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U.S. Secy. Of State In Jordan For Urgent Talks On Syria; Relief International Calls For Increased Funding For Syria; Syrian Economy And Infrastructure Decimated By Years Of War; Trump Named Time "Person Of The Year"; U.S. National Security Adviser Speaking In Israel; Elon Musk's Fortune Soars to $400 Billion; King Charles To Meet Apple CEO And Local Traders. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired December 12, 2024 - 10:00 ET
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[10:00:00]
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: -- have been detained for years, keeping them off of the battlefield, keeping them away from rejoining ISIS.
That's a critical mission, and it's one that we have to see be pursued going forward.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And will that be the message to Erdogan?
BLINKEN: Well, it's certainly one of the things that we'll be discussing. But again, the -- all of these conversations are looking to bring all the
countries in the region together, as well as beyond the region, in a unified approach to supporting the Syrian people as they emerge from this
dictatorship.
Thanks. Thanks, everyone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Well, that was Antony Blinken speaking on the tarmac in Aqaba in Jordan after spending time with the King of Jordan and
his foreign minister. He -- Antony Blinken now on his way to Ankara. He talked there about pushing for an inclusive transition to a new government
in Syria.
That is the message from America's top diplomat today on what may be his final trip to the Middle East as Secretary of State. Antony Blinken making
that stop in Jordan, as I say, before heading to Turkey. The State Department says that in talks with Jordan's king, Blinken also emphasized
the importance of Syria's new leadership, respecting human rights and protecting civilians, including members of minority groups.
And Blinken himself said that he is on the ground in the region working with partners around the region to build up and build out a unified
approach for Syria. As the people of Syria, he said, transition away from a government for the first time in decades, not dominated by either the Assad
dictatorship or any other single entity.
Syria, he said, must not be a base for extremism going forward. More from Antony Blinken as he arrives in Ankara later.
Well, inside Syria, the country's new leadership is going about the business of sweeping away the remnants of that Assad regime. Rebel leader
Mohammed al-Jolani telling Reuters that he will dissolve Assad's security forces. He also said his team is working with international organizations
to secure possible chemical weapons sites.
Meanwhile, long lines forming at border crossings as Syrians stream back into the country after years in exile. Others are leaving the country,
fearing instability and more conflict.
And thousands are still displaced. Human Rights Watch is warning that displaced civilians in northeastern Syria are facing, quote, "dire
conditions". Reception centers are overflowing and there is a critical need for food and shelter.
Well, for more on the humanitarian situation in Syria, I want to bring in our next guest, Valeria Gholizadeh. She is the Syria coordinator, country
coordinator for Relief International. What are the immediate needs as you assess them right now?
VALERIA GHOLIZADEH, SYRIA COUNTRY DIRECTOR, RELIEF INTERNATIONAL: Thank you so much for having me, Becky.
The situation is very, very volatile, I would say. So it's difficult to be very certain about any information we can share at this stage. The
situation, the Syria that we knew also in terms of humanitarian crisis is changing rapidly.
But we can for sure say that the humanitarian needs of the population on the ground are still immense and they will require a lot of support for the
different humanitarian actors that are on the ground. We still support displaced people. We're talking about --
ANDERSON: And you --
GHOLIZADEH: Yes?
ANDESON: Yes. You predicted that Syrian communities will continue to be displaced en masse. Why is that?
GHOLIZADEH: Well, because returns, they take time. We are talking about people who have been displaced either inside the country or they became
refugees in other country for many years. In the meanwhile, their community of origins, the places where they came from, they also have witnessed
destruction like infrastructure is no longer there.
Basic services are very partial and not enough to support the population. Also, livelihood opportunities are very scarce. So people who are going to
try to go back, we've seen also images of a lot of people crossing borders or taking their cars or any means of transportation to move to the
locations that were under the government of Syria until a few days ago.
They're definitely going to check their communities, their houses, their families. But I don't see all of them being able to stay or rebuild their
lives in a very short amount of time.
[10:05:10]
And therefore, this means that humanitarian organizations are going to have to continue supporting displaced people for quite some time while the
reconstruction can take place.
ANDERSON: Well, you will have just heard Antony Blinken speaking on the tarmac in Aqaba in Jordan. He has just been in country speaking to King
Abdullah of Jordan and his foreign minister. He is now on the way, of course, to Turkey, two countries, Jordan and Turkey, which have a
significant number of those who have been displaced from Syria.
Some three million Syrians, as we understand it, displaced into Turkey, of course, and another million or so displaced into Jordan at this point. And
Antony Blinken talking about the importance of a coordinated and unified approach from the international community to build up and build out support
for Syrians.
And there will be short, medium and long term approaches baked into this narrative, of course, for Syria. Your efforts are very much in the
immediate term and then what happens longer term. This will clearly require a global effort to help Syria through this transition. I wonder from your
perspective, in terms of humanitarian support, what it is that the country will need now and in the longer term?
GHOLIZADEH: Definitely access to basic services. We've been providing for years health support, so supporting hospitals, primary health clinics,
making sure that people who are sick or injured, they can access free health care. That's going to remain extremely essential.
Protection services for women, children, vulnerable populations, but also food support. We know that, again, livelihoods and food production is still
problematic inside Syria. And therefore, this type of assistance will be much needed.
We are now also approaching the winter season with people who are displaced or living in situations that are not meeting minimal standards. And
therefore, they will require blankets and other types of support, probably also a new type of shelters and living situation, especially if they're on
the move.
So all these types of basic services are still going to be needed for quite some time. And then the rest, let's say, of both the humanitarian work and
development, will need to be defined. The situation definitely has changed.
So we need to check again what are the needs on the ground, what the communities want to have implemented and what type of services they will
need. So I really hope that we will all be able to coordinate and make sure that we support the Syrian population in this difficult and transitional
time.
ANDERSON: Syria has been under sanctions now for decades. Those were increased since the civil war began back in 2011. And this includes being
excluded from the SWIFT transactions facility. And that will mean it is much more difficult to get stuff into Syria and for Syria to afford to be
able to pay or to be able to access stuff from outside of the country.
Now, I know that you're not a politician, but I'm going to put this to you because I think it is important. As the U.S. looks to increase its support
and help coordinate efforts for Syria going forward, so there are appeals for the lifting of some of those sanctions to ensure that Syria can access
the help that it needs.
Would you, as an organization, do you believe across the board as the humanitarian sector, would you support the lifting of some of those
sanctions to ensure the most efficient and access for Syria and Syrians going forward?
GHOLIZADEH: Becky, as you mentioned, I'm a humanitarian worker, so definitely the discussion on whether to impose sanction or lift them is
definitely more a political one. What I can say is that we need channels to be able to support Syrians and keep providing humanitarian services.
So my appeal as a humanitarian is to keep these considerations as part of the debate about the sanctions. And it's not just about the sanctions, it's
also making sure that we are able to bring in supplies so that the borders are open and we are able to provide the support to the population.
[10:10:05]
So I think that should be a very important imperative to also inform this type of discussions that I'm sure they have also other, let's say, elements
that need to be taken into consideration.
ANDERSON: Yes, understood. And I know how important in the first instance, those humanitarian corridors are in providing, you know, quick and very
effective access to those who need it most. So we very much appreciate your time. I know you must be extremely busy. We commend your work and we hope
to speak to you in the days and weeks ahead, Valeria. Thank you very much indeed.
Well, there is new video out of Syria today that shows a man believed to be a missing U.S. citizen. In the video, he says his name is Travis and he had
been recently freed from jail. He is believed to be Travis Timmerman, who had gone missing from Hungary in June.
He was found wandering barefoot just outside Damascus and he told CBS News that he was detained after entering Syria without permission after having
gone there for, in his words, spiritual purposes.
Well, we've just heard from Antony Blinken, who is in Jordan talking about Syria on his way to Ankara to speak to the president there and his foreign
minister about what happens next. The U.S. behind a big push for a coordinated and unified approach for support for Syria going forward.
He is not the only top American official in the region today. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is in Israel talking with the Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu there about the war in Gaza and, of course, developments in Syria as well as Lebanon and Iran. The Prime Minister's office says that
Mr. Netanyahu told Sullivan that Israel will do whatever is necessary to protect itself from any security threats coming out of Syria.
Well, the coordinated visits to the Middle East by Joe Biden's top American aides comes, of course, days after the fall of Assad's regime, but also
amid major flux in this region. A source tells us here at CNN, negotiators for Hamas and Israel are talking seriously about securing a Gaza ceasefire
hostage release deal.
Well, meantime, there is growing international pressure on Israel to scale back its war in Gaza. Israel's, sorry, Ireland's Department of Foreign
Affairs said on Wednesday that it will ask the International Court of Justice to broaden its interpretation of genocide as part of South Africa's
case against Israel.
Israeli authorities say they are holding a suspect meantime after a child was shot and killed in the West Bank. They say the 10-year-old boy died
Wednesday when a gunman opened fire on an Israeli civilian bus near Bethlehem. Three other people were injured.
The West Bank has seen a major uptick in violence, of course, since the outbreak of Israel's war in Gaza, with it being an exceptionally deadly
period for Palestinian children in the area.
All right, you're watching CNN. I'm Becky Anderson. This is a very, very busy cycle of news for you. Do stay with us. This is Connect the World with
me, Becky Anderson, out of Abu Dhabi, where the time is just before quarter past seven.
Just ahead, while the next president of the United States is having, well, a very good day on Wall Street. Plus, I go one-on-one with former Donald
Trump White House Comms Director Anthony Scaramucci, why he thinks the president-elect is still a danger to democracy. More on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:16:17]
ANDERSON: Well, a major announcement from CNN's parent company, Warner Brothers Discovery, unveiling a corporate restructuring plan today. CEO
David Zaslav says it will provide more flexibility as the industry continues to evolve.
Now, the new structure includes two separate divisions, one for the company's cable networks and one for streaming and entertainment. This
takes effect next year. Shares of Warner Brothers Discovery surging on the announcement today.
And it is a big day on Wall Street and it is not only about stock trading. The next president of the United States ringing the opening bell at the New
York Stock Exchange a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
(Bell ringing)
(END VIDEOCLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, President-elect Donald Trump was at the New York Stock Exchange to help celebrate the unveiling of the latest cover of Time
magazine. He has been named Time's person of the year for 2024 for -- that's for a second time, in fact. He was named back in 2016.
Trump once speculated that Time would never bestow the honor on him. Well, the president-elect was also honored with a blue jacket by the floor
traders. Let's just bring up the markets for you, if we can.
This is what the U.S. markets look like today. The Dow doing him a favor, just up by about a tenth of one percent. And that's that company S&P,
though, trading slightly lower today. Or, in fact, if that is the live number there, then, in fact, the Dow now just slightly lower.
Last time I looked, we were looking at a slightly higher picture. But that is it. The Dow down by about an eighth of one percent.
Well, I recently had the opportunity to sit down with former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, who served very briefly under
the Trump administration before he was fired. Scaramucci quickly became one of Trump's fiercest critics.
As part of a CNN Academy masterclass here in Abu Dhabi filmed in front of an audience of Academy students here, I asked him if he still sees the
president-elect as a, quote, "danger to democracy". His words after his historic victory.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMS DIRECTOR: If you tell me that he's going to do what he said he was going to do on the campaign, then
yes, he is a danger to democracy. He's going to deport 15 million Americans. And I guess they'll have to go to concentration camps first
because you can't just deport them. And so you'll have a handmaid's tale armored vehicle in towns all over America.
He's saying that Kash Patel, he's going to put him in charge of the FBI and they're going to go after the people in the press. So that would be you,
Becky. And at some points, me, I'm not really in the press, but I do play someone in the press on TV.
Now, if you're telling me that was all campaign rhetoric and he's not going to do any of that, and many people on Wall Street voted for him and tell
me, oh, no, no, he's not going to do any of that. Well, he's not going to do any of that. Then maybe he won't be a threat to the democracy.
ANDERSON: What was it about his leadership style and his personality traits that you admired?
SCARAMUCCI: I was working with Jeb Bush at the time. Jeb Bush was more of a centrist Republican. I had worked on the Romney campaign in 2012, and I had
known Mr. Trump for 20 years. So I'd worked at CNBC when he was at NBC.
We socialized. We went to Yankee games together. We went to charities together. I had a good, cordial relationship with him.
[10:20:02]
I was not Mr. Trump's friend. If somebody tells you, someone comes to CNN and tells you that they are Mr. Trump's friend, they either are lying about
the relationship and trying to raise their status, or they don't understand the relationship because he has no friends.
That's not him. He's a very transactional guy. You're in his field of vision. If he can use you, he will use you. So, but why did I go work for
him? I was a loyal Republican. He was winning. He called me and said, if I beat Jeb in South Carolina, will you come work for me? I said yes.
He beat Jeb in South Carolina. I went to go work for him. When I went on my first Trump campaign stop, I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico with Donald
Trump, and I got to see people that I grew up with, sort of people I grew up with, right? I was in a blue collar family. My dad was a crane operator.
I went into the crowd to talk to the people. They were telling me that they couldn't get jobs or factories had left. One person, we were in New Mexico,
one person said to me, Antony, you think you're in New Mexico? Well, you're not in New Mexico.
New New Mexico. OK, that would be Mexico because that's where my factory went. So the appeal of Mr. Trump was he was providing advocacy for these
people. He was stepping into a vacuum that the Democrats left.
These people would have voted for Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy. Their grandparents or great-grandparents would have voted for Franklin Roosevelt.
But there was no advocacy for these people.
Republicans were focused on corporate tax cuts, and they were focused on the fat cats and corporations. Democrats were focused on, you tell me,
pronoun usage, woke culture, what you can say, what you can't say, how you're going to get yourself canceled or not.
And what about these white working class, lower middle income Americans? Mr. Trump was standing there providing them advocacy. So I held my nose,
and I said, these are the people I grew up with. Let's see if we can help these people.
It was unexpected that he was going to win. He won, and then I got something called Potomac Fever. You know what Potomac Fever is?
ANDERSON: No.
SCARAMUCCI: Potomac Fever is, you think you're going to go to Washington, and you're going to change Washington. You got Potomac Fever. You know what
the problem is with Potomac Fever? One of the symptoms of Potomac Fever, you don't know you have Potomac Fever. OK?
They know -- and I've got friends of mine now, they're about to go work for them, they all have Potomac Fever, and they don't realize that Washington
is going to change them before they change Washington.
ANDERSON: What do you make of his relationship with Elon Musk? And do you think Musk is destined to learn anything from his time with Trump? And how
long do you expect him to be around?
SCARAMUCCI: Mr. Trump is a very successful, dexterous politician. Does everybody understand what he did to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy? Does
everybody understand what he did?
OK. He pushed them out of the government about as far as they can be from the government. Now, they're popular figures, and they will march around
inside the halls of Congress, but nothing will get done with the Department of Governmental Efficiency.
He put them in a department that doesn't exist. That's going to provide some space for them --
ANDERSON: Right.
SCARAMUCCI: -- to continue a relationship. Any closer, that relationship would end quickly because there's one spotlight, there's one camera,
there's one person on the stage, that's Donald Trump. If you get anywhere near his orbit, he hits you with a ray gun. He does not like it. He'll push
you out right away.
One of the big tells is he'll look at you and say, so you're President Becky Anderson? Is that you? You're -- oh, Becky, you're getting more
famous than me? Those are two things that he says. And, you know, one of the Cabinet members said, well, he started saying that to me. I think I
booked a trip to Argentina for two weeks.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
ANDERSON: And you can get a lot more of that interview online and post it on my X at beckycnn. There is an awful lot more of that. It's good stuff.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan talking to reporters after meeting the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Let's
listen in.
JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: -- and also the people of the world to see that the United States would stand with Israel in its time
of need. A year after that trip, I was with the President in the Situation Room, where for the second time in a period of five months, President Biden
ordered the U.S. military to take direct action to defend Israel from a significant attack launched by Iran.
Side by side, U.S. naval destroyers joined Israeli air defense to intercept a rainfall of inbound missiles, ballistic missiles fired directly from
Iran. Over the past 15 months, we've remained vigilant to the further threats and attacks from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah,
and the Houthis.
[10:25:00]
People seem to forget the basic fact of this conflict and these past 15 months. Israel did not seek or start this war. Hamas started this war,
invading Israel in military formations, killing 1,200 people, kidnapping and holding hostage hundreds more Israeli citizens and citizens from around
the world.
Iran then made a fateful choice to join in and open a multi-front war against Israel. Backed by the ironclad security partnership with the United
States, Israel has defeated two direct attacks from Iran and directly struck into Iran in response, degrading Iran's military capability.
Hezbollah's leaders are gone, and we have concluded a ceasefire in Lebanon, the terms of which make clear that Hezbollah can never again rebuild its
terror infrastructure to threaten Israel. Hamas's leaders are gone, including the masterminds of October 7th.
And we will make sure that Hamas can never again threaten Israel as they did on October 7th, ever. And now the Assad regime in Syria is gone,
removing the primary client state of Iran in the region and the lifeline to Hezbollah.
When Joe Biden said to those who seek to take advantage of October 7th and to use that tragic day to threaten and attack Israel, don't. This is what
he meant, and we still mean it. Don't. The balance of power in the Middle East has changed significantly and not in the way that Sinwar or Nasrallah
or Iran had planned.
We are now faced with a dramatically reshaped Middle East in which Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker, its proxies decimated, and a ceasefire that is
new and will be lasting in Lebanon that ensures Israel's security over the long term.
The purpose of my visit today has been to continue to build on this progress, to ensure that that ceasefire sticks and is fully enforced. To
capitalize on the opportunity of the fall of Assad for a better future for the people of Syria while vigilantly managing the risks that come with the
change in Syria, including the possibility and the risk that terrorist groups like ISIS are able to take advantage and create new threats against
the United States, Israel, and other countries in the region and around the world.
To continue pressure on Iran while remaining vigilant against the continuing threat from Iran, including the threat from its nuclear program.
And President Biden remains committed to the simple proposition that the United States of America will never permit Iran to acquire a nuclear
weapon.
And to build on all that we've done, we're now looking to close a hostage release deal and a ceasefire, which would stop the war and reunite hostages
with their families. Just over one year ago, we reached a deal that brought 78 hostages out of Gaza and home to their families. It's time to finish the
job and bring all of the hostages home.
Before departing Washington, I once again met with the families of the American hostages still held in Gaza. I made a commitment to them, the same
commitment that I've made every time I've met with them, that I will do everything in my power to try to bring their loved ones home, to do my best
to help them see their loved ones again.
I had them in mind today when I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Minister Dermer, and the security team to try to bring us closer to a deal. And from
here, I plan to travel to Doha and then on to Cairo to continue to advance this effort.
A ceasefire and hostage deal would start bringing those hostages home. It would also allow for a massive surge in humanitarian assistance. We
discussed the humanitarian situation and the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza today.
We discussed recent steps taken to increase the flow of much-needed assistance and further steps that need to be taken in the days ahead. It is
an American commandment and a Jewish commandment that every innocent life has value.
I have previously quoted a poem that means great deal to my family, a poem from John Donne, which says, "Any man's death diminishes me because I am
involved in mankind". That is the spirit that the United States has brought to this conflict, to stand up strongly in the defense of the State of
Israel and try to reduce suffering of innocent people wherever they may be.
We are now in the midst of a political transition. I have been engaging my successor, the incoming National Security Adviser, in a professional and
serious way on all of the issues that affect the State of Israel, the threats and the opportunities.
[10:30:00]
And we've had good discussions, constructive and substantive discussions, and those will continue to ensure that there is a smooth handoff on January
20th. There's also something else important in those discussions, which is that it is my personal commitment to ensure that the U.S.-Israel
partnership rests on a solid bipartisan foundation going forward.
And I'm going to continue to do everything I can to contribute to that, because I believe it is in my country's interest and the interest of the
State of Israel. So, thank you for bearing with me as I set the context for my visit today, report on some of the things we discussed and the current
events. And I will be happy to take your questions.
Yes?
MICHELE KELEMEN, NPR DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT: Hi. Michele Kelemen with the NPR.
SULLIVAN: Hey, Michele.
KELEMEN: Do you get the sense that -- sorry. Do you get the sense that Netanyahu is waiting for Trump to reach a hostage deal, and if so, do you
think the hostages can survive until then?
SULLIVAN: I believe that every day brings increasing risk, which is why there's such urgency to try to get this deal. Obviously, we've seen the
tragic death of hostages since the massacres of October 7th and over the course of the past 15 months of conflict.
So as soon as we can close this deal, we should close this deal in the interests of bringing those hostages home. The answer to your first
question is, no, I do not get that sense. I got the sense today from the Prime Minister. He's ready to do a deal.
And when I go to Doha and Cairo, my goal will be to put us in a position to be able to close this deal this month, not later. Now, we've been close
before and haven't gotten there, so I can't make any promises or predictions to you.
But I wouldn't be here today if I thought this thing was just waiting until after January 20th. I am here today because I believe every day matters,
and we're going to use every day we have to try to close the deal as soon as we possibly can.
Yes?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Jake. Jake, what new concessions have Israel and Hamas made or indicated that they are prepared
to make? We've seen in particular reports that Hamas is willing to allow Israeli troops to remain along Netzarim in Philadelphia for longer than
previously.
Can you confirm that Hamas has provided a list of hostages who they would release? And then just on Syria as well, if you could comment, the Israeli
military has conducted nearly 500 strikes in recent days on Syrian military assets, not only chemical weapons depots but also missiles, helicopters,
things that presumably a new Syrian army would need in the future to maintain stability inside of Syria.
Are you at all concerned about the impact of those Israeli strikes? And did the prime minister provide you with any assurances about how long these
strikes will continue for, if indeed they will?
SULLIVAN: So on your first question, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I can't negotiate in public on the terms of the hostage deal. I'll leave the
details where they belong, which is behind closed doors among the parties and the mediators. And as soon as we come to something that is an agreed
document to bring forward, we will bring it forward, and you can see all of its terms.
With respect to Syria, what Israel is doing is trying to identify potential threats, both conventional and weapons of mass destruction, that could
threaten Israel and, frankly, threaten others as well and neutralize those threats. That is part of its effort to protect the country in the midst of
a very fluid situation.
We are in deep consultations with the Israeli government about where this goes from here, what that will look like in the days and weeks ahead. I'm
going to leave it at that for now. But the efforts taken to date really have been focused on the types of capabilities that could represent a
genuine threat to the state of Israel.
Yes?
OWEN ALTERMAN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, I24NEWS: Hi, thank you so much. Owen Alterman from i24 News. Two questions that are
related. First of all, we've seen reports in the last few days of American- backed Kurdish troops that have been shooting at and been shot by Turkish- backed troops in northeastern Syria.
What are the red lines of Turkish involvement in that part of the country from the perspective of the administration? And the second question,
there's concern in Israel that Turkish activity in Syria could ultimately, in the medium term even, be hostile to us and be hostile activities up to
and including on our border. What kind of assurances can you give the Israeli public that that scenario won't materialize?
SULLIVAN: So first, our commitment to our partnership with the Syrian Kurds, especially the Syrian Democratic Forces, is deep and resolute. And
that commitment exists because we are in a partnership with them to fight ISIS, and they have been very capable counterterrorism partners, not just
in suppressing the threat from ISIS, but also in holding ISIS terrorists in large numbers in detention facilities in eastern Syria.
And we want to make sure that that ongoing work is not disturbed. Second, our own commitment to the continued defeat -- work to defeat ISIS has just
been renewed in a quite vigorous way over the weekend with a series of strikes on ISIS personnel and facilities in the central Syrian desert,
dozens and dozens of targets that we hit with real intense American capability, B-52s.
[10:35:05]
And what we are saying with that strike is we are going to continue to hit any ISIS threat where we find it, and we're going to work with our partners
to do so. I have learned maybe both the easy way and the hard way not to speak about red lines in this part of the world publicly, so I do not
intend to do so from this podium.
But I do want to just make the point that we are engaged both in consultations with our Kurdish partners. In fact, General Kurilla was just
recently very deeply in conversation with our Kurdish partners, and we are in conversations with Turkey as well about our expectations and about what
we see as the best way forward.
I think those conversations are serious, they're intense, they're ongoing. They have already produced some results, including this de-escalation
around Manbij that both Turkey and the Kurds have kind of informally signed up to.
All of that is tenuous, it is fragile, it is something that is going to require ongoing work and cultivation, and it is something that we will be
very vigilant to as a top priority going forward. But beyond that, I cannot comment further today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) public about Turkish activity in Syria (INAUDIBLE)?
SULLIVAN: So, we look at the situation in Syria as having a range of different risks presented, including the potential for fracture in that
state, as well as power vacuums that can give rise to terrorist groups that can threaten beyond borders, as well as the potential for groups to be in
charge in Damascus who bear hostile intent to outside forces, including to neighbors like Israel.
All of those are possibilities, all of those are risks that President Biden has spoken to publicly, and that we are dealing with partners on privately,
including dealing with the Turks, who do some -- have some measure of influence here, and where we have set out our views and expectations.
But again, given the nature of the situation, given the sensitivity, given the urgency, it's important, I think, for us to be able to carry out those
conversations behind closed doors as we make progress, and then we will share with you the results.
RAF SANCHEZ, FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, NBC NEWS: Jake?
SULLIVAN: Yes?
SANCHEZ: Jake, Raf Sanchez from NBC News. I know you're not going to negotiate in public here, but there does seem to be more flexibility from
both Israel and Hamas right now. What do you attribute that to? Is it the killing of Sinwar? Is it the weakening of Hezbollah? Is it President-elect
Trump injecting urgency into this?
And just on Syria, the Israeli government is saying its presence in the buffer zone and outside of it, inside Syria itself, is temporary. Do you
believe them that it's temporary? Did the prime minister give you a sense of what conditions would need to be met before Israel would withdraw?
SULLIVAN: We didn't go into deep detail on the conditions other than to say that those conditions would require Israel to feel that the kinds of
understandings that were in place before the fall of the Assad regime to ensure stability, predictability, and security for Israel are put back into
place.
And, yes, we do have every expectation that it will be temporary. The prime minister, the Israeli government have made that point not just to the
United States, but have made that point publicly. And we take them at their word that that is the intention here as we work through a new arrangement
that can ensure that Israel is secure in light of the risks that have been laid out in previous questions.
There are any number of reasons for why contexts change in negotiations, especially in a situation as fluid as this. But I would point out that
Hamas's posture at the negotiating table did adapt following the announcement of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Why is that? It's because for months, we believe, Hamas was waiting for lots of other actors and forces to come to their rescue, to come to their
aid. And when we got that ceasefire, it was clear that the northern front had been decoupled from Gaza.
And from that moment forward, we've had a different character to the negotiation. And we believe that it puts us in a position to be able to
close this negotiation. It is also, of course, relevant that Israel's ability to meet so many of its military objectives in Gaza is relevant to
the negotiation too, including the elimination of the top leader, Sinwar, other authors of that October 7th massacre, and the dismantlement, the
destruction of the organized military formations of Hamas.
So these are relevant considerations that we think have put this onto a plane where it could get done. Whether it does get done, still depends on
both sides ultimately signing on the proverbial dotted line.
[10:40:04]
The last thing I will say with respect to the incoming administration is actually we've had, as I said in my opening comments, very good
consultation and coordination with them, including on this issue, where we keep them apprised of how the negotiations are unfolding.
We talk to them about how we can send a common message that the United States, no matter who's sitting in the Oval Office, no matter whose party's
in charge, wants to see the ceasefire and hostage deal and see it now. That is all part of the American contribution to an effort to ultimately produce
an outcome here, and we're going to keep working until we get it done.
BEN YANIV, CHANNEL 14 CORRESPONDENT: Jake?
SULLIVAN: Yes?
YANIV: Thank you, Mr. Sullivan. Ben Yaniv, Channel 14. Regarding the continuation of passage of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, knowing
what we know now that Hamas takes advantage of this aid and holds it as a leverage for his own rule, was it a mistake by your administration to push
Israel to maintain the transport of humanitarian aid and by that to strengthen Hamas?
SULLIVAN: It absolutely was not a mistake for the United States to seek to ensure that women and children and innocent people in Gaza who have nothing
to do with this fight but who in fact are being put in harm's way by the way Hamas fights, using schools and mosques as terror infrastructure,
hiding behind civilians, making it that much more difficult for Israel to carry the fight against Hamas and destroy its capabilities.
Those people deserve the basic sustenance of life. They deserve food, water, medicine, sanitation. And, by the way, that's not just an American
position. That's a requirement under international humanitarian law.
And it is also the position of this Israeli government, who is not standing up saying we should give no humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.
They're saying something different.
Now, we have viewed various critical points over the course of the past 15 months as moments where not enough was getting in to ensure that people had
what they needed to survive, and we made no bones about pressing on that. Because we think at the end of the day, feeding starving children does not
harm the security of the state of Israel, but it does vindicate our common shared values of humanity.
And so, as I said in my remarks, the American commandment, the Jewish commandment that every innocent life has value, that is a present factor.
And it's something we have to take seriously, even as we take seriously that Israel has every right, indeed a duty, to go after its enemies with
everything it's got.
You have done that, and we have backed you in going after your enemies, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran itself. We have helped defend you against
attacks, including from Iran itself, and we have also stood up to say let's make sure that Israel is not responsible for the third famine of the 21st
century.
We think that that is the right way to pursue a principled and just and strong, robust policy, and we will continue to do that as long as we're in
office. Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE), Jewish Insider. Do you have any update on the three Americans who are still believed to be alive?
SULLIVAN: I only can tell you that we have received the tragic news about the passing --
ANDERSON: Well, in what could be his last trip to the region, Jake Sullivan speaking to reporters in Jerusalem about the U.S. relationship with and
support for Israel today and over the past 15 months. The balance of power, he said, has changed in this region of the Middle East.
Of course, I am in Abu Dhabi, where we are broadcasting to you. Israel is stronger, he said. Iran is weaker. Assad is gone. And a ceasefire, he said,
should be long and lasting in Lebanon. And he spoke of trying to close a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.
It is time to finish the job and bring all the hostages home, he says, and he will travel from Israel to Doha in Qatar and to Cairo in Egypt to meet
with mediators to try and secure a deal. And he said that he has been meeting with the Trump team, the incoming Trump team, to ensure a smooth
handoff on January the 20th.
And he talked about coordinating with that Trump team to try and get this ceasefire and hostage deal over the line. And he was asked whether he
believed Benjamin Netanyahu was delaying a deal to gift Donald Trump a win. He says that he wants to see a deal as soon as possible.
I wouldn't be here, he said, if I didn't think we could close a deal on the ceasefire and hostages as quickly as possible.
[10:45:07]
Will this visit by Jake Sullivan coming amid word that negotiators for Hamas and Israel have been backing Qatar for serious discussions on
securing a deal? A source telling CNN earlier today that both sides are talking seriously and importantly are negotiating in good faith.
He was asked about a number of other issues around the region, of course, about Syria and Israel's presence in the buffer zone there. He couldn't say
how long Israel would stay, but he said that they had a discussion about Israel staying as long as it takes for Israel to feel secure on that Syrian
border.
Lots to dissect there from Jake Sullivan, as I say. We've just heard from Antony Blinken in the past hour. He was in Jordan on his way to Turkey.
These two Biden administration senior officials back in the Middle East region, working across the board on what Jake Sullivan has said is a very
changing Middle East region. The balance of power, he said here, has changed fundamentally.
We are back after this quick break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: For all this week on Call to Earth, we are following the work of explorers Ghislain Bardout and Emmanuelle Perie-Bardout. Today, we join
them in Greece, where as part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet initiative, they are searching for an elusive coral forest deep in the Mediterranean
Sea. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Greece's Fourni Archipelago, husband and wife team Ghislain Bardout and Emmanuelle Perie-
Bardout are on the hunt for an underwater oasis never before documented.
And a tip off on a potential location from some local fishermen has doubled their resolve. And as they approach the site, a welcome party is already
there to greet them.
EMMANUELLE PERIE-BARDOUT, CO-FOUNDER, UNDER THE POLE: I've been passionate by dolphin and whale since I'm a very small girl. So it was really a nice
show.
Their name are common dolphin, but they are not so common these days. We don't see them all the time. It shows how wild and special this place is.
[10:50:04]
WEIR (voice-over): Seeing such a large pot of dolphins is a good indicator of the area's marine health. And after seven dives without success, the
Under The Pole crew are eager to see if they can finally locate the elusive marine animal forest down in the depths.
GHISLAIN BARDOUT, CO-FOUNDER, UNDER THE POLE: We have never been so close to find it. We discussed with the fishermen and they gave us alignment,
they gave us a GPS location. And another fisherman is fishing here around.
So, definitely, it's a fishing spot. And they know from their net that there are black corals and gorgonia what we are looking for. So it would be
a good spot. We'll see. Now we are just waiting for the red parachute.
WEIR (voice-over): Around 40 minutes later, word from the seabed arrives.
G. BARDOUT: And, oh, amazing. Huge gorgonia forest, many black corals, sponges, unbelievable and beautiful. A lot, a lot of fish. Forest between
178 meters on a very large range. So that's a very, very good news. Yes.
Yes!
E. BARDOUT: The first time we see the forest is like a huge relief and also a very beautiful surprise because it's one of the most beautiful marine
animal forests I have ever seen. It's very big. With one dive, you cannot explore all the forest.
We have so many fish, so many species. It really gives hope. At that depth, we are not used to see so much color. It was amazing. It's really for this
moment that I'm doing this. So, I was very happy.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ANDERSON: And we will have a lot more from Call to Earth and Under the Pole tomorrow. You can watch the full documentary, which is a jolly good watch.
Forests of the Deep on CNN this weekend.
You're watching Connect the World. There is more news ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the rich are getting richer, or at least Elon Musk is. In fact, Bloomberg reports that Musk's net worth hit $400 billion. That's the
first person ever to be that wealthy. Well, his fortune got its latest boost, thanks to a sale of SpaceX shares, which jacked up the value of
Musk's stake in the company by a cool $20 billion.
His next job will be heading up the Department of Government Efficiency or the non-department of government efficiency, of course, a government job
that probably won't pay as much as he is used to.
[10:55:04]
Well, for the first time since opening as a leisure and shopping business destination in 2022, King Charles is visiting London's iconic Battersea
Power Station, meeting there with Apple CEO Tim Cook at the tech company's U.K. headquarters.
Charles strolls through the Christmas market, speaking with local traders and entrepreneurs supported by the King's Trust. To finish a busy day of
royal engagement, the King will unveil a commemorative plaque of the capital's landmark.
Well, that is it for Connect the World. From my team here working with me in Abu Dhabi and those working with us around the world, it's a very good
evening. Stay with CNN. Newsroom is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
