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Biden Addresses United Nations for Final Time as President; IDF Carries Out Second Wave of Strikes Against Hezbollah; Biden Speaks at U.N. as Middle East Conflict Intensifies. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired September 24, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:01:12]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, world leaders have converged on New York City for what is known as the UN General Assembly while the world around
them literally and figuratively burns.
Brazil's president speaking right now and after that any moment, Joe Biden will deliver his final speech at this gathering as U.S. president after
months of frustrating and at this point failed U.S. diplomacy to end Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. Even as Israel expands its military
operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Mr. Biden is expected to emphasize the need for international partners to try and confront these conflicts as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine and
other hot spots around the globe. We're following Mr. Biden. We are set to hear from the leaders of Turkey and Jordan.
Joining me now from the U.N., our Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour and CNN Global Affairs Analyst Kim Dozier back with us from
Washington for you.
And thank you both for joining us.
Christiane, let me let me start with you. We are just moments away from Joe Biden's speech against a backdrop of, you know, another targeted attack on
Hezbollah in the southern neighborhood of -- of Beirut and the ongoing and deadly conflict in Gaza. What can we expect the tone of this speech to be?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, honestly, Becky, I've done a lot of these UNGA weeks when all these big speeches happen, the
annual gathering of leaders at the U.N., which is meant to be the place where, you know, there's some solutions brought up to the ongoing conflicts
and disasters around the world.
This year, it seems that that is exactly the opposite. It is -- it's so grim that I can't remember it being this grim in the last couple of
decades. And there is this raging war in Israel now on two fronts. And we're very, very much all just waiting to see a whether that provokes a
retaliation from Hezbollah that will so-called cross Israel's red lines and what Israel plans to do next.
It's announced that it will tell, you know, consider its next moves, but apparently hasn't told the United States. Is that a land war? Is that more
airstrikes and how it plans to win on two fronts at the same time? And how it plans, as it's stated by Netanyahu, to end Hezbollah support for Hamas.
So there's that. And then, of course, there is Ukraine and President Zelenskyy's efforts to get the U.S. and its NATO allies to not only deliver
more weapons, but to take off any restrictions.
ANDERSON: Whoever has written this speech will, Kim, not want the President to sound defeatist, but ultimately there will be many around the world who
will be watching the U.S. President in his final speech to the world community and say, this is a man defeated, at least on foreign policy, at
least in the Middle East.
KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: And you'll have at least two major conflicts raging in the background to remind everyone of that. We
don't expect the Israeli airstrikes to stop in their pace this week. If it's true, as they've stated, that they're going after many of the rocket
and missile supplies. They've briefed reporters that there are over 150,000 missiles being held by Hezbollah missiles and rockets. And it's going to
take a lot of airstrikes to go after all of them.
So also punctuating this will be the ongoing war in Ukraine, where in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian troops are at a standstill just about, and
in some areas being driven back by Russian forces.
[10:05:11]
And you've got the Ukrainian president all but begging the U.S. president to use the long-range weapons Ukraine has been given inside Russian
territory. And a decided no from the Biden administration so far.
ANDERSON: Christiane, we are just getting word as we await Joe Biden after the president of Brazil closes out his speech. We are getting word that Joe
Biden will discuss the currently stalled ceasefire and hostage negotiations in this speech. One wonders what he might say, given that at this point
they are going nowhere, correct?
AMANPOUR: It certainly seems that way. And, you know, we have been through this kind of, oh, my goodness, any minute now, something is going to break
in these negotiations, only for it not to. And it bears constantly repeating that for the majority of Israelis, for the majority of this time
since October 7th last year, their number one priority has been to get their hostages back. And that absolutely has not been the number one
priority, they say, and it's obvious, of their government.
And so this is what's causing a huge amount of tension and the ongoing sort of inability by the U.S. to broker some kind of unblocking of the
differences between Israel and Hamas over when, how many hostages, you know, Palestinian prisoners. And, of course, what Israel keeps coming back
to, its desire to control a specific route down in the southern part of Gaza and its desire to have a veto over what prisoners and who can go back
to Gaza.
And now we hear the latest is that they are calling on northern Gaza to be evacuated again for we're not clear exactly what. So this war in Gaza
appears nowhere closer to ending than it did, you know, a week, two weeks, six weeks at any time since these so-called negotiations have been going
on. And that exposes the United States to a sense of impotence over its the ally which owes it the most.
I mean, the United States is responsible for Israel's defense ability. It provides the weapons. It provides the logistics. It provides the support.
Sometimes it intervenes on behalf of Israel. For instance, when Iran sent those 300 rockets and missiles back in April in response to the killing of
its operatives in Syria. So that's a really big problem.
ANDERSON: And, Kim, we've just seen President Biden walking through the halls of U.N. headquarters there. He is about to address the General
Assembly. And, of course, when that happens, we will go directly to it.
Before we do that, Christiane, talking about, you know, how the U.S. government has been exposed and sort of revealing this sort of sense of
impotency when it comes to, you know, what it can do and how it might use its leverage with Israel in this escalating conflict in the region. And I
just wonder, as we look at these images again moments ago, we saw Joe Biden with the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations walking into the hall. I
just wonder whether this entire gathering in this period in September 2024 doesn't expose the United Nations as an organization to a sense of
impotency across so many files.
So, you know, in another era, at another time, and Christiane talking about how long she's been -- she's been covering this, you and I have been
covering this for -- for more than 20 years as well. In another era, this is an institution set up to sort of, you know, provide solutions. And that
is not what the United Nations is doing at the moment. Is it fit for purpose? A lot of people are asking that question?
DOZIER: Well, with no way to change the composition of the U.N. Security Council, when you've got permanent members of the Security Council
diametrically opposed Russia, China, the U.S., then you come to an impasse time and time again. And these non-binding resolutions, like the one that
says Israel needs to pull out of what it calls Palestinian occupied territory, well, it's -- it's an expression of desire, but there's no way
to make it happen. So, yes, President Biden is making an address to an institution that was very important at one time.
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But really, there's a call to action to figure out how to make it useful again, how to make it more than just an expression of a wringing of hands.
And though occasionally it does provide important things like a way to organize peacekeeping to places like Haiti, it's got to do more than that.
ANDERSON: Kim, we are waiting on Joe Biden to begin his speech. While we wait, let me just bring in Ben Wedeman, who is available to us live from
Beirut. And as Joe Biden gets set to make his speech, of course, we must report on the very latest out of Beirut, where earlier today, Israel
conducting a targeted strike on a building that left a number of dead and injured, at least six dead and a number of others injured. Just get us bang
up to date, if you will.
OK, doesn't sound as if we've got Ben at the moment. All right, let's bring back Christiane Amanpour and Christiane, you know, we are sort of just
hovering at this point before we see Joe Biden come onto the stage at the U.N. General Assembly. It's a -- it's a packed room, as you would expect it
to be in the United Nations. It's 10:00 -- past 10:00 in the morning. And we've been discussing what we might expect Joe Biden to say, the tone of
his speech and, you know, the content from a man who we've been discussing this over the past hour or so.
This is a -- this is a U.S. president who has had more experience in the field of foreign affairs than many who came before him, 50 years' worth of
experience as a senator and congressman. And whether there is a sense of disappointment at this stage in the United States and around the world as
to what he has achieved or failed to achieve.
AMANPOUR: You know, Becky, I think that he will be able to rightly say that his legacy includes gathering a huge coalition of countries to oppose
Russia's invasion into Ukraine, for instance, to strengthen NATO, to enlarge NATO to additional countries since Russia invaded Ukraine. Those
are Finland and Sweden to gather as much weaponry and military support that they've been able to muster for Ukraine. I mean, the most interesting part
of this as well is that while they have done unprecedented work and I do believe -- is that him just coming up?
ANDERSON: All right, Christiane --
AMANPOUR: Yes, he's coming up.
ANDERSON: And I'm so sorry. Let me -- let me just -- let me just jump in. It's Joe Biden. Let's listen in.
JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: Today is the fourth time I've had the great honor of speaking to this assembly as president of the United States. It'll
be my last. I've seen a remarkable sweep of history.
I was first elected to office in the United States, America's U.S. senator in 1972. Now, I know I look like I'm only 40. I know that.
(LAUGHTER)
BIDEN: I was 29 years old back then. We're living through an inflection point, a moment of tension and uncertainty. The world was divided by the
Cold War.
Middle East was headed toward war. America was at war in Vietnam at that point, the longest war in America's history. Our country is divided and
angry, and there were questions about our staying power and our future.
But even then, I entered public life, not out of despair, but out of optimism. The United States and the world got through that moment. It
wasn't easy or simple without significant setbacks.
But we go on to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons through arms control, and then go on to bring the Cold War itself to an end. Israel and Egypt
went to war, but then forged a historic peace. We ended the war in Vietnam.
The last year in Hanoi, I met with the Vietnamese leadership. We elevated our partnership to the highest level. It's a testament to the resilience of
the human spirit and the capacity for reconciliation.
That today, the United States and Vietnam are partners and friends. And it's proof that even from the horrors of war, there's a way forward. Things
can get better. We should never forget that. I've seen that throughout my career.
[10:15:11]
In the 1980s, I spoke out against apartheid in South Africa. And then I watched the racist regime fall. In the 1990s, I worked to hold Milosevic
accountable for war crimes. He was held accountable.
At home, I wrote and passed the Violence Against Women Act to end the scourge of violence against women and girls, not only in America, but
across the world, as many of you have as well.
But we have so much more to do, especially against rape and sexual violence as weapons of war and terror. We were attacked on 9/11 by al Qaeda and
Osama bin Laden. We brought him justice.
Then I came to the presidency in another moment of crisis and uncertainty. I believed America had to look forward. New challenges, new threats, new
opportunities were in front of us.
We need to put ourselves in a position to see the threats, to deal with the challenges, and to seize the opportunities as well. We need to end the era
of war that began on 9/11.
As Vice President to President Obama, he asked me to work to wind down the military operations in Iraq, and we did, painful as it was. When I came to
office as President, Afghanistan had replaced Vietnam as America's longest war. I was determined to end it, and I did. It was a hard decision, but the
right decision.
Four American presidents had faced that decision, but I was determined not to leave it to the fifth. It was a decision accompanied by tragedy.
Thirteen brave Americans lost their lives, along with hundreds of Afghans in a suicide bomb. I think those lost lives, and I think of them every day.
I think of all the 2,461 U.S. military deaths over a long 20 years of that war. 20,744 American servicemen wounded in action.
I think of their service, their sacrifice, and their heroism. I know other countries lost their own men and women fighting alongside us. We honor
their sacrifices as well.
To face the future, I was also determined to rebuild my country's alliances and partnerships to a level not previously seen. We did -- we did just
that, from traditional treaty alliances to new partnerships like the Quad with the United States, Japan, Australia, and India.
I know -- I know many look at the world today and see difficulties and react with despair. But I do not. I won't.
As leaders, we don't have the luxury. I recognize the challenges from Ukraine to Gaza to Sudan and beyond -- war, hunger, terrorism, brutality,
record displacement of people, the climate crisis, democracy at risk, strangers in our societies, the promise of artificial intelligence and its
significant risk. The list goes on.
But maybe because of all I've seen and all we have done together over the decades, I have hope. I know there is a way forward.
In 1919, the Irish poet William Butler Yeats described a world, and I quote, "Where things fall apart, the center cannot hold. Mere anarchy is
loosed upon the world," end of quote. Some may say those words describe the world not just in 1919, but in 2024. But I see a critical distinction.
In our time, the center has held. Leaders and people from every region and across the political spectrum have stood together, turned the page -- we
turned the page in the worst pandemic in a century. We made sure COVID no longer controls our lives.
We defended the U.N. Charter and ensured the survival of Ukraine as a free nation.
My country made the largest investment in climate, clean energy ever anywhere in history. There will always be forces that pull our countries
apart and the world apart.
Aggression, extremism, chaos, and cynicism -- a desire to retreat from the world and go it alone. Our task -- our task is to make sure that the forces
holding us together are stronger than those that are pulling us apart. That the principles of partnership that we came here each year to uphold can
withstand the challenges that the center holds once again.
[10:20:12]
My fellow leaders, I truly believe we're at another inflection point in world history. But the choices we make today will determine our future for
decades to come.
Will we stand behind the principles that unite us? Will we stand firm against aggression? Will we end the conflicts that are raging today? Will
we take on global challenges like climate change, hunger, and disease? Will we plan now for the opportunities and risk of revolutionary new
technologies? I want to talk today about each of these decisions and the actions, in my view, we must take.
To start, each of us in this body has made a commitment to the principles of the U.N. Charter to stand up against aggression. When Russia invaded
Ukraine, we could have stood by and merely protested. But Vice President Harris and I understood that that was an assault on everything this
institution was supposed to stand for.
And so, in my direction, America stepped into the breach, providing massive security and economic and humanitarian assistance. Our NATO allies and
partners and 50-plus nations stood up as well. But most importantly, the Ukrainian people stood up.
I ask the people of this chamber to stand up for them. The good news is, Putin's war has failed at his core aim. He set out to destroy Ukraine, but
Ukraine is still free.
He set out to weaken NATO, but NATO is bigger, stronger, and more united than ever before, with two new members, Finland and Sweden. But we cannot
let up. The world now has another choice to make.
Will we sustain our support to help Ukraine win this war and preserve its freedom, or walk away and let aggression be renewed and a nation be
destroyed? I know my answer. We cannot grow weary.
We cannot look away. And we will not let up on our support for Ukraine, not until Ukraine wins a just and durable peace in the U.N. Charter.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: We also need to uphold our principles as we seek to responsibly manage the competition with China so it does not veer into conflict.
We stand ready to cooperate on urgent challenges for the good of our people and the people everywhere. We recently resumed cooperation with China to
stop the flow of deadly synthetic narcotics. I appreciate the collaboration. It matters for the people of my country and many others
around the world.
On matters of conviction, the United States is unabashed in pushing back against unfair economic competition, against military coercion of other
nations, in the South China Sea, and maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, and protecting our most advanced technologies so they
cannot be used against us or any of our partners. At the same time, we're going to continue to strengthen our network of alliances and partnerships
across the Indo-Pacific.
These partnerships are not against any nation. They're building blocks for a free, open, secure, and peaceful Indo-Pacific. We're also working to
bring greater measure of peace and stability to the Middle East.
The world must not flinch from the horrors of October 7th. Any country, any country, would have the right and responsibility to ensure that such an
attack can never happen again. Thousands of armed Hamas terrorists invaded a sovereign state, slaughtering and massacring more than 1,200 people,
including 46 Americans, in their homes and at a music festival.
Despicable acts of sexual violence. 250 innocents taken hostage. I've met with the families of those hostages. I've grieved with them. They're going
through hell. Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell. Thousands and thousands killed, including aid workers.
Too many families dislocated, crowding into tents, facing a dire humanitarian situation. They did not ask for this war that Hamas started.
I put forward with Qatar and Egypt a ceasefire and hostage deal. It's been endorsed by the U.N. Security Council.
[10:25:02]
Now is the time for the parties to finalize its terms. Bring the hostages home and secure security for Israel and Gaza free of Hamas grip. Ease the
suffering in Gaza and end this war on October 7th.
(APPLAUSE)
Since October 7th, we've also been determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region. Hezbollah, unprovoked, during the October 7th
attack, launching rockets into Israel. Almost a year later, too many on each side of the Israeli-Lebanon border remain displaced.
A full-scale war is not in anyone's interest. Even if the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible. In fact, it remains the
only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes and the border safely. And that's what we're working
-- that's what we're working tirelessly to achieve.
As we look ahead, we must also address the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank and set the conditions for a better
future, including a two-state solution where the world -- where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalized relations
with all its neighbors, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Progress toward peace will put us in a stronger position to deal with the ongoing threat posed by Iran. Together, we must deny oxygen to
terrorist -- to its terrorist proxies, which have called for more October 7th and ensure that Iran will never, ever obtain a nuclear weapon. Gaza is
not the only conflict that deserves our outrage.
In Sudan, a bloody civil war unleashed one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Eight million -- eight million on the brink of famine.
Hundreds of thousands already there.
Atrocities are for and elsewhere. The United States has led the world in providing humanitarian aid to Sudan. And with our partners, we've led
diplomatic talks to try to silence the guns and avert -- and avert a wider famine.
The world needs to stop arming the generals, to speak with one voice and tell them, stop tearing your country apart. Stop blocking aid to the
Sudanese people. End this war now.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: But people need more than the absence of war. They need a chance -- a chance to live in dignity. They need to be protected from the ravages of
climate change, hunger, and disease.
Our administration has invested over $150 billion to make progress and other sustainable development goals. It includes $20 billion for food
security and over $50 billion for global health. We've mobilized billions more in private sector investment.
We've taken the most ambitious climate action in history. We've moved to rejoin the Paris Agreement on day one. And today, my country is finally on
track to cut emissions in half by 2030.
On track to honor my pledge to quadruple climate financing to developing nations with $11 billion thus far this year. We've rejoined the World
Health Organization, donating 700 million doses of COVID vaccine to 117 countries. We must now move quickly to face Mpox outbreak in Africa. We're
prepared to commit $500 million to help African countries prevent and respond to Mpox and to donate 1 million doses of Mpox vaccine now.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: We call on our partners to match our pledge and make this a billion- dollar commitment to the people of Africa. Beyond the core necessities of food and health, the United States, the G7, and our partners have embarked
on an ambitious initiative to mobilize and deliver significant finance to the developing world.
We're working to help countries build out their infrastructure, to clean energy transition, to the digital transformation, to lay new economic
foundations for a prosperous future. It's called the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. We've already started to see the fruits of
this emerge in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia and in the Americas.
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We have to keep it going. If we want to get things done together, in order to do that, we must build a stronger, more effective, and more inclusive
United Nations. The U.N. needs to adapt and bring new voices and new perspectives. That's why we support reforming and expanding the membership
of the U.N. Security Council.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Our U.N. Ambassador just laid out our detailed vision to reflect today's world, not yesterday's. It's time to move forward. The Security
Council, like the U.N. itself, needs to go back to the job of making peace, of brokering deals to end wars and suffering.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And to stop the spread of the most dangerous weapons, of stabilizing troubled regions in East Africa, from East Africa to Haiti, to Kenya-led
mission that's working alongside the Haitian people to turn the tide.
We also have a responsibility to prepare our citizens for the future. We'll see more technological change, I argue, in the next 2 to 10 years than we
have in the last 50 years.
Artificial intelligence is going to change our ways of life, our ways of work, and our ways of war. It could usher in scientific progress at a pace
never seen before. And much of it could make our lives better.
But AI also brings profound risks, from deep fakes to disinformation, to novel pathogens, to bioweapons. We've worked at home and abroad to define
the new norms and standards. This year, we achieved the first-ever General Assembly resolution on AI to start developing global rules, global rules of
the road.
We also announced a declaration on the responsible use of AI, joined by 60 countries in this chamber. But let's be honest, this is just the tip of the
iceberg, what we need to do to manage this new technology. Nothing is certain about how AI will evolve or how it will be deployed.
No one knows all the answers. My fellow leaders, it's with humility I offer two questions. First, how do we, as an international community, govern AI?
As countries and companies race to uncertain frontiers, we need an equally urgent effort to ensure AI's safety, security, and trustworthiness. As AI
grows more powerful, it must grow also must grow more responsive to our collective needs and values. Benefits of all must be shared equitably. It
should be harnessed to a narrow, not deepened digital divide.
Second, will we ensure that AI supports, rather than undermines, the core principles that human life has value and all humans deserve dignity. We
must make certain that the awesome capabilities of AI will be used to uplift and empower everyday people, not to give dictators more powerful
shackles on human and the human spirit.
In the years ahead, there may be -- may well be no greater test of our leadership than how we deal with AI.
Let me close with this. Even as we navigate so much change, one thing must not change. We must never forget who we're here to represent. We, the
people. These are the first words of our Constitution, the very idea of America.
They inspired the opening words of the U.N. Charter. I made the preservation of democracy the central cause of my presidency. This summer,
I faced a decision whether to seek a second term as President. It was a difficult decision. Being President has been the honor of my life. There's
so much more I want to get done.
As much as I love the job, I love my country more. I decided after 50 years of public service, it's time for a new generation of leadership to take my
nation forward.
My fellow leaders, let us never forget some things are more important than staying in power. It's your people.
(APPLAUSE)
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BIDEN: It's your people that matter the most. Never forget, we are here to serve the people, not the other way around, because the future will be won
by those who unleash the full potential of their people to breathe free, to think freely, to innovate, to educate, to live and love openly without
fear. That's the soul of democracy. It does not belong to any one country.
I've seen it all around the world, and the brave men and women who ended apartheid, brought down the Berlin Wall, fight today for freedom and
justice and dignity. We saw it, that universal yearning for rights and freedom in Venezuela, where millions cast their vote for change that hadn't
been recognized, but it can't be denied. The world knows the truth.
We saw it in Uganda, LGBT activists demanding safety and recognition of their common humanity. We've seen citizens across the world peacefully
choosing their future, from Ghana to India to South Korea, nations representing one quarter of humanity who will hold elections this year
alone. It's remarkable the power of we, the people, that makes me more optimistic about the future than I've ever been.
Since I was first elected to the United States Senate in 1972, every age faces its challenges. I saw it as a young man. I see it today.
But we are stronger than we think. We're stronger together than alone. And what the people call impossible is just an illusion.
Nelson Mandela taught us, and I quote, "It always seems impossible until it's done. It always seems impossible until it's done." My fellow leaders,
there's nothing that's beyond our capacity if we work together.
Let's work together. God bless you all, and may God protect all those who seek peace. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On behalf of the Assembly --
ANDERSON: Well, that is the fourth and final speech by Joe Biden, his last as U.S. president. He spoke in '21, '22, '23, and now 2024 at the United
Nations General Assembly, the gathering of world leaders once a year there in New York.
Joining me now from the United Nations, our Chief International Anchor, Christiane Amanpour, and also joined by CNN Senior United Nations
Correspondent, Richard Roth.
In Tel Aviv, we have our International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson, and with us, our CNN Global Affairs Analyst, Kim Dozier, back with us from
Washington this hour.
Joe Biden has made his last speech there at the U.N. Christiane, what did you make of what we heard?
AMANPOUR: Well, I thought it was quite extraordinary because the whole lead up, we were talking about, the grim background of what is actually
happening right now at this time when he's speaking to the world. War in the Middle East, war in Ukraine, disease, famine all over, including in
Sudan.
But he started with huge sweeps of history and he ended with it as well, discussing that this is his last ever address, that he'd been in public
service for 50 years, and that he has seen so much upheaval, so much war, the threat of nuclear war, and so much that actually seemed intractable and
unsurmountable at the time, but in the end, did actually work out.
He then went through a litany of the world, as we expected, and then he ended by, again, reaching out to all the leaders talking about how this was
his last term in office, that he had made democracy the hallmark of his presidency, and that this was vital to the fellow world leaders because he
had put the people and the country ahead of personal power, and he directly reached out to all those leaders, many of whom are in power in perpetuity,
to recognize the power of the people and the legitimate rights of the people, and how the people, when unleashed, can actually make their
countries go much more, you know, prosperous, peaceful, and powerful around the world. So that, in terms of the sweep of history, was very, very
interesting.
And one more thing, there is no other president in the world who can stand in front of an organization like that and simply list the billions of
dollars in help that they are giving to the rest of the world. That is what America does. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but you will never
hear another country.
[10:40:12]
It's the unique power of the United States to give, let's say, a billion dollars' worth of vaccines to Africa right now, multi-billions in terms of
world gathering of weapons for Ukraine, the attempt to bring, you know, humanitarian aid to Sudan, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
So I think he did say, yes, we're in deep problems, but we can, working together, you know, have a brighter tomorrow. And I think that's the
optimism him that he wanted to leave the world stage on.
ANDERSON: And to your point, and I quote him here as he closed out his speech, I am more optimistic about the future than I have ever been. We are
stronger, he said, than we think. Stronger together, he said, than alone.
And he talked about the possible in what seems like the impossible. Let me bring you in, Richard Roth. You've been covering the UN for some years.
Christiane and I were just talking about just how long we have been covering the UNGA. You have seen presidents and leaders come and go. You
have certainly seen those who have stayed in power longer than they might have done.
And Joe Biden today saying some things are more important than staying in power, to which he got a huge round of applause, it has to be said. What
did you make of what you just heard?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that was the biggest applause when he said that the people are the ones who really have
the power. You are grabbing at strength and power, but that's not the way it is. And there are certainly, as Christiane hinted, there are countries
sitting and listening to President Biden and knowing full well they have a dictator or a strongman currently in power.
Unfortunately, it seems more tables inside the General Assembly are represented by such a person. He said, I have hope. He talked about his
history of the United States along with him being a senator at 29, getting through the Vietnam War.
He said things can get better. So it was an optimistic speech, very much in tone with how President Biden has carried himself as president.
And there are three major wars going on. And he said stop this war, which is Gaza. But he also talked about the millions going hungry in Sudan during
a civil war there. And of course, Ukraine.
And we will hear from President Zelenskyy at a Security Council meeting later today. Becky.
ANDERSON: That's right. Let me bring in, Nic Robertson, to the point of the ongoing conflicts and very specifically that of Gaza. Nic, this is what Joe
Biden had to say during his speech on the prospect or not of a ceasefire deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I put forward with Qatar and Egypt, a ceasefire and hostage deal. It's been endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. Now is the time for the
parties to finalize its terms, bring the hostages home and secure security for Israel and Gaza free of Hamas grip, ease the suffering in Gaza and end
this war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Frustration and anger in the voice of the U.S. President, Nic?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: With the time that was really a very strident tone. I mean, Joe Biden uses cadence like every
great orator to uplift the points he wants to make. And I think that was one that really connected.
It certainly connected with the audience because there was applause on that point. There was applause on the point where he talked about the current
conflict that's going on between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon right now that's costing hundreds of lives in the past 24 hours. He said the only way
-- the only way to deal with this is a diplomatic solution.
That also got a round of applause. He talked about the West Bank in Israel, where the West Bank, rather the occupied West Bank that currently has seen
the death toll there rocket to hundreds over the past year. And he spoke about the need for a two-state solution for a Palestinian state that has
sovereignty and dignity for the population. That won applause.
I was also struck by what he said about changing the makeup of the U.N. Security Council so that this could become a place that it had been
previously and decades gone by, a place that can help bring peace and arrive at resolutions that that forward that effort for peace that has been
clearly been come lacking over the recent number of years. That also got a round of applause because there's a huge recognition at the U.N. that in
many ways the Security Council has become a piece of its architecture that actually hinders more than it helps.
[10:45:20]
So, though, President Biden didn't talk -- to talk about the support that there was for the -- for the -- for the deal proposed on Gaza.
Nevertheless, to me, that also stuck out as -- as an indication of that need for change and reform at the U.N.
ANDERSON: Nic, as you speak, President Erdogan of Turkey is -- has taken to the podium. I mean, he is now speaking. Let me bring in Kim Dozier at this
point again. Kim, you and I were discussing earlier in the hour or so past that CNN is reporting that U.S. officials are -- are concerned that the
global gathering in New York could inflame mounting tensions in the Middle East. And we were discussing whether, frankly, it was a little too late to
be concerned about that.
And there are leaders, regional leaders, very specifically when we're talking about the Middle East conflict, who are going to take advantage of
their position and their platform here to say that as it is, as far as they are concerned. And I wouldn't be surprised if President Erdogan is one of
those and we will listen in to what he says.
I mean, those -- those concerns will fall on deaf ears for many regional leaders who, you know, will hope that the world is listening and 11 months
into this war in Gaza.
DOZIER: Yes, I think what we're going to hear is a litany of complaints about Israel's behavior, which the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu will likely answer when he gets to the U.N. General Assembly later this week with a very defensive case accusing everyone of forgetting
the horrific acts of October 7th, where 1,200 Israelis roughly were killed, that hostages are still being held and that Hezbollah in Lebanon keeps
pounding northern Israel such that more than 60,000 Israelis have had to withdraw from the area.
But, you know, with the ongoing Israeli airstrikes, which I suspect will continue all week against Lebanese Hezbollah positions, it's just going to
drive each side further into their corners and make it that much harder for the U.S., Qatar, Egypt and others who've been quietly involved in getting
some sort of a ceasefire deal.
So, yes, U.S. officials are right to be concerned, but it just highlights the almost impotence of the Biden administration, despite Biden's bear hug
of Netanyahu right after October 7th happened. Netanyahu is facing internal pressure to get those hostages out, but he also sees his polls slightly
rising every time the Israeli army goes on the defensive, and that is surely what's fueling the current campaign in the north, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah, and many will say that he is sacrificing a ceasefire and hostage deal for a coalition that keeps him in power. You hear that
argument very, very noisily around the region that I am here broadcasting to you, of course, from Abu Dhabi and the UAE. This is the Gulf, and I'm
obviously talking about the wider Middle East region here.
Look, Kim, it's great to have you. Thanks to all of those, Christiane, Nic, Kim joining us, and Richard for this hour.
I'm going to take a very, very short break. We're going to be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:48]
ANDERSON: Right, I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi in the UAE with the time is 10:07 in the evening. You're watching "Connect the World."
Now, I want to recap the two big stories that we are following for you at this hour. Joe Biden, U.S. President has just wrapped up his final speech
at the UN General Assembly as the leader of the United States of America, telling him world leaders that he believes despite major crises raging in
the world that there is a way forward.
Biden said innocent people in both Israel and Gaza are, quote, "going through hell" and he re-upped his call to finalize ceasefire negotiations,
which frankly seem an awful long way off at this point.
And our other top story, thousands of people fleeing their homes in southern Lebanon after Israel continued its attacks today on what it says
are Hezbollah positions. At least six people were killed on Tuesday in what Israel calls a targeted strike in a southern suburb of Beirut. Now, it
comes after the deadliest day in Lebanon in nearly two decades with more than 550 people killed.
CNN's Ben Wedeman standing by with the very latest from Beirut.
Apologies, our communication with you, Ben, has not been great over the last couple of hours. But as I understand it, we have got you now. Can you
just confirm that you can hear me?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I can hear you, Becky.
ANDERSON: Excellent. Good stuff. Thank you, sir. Let's start with Joe Biden's speech. Did you hear it? I'm not assuming that people in Lebanon
necessarily were glued to their televisions for it. There is more going on than what the U.S. President has said at the United Nations. But I just
wonder what you made of it and what you believe Lebanon and the people of Lebanon might take out of it.
WEDEMAN: It was a broken record. The same sort of words that we've heard now for 11 months, lots of aspirations, but nothing in the way of concrete
action and certainly not achievements. We have heard American diplomats and leaders talking about the need for peace. Joe Biden is saying we need to
bring peace and stability to the Middle East.
At the moment, they need to just stop the war, but nothing really seems to be done. He's talking about feverish diplomatic work by the United States.
But this war is 11 months old. More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza. More than 500 people have been killed in Lebanon since yesterday
morning.
That death toll in Lebanon is the biggest death toll since the September 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacres. What we are seeing is that the United
States has been wasting a lot of time and energy flying its diplomats to Beirut, to Tel Aviv, to Cairo, to Doha and elsewhere, trying to work out
some sort of ceasefire in Gaza. But a year for a war like this to last is a very long time and has come at a very high cost.
The United States doesn't really seem willing to bring real diplomatic pressure to bear on its friends in the region, particularly Israel, to
bring the fighting to an end. The United States has tried with these Gaza ceasefire negotiations. It's not altogether clear whose fault is it. Is it
Benjamin Netanyahu? Is it Hamas? The point is that it goes on and on.
Now, basically, the war that started on October 7 in Gaza has spread to Lebanon. It's involved Iran. It's involved Yemen. It's involved militias in
Iraq and Syria. It just seems to be broadening and broadening. And there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.
Now, President Biden said a diplomatic solution is possible. But where is it? The region is falling apart right now. And you need to look also at the
long term. You know, what are America's interests in the Middle East, apart from its allies?
[10:55:10]
Keep in mind, for instance, what happened in Iraq with the invasion and disastrous occupation there, it had a long-term horrific impact on the
entire Middle East. You're going to see the same thing here as a result of the war in Gaza, for sure, and probably in Lebanon as well.
You will have a generation of people who are now very young, who have lost their homes, who have been displaced, who have lost loved ones. That has a
long-term effect. And it is not lost on anybody, certainly not in Lebanon, in Gaza, that the weapons that are killing all of these people are supplied
by the United States.
So increasingly, really across the Middle East, the United States is seen as either incompetent or indifferent when it comes to, you know, what is
happening and what it could do if it really wanted to do it.
Becky?
ANDERSON: Yeah, and Ben, I was struck as we close out this hour, and thank you very much indeed, I was struck by a quote posted by "Save the Children"
on X today, and I quote them here. "Our worst nightmare is now becoming a reality. Children in Lebanon have felt the crushing anxiety of a looming
war since last October. And in the last few days, their lives have been turned upside down, with densely populated neighborhoods bombed. It feels
like danger is everywhere, and they can never be safe."
Lest we forget those involved in this war. Many of them are women and children.
That is it for "Connect the World." Stay, CNN Newsroom is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:00:00]
END
