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Biden: Saudi Will Face Consequences over OPEC; NATO Ministers Discuss Air Defenses for Ukraine; Biden: Putin a "Rational Actor" Who "Miscalculated"; Interview with Sen. Chris Murphy of the Foreign Relations Committee on U.S.-Saudi Relations; Iranian Education Ministry Detaining Student Protesters for "Reform"; Israel-Lebanon Maritime Agreement. Aired 10-10:45a ET
Aired October 12, 2022 - 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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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): This hour, NATO calls for bigger and better support to Ukraine, after Russian missiles wreaked destruction
across the country this week. Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's going to be some consequences for what they've done.
ANDERSON (voice-over): U.S. President Joe Biden vowing consequences against Saudi Arabia following the OPEC+ decision to cut oil output.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And U.S. Democrats ramping up the pressure for Biden to act on that. I will speak to Senator Chris Murphy on how he thinks the
relationship should move forward.
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ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson, hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD, live from Abu Dhabi, where the time is 6:00 in the evening.
Ramping up Ukraine's air defenses: that crucial decision underway right now. At a meeting of NATO ministers in Brussels NATO secretary general,
Jens Stoltenberg, says providing Ukraine more air defense systems is now a top priority for the alliance.
We're going to hear from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin next hour.
This meeting coming days after Russia launched a new barrage of missiles and drone strikes across Ukraine. The latest attack coming today, with
Ukraine reporting at least seven killed when Russia shelled a market in Eastern Ukraine.
The Kremlin response to the Stoltenberg's comments from earlier this week, when he said NATO support is playing a key role for Ukraine. Its
spokesperson saying that amounts to an admission that NATO is fighting on the side of Ukrainians.
Also in Moscow, Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke earlier at an energy forum, again accusing Ukraine special services of attacking the Crimea
bridge in what he called an act of terror. I want to bring in our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, with us from London today.
Jill Dougherty, former CNN Moscow bureau chief, is in Washington.
Nic, let me start with. You. Stoltenberg says Ukraine needs more systems to hold missile attacks following these Russian strikes this week.
Is this a change in strategy from NATO?
What kind of systems are we looking at this point?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Ukraine has been asking for air defense systems pretty much since the get-go. There were, in
the early days of the war, if anyone remembers, huge barrages of rockets and missiles reaching deep into Ukraine.
That's abated. It is back with force. They have re-energized their message. NATO appears to be re-energized to deliver on what the Ukrainians want.
This NATO meeting is also about making sure the weapons industries, among all NATO allies, our understanding what NATO needs to replace infantry
that's been given to Ukraine, what Ukraine is going to need going forward and making sure that the arms industry is getting up to speed with those
needs.
That is a key message of NATO. But specifically what air defense systems does it need to a degree, Ukraine has focused the systems it has to protect
front line troops as it tries to advance. It has left itself exposed in key cities, as we've seen like Kyiv, Lviv and the far west.
What we're looking for is a cover for the whole country and systems that could reach further, have longer range than the existing systems. The
systems the United States is supplying, the NASAMS, national advanced service to air missile system, comes in its latest version in both short
range and long range.
We don't know precisely the version that Ukrainians will get. And the system the Germans are delivering, this was something NATO secretary
general spoke about yesterday, the IRIS-T missile defense system. That has short and medium range capability.
How much Ukraine is getting in the immediate term, clearly not enough to put off strikes that occur in the next couple of days. They are looking
forward down the road here.
ANDERSON: Russia has said this week the U.S. is de facto involved in this Ukraine war.
Jill, when you consider what Nic has just been reporting, does the Kremlin have the capability to deal with this sort of military hardware --
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ANDERSON: -- that Ukraine is likely to get from the NATO members?
It will clearly see this as a provocation, correct?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. But I think it's really important that you look at the battlefield right now. And let's call it the
ground game of Russia. It has not been effective. They are losing on the ground.
So their only arrow in the quiver is to use these air attacks and as Nic pointed, out they did it in the beginning and now they are back with force.
I think they are actually quite worried about this.
It's really, really very strong diplomatic reaction from Russia,, a lot of propaganda, a lot of statements from the foreign ministry and spokespeople
for the foreign ministry, saying this is a red line.
The United States and NATO, if they continue to supply these types of weapons, this would be crossing a red line and we can respond
asymmetrically. So I think the strength of that reaction by Russia shows that they are very concerned about that.
If the West -- NATO, United States, et cetera -- were able to bring air defenses, albeit nothing that could shield the entire country but
individual units, it would really counter a lot of the only thing that Russia has got going for it right now in the war.
ANDERSON: We did hear from President Putin himself, Jill, today, at this energy forum. I want you to hear a little of what he said. Stand by.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): Why is Russia to blame?
They want to blame someone else for it, in this, case unfortunately. They are to blame themselves. It's not the result of any actions under the
special military operation in Ukraine, in Donbas. Russia is ready to start such supplies. The ball is in the court of the E.U. If they want, they can
just open the tap.
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ANDERSON: Russia has weaponized energy during this conflict, its war on Ukraine.
What happens next?
DOUGHERTY: Well, that's the big question. Of course, I think, look at what President Putin is saying. This is an old technique that Russia and even
the Soviet Union, used before. It's what about-ism. You say we're doing it, you're doing it and you're doing it worse than we are.
So I think Russia and especially President Putin right now is on the back foot. There is trouble at home. You have the partial mobilization,
thousands of people fleeing because of that. You have still some criticism and it feels, of course, this is reading the tea leaves.
It's very difficult to understand precisely what is happening in the leadership of the elites.
But it feels that there is some pushback about this war and nervousness and criticism. So I think right, now you have Putin thinking, number one,
militarily, he can bring in that firepower from the air.
Also, it shows -- or at least he wants it to show -- that he is strong. He is in control. He can give it right back to NATO.
Also, Becky, I think it is important that he -- forget about Ukraine right now. For President Putin, this is a war against the West. That, I think,
has been brewing but I think it is very obvious right now that that is what he thinks.
ANDERSON: Thank you, Jill.
Nic, appreciate it.
U.S. President Joe Biden addressing Putin's veiled threats about using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. In a CNN interview, Mr. Biden sought
to downplay the chance that that will happen while still sounding very cautious in tone. Here is part of his discussion with my colleague, Jake
Tapper.
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JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: How realistic is it, do you think that Putin would use a tactical nuclear weapon?
BIDEN: Well, I don't think he will. But I think it's irresponsible of him to talk about it, the idea that a world leader of one of the largest
nuclear powers in the world says he may use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
The whole point I was making was it could lead to just a horrible outcome. And not because anybody intends to turn it into a world war or anything.
But it just -- once you use a nuclear weapon, the mistakes that can be made, the, miscalculations?
Who knows what would happen?
TAPPER: Do you think Putin is a rational actor?
BIDEN: I think he is a rational actor who's miscalculated significantly.
TAPPER: So if he's not rational?
And--
BIDEN: No, I didn't say he's not rational.
TAPPER: You said the speech is what--
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BIDEN: I think -- I think the speech is.
TAPPER: OK.
BIDEN: His objectives were not. I think he thought, Jake, I think he thought he's going to be welcomed with open arms, that this was, this has
been the home of Mother Russia and Kyiv and they were -- he was going to be welcomed. And I think he just totally miscalculated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Mr. Biden also told Jake Tapper that Saudi Arabia will face consequences over the decision by OPEC and its allies, including Russia, of
course, to slash oil production. Those cuts could raise prices.
They certainly did, to begin, with. Although prices are lower at present. Washington says that will help Russia pay for its war on Ukraine -- a bump
in prices, of course, is what they meant. Some U.S. Democrats are calling for a freeze on arms sales to Riyadh.
Senator Richard Blumenthal says that the Saudis have delivered a gut punch that could send the U.S. economy into recession. Mr. Biden says a recession
is unlikely.
Other lawmakers are joining in calls for Washington to distance itself from Riyadh after the OPEC+ announcements last week. Democrat Chris Murphy
tweeted that he thought the whole point of selling arms to the Gulf states was that, when an international crisis came, the Gulf would choose America
over Russia/China.
Chris Murphy joins us now from Washington.
I want to play a little bit more, Chris, of what President Biden said on the U.S.-Saudi relationship. Standby.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I didn't go to one -- about oil. I went about making sure that we made sure that we weren't going to walk away, from the Middle East and what
was going on.
When the -- this House and Senate gets back, they're going to have to -- there's going to be some consequences, for what they've done, with Russia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What do you believe those consequences should be, Chris Murphy?
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT), MEMBER, FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: I was -- I've been arguing for the better part of the last decade that we should
reorient our relationship with Saudi Arabia. For a long time, they were a very imperfect ally. And I think we now have to ask ourselves whether they
are an ally at all.
We have looked the other way when it comes to their human rights abuses, their war in Yemen, because we assumed, that when the chips were down, when
there was a global emergency, the Saudis would choose to support us, not to support the Russians or the Chinese.
I think when a partner like this turns their back on you, you have to make decisions about whether you still want to be in the same kind of business.
We sell a whole lot of arms to the Saudis. We spend a whole lot of money, putting troops in and around Saudi Arabia to defend them.
We have Patriot missiles there, Patriot missiles that lots of other countries, including Ukraine, want. I think it's time for us to figure out
whether there's a better way to deploy our defense assets rather than using them to support a country that doesn't seem to have our interests at heart.
I just think that is smart foreign policy.
ANDERSON: Let's be quite clear about what the Saudis have said the decision to cut oil production was based on. They said it was based on
purely economic reasons. It had no political dimensions. They say the oil market has been up and down for a while. It hasn't been working to the
fundamentals and it was time to balance it out.
The irony of all of this is that oil prices are down at a level below those that it was at before this announcement of the cut, aren't they?
MURPHY: Well, the Saudis can't separate the economics of oil from the politics of oil. They can't do that, because it is the economics of oil,
it's the revenue from that oil, that is allowing the Russians to perpetuate a campaign that is killing thousands of civilians inside of Ukraine.
It's the revenue from that oil that has allowed for the Saudis to perpetuate a campaign inside Yemen that has killed thousands of civilians.
So I understand that the Saudis will want to say, hey, we make all of our decisions with respect to oil independent of the political consequences.
But they know that's not true. They know there is a linkage between the economics of oil and the politics of oil.
They also know the United States has been an ally for decades with the Saudis because we wanted to make sure that we had the ability to get oil
from the Middle East to the United States to power our economy.
So we are a security partner with the Saudis in large part because we want to make sure that we protect the oil that is important to our economy. So
you can't separate the economics of oil from the politics of oil. You can't.
ANDERSON: Their argument might be that they can't rescue the Democrats ahead of the midterms.
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ANDERSON: And by cutting oil production, of course, the expectation was that oil prices would rise. In fact, as I point out again, the irony is
those prices are actually lower than they were before.
MURPHY: This isn't about politics in the United States. This is about my constituents, Republicans and Democrats, who can't afford for prices to go
back up. This is about people who are dying in Ukraine, funding -- this is about oil that is helping to fund a war that violates international norms.
So I understand some people want to make this about politics. To me, it's not about politics; it's about stopping an illegal war in Ukraine. And it's
about trying to ease the pain at the pump for all sorts of Americans, regardless of their political persuasion.
ANDERSON: Talk about the war in Ukraine and whether there is any possibility of an offramp at this point. Yesterday, we saw the UAE
president visit Vladimir Putin in Russia. This is indeed separate from OPEC, although UAE is a member of OPEC.
The presidential adviser to the UAE's president told me, and I quote, "It was a good opportunity to take stock of developments in the war in Ukraine
and to underscore the importance of de-escalation."
President Biden has repeatedly talked about an offramp for Putin.
Do you welcome the UAE's mediation efforts?
MURPHY: Not really. I mean, I would much more welcome the UAE's efforts if they weren't siding with the Russians when it comes to the price of oil.
The UAE, the Saudis, the Chinese, the Indians, they have the ability to put this conflict on a path toward de-escalation. But that can't happen if they
continue to subsidize the war.
China is doing that by buying Russia's oil. The UAE, the Saudis, are doing that by raising the price of oil, thus increasing the revenues into the
Russian treasury. So there are a lot of people that are profiting off of this war.
They like to talk a big game about de-escalation but then when it comes down to it, they are not pursuing policies that actually put pressure on
Russia to end this war.
ANDERSON: But I want to just pursue this point, because, at this stage, it does seem the channels between the Kremlin, Russia, Vladimir Putin and G7
members and the West aren't great at present.
There are friends of Russia, perhaps erstwhile (ph), going forward who are getting increasingly concerned about what is going on. Surely, the
opportunity for any mediation efforts from anybody at this point should be applauded.
MURPHY: Yes, let's just be realistic. The UAE is not going to be the country that is going to mediate the end of this conflict. And they are
sending very different signals. They are trying to get credit for mediation while they are literally pumping up the price of oil so as to make it
easier for Russia to continue the war.
So all I'm saying is you can't have it both ways. If you really want to try to bring this war to a close, then you actually have to put pressure on
Russia. And that comes in part through a decrease in the revenue that Russia gets from oil.
ANDERSON: I think the UAE will probably see their efforts in terms of mediation as a tall order, to be fair. But certainly, it's interesting to
get your perspective on this.
While I've got you, I've got to ask you about Iran.
Is there any chance for a potential revival of the JCPOA, given what is happening inside that country with the sort of crackdown from authorities
on young women protesting for their rights?
MURPHY: Well, I think the administration has been very muscular in their support for these protests. Early sanctions of the Iranian leaders that
have disappeared, kidnapped and killed many of these protest leaders, working with the tech companies to make sure that communication remains
open to the extent possible inside the protest movement.
As you know, right now, the negotiations over the nuclear deal are on pause. They likely will be for the foreseeable future. I remain someone
that believes it is still in the United States' interest and the world's interest to get an agreement with Iran, in which they commit to get as far
away from a nuclear weapon as possible.
As you are seeing right now in Russia, it makes sense for the United States to pursue policies, even with our enemies like Iran, that keeps them away
from a nuclear weapon.
[10:20:00]
MURPHY: Iran's malevolent activities in the region will be much worse if they are a nuclear power. So right now, I think these negotiations are on
pause right now. I think the administration's focus is on providing support for protesters.
But I still remain open to an agreement that would restart the JCPOA. I just don't think it's going to happen anytime in the foreseeable future;
certainly not in the next few weeks.
ANDERSON: Chris Murphy, it's good to get your perspective, sir. Thank you very much, indeed, for joining us.
MURPHY: Thank you.
ANDERSON: We are going to pursue conversations, discussions on this show about the U.S.-Saudi relationship at this point. We will get the kingdom's
response next hour. I will talk with the Saudi Arabian minister of state for foreign affairs. Please do stay with us for that.
Well, the crackdown on dissent in Iran has now literally reached the country's classrooms. After the break, how Iran is now handling student
protesters.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back. We've got new disturbing reports from Iran's crackdown on dissent. The education minister tells an Iranian newspaper
that some student protesters are being detained and sent to mental institutions for quote, "reeducation."
Yousef Nouri attempted to clarify that the students are not being put in prison and saying if they are detained, it is for them to be reformed and
re-educated in psychological institutions, end quote.
He adds that they can return to class after they have been reformed. He did not say how many children were in custody.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Protests began last month with the death of Mahsa Amini. She died while in the custody of Iran's morality police. Nada Bashir
joins us now with a look at the situation in Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And those alarming comments from Yousef Nouri, the Iranian education minister, do we know anything more about how many children have
been detained and exactly what sort of program they are being put through at this point?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, the details around this suggested detention of students and young people in these psychological institutions.
It's still really unclear at this stage. As you, know we have been tracking this for weeks now and students, young people have really played a key part
in this movement.
We've heard from human rights organizations and UNICEF just yesterday in a statement, especially alarmed over the reported incidents around students,
young people, being injured, beaten, detained, even killed.
[10:25:00]
BASHIR: You heard the shocking remarks from the education minister, Yousef Nouri. He said that while he can't clarify the exact number of students
believed to be detained in these institutions, he said not many but they would be examined by experts once they were deemed to be no longer
presenting antisocial behavior.
They would be allowed to return to school, to their class. Of course, this is raising the alarm bell. We have seen brutal crackdowns by the Iranian
security forces on protesters, not least on young people, who have played a core part in this protest movement.
ANDERSON: Nada Bashir on the story for us.
Tomorrow will mark one month since Mahsa Amini was arrested. Some of the most intense scenes have been from Kurdistan province, where she was from.
Jomana Karadsheh has the story.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what the Iranian regime doesn't want the world to see. Its ruthless
crackdown on protests in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj has turned it into a war zone.
Security forces moving around on motorbikes terrorizing residents, shooting indiscriminately at protesters and into people's homes. Human Rights
monitor Hengaw says several people have been killed including a seven-year- old child who died in his mother's lap.
Communication restrictions making it almost impossible for them and for us to tell the story of that child and the many others Hengaw fear have been
killed. After days of trying we were finally able to briefly speak to a protester inside the city. For his safety were concealing his identity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The security forces are using a lot of force to confront the people. A lot of people have been killed here.
Because the internet is cut, we couldn't send any information on social media. The people are really scared. Last night in the Baharan
neighborhood, there were fierce clashes.
KARADSHEH: The regime says it is separatists fueling the uprising in the Kurdish region. Armed gangs that have attacked its forces but offered no
proof. The little video breaking through the government's internet shut down just enough to see some of the horror unleashed on the people of
Sanandaj.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Last night, the security forces were firing in the direction of houses. They were using military grade
bullets. And until now I hadn't heard such bullets. The people were really afraid. They were firing lots of tear gas in the direction of houses, the
backyards even the balconies. In the Baharan neighborhood, everyone felt the effects of tear gas. They had difficulty breathing.
We've heard that the hospital is full of injured people. Many people have been arrested and it's not clear where they're being taken because they're
not telling anyone anything.
KARADSHEH: Human rights groups say the government is using the Blackout to hide its crimes.
RAMAYAR HASSANI, HENGAW ORGANIZATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: The scale of the massacre is way, way bigger than what we have been able to report. This is
just a drop of the ocean. We have received videos from Sanandaj that the IRGC and other security forces have used 50 caliber machine guns. These are
not normal guns. It's basically like shutting protesters let's say in on one of the streets of the United States by M2.
KARADSHEH: But those bullets and bloodshed haven't stopped the will of the people, some brave protesters still taking to the streets refusing to be
silenced -- Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the mother of a teenager who died during the protests in Iran is flatly denying the government's account of what happened. Nasrin
(ph) Shahkarami says her daughter was killed at the hands of security forces and did not fall off a roof, as officials have suggested.
She brazenly spoke to Iranian media and foreign news outlets. And you can read her story on CNN's Digital platform.
Taking a short break, back after this.
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ANDERSON: Hezbollah's leader says he will remain vigilant a day after Lebanon and Israel announced a historic maritime border agreement. Hassan
Nasrallah cautioning it's not a done deal until the agreement is signed. Nevertheless, it is seen as a major breakthrough hailed as a game-changer
by Lebanon's top negotiator.
As CNN's Hadas Gold reports, the deal settles a years-long border dispute over oil and gas fields in the Mediterranean.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks like a Mediterranean paradise. But this is one of the most tense and dangerous places in the
world, the Israel-Lebanon border.
This stretch of sea has long been disputed between the two enemies technically still at war, even more so over the past decade with lucrative
gas deposits at play.
On Tuesday after years of start and stop negotiations a breakthrough. Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a compromise mediated by the United
States, the first of its kind in decades. Israel will now be able to develop the Karish oil and gas field and Lebanon the Qana field.
BENNY GANTZ, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): I commend the announcement by the Lebanese President accepting the agreement.
ELIAS BOU SAAB, LEBANON'S DEPUTY PARLIAMENT SPEAKER AND NEGOTIATOR: What more can secure stability on this border than having both countries at the
same time producing gas.
GOLD: With Russia's war in Ukraine disrupting natural gas supplies for Europe, there were enormous incentives and pressures to reach a deal and
drill.
And the strain wasn't just economic. Hezbollah the powerful Lebanese militia backed by Iran released this video over the summer, threatening to
target gas facilities Israel had already put into place if they began pumping before an agreement was reached.
The Israel Defense Forces said in July that they shot down three Hezbollah drones headed toward Israeli installations. Hezbollah leader Hassan
Nasrallah is likely to take the agreement as proof that his threat worked.
Lebanon led by a caretaker administration is beset by years of extreme inflation, corruption and political instability. Its president Michel Aoun
will welcome the desperately needed cash that the gas will bring although it will take years to see a cent.
It's a political boon to the Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who faces an election in just three weeks. His chief opponent, former Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to use the gas deal as a political bludgeon, accusing Lapid of surrendering to Hezbollah.
U.S. President Joe Biden will likely take a victory lap as it was the U.S. mediator almost Hochstein who got the deal over the line when others
couldn't. Officials now believe those gas rigs and this new border will make for a much quieter neighborhood -- Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.
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ANDERSON: As Hadas mentioned, the man leading the U.S. efforts to broker a deal is Amos Hochstein. He picked up the mediation efforts last year. He
worked with parties on both sides.
After the agreement, he applauded all the leaders for their courage and their vision. I spoke to him in the last hour and asked him to take us
through the exact details of the deal.
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AMOS HOCHSTEIN , STATE DEPARTMENT SENIOR ADVISER FOR GLOBAL ENERGY SECURITY: So this has been mediated for now over 10 years by a number of
people. And I think part of it was the conversation has always been about a win-lose.
So how much territories does one get versus how much territory does the other side get?
What I tried to do at the beginning of taking this file about 10 months ago or so was to say let's look at what the two countries need. They are not
the same things.
Therefore, instead of looking at this as a win-lose of who gets more than 50 percent, of who gets more than 60 percent, let's look at it from, can
both sides get the most important things to them?
For Lebanon, it's to get as much of the water at a certain point of that water, so they can get the natural gas that's there, so they can have
foreign direct investment for the first time in years, so they can have more confidence in the economy, provide hope and a chance to stem the
collapse economically and to have some economic prosperity in the future.
There is less than two hours of electricity a day in Lebanon today for ordinary Lebanese people. The Lebanese people need a win here. They need an
economic future to save this country.
For Israel, they already have an enormous amount of natural gas in the offshore but what they need as that offshore becomes important to the
country, it's important to have security and stability in the area.
So we were able to craft an agreement and I give a lot of credit to the prime minister of Israel, the defense minister, the energy minister and the
same on the other side, the prime minister, the speaker and the president of Lebanon, for willing to see it through that lens and look at it as a win
not in a way that says, if I win, by definition, the other side has to lose and vice versa.
And the political courage and the courage to see things in a different way is what allowed us to get the breakthrough several weeks ago. And then of
course, the last week has been, you know, the last mile is always the hardest.
And it sure lived up to that idiom. And the last mile was very difficult. But again, we were able to get to a win here. And I think President Biden
started this process in 2011 and got to be president when -- and wanted to focus on it and did yesterday.
ANDERSON: You are not across the line yet. You say the last mile is the most difficult. You're not across the line yet.
Israel's right wing, led by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing the Lapid government of, quote, "surrendering to Hezbollah's
blackmail," suggesting the Iran-backed militant group will use the proceeds of the sale to develop their weapons, to use against Israel.
What is your response to that narrative?
HOCHSTEIN: Well, first, we live in a political environment in the United States and around the world. We are not shocked to hear that before
elections. There are some politics involved in security decisions.
But I think to the meat of the argument, it has no merit. First, this agreement will simply allow international companies such as Total and ENI
from Italy and France to begin explorations to see what is the prospect, how much is, there and then to go from there and see if it can be
developed.
Israel's economic rights will be protected. And the idea that Hezbollah will get the proceeds, this deal is with the government of Lebanon, the
United States, the European Union. We all work closely with Lebanon to make sure that money will go to the right places.
The companies operating here -- and it's part of the agreement, by the way -- that the companies operating in this field and this area will have to be
international, reputable companies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Amos Hochstein. I will have more of my interview with him in the next hour. He talks about the global energy crisis, as well as the fallout
from the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production and what that means for the United States. That is coming up.
Still to come on the show, Kylian Mbappe sat down with me less than a year ago. He said he was perfectly happy with his club. Now the football
superstar apparently wants to move on.
[10:40:00]
ANDERSON: How his story is shaking up the Champions League when we come back.
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