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Maliki Not Going Quietly After Being Ousted As Iraq's Prime Minister; Global Exchange: Old Jakarta
Aired August 11, 2014 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JIM CLANCY, HOST: Political crisis in Baghdad -- forces loyal to Nuri al-Maliki now on the streets of the Iraqi capital as he is forced out as
prime minister. All of this coming during the fight to stop ISIS from taking over more cities. We're going to take you live to Irbil in northern
Iraq.
And also ahead, another pause for thought in the holy land, and another chance for Israel and Gaza to turn words into positive action.
We've got the latest on those talks.
ANNOUNCER: This is the hour we connect the world.
CLANCY: The turmoil in Iraq is getting more complicated and potentially more dangerous by the minute. The country suddenly has a new
prime minister at least on paper. He's the former deputy speaker of parliament Haidr al-Abady (ph), a prominent Shia politician and former aid
to Nuri al-Maliki who in a speech last night refused to step down as prime minister.
Mr. al-Maliki backed up his defiance by defending Iraqi troops and tanks into the center of Baghdad.
And all of this political in-fighting is coming as the U.S. says its air strikes have at least temporarily stopped the advance of ISIS militants
in northern Iraq.
All right, there's lots to get to.
Anna Coren joins us now from Irbil in northern Iraq. You're quite a ways away from the capital of Baghdad, but I'm sure the reverberations of
these political moves are being felt there as well.
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, absolutely, Jim. People are watching the situation very closely, hoping that whoever will be
the next prime minister is going to have a unified government that represents all Iraqis.
Now as you have just announced the president Masum, he has nominated a new prime minister Haidr al-Abady (ph). He's a Shia a politician. He is a
member of Nuri al-Maliki's party. He's also the former aide of Nuri al- Maliki.
Now he has had the tap on the shoulder, and he's also been endorsed by the senior Shia politicians, which would indicate that he has the votes to
form a government. He has 30 days to do so, then it will have to go to parliament for an absolute majority before he is endorsed as prime
minister.
But as we know, things are moving extremely quickly here. This could happen in a matter of days. Obviously, there is pressure to resolve the
political crisis, which is really just adding to the turmoil here on the ground in Iraq.
You know, despite the air strikes being conducted by the United States and Kurdish forces making some gains, ISIS is still out there on the
battle field fighting and taking territory here in Iraq.
But let's now recap on what has taken place here politically and on the battlefield in the last few days.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)??
COREN: Defending his position in office, Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki ordering the surge of troops and security forces into Baghdad
overnight. The special forces loyal to him strategically occupy key neighborhoods and secure areas in the green zone where many government
buildings are located, including the largest U.S. embassy. The prime minister also delivering a fiery message to the Iraqi people, making clear
his intentions to forge ahead for a third term bid despite plans to replace him. ??
Maliki's resistance comes as the country is in turmoil, battling the presence of ISIS militants. The U.S. executing five rounds of air strikes
on ISIS on Sunday, hitting all targets within the space of a few hours. To south of Erbil, Kurdish forces claim victory, taking back two towns overrun
by ISIS. ??
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: American aircraft are positioned to strike ISIL terrorists around the mountain to help forces
in Iraq break the siege and rescue those who are trapped there. ??
COREN: Nearly 20,000 stranded Yazidi Iraqis were rescued from Mount Sinjar and taken to safety just over the Syrian-Iraqi border. Thousands got
on trucks with the help of Kurdish forces. The minority groups targeted by ISIS went to this mountain to seek refuge but instead are suffering.
According to an Iraqi official, hundreds are dying on the hillside from starvation and dehydration. Now U.S. officials confirm four successful air
drops bringing more than 74,000 meals and 15,000 gallons of water to those in desperate need. ??
Iraqi's Christian population also facing grave danger as ISIS issues the terrifying ultimatum, convert or die. ??
(END VIDEOTAPE)?
COREN: Now until this prime minister designates al-Abady (ph) is endorsed and forms a government, you know, the prime minister will remain
as Nuri al-Maliki. And as we saw from that package, he has been moving troops into Baghdad, into that Green Zone, to really fortify his positions,
the government buildings, as a sign of intimidation, a show of intimidation really to the president and to his political forces.
There is concern as to whether he will dig in, whether he will fight. We are certainly waiting momentarily for him to hold a press conference.
And we will gauge then to what his position will be, but certainly U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Nuri al-Maliki not to cause
trouble, not to cause any problems, and to follow the constitutional process, Jim
CLANCY: Anna Coren there reporting live.
And as Anna points out, we will be bringing you Nuri al-Maliki's comments live. We'll have a translation and try to learn, as you say,
Anna, exactly what he has in mind. It's an important part of the story. We're going to learn more about Nuri al-Maliki stepping down without a
fight. We're going to show you the first line of defense for the Iraqi Kurds fighting ISIS militants. Also coming up in this newscast, a look at
the new man Abady (ph) who is going to be taking the reigns of power inside Iraq.
Very important story, developing as I'm speaking right now. We'll keep you up to date.
All right, now, we're going to transition to one crisis that at least calmed somewhat today. Desperately needed humanitarian aid is starting to
flow into Gaza. The three day ceasefire has been declared between Hamas and Israel. It appears to be holding. Israeli tanks and Hamas rockets
have fallen silent. Indirect talks between both sides resume in Cairo.
The immediate goal, try to reach a more comprehensive ceasefire, a more durable one.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in Gaza over the past month. They're in urgent need of shelter, water and electrical power.
The international Red Cross says nearly 370 trucks are traveling to Gaza.
But the path to peace, even a temporary one, is going to be extremely difficult. Now that's based on just how far these two sides are apart and
their demands, which really reach high.
John Vause joins us now live from Gaza City with the latest on the ground -- John.
VAUSE: Yeah, hey, Jim.
Well, we're into another three days ceasefire. First day down, two to go.
Much like the other ceasefire, last week which also lasted 72 hours, people are back out on the streets. There's a sort of normalcy here now.
It doesn't seem to be as frantic as it was, people are sort of settling into a routine here now. And we are seeing a lot of humanitarian aid cross
the border form Israel, almost 400 trucks of aid made it in today. They're bringing in not just medical supplies, but we also understand medical
workers are also coming in here as well. We know that hospitals had been working overtime, thousands of people had been wounded in more than a month
of fighting.
The aid groups like the Red Cross are also giving out basic food stuffs, enough to last a family for just a few days. And that's kind of
where we stand right now. Basic repair work, trying to fix the sewer lines, trying to get the water flowing to thousands of homes that haven't
had running water for many, many weeks now, trying to fix the power.
There is some electricity here now. They fixed six of the ten transmission lines form Israel. There's up to seven hours of electricity a
day, but there is still that longer-term issue. What do you do? How do you rebuild this place? No one really is even talking about that,
certainly while those negotiations are ongoing in Cairo. These are difficult negotiations and they could certainly end the way they ended on
Friday, Jim.
CLANCY: John Vause reporting for us there live from Gaza City. John, keep us posted on the changes there as we enjoy something of a respite
right now and people can recover.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meantime, becoming his country's first directly elected president. Mr. Erdogan secured 52 percent
of the votes in the first round, narrowly avoiding a runoff. He will be sworn in for a five year term on the 28th of August.
Despite the presidency being a largely ceremonial post, Mr. Erdogan is going to have to work with a government to tackle the country's economic
troubles. To discuss this further, I'm joined by CNN's emerging market's editor John Defterios live form Abu Dhabi -- John.
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jim.
In fact, when it comes to honeymoon periods for President-elect Erdogan, it's got to be one of the shortest in history. In fact, we saw 1
percent rally on the Istanbul main index today within the first hour of trading, and then it was downhill from there. The trading in fact
accelerated through this session to finish down 2.5 percent.
Ironically, this was a report from Fitch, the credit rating agency, who suggested that Mr. Erdogan faces political downside risk, domestic
pressures still are prevalent.
I say it with a bit of irony, because Prime Minister Erdogan and his cabinet have taken issue with the credit rating agencies for treating
Turkey unfairly.
But during his acceptance remarks, the pictures we see on our screen here, the prime minister and now president elect is suggesting it's not a
time to look back, but a time to look forward. And he called for a reconciliation. Here are the remarks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT-ELECT, TURKEY (through translator): Brothers, I say this from the heart, let's start a new social
reconciliation period today and let's leave the old discussions in the old Turkey. Let's leave tensions, culture of clashes and virtual problems in
old Turkey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFTERIOS: Erdogan acknowledging a very rough and tumble past 18 months for him, starting with the Gezi protests over his development plans
in Takhsim Square. But in the last six months, wave after wave of allegations against the prime minister and his cabinet, with allegations of
corruption reaching right to the top of the administration including Mr. Erdogan's family.
Now this has undermined domestic demand as well. Don't forget that Prime Minister Erdogan ruled at a time when Turkey was growing 8 or 9
percent a year, and it was just a few years ago.
Back in 2010, Jim, Turkey was growing at 9 percent, even posted nearly 9 percent in 2011. Then the trouble hit in 2012, growth of just 2 percent.
They managed to claw back growth to 4 percent in 2013, but this is half the level that the markets got used to. And the challenge, of course now for
Turkey, and not just the domestic challenges that he face, but also the geopolitical challenges with Syria and Turkey with neighboring Iraq right
at his doorstep, and this is what the market is very concerned about as well, Jim.
CLANCY: Well, what is in his new role as president? What is his role in foreign policy? Because, you know, the domestic issues are one thing in
Turkish politics, and they're important, no doubt about it, but he's confronted with a crisis in Iraq and a long simmering crisis in neighboring
Syria?
DEFTERIOS: Indeed. And first and foremost, it's not clear how he's going to define what he calls the executive presidency. Will he have a
firm grip over foreign policy, as he does today? The answer is probably yes. Number two, who is going to be his successor as prime minister? How
long does he stay in office? There's new breaking this evening with comments from the former President Abdullah Gul suggesting he may have a
role in the AK Party, a party that he co-founded going forward.
But you're very correct in suggesting here domestic challenges over the last 18 months has taken his eye off the ball of what's happening in
neighboring Syria. The problem did not go away as he tried to push out Bashar al-Assad., and in particular in the southeast right now as talk
tonight, Jim. The northern Iraq situation will put pressure on the Turkish economy. IT is the second largest market for Turkey, Iraq is overall, and
it needs to be solved. In fact, as a NATO member, it's very clearly that other members of NATO would like to see the domestic situation stabilize
and for him to clarify what exactly an executive presidency will be.
CLANCY: John Defterios laying it on the line. The challenges facing Turkey and its new president. The old prime minister Mr. Erdogan. Thank
you so much, John. Very insightful.
All right, still to come this hour -- battling Ebola, the ethics of using experimental drugs as the deadly virus continues to spread.
And some angry reaction now coming in after Iraq suddenly nominates a new prime minister. And as I've said we're waiting for the current Prime
Minister Nuri al-Maliki to come out and speak before the cameras. We're going to bring that to you live from Baghdad.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: This is CNN and Connect the World. I'm Jim Clancy. Welcome back, everyone.
The son-in-law and political ally of embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki telling Reuters that supporters will, and these are his
words, will not stay silent over the nomination of rival Haidr al-Abady (ph) as the country's new prime minister. This is c rated a power struggle
in the capital as Mr. al-Maliki says he wants to stay in office.
He ordered troops and tanks into Central Baghdad overnight. The United Nations is now urging Iraqi forces not to get in the way of any
peaceful transition.
Now a spokesman for Iraq's human rights minister tells CNN some 20,000 Yazidis have been rescued by Kurdish forces. The refugees climbed Mount
Sinjar to escape being slaughtered by ISIS militants. They were taken to Dohuk in Kurdistan.
But thousands of people still trapped in that mountainous areas. Over the weekend, Kurdish fighters recaptured two towns, but they lost a key
town of Jalala after a fierce battle.
Ivan Watson reports now from the front lines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A pile of dirt across a barren highway. This, the first line of defense for Iraqi Kurds fighting
against ISIS militants, said to be just a short drive away, occupying this village.
In this eerie no-man's land on the Kurdish front line, a tent city, recently abandoned.
This camp was a temporary home for thousands of Iraqis who fled the ISIS militant capture of the nearby city of Mosul two months ago. Last
Wednesday when ISIS went on the offensive yet again everybody fled. The camp is deserted. And some of them ran so quickly that they left their cars
behind.
It is here, among the other announced cars of this sun-baked plain, that Kurdish pesh merga fighters are digging in, building fortifications,
and regrouping after a chaotic retreat from the Islamist militants just five days ago.
The biggest threat, fighters here say, armored ISIS convoys led by suicide bombers in speeding vehicles.
AZIZ SHWAN AHMED, CHIEF OF STAFF, IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Suicide cars start their operations then other vehicles start
their overall offensive. And that's why we are strengthening our defense lines to prevent these cars from approaching us and kind of make it more
difficult for them to attack
WATSON: The Kurds have gotten some help from American air strikes, but everyone here says they need more.
FERHANG EFFENDI, KRUDISH VOLUNTERR: Well, our weapons are sort of the old Iraqi army weapons. Unfortunately the weapons that they have seized
from the Iraqi army that was from the US army, they're very advanced weapons. So we do need better weapons.
WATSON: The Kurdish ranks, bolstered by some unlikely volunteers. A 19-year-old Swedish-Kurd named Zamo Amin, and his father, Osman, who runs a
car wash back home in Sweden.
I don't understand you were both living in Sweden, and then you heard about the news and came to Kurdistan to fight?
ZAMO AMIN, KURDISH VOLUNTEER: Yes.
WATSON: What is the reason for this, what is motivating you?
AMIN: My heart is Kurdistan. So I give everything for Kurdistan. Yes.
WATSON: The ISIS militants say they're fighting to build an Islamic State. The Kurds are defending a region that's still not quite an
independent state, from the worst threat Iraqi Kurdistan has seen in more than a decade.
Ivan Watson, CNN, on the Kurdish front lines in Northern Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Previous attempts to heal Iraq's political divisions have resulted in failure. So why should it be any different this time around?
Well, we've got plenty of opinion on this topic on our website. You can go online to find out why scholar and former Middle East negotiator Aaron
David Miller says Iraq is a lost cause for President Obama. This and all the latest developments on this story are waiting for you at
CNN.com/International.
And live from CNN Center, this is Connect the World. All your world headlines are coming up. But first, the historic heart of Jakarta
crumbling. We're going to tell you about a campaign to breathe new life into this old city.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN: This bustling port was once the gateway to a bustling city known as the Queen of the East. It is now an entry to Cotatua (ph),
or the old town of the Indonesian metropolis we know as Jakarta.
Built by the Dutch colonialists in the 1600s, the city became a trade hub for spices. But as residents moved south, over the years it has been
left to ruin and is now home to squatters and hawkers.
Despite the areas state of disrepair, the Indonesian government still believes its charm can be restored, that's why the Indonesian President-
Elect Joko Widodo established a partnership last year between the state and the prime sector to kickstart the rejuvenation process, a project overseen
by Lin Che Wei.
LIN CHE WEI, BUSINESSMAN: Jakarta Old Town (inaudible). I said you need to make this area to become a place to live to work to play. It's not
enough for it to just become part of an area. You have to inject back that (inaudible) area. And that is actually important.
COREN: The area's existing museums already draw in some culture seekers, but new attractions like this art gallery housed in the old post
office are being created to draw in more tourism and commerce.
And thanks to a cash injection of more than $12 million from the government, the JOTC are hoping this building will stand among the 85 other
structures they aim to revive in the next five years.
Lin Che Wei is also hoping to win a World Heritage Site classification by March 2016.
WEI: I do believe that (inaudible) really is (inaudible) preserve. And we pass on and take it to the next generation.
COREN: Today, the town square is once again a hub of activity on the weekend.
NORIADI HUSODO, JAKARTA TOURISM AND CULTURE OFFICE (through translator): I'm optimistic that this plan will get better in the future.
Now we can see some film productions taking place in this area as well as product launchings, soap operas and many more activities.
COREN: And while previous attempts to give the city back its heartbreak have failed, this initiative both support from the state, the
private sector and even tourists show are already noticing new life in a decaying piece of history.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, of course they should preserve the park. And I think they are doing it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: This is CONNECT THE WORLD, I'm Jim Clancy, and here are your headlines. Iraq's president just nominated a new prime minister. Haider
al-Abadi has been appointed to succeed Nouri al-Maliki, who earlier had promised to hang onto power. Al-Abadi is a Shia lawmaker and a former aid
to Mr. al-Maliki.
The fatal shooting of a young man by a police officer in the US state of Missouri has sparked violent protests in suburban St. Louis. Police say
18-year-old Michael Brown physically assaulted the officer and tried to get his weapon. Other witnesses say his hands were up in the air when he was
shot and killed.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan winning Turkey's first direct presidential election while serving his third term as the country's prime minister. His
new role is expected to be more ceremonial, but Erdogan says he's going to seek to add more powers to the presidency.
The International Red Cross says there is an urgent need for humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza now that a three-day cease-fire appears
to be holding. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, and they desperately need shelter, food, water, and medical care.
Negotiators from Israel and Hamas are meeting in Egypt. They're trying to reach something of a more permanent cessation of hostilities.
Reza Sayah joins us now, live from Cairo with more on that front. Reza, these two sides -- they're asking for everything from the outset. What are
they chances they can ever come together?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Jim, I think if you look at the history of this conflict, you can't be too optimistic. Over the
past eight years, specifically when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over Gaza, they've repeatedly failed to resolve this conflict.
Even so, they're at it again, they're both here in Cairo, giving it another shot. Of course, they failed last week to reach some sort of
agreement, but they're going to give it another shot.
So, let's tell you what's happening at this hour. The Palestinians and the Israelis meeting, according to the Egyptian government's officials
here. These are indirect negotiations with Egypt acting as a middle man. Of course, this was the same process that took place last week.
The deadline for this particular cease-fire is midnight Wednesday local time. So technically, these two sides have another two and a half
days to make something happen.
All of this, of course, happening after Egypt submitted another cease- fire proposal late last night. It was very difficult to get these two sides to stop fighting and get to the negotiating table. The Palestinians
were here in Cairo, they never left even after the last cease-fires fell apart. They said they're willing to talk.
The Israelis continue to say we're not going to we're not going to come back to Cairo, we're not going to come back and negotiate until and
unless the Palestinians stop firing rockets. Eventually, all sides agreed to come to Cairo to hold these indirect negotiations, Jim.
There's a lot of mistrust between these two sides, a lot of accusations that the other side is not negotiating in good faith. Rarely
if ever have they made any concessions to one another. Rarely if ever have the acknowledge that they've made mistakes.
Obviously, those are not good conditions for conflict resolution, but that's what they're working with, and we'll see what happens in the next
couple of days, Jim.
All right. While they try to accomplish what some say is impossible, to find agreement between those two sides, what is happening among the
three main Palestinian factions? They've been in Cairo for much longer. They have been talking to one another.
There are people that wanted them all to come together in this and really reach that unity agreement and perhaps -- perhaps -- take their take
together to the International Criminal Court.
SAYAH: Yes, Jim. And I think that's been a huge factor, the fact that these factions, these Palestinian factions, have maintained a
semblance of unity. And it's clear, according to some observers, that one of the missions of Israel when it comes to this conflict is to divide
Hamas, to isolate and sideline Hamas.
But the Palestinians over these past couple of weeks, especially after they came to Cairo, they've maintained that they're united, that Hamas's
message it their message. And so far, seemingly, Israel has failed to divide these factions. And that's, I think, played a huge factor in
getting Israel back to the table.
Now the question is, moving forward, is any side going to back down? Is any side going to make any concessions, any compromise? In any
conflict, that's obviously the key to resolving it.
CLANCY: Reza Sayah reporting for us, there, live from Cairo. Reza, as always, great to have you with us.
As the conflict unfolds, people all over the world are looking for ways that they might be able to help. Many are turning to technology.
There's a new app called "Buycott," that allows users to boycott Israeli products, or countries that support Hamas. CNN's Sara Sidner spoke to the
app's founder.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The war on the ground between Israel and Gaza is sparking another kind of war: a
battle of the apps. SmartPhone applications intended to create economic pain, using bar codes to help users decide which products to boycott.
This one, aimed at Israel and companies that support it, its numbers suddenly spiking from a few thousand to more than a quarter of a million in
just a few weeks. A number surging as the ferocity of the war in Gaza did the same.
LUKE BURGESS, CAMPAIGN CREATOR: I'm 16, I'm not an Arab, I'm white, I'm from Jewish heritage, and yes, I am pro-Palestine.
SIDNER: Briton Luke Burgess came up with the Long Live Palestine boycott Israel campaign.
BURGESS: If I find out that this company had been donating X amount to the IDF or had illegal -- factories in illegal settlements in the West
Bank, regardless of what they've done, if it has helped the Zionist movement, I'd add them to the list.
SIDNER: But political analysts in Israel say it's not likely to do the kind of damage its users are hoping for.
GERALD STEINBERG, PRESIDENT, NGO MONITOR: It probably doesn't have an economic significance, because most of the people who sign up boycotting
Israel are people who would never buy Israeli products anyway.
There is concern in Israel about the broader boycott movement, about demonizing Israel, the political war that goes on in parallel with the
shooting war.
SIDNER: If you don't think companies are worried about these kinds of campaigns, note this recent statement from Starbucks, saying rumors it
financially supports the state of Israel or its military are not true.
Starbucks has long been a target of a larger Boycott Israel movement called Boycott, Divest, and Sanction, or BDS, of which Burgess is a member.
But Burgess's campaign is now being met with contrasting ones.
IVAN PRADO, BUYCOTT APP FOUNDER: There is a campaign to avoid Israeli products, just as there is a campaign to support Israeli products, and also
a campaign to avoid products that are created in countries that are patrons of Hamas.
SIDNER: At the center of it all, the California man who created the Buycott app, a platform where anyone can sign in and create their own
boycott campaign, including Burgess.
PRADO: Buycott is a mobile app that makes it easy for consumers to vote with their wallet.
SIDNER: Ivan Prado's team of two works to try and ensure the information on the companies targeted is valid.
PRADO: The app was created with a focus on US-based issues.
SIDNER (on camera): Initially, the most popular campaign was geared at US users, who wanted to ensure that products containing genetically-
modified ingredients were labeled as such. Prado could never have imagined that the fastest-growing app now, with more than 260,000 users, would
relate to a decades-old political fight here in the Middle East.
Sara Sidner, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: All right. We continue to watch the situation that's unfolding in Iraq this hour. A short time ago, we were told that Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki was going to come out and address the fact that his former deputy speaker of Parliament, Haider al-Abadi, had been promoted
to prime minister.
Abadi, of course, is a prominent Shia politician. He's also a former aid to Nouri al-Maliki. But what happened was instead of this man coming
out and speaking, what we got was some of his close political allies, who steppe forward and said that Mr. Abadi's nomination as prime minister had
no validity.
Because Nouri al-Maliki's party still commands the largest number of votes in parliament, and he, by all rights, should have been the one who
was asked to put together a government. But the president didn't ask him. The president asked Mr. Abadi to do it.
So, who is this man, al-Abadi. What does he represent? What does it mean that Mr. al-Maliki may or may not be willing to step down without a
fight? Lots of questions in this political struggle. Let's bring in Kirk Sowell. He's the publisher of "Inside Iraqi Politics." Great to have you
with us. How are you reading this one?
KIRK SOWELL, PUBLISHER, "INSIDE IRAQI POLITICS": Well, thanks for having me. Let me just contextualize this a little bit, just to be clear
from some of the news reports that have come out, that Abadi, Haider al- Abadi, he is the prime minister designate. He's not been appointed prime minister. Maliki is still prime minister for the moment.
But he is the prime minister designate. He has 30 days under the constitution to form a government, and then he would then need to present a
list of cabinet ministers to Parliament for approval within 30 days. And then only if that receives an outright majority in Parliament would he then
become prime minister.
So, he's prime minister designate, Maliki is still prime minister. However, Maliki's days, in my view, are numbered. Maliki's argument
essentially is that his state of law coalition, of which Haider al-Abadi is a part, was the largest bloc in Parliament on the first day of Parliament.
That's his argument.
The problem is that in the first day of Parliament -- this was July 1st -- they didn't get up and say that. No one came up and said we're the
state of law coalition, and we nominate Nouri al-Maliki to be prime minister again.
This was a statement that Maliki made days later, and it was a statement issued from his office. Only he signed it. Other members of the
bloc did not sign it. And then, Abadi, he is actually a member of the Dawa party. You asked me, what did we know? We know quite a bit about Abadi.
He was in exile in Britain --
(CROSSTALK)
CLANCY: All right, let's get to that --
SOWELL: -- he was --
CLANCY: Let me get to that in just a minute. I want to ask you a more urgent question, which is, what are the troops doing out on the
street? Are we headed for trouble in Baghdad?
SOWELL: Potentially. I wouldn't exclude the possibility that Maliki would try some sort of coup. I would exclude the possibility that it will
succeed. He might for a very short period be essentially the prime minister of the green zone, the international zone.
But I actually think in the end, he's simply going to back down from that. At the moment, he does have his surrogates out there in the Iraqi
media saying that he's right and so on. However, I should emphasize a couple of things.
One is, the judiciary has already refused to back him. And this is a break. In the past, the judiciary, the Supreme Court has been rather
biased in favor of Mr. Maliki, frankly. But they refused to back him earlier today.
And then also, these senior military commanders that Maliki has appointed, they're not going to arrest these other mainstream Shia
politicians. In the case of Abadi, he's a member of the Dawa party. These people are all very mainstream Shia Islamists. This is not a Baathist coup
or anything like that.
So, there may be some attempt, but I predict that if there is an attempt by Maliki to keep power through force, it will fail very quickly.
CLANCY: When we look at Mr. Abadi, I'm just wondering what kind of a man you get. How different is he from Nouri al-Maliki? Is he more
inclusive? And perhaps most importantly, is he trusted by the Sunnis?
SOWELL: Well, I would say he's not actually all of that different, and this says more about the Shia bloc and the state of Shia politics in
Iraq than anything.
He's -- as I said, he was a long-term Dawa party -- Islamic Dawa party activist. He's often been a surrogate for Maliki himself. He was chairman
of the financial committee in Parliament before this. He had a couple of brothers murdered by the Saddam Hussein regime a few decades ago. So, he's
someone who's trusted by the Shia.
He is not someone who's a radical break with the present. He's not someone who's known for having really great relations with Sunni Arabs. At
the same time, I think the reason he was nominated is because he's also someone who's not known for making enemies.
So, he's not someone out there who's usually involved in controversies, who's been in lots of clashes, personal and political
clashes with people, with Sunnis or anyone else, for that matter. And I think that that's the reason he ended up getting the nod as prime minister
designate.
CLANCY: All right, Kirk Sowell, I want to thank you very much for being with us and lending your insights. And I should remind our viewers,
Kirk is the publisher of "Inside Iraqi Politics," a very detailed analysis of what's going on inside Iraq. Thank you.
Well, live from CNN Center, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Fighting a disease with no known cure. Experts discuss the ethics of using
experimental medicine in the battle against Ebola. We'll go live to Johannesburg next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Well, the World Health Organization, a panel of experts, and some civilians are discussing the ethics of using experimental drugs to
fight Ebola in West Africa. According to WHO figures, at least 961 people have died since the outbreak began some nine months ago.
Last week, it declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. CNN's David McKenzie has been monitoring events for
us and joins us now, live from Johannesburg with the latest.
David, we look at this crisis, they have taken action. We've had an international call, borders have been closed, more doctors have been sent
in. What's the status of the fight against Ebola today?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well the status is it appears that there is now a lot of work being done to stop the flow
within these countries and outside of these countries. Different countries, obviously, taking different measures, Jim. Ivory Coast says
it's going to stop flights coming in from the three main affected countries into Abidjan, the capital there.
And when we went out of the region over the last 24 hours, it's clear that there's a lot more focus by health workers at those border points to
take your temperature, take a very detailed travel history and contact numbers to allow health workers to trace anyone who might develop symptoms.
So, it does appear things are being done, Jim.
CLANCY: ZMapp, the drug, the only promise anybody has, experimental. On one hand, people in Africa have to ask, well, why is that white people
are getting this, the doctors are getting this in the United States, but we don't get it? On the other hand, are you testing drugs on Africans? This
is -- damned if you do, damned if you don't.
MCKENZIE: Well, not necessarily. I think it depends on how much drugs there are available. That's probably the first question to ask,
because then you have to decide who gets them and who doesn't. Just because there's a drug that's on the -- in the developmental phase, Jim, it
doesn't mean they physically have enough capacity to treat everyone who needs it.
But yes, ethical questions being posed because you have two Americans and one Spanish missionary who've received this ZMapp experimental drug,
and you don't have anyone in Africa who's gotten the same level of treatment, if you look at it that way.
The WHO is convening a panel of experts to discuss this very tricky ethical matter. And there have been calls from Liberia and also Nigeria
saying that they want to get access to these drugs. Here's one health official from Nigeria saying they should send it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ONYEBUCHI CHUKWU, NIGERIAN HEALTH MINISTER: Nigeria is actually, as of now, reaching out to various laboratories, various governments,
including the US government, to see how some of these untried drugs and vaccines that seem to hold out some hope could also be deployed in Nigeria.
We're in touch, and it's possible that very soon, we have -- will probably go to send with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: So, they need the drugs, or they want the drugs. But at this stage, with this large outbreak across several countries, the key,
they say, is getting boots on the ground and tracing contacts with people who might have contracted Ebola, and then the real process of stopping this
outbreak will begin. Jim.?
CLANCY: Our David McKenzie, there, in Johannesburg, continuing to follow the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. David, as always, thank you very
much. And you can find a lot more about this, including tracking down Patient One in this case. It may have been a two-year-old. It's all
waiting for you at cnn.com.
Well, coming up right after this short break on CONNECT THE WORLD, you've been sending in your shots of last night's incredible super moon.
Well, we have more photos of that rare and beautiful lunar event coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Many of you had a chance to enjoy last night's super moon, which lit up the skies around much of the world. And if you were lucky
enough to have a landmark nearby, well, it was extra special then, such as here at Nossa Senhora de Pina Church in Rio de Janeiro.
And at the US Marine Corps' war memorial, a memorial at Arlington in Virginia. Truly, truly impressive sights. Let's get more from Mari Ramos,
who joins us, live with the weather. Mari?
MARI RAMOS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I love it! You have to be lucky to have clear skies, of course, which we didn't here in the Atlanta area, so
we didn't get to see it too well.
But this is a picture from here, from Atlanta, from the first super moon, because this -- what makes it an even more special event is that
we're going to have three super moons in a row, back-to-back, you could say, with the full moon.
Super moon number one happened back in July. This is a picture right here, like I said, from Atlanta. I love this, because we have so many
airplanes here, of course, the busiest airport in the world, right? So, there's one going right across the face of the moon. One of my favorites.
So, what happens? What is the super moon? Well, basically, it's your full moon, but it happens when the full moon happens to coincide with the
perigee, basically when the point where the moon is closest to the Earth as it orbits around. So when -- sometimes it farther away, it's called the
apogee, and perigee is when it's closest.
So, when the perigee and the full moon happen together, that's when you have a super moon. And like I said, this year, it's going to happen
three times. We had July, August, and then the next one is going to be next month. This is a picture from a super moon last month.
But September 9th is when you get to see super moon number three. Jim, mark your calendar, OK? Because we're going to have to make sure we
get to see that super moon. It's the last one for the year and for a while. And of course, clear skies is going to be the thing we're going to
hope for.
Let's very quickly look at the weather across Europe. We still have the remnants of what was Hurricane Bertha. Can you believe it? Still up
here, wandering across the northern portions of Europe, bringing some very gusty wind across these areas.
You can see the circulation of the storm, it's no longer considered a tropical cyclone, of course, but you can see the band of rain that
stretches all the way down here, even into central parts of Europe. Some heavy rain expected there.
Some of the heaviest has been across northern parts of the UK, also Northern Ireland and Ireland experiencing some very gusty conditions, and
that is expected to continue through the rest of the day today, even as we head into tomorrow. If you're flying into this part of the world, you're
going to be in for a bumpy ride, so make sure you have those seat belts fastened, right, Jim?
CLANCY: You betcha. All right. And I'm waiting for that. You tell me where it's going to be clear.
RAMOS: I'm going to remind you.
CLANCY: Going to get the photo, the tripod -- get everything together and go out wherever it's going to be clear.
RAMOS: Exactly.
CLANCY: All right, thanks much. Well, the team at CONNECT THE WORLD wants to hear from you, facebook.com/CNNconnect, have your say. Or join me
on Twitter, if you would like, @ClancyCNN.
Our top story, now, allies of Nouri al-Maliki say only their man can be prime minister of Iraq. This comes after Iraq's president nominated
Haider al-Abadi to be the successor to al-Maliki. He's prime minister designate, if you will.
Much more is just ahead. I'm Jim Clancy, that was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thanks for watching, be right back.
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