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CNN Goes Inside Myanmar As Military Crackdown Intensifies; Myanmar Citizens Detained After Speaking To CNN; Former Crown Prince Accused Of Trying To Destabilize Jordan; Foreign Minister: Saudi's Green Energy Goal "Entirely Doable"; Russia Ramps Up Military Buildup In Arctic; World's Deepest Shipwreck Fully Mapped. Aired 10-10:50a ET

Aired April 05, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi. This is "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNNI HOST: Hello and welcome to "Connect the World" where it is 6 pm in the evening. This hour will bring you CNN's complete coverage

of the trial of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd with basics of testimony set to begin shortly. We'll take you there live when that

happens.

First up, though, I want to connect you to extremely rare access inside Myanmar. CNN's Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward and her team

on the ground there under military escort.

A short time ago, Clarissa spoke to my colleagues John Berman and Alisyn Camerota with startling reporting about what is happening now with protests

and the ongoing crackdown. I'm going to play that report for you now, in its entirety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: We've a CNN exclusive this morning, remarkable access inside Myanmar which is in the midst of a bloody military coup. One

advocacy group says at least 550 people have been killed in the past two months.

Protests continue it did throughout the weekend, which security officials have been responding to with this brutal crackdown, detaining thousands

least 11 people arrested Friday minutes after being interviewed by CNN.

Our Clarissa Ward joins us now live from Myanmar with the permission of the military, who we do want to know he is escorting our team. So Clarissa

what's happening now, tell us why it's so important for you to be there?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you said, John, two months ago, a democratically elected government was overthrown by

the military in a coup after the military suffered what can only be described as a humiliating defeat in the elections back in November.

That coup has given rise to an enormous protest movement that has swelled across the country. Put simply, the military does not have the support of

the people of Myanmar. And as those protests have swelled, and have people have become more angered about this coup. So too has the violent oppression

of that protest movement by the military, as you said, hundreds have been killed among them dozens of children.

We wanted to come here to report on the ground because simply put, John, no other journalists, international journalists have been allowed into Myanmar

since this coup happened. Now we came with permission from the military with all of the complications that that entails.

But we still felt that it was a vital importance to come here ourselves, to see what was happening and to confront the people responsible for the

violence.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: And so Clarissa I mean, I know all of this is delicate. But since you're under the auspices of the military, are you able

to report freely?

WARD: We had been assured prior to coming here that we would have independence and freedom of movement. We wanted to stay in a hotel in

Yangon that was not allowed. We're staying instead, in this military compound. It's completely walled off we cannot come in and out and move

freely.

On our first day we were moving around with a convoy of six trucks full of soldiers. In addition to that we have many minders following our every

move, whenever we do have the opportunity to be on the street, which is very rarely Alisyn, our minders are constantly filming everything with

their cell phones, making notes, making phone calls, taking records of every single person we talk to an every single movement we make. So it has

not been without its challenges, Alisyn.

BERMAN: Well, they're taking pictures and they're taking names, apparently, Clarissa. So tell us about the people who've been detained after speaking

with you?

CAMEROTA: So this was a very distressing incident, John. On one day, we were finally allowed to go to a public space to an open market. And it's

important to underscore here that we have not solicited contact with any activist with anyone whose part of the protest movement, because we know

given the context that we're here and just how dangerous that could be.

However, when we took our cameras out in this market and started shooting video, people started coming up to us, people started giving the three

fingered Hunger Games salute that has become the emblem, the symbol of this defiant movement. And they came up and started telling us their stories.

They told us they were frightened. They told us there is no peace there. And we let them say their piece. We felt it was important to give them the

opportunity to have their side of the story on the record. Shortly afterwards however, we found out that many of them were detained.

One woman actually ran after me while we were still at the market, trembling like - on the phone with someone who said that three people we'd

spoken to had already been arrested.

[10:05:00]

WARD: We had the opportunity, however, to sit down with Myanmar's senior military, senior military leadership, the government spokesman himself and

we asked him, why on earth these people have been arrested? And we urged him to release them. Take a listen.

CAMEROTA: We went to a market in Yangon. And a lot of people approached us, because they wanted to talk to us. They wanted to tell their side of the

story. We subsequently found out that at least five of them were arrested. We have verified this independently. We have seen photographic evidence, in

some cases to confirm this. Can you please explain why you would be arresting people for talking to us?

MAJOR GENERAL ZAW MIN TUN, TATMADAW SPOKESPERSON: They haven't committed any crime. We saw it on the news yesterday and I asked how many were

arrested? 11 got arrested the security forces were worried that they would provoke others and start the protest in the market. And that is why they

got arrested. However, the government is arranging to release them as soon as possible.

CAMEROTA: We are now very relieved to be able to confirm that at least eight of those 11 people in all eight, that CNN knew about have now been

released. And that is really, truly great news. But still, this just gives you such an idea of the situation that these people are confronting here.

They can't even say on camera, that they're frightened that they want a better future, that they want democracy without being arrested. That's how

threatened the military is by these people and by this enormously popular protest movement, John and Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: So Clarissa, why does the military want you there? Or why have they agreed to allow CNN to be there, if they're just going to arrest

everybody that you talk to?

WARD: The military wants to get its side of the story on the record, too. And that's important. And we gave them up the opportunity to do that. They

see the protest movement as being violent as being dangerous as being disruptive to the economy.

They say that if people allow the process to play out that there will be elections again, within the next two years, they paraded a series of

victims before us who told us stories about being threatened by the protesters by humiliated by the protesters. They took us to buildings that

they said had been vandalized by the protesters.

But when it comes to the idea of this two year process, before which there will be elections, you can understand why very few people here have any

faith in that there were democratically held elections back in November, there were independent observers who attended those elections, who did not

make note of any egregious fraud or anything of that nature.

And yet still the military intercepted and took and this coup took place so very few people here actually believe them, when they say that there will

be another chance at elections and after more than half a century of repressive military rule.

Simply put, they're not willing to give up, they're not willing to let go of the hard won freedoms that they have enjoyed in the last decade.

BERMAN: Clarissa do you have a sense if the military regime, their power is coalescing or growing at this point? Where is it on the curve as you look

towards these elections near two years from?

WARD: From what we've seen on the ground, the military does not have anything in the way of strong support from the people. What they do have is

sophisticated weaponry. What they do have is a large fighting force. There is no comparison in the scale of what you're seeing from the protesters

versus what you're seeing from the military, in terms of armaments, in terms of funding.

And so the military does have that on its side, and it may well be that brute force wins the day here. What's very concerning to so many people,

including the United Nations who warned that this could turn into a bloodbath is that as the protesters become more incensed as the protest

movement becomes more violent. This country could be on course for real civil strife, and nobody wants to see that happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Clarissa Ward in Myanmar. Well, also a government crackdown in Jordan made notable by one of the high profile figures among those

detained. Former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein effectively under house arrest today, accused by the government of conspiring to "Destabilize

Jordan" more than a dozen others have been arrested in what is this alleged plot.

Now the government so far making no evidence public Prince Hamzah is the half brother of Jordan's King Abdullah. He talked about what happened in a

video apparently made this past weekend have a listen.

[10:10:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE HAMZAH BIN HUSSEIN, FORMER JORDANIAN CROWN PRINCE: I had a visit from the Chief of the General Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces this

morning, in which he informs me that I was not allowed to go out to communicate with people or to meet with them. Because in the meetings that

I had been present in, or on social media relating to visits that I've made, there's been criticism of the government or the King.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Now CNN's Jomana Karadsheh who is based in Amman for years, joins me now on the phone from Jordan's capital. Jomana, what do you make of

these events?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, Becky, you and I have covered this country for years. You know, we've never seen anything like this

before truly unprecedented. I mean, this is a nation that really is in shock.

This is the royal family is known to have whatever disputes are going on within the royal family, whatever disagreements there are. These are things

that are usually resolved behind closed doors. This kind of public display of disagreements and disputes is just unprecedented.

And you know, Becky, the way what we heard in that video statement by Prince Hamzah was just stunning you know, for an international audience

talking about his apparent house arrest is big news. Talking about the fact that he has no communication with the outside world is major news.

But for Jordanians, what was really stunning about all this, Becky is when he - for about six minutes in that video, lashed out at the country's

leadership, criticizing the rulers of this country accusing them of corruption of mismanagement blaming them for the current situation in this

country.

These are the kinds of criticisms that you would usually hear from ordinary Jordanians from people on the streets out protesting, not hear that kind of

talk from a member of the royal family. So really, really stunning and it's very hard Becky to talk to people about this.

Just imagine this is a very sensitive issue right now. And people don't really feel comfortable talking about this. They have been presented with

two teaching narratives at point. A lot of people are backing their King backing their government in this but at the same time, there are many who

are also questioning the narrative, as you mentioned, not much proof has been provided.

They have heard that there was some sort of plot to destabilize this country, talks about a foreign involvement, foreign entities that were

involved in this, but there are so many questions that remain unanswered.

And you know, they also heard from the Former Crown Prince Hamzah, also denying saying in that video preamp he sort of accusations that he has been

working with foreign entities saying that the government does level these kinds of accusations against anyone who tries to speak out and criticize

the status quo.

So really, Becky after these 48 hours of really dramatic event, I think a lot of Jordanians right now feel that they are in the dark. They don't

really know what has been going on in this country. And you get a sense that the government is really trying to put this to bed, try to move on and

try and restore the image about stable country.

ANDERSON: And despite allegations of outside support for this, this was being described as this alleged coup there has been outpourings of support

for King Abdullah from around this region and beyond. Where does this go next?

KARADSHEH: I mean, look, this is the big question right now, Becky, I don't think there's any question about the kind of support that King Abdullah had

within hours of the news or whatever this plot may have been that it was foiled. We have this outpouring of support from within the country and also

internationally, Jordan is a key ally to the United States to Gulf States in this region and from within the country itself.

You know, this has been - there have been a lot of messages of support at the King of the monarchy of the leadership in this country. You know, what

we heard from the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Sofadi yesterday was when he made those accusations against Prince Hamzah.

He said that the security services, the intelligence and the military had recommended to the King that this case be taken to the State Security Court

in Jordan but that King Abdullah wanted to try and resolve this within the royal family.

[10:15:00]

KARADSHEH: And this is where we heard that the Chief of Staff of the military spoke to Prince Hamzah and tried to ask him, basically to seize

what they described as these activities that aim to destabilize the country. But it seemed that the Former Crown Prince was defiance.

We've heard an audio recording, we believe, was made on Saturday where he says that he is going to escalate that he's not going to remain quiet. But

at the same time, we know that, it seems right now his communication has been cut off.

So it's very hard to tell where this had next, Becky, but again, my sense is that they really want to put this behind them and move on and

reestablish that image of a country that is stable, that is a reliable ally in this region, because the events of the past 48 hours have really rattled

that image in this region and beyond.

ANDERSON: Jomana Karadsheh on the phone from Amman, in Jordan. Jomana, thank you. Well, this is the second hour of "Connect the World" the first

in a temporary slot a couple of hours ago as we at CNN provide you extensive coverage of the Derek Chauvin trial in the death of George Floyd.

In that earlier edition of "Connect the World" we brought you the first part of my interview with the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin

Farhan Al-Saud. You'll see part two now which has a focus on this oil has been the Saudi economic lifeline for decades, so much so its Crown Prince

even called it an addiction.

Well, the Kingdom has a plan to diversify its economy called "Vision 2030". Well, the pandemic has cut the demand for oil which affected the cash flow

needed to finance the plan for this vision. So I began by asking the Foreign Minister, how did COVID-19 affect Saudis, the Kingdom's reform

agenda have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE FAISAL BIN FARHAN AL SAUD, SAUDI ARABIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: So of course, it's - I say it has impacted the entire world, you know, it has put

a strain on us economically, undoubtedly. But it has also helped accelerate some elements of the reform agenda, including, for instance, reducing our

significantly reducing our reliance on oil revenue as a source of funding, the state budget, where we have now much higher reliance on fees and other

revenues beyond what was planned by this stage of "Vision 2030".

The only way for us to be able to deliver a sustained prosperity for our people is to diversify these, this economy. And therefore we got to keep

doing that.

ANDERSON: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has unveiled the Saudi green initiative, which is the plan to reduce the Kingdom's emissions by

generating half of its energy needs from renewables by 2030 planting 10 billion trees in the Kingdom in the coming decades.

There's a very simple question that many of our viewers will be interested in the answer to how will the Kingdom achieve these goals? After all, I

understand what you've said about the "Vision 2030" and the need to become less oil dependent. But at this point, you are an oil dependent country

with a largely desert landscape and limited water resources. So how do you work the two narratives?

AL SAUD: So the Saudi green initiative part of that is 50 percent of our energy by 2030 from renewables, that's something certainly that's very

doable. We have a lot of sunshine. We have a lot of wind. We have already shown that we can produce renewable energy through solar at rates that are

the cheapest in the world.

So we have already proven that we can do that. And we're going to continue to expand our investment in renewable energy. The planting of trees will

rely mainly on trees that are of a local nature. So desert trees which rely on very, very little water.

We also have a lot of recycled water which we can use. So it's going to be a multi decade program, of course, and it will be entirely sustainable and

will deliver more benefits not just in its carbon sequestration, but also in its impact on the quality of life within the Kingdom.

It's a very ambitious program is part of my commitment, again to being part of the global community as well because global warming is something that

threatens the global community. And we as a regional leader, but also the G-20 country understand that we have a responsibility to contribute to

attacking this global problem.

[10:20:00]

AL SAUD: And we want to set an example for other oil reliant states that you can build upon your - the wealth that you have through oil to work

towards addressing the challenges of the future. So we will use the wealth we generate from oil to invest in renewables to invest in green hydrogen

and to invest in clean technologies in general and also to help increase the tree cover in the world. And that's a critical part of addressing the

global climate change challenges.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The Saudi Foreign Ministers speaking to me recently in that full interview will be on digital and social shortly. Well, the United Kingdom

with a successful vaccination campaign reported 10 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday. Even one death is too many, of course, but that is Britain's

lowest number since September.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said speak from Downing Street in less than two hours time and he is expected to confirm and easing of restrictions and

give details on a plan to try out so called COVID-19 passports for some events. Well, CNN Reporter Salma Abdelaziz is in London where this

announcement is expected Salma.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Hi, Becky. So just a few hours from now the Prime Minister is going to speak and this is going to be a pretty big

announcement. There's a lot to cover here for the Prime Minister first on April 12. That's next week, you're going to see non essential retail open

up those numbers you just mentioned, of COVID infection rates that's allowing that to happen.

The other part of this announcement is going to cover foreign travel. A lot of people have been holding their breath for this are we going to be able

to go on holiday this year that could resume at May 17 potentially, but there's going to be a traffic light system all countries will be

categorized depending on the color you might have to quarantine at home or agree to a government hotel quarantine?

The other part of this announcement is how to resume mass social gathering big sports events, international conferences, concerts, how do you do that?

Well, the Prime Minister's answer will be COVID status certifications. What you just refer to as vaccine passports, a document that will include basic

facts, have you taken your vaccine? Yes or no?

Have you had a recent COVID test? Do you have natural immunity? And the authorities want to pilot this, they want to test this. So they have a few

events that are rolling out across the UK are these COVID status certificates will be used. The first one just to give you an example is a

comedy night in Liverpool on April 16th.

So they're trying these measures out but there has been controversy. Dozens of members of parliament have already signed an open letter saying that

this plan is divisive that is discriminatory that they will stand against it in parliament so big steps, big moves to move towards normal life here,

but also a lot of opposition that the Prime Minister could face and getting these measures through parliament, Becky.

ANDERSON: Salma Abdelaziz on this story for you. You're watching "Connect the World" we will be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:25:00]

ANDERSON: Well, we are anticipating taking you back inside a courtroom in Minneapolis in Minnesota. We could get more details on just how George

Floyd died last year while in handcuffs and in the custody of Former Officer Derek Chauvin, a key witness for the prosecution in this murder

trial is the Minneapolis Police Chief.

And he is expected to take to the stand sometimes sometime this week. Well, our Security Correspondent Josh Campbell is on site for us in Minneapolis.

And as we await the trial today this of course, another week, we look back on what was a powerful week for the prosecution last week? What can we

expect to unfold?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, we're expecting this continued theme that was building last week and that was prosecutors

calling witnesses two in particular, to devastating witnesses for the defense.

Two senior officers with the Minneapolis Police Department, who rejected this idea that this former officer Derek Chauvin was somehow acting within

policy whenever he held George Floyd down on the pavement for over nine minutes again, that coming from Chauvin's fellow officers.

And what we're expecting, we just heard just a short time ago is a court is going through different motions that we expect the Police Chief of

Minneapolis will be in court today testifying and that's going to be very important because he has already been on record publicly criticizing

Chauvin's actions, calling what he did murder.

This Police Chief also publicly blasted the three other police officers that were allegedly involved in this saying they should have done more to

try to stop it. So we expect to continue on that theme that is police officers themselves criticizing one of their own. And we're also expecting

sometime this week to hear from the chief physician who was on duty at the hospital on the night this incident happened last May.

Now this is important because what the prosecutor had telegraphed is that this chief physician supervised taking blood samples from George Floyd. And

that gets to the defensive strategy thus far, which has been to focus on George Floyd himself saying that perhaps he was the under the influence of

some kind of drug and that is what caused his death rather than this police officer.

So again, that witness testimony from the physicians who were actually there will be so important, Becky.

ANDERSON: Thank you, Josh. You're watching "Connect the World". We'll be back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:30:00]

ANDERSON: Welcome back. Well, we connect you to Russian efforts to capitalize on climate change in the Arctic. You're looking at satellite

images of a Russian military base on its Arctic coastline that is one of several that Russia has been building as parts of the region are becoming

ice free.

Western officials say Moscow is flexing its military muscle, partly to secure a commercial shipping route but it also they say has its eye on

natural resources in the region. But those bases are only one part of Western concerns and the other is a high tech weapon that Russia is testing

them.

Among them is a new torpedo that is said to be able to create quite a radioactive tsunami. Nick Paton Walsh has this exclusive reporting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's a new frontier, expanding for all the wrong reasons with pushy neighbors rushing in. Russia

is seeing the Arctic ice melt fast and filling the gap with a military buildup, some of it on Alaska's doorstep not seen since the Cold War.

Key is a new generation of super weapons like the Poseidon 120 mile an hour nuclear propelled stealth torpedo. It's designed, say Russian officials to

sneak past U.S. coastal defenses and detonate a warhead, causing a radioactive tsunami to hit the East Coast with contaminated water.

Experts told CNN the weapon is "Very real". It'll be tested in the summer near Norway, whose intelligence had said it's not only the ecological

damage that could be bad.

VICE ADM. NILS ANDREAS STENSONS, NORWEGIAN INTELLIGENCE CHIEF: And it is in a testing phase. It's a strategic system and it's aimed at targets and it

has then an influence far beyond the region, in which they tested currently, but it's a new - it's something we need to get our hands around

and our hands around and understand what this really means.

WALSH (voice over): Some said Russian President Vladimir Putin was fantasizing when he revealed this and other new weapons like the hypersonic

silicon missile in 2018. But continuing development and tests make them very real.

NEIL MELVIN, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES, RUSI: Russia is projecting an image that it's developing new technologies. And this of

course, it is destabilizing the strategic balance.

HEATHER CONLEY, SVP FOR EUROPE, EURASIA & THE ARCTIC, CSIS: They are now starting to develop those capabilities that could reach the United States

and its NATO allies.

WALSH (voice over): That's not all Russia is up to. CNN has obtained satellite images revealing the persistent build up of Russia and bases

along its northern coastline. Part of what a U.S. State Department official called a military challenge.

Close to Alaska, Providencia and Erangel Island two new radar stations with stationed in Anadyr a quick reaction alert force of bombers and jets. West

in Kotelny a thin strip of land has seen over seven years the slow growth of a large airstrip. And in - in the northernmost point is another base

that sprung up since 2015, one of several in the Arctic decorating the colors of the Russian flag.

Nagurskoye and the nearby airfield of Rogachevo are both home to make 31 jets, recent arrivals. In further west at Olenya Guba on the Kola Peninsula

over the past four years, experts believe a storage facility has slowly been built up for the Poseidon torpedo.

WALSH (on camera): Russia has had its eye on being the Arctic power for years and is now moving to make that happen. Yes, this is its coastline for

sure. But U.S. officials have expressed concerns to me that this buildup is not just about protecting. It's also about projecting power across the ice

even towards the North Pole.

There are new resources to exploit under the ice, yes. But Russia released this video in January of the first time a freighter got through the ice in

the East in the thick of winter to sell a new trade route along its northern coast.

It's a possible moneymaker for the Kremlin cutting the current journey time from Asia to Europe through the Suez Canal nearly in half.

CONLEY: The development of the Russian Arctic is absolutely essential to Russia's economic survival, but they do have a very ambitious vision for

turning the Northern Sea route as President Putin has said into the next Suez Canal.

WALSH (voice over): U.S. officials voiced concern to CNN that Russia was already demanding ships use Russian cruise and get permission to cross it.

The U.S. answer this has been swift and its allies - bombers have flown out of Norway, U.S. Marines have training often in Norway's north.

Yes, there is a southern rush where for centuries. There's been only bleak sheet ice. Who gets there first makes the rules they say an ugly race now

due to the climate crisis for a place nobody should want to be conquerable.

[10:35:00]

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Russia's Foreign Ministry didn't respond to a request for comment on that reporting. But Moscow has always said it. Its goals in the

Arctic are peaceful and economic. Well, here in the UAE climate change being tackled not with alarm, but as an opportunity to drive jobs and

revenues through a new clean energy economy.

The UAE was the first Gulf country to sign and ratify the Paris Climate Accord. Since then it's adopted the region's first economy wide target to

reduce emissions. Well, over the weekend at the regional climate dialogue the UAE along with 10 other countries from this part of the world made some

bold commitments to the fight against a warming planet.

These landmark talks included a pledge to step up efforts to make the 2015 Paris Agreement a success. And after four years or the U.S. administration

that repeatedly undermined efforts to tackle global warming, the new U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry is putting the fight back on the front burner.

His message like that of the government here in the Emirates, that climate challenge is a huge economic opportunity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, U.S. CLIMATE ENVOY: And it's quite remarkable frankly to find a country that it is an oil and gas producing country that has been leading

many, many other nations in the search for new technology and the effort to be a leader in transitioning to the new economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Former U.S. Secretary John Kerry addressing reports in Abu Dhabi over the weekend. The Biden Administration's Special Envoy for climate in

the United Arab Emirates capital to drum up regional support for global climate action ahead of the crucial cop 26 meeting later this year.

Ahead of the summit Kerry getting a firsthand look at some of the investments in clean energy and mitigation technologies that he says puts

the Emirates at the forefront of the climate war. A war this traditionally oil and gas dependent country knows it must help when in a region where

heat is extreme and water is precious the UAE is no stranger to the threats posed by climate change.

Rising sea levels make the coastal cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai some of the most vulnerable in the world. If nothing is done to mitigate global

warming and the trends are not going anywhere at the moment 120:15 study predicts the heat could make the cities uninhabitable by the end of the

century.

Covering an estimated 150 square kilometers of the UAE's coastline native mangroves like these in - Mangrove Park act as natural barriers against

storm surges and rising sea levels and as natural carbon sinks they also act as a green lung for a city like Abu Dhabi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now we already established program--

ANDERSON (voice over): John Kerry taking a chance to see the work being done locally to protect these natural eco systems. The country says it

plans to plant 30 million mangrove seedlings by 2030 to conserve these coastal blue carbon systems. The UAE's commitments to a climate save future

doesn't just make environmental sense authorities here say the economic case too, is a compelling one.

SULTAN AL-JABER, UAE SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: As you know, the UAE started more than 15 years ago, and in a very proactive manner, and

addressing global challenges like climate change by advancing renewable energy, applying scale, applying capital, investing in technology

throughout the different growth stages locally, as well as regionally and internationally.

ANDERSON (voice over): Sources tell us that initial analysis still in its early stages, puts the economic dividend from progressive climate action in

the UAE, as high as $100 billion annually by 2050 if not sooner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Coming up, rare images of the world's deepest ever shipwreck, we see more of the world war two U.S. navy warship buried at the bottom of the

sea.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

ANDERSON: Well, we are now getting our first full view of the deepest shipwreck ever found. U.S. base crew is mapped and filmed the entire

wreckage of the USS Johnston. The first complete survey of the site the World War II U.S. Navy destroyer has been resting about 6500 meters in the

Philippine Sea for nearly 77 years. It sank after losing a key battle with the Japanese Navy.

Well, those extraordinary images also serve as a reminder of the sailors who fought and died on the USS Johnston. CNN's Ivan Watson reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is the world's deepest known shipwreck located more than four miles or some 6500 meters below the

surface of the Pacific. The number is 557 identify it as the USS Johnston, filmed for the first time underwater by remote controlled submersible.

[10:45:00]

WATSON (voice over): This destroyer was one of several U.S. Navy ships sunk battling a vastly superior Japanese fleet during a furious battle off the

coast of the Philippines during World War II.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These little ships fighting a desperate battle the time used everything in the book to stay afloat.

WATSON (on camera): How did you feel seeing the ID numbers of the USS Johnston?

CAPT. CARL SCHUSTER, U.S. NAVY (RETD.): In a way it's painful, but in another way, it's inspirational.

WATSON (voice over): Former U.S. Navy Captain Carl Schuster says he and his fellow officers studied the story of the Johnston and its Commander Ernest

Evans, the first Native American Naval Officer to be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

SCHUSTER: He moved without orders. He saw an imminent danger to the fleet, and he moved on it on his own authority.

WATSON (voice over): Evans bought time for vulnerable American transport ships by attacking a fleet of 23 Japanese warships.

SCHUSTER: His actions started a charge if you will, that ultimately save several 1000 American lives at the cost of his own and much of his crew.

WATSON (voice over): 186 crew members including Commander Evans died aboard the Johnston. The Johnston was mapped by Culloden Oceanic. Over the past

decade several other world war two wrecks have been discovered in the Pacific by expeditions led by the late Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen.

Navies around the world treat these sites as sacred war graves.

SCHUSTER: I see them as the tombs or cemeteries of brave men who died fighting for their country, whether they're German, Japanese or American.

WATSON (voice over): The mapping of the USS Johnston brings some closure for surviving relatives of the ship's crew.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ungrateful people will remember that the Gambia the USS4 the Johnson, Samuel B. Robert.

WATSON (voice over): But the final resting places of the three other ships sunk during the same deadly battle. I've yet to be found. Ivan Watson, CNN,

Hong Kong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, still two cameras the Middle East tries to find a way out of multiple conflicts, there is hope for the region's fight against COVID-

19. How the vaccination campaign led to a successful art Dubai?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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