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Trump Says He Scrapped Talks With Taliban At Camp David; Recovery Efforts Ramp Up In The Bahamas; Saudi Arabia Appoints New Energy Minister; Amber Rudd Quits Government Of U.K. P.M. Boris Johnson; Dairy Farmers On Irish Border Fear Run From Hard Brexit; Recycling Water On Cairo's Rooftop Gardens. Aired 11-12p ET

Aired September 08, 2019 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Called off, the U.S. President says he has pulled the plug on a secret meeting with the Taliban after this

blast in Kabul. Next, what the Camp David cancellation means for Americans -- America's longest war. And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grand Bahama right now is dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Devastation of Dorian. Will the Bahamas be able to rebuild. We're live in NASA later this hour. Also --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a very big uncertainty that waters going to happen. No-deal Brexit is completely they all know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: No deal and no idea. As more ministers jump ships from the British government, we look at what the state of what's becoming a very

barmy Brexit. A very warm welcome. This is CONNECT THE WORLD with me Becky Anderson live for you from Abu Dhabi. And we begin with stunning

talks that never actually happened.

In what would have been an unprecedented meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump says he called off secret discussions with Taliban leaders at Camp

David. He did so after the group claimed responsibility for a bombing in Kabul that killed a U.S. soldier and nearly a dozen other people on

Thursday.

In these series of tweets, Mr. Trump said and I quote, "if they cannot agree to a ceasefire during these very important peace talks and would even

kill 12 innocent people, then they probably don't have the power to negotiate a meaningful agreement anyway."

For the past couple of hours, U.S. Secretary of State said that Washington is still interested in the Taliban peace deal but protecting the interests

of the American people, he said, comes first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: Make no mistake about it. We will continue to punish, we will continue to pound, we will continue to

fight, we'll continue to protect the American people. We will never construct a deal. If I was worried about Barack Obama and President Obama,

it was because he was prepared to leave without ensuring that we could protect America. This administration will never do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, we're covering all sides of what is this global story. Journalist Ali Latifi is in Kabul for you this evening, our Chief

International Correspondent Clarissa Wards in London, and White House Reporter Sarah Westwood has more from Washington.

Let's start with you Ali in Kabul and the Afghan governments blaming the Taliban for the canceled peace talks saying in a statement. "We have

consistently stressed that genuine peace is possible when the Taliban stopped the killing of Afghans, embrace an inclusive ceasefire and enter

into direct negotiations with the Afghan government. How is this news being received in Afghanistan?

ALI LATIFI, JOURNALIST: The fact is -- thank you, Becky. The fact is that you know, the (INAUDIBLE) has no idea what was in that deal to begin with.

During these nine rounds of talk have taken almost a year, no one actually knows what's being talked about, what's being discussed. You know, just

about a week ago, the president got a copy of the deal. I believe the chief executive also got a copy of the deal and the president asked for

clarification on the deal in terms of the wording and the specifics of it, but the average person on the street still has no idea what that deal would

have meant, what a deal could be, and where a deal may be headed.

So to the average person, it's still a state of wondering what's going on and a state of unanswered questions. It's just another shocking you know,

revelation from Trump who has changed (INAUDIBLE) in the past. You know, about a year ago, he said he refused to talk to them. A few months later,

he despatches all my colleagues up and start to talk with them. So it's really you know, just more of the same unfortunately for the average person

on the street.

ANDERSON: Clarissa, the Taliban says the U.S. would only harm itself by canceling peace talks. But as far as Mike Pompeo is concerned, the ball

firmly in the Taliban's court if they genuinely want dialogue. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POMPEO: We've been having conversations. The president believed that we could further that. That we could fir further America's national interest

by having conversations with the people that have the capacity to actually deliver, Jake, on what you just described. That was the effort. That was

the mission. That was the purpose the President Trump is laid out.

But I think as you saw, if the Taliban don't behave, if they don't deliver on the commitments that they've made to us now for weeks and in some cases

months, the President of the United States is not going to reduce the pressure. We're not going to reduce our support for the Afghan security

forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:05:06]

ANDERSON: Jake also asked Mike Pompeo whether the Taliban could be trusted by the U.S. He said trust and verify. Clarissa, a source says new dates

are being discussed by the White House for a potential meeting with the Taliban and the Afghan government. So what do you take out of this? Is

there hope of progress despite the cancellation of what we now understand was this secret meeting?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT; Well, I think there's a lot more hope now, Becky, then there was even 12 hours ago when

we saw President Trump's tweets basically saying I've called the talks off. Now, we've subsequently heard from Secretary of State Mark Mike Pompeo and

that interview with Jake Tapper as you saw. He was basically saying no the door still is open. The talks can continue. We just need the Taliban to

honor their agreements.

Well, it's very important for our viewers to understand that under the agreement that the U.S. and the Taliban were close to finalizing, there was

no precondition whereby the Taliban had to agree to a ceasefire. There had to be an agreement to a reduction in violence which is obviously a much

vaguer wording. But there was no precondition for a ceasefire. That was because the Taliban said hold on a second, we need that leverage when it

comes to our intra-Afghan dialogue with the Afghan government.

Now, we have heard a statement also from the Taliban finally responding to President Trump's tweets. They say this lowers the U.S. has credibility.

It makes it clear that the U.S. is against peace. But they also do not close the door on further negotiation. So it is possible that those

negotiations will pick up.

Again, the question is, Becky, will they have the same momentum behind them and how can they move forward without some kind of a major climb down from

the Taliban such as agreeing to implementing a national ceasefire. Something is got to give. Someone has to make a major concession. And

both sides will find it very difficult for their own domestic constituents to be the ones to do that, Becky.

ANDERSON: You recently went behind Taliban lines in order to pick up some of your reporting and talk to you about what you learned shortly. Let me

just get to Washington first though. And Sarah, these talks didn't happen on this occasion. But if they had, it wouldn't be the first time that

President Trump would have made headlines for his grand style of diplomacy. Talks though are off and Mr. Trump now facing criticism.

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Becky. President Trump is facing criticism for inviting the Taliban leaders to U.S. soil

even from within his own party. GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger writing this morning, never should leaders of a terrorist organization that hasn't

denounce 9/11 --

ANDERSON: Oh, it sounds as we've --

WESTWOOD: -- and continues (INAUDIBLE) be allowed in our great country, never, full stop. Now Pompeo told our colleague Jake Tapper this morning

of course as we've mentioned that the U.S. is still interested in that deal. And meanwhile, as -- tells CNN that the decision to bring the

Taliban leaders to the U.S. was made about a week ago. The President thought he might be in a better position to finalize those negotiations.

Remember the special envoy to Afghanistan had said within the past week that an agreement in principle had been reached with the Taliban. That

would have involved the Taliban making some commitments in exchanged the U.S. withdrawing some of its troops. Now those new dates are under

discussion. President Trump though facing that criticism and not deterring the administration according to a source that's spoken to CNN from still

continuing to pursue these talks, Becky.

ANDERSON: All right. Let me get back to Clarissa. Thank you, Sarah. I know that your coms were a little difficult in that but thanks for

persevering with us. I said, you recently went behind Taliban lines to get an exclusive look at what life is like in the parts of Afghanistan that the

troop controls. I want our viewers to just see a clip from that reporting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARD: The commander Mubariz Mujahid takes us to a nearby safe house to be interviewed privately. We are warned that political questions are off the

table.

Do you want to see peace between the Taliban and America?

MUBARIZ MUJAHID, COMMANDER, TALIBAN (through translator): Well, it would be better if this question was put to the spokesperson of the Islamic

Emirate.

WARD: Do you feel like the Taliban is winning the war?

MUJAHID (through translator): God willing, we are hopeful. We are supported by God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Clarissa, you didn't get a direct answer. So I gave -- and I know you will have reflected on that. Did the Taliban that you were

speaking to want any sort of peace with the U.S. and if so on what terms?

[11:10:11]

WARD: So I definitely think, Becky, that there is an appetite for peace from within the Taliban. They too have been fighting this war for nearly

18 years. They too have taken many casualties. They too are dealing with all the problems that comes with trying to sort of appease their

constituents and people who follow them or live in areas under their control when the situation continues to be dire due to the desperate

security situation.

So for a number of reasons, it's pretty clear that the Taliban would like to see the next chapter begin. But the question becomes how do they

envision that next chapter is looking? Do they see it as being some kind of a power-sharing agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban?

Could we envision a scenario in which one day Taliban forces are incorporated or folded into the Afghan army?

Well, to be frank, that sounds like magical thinking Becky. Or is this simply a moment where the Taliban sees an opportunity to try to be more

pragmatic now in order to secure victory in the future, to re-establish what they call the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. And that's what has a

lot of people worried, a lot of people not trusting what the Taliban's motivation is here even if they do appear to be genuinely interested in

peace for now as well, Becky.

ANDERSON: Clarissa, briefly, there are currently around 14,000 U.S. troops around 17,000 troops from 39 NATO allies and partner countries in

Afghanistan. Just a couple of days away from the 18th anniversary as it would be of 9/11, where does this latest episode leave them and the Afghan

people?

WARD: Well, that's the million-dollar question, what happens now. Essentially there are several options. Number one, everyone goes back to

the negotiating table to try to hash out a deal that is more palatable to the Afghan government, that is more palatable to the Americans, remains to

be seen whether the Taliban will be interested in that.

Number two, President Trump accept the fact that there's just no good way to leave Afghanistan, and so he decides to go against his promise to end

the war there and essentially maintain the status quo, leave troops as they are and keep fighting the war at the sort of pace that it's been fought

since he took office.

Number three, go ahead and unilaterally remove the troops without extracting any kind of concessions from the Taliban, without having a sort

of peace deal in place. And as you can see, Becky, none of those options are particularly appealing to anyone. All of them come with a lot of

pitfalls. And it's the oldest cliche but it's the truest one as well, the people who suffer the most are the Afghan people, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes. Clarissa Ward is in London for you. She is your Chief International Correspondent, thank you. Well, it is a scene of

devastation. Houses ripped into kindling, cars squashed like tin cans, towns flattened. Hurricane Dorian has left the Bahamas paralyzed. 43

people are dead. That number though sadly expected to dramatically rise as officials ramp up recovery efforts. 70,000 people have been left homeless

not knowing what their future holds.

One Grand Bahamas resident told CNN's Patrick Oppmann that he fears the island may never fully recover.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Washington Smith, Smitty to his friends, no longer recognizes his backyard with the island where he

has lived all his life. Hurricane Dorian stalled out over the eastern end of Grand Bahama Island ravaging everything and everyone in its path.

Dorian punched holes in concrete, tore houses from their foundations, in flunked Smitty's 6,000 Humvee through a wall. Worse than the storm, Smitty

told us, is the lack of government response over a week now after the storm first hit the Bahamas. Smitty, like many people, is running out of

patience.

WASHINGTON SMITH, RESIDENT, GRAND BAHAMA: Grand Bahama right now is dead. It's dead. And now this may get waste. This may get waste. One of the

hateful part, but all it is -- all this happened in the East Grand Bahama and I haven't seen a government official yet to come to say, well, here is

a bottle of water or to see what's going on.

OPPMANN: The damage to Smitty's home defies description. A wall of water crashed over this part of the island. Smitty and his teenage daughter

survived, many others did not.

This is the hole that Hurricane Dorian punched in the House of Washington Smith. I should say, one of the holes, tore off his roof, set boards with

nails flying at over 100 miles an hour through his house. Everywhere you go you see -- you see damage. You see how the shrapnel shredded the

ceiling. Be careful with this. You see a nail stilling out of a board that came flying through.

And the most frightening thing is you see where the water rose to all along here. It came up and up, higher and higher until here. It's over 20 feet

high and it stayed this high for 15 hours. He said it was 15 hours of pure torture.

[11:15:49]

Little aid has reached this area and many places the only road in is blocked or underwater. As they wait for government assistance, some

residents like Marilyn Ling in the town of High Rock have taken it upon themselves to organize a relief efforts, distributing supplies donated by

friends and family. Staying busy she tells us keeps her from reliving the horror of the storm.

MARILYN LING, ORGANIZED AID: I have no words to say how bad. Maybe one in ten house, one and ten house is standing.

OPPMANN: There is silence in these hearted towns. The stench of death the air as bodies are still being recovered. U.S. Coast Guard helicopters

hovering low, residents say, usually means another victim of the storm has been found. There has never been a storm like Dorian before here.

SMITH: And from 1962, I ride out every storm and Bevan Town.

OPPMANN: Is it -- would you ride out the next storm?

SMITH: No. I tell my daughter, when I hear of storm coming now, by the help of the good Lord, I'll pack up and get as far to hell as I could from

here.

OPPMANN: Dorian has scarred the Bahamas and Bahamians forever. Patrick Oppmann, CNN Grand Bahama Island.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Heartbreaking isn't it? Joining me now from the Bahamas capital Nassau is CNN Paula Newton. And since we reported, it is the unknown how

many bodies, Paula, under the rubble. How is that recovery effort going and what's the biggest challenge at this point?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And the biggest challenge is you have them under rubble, but also in the water. And

obviously, so many people here do not know where their loved ones are. They've been missing for a very long time. And yet obviously the saddest

thing is that they're still hoping they're alive. The reality is, Becky, for most people, they will not get good news.

The issue now is for the Bahamian government to try and coordinate efforts to try and get that search and recovery going. We were in Marsh harbor in

the Abaco yesterday. We spoke to the mortician's there who have been hired in the K9 teams, and they told us look, we still have a lot of work to do

here.

And it is incredibly difficult because they need to be meticulous about it. And yet they know that the longer they do not collect those bodies, the

worst is going to be from a health and safety perspective. We were also speaking to an official from USAID that also brought in canine minister and

Recovery Team. They also indicate that on the Abaco side is where the priority is.

And just a reminder, remember Becky, we have the name Marsh Harbor. It is low line, and that's why so many of those places have been totally and

utterly devastated. I walked up to so many people, Becky, I can't tell you, that said I saw four people in that store being basically swept away

in the storm surge, never to be heard of again. And that is also now an open question, how many victims will they just never be able to find and

never be able to account for?

ANDERSON: Paula, what can you say, it is heart-wrenching. Thank you for the reporting. Important stuff. Well, in times of darkness comes stories

of goodwill. And one man from Florida who wishes to remain anonymous spend $50,000 on generators all heading to the Bahamas. Donations big or small

are needed. To find out how you can help, head to cnn.com/impact. That is cnn.com/impact.

Well, still to come, he was the face of oil diplomacy holding three prestigious roles in Saudi Arabia. And now he's facing a sudden loss of

stages. We have that story just ahead.

[11:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, it's been a family business. After all, the country is named after the ruler, the Al Sauds. And you're looking at the man who

started it all, the nation's founder. Abdul Aziz have been Al Saud.

So with that in mind, what do you think of all the five men who've run the kingdom's energy ministry? What do you think they have in common? Got it?

Well, they're all not princes. It's so important as a job, the thinking goes that they didn't want it to be subject to princely predilection.

But this weekend, that six-year old unwritten rule on who runs the portfolio that is in charge of more than a half of the country's economy

has gone out of the window. CNN's John Defterios introduces us to Saudi Arabia's very new and very royal Energy Minister.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN BUSINESS EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Khalid al-Falih, widely seen as the most powerful man in global oil and de facto leader of

OPEC is out of a job. The announcement from King Salman of Saudi Arabia has the fingerprints of his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman all over

it.

The man known simply by his initials MBS seems determined to take possession of the kingdom's crown jewel oil giants Saudi Aramco where al-

Falih was also chairman until a week ago. That rule went to Yassir al- Rumayyan, head of the Saudi sovereign fund and close confidant of the crown prince.

Breaking with Saudi tradition, MBS put in a member of the royal family as the new energy minister, his older half-brother Prince Abdulaziz bin

Salman. He's no stranger to OPEC having served under al-Falih and his predecessor Ali Al-Naimi. Those two spent more than four decades in the

kingdom's oil sector and both were unceremoniously removed by the hard- charging crown prince.

SUHAIL AL MAZROUEI, ENERGY MINISTER, UAE: I think he's going to be a positive notion that -- to the -- to the market that a personality like

Prince Abdulaziz has taken it with all of that history of OPEC that he has.

DEFTERIOS: The leadership changed as the latest in a string of developments to prepare Aramco to go public expected to be the world's

biggest IPO. A call, sources said, al-Falih never really supported especially with the lofty target of $2 trillion.

The IPO is central to bin Salman vision 2030 to diversify the economy and try to build the world's largest sovereign fund. The question many are

asking after taking down a highly respected global player, can the two hand-picked allies deliver on the aspirations of the Crown Prince?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, John has forgotten more than most of us will ever know about energy. I know you've interviewed four of those five characters,

correct.

DEFTERIOS: It indicates how long the governance, right?

ANDERSON: Yes. Well, it's good to have you with us on set. And what do you feel from sources that you have been talking to you about why the Crown

Prince has taken what many see is quite drastic action with someone with such a solid reputation?

DEFTERIOS: Well, I have to say in a word, this is Machiavellian, right? This is a signal from the Crown Prince that he wants to take control of

Saudi Aramco. Sources have told me for a long time now, this is put on the table, Becky, that Khalid al-Falih and even probably the management Aramco

never really wanted to open up to the outside world and make it a public company. They think it's too valuable to do so.

But the sticking point is that the crown prince has this $2 trillion target for the valuation and then to have that go into the public

investment fund or the PIF. And in fact, that chairman has now taking over as a chairman of Aramco, so you can see the trend.

But he did the same thing to Ali Al-Naimi who is the oil minister for 21 years and kind of wiped him out during that sell-off in 2016. And we have

to remember, Khalid al-Falih just in 2019 had the reserves revalued for Aramco which is something hadn't done for 30 years. They did a bond

offering of $12 billion oversubscribed by at least ten times.

[11:25:54]

ANDERSON: Hugely successful.

DEFTERIOS: Yes. And a $70 billion absorption of SABIC to raise money for the sovereign fund. And I remember during the heat of Jamal Khashoggi and

all the questions when I was there covering it in Riyadh, the one person they were confident enough to put up the speak up for the crown prince is

someone who has a stellar record, New York, London, Tokyo, and Shanghai was Khalid al-Falih.

So it's quite surprising ahead of the IPO he was willing to throw him off the boat in this -- in this sense to put his own people in to run both the

ministry and also Saudi Aramco.

ANDERSON: Big week for oil and energy in this town of Abu Dhabi this week. John will be feeding us back what he learns from sources and interviews as

and when. Thank you, John. All right, breaking news just coming into our CNN.

Iran's foreign ministry says paperwork for the release of the British flagged oil tanker Stena Impero is being finalized. Tehran seized it in

July, you'll remember, two weeks after British forces seized an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar, in an act wildly -- widely seen as retaliation.

The Iranian tanker was released last month. Recent satellite photos do appear to show it off the coast of Syria. And Iran says the oil on board

has now been sold. More on this story as we get it. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD live from Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson for you.

Coming up, as the countdown to Brexit barrels on, the in-fighting well, that continues. We have the very latest on one person who's not mincing

her words when it comes to the prime minister or indeed his strategy. And Serena's record chasing dream in tatters. Rafael Nadal is still very much

in play. We look ahead to the men's U.S. Open final and back at the Women's. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:31:15]

ANDERSON: You're watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. And for those of you who are just joining us, you are more than welcome.

We turn to the U.K. at this point in the show where Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has been dealt yet another blown. Amber Rudd, one of

the most high-profile secretaries in the British government has resigned abruptly. She's done so in protest at Mr. Johnson's handling of Brexit.

Saying, there is no evidence of him trying to get a deal with the E.U.

Well, just last week, Mr. Johnson expelled 21 members of concern -- of parliament from his very own Conservative Party when they voted against the

no-deal of Brexit. Rudd, says the prime minister's move also was something which she just couldn't stand for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBER RUDD, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WORK AND PENSIONS, UNITED KINGDOM: No, I'm not leaving politics. I'm actually not leaving the

Conservative Party. What I am doing is surrendering the whip alongside my colleagues, the 21 others in order to stand with them.

I don't think -- I know I couldn't carry on in the Conservative Party at such a high level, and see 21 of my colleagues who are good moderate people

who also want a deal excluded from it. And I just needed to move and stand by them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that's Amber Rudd. I'm joined now by one of those 21 M.P.s dismissed by Mr. Johnson. Alistair Burt, who currently sits as an

independent lawmaker, says he's never seen a government strategy, "so misjudged" nor fail, so speedily as that devised in Downing Street since

late July.

You're not mincing your words, Alistair, thanks for joining us. Amber Rudd's resignation brave and principled or a betrayal?

ALISTAIR BURT, INDEPENDENT MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, UNITED KINGDOM: Brave and principled. It's absolutely right that she's felt the need to leave the

Cabinet bearing in mind the circumstances at the moment.

I hope it will provide a really serious wake-up call to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and strategist. And we are very appreciative that she stood

by those who lost the party designation this week in Parliament.

ANDERSON: The chancellor or finance minister as he's known elsewhere, has said today, and I quote, "I am absolutely clear that we are working

wholeheartedly, straining every sinew," he said, "to get a deal. And the prime minister," he said, "is personally putting in all the significant

effort you'd expect from a leader to get this done."

So, Alistair, who should voters believe at this point?

BURT: I would like to believe, Becky, that chancellor wholeheartedly. But the evidence is sparse from it. If you ask European interlocutors, they

say they have not received detail that they expected following the prime minister's visit to Paris and Berlin about two weeks ago.

The negotiating team has been significantly reduced. And all the contacts we have with friends in the European Union suggests that there might be a

lot of effort going on, on this side of the channel. A lot of talk amongst each other, they are not seeing the hard evidence or the information they

need if the -- if the negotiations are going to go further.

So, I believe very much of the prime minister would like a deal. But I don't see the structures in place and the determination to compromise is in

place. That will actually lead to one.

ANDERSON: We are looking at images of the prime minister at present. As you've been talking, we've been seeing images of a man known as Dominic

Cummings. And I want to just talk about him for a moment and bring up this tweet from Katy Balls from The Spectator magazine from Friday.

And I quote her here, "Tonight's Number 10 meeting, the prime minister's chief aide Dominic Cummings," seen here on the right of your screens folks,

"told government aides they needed to be cool like fonzies. He said that this is only the beginning and the strategy was to wait for others to melt

while Number 10 ratchet it up."

Now, granted that was before the Amber Rudd resignation. But like it or not, it sounds like the Prime Minister's team is exactly where it wants to

be. Your response.

[11:35:42]

BURT: I'm not sure if they're exactly where they want to be. I think it's quite right that a strategy has to be -- true -- as part of his tactic to

demonstrate to the European Union that he's in charge, and therefore, they must make a deal with him.

But where the strategy has not been correct, the strategy of limiting the amount of time that Parliament had to debate Brexit that is the prorogation

process that did not go down well with colleagues. That actually forced through the determinant -- pass a bill this week to make sure that no deal

was debated further, and a heavy-handedness of dealing with colleagues like myself, with Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill is no

longer a member of the Conservative Party -- no longer a member of the Conservative Party in parliament, this has not gone down well.

Dominic Cummings is a campaign strategist who helped very significantly win the referendum campaign. But my complaint and that of many others is he

does not have a feel of Parliament, he doesn't care very much about Parliament's and politicians, and he's fighting -- he's trying to run

government like a campaign. And you're trying to win the next war like the last war. And I think it's wrong and it's not working.

ANDERSON: Advisers advise, ministers decide is what the foreign minister said today. I'm going to leave it there, Alistair, because the sound on

your communications between here and London isn't brilliant. But we do appreciate you coming on a man who really gets the Gulf.

Alistair was the minister of state for the Middle East and shuttled between the Gulf and the U.K. over the past couple of years sort of constantly. He

will be well aware. The people in this region and find this entire Brexit mess bewildering and bemusing, to be honest.

Brexit isn't the only B-word giving the U.K. and the E.U. a headache. With backstop high on the list, the Irish backstop. That is the border

separating Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is one of Brexit's most stubborn issues.

Right now, dairy farms ship fresh milk across the border without any problem. But Nic Robertson tells us those farmers are deeply worried a no-

deal Brexit will ruin them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: From sea over mountains, more than 300 miles along rivers slicing through towns. The

border between Northern Ireland and its southern neighbor, the Republic of Ireland, cuts the island with a surgeon's precision and a drunk's sense of

direction.

It is a historic scar and more recently, a symbol of peace. But it's fast becoming the badlands of Brexit, where real lives are colliding with bitter

E.U.-U.K. negotiations. And one of Northern Island's biggest industries, agriculture is collateral damage.

ANDREW LITTLE, DAIRY FARMER, UNITED KINGDOM: There's a very big uncertainty that what is going to happen, no-deal Brexit is completely the

unknown. So --

ROBERTSON: Andrew Little is 26. Milked his first cow when he was 10. Inherited the tiny farm not far from the border from his father. Has grown

it to 100 cows scrapes a living, selling milk south of the border. A no- deal Brexit and the cross border tariffs that would follow would crush him.

LITTLE: I'll be out of business just straight away. I couldn't sustain us.

ROBERTSON: You'll be out of business.

LITTLE: Yes, all and no problem.

ROBERTSON: You'd have to shut down the farm.

LITTLE: Yes, and you'd have to set up and then who's going to bear the cow if everybody's in the same book.

ROBERTSON: Right now, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is invisible. No customs post, no controls. The road is wide

open. Little more for most people than a line on the map.

But after Brexit, all that could change. Meaning, the simple act of passing freshly produced cow's milk from one hand to the other over the

border could become a whole lot more complicated.

But even before Brexit happens, it's having an insidious impact. Prices at this border capital market are down, 15 percent lower than last year. Much

of that over Brexit uncertainty according to the market's owner.

[11:40:27]

HAMPTON HEWITT, DIRECTOR, MARKETHILL LIVESTOCK & FARM SALES: Farmers don't know when Brexit is going to happen. And if it's going to happen, and if

it does happen, they don't know what the effect is going to be.

ROBERTSON: If prices dip more, some here could go under before Brexit even happens.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If (INAUDIBLE) the owner. If it down to much, we're out of business, simple as that.

ROBERTSON: Each day's Brexit delay erodes the economy. From here, the fix seems so near.

HEWITT: We need free movement between north and south.

ROBERTSON: And yet here at the border, the same fix seems so far away. 72 million vehicles cross each year. And as yet, London and Brussels can't

agree on how to handle even one of them.

Nic Robertson, CNN, on the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: A seasoned sport showing Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal will be chasing his 19th Grand Slam singles title when he faces off against the

Russian Daniil Medvedev. In the men's U.S. Open Final later Sunday.

A win would move him to within one title of Roger Federer's record of 20. For Medvedev, well, this is his first major final.

Saturday, and Serena Williams was once again denied a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam singles trophy losing yet another final. Is it now a question

of if rather than when Williams will hit that milestone?

"WORLD SPORTS" Don Riddell joining us from the home of the U.S. Open Flushing Meadows in New York. Sir?

I was going to get you to talk to me about the -- let's talk about --

(CROSSTALK)

DON RIDDELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: I can hear you guys, yes, Becky --

ANDERSON: Let's talk -- yes, go on. Let's talk about the women's first, go on.

RIDELL: Well, let's start with the woman's final. Yes, I mean, it was just an absolutely extraordinary occasion. We knew coming into the match

what was at stake for Serena Williams. And you've got this incredible youngster, this 19-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu, who had a fantastic

year but was untested at this kind of level.

A very pro-Serena crowd as you would expect, but it was gladiatorial at times. It felt like she was playing in the coliseum. Especially, in the

second set when Serena stage that comeback. But in the end, Andreescu showed remarkable composure to get the job done.

And I spoke to her about it afterwards and asked her what was going through her mind afterwards when she was on the court, lying on her back, staring

at the sky, just trying to process everything that she has achieved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIANCA ANDREESCU, CHAMPION, UNITED STATES OPEN: I was just in awe at that point. I've dreamt of this moment for a really, really, really, really

long time. And having it become a reality is just so surreal.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to win a Grand Slam. And hopefully, many more to come to become number one in the world to

create history and to be an inspiration for many people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: Yes, you just get the sense what Bianca Andreescu, this is just the beginning. Becky, you referenced the question of if it's going to be

if rather than when now for Serena Williams.

Four consecutive Grand Slam finals that she has lost, she hasn't even won a set in any of those. She did look to be nervous, her serve was all over

the place. It's become a very frustrating time for this American icon.

ANDERSON: Yes, she played such a good semi as well, didn't she? Serve and volleyed her way into --

RIDDELL: Right.

ANDERSON: Well, I mean, she just killed her opponent. Look, Rafael Nadal is a heavy favorite, of course, to win his fourth U.S. Open this afternoon.

What can his opponent do to stop him?

RIDDELL: Well, those who know him, and I've actually been spending a bit of time this week with his practice partner here at Flushing Meadows. I

think he's got a really good chance.

First of all, whilst many people outside the world of tennis won't know who Daniel Medvedev is. He's had an incredible season and especially, an

incredible U.S. hard court season.

He's made four consecutive finals including this one. He's got a record of 20 and two in that time. So, he is full of confidence. He's already

played three left-handed players in this tournament like Nadal, so, he is used to that. And he thinks he can bring it. It should be a great match.

[11:45:13]

ANDERSON: We'll be watching. Thank you, sir. More from "WORLD SPORT" callings in about 15 minutes time. We're not done and we're taking a quick

break. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:51:55]

ANDERSON: More and more of us are looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact, are we? As part of our "GOING GREEN" series today,

we are taking you to Cairo. The one businessman is teaching urban farmers how to recycle water on the city's rooftop gardens.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Egypt's capital Cairo, one environmentalist taps into the power of community to spread his green message.

SHERIF HOSNY, CO-FOUNDER, SCHADUF: My name is Sherif Hosny, I'm the co- founder of Schaduf.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Schaduf is an Arabic word for an ancient irrigation tool that is still used by farmers today. It lifts water to irrigate

canals to harvest crops.

Sharif's company works to lift farming to the rooftops of Cairo.

HOSNY: We grow all our crops hydroponically. We also use the recirculating systems, which means we save a lot on water, which of course,

great for the environment and great for Egypt, because we have a shortage of water.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Egypt has long been called the gift of the Nile. With the river supporting around 90 percent of the country's freshwater

needs. But this country along with its congested capital is in the grips of a serious water crisis.

According to the United Nations, Egypt could face a critical water shortage by 2025. An issue that prompted Sherif to set up his company in 2011.

HOSNY: We decided we want to have -- creative a company that has an impact. Money, of course, is important, but we also said we have to have

some kind of impact, environmental and social.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a simple business model. With the help of donations and microloans, residents can purchase a small flat pack farm.

Schaduf install the urban garden, provide training on growing crops, and using recycled water and mineral solutions. Communities can grow cheaper,

healthier produce within a few weeks.

Yet, according to Sherif, growing crops is not the only part of the company's impact on society.

HOSNY: We thought, you know, it can be a great combination having soilless agriculture on a roof and having like low-income families working on them

to generate income.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Since the company started, more than 500 farms have grown on the rooftops of Cairo, earning each farmer up to 600 Egyptian

pounds per month, the equivalent of $35.00.

HOSNY: In the region, a lot of the cities face very similar challenges to Cairo. We want to expand in the Gulf and maybe other Arab countries. I

think the future looks bright for this, this industry. And it's probably going to change the way farming is done in the future.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Saving water and sowing the seeds of food security in the region whilst helping to improve incomes for low-income families.

[11:54:56]

ANDERSON: I should going green or we end this program in the country where we began, Afghanistan. A photojournalist Paula Bronstein, has spent much

of her career documenting the country.

Before our "PARTING SHOTS" tonight, here's a collection of her strongest images.

PAULA BRONSTEIN, PHOTOJOURNALIST: We are looking at 15 years of work, looking at the Afghan people, and how they lived against the backdrop of a

violent war and a brutal Taliban insurgency.

Really focusing on the story to give voice to people who have none. I mean, some of the happier moments for me is celebrating Afghans when

they're at weddings, during Nowruz, the Afghan New Year, just to be able to see Afghans enjoying life as if there was no war.

As a female photojournalist, there were always difficulties working in a conservative Islamic country. You have to abide by their rules in terms of

respecting the religion.

When I'm photographing women inside their home, I have to get permission from whoever the man in charge was. Access remained always the biggest

challenge.

This is Paula Bronstein, and these are my parting shots.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you for watching.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END