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Connect the World
Biden Heads to U.N. to Northern Ireland to Mark Good Friday Accord; How can Unionists affect Change to the Good Friday Agreement and Brexit Protocols; Palestinian PM: Israel to Blame for West Bank Violence; Leak Documents Reveals U.S. Spying on Allies, Adversaries; Wider Prisoner Swap between both Sides Expected Soon; Dominion Lawsuit against FOX News Moves to Jury Selection. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 11, 2023 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, coming up Joe Biden is in the air on his way to Northern Ireland as people there mark 25 years
since the Good Friday Agreement, a peace deal that has brought lasting calm even if tensions and some pockets of violence still remain poor. We'll be
talking to the Leader of a key Unionist Party there.
First up the headlines this hour, the top Democrats on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee says there could be deadly consequences over the
leak of classified U.S. military documents onto social media.
Lucy Dee the British Israeli Mother of two daughters who were killed in a Palestinian gun attack has been laid to rest herself after dying from
injuries suffered in the same incident. The funeral follows West bank clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians that led more than 200
people injured.
And the 146 mass shooting so far this year in the United States, police says a 25-year-old gunman opened fire on his co-workers inside a bank in
Louisville Kentucky yesterday this time and live streamed the massacre. Sources say the suspect was told he was going to be fired. He was later
killed by a police man in a shootout.
Well, you're with us for the second hour of "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson and wherever you are watching you are more than welcome. In
a few hours U.S. President Joe Biden will touch down in Northern Ireland to mark 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement a deal that brought peace to the
region after decades of sectarian violence. But tensions are simmering, under the surface amid an uptick in violence and years of an
underperforming economy.
Well, yesterday petrol bombs were thrown at police during a march organized by fringe dissident Republican group in Derry. The British government has
raised the terror threat alert level from substantial to severe meaning an attack is likely. And just today a public safety operation underway after a
suspicious device found inside the grounds of a cemetery.
With the Northern Ireland power sharing agreement currently suspended and economic and social hurdles appearing post Brexit tonight we ask is the
Good Friday Agreement under pressure? Nic Robertson is back with us this hour from Belfast.
And we will spend some time considering that question this hour. Nic, before we do the fortunes of those north and south of the border have
really diverged over the course of the last half century. Is there a route to prosperity and wider peace for those living in the north?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: There are a lot of people here Becky will say that the answer is yes. They feel that the
economy here in Northern Ireland is doing well as doubled over the last 25 years can continue to improve.
And a lot of the economic benefit they feel that has been enjoyed across the island of Ireland has been over the border in the Republic of Ireland
and they feel that the next 25 years that growth and that input of increased economic wellbeing will be really felt here in Northern Ireland
and that will be instrumental in sort of further cementing the - stands for belief.
We went out here to talk to a number of businesses about how they're tackling the issue of Brexit which has made trade in Northern Ireland more
difficult but in other areas more - relatively easy to find out how businesses here really feel the economy shaping up for them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice over): Blind maker - and its boss Cormac Diamond are at the cutting edge of their business?
CORMAC DIAMOND, CEO BLOC: We'll take orders up to 4:30 of any day. There'll be turned around to CMD.
ROBERTSON (voice over): And is an object lesson on beating Brexit's impact on Northern Ireland.
DIAMOND: And there's going to Hala (ph) this one's going to Zuland (ph).
ROBERTSON (on camera): In the Netherlands?
DIAMOND: In the Netherlands.
ROBERTSON (on camera): So this whole pallet is going to places in the EU?
ROBERTSON (voice over): He can sell direct to the EU without the Brexit problems Mainland, U.K. companies have.
DIAMOND: You're a third country within the European market. So there's additional paperwork and tariffs associated with selling products directly
to consumers.
ROBERTSON (on camera): So this is your advantage?
DIAMOND: Absolutely.
BETH LUNNEY, SAINTFIELD NURSERIES: The problem with getting plants from England is that the haulers don't want to do group age.
ROBERTSON (voice over): But Brexit isn't working for everyone even with the new U.K., EU Windsor framework deal
LUNNEY: It doesn't seem that it's going to get any easier and we're now not only have we the border - say we also have to adhere to all these European
rules.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Beth Lunney runs Saintfield Nurseries says she'll still face a near impossible challenge to get some plants from Mainland,
U.K.
LUNNEY: There's just the one that we string are being cut, and we've been cast adrift and that's how it fails.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Improve British communities, the issue is totemic. The power sharing government here is stalled over it yet business here is
somehow powering ahead.
STEPHEN KELLY, CEO OF MANUFACTURING NORTHERN IRELAND: Miraculous thing has happened. Our exports to the U.K., the EU and the rest of the world are all
increased whilst the rest of the U.K. market has decreased.
ROBERTSON (voice over): But political sensitivities are not Brexit's only challenge here. Better business is putting a squeeze on labor. U.S. Mining
Giant Terex which first invested here right after the Good Friday Peace Agreement and now has eight sites turning close to a billion dollars in
sales last year needs to grow their 2000-person workforce and is taking untraditional steps.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're in massive recruitment drive and we are actively trying to recruit females into our business. So when we actually actively
went out under a Female Veteran Academy we were very successful in attracting women into the workforce.
DIAMOND: So this is the next generation of blind production.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Blind maker Cormac Diamond has a solution too.
ROBERTSON (on camera): All robots?
DIAMOND: Yes, largely robots and the type of employee that will you'd see in the future state will have the skills related to advance manufacturing
techniques.
ROBERTSON (voice over): So successful is breaking into the U.S. blind market, selling the robots, not the blinds.
ROBERTSON (on camera): So this is where the future is going to be for you more automated--
DIAMOND: Absolutely, replicas systems of this here deployed around the world, we'll might help manage it in a day to day basis.
ROBERTSON (on camera): Business groups estimate that for every job generated in advanced manufacturing, another three are created in the wider
economy. And right now, in Northern Ireland, one in every four families is estimated to rely on manufacturing for their income.
ROBERTSON (voice over): The political issue in play is business delivering more Brexit winners, the losers, the answer to that likely seen at the
ballot box next month.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: And I think a sense of that will get from President Biden - will get from President Biden when he speaks here at the University in Belfast
at the ribbon cutting tomorrow. And it's something that we've heard from the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, as well, he has said that Northern
Ireland is a great place to do business.
And he really sees that though there are some political issues here he thinks that the Windsor framework has given the best that it can to resolve
those issues and therefore, if the economy can improve and if politicians here can move the population into accepting that, then that's the way
forward that it's the economy that can work even though that some communities may not feel that they're getting everything, politically that
they want that's the narrative.
And that's something I think we'll hear President Biden speak about as well as the economy as a driver to improve people's lives, bring communities
together would he cement that piece and give benefit to everyone over the next 25 years?
ANDERSON: Let's get the opinion of my next guest, Nic, thank you! My next guest is Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie, who writes in a tweet
the President of the United States, will visit Northern Ireland and be met by the UK Prime Minister. The world's media will be watching. We can
promote Northern Ireland as a welcoming positive place or promote it as unwelcoming and negative. I won't be taken in by angry negative voices.
[11:10:00]
Doug Beattie, joining me now via Skype from Portadown in Northern Ireland, good to have you, Doug! Thanks very much indeed for joining us. I do want
to start with the violence we saw on the streets of Derry yesterday, a petrol bomb attack on police at a Republican parade, what's causing these
youngsters to be drawn into violence?
When you look at the images and the videos I mean, what's striking is just how young some of these kids are? They were born after the Good Friday
Agreement, after the troubles. Are these youngsters just doing the dirty work of some of the adults who are around at this point?
DOUG BEATTIE, ULSTER UNIONIST PARTY LEADER: I think you hit the nail on the head with that last remark that you just made these kids have been groomed
in many cases by older people who are opposed to the peace process who will attack the police at every opportunity.
And this was well orchestrated. You just have to look at the images to see that they'd stashed the petrol that stashed the bottles for the petrol
bombs to one side ready for this happening and the police were there they become the target.
So this was orchestrated, but we can't let this deflect or make people think this is what Northern Ireland is all about. This is a small incident
is a flashpoint. It's worrying, of course, that there are very young children involved. But don't let it be what people think Northern Ireland
has become we are far better than what we saw yesterday.
ANDERSON: Well, let's talk about where Northern Ireland is at and to the conceit of Nic's argument in his report ahead of me talking to you. It is
about the economy stupid as it were to quote a U.S. President back in the day.
Northern Ireland is the worst performing of the UK's 12 regions for productivity 10 for GDP per head, third lowest for average weekly earnings.
Look, you know, you want to put a positive gloss on the story here. And I think it's really important to challenge where the issues are before those
youngsters that you see on the street, how does this region get a kick start Doug?
BEATTIE: Well look again, you're bringing me into a place where we all know where we particularly are. And nobody is glossing over anything whatsoever.
The reality is that I've been a politician an MLA in our devolved assembly for seven years.
And of those seven years, I have spent three doing my job. What we need here in Northern Ireland is our devolved government up and working and
providing for the people of Northern Ireland. Assembly has not done that. Three years shouldn't being drag down.
And we suffered. We've had a DUP of - for over a year now and the people are suffering. Do you know what we need in Northern Ireland? We need boring
drama free politics over a protracted long period of time where we can absolutely focus on the economy.
Because you're right, the economy is what will make Northern Ireland work, it will give us a better health service, better education, or people be
more connected with better infrastructure, housing jobs. So our young people wake up in the morning with a sense of purpose and go to bed at
night with a sense of fulfillment. So all of these things are absolutely what we should be driving for. But we do need a devolved government first.
ANDERSON: Right and the Northern Ireland Assembly are suspended currently storm on as it's known. You've been critical of the Democratic Unionist
Party the DUP over the years for not playing apart, refusing to return to power sharing. You've said it's putting the democratic institutions at
risk.
And you have an argument there. What's your message to them on the anniversary the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement? I mean, the
part of us talking to you tonight is to actually answer the question. Is that Good Friday Agreement under pressure this point?
BEATTIE: Well look, we don't have the institutions up and running so of course it's under pressure. But the Belfast Good Friday Agreement is bigger
than that single sum. And it will resurrect itself again in the future.
I have spoken to the DUP to Sir Jeffrey Donaldson in private, and I've challenged him in public that the only way to Northern Ireland work is to
make sure that the institutions are up and running. And when we get them up and running is to make sure that they continue providing for the people of
Northern Ireland.
Of course, I have been absolutely critical of - I'll be critical of any party that dragged down the institutions to stop us providing for the
people of Northern Ireland. And that's what my job is. I'm not a lobbyist.
I'm a politician who provides for the people with regardless of their religion, regardless of their sexual orientation, regardless of what
community they come back from or their ethnicity. You know, I need to provide for all of the people in Northern Ireland I need devolved
government.
ANDERSON: Understood. You yourself has been criticized Doug Beattie. And you've certainly criticized previous Northern Ireland Brexit Agreements and
when we're talking about where the economy goes next.
I mean, you know, ensuring that Brexit doesn't have a detrimental effect on the Northern Irish economy is obviously massively important. What's your
solution to where we are at if not what is known as the Windsor framework as Nic was reporting?
[11:15:00]
BEATTIE: Well listen, again, people need to understand, you know, people think that Unionists are all one group, are all looking in the one
direction. But the reality is we warned - we warned that Brexit would be destabilizing and that's why we voted against Brexit. We never supported
the protocol, it was a bad idea.
And the Windsor framework although it gives us opportunity there is many challenges in there. The opportunities are dual market access, that's a
game changer for Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland's economy.
But the challenges in there are the Irish Sea border and the fact that we still do not have a say over the laws that will affect us in this part of
the United Kingdom. And there are both real issues. But the only way to tackle either the opportunities or the challenges is to have government
open up and running.
So I really want to fight for those opportunities at your market access. So our businesses can really grow, because we've got some fantastic businesses
in Northern Ireland. But at the same time, I'm not going to stand back and say we don't have issues here. And I need to challenge those issues, such
as the Irish Sea border and our inability to make laws that affect our people.
ANDERSON: --now the largest political party on both sides of the border. Does that make a border poll on the reunification of Ireland inevitable at
this point?
BEATTIE: No, of course it doesn't because it will be the people who decide where we go. And at the moment, if you take polling after polling after
polling, you will see that there is no appetite for a united Ireland and there's no appetite for United Ireland, then the reasons for having a
border poll have not been met.
So it hasn't been met yet. So I don't think it's going to be inevitable at all. If there is one, I honestly believe that people will return staying
within the United Kingdom as an overwhelming majority. But we haven't even got to that stage yet. And I don't think we're going to be anywhere near
that stage anytime soon.
ANDERSON: Yes, I mean, you're saying there's no appetite at all I think it's probably an overstatement. But I get your point about - but the
polling at present?
BEATTIE: But you can argue since 1988 25 years - 25 years since 1998 republicanism and nationalism has grown 2 percent in 25 years 2 percent.
Now that's not me making it up. That's a fact the appetite is not there. Of course people are talking about it, you know, down, and it's a fair
aspiration.
I have no issues with without having a fair aspiration for United at the same way I have an aspiration for a United Kingdom. But you asked me a very
distinct question. That question is what do they think? And I do not think that there will be a border poll for united Ireland - in my lifetime.
ANDERSON: Good to have you sir. Your perspective is really important. A big day for Northern Ireland, the U.S. President on his way in flight we
watched him take off on Air Force One about an hour or so ago. Big night there in Northern Ireland and the U.S. President then is going on a trip
into Ireland where he will meet some of his friends and family. Thank you Doug!
Just ahead on "Connect the World" as tensions simmer we'll take you to the heart of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. CNN has been given permission to
film at that holy site, more on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: Just two days after two of her children were buried. Her British Israeli mother has also been laid to rest in the West Bank. Lucy Dee and
two of her daughter's died after a shooting attack in the West Bank. Her funeral earlier today follows West Bank clashes between Israeli forces and
Palestinian left more than 200 people injured.
That's according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. And in Tel Aviv, hundreds of anti-government protesters gathered after Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu delivered an address on Monday evening amid heightened tensions in the region. Well, tensions which significantly escalated last week, when
Israeli forces raided the Al Aqsa Mosque.
And I want to bring in my colleague Salma Abdelaziz, who is live from our bureau in Jerusalem. Salma, you've been into the heart of this story, the
Al Aqsa Mosque itself. What did you see there?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is what was very special access given to myself and my producer - both of us as Muslim women, of course,
only Muslims are allowed to pray at Al Aqsa mosque that is a status quo agreement that's in place for decades.
But worshippers there tell us that agreement that delicate balance is slowly being eroded, slowly being chipped away, perhaps never more than
now, under the most far right government in Israel's history. We went to that site to witness a peaceful prayer taking place.
But there were also visitors coming on to the site. I have to point out here, Becky that these are the last 10 days of Ramadan, the holiest days of
the year for Muslims a period in time in which traditionally visitors, non- Muslim visitors are not allowed on the complex. But we spoke to the Director General of WAQF which is the Jordanian trust that manages that is
the custodian of that site.
And he told us that he sees these visitors as a violation of that status quo agreement. And that oftentimes, in his opinion, is really policed, or
allowing these groups on this holy site unilaterally without the permission of WAQF, which does allow non-Muslim visitors if they've given the green
light.
All of this sounds very complicated. But when you see it on the ground, when you see it in practice, you immediately begin to understand those
tensions and why that place is such a catalyst. We saw women's sitting there they were reading the Quran, they were praying, as some of these
groups passed, we'd heavy police escort you have our pictures, you have our images that you could see there.
One group of women just as a form of demonstration, really, Becky started to read the Quran louder and louder. We as journalists were filmed. We were
filmed by these passers-by, but we're also being filmed by Israeli police as they pass by, as I'm explaining.
This is a place that is supposed to be as one woman, one woman told me a place of prayer, a place of worship, a spiritual place that they feel is
becoming a site of provocation, a political place where anger is playing out. In that yet again, Becky makes it exactly why it's a flashpoint that
can oftentimes lead to wider violence, spiraling violence across the region, as we've seen just in the last few days.
ANDERSON: Salma, thank you. In an exclusive interview Palestinian Authority, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh tells CNN, he blames Israel for
the ongoing violence in the West Bank.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMAD SHTAYYEH, PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER: It's all in the hands of the Israelis. The Israelis are the ones who dictate the shots, the Israelis can
make the situation of escalation and the Israelis can make the situation calm. All what we have seen the incursions into the most and to the refugee
camps that killing house demolitions land expropriation, this is the recipe for disaster?
This is a recipe for violence. When you have ministers calling for wiping out a whole town of Huwara, when you have ministers calling for every
Israeli to hold arms and shoot whenever needed and so on. So there this Israeli government has changed the rules of engagement, to make killing
easier.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: And you can get Israeli perspective on my social media of course and across CNN's platforms as you would expect on balanced coverage from
us. And you can learn more about this story and the biggest trends in the Middle East that is cnn.com and subscribe to our newsletter featuring our
experts across the region.
It is "Meanwhile in the Middle East" and you can find that on digital cnn.com/mideast newsletter or you can scan that QR code that is on your
screen now. Well, to urge an effort, rescue efforts in the Mediterranean Sea now, where Italy's coast guard is working escort two vessels carrying
hundreds of migrants. One boat carrying 400 people is run out of fuel and was at risk of capsizing according to a volunteer run service.
A second boat has 800 people on board; both ran in trouble in rough waters on Monday, ending up stranded along the dangerous route between Malta and
Italy. Well, despite the pressing dangers, Italy's interior minister says tens of thousands of people this year alone have been making what is that
perilous journey.
In fact, the numbers have roughly quadrupled compared to the same period last year. CNN's Barbie Nadeau has more on the desperate risks people are
taking and the pressure that those risks and those people are putting on leaders in Rome.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The world's deadliest migration route is also one of the busiest. Over the weekend, more than
1700 people arrived on the tiny island of Lampedusa, many on small boats from Tunisia where geopolitics continued to push people to risk their
lives. And off the southern coast of Italy, bigger boats in distress put hundreds more lives at risk.
One large boat with 400 people ran out of fuel in the multi search and rescue zone and was given fuel by a merchant vessel to continue towards
Italy on Sunday. Those onboard till the NGO alarm phone that people were threatening to jump overboard due to the dangerous conditions.
And another boat with 800 people was spotted some 120 nautical miles off the coast of Sicily on Sunday. Both boats were being escorted slowly to
safety after coast guard officials deemed it too dangerous to transfer the people in rough seas. It leaves interior minister's statistics from April 7
that show more than 28,000 people have arrived by boat since January.
And after this weekend arrivals and rescues, the number will top 30,000. That figure is about four times more than the same period last year. The
number of deaths is also growing. At least 23 people died when a boat overturned off the coast of Tunisia on Saturday reports rescue ship and
NGO.
These extraordinary arrivals continue to put pressure on the government of Giorgia Meloni, who won an election in September on a promise to stop boats
from landing on Italian shores. Now her government is tasked with dealing with the largest influx of irregular migration Italy has seen in years.
Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, next up from the motive behind it to the scope of the threat itself, huge questions remain over the U.S. intelligence leak. We
are live at the Pentagon as Washington searches for answers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: Welcome back, you're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson. The time here in Abu Dhabi is half past seven. Your headlines
this hour, U.S. President Joe Biden on his way to Belfast in Northern Ireland, where he will attend events to commemorate the 25th anniversary of
the Good Friday Agreement that ended decades of sectarian violence there.
Northern Ireland heightened security ahead of that trip. The president will then head to his ancestral home of Ireland where he still has relatives.
Hundreds of mourners turned out to say farewell to a British Israeli mother laid to rest earlier in the West Bank.
Lucy Dee's funeral comes just two days after two of her children were also buried; all three were killed in a suspected Palestinian gun attack on
Friday. Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich has been officially labeled as wrongly detained in Russia. That's a move by the U.S. State
Department which allows the United States to negotiate with Russia for his release, perhaps as part of a prisoner exchange.
Russia responded by saying Gershkovich had been caught red handed, breaking the law. Well, discord, disorder and potentially deadly consequences. Let's
connect you to what is nothing short of a crisis at the Pentagon right now where officials are scrambling to work out both the scope and source of a
massive leak of classified intelligence.
South Korea says that a considerable amount of information in the documents has been fabricated. CNN cannot independently verify the claims an urgent
call was held earlier between Seoul's Defense Minister and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. This as the White House says the motive behind the
leak remains unclear, as does whether or not the threat is contained.
Let's get you more on the reaction from the Pentagon. Oren Liebermann is there for us. Let's just talk about where we are at with this and what the
national security implications are of this leaked information. What do we have at this point?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Becky, as of right now, in terms of who did this, where this comes from, or why, the government hasn't
acknowledged that it has much of anything really, right now. The Department of Justice is leading the criminal investigation into this to try to answer
all of those questions.
But that's only a small part of what is becoming a sort of spider web of effects coming out of this leak of highly classified documents a leak, as
you rightly point out, that may not be contained. The Pentagon cannot definitively say that there are no more documents that are already out
there, circulating on discord or elsewhere, or that there are no more documents that may come out.
So that in and of itself is part of the damage to national security that this leak may well be continuing and not contained at this point. But
beyond that there is also the threat to how the U.S. gathers this sort of information, whether its signals, intelligence intercepted communications,
a country like Russia could see this information in there and change how they communicate, making it more difficult for the U.S., the CIA and others
to work.
And then there's also human intelligence gathering this from individual people who may now be at risk because of what's leaked in here and what may
be leaked. So, all of that has potentially very grave consequences. And again, that's still only part of it, because there's the effect on the
relations between the U.S. and its allies and adversaries, South Korea, you saw their response coming out.
We've seen other countries that appear to be less worried, but this clearly has a very serious or potentially has a very serious consequence on those
relations. Because the State Department has put or the government rather has put the Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, in charge of the
diplomatic effort to effectively smooth this all over with U.S. allies and partners.
ANDERSON: Report suggesting that the intelligence leak also suggests that the Egyptian military was considering producing weapons for Russia. What
detail do we have on this?
[11:35:00]
LIEBERMANN: So, this comes from a document obtained by the Washington Post specifically related to the relationship between Egypt and Russia. CNN
hasn't seen this and can't verify its authenticity. But it reportedly matches the other documents that CNN has been able to see 53 of those
documents, I should say in all.
And what it says is that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, considered sending Russia or selling Russia, I should say 40,000 rockets
for use in its war with Ukraine, but to do so, instructing his subordinates to do so quietly, so as not to ruin relationships or upset the West. Both
the Egyptians and the Russians responded to this, the Egyptians said it was let me find it.
Informational absurdity, the Russians called it another hoax. But clearly this would have very serious consequences. Egypt being one of the biggest
recipients of U.S. military aid, more than a billion dollars a year, and some high-level U.S. officials were just there in Cairo and meeting with
Egyptian officials.
So, if this were the case, if Egypt were really trying to move closer to Russia or considering supplying Russia as part of the war in Ukraine, it's
going to have incredibly serious consequences for the relations between Cairo and Washington.
ANDERSON: Absolutely, Oren, thank you. Oren Liebermann at the Pentagon for you! This is a story that is rapidly developing. If you want to keep up
with the facts minute by minute as it were, look no further than cnn.com.
That is where you will find the very latest reporting on what we know and crucially what we don't yet know. There's also full analysis from our teams
in Washington DC around this region and beyond. Just follow the links on our homepage.
Well, police say the 25-year-old gunman who opened fire on his co-workers inside a bank and live streamed the massacre. Investigators, police say the
video shows the government fire is AR-15 style weapon inside the bank for about a minute. Officers were on the scene about 90 seconds later.
Investigators are still trying to understand the motive, but sources say the suspect was told he was going to be fired. He was later killed in a
police shootout. Gun violence in the U.S. reaching unimaginable heights a Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 54 percent of Americans say they
are a family member have been impacted by a gun related incident. That's a majority of Americans. This includes a range of incidents including being
shot or threatened with a gun. I want to bring in CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky.
ANDERSON: Sanjay, those numbers are horrific. According to the gun violence archive, there have been at least 146 mass shootings so far this year in
the U.S. leaving more than 200 people dead and hundreds more injured, not just mass shootings, just let's talk about the harm and the fear of harm,
which of course is very real.
DR. GUPTA: This is a sort of a snapshot into the psyche of what is happening over here in the United States, Becky. We hear about these, these
tragic attacks and the gun violence in this country all the time, but the impact on the psychological sort of health of Americans. First of all, I'll
tell you, and you already know this, Becky, but more children and teens die of gun violence than any other cause in the United States.
Now more so than car accidents to give you some context here, about 50,000 people dying of gun violence every year half suicides, roughly half
homicides. But let me show you again to the psyche of this. One in five, roughly 17 percent have seen someone get shot. 19 percent have witnessed a
family member killed by a gun either homicide or suicide.
21 percent had been threatened with a gun that is what is happening here in the United States. So, this is very much top of mind. And if you say well,
look, how fearful are people of it? The answer is that that fear is growing. 40 percent of people fear it sometimes 10 percent almost every
day, 8 percent every day, again, that's according to the survey.
But these numbers, you know, had been worsening again. 50,000 people roughly die every year. But that was nearly a 20 percent increase from just
a couple years before that, Becky. And I think that's part of why the survey was done to understand the impact of that.
ANDERSON: And one of the things that struck me Sanjay, in this survey is that about 41 percent, 41 percent of adults live in a household with a gun
and about three quarters of them say that gun is stored in a way that box common safety practices. What do they mean by that?
DR. GUPTA: Yes, this was really interesting, because this was sort of trying to get out look, what are some potential solutions here? Gun
ownership has gone up not just in terms of number of guns, but number of people owns guns.
It's not just people buying more and more, same person buying more and more guns. But more people are actually going out there and buying guns for the
first time. But what this tried to get at Becky was the storage as you point out. There are safer ways to store a weapon if you have a gun in your
house.
[11:40:00]
And what they found was more than a third of the time 36 percent; the gun was stored, loaded, not supposed to happen. 44 percent it was unlocked,
obviously not supposed to happen. And 52 percent in the same location as ammunition, which again, does not follow best safety practices with regard
to storing again.
So that, you know, this survey, again was trying to say, look, here's the problem. Here's the impact on the psychology of citizens here in this
country. And here's maybe something that can be done about it. If the gun ownership is as high as it is, is there a way to address the fundamental
concern, which is the scan, not being stored safely and potentially used for crime, as we've seen so many times.
ANDERSON: Always good to have you, Sanjay. Even if it is a story that is so utterly depressing, as this is thank you. And as you and I are speaking
officials in Louisville, Kentucky are giving an update on the bank shooting which happened yesterday, five dead, a number of people still seriously
injured.
That was the 146th mass shooting in the United States this year alone. You're watching "Connect the World". I'm Becky Anderson. Why this handshake
is providing a glimmer of hope for Yemen, a country ravaged by years of war and at the center of it is the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
I'll speak to the editor- in-chief of Saudis Arab News after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well in the coming days hundreds of prisoners of war are expected to be released in Yemen. More than 700 Houthi prisoners will be freed in
exchange for some 180 prisoners from the Yemeni government including 15 Saudis. This Saturday, the Saudis released 13 Houthi detainees in exchange
for a Saudi released earlier.
And Monday, the Saudi ambassador was in Yemen for talks with Houthi leaders, giving further hope for relief in one of the world's worst
humanitarian crises. Saudi Arabia intervened in 2015 to restrain the Iranian backed Houthis pushing Yemen into a fully-fledged war, a United
Nations brokered ceasefire has largely held for a year now.
So, to discuss this further, I'm joined by Faisal Abbas, the Editor-in- Chief of the Saudi newspaper, Arab News. As you and I speak on a regular basis, it's good to have you here in Abu Dhabi, in the studio with me. And
you pointed out to me as we were in the advertising break, it's good to talk good news out of this region, and this is good news.
This is good news if it goes in the right direction. So, let's start with the Houthis and the Saudis trying to broker this permanent ceasefire. There
are Houthi demands lifting the blockade completely the airport, open the airport, the ports and pay salaries. Are they going to get what they want
from the Saudis in order to push this forward?
[11:45:00]
FAISAL ABBAS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ARAB NEWS: Well, Becky, as you rightly pointed out, the good news seems to be rolling. And I hope that they
continue to do so. I've been asked regularly, is this the end of the war? The short answer is, is the beginning hopefully, of the end. Certainly,
this is a trust building exercise. The negotiations started as early as 2018.
But certainly, as you pointed out, in the intro there, the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia really helped expedite. These are the two
regional superpowers in the in the Middle East, this really helped expedite this prisoner swap. And hopefully, if all goes well, the swap starts on the
13th. And all 887 prisoners will be home in time for - eight.
ANDERSON: Yes, well, that will be something this proxy war, and let's call it that, this conflict in Yemen is just a very good and a terrible, but
good example of the proxy conflicts that have been playing out now for some time across this region.
The regional rivalry, some call it religious rivalry, but let's call it regional rivalry between Saudi and Iran has been really sort of the
backbone of quite a lot of the disorder and conflict that we've seen across this region. What is Saudi Arabia coming to the table with Iran? Tell us
about what is going on around this region? Because this really is a region in - I want to say not a state of flux, but at an inflection point, for
sure.
ABBAS: Oh, absolutely. First of all, it's important to point out that the prisoner swap, and the extension of the truth is a deal between the
legitimate government of Yemen and the Houthis. What the Saudis and the Iranians are doing, as well as Oman and the United Arab Emirates are
playing the role of guarantors and putting in their weight behind these deals.
But if we rewind to the 10th of April, as 10th of March, sorry, when the Beijing agreement was announced a Saudi senior Saudi source sat with a
number of journalists and explained went into a little bit of details. The agreement does include a mutual commitment to non-aggression or supporting
other parties in aggression against any of the two countries, Saudi and Iran. So that's a very important development.
And, of course, while the Iranians will never admit, perhaps for legal reasons that they are backing the Houthis or supporting or supplying the
Houthis with weapons, what we are seeing today is definitely a sign that Iran carries weight a little bit, at least a little bit with the Houthis.
But as I said, in the very beginning, the deal is between the Yemeni Government and the Houthis.
ANDERSON: Let's be quite clear, the Iranian there, the malign behavior of the Iranian proxies around this region is real, has been for years, however
much we can debate how you know, how aligned the Houthi movement is with Iran. We've certainly seen support for other actors around this region, not
least Hezbollah, for example, in Lebanon, and Hezbollah in Syria.
So, let's just step back for a moment and consider what the opportunities are, should this refreshment, you know, hold for this wider region. And I'm
looking outside of Saudi Arabia outside of Yemen and talking about Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, for example.
ABBAS: Well look, the mere fact that the return of diplomatic ties has now been agreed, the mere fact that the Saudis and the Iranians can now sit and
talk together. I'm not sure if the most optimistic scenario that we will see a complete Iranian withdrawal from the countries you mentioned, from
Iraq or Syria, or Lebanon, where Hezbollah has been, you know, deeply rooted since 1982.
That's just not going to happen. But what will happen now is because the two major powers in the region can sit together and talk, this can help de-
escalate. This can help achieve reasonable solutions for and, most importantly, reduce the tension and the grievance of, of the people in
these countries.
Yemen has a lot to win being a neighbor of the GCC as soon as a peace deal, a permanent peace deal is struck. I'm quite sure that it will start reaping
some economic development assistance from the GCC.
ANDERSON: And at the heart of this rapprochement and, you know, the Kingdom will wear this on its sleeve is its economic interests, and we are seeing
the move from sort of, you know, robust foreign policy, sort of flexing of muscles in foreign policy to a policy that are of diplomacy across this
region from here in the UAE as well, which serves economic interests.
[11:50:00]
What could hurt or ensure that this deal between the Saudis and Iranians failed? What would Tehran all the kingdom need to do effectively to see
this as a failure? I mean, what's the possibility that this doesn't work, I guess is what I'm saying?
ABBAS: Well, look, there's always a possibility that doesn't work. And technically, there are three scenarios that could happen; the most
pessimistic is we stay where we are. And you know what, as Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region, we've had 40 years dealing with this regime
and the by-products of this regime.
And you know, the defenses are up and I don't think as we said, last time, nobody is going to blink during this, this spirit; we're very clear eyed
about what's at risk here. But if it doesn't succeed, then we just go back to the status quo. And you know, we have been developing we have been
growing despite what would be a shame is the missed opportunity.
And of course, Iran would have upset a major superpower in the world, which is China, which is the guarantor and the mediator in this. And you know
China has committed to 300 billion with - in investments in Iran over the next 25 years. I do not think the Iranians want to walk away with them
although they have done unreasonable things in the past.
The most optimistic scenario we talked about earlier that we wake up one day and all of these issues are resolved and Iran decides to withdraw. I
would think that the more realistic scenario is what's happening now is restoration of diplomatic ties, supporting the legitimate governments on
the ground, supporting peace talks between warring parties, in Yemen, because this is a deal that has to happen between them for it to be
sustainable. And we'll take it one step at a time.
ANDERSON: You got to hope that the Yemen situation is successful because you got to think of the Yemeni people at this point. Always pleasure having
you, thank you very much indeed, taking a short break back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Dominions case against Fox News moves ahead this week with jury selection set for Thursday. Before that comes the last pre-trial hearing
that Oliver Darcy joining us live from New York to update us on what came out of that. The judge Oliver was meant to address motions from both sides
to block certain evidence and arguments from being used, was there a ruling?
OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: There's a hearing is still actually going on. And so, we haven't heard yet what the judge could rule.
But you will remember that Fox News was asking the court to prevent certain evidence and arguments from being used in the actual trial which is slated
to start now in under a week.
Some of those things they wanted, not included were references to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and also threats that Dominion voting
staffers faced in the wake of the 2020 election after their company was caught up in conspiracy theories, many of which ended up on FOX News. So,
we're waiting to see how a judge is going to rule on this. But like you said this trial is moving on to - fast, jury selection is supposed to start
in just a few days on Thursday.
[11:55:00]
And then the trial which will be an agonizing affair for FOX News, weeks and weeks of some of their highest profile stars and executives on the
stand, that will begin on Monday unless a last-minute settlement is somehow reached.
ANDERSON: Just remind us what's required to prove defamation. Actually, you know what? We've run out of time, Oliver, it's good to have you. I'll have
you back on. Just because, just before we go at the back end of this show, I've got some developing news. Thank you, Oliver for you from Israel; it
says it's banning non-Muslims from Temple Mount site of the Al Aqsa Mosque of course, until the end of Ramadan.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office says and I quote, it was decided to prohibit the entry of Jewish visitors and tourists to the Temple
Mount. Tensions in Israel in the occupied West Bank have spiraled in the aftermath of recent Israeli police raids on the Al Aqsa Mosque in
Jerusalem.
Of course, as we get more on that, we will bring it to you. I'm Becky Anderson, you've been watching "Connect the World" from our Middle East
programming hub here in Abu Dhabi. "One World" with Zain Asher is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:00]
END
