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Meryl Streep Advocates For Afghan Women at U.N.; President Biden Delivers Address to United Nations. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired September 24, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:59]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Good morning. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Pamela Brown in Washington.

We just saw President Biden give his final speech to the United Nations, and he invoked his five decades of foreign policy experience and called on world leaders to come together in the face of a series of global crises.

Biden called for an end to Russia's war in Ukraine and renewed the push for a cease-fire deal as the Middle East stands on the brink of an all-out war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I put forward with Qatar and Egypt a cease-fire and hostages deal. It's been endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. Now is the time for the parties to finalize its terms, bring the hostages home, and secure security for Israel and Gaza free of Hamas' grip, ease the suffering in Gaza and end this war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour joins us now.

Christiane, what stood out to you about President Biden's speech?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, that was very strong, and he said both Israel and Gaza have been living in -- quote -- "hell" for the last nearly a year.

And he actually, as you saw, really emphasized that it was time now to take the necessary steps for peace. Very difficult to see how, given the second front that's been fully opened in the north of Israel with Hezbollah.

But on the other hand, the speech was really a sweep of history, of his 50 years in public service, from when he first joined the Congress in 1972. He talked about the Cold War still being up. Now it's down. He talked about the war in Vietnam dividing the United States. Now that's over and they're really strong partners with Vietnam. He talked about the threat of nuclear weapons, which then were tamped

down by nuclear arms deals. And he kept saying that that had to continue. He went through a litany of what he -- what was happening right now in terms of, we will not weary, we will not walk away from Ukraine.

As I said, he addressed the Israel-Gaza situation. He then ended by coming back to the sweep of history and saying how he had made the preservation of democracy at home and abroad the hallmark of his administration.

And he looked out to that sea of world leaders, many of whom are not democrats and have been in power way longer than they should have been, way beyond any mandate or term, and he said, remember, our Constitution says we, the people. Don't forget that we serve the people, not the other way round, and don't -- don't forget that the people are those who make any nation the strongest.

And he closed by saying, we as a world in bringing peace and stability are stronger together and we must work together.

So it was very interesting as his final speech.

BROWN: And it was striking, as you talk about that moment, he used his own personal experience of stepping aside from the president, from running for presidency for a second term, saying that there are things that are more important than power. And that is you, the people.

You know, when you watch him, though, making this final speech to the U.N., you have to think he wanted to be talking about the fact that they had reached a cease-fire deal and a hostage release deal by this point to really cement his foreign policy legacy. That has not happened.

Those talks are stalled. He said a diplomatic solution is still possible, though. But with how quickly things are escalating between Hezbollah and Israel, is that even realistic, Christiane?

AMANPOUR: Well, look, it doesn't look very bright from here and now. And we have been on this so-called brink of a cease-fire for many, many weeks and months.

The Israeli people by vast majorities ever since October 7 have said their priority is to bring their hostages home. That is what the families want. That's what the majority of the nation wants. And this has not happened. The only time it happened was through negotiation with Hamas now nearly a year ago, if you remember, at the end of November of last year. So they really want to end this.

[11:05:01]

He also said they have to end the violence on the occupied West Bank, and he again stressed that there has to be a commitment to the two- state solution. This goes flying in the face of Netanyahu's policies and indeed his coalition's policy. But what he did say which was super interesting was that he and the

United States back reform of the Security Council, so that the United Nations can go back to what it's meant to do, and that is broker peace, end suffering around the world and indeed stop nuclear war.

I think they're very frustrated that the Security Council is hostage to whoever wants to exercise a veto with its tight five membership in the permanent Security Council. So this speech was made in a very grim backdrop, but he kept saying that we world leaders cannot afford to despair.

We do not have that luxury. We have to work to make things better, and, as I say, again, listed a litany of massive global crises throughout his 50 years, which he enumerated how then they had been solved, by and large, for the most part, and that this too can be with the goodwill and the willingness of all the parties concerned.

BROWN: Yes, he talked about how it's impossible until you make it happen, and certainly that is what he is hoping on this front, and them released, and of course, the war on Ukraine.

Christiane Amanpour, thank you so much.

And for more on this, CNN's Alex Marquardt and Kayla Tausche joins us live from the U.N.

Kayla, to you first.

The expanding conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is now added to the agenda for these world leaders to discuss. Tell us about what pull-asides we're expecting today between Biden and other world leaders.

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Biden is going to be speaking with the U.N. secretary-general later today.

And he's hosting a reception for a bevy of world leaders at the Metropolitan Museum of Art tomorrow night, where administration officials tell me that now the escalating situation in the Middle East has been added to the top of the agenda, not only for President Biden, but also for the top dignitaries who are traveling with him and his team of envoys who have been shuttling back and forth from the region to try to reach this ever-elusive cease-fire deal and keep the war from widening as it now has.

But President Biden did nod to the situation between Hezbollah and Israel, and he encouraged the two sides to reach a diplomatic solution, which he said is the only path. Here's what Biden said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Hezbollah, unprovoked, joined the October 7 attack, launching rockets in Israel. Almost a year later, too many on each side of the Israeli-Lebanon board remained displaced. Full-scale war is not in anyone's interest. Even if the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still

possible. In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAUSCHE: And while that's something his team has long been working on, the escalation is casting a shadow over his and others' engagements here in New York City.

But I thought what was most interesting was the way that he tried to connect the atrocities that are happening today to the arc of history and during his five-plus decades of service, situations like the Vietnam War, apartheid in South Africa, and the aftermath of 9/11.

Those were things over his time in government that were seen as intractable and insolvable, and they ultimately went away. And he says, we have to remember that things do get better, and he urged world leaders to take that position with him.

BROWN: I want to bring you in, Alex, to get your perspective.

I know you were listening closely to see what else the president might say when it comes to the war in Gaza. We really didn't hear anything new on that front. But we do know that the U.S. is sending additional troops in the Middle East in the wake of what's happening now in Lebanon. What else do we know about that? How many troops? What will they be tasked to do? And what you think about the speech?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Pentagon has said that a small number of U.S. troops are heading to the region. It's not clear what kind of troops or where exactly they'd be going, but certainly in the Mediterranean region, presumably to help, of course, if there is further escalation, which now the U.S. is fearing.

Pam, this was always going to be a tough speech and a tough moment for President Biden, who wanted to focus on his accomplishments, wants to focus on what still needs to be done, wants to talk about all these global issues that need to be addressed by this global body.

And this General Assembly was always going to focus a lot on the war in Gaza. And now, of course, you have this escalation in Lebanon that is casting a shadow over all this. And both Gaza and Lebanon really serve to highlight for so many here that the U.S. has been unable to help get to a cease-fire, get to peace in Gaza, and has failed to get a diplomatic solution between Israel and Hezbollah, which they have been working on alongside that Gaza cease-fire for the past 11 months.

[11:10:07]

So, that's what I was really listening for in this speech, how President Biden thought that he could move the ball forward. And he talked about the necessity for peace in both Lebanon and in Gaza, talked about the need for the end of the war and for this U.N. endorsed cease-fire in Gaza to be put into place. But, frankly, the devil is in the details, of course. We don't -- we

didn't hear too many details. We didn't hear from President Biden how he's going to get this done. He just called on the parties to get it done.

But Pam, for all intents and purposes, the cease-fire in Gaza, those talks are completely stuck. And so U.S. officials behind the scenes this week, while so many people are in town, are going to try to get those unstuck. But it is even more difficult because of the escalation in Lebanon, with Israel ramping up their attacks against Hezbollah.

So it is unclear following this speech and in this moment, as I stand here, how the U.S. is trying -- is going to try to get to those peace deals, try to get to the cease-fires, not on one front, but on two fronts.

So, we had -- we heard a speech with big, broad, sweeping themes today that covered his entire career in foreign policy and hit on all the various issues of the day, but rather light on details about how to tamp down these fires that are burning and growing across the Middle East -- Pamela.

BROWN: Yes, and it was really fascinating to me how we brought up A.I., saying it presents possibilities, endless possibilities, as well as profound risks, Alex.

MARQUARDT: Yes, certainly, that was going to -- that's one of the more forward-looking parts of the speech. He doesn't want to -- he didn't want to necessarily get bogged down in only the Middle East, for example, or only Ukraine, which, frankly, is something that he's proud of, because, for the past 2.5 years, the U.S. has sent billions and billions of dollars in both military and civilian aid to Ukraine.

But he had to in this moment, even as his presidency is ending, talk about the path forward. A.I, of course, is going to be such a transformational technology, both for good and bad. You know, everyone's trying to try to get a sense of both the positive and negative aspects of machine learning.

But he also wanted to talk about climate change, talk about the competition with China, and not just focus on the conflicts that are, of course, at the front of our minds with Ukraine and the Middle East, but talk about the conflicts in Sudan, in Haiti, and elsewhere.

So this was really a wide-ranging speech, one that was, of course, very appropriate for one that's given in front of so many world leaders and in this moment. It was certainly one that he hopes will add to or at least help form the capstone of his foreign policy legacy, Pamela.

BROWN: Certainly, and it also stuck out to me how he clearly at one part was speaking to the autocrats in the room when it comes to the importance of democracy and putting the people first.

Alex Marquardt, thank you so much for that. And still ahead: While the war in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon is the top

priority of today's summit, a powerful voice is bringing attention to another dire issue in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MERYL STREEP, ACTRESS: A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not, and a woman may not in public. This is extraordinary. This is a suppression of the natural law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Up next, I will speak to a young mother who fled Afghanistan with her young daughter and husband.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:18:17]

BROWN: Welcome back.

Another important topic at the U.N. this week, women's rights in Afghanistan. Here's the actress Meryl Streep calling attention to the issue on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STREEP: And today, in Kabul, a female cat has more freedoms than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park.

A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today, because the public parks have been closed to women and girls by the Taliban. A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not and a woman may not in public. This is extraordinary. This is a suppression of the natural law. This is odd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Well, the Taliban rolled out a new set of restrictions on Afghan women just last month, as Streep mentioned, and some of those laws even include banning the sound of women singing or reading aloud in public.

And my next guest is a refugee who fled Afghanistan with her family in August in 2021 after using a Special Immigrant Visa. I had the chance to sit down with her family a few months ago after they relocated to the states.

And she joins us now, Soora Jawad.

Soora, when I saw these comments by Meryl Streep, I thought immediately to call you because I know a few years ago we sat down together. You had just come to the U.S. You were settling in. You were at the time, when you fled, you were in your third year in residency to become a heart surgeon in Afghanistan.

[11:20:02]

Think about that three years ago, and now you hear this and you see what's happening. What goes through your mind? What do you feel as you listen to Meryl Streep there?

SOORA JAWAD, AFGHAN REFUGEE: It's just heartbreaking.

It's heartbreaking to see women go through what they're going through in Afghanistan. Well, somehow it has been endless. It has been endless years of war, of domestic violence and now this that they're dealing with. They're banned from education. They're banned -- they're banned from walking out on the streets. And it's heartbreaking.

All a woman can do is just stay home. I have family members, I have friends who are working doctors, and they're staying home now, just because they're women. It's very heartbreaking to see them like that. They're all educated women, well-educated young girls, and all they can do is just stay home.

BROWN: And that could have been you.

JAWAD: That could have been me. That could have been my daughter.

BROWN: You have a 6-year-old daughter?

JAWAD: I have a 6-year-old daughter who is fond of school. She loves school.

When I look at her and I think about where I was, it frightens me. It frightens me. I look at her and I see that she could be one of those girls staying home, banned from education, banned from learning. It's very sad. It's very heartbreaking.

As I said, it has been endless years of suffering for Afghan women.

BROWN: And you barely got out of there, right?

(CROSSTALK)

JAWAD: I barely got out of there. It was just 10 days before the collapse that we fled Afghanistan. It was just 10 days before. I could have been there. I could have been one of the people stuck in there.

BROWN: And just to go through some of the restrictions put in place on women in Afghanistan since you fled, again,banned from singing or raising their voices in public, required to be covered from head to toe when leaving home, and largely being confined to their home with almost no access to education or work.

And you talk about your young daughter and how much she loves education and how, if she was there right now, she wouldn't be getting this education.

JAWAD: Not at all. BROWN: She wouldn't be allowed to just go and live freely in the way that you have.

JAWAD: Exactly.

She wouldn't even be allowed to be a child that she is. She couldn't go out in the park and play. She couldn't go anywhere. She would just be stuck at home. She would just be stuck at home. The sad thing is that here we have the facilities, we have the opportunities.

If you are staying home, you can still get classes online. Those women in Afghanistan, they don't even have that. They don't even have that. There are power shortages. There are Internet shortage. I talk to my family back home, I talk to my friends back home almost once a month, once every two months just because of these problems.

Even that opportunity is taken away from those women. They cannot do anything. All they can do is just stay home. If by any chance they are required to go outside, they have to cover head to toe in all those black burqas and everything. It's just heartbreaking.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: And, again, just to think, some of -- family members, some of them were also doctors, trained to become surgeons like you just a few years ago.

JAWAD: Doctors, master's. They had their degrees. They had their master's, their Ph.D.s and they're just at home. They're just staying home.

BROWN: And what do they say to you when you are able to reach them finally when they get the connection, the Internet connection? What do they say to you? I mean, just a dramatic change in their lives.

JAWAD: Very.

BROWN: Getting their education, going out and living, becoming doctors and now just being confined to their homes. What do they say?

JAWAD: They're just devastated. They are depressed. You can talk to them and you can realize how much this person is depressed.

All they want to do is in most cases -- when they talk to me, they're like, all I want to do is die. How much pressure you have to apply on a human being to just want to die, you know? That's the only way out they can think of. That's the only way out they can think of. And it's very heartbreaking. It's very sad.

When you talk to people who were once active members in the society, who were doctors, who were master's, who were working in offices, high ranks in military and in police, all they want to do right now is just die. And that is the only way out for them. That's how much pressurized they are over there.

BROWN: And they don't see any light at the end of the tunnel, no way out, with the Taliban in control, putting more and more restrictions on them.

JAWAD: They don't. They don't.

Honestly, I don't see any way out for them. I don't see any light. Not at all. Not at all.

BROWN: And that must be so sad as someone who was born and raised, right?

JAWAD: It's very sad and it's very heartbreaking and it's very frightening, when I think -- and I think that I could be back there. I could be back there and I could be just stuck inside the house raising a child who is not even allowed to be a kid. It's just frightening. It's scary. It's scary.

BROWN: Soora Jawad, thank you for coming on and sharing your story with us.

And please keep in touch. And we wish the best to your family members still there.

JAWAD: Definitely. The pleasure is mine. Thank you so much.

[11:25:02]

BROWN: Thank you.

JAWAD: Thank you.

BROWN: We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Returning to one of our top stories, today, at the United Nations, one of the key focuses of the General Assembly is the alarming escalation of airstrikes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Well, this right here is Southern Lebanon right near the border with Israel.