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Killing of Kirillov In Moscow A "Terrorist Act"; Hamas Says Ceasefire-Hostage Deal "Possible" After Doha Talks; Two Dead, Six Injured In Wisconsin School Shooting; U.S. Agencies Take New Measures To Counter Drone Activity; Hope For An End To Sanctions On Syria; CNN Academy Explores AI; Stowaway Gets Caught Again Trying To Leave U.S. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired December 17, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Well, welcome to the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. Wherever you are watching, you are more than welcome.
I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. Time here is 7:00 in the evening.
A senior Russian general killed in a Moscow bomb attack. A source tells CNN Ukraine was behind the assassination.
Plus, never has the United States seen so many school shootings in one year. Monday's tragedy in Wisconsin leaves a school teacher and a student
dead.
Meanwhile, in Syria, activists say they found mass graves where the Assad regime buried its victims.
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ANDERSON: Well, fury and condemnation from Russia after the assassination of a top general. One Russian senator promising retribution without mercy
for Igor Kirillov's killers.
Similar promises from another lawmaker, saying those involved will, and I quote here, "be found and punished."
Now he was killed early Tuesday by a remote-controlled bomb outside an apartment in Moscow. Russian investigators are calling it a terrorist act.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Moscow. He spoke earlier to my colleague, Max Foster.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are actually at the scene of where this explosion took place. And the Russians are
saying this happened in the early morning hours of today, as the general and an aide to the general were leaving that building.
I'm going to get out of your way and you can see the actual scene of where all of this took place. And you already mentioned that the entrance to that
building where all this happens, the second entrance down from here, was badly damaged in that explosion.
And the Russians are indeed saying that they believe that the explosive device was hidden in an electric scooter parked right outside that building
and that there were about 300 grams of TNT inside that explosive device.
They have already said that they found remnants of that explosive device. And one of the other things that they've said as well is that they believe
that it was detonated remotely.
Now we do know at this point in time that the Ukrainian Security Services have claimed responsibility for this, a source saying that to CNN that
Ukrainian Security Services were behind this.
The explosion, despite the fact that 300 grams of TNT might not sound like very much, seems to have been substantial. We can see that there's a lot of
workers here, on the ground, investigative committee of the Russian Federation on the ground. Some others have cordoned off the area.
But one of the other things that we're seeing as well, Max, if we pan over to the other side, is that the explosion was so strong that it damaged the
building on the other side of the road. You can see there that windows have been smashed by this explosion that took place.
There was an eyewitness report that we have seen, some of them on Russian media, saying that they thought that maybe some sort of cement truck had
unloaded a lot of cement or what something very heavy had fallen down on the ground.
So clearly, the people who live in this area very much heard this explosion at it -- as it took place. Of course, at the beginning, not exactly clear
of what it might have been. The Russians have launched a criminal investigation into all this.
You can see the investigators. And we've seen the investigators on the ground here, not just civilian investigators or from the police authorities
but also military investigators of as well. Of course, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, very important for the Russian military, very high up in the
Russian military.
He was the head of Russia's nuclear, biological and chemical defense forces. And the Ukrainians had actually indicted him in absentia. Just
yesterday, the Ukrainian Security Services accusing the Russians of using weaponized chemicals in the war in Ukraine.
Igor Kirillov for his part, in the past, had accused the Ukrainians of doing the exact same thing. So certainly, someone who was on the forefront
as far as that conflict between Ukraine and Russia is concerned, and someone, who the Russians, of course, for their military, was extremely
important.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, last hour Clare Sebastian joined me from London to walk us through some new video, which is said to show the moments before that
deadly explosion in Moscow. Have a look at this.
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ANDERSON: Clare Sebastian has herself reported extensively from Russia. She joins us now live from London.
Clare, let's just do a bit of a deep dive here.
Just how rare is an attack like this in Moscow?
[10:05:03]
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, it's pretty rare and I'll get to that in a second but we have seen recently a bit of an uptick. But first I
want to bring you a video that CNN has obtained from a source with knowledge of the operation.
This shows the moments just before the blast. You can see two people emerging from that building. The source has told us that one of those was
Kirillov. Now we're not showing the moment of the explosion. You can simply see the dashboard here.
But I don't know if we can play that again. And you can see, just by the lamppost, just next to that doorway, is something that looks like a
scooter. We know from Russian media reports that there was a bomb, they say, hidden in a scooter, which was responsible for this attack.
So I think what this video shows us is a real sense of this being a targeted killing; someone obviously watching, monitoring. We have heard
reports from Russian state media that this was a remotely detonated device.
So that speaks to the sophistication and, of course, the ambition here, of targeting someone at such a high level. But as I mentioned, we have seen
recently an increase in this. There has been, in fact, we believe four.
This is the fourth incident in two months where Ukraine has directly or indirectly admitted responsibility for the assassination of a military
figure in Russia or in Crimea.
In the case of one of them, there was a pilot with the 52nd Heavy Bomber Regiment in Bryansk in late October.
Then a senior official with the Black Sea Fleet in November. And just last week, a top designer with a Russian military industrial company believed by
Ukrainian source with the security services to be responsible for upgrading cruise missiles used on Ukraine.
So this the fourth such incident. This is the highest-ranking military official that we've seen targeted. And I think, look, clearly in the
context of this war, as the clock ticks down to Donald Trump taking up the U.S. presidency for the second time, questions around military aid and
Russia still inching forward on the Eastern Front.
It speaks to Ukraine's rush here to use any means they can to seize the initiative.
ANDERSON: Yes.
And what about Kirillov's use of chemical weapons in Ukraine?
Those are allegations.
How credible are they?
SEBASTIAN: Yes, they are credible. Becky. We have done our own reporting on this. CNN's correspondents have been to the front line, spoken to medics,
spoken to people who have survived gas attacks.
And you know, the CNN, the Ukrainian security services only yesterday, on Monday, indicted Kirillov, charged him in absentia with war crimes, they
say, for the widespread use of chemical substances.
Just to be clear here, we're talking in various incidents CNN's reported. CS gas, riot agents like that on the front lines. He's also been sanctioned
by the U.K. for the use of these sort of riot agents, these choking substances. The U.S. has also sanctioned Russia for the use of these.
So they are credible. He is seen as the guy, essentially, who gave the orders to use these substances against Ukrainian military.
ANDERSON: Clare Sebastian, it is always good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.
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ANDERSON: Let's get you some breaking news on the prospects for peace in Gaza. We've been hearing positive signs or certainly narratives from
regional sources.
And now Hamas saying a cease-fire hostage deal is, quote, "possible" following serious and positive discussions in Qatar.
But the group is qualifying that somewhat. This follows my reporting yesterday that an Israeli technical team was in Doha to discuss the
parameters of a Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal.
Of course, Qatar, with Egypt, have been mediating this long series of talks that have been on and off since November of last year, when we saw the
first and only temporary ceasefire and release of hostages. A year on, let's bring in Jeremy Diamond on what we have today. Jeremy is in Tel Aviv.
So let's be very clear about what we know at this point and what we don't know, Jeremy.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hamas has released a statement adding to that kind of optimism, that we have been hearing from a
range of officials, coming from different countries that are party to these negotiations.
The latest statement from Hamas says that they believe that it is, quote, "possible to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza."
But what they are warning of is that Israel, in their words, must stop, quote, "imposing new conditions," effectively suggesting that these
negotiations are going well, that a ceasefire deal appears within reach, but also warning that all of that progress could be scuttled unless Israel
stops making new demands.
[10:10:04]
Now we don't know that Israel is indeed making new demands in these negotiations. That has, of course, happened at various instances in the
past. What is clear, though, is that there has been progress in the way of a negotiated settlement.
There have been reports that Hamas has made a number of concessions in recent days on issues that had previously held up the prospect of a deal.
We don't yet know with any certainty exactly what those new hurdles could potentially be. But certainly there is an indication of progress here.
We also know, of course, that Israeli officials have been in Doha as recently as yesterday. And we know that the U.S. has been sending teams to
the region as well. National security adviser Jake Sullivan was just in Israel last week and then headed to Cairo and to Doha subsequent to that
visit.
And as he told me last week at this news conference that I attended, he said that his aim in these travels was to try and make a deal within reach
in the coming months, effectively suggesting that he hopes that a deal can be reached before the end of the Biden administration's term in office.
We also know, of course, that they have been closely coordinating with the Trump administration as well; the incoming Trump administration, which has
sought to facilitate a deal, potentially even before president-elect Trump is actually sworn in as the next President of the United States.
So again, certainly some cause for optimism from all corners of these negotiations. But as this Hamas statement also indicates, there is always
the possibility for new conditions, new demands to be made and for that to hold things up as well.
ANDERSON: Yes. And you're absolutely right to point out that the momentum for a ceasefire and hostage deal, based on the sort of parameters that were
set out by Joe Biden and with his proposal back in May, that momentum has been significant.
And we are all hearing that. And it has been significant since the Biden and Trump teams have been working together on this. I've been hearing that,
you know, there's been a Trump personnel coming in and out of the region, speaking to the Qataris, for example, since late November. So the momentum
is there.
We know that these parameters that are being discussed at present, because our sources are telling us that, like I say, very similar to the to the
deal that was proposed back in May by Joe Biden.
Some concessions, it seems, on the temporary stay for the Israeli army, particularly in the south. That was something, it seems, that Hamas may
have, at this stage, conceded to.
But as you rightly point out, Jeremy, there's a lot here and we're not getting across our skis. But the impact and significance of a deal, of
course, would be huge at this point.
DIAMOND: No question about it. I mean, we have just crossed this grim milestone of more than 45,000 Palestinians who have been killed over the
course of this war, according to the Palestinian ministry of health.
We know that there are some 100 hostages still being held captive in Gaza, about half of whom are believed to be alive, according to, you know, my
Israeli sources. And beyond that, of course, the humanitarian conditions in Gaza that are also deteriorating.
We know that there are hundreds of aid trucks that are effectively positioned in Egypt, ready to go in the event of a ceasefire, to kind of
surge humanitarian aid to a region that has -- that is in such dire need of it.
And that is why we are seeing this intensified, renewed effort from all sides, to see if an agreement has been reached.
And we should note that it comes amid major changes in the situation in Gaza, whether from the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the range of
Israeli military accomplishments that may now be allowing the Israeli prime minister to say, let's go for a deal, changing the calculus on the Hamas
side in terms of the killing of Sinwar.
But also, of course, that cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, which the U.S. and Israel believe has left Hamas increasingly isolated, perhaps
more willing to reach an agreement, more willing to make concessions, as we are hearing they are indeed making at this moment.
So all of the conditions appear to be right for a deal now. But they have also appeared to be right at other moments in the past as well. And so,
again, just urging that caution that that these deals are trickiest in the final, you know, 10 yards or so.
And that appears to be the stage where we are. We will see whether or not they can get it across the finish line this time.
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ANDERSON: We know there's been an Israeli delegation in Doha. A diplomatic source familiar with the matter, about 4-5 hours ago, told me that those
talks have been positive but no breakthrough at that point.
Let's just be quite clear about this, because you're talking about just how important and significant a deal would be, of course, for the hostages, for
the people of Gaza. This would be a temporary ceasefire in the first instance, 4-6 weeks, for example, in the release of some but not all of
those hostages as we understand it.
There are two things that have changed, aren't there, in recent months. There is the incoming Trump administration -- and Donald Trump himself has
said, get a deal done before I get into office.
The second thing that has changed -- and I've been told by a number of people in this region that the momentum for a deal has come since the
Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, since Hezbollah effectively had been taken out of the mix as supporters for a very effective -- supporters, both in rhetoric
and in action, supporters for Hamas.
Is that tallying with what you are hearing?
DIAMOND: Yes, exactly. This notion that Hamas has not only lost, you know, its ally in the -- in this fight, that the other militant group that has
been firing rockets on Israel, every single, you know, nearly every single day since October 8th -- in this case was Hezbollah.
So not only Hezbollah coming out of that fight but also what that means in the broader regional context is what Israeli officials and American
officials have consistently pointed out to me, this notion that Hamas had been waiting and hoping that Iran would ultimately step in a much bigger
way than they have.
That perhaps their attack on October 7th would lead to a domino effect that would trigger this massive regional war that that could, you know, bring
Israel to its knees ultimately and perhaps Yahya Sinwar's grandest visions.
But instead Sinwar is dead. Iran has been significantly weakened over the course of the last year.
Its biggest proxy in the region, Hezbollah, has lost, you know, by some estimates, more than half of its rocket arsenal, effectively conceded to a
ceasefire that, for more than a year, it insisted it would not agree to without the end of the war in Gaza.
And so that now, basically, Hamas is left in a position where it is fighting a war that it cannot win. Its military structures have been
decimated. Its governance capabilities in Gaza significantly weakened as well.
And so now Israeli officials certainly believe that this is the moment where Hamas is at its weakest point, where it will make the most
concessions. And that ultimately it is realizing that perhaps its grand dreams of a major war that could, you know, defeat Israel is not going to
happen.
And those are the conditions that Israeli and U.S. officials have pointed to as making now the ripest time for a deal.
I do think it is also important to note, though, that over the summer, you know, the deal that was being considered, that was put on the table, that
framework from President Biden and the Israelis in July, the deal that we are going to see is likely not going to be all that different from that.
With perhaps the exception of some compromises by Hamas on the movement and the timing of the movement of Israeli troops in Gaza.
And then lastly, just the notion that this is not going to spell the end of the war, that is something that the Israeli prime minister has made quite
clear. It's very possible we see a first phase of this ceasefire and then ultimately the war could resume -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely.
And you talked about what October the 7th, what ultimately didn't happen in support of Hamas.
What ultimately did happen was, of course, that it has triggered a complete change in the architecture in the Middle East. That is for sure. What that
new architecture looks like and what happens next is still very unclear.
But we are certainly seeing a huge shift in the tectonic plates of influence in this region. And we will continue to see that in the weeks and
months to come. It's always good to have you very specifically on this story. I know how well-sourced you are, Jeremy. So thank you for that.
As we continue to report on what is a developing story, as we get more, of course, we will get it to you. But it's really important, as I say, that we
ensure that we are reporting the facts as we know them to be.
And that we -- a lot of speculation, conjecture and rumor around what is going on with the ceasefire and hostage talks, we're not going there. We'll
report the facts as we get them.
Well, we are learning a lot more about Monday's deadly school shooting this hour. That was a shooting, of course, in Madison, Wisconsin, which police
say was carried out by a 15-year old student. Authorities say Natalie Rupnow appears to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the
Abundant Life Christian School.
[10:20:03]
Police say a teacher and a student were killed in that attack and six people were injured. There is no word yet on a motive for the shooting. But
authorities say that they are now investigating what may be a manifesto related to the shooter. Let's get you more with CNN's Natasha Chen
following the developing story for us -- Natasha.
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, police have been made aware of this manifesto you're talking about or some sort of letter
that's been posted by someone who alleges to be the shooter's friend.
And the police chief did say that they are going to work on locating that person today. They're also going to be working on locating any devices that
the shooter may have had, to see what kinds of communications she may have had with other people.
Now the parents are cooperating here. We can actually give you some bullet points of what we do know about the suspect.
She went by the name of Samantha; died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, as you mentioned. The parents have been speaking to police
and police are trying to figure out whether they owned or possessed the gun that was used in this shooting.
At this time, they are going to be looking into whether the parents may have been negligent. That's something they'll figure out with the district
attorney.
But the police chief says, at this time, that does not appear to be the case.
Now this was terrifying yesterday. Police say a second grader actually called 9-1-1. This was in a classroom that was a study hall of students of
mixed grade levels. As you mentioned, a teacher and a student were killed.
There were six others who were injured in this shooting. Two of them were students who are in critical condition right now with life threatening
injuries. Here are just a couple of the students who spoke after this happened, just in those horrifying moments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADLER JEAN-CHARLES, SIXTH GRADER: We heard them. And then some people started crying. And then just waited until the police came. And then the
(INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was scared, why did they do that?
NORA GOTTSCHALK, SECOND GRADER: I was getting ready for lunch, so it was basically lunch time. And then I just heard sobbing. And there was a
teacher and she was going like, "Oh, my leg! Help, help!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN: So much for a young person to witness. And as we mentioned, a second grader who called 9-1-1, the police are not sure right now whether any of
the victims were singled out by the shooter. And they are waiting to make sure all family members have been notified before possibly releasing names
of victims.
Police plan on giving another briefing about midday and there will be a vigil tonight at the state capital.
Now CNN has been tracking school shootings since 2008 and this is the 83rd school shooting of this year, in 2024. That surpasses 2023 for the most
U.S. school shootings in a single year since this tracking began.
So this is just very terrifying, Becky, and incredibly upsetting to not just that Madison, Wisconsin, community but to the entire country,
especially just ahead of the holidays.
ANDERSON: Those numbers are absolutely terrifying. Thank you.
Ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, Mar-a-Lago is seeing a parade of some of the biggest names in business.
Why Donald Trump is saying everybody wants to be his friend.
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ANDERSON: Well, big hitters in business -- and I'm talking about big hitters -- along with the biggest names in tech flocking to Florida. They
are queuing up to sit down with no other than Donald Trump.
In the coming hours, the next U.S. president, set to have face to face chats with the head of Netflix, Ted Sarandos; then Amazon founder, Jeff
Bezos, expected to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club on Wednesday. Recent guests have included Apple chief Tim Cook. The U.S. president-elect says
this all feels very different from his first term.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I did have a dinner with Tim Cook. I had dinner with sort of almost all of them, and the rest are coming. And this is one of the big
differences, I think, between we were talking about it before, one of the big differences between the first term. In the first term, everybody was
fighting me and, this term, everybody wants to be my friend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I want to draw your attention to some expert analysis from CNN Politics senior reporter, Stephen Collinson, good friend of the show and
always provides really insightful comment.
He writes this, quote, "Trump has seized control over future foreign policy, towered over world leaders during a Paris trip and has tech titans
flocking to pay homage.
"The question is how long the good times will last when Trump exits his post-victory bubble and reengages with a divided nation beset with problems
and a dangerous world where he is not widely liked, that teems with threats?"
Well, Collinson goes on to say that Trump is having the time of his life. The president-elect already has all the power, according to Collinson, but
without the responsibility. But as Stephen explained last hour, once Trump does take the oath of office on January the 20th, he will have a unique
opportunity.
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STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Only once before in American history has a president -- Grover Cleveland, at the end of the
19th century -- won a nonconsecutive second term before Trump. Trump, therefore, has the opportunity that most presidents don't have of starting
his second term from scratch.
Most presidents are still haunted by the decisions they made in the first term. Even though they get rid of some staff, it's essentially the same
presidency. Trump has had time to sit back and reflect on what he wants to change from his first term.
He's found cabinet picks who won't restrain him, as some of the establishment officials did back during his first four years in the White
House. So he's in a very advantageous position.
The question is, can he be more disciplined than he was in his first term?
Can he bring more than half the country with him on some of his major policy issues?
If, as we saw in the past, that his volatile personality, his easy taking of grudges gets him off track, that could be much more difficult.
And we should also remember that, effectively, although he's going to be very powerful when he takes office, Trump will be a lame duck. He only has
four more years in the White House. He can't constitutionally run again.
So he has a short-term period, I think maybe a year, 1.5 years before the midterm elections start, to really put his stamp on his second term and to
leave a very strong political legacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And you can find that full analysis across CNN's platforms.
Well, later today, the House Intelligence Committee is set to receive a briefing on what are these mysterious drones, which are active across the
eastern United States. It comes as the FBI combs through more than 5,000 tips. The White House says officials are following up on about 100 of them,
though none of it, they say, appears to be illegal.
But despite reassurances from the Biden administration, concern, confusion and conspiracy theories abound. And as CNN's Polo Sandoval reports, the
federal government is taking new measures to address this drone activity.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The federal government now preparing to deploy drone detecting and tracking systems to two military facilities in
New Jersey, where mysterious drone sightings began four weeks ago.
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That's in addition to what's already, according to the Pentagon today, a very robust intelligence network. But the time of the deployment, not yet
clear sources tell CNN.
The president-elect offering a drone theory of his own about the mysterious sightings first reported over New Jersey, including over his golf course.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from. If
it's a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went.
SANDOVAL: Donald Trump's declined to say if he's been briefed on the investigation into the unexplained drones. He did seem to eliminate the
possibility of foreign involvement, a theory that had already been previously shared by the current administration.
TRUMP: I can't imagine it's the enemy, because if it was the enemy, they'd blast it out. Even if they were late, they'd blast it.
SANDOVAL: Unanswered questions have hovered over some residents in New Jersey and beyond. Similar drone reports have come in to authorities in at
least six states now.
The FBI, which briefed New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Sunday night, insists many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft. DHS
maintains the unexplained sightings don't pose a public safety threat and stated unequivocally that not all of them are airplanes.
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: There's no question that people are seeing drones and I want to assure the American public that
we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology to assist the New Jersey state police in addressing the drone
sightings.
SANDOVAL: That does little to assure elected officials on both sides of the aisle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've been trying to discredit these sightings from the very beginning.
SANDOVAL: Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told CNN that assurances from the government, quote, "fall flat."
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): My fear is that the federal government knows little or nothing about most of these sightings.
SANDOVAL: Two weekend incidents demonstrated the disruptive potential from drones in civilian and military airspace. Two men in Boston were arrested
for trespassing after flying dangerously close to Logan Airport.
And in Ohio, flight restrictions were temporarily put in place due to drone activity at one of the Air Force's most critical installations.
And agents at the FBI's Newark field office warning that they've received an increase in reports of pilots in the air getting hit in the face with
lasers by people on the ground, presumably people assuming that the aircrafts are drones.
The FBI's extremely concerned. They are worried that things could potentially escalate and folks may even open fire on these aircraft. The
FBI warning not only is that illegal, it's extremely dangerous -- Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, still to come, as Syria's new rulers look to win over the international community, more details are emerging about the horrors under
Assad's regime. New details are up next.
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ANDERSON: Well, welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Time here in Abu Dhabi is 7:34 in the evening.
Syria's new leaders are making a push for international legitimacy. The rebel leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, seen here in Damascus last week, met
with British officials in the capital on Monday, hoping to convince them the group no longer deserves to be labeled terrorists.
But as Syria looks to a new chapter, we are learning more about the horrors of the Assad dictatorship.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): And the images that you're looking at now are mass graves, where people are digging up skeletal remains, using everything from
heavy machinery to their bare hands.
An anti-Assad advocacy group -- and there are many of them, of course -- says hundreds of thousands of bodies could be buried in one mass grave
alone east of Damascus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, I want to bring in Ibrahim Al-Assil tonight. Now he's a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and he joins me tonight from
Damascus.
And for our viewers' sake, can you just talk about how long you've been away and why and how it feels to be back before we move on?
IBRAHIM AL-ASSIL, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: Thank you, Becky. It's great to be with you.
I left Damascus around 13 years ago and I wasn't able to come back. I visited areas in Syria up until 2014, 10 years ago, areas that were outside
the regime control. I was never able to come back to Damascus or any area under the regime control since 2011.
The last few days I was here in Damascus, I was detained and interrogated by the air force intelligence, by the regime secret police. And since then,
I wasn't able to come back.
But, of course, a few days ago I came back. And it's a whole new world for Syrians now. And it is challenging. It is emotional. It is overwhelming but
it's also something new. We're trying to figure it out.
ANDERSON: And I want to talk about, you know, your assessment of how that gets figured out and what the future looks like.
But before we do that, let's just pause for a moment, because we've got images in today, which are harrowing. I want to start with these pictures
that we just saw, mass graves.
And whatever comes next for Syria, this, of course, is an example of what Syria and Syrians have been through, not just over the past 13 years but
over the past five decades. And whatever emerges from this will obviously be enormously valuable to everybody.
But as we look at these images -- and you will have seen them -- what's going through your mind?
AL-ASSIL: You know, for me, these are -- these pictures we're looking at, this is the Assad regime. This is the regime that ruled Syria for over five
decades.
The cells, the prisons, the dungeons, the mass graves, all of that were the tools that Assad controlled Syria, the oppression that wanted to keep
Syrians silent and never didn't want to give them an opportunity to participate on how Syria looked like.
And this is -- the Assad regime is not only a past yet. We're still trying to grapple with reality. And many people are still looking for their
beloved ones. They don't have a closure yet. They don't know what happened to them, if they were killed, what happened to their bodies, all of that.
That's something that we need to deal with for over years. And they're going to be -- they're going to be very difficult years -- Becky.
ANDERSON: But in parallel, of course, there is an urgent need to create some sort of stability, some infrastructure, some civil society,
leadership, a government -- all of this is no small task.
The new Syrian leader meeting with British officials in Damascus yesterday, for example, just the latest in a series of meetings that he has had.
Here's what the U.N. special envoy said about Syria just in the past few days. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEIR PEDERSEN, U.N. SYRIA ENVOY: We need to see that this is (INAUDIBLE) quickly. We will hopefully see a quick end to sanctions.
[10:40:00]
So that we can see really a rallying around building up Syria again.
And then my last point, we need to see, of course, justice and accountability for crimes. And we need to make sure that that goes through
a credible justice system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Agree with his points there?
AL-ASSIL: You know, those are very, very important points. And while it is a very emotional moment for Syrians and while the Syrian eyes are still
full of tears, we need to look at the future. And we need to try to prioritize and see what we can do on all these parallel paths.
But what's also very important for Syrians now is how the government will look like, how the new political system will look like.
Is there going to be power sharing or not?
Who's going to make those decisions?
Who is going to work on transitional justice?
Transitional justice is not only for the past. It's very important because it also shows us how the future will look like.
Are those in power now the decision makers?
Will they be held accountable or not?
All these are very different priorities. And at the same time, we're talking about millions of people who are still in camps and in tents and
they need to go back to their towns. Their towns are destroyed. We need to rebuild them. Those priorities are overwhelming.
Syrians do need help but also Syrians are builders. Syrians are -- they know that only them can lead this process and can rebuild their country.
And I also see lots of hope going around. It's a very difficult moment but many people still believe that the future should and can be better.
ANDERSON: Yes, and I know how important it is to you that Syria's civil society, which just was destroyed under the Assad regime, particularly over
the last decade or so, is built back up and plays a significant role in Syria's future.
That is important to you and important to so many Syrians, particularly those who've been away and are -- and are back in and dedicating themselves
now to a better future.
Ibrahim, it's good to have you. I hope we stay in touch over the weeks and months to come and it's good to see you there. I know how important it is
for you to be in Damascus and we really very much appreciate your time today. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Right. Still to come, students joining me for this year's CNN Academy simulation explore how our lives will be impacted by the growing
influence of artificial intelligence. More on that is after this.
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[10:45:00]
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ANDERSON: Well, a snapshot of the third CNN Academy simulation here in Abu Dhabi, this year, focusing on storytelling in the age of artificial
intelligence; 140 students from all around the world gathering here in Abu Dhabi for what has been an intensive training exercise, giving them the
skills to succeed in today's media ecosystem.
Well, as part of this program, CNN has partnered with Technology Innovation Institute of Abu Dhabi or TII. Their chief researcher in autonomous
robotics, Professor Enrico Natalizio, helped me kick off the CNN Academy simulation with a MasterClass in which no AI-related question was off
limits.
We talked first about some of the perfect fits for the robotic technology that he is developing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ENRICO NATALIZIO, CHIEF RESEARCHER IN AUTONOMOUS ROBOTICS, TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION INSTITUTE OF ABU DHABI: It means an individual or group of
robots that do things in a cooperative way, mission that are designed to do -- to do so.
For example, not patrolling an area in order to see if there is an intruder or checking for people that survived the disaster, natural disaster and
alert the first aid operator. Anything that is difficult, inaccessible, dangerous for humans, we can send a machine to do it and make them do the
heavy, heavy load of the task to perform.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And we also dived into the theory of AI during this Academy session to learn what academic thinkers are dreaming up in terms of how AI
can enrich our day to day lives.
Professor Elizabeth Churchill is the Department Chair of Human-Computer Interaction at Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.
Here is just one example of the possibilities that she's considering.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH CHURCHILL, DEPARTMENT CHAIR, HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION, MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED UNIVERSITY OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: If you think about health
care, computational biology, the new department, human computer interaction.
So how do we work with hospitals here?
How do we work with teams of medical professionals to understand how I could, for example, lead to a completely different set of, for example,
prosthetics?
I have a very mildly broken foot. But imagine that we can have prosthetics that are molded for you, that are personalized for your gait, where there's
a model that's built for you but also a potential model of how to rehabilitate after injury that could be derived from multiple people's
progression for healing over time.
So you might actually have your sort of rehabilitation person kind of in your boot, on your foot -- best practices, best learning from AI for what
works for people, personalized for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, of course, AI is not without challenges. It poses risks to our way of life that people like Professors Natalizio and Churchill are
still grappling with. I asked Professor Natalizio about his biggest concern. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATALIZIO: Large language models, as any other technology, is part of what we have created through our rationality. Of course, there is a history of
emotion and passions to get there.
But still is a very rational effort so that, if we have an object, like a glass, we know that we call it glass because we know that it means it can
contain some liquid that I will drink.
But this is many other things, like baby that plays with it. It will find 100 different purposes for it. So that creativity, if I confine it to the
data that I can get in because this is in the end of the functioning of this models, will restrict our way of thinking. And that to me might be a
real -- a real danger for humanity in general.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And later in that MasterClass, a CNN Academy student asked Professor Natalizio the question that, of course, we all want to know.
How do we keep up with what is this fast-moving industry?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What skills should students focus on to stay competitive in the AI-driven job market?
NATALIZIO: I underline again the word creativity.
I think that part is something that should -- is super important. So soft skill and creativity are very important. I'm not -- I will not be able to
say which hard skill. I mean to me, hard disciplines like math, physics and so on are always very important if you want to go into, let's say technical
direction.
[10:50:06]
But I would say, more than anything for, as different areas, I would say creativity, soft skill are things that you don't have in a machine. Right?
So in the end, this is -- this is something that only as a human can bring it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So prioritize creativity. Good advice to our 140 CNN Academy students here in Abu Dhabi this year and, of course, to CNN anchors and
staff alike. We will be right back.
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ANDERSON: Well, they say if you don't succeed, try, try again. Or at least that is what a Russian stowaway attempted to do before getting caught for
the second time. That was on Monday.
Law enforcement sources say she attempted to sneak onto a Canada-bound bus from the United States. Now Svetlana Dali was already facing charges after
slipping by security and hitching a ride on a plane from New York to Paris.
And you will have, if you're a regular viewer of CNN, you will be well aware of that story. She is expected to be charged with bail jumping and
could face up to five years in federal prison.
Let's bring in Mark Morales, who is CNN's law enforcement reporter, for more.
How is this even possible for a second time?
I mean, she was wearing a bracelet, after all, as I understand it. I mean, getting past security on a plane is one thing. But then she was wearing a
device, which meant that she shouldn't have been able to move around and certainly not try and leave the U.S. this time around.
So what's happening here?
MARK MORALES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, this is exactly what federal prosecutors were afraid of.
If you remember, when she appeared in court last time, prosecutors made the argument that she was a flight risk and a security risk. And as a measure
to sort of -- sort of split the difference, they said she can be released conditionally but was not allowed to go to airports, had to be restricted
to the area where she was going to be.
But clearly she violated that. And this ankle monitor is a very key piece of this because, as part of her conditional release, she was supposed to be
staying with a roommate. And it was that roommate that found her ankle monitor on the floor and saw that she was missing.
That roommate called authorities and let them know that she had escaped. And it wasn't until they found her on this Greyhound bus that they realized
how far she had gone. She was just -- she had gotten to the Canadian border but did not obviously get in. And that's when she was taken into custody.
Now later today, she's expected to go before a judge in Buffalo, New York, which is in upstate. And eventually she'll make her way back to New York
City. And again, this is where she'll face up to five years in prison, which is a very big difference from being released with conditions --
Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. We've got 60 seconds.
Do we know briefly why she was trying to leave the U.S. in the first place?
Is it clear at this point?
MORALES: It's not clear right now. All we know is that she's tried several times to go where she's not supposed to go, right, from this flight where
she snuck on, to Paris to this. So to this taking this bus through Canada.
[10:55:00]
And we know that, at least being a stowaway, it's a very rare thing. Roughly 2.5 million people take flights every day and are processed on
average here in the United States. But less than a handful are people that become stowaways. So why that happened, that still remains to be seen.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, sir. Thank you very much indeed.
And that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Stay with CNN. "NEWSROOM" with Rahel Solomon up next.
From the team working with me here and those working with us around the world, it is a very good evening.
END
