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Poland-Belarus Standoff; Libya Summit. Aired 12-12:15a ET
Aired November 13, 2021 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Michael Holmes.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. Appreciate your company, I'm Michael Holmes.
The sun is just rising over the border between Poland and Belarus. But for thousands of migrants, trapped there in a growing political and military crisis, there is nothing bright about this morning.
Belarusian officials say, right, now there are about 2,000 people, waiting to cross the border into Poland and on to other areas of the E.U. They warned that number could double in the next, week if this refugee crisis is not resolved.
Meanwhile, Belarus and its main ally, Russia, are driving up tensions with military posturing as well. The two held paratrooper drills, on Friday, near the Polish border, performing a number of combat training drills.
And, on the ground, Polish authorities accuse Belarus of targeting some of the 15,000, Polish soldiers, defending the border, using lasers, in an attempt to blind to those on patrol. A claim Belarus denies.
Meanwhile, the European Union says, it is considering punishing airlines that contribute to the crisis by flying migrants to Belarus. For its part, Turkey, already says it will no longer allow people from Syria, Iraq or Yemen, the countries from which most of the migrants are coming, to fly from Turkish airports into Belarus.
For those who do make it to the border with Poland, the situation, as we, said is dire. The weather is freezing and getting colder. There is little to no shelter and not much food. So, they wait in misery, as Poland, Belarus and their allies, spar over what should be done.
Our Fred Pleitgen is in Poland, with the latest response from that country's government. But first, an exclusive report from our Matthew Chance, inside Belarus, with the migrants hoping to cross the border.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are the desperate, trapped on the front line of Europe's latest refugee crisis. We've gained exclusive access to the burgeoning camp at the Polish border in Belarus.
"Help, help," this little boy shouts.
But there's barely enough here to keep everyone alive.
Already, people have died in the cold as Polish forces stand guard on the other side.
You can see how close we are, just across this razor wire fence are Polish security forces on polish territory keeping a close eye on the situation, trying to prevent refugees, migrants from this camp here in Belarusian territory from crossing over that line. You see there are thousands of people here.
Two thousand now say Belarusian officials but with migrants still flooding in from the Middle East and Asia, it could be 5,000, they told CNN, in just another week. For Europe, that's a threat.
Sit down.
You're warming your children's gloves here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CHANCE: Most have already paid big money to traffickers or Belarusian travel agents just to get this far.
You're telling me you've paid $2,000, which is a lot of money, right, to come from Iraqi Kurdistan to here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CHANCE: Do you think you're going to get through?
Do you think you will go to Germany?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CHANCE: You do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are. We are. Our people want to go to the Germany.
CHANCE: Yes, but do you think it will happen?
You'll try?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll try. We don't want to stay in Poland.
CHANCE: The more migrants arrive, the more desperate their plight. We witness these refugees frantically scrambling for firewood, essential supplies as temperatures here drop. With Belarusian aid workers arriving with food and water, the scenes are even more --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm hungry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know, I know. I hope you get some food.
CHANCE: You can see these are pretty extraordinary scenes. You've got Belarusian military forces essentially trying to push back the crowd of migrants that's gathered around this distribution of aid.
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CHANCE: They're just giving out bottles of -- plastic bottles of water but the people here are so desperate for any kind of nutrition, any kind of food, water, shelter.
Look, they're being asked to kneel down in front of the Belarusian security forces. And when they kneel down, look, some of them are being allowed to go through. Who's this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His name is Aji (ph).
CHANCE: Hello, Aji (ph). Are you good?
You speak English, too?
Shohan (ph) and her 4-year-old son traveled to Belarus from Iraqi Kurdistan to help her child.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We came here for my son. He needs an operation.
CHANCE: He needs an operation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, big operation in the back.
CHANCE: Oh, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, he can't walk without this --
CHANCE: Oh, I see, he's got this splint on his leg.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, he can't walk without his shoes.
CHANCE: Why didn't you do this operation in Kurdistan?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because not very good. Maybe he fails, the operation fail and we need to go to Germany. Everyone -- the doctor told me that the operation in Germany very good.
CHANCE: But now, Germany looks a long way off. With Belarus and the West blaming each other for this crisis, it's these people stuck in the middle who are paying the price -- Matthew Chance, CNN, at the border between Poland and Belarus.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Poland, certainly, said it will not be backing down in this matter, despite some of the criticism it's been getting from international organizations.
Now essentially, what Poland has done, is beefed up the presence, at the border, with around 15,000 soldiers and border officials, as well. Then, of course, building that massive, barbed wire fence and said, it wants to build a wall as well.
Now one of the things that has led to a lot of criticism is, apparently, what has been going on, is that some of the people who are trying to get across, here into the E.U., have actually made it across the border. They, apparently, have been pushed back by Polish border guards and some, cases by the Polish military, as well.
Now of course, internationally, that is a big problem with the universal declaration of human, rights and the United Nations Article 14, of which, stipulates, people who enter a territory of the nation, have to claim asylum there.
Poles deny this is going on. Essentially what they've done is they've made a, law, making legal to push people back. And there has been big criticism, of, that also, internationally, for instance with Human Rights Watch.
But actually, today the spokesperson for the Polish foreign ministry, coming out to say, Poland, he believes, has the right to defend its border and also has a right to say who gets in and doesn't get into the country.
So, the criticism is there however if you look within the European Union, right now the other countries, they are doing more to support Poland, rather than utter that criticism.
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HOLMES: Our thanks to Fred Pleitgen for that update there, from Poland.
Now major world powers are, pushing Libya to stick to the timeline, for its first presidential election, ever. An international, summit aimed at bringing stability, to the North African nation wrapped up Friday in Paris. The hope is next month's vote will put an end to the civil war, that has ravaged Libya for the decade. CNN's Cyril Vanier reports.
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CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are just weeks away, from what could be a major turning point in Libya's chaotic, political transition. The country's, first, ever presidential election. One date that was mentioned over and over again, at the International Conference on Libya, that just concluded, December the 24th. That is when the first round is scheduled to take place. The European
nations, that cohosted the conference, throwing their, weight behind this process and behind that date.
Libya's two-pronged leadership, the interim prime minister and the head of the presidential council, both promised to hand over power, to the winner of the election, provided that, they both said, the election is transparent.
French president Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel offering to send election observers to help ensure a free and fair process. Also key to Libya's future, the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign troops. Mr. Macron announced that 300 fighters, would be leaving Libya in the coming weeks.
But that is only a fraction of the several thousand mercenaries, currently, in the country. According to a source at the French presidency. Last year's road map, brokered by the United Nations, that has put the country, on this path, to presidential and parliamentary elections, is still very fragile.
And the next six weeks will be key. But arguably, it is the best chance Libya has had at a real political renewal, since the ouster of strongman, Moammar Gadhafi 10 years ago.
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VANIER: Cyril Vanier, CNN, Paris.
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HOLMES: The World Health Organization is addressing the surging COVID crisis, in Europe on Friday. They highlighted the nearly 2 million new infections, across the continent, in just the last week.
While some countries consider reimposing lockdown restrictions, the WHO director general saying, vaccines, alone will not stop this pandemic.
DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: COVID-19, is surging in countries with lower vaccination rates, in Eastern Europe. But also, in countries with some of the world's highest vaccination rates, in western Europe.
It is another reminder, as we have said, again and again, that vaccines do not replace the need for other precautions. Vaccines reduce the risk of hospitalization, severe diseases and death but they do not fully prevent transmission.
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HOLMES: Officials, in Russia, are blaming low vaccination rates for the current surge in COVID cases, there. On Friday, the country, recording more than 1,200 coronavirus related deaths. That is just shy of the record high, set earlier this week. Delegates at the COP26 climate summit, in Glasgow have been working
throughout the night, after missing Friday's deadline, to reach a final agreement. A new draft is expected in the coming hours. Key differences, remain, on limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, phasing out fossil fuels and who should pay for the impact of climate change.
The latest version, watered down some of the language, surrounding coal. Some analysts fear it could be weakened even further in the next draft.
Britney Spears' long battle to win her financial freedom is now over.
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HOLMES (voice-over): Fans of the pop star, celebrated outside of a Los Angeles court, on Friday, after a judge terminated the 13-year conservatorship. The singer has fought a lengthy legal battle with her father, Jamie Spears.
Up until last month, he oversaw her estate and controlled much of her personal and professional, life. Spears called the conservatorship "abusive" and claimed, she was forced to perform, use birth control and take medication.
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HOLMES: Thank you for spending part of your day with me, I am Michael Holmes, you can follow me on, Twitter and Instagram, @HolmesCNN. I will see you a little later, meanwhile, "MARKETPLACE AFRICA," up next.
