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One World with Zain Asher

Search And Rescue Mission Underway In Morocco Earthquake; Kim Jong- Un Heads To Russia For A Meeting With Vladimir Putin; A Group Of Protesters Scaffold With Police Outside The Home Of Netanyahu's Justice Minister; Rubiales Steps Down, Still Not Conceding Any Wrongdoing; An Airstrike In Khartoum Market Kills At Least 43 People; President Biden Heads Home After A Trip To Asia; Mexico's President Shows Support For Claudia Sheinbaum; Djokovic Wins The U.S. Open In Straight Sets Over Daniel Medvedev; U.S. Marks A Somber Anniversary Of September 11 Attacks. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired September 11, 2023 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:38]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Hello, I'm Linda Kinkade live at CNN's World Headquarters here in Atlanta. Welcome to One World. It's just

after 5 P.M. in Morocco, three days after a powerful earthquake shook the country and levelled villages in the high Atlas Mountains. Nearly 2700

people have been confirmed dead, thousands more are injured. Rescue crews and volunteers are now sifting through the rubble, hoping to find any sign

of life and survivors are left to pick up the pieces of their homes and communities. I

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: It was a shocking experience. I don't know how to explain it even more. I'm still shocked of it and all the people also shocked. And we're

trying to find some solution now for the people to feel a little bit mentally okay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: The earthquake registered as a magnitude 6.8 that's the most powerful to hit the country in more than a century. The quake destroyed

entire villages in the foothills of the mountains and many areas are cut off by landslides. Our Sam Kiley is in the area and filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAM KILEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another victim buried, returned to the earth that killed when it shook. More than 2000 people have perished

in the worst Moroccan earthquake in over 100 years. Most of the deaths were in villages in the Atlas Mountains, where homes cracked and crumbled late

on Friday night.

The pancaking of these buildings down a side street here in Malai Ibrahim killed 25 people, three or four are still missing, believed buried in the

rubble. And this is a pattern that has been repeated throughout this province. And it looks very often like there's been some kind of air

strike. The collapsing buildings here are actually leaving holes as if they've been hit by Russian bombs in Ukraine.

But this has been an all too natural disaster. At least three elderly people have been entombed here in the remains of their hotel and a fourth

guest is missing. After the quake, Sami called his parents for a day and a half. It rang out until the battery died. too.

SAMI SENSIS, PARENTS DIED IN EARTHQUAKE: I'm here just because I have lost two of my best things that I have in this life. My parents, my father and

my mother, I have lost them here.

KILEY: His grief turns to anger at the government, as it does for so many here.

SENSIS: They have no planification, only they have words. It's a balloon of words, only that they have words. That's all.

KILEY (voice-over): Aid is arriving, but slowly. In Asni nearby, authorities tell me that 27 people were killed in the quake and 1200 lost

their homes.

So, Fatima and her husband have said that when they were in the house she was in the bath when this series of explosions broke out. They said there

was no shaking of the ground. She's saying that it felt like the blast from a Kalashnikov automatic rifle, that this was like a sense that the place

had been hit by a war. They had no idea that they were suffering from an earthquake. Luckily for them, they evacuated their family very rapidly.

Nobody in their family was killed but in the village there was -- 27 people were killed.

The house is now abandoned. But Fatima led a team of local women to find food and shelter for the homeless before any aid arrived. All the food

here, the result of private donations. Many villages here remain isolated, roads cut by landslides. Relief operations will focus on getting to them.

Firefighters consider searching for bodies beneath the hotel. Their conclusion is disappointing. Amidst shocks and shattered masonry, it's just

too dangerous to rescue the dead.

[12:05:00]

So, for now, Sami's parents will stay buried where they are. Sam Kiley, CNN, in Moulay Brahim.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, for more on this, I want to bring in our Ben Wedeman who joins us from Rome. Ben, good to have you with us. So, we've been seeing

obviously these field hospitals set up in the region. We've seen workers digging with their bare hands, looking for survivors. Talk to us about the

international effort to assist.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the international effort at the moment is really focused on four different

countries -- the United Kingdom, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Spain. It seems Morocco is hesitant to open the gates wide to the entire world. So,

we've seen, for instance, the United Arab Emirates has opened what they call an air bridge to send supplies and equipment. Spain also sending

emergency search and rescue people, as well.

So, it does appear that the Moroccans are trying to limit the international aid, so that also their authorities, their army, for instance, can go in

and provide as much assistance as possible. We do understand that the Moroccan military, after two-and-a-half days, has finally reached one town

that's in the epicenter of the -- where the earthquake took place.

But the efforts are slow. Keep in mind, the first 72 hours after an earthquake are vital because after 72 hours, for instance, if you're stuck

in the rubble and you have no access to water, chances are you will probably die. So, time is of the essence to get whoever it is, whether it's

international assistance or Moroccan personnel. But to get to those towns and villages which have been too remote to access also as a result of roads

that have been blocked as a result of this earthquake. Lynda.

KINKADE: Yeah, Ben, as you say, the clock is ticking to find survivors. Talk to us about the conditions that these rescue workers are under. Have

there been any other aftershocks? What's the weather like? Because we have seen these pictures of people, survivors, sitting amongst the rubble

holding up umbrellas.

WEDEMAN: Well, there were lots of aftershocks in sort of the 24 hours that followed the earthquake, which happened, of course, at 11, right after 11

P.M. on Friday evening. Since then, they've been diminishing. I think the last aftershock was more than 10 hours ago. So that's, as an immediate

threat, seems to be diminishing. Fortunately, the temperatures, it's pretty warm in that part of Morocco at this time of year, and it will continue to

be warm for the next at least 10 days. But going forward, keep in mind, many of these houses are simply destroyed beyond repair.

Up in the Atlas Mountains, the high Atlas Mountains, it gets very cold as the weather changes into autumn and then to winter. So, it's going to be a

long-term problem providing adequate shelter to these people who are now basically homeless or living in tents. Lynda.

KINKADE: All right, Ben Wedeman for us. Good to have you with us. Thanks so much. And in a few minutes -- about 20 minutes from now, actually, I'll be

speaking with the regional director for the International Federation of the Red Cross about the ongoing aid efforts in Morocco. So, please stay tuned

for that.

Well, the Kremlin and North Korea have confirmed that Vladimir Putin has invited Kim Jong-un to Russia. North Korean media says the two leaders will

hold talks and that meeting may soon take place in the coming hours. A South Korean official tells CNN that North Korean leader is on his way to

Russia right now, likely in his heavily-armored luxury train.

Neither country has confirmed the nature of those talks. But it is believed that the two leaders will discuss an arms deal. It could happen in Russia's

far east. Russian media reports that President Putin has arrived in Vladivostok about 130 kilometers away from the North Korean border. CNN's

Nic Robertson is following the developments and joins us now live from London. Good to have you with us, Nic.

So, the North Korean leader, reportedly, in his armored train, heading towards Russia to meet with the Russian leader. There are rumblings about

an arms deal. How unusual is this trip and what are the expectations for this meeting?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think in the context of these two leaders, them meeting to cement and finalize a deal is not

extraordinary. They don't meet often. In fact, one time before Kim Jong-un came and met with President Putin back in Vladivostok in 2019.

[12:10:00]

So, it's sort of, you know, these are leaders of two pariah states. So, it's not unexpected that they would try to seek to support each other. And

Kim Jong-un potentially has ammunition, weapon systems of the same type that the Russian military uses that President Putin desperately needs in

Ukraine in this war of attrition. So, if that's the context and substance of the meeting, as is expected as U.S. officials believe, then this is a

cause for international concern.

It would likely, therefore, potentially extend the war in Ukraine. And Putin is in a weakened position and may be willing to give up more

potentially dangerous and deadly military secrets and know-how to Kim Jong- un to get these weapons supplies, specifically how to build, maintain, and use nuclear-powered submarines, how to launch military spy satellites.

These can be game changers for North Korea that absent Putin's need in the war in Ukraine, he might not have otherwise got.

So, the fact that they would come together, symbolic for both of them because they need to show their publics that, you know, that they are

leaders on the world stage doing big things, they're doing it together, and they're the type of leaders who are not going to delegate details or

delegate, you know, final signatures to people below them. They're going to do it together and what the coup does from their own countries for doing

it.

KINKADE: Yeah. And I want to ask you, Nic, about another story that we're following. This researcher working in the U.K. government, accused of

spying and he is one of two young men that is under investigation for espionage, spying for China. What's the latest?

ROBERSTON: Yeah, the two men are expected to appear in court in the U.K. under the Official Secrets Act in October. What's interesting here is they

were arrested back in March, a 20-year-old in Scotland and a 30-year-old man just outside of London in Oxfordshire, brought to London for

questioning, released on bail.

So, there were a number of surprises here. The details have been leaked to a British newspaper. Even the name of this researcher published over the

weekend into the beginning of this week, causing that researcher actually to release a statement saying any, you know, any idea that he was spying

for Russia is patently untrue, that he in fact has been doing the opposite. He's been teaching people about how the Chinese -- Chinese Communist Party

is dangerous.

So, he's refuting that. The Chinese embassy here is calling it fabrication, calling it malicious. So, there's intense pushback on the nature of this,

but it reaches high up within the Conservative Party to Conservative Party members of Parliament who hold important foreign policy briefs.

Two MPs who have chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee, which is an important body withi, you know, within government in the U.K. So, the

concerns about what they may have -- what these two men may have been doing are being deeply felt at the moment. The specifics, however, we don't know

and won't know till they get to court in October.

KINKADE: All right, we will be following that closely. Nic Robertson for us staying across several stories today. Thanks so much. Well, thousands of

protesters have gathered in Jerusalem at this hour outside the Supreme Court and the Knesset. They're angry about efforts by Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu to limit the power of the Supreme Court, efforts that they say will undermine Israel's democracy.

Earlier, a smaller group of protesters scaffold with police outside the home of Netanyahu's Justice Minister. Six people were arrested. The court

is due to hold an extraordinary hearing that Tuesday where it will hear arguments for and against the government's judicial reform plan. Well, I

want to bring in CNN's Hadas Gold who joins us from Jerusalem. Good to have you with us, Hadas.

So, this protest movement has continued month after month. The prime minister now saying he will exhaust every possibility for a wide agreement

on this judicial overhaul. Just explain those comments for us and how they're being received.

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, so Lynda, we are just up the street from the Supreme Court where thousands of protesters have gathered.

You can see the protesters streaming by behind us. There's a big stage behind us being set up for speeches. And the protesters say that they're

here to show support for the Supreme Court because tomorrow is that big day. When an extraordinary session will be held to hear challenges to that

law that was passed in July that took away the Supreme Court's ability to declare government actions unreasonable and keep them from happening.

[12:15:00]

Now, it is true that there have been reports that Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to work on some sort of compromise that could even potentially

freeze this judicial process. He's put out a statement saying he's exhausting all efforts. But for these protesters, they essentially don't

believe anything that comes out of Benjamin Netanyahu's mouth, and they will not believe anything that would potentially stop this process until

they see something codified, either into law, legislation that pulls back this law that was passed in July or some sort of resignation or some sort

of either major concrete step that they see is actually in place and cannot be revoked.

They believe that Benjamin Netanyahu's words are like ice that will just melt the moment sun hits it. And that's why these protesters are here out

in force the night before. What will be an extraordinary hearing in Israeli history because never before have all 15 judges of the Supreme Court set to

hear a case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOLD (voice-over): It is now the longest and largest protest movement in Israeli history. For nine months, tens of thousands of Israelis have taken

to the streets every week, protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to completely reshape the Israeli Supreme Court. When Netanyahu

returned to power late last year, he brought along the most far-right-wing and religious government ministers in Israeli history. But he promised he

would be in control.

BENJAMIN NETANYAU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: But I don't know. I'm governing. I've got my two hands on the wheel and believe me, it's going to

be a good direction.

GOLD: If Netanyahu's hands have been on the wheel, it's been a bumpy ride. And the ride is about to get even bumpier. The Supreme Court this week will

begin to hear arguments on the first aspect of the judicial overhaul to pass parliament. A new law that strips the court of its power to nullify

government actions it deems unreasonable. Netanyahu has refused to say whether his government would even abide by a court ruling striking the law

down, which would spark a judicial crisis, setting different branches of government against each other.

AMIT SEGAL, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT CHANNEL 12 (through translator): The Supreme Court and the government alike possess a credible nuclear

threat against the other side. If both sides are rational actors, they will put their -- they will disarm themselves. Problem is we're in a crisis that

is not very rational anymore.

GOLD: Netanyahu's allies say the judicial reform is needed to rebalance powers between the branches of government. But it's prompted a crisis in

Israel's defense forces, reservists and some soldiers vowing not to serve, the Israeli shekel weakening, as well as concern from Israel's greatest

allies.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, including Itamar Ben- Gvir and Betzelal Smotrich, pushing contentious new bills and making controversial statements about Palestinians, while violence and deaths

spiked to record levels in the decades-old conflict across Israel and the occupied territories. Israeli security experts like Haim Tomer, a former

chief of intelligence for Mossad, warned that Israel's security is on the line as the country risks tearing itself apart.

HAIM TOMER, FORMER MOSSAD INTELLIGENCE COMMANDER: I see that the collapses of Israel has already started. We should wait on the sidelines and see how

Israel is ruining itself.

GOLD (voice-over): Questions looming as Netanyahu heads to the United States next week for the U.N. General Assembly, where a long-awaited

invitation to meet President Joe Biden remains up in the air, just like Israel's future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLD (on-camera): And Lynda, interestingly, tomorrow morning, the government will actually be represented by private counsel. And that's

because the government's own attorney general, who is not a political appointee, has issued her own formal opinion on this law and believes that

it should be struck down. Now, although the hearing will be tomorrow, we may not get a decision on this until the deadline, which is January 12th.

Lynda.

KINKADE: All right. We will follow that closely tomorrow. Hadas Gold, thanks so much. Hadas Gold for us in Jerusalem. We'll still to come,

Spain's football chief, Luis Rubiales quits and the star player that he kissed, Jenny Hermoso is on it. We'll have more on Spain's football fallout

just ahead. And ceremonies being held across the U.S. today to pay tribute to the nearly 3000 victims of 9-11. We'll have a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:22:10]

KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us. Well, after weeks of mounting pressure, Luis Rubiales has resigned as president

of Spain's football federation. Calls for his resignation had grown louder over that unwanted kiss that he gave star player Jennifer Hormoso as Spain

celebrated its women's World Cup victory. Rubiales has vowed to clear his name following what he called excessive persecution.

And just hours after he quit, Spain's football club honored Hermoso in her first match since that World Cup victory. Mexico also paid the football

star an emotional tribute in front of a supportive crowd at Hidalgo Stadium. I want to bring in CNN's World Sports' Don Riddell for more on all

of this. Good to see you, Don. So, the legal troubles are certainly building for Rubiales. He finally stepped down, but he's still not

conceding any wrongdoing.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, it's fascinating, Lynda. The equality minister in Spain said it's over, but I wonder if it really is over, and we

can look at that in so many different ways. You mentioned his legal troubles. Just last week on Friday, the national prosecutor in Spain filed

a claim complaint regarding the crime of sexual assault, then we must wonder how the players feel about this. Their next game is going to be in

just, what, 11 days' time on the 22nd of September. Remember, they had said that they wouldn't play for the national team whilst the leaders remained

in place.

So, Rubiales has now gone. Jorge Vilda, the coach who they already had issues with, was fired last week. But what about the Spanish Football

Federation, who during the last three weeks had stood by Rubiales, who had released two statements on the subject threatening legal action against

Jenny Hermoso for, quote, "spreading lies".

So, is this going to be enough to tempt the players back to come back and represent the national team? And, of course, this coming just three weeks

after the biggest triumph they possibly could have imagined winning the World Cup beating England in the final in Sydney, Australia.

It is just an absolutely extraordinary story and again, we look at Rubiales and what he's saying about it. He's made numerous statements over the last

few weeks. He, of course, spoke for half an hour on an occasion where many people thought he was going to quit and he didn't.

And whilst he has apologized, many people would say that he lacks contrition and as you say he is vowing to clear his name. He's talking

about excessive persecution and many falsehoods. So, is it over? I think from his perspective certainly not.

KINKADE: Yeah, he certainly has many more challenges ahead. I'll have to leave it there, Don. We are going to stay on this story. Don Riddell,

thanks so much. We've got La Liga TV football broadcast journalist Semra Hunter who has been following this story closely and joins us live. Good to

have you with us.

[12:25:00]

SEMRA HUNTER, FOOTBALL BROADCAST JOURNALIST, LA LIGA TV: Thank you very much for having me.

KINKADE: So, we've spoken quite a few times in the past few weeks as this pressure for Rubiales to quit, to resign, has only continued to build. Why

now? Why has he finally stepped down?

HUNTER: Well, one of the reasons that he cites in an interview that he gave in English, actually, with Piers Morgan was that it was down to his

daughters. It was a conversation that he had with them, with his father, where they said to him, at this stage, it really is about preserving a bit

of dignity and trying to avoid further damage and harm that's already been caused. And now it's about trying to really focus on the future.

Of course, we were talking about that just a moment ago, the fact that he has a court case, a criminal court case now that he has to worry about. And

so, his whole focus now is about trying to clear his name, about trying to restore his reputation, about trying to defend what he calls as his

innocence. He says that he believes in the truth. He says he believes in faith.

So, I think it was them who really, or they who really managed to get him to see the light, to see the writing on the wall, that there really was no

other choice at this point in time. And I think the real tipping point was Jenny Hermoso filing that official complaint. And that had to happen in

order for the investigation to continue in the criminal courts. And there could be very serious consequences and repercussions if in fact he is found

guilty.

So, the fact that he lost all of his allies, everyone turned their back on him. He really became an isolated man. He was all alone and there was

unsurmountable pressure coming from Spanish society and abroad, as well. So, I think he finally realized, even though he wants to go gung-ha about

this, he wants to fight into the bitter end, which has always been his consistent statement, really across the board for the last three weeks. I

think unwittingly, he's decided, okay, I have no other choice but to stand down even if he doesn't really want to.

KINKADE: And Semra, he wasn't the only one to be forced out. The coach, Coach Wilder, whose actions have also been criticized, was forced to

resign. He, of course, appeared to grab the breast of an assistant coach at that Women's World Cup final. That assistant coach has now been named as

the coach. Has she spoken up about this at all?

HUNTER: No, she really hasn't said anything about it at all. And I imagine it's because she's watching everything unfold and the fact that she's just

been appointed to the job. And there's also been quite a lot of criticism about that, as well. There's not a lot of people who really see this as the

right appointment. On the one hand, it's brilliant that you have a woman who takes up the role that's never happened before in the 42 years of the

women's national team history. There's only ever been three men in the post prior to this.

But people who know her, even previous Spanish national team players such as Vero Boquete have been very vocal about this. And they've said, listen,

she doesn't have a lot of experience. She's really not qualified for the role. And on top of that, it's just a continuation of what was already

there.

You pointed out she's the assistant of Jorge Vilda. Well, she's been in that role for the last five years since 2018. So in terms of philosophy,

methodologies and so on. It really is just staying very much in the same vein as before.

So, there really isn't too much change, which is what these women have been asking for. They weren't asking for a woman to take over necessarily. What

they wanted was someone who was qualified for the job, who has the know- how, who has the knowledge to lead a team of this caliber, now currently the best team in the world after winning the World Cup.

So, I imagine, it's probably a bit of an overwhelming situation for Montse Tomei, the new coach, and she's probably just kind of biding her time to

see how this all goes down, to see what the reaction is, because the players themselves -- she was appointed a week ago, they still haven't said

anything. So, we don't really know how they feel about this appointment.

And we don't know if the removal of Jorge Vilda along with the resignation of Luis Rubiales, if that's going to be enough to sway them to come back

and play now for Monts Tomei or if in fact they want to continue to dig their heels even further and demand more changes because quite frankly, it

just might be now or never.

KINKADE: Yeah, and I have to ask you what it's going to take to see a bigger cultural shift, because it wasn't just about that unwelcome kiss on

Jenny Hermoso. There's a long list of complaints, right?

HUNTER: Absolutely. I mean, they've been talking for many, many years now about a whole ecosystem that has been in place, that has been incredibly

toxic all the way from the top down to the bottom. So, it's a systemic issue. It's not just about one person or two people. It's about a whole

group of people who have been running the show. And I think a lot of the concerns for people now is that, still within the federation are those who

have been either previous allies of Luis Rubiales, at least publicly, privately perhaps they still are, but publicly they have now turned their

backs.

But people still say, listen, these are the masterminds, these are the people that have been calling the shots that also think like Rubiales.

[12:30:00]

So, how are we going to be able to change things if the same people are still in those positions? And so, that's why I say, I wonder what the

players are going to do if they're gonna stand firm on not returning to play for Spain until there's a proper clear out or if they feel as though

this is enough because if you listen to those who have been vocal about this, they'll tell you it isn't enough. There still has to be more change

implemented here because effectively just by removing one piece or two, not a whole lot changes. And there's only been cosmetic changes up until this

point.

So, people are still demanding that there are systemic changes within the institution, not just in wider society, but within the football world, even

within the media, as well. There's still a lot of pressure on the federation to really make good on these promises that they have now put

forward and shared with the world that they are going to be making these wholesale changes, but have yet to do so. So, it will be very fascinating

to see how this does play out in the coming weeks and months, especially now, as they have to have elections at some point to vote in a new

president.

KINKADE: Yeah, exactly. We will continue to follow that. Semra Hunter, always good to get your perspective from the Liga TV. Thanks so much.

HUNTER: Thank you very much.

KINKADE: Well, still to come. A desperate search in Morocco for survivors following Friday's earthquake. Right now, time is the biggest enemy. We'll

have a look at the rescue efforts when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:35:03]

KINKADE: Hello and welcome back to One World. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I want to catch you up now on the headlines. In an airstrike on a market in Khartoum

has killed at least 43 people. That's according to the Sudan Doctor's Trade Union, which says dozens more were injured. The Sudanese Army and the

paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since mid-April, forcing more than four million people to flee.

U.S. President Joe Biden is heading home after a trip to Asia, partly aimed at countering China's influence in the developing world. At a stop in

Vietnam, he met with the nation's prime minister and unveiled a strategic partnership. President Biden says his visit is not about containing China,

but about having a stable base in the Indo-Pacific.

A crucial 72-hour window is closing in Morocco where hopes of finding any more survivors are fading, nearly three full days after the country's worst

earthquake in more than a century. Most of the nearly 2700 people who were killed in the quake were in the Al-Hayouz province just outside of

Marrakesh, but the death toll is all but certain to rise. An untold number of people are still unaccounted for, and many remote mountain villages that

were hardest hit remain inaccessible, some of them blocked by landslides.

The scale and scope of the devastation is still coming into focus, partly in those isolated regions where responders are struggling to reach victims.

And where many now destitute families face another night of sleeping outside. One grieving father who lost his eight-year-old son in the quake

described the heartbreaking situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAMID BEN HENNA, MAROUANES FATHER (through translator): At night there was no electricity. We couldn't see it all and stones were falling on us in the

dark. I hurried and luckily there was a gate open. I helped my wife who was injured get out along with two other kids My son was stuck until the next

morning. When his uncles came from Casablanca. They managed to get him out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, time now for The Exchange, my conversation with Dr. Hossam El-Sharkawi. He is the regional director of Middle East and North Africa

for the IFRC and joins us now from Beirut, Lebanon. Thanks so much for joining us.

HOSSAM ELSHARKAWI, IFRC REGIONAL DIRECTOR, NORTH AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST: Thank you.

KINKADE: Obviously, like this, this is a disaster on a massive, massive scale, hundreds of thousands of people in need right now. Give us a sense

of what the priorities are. Thank you. It is a tragedy unfolding. And the world is mobilizing. There's a lot of solidarity locally and

internationally. And that is reassuring. We are dealing on -- simultaneously on multiple fronts.

Search and rescue are the top priority now. Extricating people from under the rubble, getting the teams out there, and giving those people who are

pulled out the emergency medical assistance and interventions that they need. In parallel, we're working with the survivors. They need blankets and

some shelter and food and water, as well, and some medicines. Those are critical, critical functions that are happening now.

Of course, the road clearances are taking place. The picture is becoming a bit clearer the first two days, as always, in these types of massive events

are foggy. And until you have clarity and identify the priorities as we are now, hour by hour, then we're able to target most in need. This will last

weeks.

The window, really we're looking for search and rescue, is about a week. After that, the hopes dwindle and we're really focusing on the survivors

and making sure that they also are not affected by the aftershocks, the electrocutions that can happen, the road traffic accidents, people are

lighting fires to warm up at night in these mountains, injuries from burns and so on.

So, we can see how these things are unfolding. We have a lot of experience as Red Cross, Red Crescent societies doing this all over the world. It's

not our first earthquake.

KINKADE: Yeah.

ELSHARKAWI: And we have also focused on supporting the Moroccan Red Crescent mobilized locally. Critically, locals are the first true first

responders and the more we enable them to do a better job, the better the response will be.

KINKADE: And doctor, we have seen images of the field hospitals set up to help those injured. We've also seen images of workers digging with their

bare hands to try and reach survivors. Talk to us about how all these international countries and international aid agencies are working

together. Who is coordinating the efforts?

ELSHARKAWI: The main agency responsible for ordination, of course, is the local authorities, is the civil defense groups who are now coordinating the

search and rescue teams, the medical, or the ministry of health, the relief and so on, ministry of interior and others and the Moroccan Red Crescent.

[12:40:00]

The medical or rather the Ministry of Health, the relief and so on, Ministry of Interior and others and the Moroccan Red Crescent.

It is not unexpected to have poor coordination in those first two or three days. I've seen this all over the world. The images I see now in Morocco,

and our teams on the ground are confirming this, of course, is what I saw in the Big Nepal earthquake in 2015. Mountainous region, villages

disappeared off the face of the earth, roads cut off. We are helicopter lifting everything to those communities.

And I think now the helicopter assistance will probably kick in delivering. The first focus of helicopter assistance wasn't taking those injured and

severely injured out. Now it's gonna shift to delivering the food, the water, the tents and the medical teams. There aren't enough of them. The

systems are overwhelmed, and this is now the role of international surge assistance that is already coming in, including the Red Crescent, Red Cross

Federation, which we are managing on the ground now.

KINKADE: And just give us a sense of the challenges you're facing, trying to get to some of those remote communities and villages in the Atlas

Mountains.

ELSHARKAWI: It's heartbreaking, as your report just said, people digging with bare hands, people gathering to clear the rubble off the roads,

boulders the size of cars, they're trying to move them by hand. It's heartbreaking and -- but people are helping each other. They are gathering,

they're creating their own makeshift shelters until we can get there with the proper tents and blankets and the tarpaulins that are needed.

So, there is that community solidarity, but of course that just can carry you only so far. And this is why we are in a race against the clock. We

feel the international teams have a lot of capacities. There are flights coming in now from all over the world and dispatching that as quickly as

possible is of course the top priority.

So, the logistics will be here a critical component. And this is what we are doing with the authorities. And a key component of this, of course, is

psychological support. The trauma faced by the people can last a lifetime. And we've seen that in many disasters across the world.

So, there is a psychosocial component by treating survivors, not as passive victims, but as active survivors, actually engaged in their own recovery,

quick recovery, helping each other out. That really empowers people. So, this is also part of the philosophical approach of dealing with this.

And all of this matters. And we are looking at a two-year program. We're not looking now at a few weeks or a few months. This is massive.

KINKADE: Yeah, it certainly is. It's gonna take a lot of work to help those that have survived and rebuild those villages. Just a quick question. Was

there much damage in the historic city of Marrakesh?

ELSHARKAWI: There was some damage and not a lot in terms of losses. Luckily, it was spared. Much of the damage is outside. Marrakesh is the

gateway to the beautiful Atlas Mountains and it's now the tragedy of the Atlas Mountains, but they will recover. People's dignity matters in these

responses, too. So, we're treating this critically, as that we don't want people to be begging for assistance. We are proactively trying to reach

them and listen to them and dispatch the assistance as quickly as possible.

KINKADE: We appreciate the work that you and your team are doing on the ground. Dr. Hassan Elsharkawi, thanks so much for your time. We appreciate

it.

ELSHARKAWI: Thank you.

KINKADE: And for more information about how you can help victims of the Morocco earthquake, you can go to cnn.com slash impact. Still to come on

One World. Mexicans could be soon saying, Madam President. A look at the two women, it could kick off a new era in the country's politics.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:46:48]

KINKADE: Welcome back. Mexico's president is showing his support for the woman his party is nominating to run the country once he leaves office. And

it's shaping up to be a historic lineup of candidates in the presidential election next summer. CNN's Rafael Romo explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A ceremonial passing of the baton, to the woman named by the government party the day before as the

presidential candidate. Constitutionally barred from running for re- election, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wanted to show in a very public way that Claudia Sheinbaum, a 61-year-old former Mexico City

mayor has his blessing. I

In thanking Obrador for his support, Sheinbaum hit all the right notes by promising to continue the course of what she called the transformation

initiated by the president. This now means that when they go to the polls next June, Mexicans, for the first time in the country's history, will

likely choose between two women when voting for president. Xochitl Galvez, the candidate from the main opposition coalition, described

the passing of the Baton ceremony as a circus. The 60-year-old senator described the ceremony as an act of authoritarianism of the Mexico we want

to leave behind from a weakened president who urgently needs to inherit his mandate due to lack of results.

This is not the first time Mexico has seen a woman running for the presidency. In fact, before Sheinbaum and Galvez, there have been six other

female presidential candidates. But with the two major political coalitions naming women as their candidates, this is the first time it's practically a

given that starting in December 2024, Mexico, a country previously known for machismo, will be ruled by a woman.

Sheinbaum, an environmental scientist with a doctorate in energy engineering and a protege of Lopez Obrador, would be the first president

with Jewish heritage if she wins. Xochitl Galvez, the daughter of an indigenous father and a mixed-race mother, served as the top official for

indigenous affairs under President Vicente Fox and later as senator. Unfiltered and irreverent, she described herself in an interview with CNN

en Espanol as an all-terrain, four-by-four kind of woman.

Early in the summer, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador made her a target of constant verbal attacks that backfired, making the candidate from

a tiny town in central Mexico who rose to become a businesswoman but still rides a bicycle even more popular. But Claudia Sheinbaum will be a

formidable opponent to beat, not only because she has the full support of the governing party but also because as mayor of Mexico's most important

city for the last five years, until her resignation in June to run for the presidency, she has constantly been in the spotlight. Rafael Romo, CNN,

Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[12:50:00]

KINKADE: Well, Novak Djokovic's case to be the greatest tennis player of all time keeps getting stronger. On Sunday, Djokovic won the U.S. Open in

straight sets over Daniel Medvedev, his 24th major title, passing Serena Williams as the player with the most major championships in the open era.

After the match, Djokovic unveiled a special tribute T-shirt honoring his friendship with the late Kobe Bryant. His number was 24 for much of his

career.

Still to come. A moment that shook a nation. Twenty-two years later, America remembers the victims at the September 11 terrorist attacks. We'll

have a live report from New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Ceremonies are being held across the country today as the U.S. marks a somber anniversary. These are the scenes from the Pentagon as

Americans pause to remember the victims of the deadly attacks on September 11th. The majority of casualties were at the World Trade Center in New

York.

On this day, 22 years ago, four planes hijacked by terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center in York City, as well as the Pentagon and a field in

Pennsylvania. Nearly 3000 people died in a matter of hours. To this day, remains of more than 1000 people thought to have perished remain

unidentified. CNN's Brynn Gingras is at the 9-11 Memorial Plaza in New York City and joins us now live. Brynn, 3000 people dying on U.S. soil on

September 11. Explain for us today how those victims and also the first responders are being remembered today.

BRYNN GINGRAS, U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, and you know there are so many of them Linda that actually came out today were part of the ceremony

that actually just wrapped up a pretty soon they'll be allowing this space which was only allowed for family members who lost loved ones to be open

back to the public and be a public space so anybody could come down here and honor those victims on 9-11.

[12:55:00]

And it was, honestly, it really hits you when those bells toll for those six different moments of silence throughout the morning. Everyone just sort

of stopped what they were doing and stood still and just took in what happened here at Ground Zero and, you know, of course, at the Pentagon and

Pennsylvania as well and all the lives lost.

And one of the things that really stuck out today, too, with this ceremony that, again, has been going on now for 22 years is the fact that they

really wanted to incorporate children into reading the names of all of those who perished and the organizers say it's so important that we bring

the children into the ceremony because they're our future generation.

We will never forget what happened here and it's important to continue teaching that process. I can tell you I talked to one woman who was putting

a flower by her -- by a name and I asked who that family member was and she said it was her husband that died here and she said she doesn't come here

often and she did today because her 22 year old read the names. He was 10 months old when his dad died. So, those are the stories that are coming out

of this place here on 9-11, Lynda.

KINKADE: All right, Brynne Gingras for us in New York City on September 11, honoring those victims from 22 years ago. Thanks very much. And thank you

for watching One World. I'll be back the same time tomorrow. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Stay with CNN. Christiane Amanpour is up next.

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END