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Moderna Claims COVID-19 Vaccine Is 94.5 Percent Effective; U.S. Sees Over 100,000 New Cases A Day For 13 Days; Biden And Harris To Give Briefing On Economy. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 16, 2020 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[10:00:20]
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: U.S. just surpassed 11 million coronavirus cases. The nation's healthcare system is overrun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last time the President was physically at a taskforce meeting was several months ago.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Imagine if we are at war with a foreign adversary. And the President has not met with its generals for five months. That's just
unimaginable.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Moderna has just released the first analysis of its coronavirus vaccine and it is very promising.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Tonight, breaking news that will change your life, perhaps the biggest development yet in the hunt for a
COVID vaccine as cases rise by more than half a million a day around the world. I'm Becky Anderson. Welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. Well, as good as
it gets. Those words from Dr. Anthony Fauci after Moderna released preliminary results on its coronavirus vaccine.
It reports and almost 95 percent efficacy rate, another huge game-changing result coming just a week after Pfizer announced similar results for its
vaccine. Now, Moderna used data from two groups of 15,000 people. The first group got a placebo, 90 people developed COVID-19. 11 of them severely. A
second group got the actual vaccine, only five of them got the disease, and none seriously.
Now, of course how long the vaccine is effective can't yet be determined. But given that the U.S. has added a million COVID cases in less than a
week. This is hugely promising news for the states, especially for state and local leaders who have been left to manage the spread of the virus on
their own. Moderna's chief medical officer told our Elizabeth Cohen it is a landmark accomplishment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Tell me how did it feel to hear that number? 94.5 percent.
DR. TAL ZAKS, MODERNA CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Elizabeth, it's one of the greatest moment of my life and my career. It is absolutely amazing to me to
be able to develop this vaccine and see the ability to prevent symptomatic disease with such high efficacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Hold that thought. We will get to Elizabeth Cohen in a moment for more. There are lots of questions here. I know you will all want answer. I
will try and get to as many of them as possible with Elizabeth in a moment. First up though, as the world waits for a vaccine, U.S. states reimposing
restrictions that haven't been enforced since the pandemic crushed the country months ago.
Among them North Dakota, Ohio, New Mexico, Washington, Illinois, Utah, Oregon and the latest Michigan. High schools and universities there have
gone back to remote learning and indoor dining has been suspended.
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GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): As the weather gets colder, and people spend more time indoors, this virus will spread. This is the worst public health
emergency our nation has faced in over a century. And our response has got to reflect the same level of urgency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That's the governor of Michigan making what should be a non- controversial statement. And yet, the White House disagrees. Dr. Scott Atlas, the radiologist President Trump looks to for advice on infectious
disease urges the people of Michigan to "rise up against the new public health measures." Now, you might remember that after President Trump railed
against Michigan's pandemic restrictions, the feds broke up what they said was a plot to kidnap the governor there, Governor Whitmer. The chief of the
American Medical Association is quite frankly fed up.
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DR. SUSAN R. BAILEY, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: This year also has revealed how politics can be corrosive. How misinformation and
anti-science rhetoric can impede our ability to respond to a health emergency.
Never again should physicians have to fight a war on two fronts, caring for severely ill patients and a raging pandemic, while at the same time
battling a public relations war. The questions the legitimacy of our work and our motives. This is unacceptable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:05:00]
ANDERSON: Well, on Friday about two cases were reported every second in the United States for a total of almost 180,000 cases. That number is almost
doubled. Any other country that has reported numbers in a single day. Two other countries have seen spikes, but the U.S. is still far above their
worst. U.S. death rate now consistently, over 1000 a day. And that is, for the first time since August.
And the number of Americans hospitalized which is of course, you will well know this now, a leading indicator for deaths has climbed to its highest
point in the entire pandemic.
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DR. JAMES PHILLIPS, CHIEF OF DISASTER MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: I'm just terrified about what's going to happen with
thanksgiving and the holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah. People are going to travel, people that would normally travel because they don't believe in
the science and then those that are just fatigued, who are willing to take some chances.
DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: We'll see hospital ICUs fill. Now you can make more ICU beds but what you can't make more ICU nurses. And we
will run out of the capacity in many of these hospitals to care for the critically ill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, connecting all of this together for you, Lucy Kavanaugh has more on what is going on across America.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCY KAVANAUGH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Record case numbers and hospitalizations and more deaths sweeping the nation as the coronavirus pandemic shows no
sign of slowing. Sunday marking the 13th consecutive day the country reported more than 100,000 new cases. Nearly 70,000 patients hospitalized
nationwide with the virus.
MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, MEMBER, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN'S COVID-19 ADVISORY BOARD: We've got to have help right now. And so, I just urge that the last
thing we do is support our governors. They are the front lines right now. There is no national leadership on this issue.
KAVANAUGH: The Biden transition team does not have access to the Trump administration's COVID-19 data and vaccine distribution plans. Something
Dr. Anthony Fauci is concerned about.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: It's almost like passing a baton in a race. You don't want to
stop and then give it to somebody, you want to just essentially keep going and that's what transition is. So, it certainly would make things more
smoothly if we could do that.
KAVANAUGH: Governor's from both parties now forced to implement their own mitigation efforts, including shutting down businesses to stop the spread.
In Michigan, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer announcing new restrictions, closing indoor dining and bars and restaurants, urging people
to work from home and moving high school and college students to virtual learning.
White House Coronavirus Task Force advisor Dr. Scott Atlas criticizing these measures and suggesting residents to rise up in a tweet.
WHITMER: I'm not going to be bullied into not following reputable scientists and medical professionals.
KAVANAUGH: New Mexico ordering a statewide order closing all non-essential services for the next two weeks. And in Oregon, in-person dining and gyms
closed for at least two weeks to try to curb the number of cases the state is seeing.
DR. ESTHER CHOO, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN, OREGON HEALTH AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY: It is so hard to ask all of you this again. Many of you cheered and rang
bells and put up signs calling us heroes. And we're so grateful for that. Right now, we're asking you to be our heroes.
KAVANAUGH: In Illinois, a stay-at-home advisory goes into effect today in Chicago, in North Dakota, the governor announcing new mitigation efforts,
including finally implementing a masked mandate. At least two sheriffs already saying they won't enforce it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a nutshell, we will not be enforcing mandates -- mass mandates.
KAVANAUGH: Despite the state reporting more than 2200 new cases Saturday, its highest day since the pandemic began.
GOV. DOUG BURGUM (R-ND): Right now, the data demands a higher level of mitigation efforts to reverse these dangerous trends to slow the spread of
the virus and to avoid the need for any economic shutdowns.
KAVANAUGH: And in neighboring South Dakota, the state has the highest seven-day moving average of any other state in the country at nearly 60
percent.
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ANDERSON: And CNN just spoke with the cofounder and chairman of Moderna who has developed this new vaccine. Let's have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NOUBAR AFEYAN, CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, MODERNA: We're encouraged by the data. In fact, I think it's important to understand we had out of the 95
cases, 11 were severe cases of COVID-19. And of course, we wanted to find out out of those 11 were there cases that were in the vaccine. And it turns
out that all 11 cases were on the placebo. Now, you know, in scientific or clinical research, optimism is something that you actively keep in check
because you have to do the rigorous experiments.
But certainly, I can say that we're encouraged by this interim readout. And we do expect based on the numerous studies we did in animals and prior
human analysis looking very specifically at the antibodies and their levels that we may well be able to keep in check the very severe cases.
[10:10:10]
AFEYAN: I'll also say that we had a number of different other subgroups that were looking actively at. And in general, it looks like the vaccine
performs broadly across all the population groups that we considered.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that's the chairman and cofounder of Moderna. Let's get our senior International -- let me start again, let's get our senior medical
correspondent Elizabeth Cohen who has been at the forefront of the story from day one out of Atlanta, Georgia, for you. Home of both CNN of course
and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Briefly, you've just listened to the chairman of Moderna, this is a story that you know, well, you've spoken to him yourself, you've spoken to the
company. What's your take on what we've got out today?
COHEN: You know, I think these numbers are really quite stunning, Becky. People were hoping for, maybe we'll get a vaccine that's 60 percent or 70
or if we're dreaming 80 percent effective. So, to see not one, but two vaccines. Moderna's and Pfizer's in the above 90 range is really
incredible. And you always have to think about safety. Both companies say that there were no serious side effects.
Some people did feel kind of Yuki for want of a better word afterwards. They had headaches, they had body aches, but there were no serious side
effects. And Moderna has the advantage that they don't need any special low temperature freezers like Pfizer does. Moderna's vaccine can be kept in the
same freezers that you would find at least in the United States in doctors, offices and pharmacies.
So, before we get to Moderna's actual numbers, I want to make a note that the trials that Moderna did we're not like some of the trials that they did
in other countries. In other countries they did were called challenge trials where they would give someone the vaccine, and then they would give
them the virus to see if it works. That's not how this works. What Moderna did was that they gave people the vaccine, and then go said, go live your
life and let's see what happens.
There's so much COVID in the United States that some of them did run into the virus, but they just were living their lives. Normally, they were not
given the virus. So, let's take a look at these specific numbers. What Moderna did was that they gave 15,000 study subjects, a placebo that is a
shot of sailing, that does nothing. Over the course of a couple of months 90 people, a few months really 90 of those people became sick with COVID.
90, remember that number.
They gave another 15,000 study subjects, the actual vaccine, and only five of them got sick with COVID. So, all of these people were just living in
various places in the United States, just as part of their daily life, they ran into COVID. But only 90 people who own -- sorry, only five people who
got the vaccine actually became ill and none of them became severely ill. And that is really important.
None of them became severely ill they were only sort of mild to moderately Ill. Now, Moderna just found out about this data yesterday, actually an
independent board of safety and efficacy advisors gave them a call and said, we have something to tell you, I spoke with the chief medical officer
at Moderna, and this is what he had to say.
ANDERSON: Apologies, I think we're having a little technical hitch there. Let me -- let me put this to you. I spoke to the editor-in-chief of the
Lancet last week when we were talking about the release of the preliminary results from Pfizer having listened to what he said to me then.
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RICHARD HORTON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE LANCET: So, we've got to disclose results about these vaccines as carefully and scientifically as possible.
So, we don't give them any headroom to damage confidence. And that's the danger of science by press release.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Do you agree there? I mean, it sounds very credible, that there is a case here. That, you know, we shouldn't be suggesting this is all firm
data that we can take to the bank until we've got a little more, I guess what he's saying is, you know, there is a danger here of results by press
release as it were rushing to get these numbers out.
COHEN: Yes, results by press release has been a problem throughout the entire pandemic. However, I will say this, this is, you know, Dr. Tony
Fauci himself, who is the head of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, he stands behind this data. And so, you know, of
course, we want to see the study, of course, we want to see everything broken down number by number, and that will come before people have an
opportunity to take the vaccine. So, this is -- this is sort of the early alert, the full data will be
forthcoming.
[10:15:01]
COHEN: And so, there are several things that we don't know. First of all, this is as you pointed out, Interim data. This is 95 cases of people who
caught COVID. There will be many more by the time this is all done. The second thing we don't know is will people have to take this vaccine more
than once in their lifetime? There's a lot of thinking that once is not going to be enough that this may turn out to be a seasonal vaccine, much
like the flu, where you have to get it, you know, every year.
ANDERSON: All right, thank you for that. That's Elizabeth Curran. I mean, this is a big, big story. When we started the show, we said, you know, we
have breaking news that will change your life, folks. And the reason we said that, is this effectively, you know, the quicker we get a vaccine, the
quicker people will get vaccinated, the quicker all of us will be protected whether you or I take the vaccine or not.
The less people will get COVID and therefore, we will all be in a better position. Anyway, one of the big reasons the Trump administration gave for
avoiding entering a full coronavirus lockdown was to limit damage to the economy. But much like his former running mate Barack Obama, President-
elect Joe Biden is still inheriting an economic mess. Later today, Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will offer details on how they plan
to turn the economy around as America struggles under the weight of the pandemic. CNNN's Jessica Dean is covering the Biden-Harris transition for
us in Wilmington in Delaware.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Becky. Yes, we are here in Wilmington, Delaware, where we're expecting to see President-elect
Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris later today to give remarks on their economic plan on the economic recovery. They very much
understand and know that the economic recovery here in the United States is tied to getting the coronavirus under control over the weekend.
We saw incredibly long lines at food banks across the country. People are really struggling as the economy continues to struggle with the coronavirus
pandemic, which is now surging to heights we haven't seen even yet here in the U.S. So, we expect to hear more from them about their plan. They talked
a lot about manufacturing, clean energy jobs, building back better was their slogan on the campaign trail.
So, now it's time to see what actionable items they're going to do, what actionable things they can do when they take office on January 20th. Now
all of this, as of course, they are keeping the coronavirus pandemic as their top priority. Right now, their transition team is still not allowed
to talk to federal officials here in the U.S. because the federal office that's supposed to sign off on that transition process has yet to do so.
The President has not conceded, they've not signed off on the transition process. So, that means that the transition team is having to operate
around it. Here's incoming Chief of Staff Ron Klain on what that could mean.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON KLAIN, CHIEF OF STAFF, PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN: We now have the possibility we need to see if it gets approved of a vaccine starting
perhaps in December, January. There are people at HHS making plans to implement that vaccine. Our experts need to talk to those people as soon as
possible so, nothing drops in this change of power we're going to have on January 20th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Getting a vaccine distributed to millions of Americans is quite an undertaking. It's going to be a huge logistical project. Remember, some of
these vaccines may need to be stored at very cold temperatures, there may be multiple doses. So, the Biden transition team knows they need to be
talking to the people in Health and Human Services, to the White House Coronavirus Task Force to coordinate this plan. They want a seamless
transition.
This is already a huge undertaking. It's made even more complicated, Becky, by the fact that they can't talk to the people who are responsible for
planning it. We'll see what the days hold, but they're hoping very much that that changes very soon. Becky?
ANDERSON: Good stuff, Jessica. Thank you for that. So, Jessica Dean is in Wilmington in Delaware. She is of course where Joe Biden is based as Biden
lays out his economic vision later today. Then China's signing a massive trade deal that covers nearly a third of the world's GDP not included in
the pact, the United States. We'll discuss that with CNNs John Defterios in about 10 minutes time.
But up in the air and away from the chaos of the Trump White House America's top diplomat flying to this region of the Middle East at this
hour. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to arrive in the Turkish capital soon part of his Seven Nation tour of the Middle East and Europe.
It could get a bit awkward after all, neither the Turkish president nor the foreign minister is making time to see him.
[10:20:01]
ANDERSON: And every one of the countries Pompeo is visiting has congratulated President-elect Joe Biden, fears victory, something that the
Secretary of State in his boss Donald Trump are refusing to do a few hours before leaving for Turkey. Pompeo touchdown in France for a chat there with
President Emmanuel Macron. The question now is could this be part of Pompeo's long game?
U.S. State Department officials early, some of them telling CNN that he has political ambitions in 2024. CNN's Melissa Bell connecting us to the facts
from Paris with details on that meeting with Mr. Macron. Melissa?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, it was a warmer meeting here in Paris than the one that the American Secretary of State will receive it
Istanbul since he met not only with the President Emmanuel Macron but with the foreign minister. But as the foreign minister explained in the run up
to the meeting, these were meetings that were requested by Mike Pompeo and in so far as he is until January 20th, his counterpart, he would continue
to receive him.
Now the cameras were kept away from both meetings. But we also saw Mike Pompeo laying a wreath to the recent French victims of that terror wave
we've seen here in France over the course of the last few weeks. One of the big themes of the tour that he's kicked. He kicked off earlier here in the
French capital. But what we did know from the French beyond the fact that the requests for the meetings that come from Mike Pompeo was that they'd
been organized, real transparence with the incoming president-elect's teams since the French and they already in touch.
Remember Emmanuel Macron, one of the first foreign leaders to congratulate Joe Biden on his victory, the French also making care, Becky, that what
they intended to make plain to Mike Pompeo while they had him was their opposition to any suggestion of a premature or rushed departure by the
Americans from either Afghanistan or Iraq. So, that we know was one of the themes the French wanted to talk about before they saw Mike Pompeo settle
for Istanbul.
ANDERSON: Melissa Bell is in Paris. Thank you. CONNECT THE WORLD watching for my Mike Pompeo's arrival in Istanbul. I'll be checking events there. We
are on the ground in Istanbul just ahead for you. Plus, later in the week, Mike Pompeo will be the first American Secretary of State to visit a
settlement in the occupied West Bank in the next hour. The Jerusalem Post's editor-in-chief Yaakov Katz, will join me live to look at the Pompeo trip
and more pressingly, what the incoming Biden administration could mean for Israel?
Well, there's more to come even sooner. Donald Trump wants to enjoy his hardline policies against China. Carry on after he leaves the White House
but Beijing is busy with a massive trade deal of its own. More on that is coming up.
And a long but fragile ceasefire in Northern Africa is broken. Clashes and destabilization along Morocco's border could have much wider repercussions.
And.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five, four, three, two, one, zero.
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ANDERSON: It's one heck of a ride to work in a picture-perfect launch. Four astronauts head for a stent-knee International Space Station, not they --
on their journey next hour.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's the word we want to hear. Stay --
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[10:25:41]
ANDERSON: Donald Trump wants to make sure his policies towards America's most viable trading partner will carry on even after he leaves office.
White House officials tell CNN that Mr. Trump plans to continue his hardline policies towards China over the next two months effectively boxing
in Joe Biden on Beijing when he becomes president. And now that Mr. Trump has lost the election, the White House may move quicker on certain actions
because there is less worry of a China trade deal falling apart.
Right now, Beijing celebrating an epic triumph though China has joined 14 other countries and the world's largest trading bloc, not part of the deal.
The United States. 15 Asia-Pacific countries signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership at a summit in Vietnam on Sunday. Now
this massive deal accounts for nearly 28 percent of global GDP and almost one-third of the world's entire population.
CNN's John Defterios covering it all for us from here in Abu Dhabi. Is there a case where Donald Trump turned back -- turned his back on Asia and
try to move right in, John? Is that -- is there an argument in that?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Yes, I would say there's a perfect case study of what happens when you leave the bargaining table,
Becky. Somebody usually comes in and takes the seat. So, Donald Trump walked away from the Trans-Pacific Partnership or the TPP in 2017. That was
a President Barack Obama creation. So, he didn't want any part of it. And then decided not to engage with China and put tariffs on the table.
China upped the ante by some signing on to something that's much bigger. As you suggested 15 countries but this is going from the north in China all
the way to the south of New Zealand. 2.2 billion consumers and listen to the message coming from Beijing today. This is a vote against populism,
something we've seen, of course with Brexit and European Union, and the tariffs with the aggressive trade stance from Washington against China.
Here's the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZHAO LIJIAN, SPOKESMAN, CHINESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (through translator): With the COVID-19 still spreading across the world, the global
economy and deep recession, and a rising unilateralism as a signing of RCP will strongly boost regional economic recovery and promote global economic
growth. This shows that all the relevant sides are determined to uphold multilateralism and free trade.
Firmly support an open, fair and win-win multilateral trading system and committed to tackling challenges through solidarity and cooperation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFTERIOS: You heard the words there, Becky. A win-win situation. I talked to you about the size of the market here about 28 percent of global GDP.
Another wrinkle here, which I think is fascinating, though, China, Japan and South Korea in the same trade pact for the very first time, the latter
two are always seen as allies of the United States. So again, another signal coming from the allies. You've taken a very hard line against China.
It's not been good for the Asian region. And we're coming underneath the Chinese umbrella on a much wider trade pack.
ANDERSON: Yes, it's fascinating, isn't it? I remember, you know, we were talking about so much of this back in 2015. And it says sort of coming back
to haunt the states at this point. And briefly compared to Europe in the U.S., Asia on the mend, that being reflected in growth numbers at this
point is well, John?
DEFTERIOS: Yes, I think is worth flagging, Becky because Asia has been much more disciplined when it comes to COVID-19 and are getting a bit of a
payback in terms of economic growth. So, we saw Japan grow five percent in the quarter, 21 percent year over a year. Manufacturing sector in China
much stronger than expected. And this felt really nicely into the equity markets today for the Asian big, big four, if you will.
We have Tokyo at a 29-year high, the Asian MSCI which I'm sure you track as well at a 33-year high. So, the other thing we have to watch now is the
language coming out of Washington to Asia overall. Are you going to reengage Joe Biden? I know he's going to be adjusting the economy with
Kamala Harris today, I'm sure Beijing and Tokyo and Seoul are saying, OK, are you coming around our way because Asia is growing again, it's a reset
along with this trade framework.
[10:30:09]
ANDERSON: Yes, fascinating. We look at these markets and you look at what the Dow is doing today 1-1/2 half percent were it not for the Moderna news,
these markets in the U.S. might be slightly skittish today. But as I say the news on the Moderna vaccine of course, obviously helping somewhat.
John, thank you for that. We are taking a very short break. After that, Belarus stepping up its crackdown on anti-government protesters.
Still ahead, police go after the demonstrators but not just on the streets anymore. Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We want everyone in Congress out honestly, I don't believe in anyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Not much faith in the system among some Peruvians after their interim president will call it -- calls it quits after only five days on
the job.
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ANDERSON: A simmering conflict in a remote slice of Northern Africa, could have consequences across the region and beyond. A pro-independence group in
the disputed Western Sahara known as the Polisario Front, effectively declaring war on Morocco. Now, both sides accuse the other of putting
civilians at risk. And as clashes have accelerated, other countries from Algeria to Israel are picking sides.
Connecting us to this is Arwa Damon who joins us what this escalation, Arwa, means for Morocco and the region, if you will.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, at this point, it certainly is not looking very good, not for anyone in the region
and the repercussions are potentially quite serious. And this is just another example of what happens when underlying issues remain unresolved.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: The Western Sahara, a sparsely populated fast desert swap threatens to be the latest flashpoint in the region rife with conflict. It's located
to the southwest of Morocco and is mostly controlled by the Moroccan state. But about a fourth of it is the self-declared Saharawi Arab Democratic
Republic whose independence movement is known as the Polisario Front. Both sides went to war in the mid-1970s after Spain ended its rule.
And tens of thousands of Saharawi still live as refugees. The U.N. negotiated a truce in 1991. But tensions have long been simmering. In the
last few days. The Polisario leader issued decree ending a commitment to the nearly three-decade long ceasefire over a border confrontation.
[10:35:06]
DAMON: And the group said it launched attacks on Moroccan forces. Morocco whose territorial claims include the Western Sahara's phosphate deposits
and fishing waters had announced that it would resume military operations at a key crossing on the buffer zone between both territories. I blamed the
Polisario Front for blocking the movement of goods and people. For its part, the Polisario Front said that it's Morocco that violated the
ceasefire with these actions and claims that civilians were attacked. The U.N. which maintains a peacekeeping operation has been trying to preserve
the ceasefire,
STEPHANE DUJARRIC, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL'S SPOKESMAN: The Secretary General regrets that these efforts have proved unsuccessful, and expresses
his grave concern regarding the possible consequences of the latest developments.
DAMON: This may be unfolding in what is a remote corner of the African continent. But like so many other conflicts, the consequences can be far
reaching in a region that already knows too much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: And Becky, of course, the great concern is that those consequences are what is going to be unfolding given that at this stage, no side seems
willing to make any sort of compromise or move back towards in a significant way to another ceasefire.
ANDERSON: Yes. We're keeping one eye on exactly what is going on on the ground there. Thank you for that. We were just in Paris where Mike Pompeo
has just left any minute now he's expected (INAUDIBLE) you are in Turkey. What is conspicuous says who is not meeting as opposed to who he who he is
on this occasion, Arwa?
DAMON: -- meeting with the foreign minister rather, according to the state department, this visit is concentrating on meeting with various religious
leaders, including the Ecumenical Patriarch to discuss a variety of religious issues including religious freedom. Now, Turkey is taking this as
something of a snub, but also as a slight and we did hear a response coming back from the Turkish authorities that went as far as to say that freedom
of religion is not an issue in this country.
And that while Turkey does welcome any sort of visit from any dignitary to any religious leaders here, one should not necessarily think that this is a
problem when it comes to Turkey itself, saying that it would be more suitable for the U.S. to first look in the mirror and show the requisite
sensitivity towards human rights violation in its own country, such as religion and Islamophobia.
Now, there are a number of issues that are causing tension between the United States and Turkey not to mention the ongoing conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia as well as of course the issue of those ever contentious Russian S-400s. The state department has said that Secretary of
State Pompeo has numerous occasions as do other U.S. diplomats to engage on those various other issues.
But this most certainly is potentially a visit that as you mentioned there, Becky, is going to be better known for whom Pompei o does not end up
meeting with versus who he actually does.
ANDERSON: Arwa Damon is in Instanbul for you. Well, a drive by killing a veil of mystery in the hunt for international terrorists. All that came
into play in a reported killing of one of Muhammad Abu al-Masri. A senior U.S. counterterrorism official tells CNN that al-Masri is probably dead. He
was widely believed to be the mastermind behind the deadly bombings at U.S. embassies and Africa in 1998. Oren Liebermann has the story
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the street of Iran's capital city drive by shooting took seconds, middle-aged man and his daughter shot and
killed in their car on August 7th. Semi-official news agencies I.D.'d the man Habib Dawood, a Lebanese academic with ties to Hezbollah. And then the
story vanished. Dawood it seemed didn't exist. There was no eulogy for him in Lebanon, no academic by his name in Iran.
Months later in mid-October on obscure social media accounts. The story resurfaced, but not about Dawood. The accounts said the man was really
Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Masri, the number two men in al Qaeda. The New York Times said it was indeed al Masri
according to unnamed intelligence officials. A senior counterterrorism official told CNN that al Masri is probably dead.
Al Masri was on muscle he was on the FBI's most wanted list. $10 million reward for information leading to his capture. He was one of the primary
planners of the twin bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya on August 7th, 1998. 22 years to the day before he himself was killed.
[10:40:09]
LIEBERMANN: According to the Times, the drive-by shooting was carried out by Israeli agents at the behest of the United States. If true, it would be
similar in nature to Israel's reported killings of Iranian nuclear scientists in the past. The Israeli and American governments declined to
comment and al Qaeda has made no comment about losing one of its leaders. Iran's foreign ministry denied the report Saturday, accusing the U.S. and
Israel of spreading lies that Iran associates with terrorists.
Some analysts saw Abu Muhammad al Masri as next in line to lead al ur Qaeda, the man who would take over for Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the terror groups
leader for a decade. Also on the FBI's most wanted list. And what about the woman in a car with al Masri who was killed? It was his daughter Miriam,
the widow of Hamza bin Laden, the deceased son of Osama bin Laden. Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right. We'll be connecting you with a stunning sight in our next hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five, four, three, two, one, zero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The storage launch for SpaceX. NASA, hoping it's the start of a new era for getting its explorers into space. That is coming up next.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's the word what we want to hear. Stage-1 propulsion is nominal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, to audacious goal now and a reminder to always keep your focus on the football pitch. Kazakhstan versus Albania. The nations league
straight from the kickoff after Albania win to nil up a Kazakh player spots the Albanian goalie of his line and takes advantage. Not enough to lead to
a comeback victory. Albania did win three one but what a goal. Amanda Davies on top of all the sport for you today, Amanda?
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, it's brilliant, isn't it, Becky? You suspect that for all the action in the Belgium England game. The
Netherlands. That is the goal that children and playgrounds across the world are trying to recreate this morning. Aybol Abiken, that was his big
moment as you said it couldn't get the win but you suspect he would never have thought he was going to be in sports bulletins this morning alongside
the likes of Dustin Johnson, Lewis Hamilton. I mean water line up we've got coming up in WORLD SPORT in a couple of minutes.
ANDERSON: absolutely. But, you know, he absolutely deserves to be in the lineup with a goal like that. Fantastic. Looking forward to that. WORLD
SPORT after this. We will be back after that.
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(WORLD SPORT)
[11:00:00]
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