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Hala Gorani Tonight
Calls for Russian Athletes to be Banned From Olympic Games; Aung San Suu Kyi Poised for Historic Win at the Polls in Myanmar. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired November 09, 2015 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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HALA GORANI, HOST: Tonight a deeply-rooted culture of cheating.
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GORANI: There are calls for Russian athletes to be banned from the Olympics after an explosive report details an endemic doping scandal.
Plus, this hour, CNN goes inside Sharm el-Sheikh airport for a firsthand look at security following the crash of Metro Jet 9268.
Also, pro-democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi, is poised for a historic win at the polls in Myanmar but many challenges remain ahead.
And a Christmas controversy. Starbucks breaks out the red cups but not all customers are feeling merry. We will tell you why.
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GORANI: Hello, everyone, I'm Hala Gorani, we're live at CNN London, happy Monday everyone. This is The World Right Now.
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GORANI: We begin tonight with an explosive report into doping in the world of sports. The details are damming and could have a profound impact on the
future of Russian athletics.
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GORANI: The World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, is calling for Russia to be banned from international track and field competition, uncovering what it
called "a deeply-rooted culture of cheating at all levels." There was also direct "intimidation and interference" by the Russian state in anti-doping
laboratories according to the report. And the London Olympics were "in a sense sabotaged" because athletes were competing that should not have been
allowed to compete.
There's a quick look at the key findings of the report. This is what Dick Pound, who carried out the investigation, had to say about it.
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DICK POUND, WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGNECY INDEPENDENT COMMISSION: One of our hopes is that they will volunteer that so they can undertake the remedial
work in time to make sure that Russian athletes can compete under a new - a new framework, if you like. If they don't, then it has to play itself out
and the outcome may be that there are no Russian track and field athletes in Rio. I hope that they get -- that they recognize that it's time to
change and make the changes.
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GORANI: All right, I'm joined in the phone in Glasgow, Scotland, by Craig Reedie, he is the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, which
commissioned this extraordinary report. Mr. Reedie thanks for being with us.
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GORANI: First of all, I understand that this is a recommendation that the accreditation of Moscow laboratories be permanently removed and that its
director be permanently removed. Have you heard from Russian authorities about this request?
CRAIG REEDIE, WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY: No, I haven't. But I've read the recommendations of the report very clearly, and that in particular piece of
action is something that WADA can deal with very quickly. And in fact my laboratory group are already working on doing that.
I would hope we would not permanently withdraw the accreditation. I suspect that we will withdraw the accreditation as quickly as we can until we can
get the laboratory to work properly.
GORANI: We so now we are talking here about a laboratory in Moscow in charge of drug testing athletes. Is that correct?
REEDIE: Correct.
GORANI: And if you withdraw the accreditation, do you expect it to happen in the next 24 to 48 hours or so or what's the time line?
REEDIE: It could be as quickly as that, yes.
GORANI: OK, and this is something WADA intends to do as quickly as possible.
REEDIE: I would be surprised if they did not.
GORANI: All right. And let me ask you as well about WADA wanting lifetime bans for five Russian athletes including the winner of the 800 meter, the
female winner, gold medal winner of the 800 m race of the 2012, London Olympics. What's the process there, what's the next step?
REEDIE: We have listened to reports that have been sent us to by independent commission which have a number of athletes, a number of coaches
and a doctor. We have under our rules passed these through the IAAF to the Russian authorities, with instructions on what they should do. So that
process is under way.
GORANI: Now, you have said in the last few hours that this is a criminal case essentially. That you are the world anti-doping agency, you don't have
criminal any authority over any Russian agencies that it's been passed on to Interpol. So what happens next, and what could the consequences be
there?
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REEDIE: Well, the World Anti-Doping Agency instructed a doping report from an independent commission. As a sports organization, we are not competent
to deal with criminal behavior. The commission found that there was criminal behavior dealing with two or three specific issues affecting the
IAAF and Russian Athletics Federation. They reported that information to Interpol, Interpol sent it to the French authorities and criminal
proceedings are under way and I am confident that the French authorities will bring these to conclusion and will deal with it.
The rest of it we have to deal with as a doping agency. Because there are breaches of the World Anti-Doping Code. And in itself, it's not criminal,
it's very, very disappointing and very annoying, but it's not criminal.
GORANI: So what is your next step? How can the World Anti-Doping Agency based on the findings of this report, address what the report says
essentially is state-sponsored doping?
REEDIE: We can immediately deal with the laboratory. Secondly, we can quite clearly look at the Russian anti-doping organization. It is almost
certainly noncompliant and it will good into our compliance examination system almost literally again as we speak and we will have decisions or
guidance on that from our compliance group in the United States and in ten days' time.
The International Amateur Athletics Federation, the IAAF, are the responsible body for making sure that their national federations, and that
would be, in this case, the Russian Athletics federation, is compliant with the code. And again, it's quite clear from the report that they are not
compliant.
So we will work with the IAAF, I would think, to make them compliant but if they're not, then the IAAF will have to take the decisions that are their
responsibility.
GORANI: Would you expect, lastly, Russian athletes next year in Rio to be - - to not - to be suspended -- I'm not sure what the exact term would be, suspended, banned, from participating in track and field events.
REEDIE: I listened very carefully to what Dick Pound said when he presented the report. The ball is very firmly and absolutely in the court of the
Russian Athletics Federation, and the Russian Ministry of Sport who oversees the anti-doping process in that country. It is entirely up to them
to see whether they can make themselves compliant, and if they cannot then they have to understand that there could be penalties that they may not
wish to see.
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GORANI: All right, Craig Ready, the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, very much at the heart of this explosive news today. Thank you for
joining us, he is joining us from Glasgow, Scotland.
Let's get more reaction from to this bombshell report, senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, joins me no from Moscow.
World Sports, Don Riddell is at CNN Center.
Matthew, let me start with you in Moscow. You heard it there from Craig Reedie, the President of WADA, saying essentially the Russian authorities
need to make themselves compliant otherwise there will be severe consequences. What is the response from Russian officials today?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well the response has been one of denial so far. I mean we've not had a lot of responses, to
be fair, from the Russian authorities. There's going to be a larger response tomorrow we're told by the Russian Sports Ministry.
But the Sports Minister, Vitaly Mutko, has already appeared on state television, saying that you know, rejecting the allegations made in this
report. Basically saying that Russia has addressed and spent a lot of money addressing the problem of doping in the country. And also saying that the
labs that carry out these tests in Russia are some of the best in the world.
The head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (inaudible), has said that the report was unprofessional and illogical.
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CHANCE: So there is no acceptance it seems at this stage that Russia has a problem and that's a problem that has to be addressed.
GORANI: And Don, what - I mean, what are the possible consequences here. Because if it is found that some of these Russian athletes doped and they
won medals, at the Olympics in London and other big international competitions, could they be stripped of their medals?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORTS: Well they absolutely could be. Although, that's going to be of little consolation to the other athletes who raced
against them over a period of years in major competitions who missed out, not only on fame and glory, but also considerable financial reward. It's
going to be a of very little consolation to them.
Hala, the stakes could not be any higher here for the credibility of international athletics. However they deal with this, whether they strip
individual athletes or not, this is an absolutely massive problem that has to be addressed once and for all.
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RIDDELL: If you were to stop any casual sports fan the street and say, what sport do you think has athletes that cheat through doping, they would
probably say athletics. They might say cycling. But there's a very good chance the answer would be athletics. And this is a problem that the sport
struggled with for many, many years.
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RIDDELL: And today's revelations are an absolute bomb shell. Not just the scale of what was going on within Russia but the fact that the IAAF was
seemingly so impotent with regards to being able to deal with it. Major questions are now being asked of the IAAF's new President, Sebastian Coe.
He has only been in the job a few months, some people are asking him, you were Vice President for 7 years while all of this was going on, how did you
not know anything about it. And now that you are in charge, what are you going to do? How serious can the IAAF get with Russia and drug cheats to
take them on. This is what he had to say a few hours ago.
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SEBASTIAN COE, PRESIDENT IAAF: The day - the day after I got elected, I started a root and branch review of the organization, clearly in light of
the allegations today and criminal allegations made at the beginning of the week. I've advanced those -- that review. And I will do anything it takes
to create and return our sport to being a responsibility transparent accountable sport that is responsive. And that is what I'm pledged to do.
And we have to do this absolutely on behalf of the clean athletes.
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RIDDELL: So the independent commission today also said it had information about the IAAF that they are not at liberty to share with the public right
now. So that's one to watch out for later in the year. But it's going to be very interesting to see just how tough they get with the Russian Athletics
Federation. Remember Russian sport is absolutely massive, they're hosting the World Cup in three years' time. They hosted the Winter Olympics in
Sochi --
GORANI: And Don, I want to get to Matthew in fact on that very point. Matthew, you have these big events coming up in Moscow. I mean this has got
to be at least an embarrassment. Even if there is denial from authorities, at least an embarrassment from organizers, so close to big events there.
CHANCE: Yes. A huge embarrassment. I mean Don's absolutely right, it's a massive blow for the sport of track and field, of athletics. But it's also
a massive blow for Russia. I mean Vladimir Putin has, you know, has constructed this myth, that Russia is a country of sporting prowess. It's
got the second highest number of medals in the Olympics in 2012 in London. It hosted the Winter Olympics a couple years ago, it's hosting the world
cup next year. The World Swimming Championships were in Kazan, a Russian city earlier this year as well. This sort of lends a lie to this idea.
Potentially if it's true, that Russia is this country that has the best athletes out there. You know it shows what lengths Russia has gone to make
that reality.
GORANI: All right, Matthew Chance, in Moscow, Don Riddell, at the CNN Center thanks to both of you.
Now to new developments in the investigation into the crash of Metro Jet 9268.
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GORANI: The U.S. and U.K. have said it, and now Israel is saying that it's highly likely that a bomb was responsible.
The country's defense minister told correspondents it was a high probability that it was an attack. He said it seems an explosive charge
detonated, "inside the plane." Now Israel is not part of any official investigation but Israeli intercepts of ISIS chatter reportedly have been
passed on to the U.K. and the U.S.
Flight 9268 broke apart in midair just 23 minutes after it took off from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh airport. Security at that airport is now under the
microscope. CNN's Erin McLaughlin is in Sharm el-Sheikh and joins us now with a report on that aspect of the airport Sharm. Erin?
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ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Hala as U.S. officials say, they're growing more and more confident that a terrorist
bomb brought down Metro Jet flight 9268. Egyptian officials insist that all options are still on the table. Meanwhile, the Sharm el-Sheikh
International Airport is under intense scrutiny, embroiled in allegations of lack security.
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MCLAUGHLIN: Wheels down at Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport the latest flight in a wave of evacuations ordered by British and Russian governments
to bring citizens safely home. This, as questions swirl around airport security. Allegations key scanners are sometimes not functioning. And
employees accept bribes. Allegations the Egyptians deny. For now, this is as close as our cameras can get to the airport. After the military took
over and kicked the media out.
But it wasn't always this way. Six days after the plane crash, Egyptian officials were eager to show us around. They took us on a tour to see the
airport's inner workings. They showed us the luggage screening process, a process the British government says may have been manipulated leading to
the possible bombing of Metro Jet flight 9268. BBC reports British intelligence believes a bomb was placed in the lower half of the fuselage,
the place where luggage is stored during the flight.
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MCLAUGHLIN: All bags are first x-rayed, if they see something they think is suspicious, that's when they send it to this machine for more (inaudible).
It's called a CTX machine and it's used to test for explosives. When we were there everything seemed to run smoothly but The Associated Press
reports that's not always the case. An unnamed airport officials says the machine often breaks down. And the breakdowns have more to do with "human
stupidity" rather than technical faults.
Another official told AP the policemen at the scanning machines are poorly paid and sometimes take bribes to allow drugs and weapons through. One
policeman told CNN unlike other airport employees he and his colleagues are not searched before entering the airport. Instead they're vetted and
managed by Egypt's top security agencies. He said their work is watched through the airport's camera system.
We were shown one of the rooms used to monitor the system. We're told they have footage of flight 9268. They say its part of the ongoing
investigation.
During our tour we weren't allowed to see everything we wanted. They didn't say why. We asked to get on the tarmac, this is as close as we were allowed
to do. We filmed through an open door and we were denied access to the main room used to monitor the airport.
Egyptian authorities are hitting back at allegations of security lapses. The Civil Aviation Ministry spokesman told CNN "I am not saying we are 100
percent mistake free. It is possible, but not in the way it was portrayed. These allegations are generalizations. They are baseless and false."
They insist the airport is safe.
YASSER JAHIN, DEPUTY DIR. SHARM EL-SHEIKH AIRPORT: International Civil Aviation Authority, and we are complying with all the standard regulation
of this authority. Which means it is completely safe to fly and fly from and to Sharm el-Sheikh airport.
MCLAUGHLIN: The British and Russian officials are skeptical. They've sent their own teams to evaluate the airport and shepherd their citizen's home.
Whether or not ISIS brought down Metro Jet 9268, security at this and other airports in the region will remain under scrutiny.
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MCLAUGHLIN: Well today the evacuations continued. Egyptians officials have yet to release the day's numbers but to give you an idea, some 6,500
British and Russian nationals were evacuated from Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday. Hala?
GORANI: All right, Erin McLaughlin in Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt, thanks very much. A lot more to come this evening.
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GORANI: A water shed moment for Myanmar on track for its first democratically elected government in decades. We'll get you the latest on
those historic results. Stay with us.
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GORANI: A Jordanian man has shot and killed five people at a police training center in Amman.
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GORANI: Two Americans, a South African and a Jordanian are among the dead. Security forces were able to kill the gunman. A U.S. Official says the
attacker was a "recently fired police officer." President Barack Obama spoke about the incident as well.
BARACK OBAMA, U.S. PRESIDENTP: Obviously a full investigation is taking place. We take this very seriously and will be working closely with the
Jordanians to determine exactly what happened.
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GORANI: Now to Myanmar and what appears to be a landslide victory at the polls for the pro-democracy party of Aung San Suu Kyi.
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GORANI: Now after decades under the shadow of military rule, the country held its first openly contested election on Sunday. With results still
coming in Suu Kyi's national lead for democracy, the NLD has taken we understand 90% of the seats declared so far. 90. These aren't the final
results but so far this is what's been counted.
CNN's Ivan Watson has been right in the middle of the party celebrations in Yangon.
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERANTIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look at these happy faces. People are literally dancing, singing in the streets here. Outside the
headquarters of the National League for Democracy, Myanmar's largest opposition party, the party led by that icon of democracy, Aung San Suu
Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner. Why are they celebrating? Because the party is claiming to have won a landslide victory in the first openly
contested election this country has seen in 25 years.
Many of the people here say they suffered -- suffered under decades of military dictatorship. And now, people are daring to believe that change is
truly in the air. The ruling political party, the USDP, has conceded defeat. The official elections are still only trickling in. But these
people believe that change has truly come to this country again after more than a half century of military dictatorship.
Ivan Watson, CNN, Yangon.
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GORANI: Many challenges, though, still lie ahead for Burma, that's for sure and we'll be talking about that later in the program. But now, as you can
see, there over my shoulder, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu was in the news today because he met with the U.S. President, Barack Obama,
in Washington.
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GORANI: It is the first meeting between the two leaders since the conclusion of the Iran nuclear deal which dragged relations between their
governments to their lowest point in years.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: We'll also have a chance to talk about how implementation of Iran's nuclear agreement is going. It's no secret that the Prime
Minister and I have had a strong disagreement on this narrow issue. But we don't have the disagreement to make sure that Iran doesn't get a nuclear
weapon and we don't have a disagreement about the importance of us blunting these stabilizing activity that Iran may be taking place. And so we're
going to be looking to make sure that we find common ground there.
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GORANI: President Barack Obama there. It has been said the two men do not have a very warm personal relationship, but there you have it. An official
visit at the White House, and statements by both leaders.
Coming up, Ben Carson prepares for the fourth U. S. Republican Presidential debate.
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GORANI: As events from his past are called into question. We'll tell you who he thinks is to blame. Stay with us.
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GORANI: We're just one day away from the next U.S. Republican Presidential debate, it's the fourth one.
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GORANI: The top eight candidates will take the stage at the Milwaukee Theater in Wisconsin, Tuesday, tomorrow. And Ben Carson will no doubt be in
the spotlight.
Both his poll numbers and questions about his past are surging. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty joins us now from Milwaukee where this debate will be taking
place.
Let's first talk a little bit about who will be center stage. We know Ben Carson and Donald Trump are the two front-runners. What do we expect here
for debate number four?
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SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well what will be most interesting to see from the start, Hala, is really a different dynamic up
there on the debate stage. This debate now only includes on the main stage eight candidates.
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SERFATY: That's down from 10 candidates in the past debate because two candidates, Chris Christie and Mike Huckabee did not qualify for the main
stage, so they have been downgraded, so to speak, to appear at the earlier debate, which is being known as the under card debate.
So from the start we will have a fewer candidates potentially more time for them to debate one on one back and forth with each other. But as you know,
Donald Trump and Ben Carson, the spotlight will most certainly be on them. They both have surged in the polls, done really well.
Also on Marco Rubio, last debate he really had a good showing, had a good performance and his numbers have reflected, his positive poll numbers have
reflected that. So the focus will certainly be on them and see how the lineup the scramble after this debate. Hala?
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GORANI: And let's talk about Ben Carson specifically because CNN of course has reported on elements his past not necessarily ringing a bell with some
of his childhood and teenage friends.
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GORANI: He has reacted by saying the media are responsible for attacking him. That they shouldn't be looking into his past. How exactly did he react
to this reporting?
SERFATY: Well, he has been reacting very forcefully, aggressively, almost at times combative against these media reports saying that he believes he
is being held to a higher level of scrutiny than any other candidate. He also says that he doesn't believe that the burden of proof to corroborate a
lot of these anecdotes and stories from his childhood falls on him. And we heard though the campaign start to tell some potential positives coming out
of this intense period of media scrutiny.
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SERFATY: They have been (touting) they've raised $3.5 million just last week alone since this scrutiny has really been intensified on them. So
certainly the candidate himself saying that this will galvanize his supporters. But here is what his close business aide said this morning on
New Day, how he believes this will help him as a candidate.
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ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS, BEN CARSON'S BUSINESS MANAGER: I think it is a very good thing that Dr. Carson is being vetted, that Dr. Carson is being
tested, that Dr. Carson is having to answer these questions. Because in my opinion and the opinion of many others, it is best that Dr. Carson address
these issues early on and get them out of the way.
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SERFATY: Now as he goes into the debate here tomorrow, I asked Ben Carson over the weekend what his mind-set is given the last week of this intense
period of media scrutiny.
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SERFATY: And he said I'm just trying to focus on the issues. I'm not holding mock debates, I'm just focusing on economic and foreign policy. But
certainly Hala, the spotlight and the focus will most certainly be on him much of the night. Hala.
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GORANI: OK, Sunlen we'll see if it does end up hurting him in the polls. Sunlen Serfaty is in Milwaukee where tomorrow the fourth Republican
Presidential debate will be taking place, thank you.
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GORANI: This is the World Right Now. Still to come we'll have much more on that dramatic report into doping in athletics.
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GORANI: I'll be speaking to an investigative reporter who helped bring all of these allega5tions to light. That's coming up in a few minutes.
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GORANI: A look at our top stories. An anti-doping report recommends Russia be suspended from upcoming athletic competitions over what it describes as
a "deeply rooted culture of cheating" within Russian athletics.
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GORANI: The Independent Commissions Report also calls for a life time ban for five Russian athletes. Speaking on the show, the World Anti-Doping
Agency's President Craig Reedie told me that he expected the Accreditation of the Anti-Doping Laboratory in Moscow would be suspended within the next
24 to 48 hours.
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GORANI: Veteran democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi is on track to win a landslide victory in Myanmar.
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GORANI: It's the country's first openly contested election after decades of military rule there. Suu Kyi's party has claimed so far almost 90% of the
seats.
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GORANI: The American President, Barack Obama and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu met today at the White House.
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GORANI: It was the first time the two leaders met since the Iranian nuclear deal was struck in Europe a few weeks ago.
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GORANI: Let's bring you more on that explosive report alleging widespread doping in Russian athletics.
It calls for Russia to be banned from international track and field competition, perhaps as early as next year's Olympics in Brazil.
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GORANI: Now an independent commission released the report earlier in Geneva, it also recommends some really startling things. That's Dick Pound
who headed that independent investigation.
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GORANI: It recommends lifetime bans for five Russian athletes. It also says that more than 1,400 samples were intentionally and maliciously destroyed
by a lab in Moscow even after it was told to preserve them. My next guest has been on the cutting edge of this story of alleged doping in Russian
athletics.
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GORANI: Hajo Seppelt, was involved in a series of reports on the German broadcasters ARD television network. It helped bring these allegations to
light. In fact his investigations were mentioned at Monday's news conference with former WADA President, Dick Pound.
Hajo Seppelt joins me now from Geneva. Thanks for being with us. Your investigative work came out last December 2014. Based on that, a commission
was formed to look into Russian athletics and whether or not there was systematic doping. And really you paved the way for this investigation take
place and these results to be made public. What was your reaction when you first heard what they came up with?
Hajo Seppelt, what was your reaction when you heard - when you heard the findings of the investigation today?
HAJO SEPPELT, INVESTIGATIVE SPORTS REPORTER, ARD: I think it was really, really surprising for me that, that it was in way, very consequent. Because
normally sports federations or commissions in sports are very reluctant to ban nations or at least to recommend to ban nations and exactly that
happened.
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SEPPELT: So this was for me surprising. But I know the chairman of the commission Richard Pound, he is working seriously against doping for
decades. So in person I would say, this was not surprising. But in general in sports, that never happens very often.
GORANI: Tell us about your investigation which aired in December. What was it that startled you, that surprised you the most in what you found?
SEPPELT: You have to see that we talk about Russia, the biggest country in the world. And in 2014, at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, I did some
investigation about doping in Russia. But I didn't expect this extent.
After the Olympics, I had the possibility, the opportunity, to be the first time to meet (Vitaly and Julia Stepanov), Vitaly former employee of the
Russian anti-doping agency and his wife, Julia. And both of them wanted to fight against doping and they told me, this was really the most shocking
experience I met, what really happens in Russia. That these Anti-Doping Agencies were not working against doping but in favor of doping, covering
up doping tests.
Athletics Federation which works with coaches, which administer drugs on a regular basis to athletes and if you don't do that, if you don't take drugs
you cannot be a member of the national team. Sports politicians in Russia who have been aware of that and supported, at least tolerated, this system.
GORANI: What -- I mean, it must have been difficult just on the ground in Russia and speaking with former officials. What were some of the big
challenges in reporting this story?
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SEPPELT: To be honest, it was not too complicated because I had two really courageous and really very influential and for me impressive
whistleblowers. Vitaly and Julia has I said. These both recorded with their devices, with a video and audio device for example, hidden recording,
hidden conversations with athletes, with coaches, with doctors, with officials. And these recordings showed very clearly the extent of doping in
Russia.
GORANI: And have you been - have Russian authorities been in touch with you since? Because today the head of the Medical Agency said this is
politically motivated?
SEPPELT: I tell you I know this - I have to tell it very clearly this kind of nonsense I know for years. Because Russians always deny when we tell
them what we have as facts. And it is a fact we don't talk about suspicions. We talk about clear evidence in video and audio recordings,
documents. There is no doubt. And as can you see, the WADA investigative commission obviously said the same. So there is no doubt that we talk of
real hard evidence and if Russians again deny that, and if for example, the Anti-Doping Agency Chairman says as he said a few weeks or months ago, is a
pack of lies. For me it is ridiculous.
GORANI: Hajo Seppelt of the German broadcaster ARD, thank you so much for joining us this evening from Geneva. We appreciate it.
The American President Barack Obama heads to Turkey next week. What to do about ISIS likely will top the agenda in the wake of the deadly crash of
Russia's Metro Jet flight 9268 in the Sinai.
Well CNN's Christiane Amanpour sat down with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu for an exclusive interview. And here's what he said about ISIS.
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AHMET DAVUTOGLU, TURKISH PRIME MINISTER: This is not an attack against a Russian plane. This is an attack against all of us. So therefore it shows
that if a crisis is not being solved in a particular country or region, it is difficult to contain it in other countries as well. There it is right
time to act together against any terrorist threat by any terrorist group. We have to be working together.
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GORANI: The ISIS affiliate Al Wilayat Sinai claims that it brought down the Russian passenger aircraft killing all 224 aboard.
The Sinai based group of Jihadists has pledged allegiance to ISIS. Not it is -- it has grown out of another type of insurgency. CNN's Ian Lee has
this exclusive report on how Egypt's Bedouin tribes are trying to hold the line against them in the Sinai desert. Take a look.
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IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This harsh landscape is the new front line in the battle against ISIS. And the men defending it are not
soldiers or police. They are Bedouins tribes, nomads, who have ruled the Sinai for centuries.
We traveled the bumpy roads to try them. We meet three (Sheikh's ) from three different tribes who tell us they directly confronted ISIS, drawing a
line in the sand.
We stopped ISIS more than 20 times. We went out with more than cars and kicked them back. We didn't shoot one bullet. Because if one bullet was
shot, there would be a war.
The Bedouin accomplished something that billions of dollars in weapon is couldn't. They stopped ISIS, expanding from the northern part of Sinai to
hear in the south without shedding any blood.
ISIS' Egyptian offshoot is already one of the most dangerous. It has killed hundreds of soldiers and police officers in northern Sinai. And it's trying
to expand.
Sinai is a desert, the north is flat, the south covered in mountains and that's why ISIS wants to push south so they can use the rocky mountainous
terrain for cover while fighting their guerrilla war.
The Sheikh's tell me their cousins in the north face a dilemma. They want to fight ISIS but if they're caught with weapons, the Egyptian army might
see them as militants. If they help the army, terrible retribution.
Here, ISIS beheads alleged army collaborators. But these men are ready to take that risk even though their communities in Sinai have long been
marginalized by the government in far off Cairo. The Bedouins reject ISIS' twisted version of Islam and its invasion of their lands.
The tribes could defeat ISIS. If the government came and gave us arms and said, fight ISIS, they would fight ISIS, says this (inaudible) tribal
leader. They'd finish them completely.
And they're ready for battle, to save their families, their honor, and their age-old way of life.
Ian Lee, CNN in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
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GORANI: And by the way check out our Facebook page, Facebook.com/halagoranicnn. There we will, a little bit later, put some of
our more interesting interviews. I posted a video as well today. Which was kind of a new thing for me. So let me know if you like that sort of thing.
We're going to take a quick break, when we come back.
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GORANI: From house arrest to what appears to be an all but certain election victory. Why Aung San Suu Kyi still has her work cut out for her in
Myanmar.
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GORANI: More on one of our main stories. Myanmar is on the verge of historic change.
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GORANI: Pro-democracy campaigner, Aung San Suu Kyi is on track to win what's being billed as the freest election in a generation. So she has long
been the embodiment of Myanmar's struggle against military rule. She was kept on house arrest after all for 15 years appearing in these iconic
images to speak over the wall in her home to supporters.
Since then she became a global symbol, for non-violent protest winning the Nobel Peace Prize, even inspiring a YouTube song.
As the leader of the main opposition party, Suu Kyi has helped steer the country on a path of reform. Despite the party's success she is barred
constitutionally from becoming President herself because she married a non- Burmese and therefore has non-fully Burmese children.
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GORANI: Earlier I spoke with British lawmaker, Baroness Glennys Kinnock who met Aung San Suu Kyi when she was under house arrest all these years
ago. I started by asking her if she had concerns about her abilities as leader of the ruling party.
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GLENNYS KINNOCK, PATRON OF BURMA CAMPAIGN UK: When she said when it looked like it was going to be a landslide victory, which I'm very pleased about,
she said that she was defiant and determined. And I think that that fits the definition of her entire life, actually. And it's the first vote ever
for a whole generation of Burmese people who have not had the opportunity to cast a vote. So I think that landslide victory is a very welcomed piece
of news. It's a step forward. And as you suggest, there is still a long road to be taken by the Burmese people and by the Burmese leadership. It's
not going to be easy because so many of the military are still involved, still have their places, guaranteed without being elected, in parliament in
Burma.
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GORANI: Some might say she didn't speak up when the (inaudible) minority was being persecuted, how could they trust her now. What would you say to
that?
KINNOCK: Well, I think there is certainly (inaudible) about what we can expect now from Aung San Suu Kyi. There are going to be a lot of questions
asked of her about how in the period between the time when she really started to fight for democracy in Burma to happen very quickly. During that
time she has completely refused to engage with Rohingya and even worse than that she has not been prepared to criticize at all the actions that have
been taken against the Rohingya people and other Muslims who are pushed outside.
GORANI: When you look back at the time when you met with her when she was under house arrest in Burma, what thoughts do you have today?
KINNOCK: Well I have very fond memories of that day and her generosity and the fun we had. She is a very witty and pleasant person to be with.
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KINNOCK: I've met her many times since then, since she's been free and she has come to London for meetings and so on. I've met her many times but that
doesn't mean that I don't feel a deep concern and disappointment about the developments that we've seen in recent times in terms of her relations with
Muslims in the country. I think it's a dangerous path to take that you have those divisions which can only ultimately lead to disaffection and even
perhaps conflicts of interest.
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GORANI: There you have it. Many challenges ahead. Up next.
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GORANI: Why many Starbucks customers are outraged over this simple red design of red coffee cups.
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GORANI: And finally to what is turning into a seasonal tempest in a tea pot or a coffee cup in this case, Starbucks has removed symbols of the holiday
season from its cups this year for a simpler all red design.
But in a video that's gone viral, a Christian evangelist and former pastor said Starbucks made the move, and I'm quoting here, "because they hate
Jesus." Starbucks says it is trying to create a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity.
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GORANI: Well we went onto the streets of London to find out if coffee drinkers here prefer the Starbucks cup or more traditional Christmas
designs.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is red but it's kind of plain. This is more like Santa. I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think somebody forgot that they were supposed to design the new Starbucks Christmas cup. I haven't seen it and I don't like
it very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was struck by your comment that people would be offended to have a Christian symbol on a Christmas cup. Christmas is a
Christian holiday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just because that one seems like its throwing Christmas in your face a little bit. Whereas this one is festive but just simple
enough to be nice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I like it. I think it is cool. I mean obviously it's not as festive as that one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think you're always going to offend someone, unfortunately. So I mean there are always people that will find offense in
anything.
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GORANI: Well, those views from some of London's coffee drinkers on the new Starbucks Christmas cup. I'm joined now by CNN Cristina Alesci to discuss
the great coffee cup debate in more detail.
When I went on twitter Cristina to see how people were reacting, it was joke after joke. I mean people are not taking this seriously.
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GORANI: They are actually making some pretty funny comments about it. But has Starbucks responded?
CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It has. I mean, it's just basically saying, look we're trying to be more inclusive. We want our
customers to share their story. The blank red cup is supposed to signify the fact they want more and more of their consumers to share how they would
celebrate the holidays and give their stories around that. So it's kind of weird. I mean at this point, it's turned into a joke. But I mean, there was
some serious reaction to it.
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ALESCI: You mentioned that self-described former pastor, he was very angry about it under that video. And that video got a lot of likes. And he has
1.8 million likes on Facebook. So it reached a tremendous amount of people and it did seem to spark some anger.
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ALESCI: But look, at the end of the day, what we are talking about are minor changes. Did you see the cup last year? I mean last year they had a
mild suggestion of Christmas trees and ornaments. This year they just simply took those off and went with a plain red cup.
Look, remember, Starbucks has had quite a history on social issues. Couple months ago, some backlash around the fact that Starbucks was trying to
start a discussion about race in America by urging the Baristas to write, let's race together on the cups. Starbucks stopped doing that after some
Americans felt like they were forcing a conversation that had already been going on in the country. So the good thing for Starbucks here, is that it's
a brand that people care about and that they pay attention to. And in that way, it actually works out for the company.
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GORANI: I was going to say, they are getting attention, they are getting publicity in this particular case. But just clear something up for our
international viewers. It is November 9th, why do we have Christmas cups already?
ALESCI: It is never too early for Christmas. I mean think about it. This is just a major marketing event for tremendous amount of companies out there.
The more they can get people into the holiday spirit, the more likely those people he will probably be to spend some money, right? Because everybody
likes to spend money around the holidays.
GORANI: All right. There's always, you know, all these big sort of holidays, thanksgiving, they have special drinks et cetera. Thanks very
much, Cristina Alesci. And you know, if Starbucks wants to be talked about, they got what they wanted on this one. Thanks very much.
ALESCI: Absolutely.
GORANI: We will see you soon. This has been the World Right now. I'm Hala Gorani. We are coming to you from London this evening. I'll be here, same
time same place, tomorrow.
After a quick break, Quest Means Business is coming your way.
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