last year alone. Trade reached $146 billion, huge
increases there, and some of the facts that you can see, or the stats that we'll put on the screen for you now, were actually used by President Putin
in a letter to the Chinese public published before his trip to Beijing. This is very important for them.
Now you mentioned the Rosneft deal, that is an increased of oil going to China over the next 10 years. It equates to maybe 1.5 percent to 2 percent
of China's overall oil that it uses and needs on an annual basis. There's also of course gas, and you and I have been talking about this a lot, not
least given there's a risk for Western sanctions on Russia and that could mean huge disruption to gas supply to Europe, and Europe relies on Russia
for gas.
But Russia also relies on Europe to sell gas, too. So there's been a lot of conversation about how much could they redirect to China given this is
where they want to pivot really. And they are slightly limited in terms of their pipeline. It just a lot simpler. There is one pipeline that goes in
Siberia, from Russia through China, the Power of Siberia, since 2019, that has been exporting gas, but a tiny fraction of what it sends to Europe.
You can see it there. About 10 BCM a year. That's billion cubic meters a year. It will ramp up to maybe 48 by the end of the decade. It's not the
175 BCM that gets sent to Europe. You also see the power of Siberia, too, the other dotted line there. Now that is the Gazprom map. That is a bit of
a pipe dream but that is a potential pipeline that would run from the Yamal Region, which is rich in gas reserves, all the way through Russia, though
Mongolia and into China.
What is so interesting about this is we see what Russia wants. We can see the importance of this relationship, and the fact is, this will take years
and huge amounts of investment to get there, and you can't really do that if you're potentially about to be cut off from the Western world in terms
of financial measures. So that's where we're at. It's a lot of optics. But yes, this is an important relationship particularly to Russia.
ANDERSON: Let me bring in Nic Robertson, Ana, at this point. Stand by.
Because, sir, Anna makes some important points here. Look, there is some symbolism here. There is no doubt this is a well-choreographed meeting,
very visible, by the Russian president, standing shoulder to shoulder, as it is being described, with his Chinese counterpart. And if Russia faces
more sanctions, would China, for example, worry about dealing with the Russians? I wonder whether you have a fitting answer for that at this
point, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I can give you a fitting answer. I think part of it would be bring it on. If there's a way
around sort of perhaps fiscal implications for whatever, you know, sanctions are actually applied and what they really mean in dealing in the
dollar and complications there, but, you know, this deep, deep strategic coordination they're talking about here, you're looking at the potential
here of a polarizing financial market.
So it becomes both in China and Russia's interests, but I think the real point that I think is worth remembering here, that this big ramp-up in, you
know, trade between Russia and China, one of the kickstarts for that, you know, as Anna was saying, it's over $140 billion a year now, but go back to
2015, it was down around the $60 billion mark.
Why do I say 2015? Well, that was when Russia began to turn to China as an alternative because it was getting hit by international sanctions because
it invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in 2014. It was a result of those sanctions that made it turn to China. So I think just one more point here,
and this is why I would say that it can be in China's interest, because, you know, Russia was keen to sell its gas to China, that it was potentially
needed that extra money coming out of those international sanctions, 2015, $400 billion gas deal.
[10:10:04]
But the terms were favorable to China. It took ages to hammer it out. The figures weren't widely known. And that's why I say that this is a useful
moment for Xi Jinping because Russia needs to sell, needs the money, part of their cooperation is going to be high-tech, green tech, China has it,
Russia doesn't. You know, this is all at a favorable time for China to get best value for whatever it sells towards Russia and whatever it buys in.
ANDERSON: Yes. Your perception n that same question, Anna.
STEWART: I think it's interesting, if we think about this trading relationship, particularly the other way around because actually in terms
of China, Russia isn't nearly as important a trading partner. It has just 2 percent of overall trade. And while China has Russia's back, particularly
when we look at geopolitical tensions and it did following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, when you look at some of the numbers, it's interesting
to see the impact that sanctions had then.
For instance, we saw a big decrease in terms of foreign investment from China into Russia. We also saw the following year, 2015, trade fell, by 29
percent. So although they may be very good allies, the fact of the matter is, it will impact its relationship in terms of trade with China and also
China will be very wary of upsetting its relationship with Europe and the U.S., its bigger trading partner which it really relies on and its economy
is slowing, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. Thank you both. Anna is in London. Nic is in Moscow.
The Olympics are without a doubt a global event. And you can see a reflection of that in these pictures of world leaders and other top
officials, and ceremonial figures in Beijing for that opening ceremony. This is Argentina's president arriving in Beijing. Here's the crown prince
of Abu Dhabi greeting officials before heading off in a motorcade. The Pakistani prime minister arriving Thursday night. The Thai princess also a
late-night arrival. The U.N. secretary-general and the World Health Organization director general also attending.
Controversy, though, still looms over these games on a number of fronts. U.S., Canada, Britain and Australia, for example, among the countries
staging diplomatic boycotts over China's human rights records.
Selena Wang looks at who's in and who's out, and why China is shrugging off those boycotts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Vladimir Putin bringing the eyes of the world with him to Beijing. Like the Russian
president, who has silenced his critics at home and threatened his enemies abroad, many of the dignitaries at the opening ceremony for the Winter
Olympics do not have a glowing record when it comes to human rights and freedoms. It's a constant charge leveled at host China.
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: We should not be here at all.
WANG: While athletes from 91 teams will compete, far fewer will be represented by visiting VIPs at the opening ceremony. And most of those
places are considered either not free or only partly free by U.S. rights group Freedom House. From Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Egypt's
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and the autocratic leaders of countries like Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
They're all filling a gap left by the United States and like-minded countries who are staging a diplomatic boycott. Washington says China's
rights record, particularly the alleged genocide of its Uyghur Muslim minority, means it cannot contribute to the fanfare of the games.
Despite mounting evidence, the Chinese government says it's not persecuting the Uyghurs.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: U.S. diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of
the PRC's egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang, and we simply can't do that.
WANG: A far cry from 2008, when George W. Bush sat shoulder-to- shoulder with Chinese officials.
BRENNAN: We're saying, basically, to China, we despise your repressive, awful regime. We hate what you're doing with human rights abuses. We are
not going to validate your Olympic Games. And we're not coming, but we're sending our athletes to do what they do. So it's really the perfect answer.
WANG (on camera): But to Beijing, the party won't be spoiled by its many notable absentees. The 2008 games were a moment for China to prove to the
world what it was capable of. But this time around, the country isn't asking for approval, and the world is well aware of China's might.
(Voice-over): The U.S. believes its diplomatic snub will keep Beijing's rights record in focus. But as the West turns its back on China, Xi Jinping
is finding friends elsewhere, friends who won't be so quick to criticize.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Selena Wang reporting for you.
Of course, the Olympics are actually about the Olympics, the athletes, and the sports, right?
[10:20:05]
So who are the big names that we should be watching this year? Let's get more on that. World Sports Coy Wire in Beijing with the list for you.
Come on then. Aside from the politics, there is a sporting event going on. That's really important. Who are the ones to watch, mate?
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORTS: There are so many story lines, and I can't wait to share a lot of them with you over the next few week, Becky. The opening
ceremony just behind me here at the Bird's Nest was incredible. Fireworks. It was a great technologically advanced show. Kicking everything off
officially starting these games.
And to get to your question about who to watch, I'm going to give you three of them that have really jumped out to me. One is Eileen Gu, an 18-year-old
sensation, born in San Francisco, in the United States. She's going to be competing for the host nation China, her mom's homeland. She's a horseback
riding, piano playing prodigy. She graduated high school in just three years. She's already been admitted to her dream school Stanford.
She's so much more than an athlete, though, Becky. She has modeled for Louis Vuitton, Estee Lauder. She has a legitimate shot of winning three
golds at these games and be one of the biggest story lines when all is said and done. She says she wants to inspire the next generation of snow sports
stars here in China.
Also, Team USA's Nathan Chen looking like poetry in motion earlier today when I went to see the figure skating team event. These games, he dominated
them to start it off. He recorded his best-ever score in the short program. 111.71. That's second only to the world record held by Japan's Yuzuru
Hanyu. Chen's performance vaulted Team USA into first place currently in that team competition.
And finally, Becky, Ester Ledecka, 26-year-old Czech sensation. She became the first person ever to win gold in two different disciplines at the same
Winter Games, at Pyeongchang 2018, She won in alpine skiing and snowboarding and she's looking like she can do it again and she's back to
defend titles in both the super G and parallel giant slalom.
So, Becky, just when you think people like you and I start to feel good about ourselves, people like Ester Ledecka and Eileen Gu come along and
remind us that we are just mere mortals.
ANDERSON: Oh, I've always known I'm just a mere mortal. You are of course a professional athlete yourself, so you are no mere mortal yourself, of
course. And before I let you go, what about the hockey?
WIRE: Yes, Team USA got off to a really good start. They're the defending champions. They beat Finland 5-2. They did lose one of their co-captains so
a bit of a big blow for them, because also starting out really strong in these games, Team Canada. That's who they played in the 2018 Pyeongchang
games in the final. It was one of the best events of those games and Team USA edged them out barely in a thrilling victory.
So it's looking good already. Women's ice hockey, I was there to see that as well. Good crowd. Good energy. They're looking fierce and fast out there
on the ice.
ANDERSON: Yes, and like you said, a good crowd. I mean certainly that wasn't an empty arena, so whoever those spectators are, whether they have
been invited or, you know, I think we know that they're not buying their own tickets, it's good that they're there, and it will create some
atmosphere.
Coy, you are always a pleasure. Thank you, sir. And of course, we have extensive coverage of the Winter Olympics, go to CNN.com, or you can use
your CNN app of course for some amazing pictures from today's opening ceremonies. Really remarkable. Always good to see. And you can get the
latest on which athletes will be in or out of competition. Of course, there's COVID around, so that's also updated there for you as well.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson from our Middle East programming hub here in Abu Dhabi.
Five top aides to Prime Minister Boris Johnson abruptly quit as his premiership hangs in the balance. A live report on that is just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:26:23]
ANDERSON: Well, the political crisis engulfing the British prime minister is growing. Boris Johnson bracing for possible fallout because five of his
-- five of his closest aides, yes, I said that, five have resigned, including one that worked with him for 14 years. The embattled prime
minister faces rebuilding his inner circle just days after a damning investigation revealed multiple Downing Street parties had broken COVID
lockdown rules.
I want to bring in CNN's Scott McLean watching all of this from London. He's got a vantage point there, and he joins us now live. Look, some of his
big chest-beating beasts have left the building but it is the exit of Boris Johnson's policy chief, which -- and her name is Munira Mirza of course,
which seems to be causing the biggest, she really has been one of his stalwart, long-time allies for a long time. What did she say she went?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, 14 years in fact, way back to Boris Johnson's time as mayor. She has stuck with him through thick and
thin. In fact in an interview in 2009, Boris Johnson actually listed her as one of the most influential women in his life. She was upset because of
Boris Johnson's refusal to apologize for something that he said on Monday, an extremely misleading statement about the leader of the opposition here,
Starmer, implying that Starmer was personally responsible for the decision not to prosecute a very infamous pedophile back when he was England's top
prosecutor.
Now Johnson clarified his position yesterday, but what he did not do is apologize, and that seemed to be the last straw for Munira Mirza, who in
her resignation letter wrote, "There was no fair or reasonable basis for that assertion. This was not the normal cut and thrust of politics. It was
an inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse. You are a better man than many of your detractors will ever
understand, which is why it is desperately sad that you let yourself down by making a scurrilous accusation."
Now the chancellor Rishi Sunak, he held a press conference yesterday about some economic issues but he was asked about this of course several times,
and here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RISHI SUNAK, BRITISH FINANCE MINISTER: With regard to the comments, you know, being honest, I wouldn't have said it, and I'm glad that the prime
minister clarified what he meant.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MCLEAN: Now that may sound pretty understated but the British press is framing this as a rebuke, as sort of a throwing a little bit of shade on
the prime minister, at the very least distancing himself from the prime minister especially considering that Rishi Sunak is widely considered to be
a possible successor to Boris Johnson if he ends up getting booted from office -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, and I guess it didn't sound like a rebuke, did it, but given the way some of his other close allies, other people around him, in
cabinet, have been sort of very much towing a Boris Johnson line. I mean you can see that actually -- you know, Rishi Sunak out there going quite a
long way.
Look, Downing Street effectively trying to frame these exits as sort of part of a government shakeup, correct?
MCLEAN: Yes, exactly. And just on your point of other ministers having Boris Johnson's back, you know, we heard from Sajid Javid, the health
secretary, this morning who insisted that he still supports the prime minister. The Energy Minister Greg Hands, he was tying himself in knots
this morning, trying to explain that he didn't actually have an opinion on whether or not what Boris Johnson said about Keir Starmer was right or not.
[10:30:09]
But you're right, the government is sort of trying to frame this as if this was all part of a shakeup but we know at least, you know, from Munira
Mirza, she was not fired and there's no suggestion of that. In fact Greg Hands didn't suggest that anybody had been fired but we do know that some
of these men had been implicated in this party-gate scandal. One of them in fact got a nickname, "Party Marty," for sending out that now infamous e-
mail, inviting people to a party in Downing Street and reminding them to bring their own booze -- Becky.
ANDERSON: BOB. Oh, dear. Thank you.
Ahead, we're going to get caught up with the latest on the Ukraine crisis. The U.S. says it may have figured out Russia's next move. We will hear the
Kremlin's response to that. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson from Abu Dhabi for you where it is just after half past 7:00. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD.
All eyes on Beijing where the 2022 Winter Olympics are officially under way. They opened a few hours ago with quite the fanfare, but what happened
before the opening ceremony also getting an awful lot of attention.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin had what was apparently a very friendly sit-down. They promised to strengthen their
already close ties. And as they met, their countries signed a major oil deal.
But of course this comes as Mr. Putin is in a standoff with the West over Ukraine. Now a new narrative is emerging, one that Russia calls delusional.
The U.S. warning the Kremlin could make a propaganda video showing a fake attack by Ukraine in a, quote, "false flag operation." This, the U.S.
contends would be Moscow's justification for them moving in.
Take a listen to the Pentagon and to Russia's response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKESPERSON: As part of this fake attack, we believe that Russia would produce a very graphic propaganda video, which would
include corpses and actors that would be depicting mourners, and images of destroyed locations as well as military equipment at the hands of Ukraine
and the West.
VLADIMIR CHIZHOV, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE EUROPEAN UNION: I can assure you that Russia is never involved in any business of this kind. And there
is no reason, logically speaking, that that might be taking place.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
[10:35:10]
ANDERSON: Well, where is the U.S. proof of a fake attack video that they say is being planned? I want to play for you an exchange then between the
State Department's spokesperson and a reporter for the Associated Press. Just have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT LEE, ASSOCIATED PRESS DIPLOMATIC WRITER: So you said actions such as these suggest otherwise, suggest meaning -- suggest they're not interested
in talks and they're going to go ahead with some kind of a -- what action are you talking here?
NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: One, the actions I've just pointed. The fact --
LEE: What action?
PRICE: The fact that Russia continues to engage in disinformation.
LEE: Well, you've made an allegation that they might do that. Have they actually done it?
PRICE: What we know, Matt, is what I've just said, that they have engaged in this activity.
LEE: Engaged in what -- well, hold on, Ned.
PRICE: But let me --
LEE: What activity?
PRICE: Because obviously this is not, this is not the first time we've made these reports public. You will remember that just a few weeks ago --
LEE: I'm sorry, made what report public?
PRICE: If you'll let me finish, I will tell you what report we made public.
LEE: OK.
PRICE: We told you a few weeks ago that we have information indicating Russia also has already pre-positioned a group of operatives to conduct a
false flag operation in eastern Ukraine. So that, Matt, to your question is an action that Russia has already taken.
LEE: Well, it's an action that you say that they have taken but you have shown no evidence to confirm that. And I'm going to get to the next
question here, which is, what is the evidence that -- I mean this is like crisis actors, really? This is like Alex Jones territory you're getting
into now.
What evidence do you have to support the idea that there is some propaganda film in the making?
PRICE: Now this is derived from information known to the U.S. government, intelligence information that we have declassified. I think you know --
LEE: OK, well, where is it? Where is this information?
PRICE: It is intelligence information that we have declassified.
LEE: Well, where is it? Where is the declassified information?
PRICE: I just delivered it.
LEE: No, you made a series of allegations and statements.
PRICE: Would you like us to print out the topper? Because you will see a transcript of this briefing that you can print out for yourself.
LEE: That's not evidence, Ned. That's you saying it. That's not evidence. I'm sorry.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was quite the exchange, wasn't it? Our CNN White House reporter, Natasha Bertrand, joins me now live.
Natasha, if you can take America's word for it that Russia is planning to stage a fake attack, and the veteran AP reporter in that exchange with Ned
Price clearly not prepared to do so, what would be the advantage of publicizing that now?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think just taking a step back from the details that are released by the U.S. yesterday about
this alleged video, it reveals an overall pattern that the U.S. and its allies have tried to reveal to the world about Russian intentions to stage
some kind of provocation that would then allow them to invade Ukraine.
And so the Western thinking here, the U.S. and allied thinking is that by making the pattern public, then regardless of which path Russia chooses to
create that pretext for an invasion, even if it's not the fake video, even if it's not these provocations using pre-positioned folks in eastern
Ukraine, even if it takes some kind of different form, then the world will look at that skeptically, and they will question whether or not this was a
real provocation by Ukraine and its allies against Russia and Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine, or whether it was something that was staged by
Russia in order to create a pretext for that invasion.
So I think the timing of this now comes as the U.S. is very concerned that there have been no diplomatic breakthroughs. They do not see Russia backing
down. They see no reason to believe that Russia is negotiating in good faith here and actually has the willingness to take off-ramps that the U.S.
and the West are offering here. And so they are trying to get ahead of this by releasing what they claim is intelligence that they have collected,
suggesting that Russia even during these negotiations is engaging in nefarious behavior in Ukraine.
ANDERSON: The veteran reporter Matt Lee, though, making the point that they are not releasing intelligence, are they? They are saying something out
loud, publicizing an event they say they have intelligence on, but they're not releasing any evidence as such. And this does all feel, with respect to
the administration, that they are desperately trying to get the Russians to sort of bite, and as you rightly point out, they have provided a number of
off-ramps, that the Kremlin simply hasn't taken, and we still don't know what President Putin's thoughts on all of this are at present, do we?
[10:40:03]
What's your sense of how this is playing out at the White House? There must be some real sense of frustration there.
BERTRAND: Yes, the White House still doesn't know exactly what's going through Vladimir Putin's mind and of course that is because the U.S. has
had very limited intelligence visibility into Putin and his inner circle over the last several years.
You're completely right that they have not provided any concrete intelligence, sources, methods, et cetera, for this allegation that they
are preparing this video. They say that they have collected intelligence that suggests that Russia has hired actors to be in this video, et cetera,
but sources told us that this video does not actually exist yet. That this is not something that has been made. That this is something that Russia
just may be planning.
And so the White House now I think what their strategy is, is they are trying to tell the world that if Russia tries to use this as a pre-text in
order to convince the international community, that it had an excuse to invade Ukraine, then the international community should think twice about
that.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Natasha, thank you, our correspondent at the White House.
And we are getting more details on the timeline, leading up to the U.S. raid in Syria that left the leader of ISIS dead. According to a senior
official from the Biden administration, U.S. intelligence gathering on this character, ramped up a few months ago. The official says part of what gave
him away was his network of couriers. On December 20th. President Biden sat down with the Defense secretary and others to work out the details of how
to capture him. The goal was to take him alive, but special forces closed in, we are told, the leader blew himself up.
CNN's Oren Liebermann has more now on how the operation unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A U.S. raid shattering the overnight hours in Northwest Syria. Special Forces going
after the leader of ISIS, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, aka Haji Abdullah.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Last night's operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield and has sent a strong message to
terrorists around the world, we will come after you and find you.
LIEBERMANN: President Joe Biden watched from the White House as Special Forces closed in on their target. The helicopters approach the three-story
compound in the middle of the night according to senior administration officials. Once on the ground, Special Forces warned civilians to clear
out, evacuating 10 civilians including eight children. Official say al- Qurayshi then blew himself up, killing his wife and children and tearing
the top of the building apart.
His lieutenant, one floor below, was killed in an exchange of fire with U.S. forces. The Pentagon said a child was also killed on this floor but
wouldn't say how or by whom.
Toward the end of the two-hour operation, officials say two members of an al-Qaeda affiliate were killed in an exchange of fire with U.S. forces.
U.S. forces also having to destroy one of the helicopters on the ground after mechanical failures. Four civilians were killed in all, according to
the Pentagon and five combatants. That wasn't the plan.
GEN. KENNETH MCKENZIE JR, COMMANDER, CENTCOM: And I say capture the leader of ISIS. That was the intent of the mission.
LIEBERMANN: This raid was the biggest U.S. operation in Syria since the operation to kill Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019, the original leader of
ISIS.
Al-Qurayshi's background is a bit of a mystery. His exact birthplace and birth date unclear. He was in U.S. detention in 2008 before he was turned
over to the Iraqis, and at some point, released. In March 2020, the State Department labeled him a specially designated global terrorist with a $10
million reward.
BIDEN: He was responsible for the recent brutal attack on a prison in Northeast Syria holding ISIS fighters. He was the driving force behind the
genocide of the Yazidi people in northwestern Iraq in 2014.
LIEBERMANN: Al-Qurayshi never left the third floor of the building in Northwest Syria except to bathe on the roof officials said. By early
December, intelligence officials believe they had pinpointed his location and Biden authorized the operation.
The White House called his death a blow to ISIS, but the terror organization is still suffering from the defeat of its self-declared
caliphate in 2019 has plans to rebuild.
(On camera): General McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said that even if Haji Abdullah didn't have the same name recognition or fame as
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the original leader of ISIS, he was just as dangerous and just as involved in planning ISIS attacks. Meanwhile, U.S. officials
say the next leader of ISIS will suffer the same fate.
Oren Liebermann, CNN at the Pentagon.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, quite frankly, it was supposed to read like a horror show. Today's U.S. jobs report is out and there will be many, not the least,
those at the Biden White House who will be mightily relieved. More on that after this.
And is it a bridge too far? The Amazonian portions of Jeff Bezos' yacht threatened to cause a Prime delivery delay.
[10:45:08]
Sorry, folks. More on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: A blowout U.S. jobs report for January and totally unexpected, it has to be said, the world's biggest economy added 467,000 jobs last month.
That's more than three times what economists had expected. And all the world is watching this one because this is all about how the U.S. fared
during the Omicron surge.
CNN's Matt Egan joins us now. I mean, it is remarkable. I mean the global economy takes its que from the U.S. economy, so we have to watch what this
jobs report means for not just the States but the rest of the world. But I have to start with, how did the economists get this so wrong?
MATT EGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, I think that's the question that a lot of people are asking right now because we really were bracing for the
worst. And we kind of got the best. 467,000 jobs added in January. Remember the White House was bracing the public for a severe slowdown in hiring,
perhaps even an outright decline. Instead we got the opposite. Some banks were calling for a loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Now this isn't just about January. If you zoom out and look at the month- by-month gains, you'll see that the government actually revised up, both November and December. By 709,000 jobs combined. 700,000 more jobs were
added in those months than people previously thought. That is amazing. Another positive is the labor force participation rate ticked up. That
means more workers are coming off the sideline.
Now the unemployment rate did move up, it did inch higher to 4 percent, but as you can see on the chart, it remains very low, especially compared to
that peak of nearly 15 percent in April of 2020, and it went up because of a good reason because more people were looking for work. You know, if
anything, this jobs report is going to raise concerns that the jobs market is too hot. The chief economist at Jeffries put it this way. She said both
the payroll and household survey painted a picture of a labor market on fire.
And as you can see, there were gains across the board, leisure and hospitality, more than 150,000 jobs added, professional services, retail,
transportation all of them up. Wages accelerated in January, soaring by 5.7 percent from the year before. Now that is great news for workers who are
dealing with the higher cost of living. But that could raise some concerns about a wage spiral, where high inflation becomes entrenched in the
economy, because workers are demanding more pay to deal with inflation, and companies have to raise pay, and it gets into a vicious cycle.
[10:50:05]
We need to keep an eye on that, and I do think that the inflation side of this is what is concerning the market because at last look, the Dow was
down significantly, bond markets are reacting, we've seen the treasury rate move up very quickly because investors are starting to price in the
potential, and the Federal Reserve may have to move more aggressively to cool off inflation.
So, Becky, we need to keep an eye on wages, but listen, all in all, this was a very good report. Especially considering the really gloomy
expectations.
ANDERSON: Yes, and you are making some really good points there, higher inflation, higher rates, what does that do for the economy going forward?
Look, inflation, the nemesis of the bond market, it is not surprising that we would see a hit to that.
What you've just been talking about will be addressed, that being the U.S. jobs report, that is, by Joe Biden, the U.S. president, who is set to make
some comments from the White House, and we've got a shot on that for our viewers just as soon as he comes to the microphone, we will get to him. I
mean, this is a day that he will enjoy making a statement because of course this is good news for a White House that is somewhat beleaguered at this
point.
Thank you.
Well, this is a tale that may leave you scratching your head, as it involves a bridge, a boat and a billionaire. This is what is known as De
Hef, a historic bridge in Rotterdam which the Dutch consider a national monument. Well, the bridge's central span can be raised in the air to allow
ships to sail through. But that's still not enough to accommodate this yacht.
It reportedly costs almost $500 million. Half a billion dollars. And it belongs to U.S. billionaire Jeff Bezos. The three enormous masts are so big
that they can't pass under that bridge. So how do you solve this problem? Quite simple, isn't it? Dismantle the bridge. Yes, that's what Oceanco, the
company building the yacht has asked for.
As you can imagine, the request is causing somewhat of a stir, to put it mildly. Bezos and Oceanco offered to pick up the costs of dismantling the
bridge, and then putting it back together. But the Rotterdam city council has not yet agreed.
This endeavor, and all of the money it will cost, causing an uproar, both in the Netherlands and back in the United States. U.S. Congressman Adam
Schiff saying on Twitter, "If Jeff Bezos can pay to dismantle a bridge in the Netherlands to fit his super yacht, then his company should have no
trouble paying its fair share in taxes so that we can build bridges in America.
Unless you missed it, that same Jeff Bezos made an extra $20 billion just yesterday alone as his company Amazon's shares soared. He could finance
quite a funky bridge or two for that, couldn't he?
I'm going to take a very short break. We will be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:55:01]
ANDERSON: And for tonight's "Parting Shots." P-U-T-I-N. A five-letter word that's dominated our news agenda this week. Fears of the second Cold War
turning hot sparking tension and anxiety, so it's good to step away from it even for a brief moment, and that is where Wordle comes in.
Now you probably know it by now, six chances to guess a five-letter word. But what is it? What is it about this simple game that has captivated
millions of us around the world? It was created by Josh Wordle and his partner, and takes us back to an era when the Internet was simple, no e-
mail signups, no (INAUDIBLE) notifications, no aggressive algorithms, above all, no stranglehold over our time. It gives us just one word a day, no
encouragement to stare at your screens for hours. No binging. And there's no way to pay to get an advantage.
But this week, "The New York Times" bought the game for a seven-figure sum. Here's what the man who made that decision had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN KNIGHT, GENERAL MANAGER, THE NEW YORK TIMES GANES: We're just excited to have this audience be introduced to "The New York Times," to
introduce "The New York Times" to this game, and there's so much value we're going to get from that. So you know, we're not thinking right now
about limiting the game in any way.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So will the innocence of Wordle be tainted by this corporate acquisition? Will its simplistic beauty give way to a complex setup aimed
at acquiring more users? Well, so far, let me tell you, none of those fears have dented the enthusiasm for the game. Cloned versions in a variety of
languages are popping up all over the place. The bridge you're seeing here is an Arabic iteration. The only difference is that players are given eight
chances instead of six.
So whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, I do know that for now at least, I will be spending a few minutes every morning hoping to turn
gray squares green.
You thought I was going to spoil it for you. That's how well I've been doing. I'm not going to show you how I did today.
Back after this, folks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
