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Connect the World
Officer Wilson Breaks Silence; UK Unveils Anti-Terror Measures; OPEC Considers Oil Production Cuts; Examining Dynamics of Oil Market; Cape Town's New Family Recreation Centre; Parting Shots: Anger Across US
Aired November 26, 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: A second night of protests in Ferguson as thousands march in solidarity in cities across the U.S. This, as the officer who
killed Michael Brown says he's sorry for the loss of the life, but has a clear conscience about what he did.
Also ahead, Hong Kong demonstrators digging in despite scores of arrests, including some of their student leaders.
And ISIS takes hits in both Syria and Iraq as do the civilians forced to live under their rule. We'll have all the latest.
ANNOUNCER: This is the hour we connect the world.
CLANCY: The anger and frustration over a police killing in Missouri has spread to other cities across the United States. A grand jury decision
not to charge a white police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed African-American teenager triggered a second night of protests in Ferguson.
But there were fewer arrests and fewer reports of vandalism. Still, there were acts of violence. Stephanie Elam reports on the outrage in
Ferguson and beyond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sirens ring out in Ferguson, Missouri, demonstrators facing off with police for the second
night in a row. Tensions coming to a boil, as protesters overturn and set fire to a police cruiser after a day of relatively peaceful protests.
Police and National Guard responding with a heavier hand than the night before, arresting 44 protesters, using hoses and pepper spray, to disburse
the crowd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will get justice by any means necessary.
ELAM: This as anger over the grand jury's decision spreads across the country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do we want?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When do we want it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now!
ELAM: Demonstrators flooding the streets yesterday in about 170 cities nationwide: blocking bridges, tunnels, and major highways from coast to
coast.
Thousands of protesters snake their way through the streets of New York City, jamming traffic, holding signs and chanting loudly.
Across the country in downtown Los Angeles, protesters rallied, knocking down fences and blocking the 101 Freeway with roadblocks and
debris.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do we want a revolution?
ELAM: In Oakland, protests took a more violent turn, news helicopters capturing footage of vandals smashing windows, looting local businesses and
lighting bonfires.
In Minneapolis, a moment of rage as a car plows through a group of demonstrator, running over a protester's leg.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was honking and getting mad that people wouldn't move. And then, he just plowed through.
ELAM: According to authorities, the woman was taken to the hospital and is being treated for very minor injuries. The incident currently under
investigation.
In Cincinnati, 15 demonstrators arrested after scaling concrete barriers and briefly shutting down Interstate 75.
Denver police also responding to protesters trying to move on to their interstate, using smoke bombs and pepper spray to deter the demonstrators.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I said mace, pull out the mace. Mace everybody.
ELAM: From Atlanta to Boston, the nation's capital, protesters taking to the streets and making their voices heard as authorities attempt to
contain a growing sense of outrage across the country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: That was Stephanie Elam reporting from Ferguson, Missouri. We're going to have more on the issue of race in America. The police
officer who killed Michael Brown speaks out for the very first time. Find out what Darren Wilson says happened that fateful day.
We're also going to be talking about what community leaders and police can do to bridge the gap of distrust.
Plus, a report on the prosecutor in the case and why some say he was the wrong man for the job. We're going to have a live report from Ferguson
just a little bit later here on Connect the World.
Well, Hong Kong chief executive CY Leung urging protesters there not to retake to the streets of a busy commercial district.
That was the scene just a few hours ago as pro-democracy protesters clashed with Hong Kong police. Demonstrators were attempting to reoccupy a
protest camp that had been cleared in a Mong Kok district.
Anna Coren has the latest for us from Hong Kong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The police are really struggling to keep protesters off the streets tonight despite dismantling
the Mong Kok protest site here over in Kowloon which has been the most volatile of the three protest sites. There are now thousands of onlookers
and protesters as you can see along the sidewalk. Many of them here just watching on taking photos, observing what is happening.
But as you can see, there is a huge presence of police, hundreds if not thousands have come here to make sure that these protesters do not
reclaim this site.
Now, two injunctions were approved by the high court, allowing bailiffs and police to come in and remove protesters, and there were
thousands of protesters here in Mong Kok. They successfully did that over the last few days, certainly this morning they managed to clear out Nathan
Road three blocks in a space of one hour without too many problems.
But now people have come home after work. And this is when they take to the streets.
As you can see, there's another (inaudible) breaking out. There, again, dozens of arrests in the last few hours -- this is going to be a
huge battle. Police successfully managed to move people off the streets. They dismantled the Mong Kok site, taking down the barricades, the tents,
the structures. But now, it's nighttime, people have returned from work and there are thousands lining the sidewalks.
Police are trying to keep them off the streets, from reclaiming the streets, but they are having great difficulty.
There really is a sense of chaos as to how the situation is going to unfold. There are so many onlookers and so many press, police don't seem
to have the situation under control, but they have warned that they will use force.
We have yet to see the presence of pepper spray, but there is a very good chance that police will use those heavy tactics (inaudible) as the
protesters here in Mong Kok do not reclaim this site.
Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Well, turning now to the Middle East, a man ISIS considers its military prince in at least one part of Iraq has been killed in a
coalition airstrike, that according to the head of the Anbar Provincial council. He says the attack happened near the city of Hit.
He says the ISIS figure was riding in a convoy at the time and that dozens who were with him were also killed.
Now, across the border in Syria, at least 95 people reported killed, more than 100 others wounded in government airstrikes. They targeted the
northern city of Raqqa, that's the headquarters, or at least a stronghold of ISIS. Our Nick Paton Walsh is in Turkey. He has details on both of
these developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Severe, but rare Syrian regime airstrikes hitting the town of Raqqa. Now that is what ISIS
effectively called the capital of their self-declared caliphate across Syria and Iraq. These 10 airstrikes hitting the center of that town, a
market and also a key mosque, their characteristic, really, it seems of the disregard the regime have for whether they hit civilians when they drop
ordinance on populated areas.
Some activists suggesting many of the nearly 100 dead and over 100 injured are, in fact, civilians. We'll have to wait and see for
clarification of that. But ISIS will have trouble treating their wounded.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also stating, in fact, ISIS have begun getting blood from detainees they're holding to try and assist
in the treating of their wounded from the various battlefronts their on.
But this rare regime airstrike, a different I think to many of their actions in the past few months when they've been accused of, frankly,
allowing ISIS to grow across northern Syria to be a counter to the more moderate rebels they're also fighting as well. But ISIS being hit hard.
Both fair, but also it seems in Iraq, in Anbar Province a key militant leader, an emir known as Sanam Matib (ph), hit it seems when the convoy he
was traveling in of 15 vehicles was, according to Iraqi officials, hit by a coalition airstrike.
Now if this man Matib (ph) was, in fact, killed, it would be a blow against ISIS. He's a key emir responsible for many deaths in that province
of Anbar where ISIS is making significant headway in the past weeks or so. But we'll have to wait and see for further confirmation.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Gaziantep, southern Turkey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Live from CNN Center, this is Connect the World. And coming up, will the OPEC cartel make the cut during its big meeting in Austria
this week? Why falling oil prices and other factors are forcing some difficult decisions for oil producers.
And protests spreading in the United States. We're going to talk more about this case in Ferguson and how to improve the relationship between
police and minority communities.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: You're watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. Welcome back everyone.
I'm Jim Clancy in for Becky Anderson.
Well, returning to our top story now, the sometimes violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Many protesters have been openly critical of the
prosecutor in this case. Ana Cabrera is live in Ferguson. She has the latest -- Ana.
ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Jim.
Yeah, since the very beginning prosecutor Bob McCulloch has been the center of controversy in this case. In fact, his dad was a police officer
who died in the line of duty, was shot and killed by an African-American man and that's one reason the protesters had called for a special
prosecutor to try to this case for fear of bias.
Now, prosecutor McCulloch all along insisted he would be fair, and now that the grand jury indictment, or no indictment in this case came out
there are many here questioning whether his office did the right thing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRRESPONDENT (voice-over): St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch under fire...
M. BROWN: We're still hurting. It's -- basically, I feel like they just killed him again.
CABRERA: ... facing fresh criticism for his handling of the Michael Brown shooting case and his announcement of the grand jury decision after
dark. Tension that had been building for hours erupting into chaos, causing some to question the timing.
JAMES KNOWLES, MAYOR, FERGUSON, MISSOURI: Waiting for the announcement last night was wondering what the wisdom or the thought process was behind
waiting until that hour. I don't know that it would have been any better. I think ultimately those who wished to create disruption were bent on doing
that.
CABRERA: Others left wondering about the grand jury process.
GLORIA J. BROWNE-MARSHALL, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR, JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE: He said that there was a problem with the
evidence conflicting testimony. That's up to a jury in a regular criminal proceeding to decide the credibility of the witnesses.
CABRERA: McCulloch admits this case was handled differently than others, including remaining neutral and calling every single witness to
testify, even Officer Darren Wilson .
MCCULLOCH: In this case, we thought, I thought much more important to bring in the actual witness.
CABRERA: McCulloch defended himself in our interview on September 24. And he hoped releasing testimony and evidence to the public, also unusual,
would ultimately prove that his team was fair. And McCulloch didn't shy away from discussing how the media may have made his job harder.
MCCULLOCH: The most significant challenge encountered in this investigation has been the 24-hour news cycle and its insatiable appetite
for something, for anything to talk about.
CABRERA: But even as facts continue to come out and people hear the complete story for the first time, many members of this community still
lack trust and confidence in a system that's supposed to insure justice for all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got a whole bunch of young people feel like the system don't work for them. So why should they obey a system that don't
work for them? Why?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABRERA: We did reach back out to the prosecutor who declined to do an interview with us, but his executive assistant did provide a statement
at least addressing the timing of the announcement of the grand jury decision. And he said that they had to take a little bit of time to make
sure they were coordinating with law enforcement, with the schools and with businesses to try to implement a plan to keep people safe, Jim.
CLANCY: Ana Cabrera reporting there for us live. And we really appreciate your reporting over the last 48 hours. It's great to have you
with us.
Protesters, meantime, in Ferguson and across the U.S. for that matter, feel that Michael Brown was singled out by police because he was black.
Statistics show Ferguson police arrest African-Americans at a higher rate than other racial groups. But take a look at these numbers. The
disparity reflects a national trend, we have to say that. 12 to 13 percent of the U.S. population is black, but they account for more than 38 percent
of those in prison.
Now, according to the U.S. Justice Department, black men are seven times more likely to be arrested than white non-Hispanic men. One report
alleges that once convicted black offenders receive longer prison sentences compared to whites.
In 2012, about one out of every 10 black men was arrested compared to to about one out of every 20 if you were white.
And several reports estimate nearly one in every three black men will be arrested at some point in their lifetime.
Protesters there in Ferguson and across the U.S. say statistics like those is exactly what is at the heart of their anger. Some think the U.S.
Justice System simply places less value on African-American lives, it doesn't work for them, like the young men we just saw in Ana Cabrera's
report.
Well, joining me to talk about the strained relationship between police and the black community is Reverend Charles Harrison. He heads a
community outreach group in Indianapolis. He recently traveled to Ferguson.
Great to have you with us.
You know, you hear it on the talk shows now. Some people say as white say we're sick and tired of talking about this. You know, we know -- yes,
there's a problem. We'll work on it. But a lot of progress has been made. Are people avoiding the issue of the reality of race in America?
REV. CHARLES HARRISON, INDIANAPOLIS TEN POINT COALITION: I think they are avoiding that issue. It is a problem in our society today and we
cannot avoid it. And there are historical issues that exist between police departments across the country and particularly African-American males.
And we have to have real, honest dialogue about what these issues are and what leads to this kind of hopelessness in the African-American communities
that can explode like we have seen in Ferguson and like we have seen across the country in protests yesterday.
CLANCY: Now you have gotten together in Ferguson and elsewhere with people in the black community. Where do we begin? Where do we start?
What's the next step?
HARRISON: Well, you really have to have an honest dialogue. And you cannot exclude the individuals that are most affected by these issues on
the street with police and that's young, black males. A lot of times we have these conversations with leaders like myself and politicians but we
exclude those who are most impacted on the street, who feel like they're being disrespected, who feel like they're being harassed by the police and
they have to be a part of the dialogue.
And here in Indianapolis, we have made them a part of the conversation, because if you're going to have peace and mutual respect,
then you have to have this honest dialogue.
CLANCY: You know, Nick Kristof of the New York Times wrote an editorial, an opinion, an essay, if you will, a few months back about the
situation in Ferguson saying that, you know, some whites in America just simply don't get it.
One of the statistics he pointed out, and he really hit me, was that the average black family has about $6,000, almost $7,000 in net worth,
compare that to $110,000 for the average white family. And it's these core economic issues that then speak to education, to opportunity, to
employment, to their upbringing.
HARRISON: Well, yeah, most of the time we try to address the issue of particularly crime and violence that affects the black community by trying
to jail our way out of it. And we really don't address what the root causes are of it. And we have to look at now the makeup of the family,
what that looks like, education, the large number of African-American males that are coming out of prison with felonies and most of them feel like they
have the mark of Cain on them because they come back after serving their time in prison, but they feel like they're still in prison because they're
not given opportunities because of the fact they have went to prison.
So we have to address these larger issues if we're going to improve relationships between the law enforcement community and particularly black
male who many on the streets are very angry.
CLANCY: They're very angry, but I don't think anybody thinks that burning down black-owned businesses, burning down communities, firing shots
at innocent people is going to solve any of these problems.
HARRISON: Well, they're not. And that's what disappointed me the other night when I witnessed what was going on in Ferguson, because that
doesn't solve the problem. And, you know, I wish there would have been a better coordinated plan to address that, because you knew that that was
going to happen. And you had to get to those young people, those young, angry, particularly black males were going to be the problem. And they
needed to get to them much sooner so that that wouldn't erupt into the burning down of our own businesses in the black community that affect us
more than a larger community.
CLANCY: When you look at what all that has happened here, when you see those people out on the streets, what does it say to you that these
protests have spread from one town, Ferguson, right across the country?
HARRISON: Well, it says that there are issues that in America we're trying to ignore. For the black community, they feel like there is no
justice when it comes to their interaction with police on the streets. They feel like the Michael Brown case is just a historical indication of
how we have been treated since we've been in this country. And we have to deal with those perceptions, whether those perceptions are real or not,
those are the perceptions and perception becomes reality and we cannot ignore that.
CLANCY: I want to thank you very much for being with us, Reverend Charles Harrison. And giving us some insight into what the community is
thinking today and how people can start to do something constructive to bring people together. Thank you.
HARRISON: Thank you.
CLANCY: Now, if Americans didn't understand how deeply the anger over the Ferguson shooting runs, many of them probably do, at least a little
better now.
We showed you earlier how protests has spread to dozens of cities. Our website has collected some of the most outstanding images that depict
this coming out of those demonstrations. See them for yourself. It's waiting for you at CNN.com/international.
Well, he officer involved in the shooting has been conspicuous by his silence, but now the Darren Wilson is speaking out. We're going to bring
you his version of what happened that August day in Ferguson, Missouri coming up.
And a passion for design turned into a business for one woman in Rwanda's capital. Africa Start-up is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE MBABAZI, OWNER, CHRISTINE'S CREATIVE COLLECTIONS: Hi, I'm Christine Mbabazi, the owner of Christine Creative Collections, CCC.
Come take a look at what we do with African fabrics.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Kigale, Mbabazi started an African fashion boutique.
MBABAZI: My company name is Christine's Creative Collections, which is CCC in short to make it easy for everyone to say.
The brand is promoting African fabric and African designs with my creativity and developing it to the rest of the world.
We make bags with African designs. We make shoes, African fabric. We make clothes, different designs of clothes depending on what the customer
is requiring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Following her passion, she started designing in her house and launched her shop in March 2014.
MBABAZI: I love very much the African fabric. The fact that it's now I like designing and liked looking (inaudible). I used to cut my clothes
in different ways. I used to change them. I used to sew with m hands. It all inspired me to come up with what I have today.
Well, this is the small stall where we do the tailoring from. And here you see is my helper. She called (inaudible). She's trying to help
us with the sewing.
This helps us to save time. And if someone has an order, single orders we do it immediately. And in a day you take back your finished
product.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While Mbabazi promotes her clothing line through social media, she still faces challenges with marketing
MBABAZI: Convincing people that you can wear and African fabric, even in weddings, it is (inaudible) happen in this country, you know, even in
Africa until my friends tell me they thought it was very unique in parties and weddings, even at work, that's how the word spread out. It's still a
big challenge, convincing people that you can go to work when you have a suit like African fabric suit, you know. But we're still fighting those
small challenges, I can say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has high hopes for her company's future.
MBABAZI: Next phase I want to take. I want it to shine outside, outside (inaudible) I'm in. I want to be exporting things made in Rwanda
materials, made in Rwanda clothes, made in Rwanda accessories. That when you're in Europe, you see something and you're like oh this is from CCC,
you know. I want CCC to be that. And I'm sure I'll be there.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: This is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Jim Clancy, and here are your headlines. In Syria, at least 95 people have been killed, more than 100
others wounded in the government of Bashar al-Assad-conducted airstrikes. They targeted the northern city of Raqqa. That is a stronghold or
headquarters for ISIS, the Islamic State. A human rights group says it expects the number of dead to rise, and many of the wounded are in critical
condition.
Hong Kong chief executive C.Y. Leung calling on the protesters there not to reoccupy a site that was cleared by police. More than 140 people
were arrested in clashes between police and the protesters in the city's Mong Kok region. Pro-democracy demonstrators still refusing to leave the
area.
Well, protesters return to the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, for a second night. Crowds are angry that a white police officer is not going to
be facing any official charges for killing an African-American teenager. There were reports of violence, but much fewer arrests than the night
before.
Thousands of protesters in dozens of major cities across the United States marched in solidarity with the protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.
Crowds blocked bridges, they blocked major highways and tunnels as well. Most of the demonstrations were peaceful, but in Oakland, California, there
was looting and several bonfires were set alight in the streets.
We're finally hearing from the officer who is at the center of this case, Darren Wilson. He spoke for the first time to ABC News after the
grand jury decided not to indict him in this deadly shooting. Andrew Spencer takes a look at what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREW SPENCER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A day after a grand jury found no probable cause to even charge him with a crime, Officer
Darren Wilson broke his silence about he shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown.
DARREN WILSON, FERGUSON POLICE DEPARTMENT: The reason I've a clean conscience is that I know I did my job right.
SPENCER: Two separate series of gunfire could be heard in audio of the police shooting recorded during a bystander's video chat. Wilson told
ABC's George Stephanopoulos he fired the first volley as Brown charged at him.
WILSON: After that, I paused, and I began yelling, "Stop! Get on the ground!" Giving him the opportunity to stop. And he ignored all the
commands and he just kept running.
SPENCER: Then, Wilson says he fired again, back-pedaling as he did so. Wilson's first words publicly come as protests spread all over the
country after Monday's announcement that he would not face charges in Brown's death. While most demonstrations, like this rally in Washington,
DC, have shown no sign of the violence seen in Ferguson Monday night --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we're going to represent the Mike Brown family, we'd better do it with some common sense.
SPENCER: -- there have been isolated incidents.
(CROWD SHOUTING)
SPENCER: In Oakland, protesters set fires across part of Interstate 580, completely blocking it. In Ferguson, protesters overturned a car.
Then, after rolling it back on its wheels, a few tried to set it on fire before being chased off by police.
Two dozens of volumes of transcripts detail 70 hours of testimony before the grand jury from 60 witnesses and three medical examiners. Legal
analyst Mel Robbins.
MEL ROBBINS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: What I found, having read almost every single word of the grand jury transcript is there was no case here.
There was no case that you could prove beyond a reasonable doubt, there was no case that you could indict.
SPENCER: But she says Brown's family does have a civil case for wrongful death and emotional distress.
I'm Andrew Spencer reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Britain's home secretary unveiling a series of new anti- terror measures. Among them, prohibitions that could ban extremist speakers on university campuses. It's a move that's drawing criticism from
civil liberty groups in the United Kingdom. Atika Shubert joins me now with more from CNN London. Atika?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It was just published today, so it hasn't been debated yet. But just to run you
through some of the points, this is quite a wide-encompassing bill here. A number of measures are being put forward.
One of them, as you mentioned, was keeping extremist speakers off of campuses, and specifically requiring schools and colleges, for example, to
have a sort of counter-extremist policy available to students there.
Also, this new bill would give police the power to take away passports of anyone suspected of going to join a terror organization. This would
happen on the border, so anybody, for example, trying to get onto a flight could risk having their passport taken away.
Another measure would be for the government to actually prevent British citizens who are suspected of engaging in terror activities
overseas from reentering the UK, basically keeping them from Britain for up to two years.
And another policy that's also being critically looked at now is a new data policy that would compel data companies to give over user information.
There's already, of course, a way to do that through police investigations, but this would sort of streamline efforts so that data companies would
automatically be giving that information directly to investigators.
Now, all of those are efforts they're still trying to push forward, this government, but it needs to be debated first, and then voted on by the
House of Commons before it actually becomes law, Jim.
CLANCY: Yes, right now, on its face, it looks very vague to everybody who is looking in. Who decides who is an extremist? Who's going to decide
who is a terror suspect? All of these kinds of things. How will it be debated, and how widely does it look like it will be contested?
SHUBERT: Well, it certainly will be contested, and we've already heard from a lot of civil liberties groups, that they're saying that there
are not enough checks and balances here. You're absolutely right. Who defines who is a terrorist or an extremist suspect?
And what a lot of critics are saying is there has to be some sort of a court procedure here that puts a check on what the government decides who
falls under these measures. Otherwise, it's completely up to the government on who is a possible suspect.
So, these are some of the things that will be debated in Parliament, and you can expect that a lot of civil liberties organizations are going to
come forward and criticize it some more.
CLANCY: Atika Shubert, there, with a preview, an important debate upcoming in the United Kingdom on just how limit extremism in our
societies?
An association of major oil-producing nations is gathering in Vienna, Austria this week, at a time when the energy industry is really under a
great deal of scrutiny. Some are saying that this is the most important OPEC meeting in years.
The annual summit opens as the price of crude languishes below $80 a barrel. It's down from more than $100 just five months ago. And the main
factor in the drop is the growing output of a nation that doesn't count among OPEC's members: the United States.
OPEC stands for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Created in Baghdad in 1960, it's now a cartel of 12 nations. Now, these
are the five founding members: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
Later, they were joined by Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Libya, Nigeria, and Qatar. And the United Arab Emirates also joined up. Together, these
nations pump around 40 percent of the world's crude oil supply. Decisions on production on determined each year in the Austrian capital. CNN's John
Defterios has been there to hear what OPEC producers plan to do about their declining fortunes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR (voice-over): This man, Saudi Arabia's energy minister, Ali Al-Naimi, has carried the weight of
managing the oil market on his shoulders for nearly two decades. He's been the moderate voice in this disparate group of a dozen countries. The word
in and around OPEC headquarters is that has changed.
FEREIDUN FESHARAKI, FOUNDER, FACTS GLOBAL ENERGY: They're essentially not willing to try the oil market anymore, and they're telling everybody
else they have to pay their fair share. So, what they do is reasonable, normal, and very logical.
DEFTERIOS: Logical because when prices plummet, down nearly a third since June, OPEC and non-OPEC producers always knocked at the door of the
Kingdom and other Gulf countries, asking for them to cut production to support prices.
DEFTERIOS (on camera): Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE come to scenic Vienna knowing they have some $2.5 trillion of savings. And
unlike Iran, Venezuela, or Nigeria, they are less concerned about the recent price correction. That's because they've built up a nice financial
cushion.
SULTAN AL MANSOURI, UAE MINISTER OF ECONOMY: Over the years, we've created a strong reserve, also, in our country at the federal level and the
local level. All of this is being and can be utilized to address any kind of fluctuation of the prices of oil.
DEFTERIOS (voice-over): With weaker demand from China and Europe and more oil coming from US shale production, ministerial sources tell me the
Gulf producers would be willing to defend $80 a barrel if others do their part.
At the top level, this would mean King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia obtaining real commitments from Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Nicolas
Maduro of Venezuela, who are eager to go back to the days of $100 a barrel.
FESHARAKI: The question is, how many people are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the price to o up.? And this is too early as yet for OPEC,
for them to follow. They have to suffer for a period of time before they are good and ready.
DEFTERIOS: With predictions of $60 oil already circulating in the market, we'll find out if that threshold for pain has already been reached.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: And John joins me, now. He's live in Vienna with the latest on the issues that are impacting those OPEC members and how they intend to
resolve them. He's outside the Grand Hotel. And right now, I understand, Inside, John, Saudi Arabia's contingent is holding court this hour?
DEFTERIOS: They are, Jim. And in fact, that meeting's going to start in the next 15 minutes. This is the temporary evidence of every OPEC for
the Saudi Oil, and there's Ali Al-Naimi. He's bringing together the Gulf producers to talk about, among other things, the shale producers. This is
the giant elephant in the room this OPEC meeting.
This represents about 3 million barrels a day of production of the total output of the United States right now of 9 million barrels a day.
It's like adding a Kuwait or the United Arab Emirates to the energy market right now.
Earlier, I spoke to the UAE energy minister and asked him how to respond to this price pressure, and whether the shale producers themselves
in the United States should contribute to raise prices again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUHAIL AL MAZROUEI, UAE MINISTER OF ENERGY: Let's not talk about a price for us as producers. I think who is going to dictate the price and
set the price is going to be those newcomers that are producing the most expensive crude. And they need to set the price that is attractive for
that level of investment to continue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFTERIOS: And this is a change right now, Jim. This is a suggestion by OPEC to the US shale producers, don't expect us to cut the production to
raise prices like we did back in 2008.
There's also a big global chess game taking place here. Russia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia sat down together last night. Many
thought they'd have a breakthrough, the non-OPEC producers offering to cut production. That didn't happen. They basically left saying we'll come
back in three months and see what the oil price does.
So, what I think is going to happen tomorrow is that OPEC is going to let this ride out, not cut production, see if the price goes down, and put
the pressure on other players, even the United States right now.
Very high-stakes game, and probably the most important OPEC meeting, Jim, in the last six years, when prices went from $147 in July 2008 all the
way down to $37 before OPEC stepped in that time.
CLANCY: All right, we'll wait and watch. John outside the Grand Hotel there in Vienna. He's going to be covering this meeting, and we'll
learn more here on "Your World Today." Always good to see you, John. Thanks.
I want to take a closer look at where the oil markets go from here, and what does it mean, not just for the oil producers? What does it mean
for us? Is the traditional industry heartland of the Middle East destined to dance to a newcomer's tune, America's, all those shale production sites?
Is that good news for consumers?
I'm joined by Richard Mallinson. He's in charge of energy policy at London-based research firm Energy Aspects. Great to have you with us.
RICHARD MALLINSON, GEOPOLITICAL ANALYST, ENERGY ASPECTS: Thanks, Jim.
CLANCY: You know, as we look at it -- and let me start there. What does it mean for the consumers? Perhaps more importantly, what does it
mean for the economies of Europe and the US that suddenly oil prices are coming down?
MALLINSON: Well, lower oil prices are definitely a benefit for consumers, both in terms of end consumers who are filling up their tanks
for vehicles or buying liquid fuels for heating.
But also in terms of economies that are dependent on imports, so a lot of European countries, Japan, China, India. Even the US still imports a
significant amount of crude each day, so lower prices are going to feed through into better economic prospects and also into consumer's pockets.
CLANCY: Now, we talked about it, John brought it up and focused on it a little bit, and that is the shale oil production in the United States,
its impact on all of this. But it's not cheap to produce oil shale, and in his report, we heard there from the UAE oil minister saying they have to
look at what their costs are in production. Because the falling prices hurt them more than they hurt us.
MALLINSON: I think that's absolutely right. If we look at Middle Eastern countries, it may cost them $4 or $5 a barrel to produce oil,
whereas in the US, tight oil producers are spending anywhere from $50 to $70-plus a barrel. So, lower prices will mean for many of those areas and
many of those drillers, it will stop being economic to actually carry on drilling.
And one of the features of tight oil is you actually need to drill many, many more wells. You face very high declining rates, so you need to
constantly be drilling, constantly spending. And that requires a high oil price environment to justify it and to make it profitable.
CLANCY: The problem in the past at OPEC has been everybody goes in and they say, oh, yes, I'll cut my oil production, but they don't actually
do it. But there are some countries that really, their economies depend on this. What is OPEC going to do, in your view?
MALLINSON: I think OPEC's going to find it very difficult tomorrow to reach a decision to impose a lower quota. It would need collective action,
as your previous commentators have said.
Saudi Arabia isn't willing to just cut its own production, it wants to see contributions from all of the OPEC members. Countries like Venezuela,
Libya, Iraq, Iran, are all going to be very resistant to cutting their own production.
The other thing OPEC would need to do is shift from a collective quota, so a headline 30 million barrel a day target for the group as a
whole, back to individual country level quotas, and trying to set those will be incredibly challenging for the countries I've just mentioned, very
divisive.
And that's why I think they really will struggle to come to agreement to announce any kind of meaningful cut this time around.
CLANCY: All right, Richard Mallinson with Energy Aspects. Richard, thanks so much for your point of view --
MALLINSON: Thank you.
CLANCY: -- it's important. Appreciate it.
Live from CNN Center, this is CONNECT THE WORLD. And coming up straight ahead, protests spread across the United States. In today's
Parting Shots, we're going to look at the ripple effect from Ferguson, Missouri.
And in our transformation series this week, find out how a 60,000- square-meter vacant lot and a hefty investment from the government are bringing a divided South African community together. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Bishop Lavis. Some 50,000 people live in this suburb of Cape Town in
South Africa. An area plagued by poverty, high unemployment, gang activity, and crime.
One of the ways the government is looking to improve life in this neighborhood is by providing this: a place where the community can come
together through sport and leisure. It's called the Valhalla Park Family Recreation Centre, a first of its kind in Cape Town, the government says.
And with the help urban planners and $2.9 billion in funds from the government, this former 60,000 square-meter vacant lot now has an informal
cricket field, soccer pitches, a water park, a playground, and a clubhouse.
RADE BOSKOVIC, PROJECT MANAGER, SPORT, RECREATION, AND AMENITIES: The facility that we provide tend to be more informal and more similar to use.
This play park was the first government rolled-out initiative in South Africa, also the first play park in recent days. And that is very
successful.
GERRIT STRYDOM, URBAN DESIGNER AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: When we were announcing the project and we said rather than having a bunch of small
public open space, let's make one big park, a good quality park that will serve not just the sporting community, but the whole community.
STOUT: The government, though, does not want to stop here. Valhalla Park is a pilot project for a citywide program addressing social imbalances
through constructing sporting facilities in under-privileged areas.
In the year since it opened, on an average day, hundreds of children flood its grounds.
(CHILDREN SHOUTING, PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Things are much better for us now because we have everything we need.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a family recreation center, whereby the whole families use it. It's made a tremendous -- a very, very, very huge
difference.
STOUT: It may be some time before any uniting effect on the larger Bishop Lavis community is felt, but in the meantime, children appear
oblivious to any divisions in their neighborhoods.
BOSKOVIC: There's a large amount of territorialism in the area, and what has happened is now the children from all the different neighborhoods
actually interact and play together, which is quite a great sign.
STOUT: Despite transforming the lives of children and parents, as Gerrit Strydom says, it will take the community itself to make the park
work for their long-term benefit.
STRYDOM: The community really needs to start owning the space and buying into the space in terms of making it their own. And activities that
need to happen, and once that activities happen, the project will just bloom and grow from there.
(CHILDREN PLAYING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: You're watching CNN and this is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Jim Clancy in for Becky Anderson, glad to have you with us.
In tonight's Parting Shots, we take you back to our top story. We'd like to show you some of the protests across the United States where
thousands took to the streets, expressing their anger at a grand jury decision not to charge a white policeman who shot and killed an unarmed
black teenager.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CROWDS CHANTING)
CROWD: Don't shoot!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have succeeded in overturning that police car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's the arrest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I suspect you'll see (inaudible).
(CROWD CHANTING)
CROWD: Don't shoot! Don't shoot!
(CROWD SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move it the right way or you will be arrested.
(CROWD SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's one lane of traffic. Go back to the road.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice!
CROWD: No peace!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice!
CROWD: No peace!
(CROWD SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will get justice!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's this for?
CROWD: Michael Brown!
CROWD: No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Break it up!
CROWD: No justice, no peace!
CROWD: No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!
(CROWD SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got to fight back!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice!
CROWD: No peace!
(CROWD SHOUTING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Ferguson, the shooting, the protests, remain controversial, and the team at CONNECT THE WORLD wants to hear from you,
facebook.com/CNNconnect. Have your say. And you can always tweet me @ClancyCNN. I am Jim Clancy, and that was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you
for joining us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
