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Quest Means Business
Unrest in Libya; Bahrain Pulls the Plug on Grand Prix
Aired February 21, 2011 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICHARD QUEST, HOST, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Gentlemen, don't start your engines. Bahrain pulls the plug on the Grand Prix.
Protests and the pump, oil prices leap to $105.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Interpol's budget isn't at least a billion a year, the world is not as safe as it should be.
QUEST: You want a billion?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need a billion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: All this week we have rare access to Interpol. The world's largest international police organization.
I'm Richard Quest. And as you can see, I mean business.
Good evening.
Formula One's first schedule race of the season has been called off. Bahrain's crown prince says the country is pulling out of hosting the race, in his words, to focus on a national dialogue. Now the decision is obviously a serious blow both for Bahrain's status and its economy.
These are the events of the day that you need to know about as they relate to this story. Since 2006, Bahrain has had the honor of hosting the F1 curtain raiser. This year's race was scheduled for March 13. There is the map of all the races. The teams were due to arrive in Bahrain in less than two weeks for testing, the continue unrest, of course, made that impossible.
Meanwhile, there are thousands of people in Manama's Pearl Roundabout, waiting for an expected massive demonstration on Tuesday. Now Crown Prince Salman has been forced to withdraw Bahrain from hosting the race. The crown prince broke the news to Bernie Ecclestone, that is Formula One's head, in a telephone call, saying Bahrain's priority must be in, as he put it, focusing on overcoming tragedy and healing divisions.
As for the chairman of the race circuit, Zayed Alzayani, told CNN this was the only possible outcome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZAYED R. ALZAYANI, CHRM., BAHRAIN CIRCUIT: No, we're not-it's not a shame at all. I mean, as you rightly said, we introduced Formula One to this part of the world. This would have been our eighth race. I think our success in bringing Formula One to the Middle East has driven other neighboring countries to follow suit. We have not ruled out coming back with a different date for this season. We are working very closely with Mr. Ecclestone, and he has been very gracious in extending full support and help to us. And hopefully, as I said, the priority now is to focus on events happening in Bahrain. And once we are over with that and hopefully everything is restored back to normal, we will look back at the Grand Prix and we will have a race in 2011.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Now on this program we always believe at looking at things from all angles and whether it is business, or indeed, sport. And Kate Giles is with us for more.
Let's start with whether or not the race has been postponed or has it been cancelled?
KATE GILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's a very good, but I can't really answer that. Frankly, I think the organizers themselves have said that they are hoping that it will be reschedules. They don't want to be removed from the calendar completely. The problem is, of course, where do you fit them in, because it is already one of the-it is the in fact one of the busiest F1 season that we have ever had; 20 races in one season. And really there is very little room for maneuver if you look at that calendar.
QUEST: Look, the other core question, were they pushed, or did they jump?
GILES: If they-
QUEST: Or did they-more, actually, they jumped before they were pushed?
GILES: Yes, it is difficult to know isn't it? I think there was certainly an awful lot of pressure on them to make this decision before anything went wrong. That would be the worst-case scenario for them, wouldn't it? It would be extremely bad PR if they hold it and then it is disrupted. That is not what they want, it is not what they want, it is not what Bernie Ecclestone wants. Now, Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 supreme (ph), had always said that the decision, he was going to leave it up to them. That this should be made by people who are out there, who are experts in the political situation, who understand all of the implications of everything that is going on. So, there was definitely pressure on them, but I think the decision did come from them. Bahrain pays more, or did pay more, doesn't it, to be-not only to host the races, you send Mr. Ecclestone a rather large check for that.
GILES: Yes, $40 million, yes, just to host it.
QUEST: Really?
GILES: Yes, $40 million, just to host it. And like you say, $20 million extra to be the season opener, to be the kind of key one on the calendar, in that sense. Part of the problem, of course, with rescheduling, because of course somebody as well pays more to be at the end of season. Brazil has the honor of being the finale of the whole season. So you can't just tack something onto the end, because you have missed it early on, because that takes it way the prize for Brazil.
QUEST: And we won't really know whether they get their money back. I shouldn't think they probably do, but we don't know.
GILES: No, what about the teams, because they want a lot of money back as well, I'm sure, because they have sent all their equipment, they have spent all this money on the sea freight. It is not cheap to send that kind of equipment over there. There are a few people who will be looking for a bit money back. And from different places, I think, whether they ever get it of course, like you say, it is another question.
QUEST: OK, give me an assessment. Does this, the way it has panned out tonight, does it seem to be the best solution all around, in the sense that you don't have a Grand Prix when there are funerals and dead people and protests. You don't have-
GILES: I think everybody is saying that pretty much all the teams have come out reacted the same way as well, and said this is the most appropriate decision. It simply would have been a real clash at this time, to have this-what is seen as an extremely elitist sport, to have something like this kind of event going on whilst all these people are protesting against that very thing. About the ruling powers there spending an awful lot of money on something that perhaps doesn't necessarily correspondent to them.
QUEST: Many thanks indeed, Kate Giles, World Sports.
Now, then, canceling the race could prove costly. Media reports say it is believed Bahrain paid $40 million, as you were hearing, to host the event, $40 million. Now, add onto that, the $20 million to be the season opener, that is $60 million, the race is credited with generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually, in revenue. Bahrain became the first Middle Eastern country to host a round of F1 championships, in 2004.
The country's Sakhir Circuit cost an estimated $150 million to build. Bahrain Oil Fund Company owns more than 40 percent stake in former F1 champions McLaren.
This withdrawal is just one of the factors that will put pressure on the Bahrainian economy. S&P has downgraded the country a notch earlier today and it has being kept on review. The chief economist at the country's economic development board, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Essa Al-Khalifa, joins me now from Manama.
Sheik, can we start, first of all with what you believe to be the economic effect of canceling or postponing the Grand Prix tonight.
SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ESSA AL KHALIFA, CEO, BAHRAIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD: Well, Richard, for us more important than the Grand Prix, it is the strength of the economy and the ability to have a peaceful economy with a united country that will grow forward in the long run. In the grand scheme of things, in the unity of a country and the strength of an economy, the Grand Prix is a small price to pay for the strength of the overall economy.
QUEST: Within that there will obviously have been negotiations with Formula One. We'll talk about Bahrain and the economy in just a second, but what can you tell me? I mean, are you having to pay to get out of the Grand Prix? Will you have to co-do you know if you will have to compensate the teams, or F1 for this?
KHALIFA: Not at all. As his Royal Highness said, in his statement, Mr. Ecclestone has been very gracious and very cooperative in our dealings with him. We have-as far as I'm aware. I'm not actually privy to these details but I haven't heard any things or any details to say otherwise. Mr. Ecclestone has-we have had long-standing relations. I actually negotiated the F1 contract with him back in 2002, and ever since then we have had a very good relationship. So, we are hopeful that we will be able to reschedule this in the coming weeks for a time later on this year and we will-we look forward to become a valuable addition to the Formula One calendar, as we have been over the past eight years.
QUEST: All right. Let's talk about Bahrain and how you-I understand this crucial part is this national dialogue in a country that has been inflames, putting out the flames clearly is the most significant part of rebuilding the house. But for you, Sir, how do you convince international investors that Bahrain, to use your own phrase, is open for business. Bahrain is business friendly?
KHALIFA: Well, it is actually quite simple. Our laws are strong, our economic fundamentals are strong. We never went into recession, even in 2009, we had positive 3 percent growth. We have had a strong run, economically, over the past 10 years. With the economic-with the political healing that we are going, and strengthening of our democratic system, over the coming weeks and months, Bahrain, will emerge both in a much stronger position. More stable, because our political system will become stronger, both all parts of society are coming together. So for the long run-
QUEST: But, but-
KHALIFA: And to use the Quest system, it is a very strong green light for Bahrain.
QUEST: But, but, credibility, sir, credibility, which is so important in the industries that you are aiming to attract. How do you get that back?
KHALIFA: Well, we only by transparency, and this is what we have always been advocating. Yes, we have had a difficult week. But the country is healing. When we went through this difficult week, we you know, we didn't cut off the Internet, didn't block out satellite channels. We were open, transparent, this is what the country needs to go through, and we are hopefully coming out of it in a much stronger position. So, you build credibility through transparency, openness and honesty. And yes, we went through a difficult time, but we are emerging from this stronger.
Just this evening, and you will hopefully see the pictures tonight. Actually, I see them now. This is one part of society asking for stability. Another part of society also will have a rally tomorrow. We'll ask for more peace and stability. And hopefully we will come out of this in a much stronger position.
QUEST: And finally, I do just need to-to go back to the Grand Prix. Just to clarify what you said, lest there be confusion. You are hoping, it is a wish for Bahrain still to host a race in 2011?
KHALIFA: Absolutely. We are already talking about possibilities.
QUEST: Many, many thanks, Sheikh Mohammed, for joining us from Bahrain tonight. We appreciate it. Thank you, Sir, for joining us.
Now, as we continue, chaos, bloodshed, and a 40-year-old regime on brink. We continue our look, this time it is Libya and the mounting crisis. Why oil markets can't afford to ignore it. QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: More speculation surrounds the future of Muammar Gadhafi's rule in Libya tonight as the harsh crackdown on protests continue there. The British Foreign Secretary William Hague says he has seen information that suggests Colonel Gadhafi may have left the country for Venezuela. Libya's ambassador in the U.K. has denied that rumor. There are reports that the Libyan helicopter gunships opened fire on the crowds of protestors. CNN has not been able to independently confirm those reports which come from an opposition group.
Earlier today the country's justice minister resigned, according to a Libyan newspaper. Mr. Abdul Khalil (ph), reportedly left his post in protest against the use of excessive force against unarmed demonstrators. If you want to get independent confirmation of these events it is difficult, if not impossible, at the moment. The Libyan government is refusing to allow CNN journalists into the country. So, Ivan Watson is following this for us from Cairo. And Ivan joins me now.
Let's deal with the violence and then we'll deal with Muammar Gadhafi and whether he is in the country or not. Tonight, are still targeting the protestors?
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is very difficult to tell right now because there is a near complete information, or telecommunications blockade, right now, Richard, with Tripoli, the capital. We have been working the phones trying to get through to any number of phone lines there. We cannot get through. And we have had these reports from opposition activists, for example, of helicopter gunships opening fire on people in Tripoli. We have had reports from Libyan newspapers, what had been a pro-government newspaper, describing parliament buildings on fire on Monday. The security headquarters also having been torched.
Perhaps the best indicator that the regime-the 42-year-old regime of Muammar Gadhafi-is fighting for its life right now and perhaps using very bloody tactics is the number of defections of high-ranking officials, both in the diplomatic corps, ambassadors from around the world, as well as the justice minister. Who has also resigned in protest to the bloody methods that have been used.
The deputy ambassador of Libya, to the United Nations, went on camera a few hours ago, Richard, accusing Muammar Gadhafi's government of committing genocide against its own people.
And a final detail, two Libyan fighter planes, air force jets, landed a few hours ago, unexpectedly, in the nearby island nation of Malta. And we have gotten from a source on the ground there, saying, that those fighter jets were carrying bombs, their machine guns were loaded and that the fighter pilots were defecting because they had been told to, they had been ordered to open fire on their own citizens, Richard.
QUEST: Ivan, let's just return to that idea that Gadhafi has left Libya. The report, far from confirmed, highly speculative, boarding on scurrilous, do you give an credence to them?
WATSON: Well, this is the British foreign secretary, who went on record saying this. Those statements have been denied by Libya's ambassador to London, who, for now, is staying with the Gadhafi regime, unlike some of the other diplomats who have now publicly broken with it, such as Libya's ambassador to the Arab League.
We do know that the Turkish government, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Muammar Gadhafi on the phone on Sunday, to try to ensure the safety of many Turkish citizens who are trapped in Libya right now. And we are told that the Turkish government believes that Gadhafi was in Tripoli during that phone conversation, but cannot guarantee the safety of Turkish citizens in the eastern city of Benghazi, which appears to have been in the opposition rebels hands ever since Sunday.
In fact, Turkey couldn't even land a plane at the airport there, because the airport, the Turkish government officials tell me, is out of control. They say that there are large numbers of ex-patriots and foreigners, not just Turks, gathered at a stadium near the airport there, trying to get out of the country. That is just showing you how extreme and dire the situation is in Libya at this moment.
QUEST: Ivan Watson, who is in Cairo tonight.
Uncertainty about Libya is pushing oil prices to their highest point since the financial crisis began in 2008. Take a look, that is Brent crude. It is now $105 and change, actually more than change, $105 and a half, today. The price of Brent has more than doubled over the past two years, 153 percent has been the rise since 2009.
Jim Boulden is here. The price of Brent.
JIM BOULDEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not surprised, at all, really, Richard, that we have seen this price rise. Because Libya's role in the oil industry gives these protests some uniquely international implications. Let me show you why. Don't forget, of course, Libya is an OPEC nation, with the largest proven oil reserves of any African country. Libya, here, with the proven reserves of some 44 billion barrels. Nigeria, of course, many people think of as the oil producer of Africa, no doubt, of course, but you see Libya, in some indications has more proven reserves. Though, of course, Nigeria is a more mature market when it comes to actual oil production. Algeria, a growing resource, some 12 billion in proven reserves.
Now, where does all this oil go? It is very interesting, I think, you look at Libyan oil exports. Because of where it is situated 32 percent of Libyan oil exports go to Italy. Italy is very important to this country, very important to this economy and very important to the relationship. Not just oil, I should say, any-does a lot of liquid natural gas-liquefied natural gas, between Italy and Libya, through an oil pipeline, a gas pipeline.
Also, you see Germany 14 percent, France, 10 percent; interestingly, looking elsewhere, China gets 10 percent of Libya's oil, 5 percent, a fraction, goes to the U.S.
Now, because of all this unrest this is having implications for the Libyan economy. The Fitch has downgraded Libya to Triple B today, and Fitch says there could be further downgrades, especially, if oil production is hit. And of course, Richard, oil companies already pulling staff out. We've heard it from BP, Shell, Total, and Stad (ph) Oil.
QUEST: Right. Question: If there is-I was going to say serious disruption.
BOULDEN: Yeah.
QUEST: But there is already serious disruption, cataclysmic disruption in Libya? More so than there is at the moment. That $105 that I spoke of, what happens to that?
BOULDEN: Well, two things. The oil market today, the rumors are that some of the people in the Libyan oil production, some of the tribes are going to strike. They are going to stop production. They, themselves, the workers on the ground, not the ex-pats; so if that happens then you are going to see a 1.5 million barrels taken off the market, potentially. Now, you could talk about reserves coming from else where, but you can't just replace 1.5 million barrels onto the markets. So some people say that is justified. Unlike what we saw in Egypt, Bahrain, other places, which is unfounded, but this is different.
QUEST: OK, Jim, many thanks.
BOULDEN: Yes.
QUEST: You'll keep watching this? You might just find there's more to report.
Coming up, when we return after the break, the Finnish capital is about to embark on a massive reconstruction, which will just about double its size.
We are in Helsinki after the break, for "Future Cities", where we examine how making the most of the harbor is crucial to this city's future.
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QUEST: Helsinki is about to undergo a dramatic transformation as it embarks on the biggest construction project in its history. And I don't say that lightly. Now, the former harbor has been relocated-if you look at that map-to make way for a city center that will almost double in size, 2.5 million square meters has been set aside for business. Almost double that has been allocated for housing, and up to 100,000 people will move. In today's edition of "Future Cities" I went to Helsinki to discover why functionality lies at the at the very heart of this capital's redesign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST (voice over): Helsinki is having a moment. With only half a million inhabitants, and a low-rise cityscape, this small capital city is continuously ranked amongst the best places in the world to live.
ALEXANDER STUBB, FINNISH FOREIGN MINISTER: Helsinki, in the 1970s, was a bit of a backward place, you could even say. Now in 2011, I would argue that this is one of the most international cities in world.
QUEST: Despite its accolades Helsinki is now embarking on the biggest construction boom in its history. The city is planning to reinvent itself.
JUSSI PAJUNEN, MAYOR OF HELSINKI: The City of Helsinki, in a way, will be rebuilt within the next 20, 25 years. We are starting a new era, where we are building more and more, on the waterfront. The sea and the city, they belong together.
QUEST (On camera): In the midst and depths of winter, you can't really get an idea of the scale of what is underway, but this is one of the largest redevelopment projects in Europe. It will be big for any city, for small Helsinki, it is simply huge.
(Voice over): At the heart of the change, is the relocation of former industrial and harbor areas, away from the center and to the eastern part of the city. This move has freed up 20 kilometers of waterfront, which is now being rebuilt. It is paving the way for Helsinki's future vision, called Horizon 2030.
(On camera): It is all about making the most of what you've got. In this case, the harbor; it maybe covered by ice for much of the year, but taking advantage of it is a priority.
(Voice over): At city hall, the urban planners have one simple goal, to map out a more livable future city.
OLAVI VELTHEIM, DIR., HELSINKI TOWN PLANNING: Human beings like to be on the edge and where the elements meet, and we are taking back the waterfront of the city.
QUEST: Right now, the former cargo port is just a big empty space, it is being primed for construction.
MATTI KAIJANSINKKO, PROJECT LEADER, WEST HARBOUR DEVELOPMENT: The area is about one square kilometer, so we are able to make a new zone of the city center, in the real heart of Helsinki, by the sea, which is very popular.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is hard to picture how large the new port areas are. The vacated areas are right next to the center, and they would almost double the surface area of downtown. There is a high expectation, but also there is a bit of a slight nervousness. Will it be good enough?
QUEST (On camera): Keeping the city moving during winter, and while all this construction is underway, is a Herculean task. At the heart of the city's policies, good design.
(Voice over): Priding themselves on their strong tradition of design, for the Finns, functionality is the key word. At the corps of the city's plan for the future lies the very Finnish philosophy that design should be embedded in every aspect of life. This philosophy has earned Helsinki the title, World Design Capital 2012.
PEKKA TIMONEN, DIR., WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2012: Of course, it is an award, but more than that, it is-it is, for us it is a reason to act, and it is a dynamic designation, that means that we are moving somewhere. It is not something what we have done before, but something we are really committed to do in the future.
In Finland when you say something is well-designed, it doesn't mean that it has an exciting shape, or it is a funky color. It means that it works. When you walk around Helsinki, and it is really hard to point your finger and say this is design. But the designer is the fact that the city works, even when we have 70 centimeters of snow.
QUEST: Being a World Design Capital means using design as a tool for change. Each city has its own unique approach. For Helsinki it is a chance to marry good-looking architecture with a city that works well, even in winter's extreme conditions.
TIMONEN: Being the world design capital right this moment is actually an excellent thing, because the city is changing enormously. Having a design, that was a key element in our strategy. We want to guarantee that this is a positive change, that when the city is changing, it's changed for the better and not the worse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leaving out the port areas, you cannot really complete the picture. There will be, in a way, no part untouched inside Helsinki after this.
TIMONEN: We have found ourselves to be a hub in the world, not anymore a corner that we're not. To compete in a -- in a -- in a contemporary world, having a pocket-sized metropolis that functions well. That's the role for Helsinki.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
QUEST: Helsinki -- one of our future cities.
And more from them next week.
A hundred and 80 member countries and 100,000 DNA records and all for one goal -- global justice.
Coming up next on QUEST MEANS BUSINESS, an exclusive look inside the world of Interpol and the fight against global crime.
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QUEST: Hello. I'm Richard Quest, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
This is CNN. And here, the news always comes first.
Protesters in Libya are reportedly being gunned down on the streets of Tripoli by the military. New, unconfirmed reports describe helicopters firing into the crowds. That's a day after demonstrations took hold in the capital for the first time. Libya's deputy U.N. ambassador has distanced his mission from Moammar Gadhafi's government, accusing it of genocide.
We're also hearing that members of the Libyan air force have deflected to Malta right than attack their own people. The justice minister and two ambassadors have resigned over the violence. Libya's ambassador to the U.K. is denying rumors that Colonel Gadhafi has left the country for Venezuela.
The protests gripping the region are having an impact in the world of sport. Bahrain won't be hosting the March opening race of the Formula One season because of the political unrest in that country. The Bahraini crown prince says the country's priority is overcoming tragedy and healing divisions.
Some new video into CNN from Bahrain. This is a demonstration in the capital, Manama, expressing support for the country's government. Opposition groups have been considering their next steps after the crown prince appealed for a national dialogue.
Every time you get on a plane, every time your passport is checked, there's an office deep in Central France which may be watching. It's nearly 10 years since 9/11 and Interpol is at the front line of the fast changing world of international crime fighting, a $60 billion a year business.
QUEST MEANS BUSINESS was given rare access to the world's largest international policing agency.
All this week, we're going to be looking at how it works and where it's headed.
And so, the first part of the series, as we go inside Interpol.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST (voice-over): Lyon in France -- 300 miles from Paris tucked away on the banks of the River Rhone. It's here the that secretive world of Interpol has its global headquarters. Through these corridors, countless criminal investigations pass each year, leading to thousands of arrests.
(on camera): Ah, the fingerprint.
RONALD NOBLE, SECRETARY GENERAL, INTERPOL: Yes.
QUEST (voice-over): Ron Noble -- Interpol's first non-European secretary general. He used to be in charge of the U.S. Secret Service. When he joined Interpol in 2000, the organization was in danger of becoming obsolete and marginalized. Less than a year later, he realized just how irrelevant Interpol had become.
RONALD NOBLE, SECRETARY GENERAL, INTERPOL: When September 11th happened, no one called us. No one called us for assistance. No one called us to alert us that these terrorist attacks had occurred. I found out about it from my family.
After September 11th, we went operational, helped the U.S. exchange information and decided that the lights would never again be turned out -- off at Interpol.
So we are now operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in a way that we weren't before.
QUEST: The myth of Interpol is thousands and thousands of people and billions of dollars being spent. The reality is anything but. Although Interpol operates in 188 countries, using field personnel from local and national police forces, Interpol's own direct workforce is based only I and Lyon and seven other regional offices around the world. This is the reality of the myth.
(on camera): You have 600 people, roughly; a budget of 60 odd million.
NOBLE: Right.
QUEST: How -- how much more do you need?
How much more do you want?
NOBLE: Here's what I say. Last year, there were 900 million people traveling internationally -- people with background, either criminal or non-criminal, our police need to know that. So my point is, if Interpol's budget isn't at least a billion a year, the world is not as safe as it should be.
QUEST: You want a billion?
NOBLE: We need a billion.
QUEST: You're a long way off.
NOBLE: We're getting there.
QUEST (voice-over): Even without his billion dollars, Interpol's arsenal is growing. This is the vault. These servers hold vast databases containing, at last count, 24 million records of lost or stolen travel documents and more than 100,000 DNA records. The DNA database didn't even exist before 9/11.
Interpol's headquarters is the gatekeeper of this vast databank. The information arrives from its global members. It's pooled and then deployed where it's needed most. That happens up here, in the command center, under the watchful eye of the assistant director, Emmanuel LeClaire.
EMMANUEL LECLAIRE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, INTERPOL COMMAND AND COORDINATION CENTER: Well, the command and coordination center is the first of the entry points of the information coming from police services at the Interpol. Also, in order to get more information on significant events, in terms of the police, we check, also, the media, regularly, so we can detect all important events and we can undertake the first action for Interpol.
QUEST (on camera): So when, for instance, there was the devices in Yemen to Dubai, did this place light up like a Christmas tree?
LECLAIRE: If you want, you can use this term. But it's our basic work.
QUEST (voice-over): Basic is an understatement. Just in the last few months, Interpol has helped Russia investigate its airport bombings. It's put out alerts on 47 Saudis believed to have links to al Qaeda. And it helped seize fake goods worth $200 million in South America.
Interpol's basic work affects all of us, each time we travel. It's one of the biggest changes in the post-9/11 world -- airport security.
NOBLE: I believe that any government that isn't screening their passports against Interpol's database, that ends up having a terrorist attack on their soil because someone entered the country carrying a stolen passport, the government is going to fall, because no citizen will accept the fact that they could have screened the passport against Interpol's database but didn't. And the proof of that is this year, we've had 400 million screenings and 30,000 individuals in possession of passports that have been listed as stolen or fraudulently altered stopped.
QUEST: If Interpol is watching us, who's watching Interpol?
NOBLE: We have a commission for the control of Interpol's files, an independent body that reviews our files. We have annual meetings of our member states. The Interpol offices in their countries are 100 percent staffed, 100 pent -- 100 percent controlled and 100 percent subject to the laws of those countries.
QUEST: The crime organization is attempting to do with information what troops in Afghanistan are doing with man and firepower.
(on camera): Do we have to accept that the struggle against there is some is unwinnable?
NOBLE: No, we don't have to accept that the struggle against there is some is unwinnable. Countries can prevent these individuals from moving freely from one country to another country. Countries can investigate them by sharing information. Countries can bring cases against them and prosecute them.
QUEST (voice-over): Ron Noble believes one country alone cannot guarantee its security. Interpol, for that matter, cannot guarantee it either. But Noble is not giving up. The secretary general doesn't believe that the terrorists can't be beaten. However, he knows that if Interpol is to make a decisive contribution to the fight, then its members need to cooperate and invest in Interpol like never before.
Richard Quest, CNN, at the Interpol headquarters in France.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
QUEST: And on tomorrow's program, we will continue our look at inside Interpol. This time, how the organization combats one of the toughest challenges of all -- human trafficking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NOBLE: It's a basic truism in law enforcement, follow the money. And, ultimately, if you follow the money, you're going to follow the person who's leading the organized crime that's involved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Follow the money and follow our series, from catching the gangs to rescuing the victims, a job for Interpol. That's inside Interpol all this week on QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Thousands more demonstrators have gathered at the Pearl Roundabout in Bahrain's capital, Manama, where they are preparing for mass protests expected on Tuesday. Those protests demanding political reform. Some are even calling for the removal of the royal family.
Let's talk more about the light and the current situation both economically and politically.
I'm joined by Khalid Abdulla-Janahi, finance executive and co-chair of the Middle East Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum.
Sir, let's start with the -- the -- the political side and then we'll do the -- the economic, if we may.
From looking outside, can we say that stability has returned to places like Bahrain and to Egypt, even as a process of dialogue continues?
KHALID ABDULLA-JANAHI, CO-CHAIR, WEF MIDDLE EAST GLOBAL AGENDA COUNCIL: I think each country has got its own specificities.
If I may talk about Bahrain, I think, from a political perspective, something we just mentioned earlier on -- and I have a better sort of -- I take on this with most of the media, especially the international media, when they talk about Bahrain -- and I see it all over the newspapers and on TVs, when it says that the Sunni minority are ruling the Shia majority. Now, that is not a true issue, because since the Shia were left as the protectorates of Bahrain in the 1973 constitution...
QUEST: Right.
ABDULLA-JANAHI: -- and reaffirmed in the 2001 charter so -- with 98 percent approval rating, Bahrain is basically ruled by the Al Khalifa family.
QUEST: Right. But...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: And the Al Khalifa family rule Bahrain, Sunnis and Shiites. So it's not...
QUEST: Well...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: -- it's not true to say that Sunnis are ruling the Shiites in Bahrain, from the perspective of the minority, because we are all one in Bahrain. And that...
QUEST: So, hang on...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: -- has created...
QUEST: Let me -- let me -- no, no, let me -- let me just jump in there. I take your point...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: It is...
QUEST: I take your point on board, whether it's a strict rule or not. But whether or not there is a minority that does feel disadvantage.
ABDULLA-JANAHI: Not necessarily. I mean my -- if you take the -- a rule -- the ruling family are taking all the advantages, that -- that's true. Because if you look at Bahrain -- and you've been to Bahrain, Richard -- it's a small little island. Today, what we're facing, I don't see any issues with the dialogue. I think we're going to get political agreements happening there. I'm not too worried about the economic in the long-term. What I'm worried about is the social fabric. Today, with the information technology revolution, I mean when you see the young people at 12, 13, 14 year olds and their Twitters and their Facebooks, the way they are hammering each other from the two sectors, that is a major, major problem...
QUEST: You see...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: -- because we were clear the political issues, we will have OK...
QUEST: No...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: -- in terms of the economic...
QUEST: No, but you say that...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: But...
QUEST: You say...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: -- it's going to take a long time to fix the social fabric.
QUEST: But you say that...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: And we have to all...
QUEST: Well, let...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: And, by the way...
QUEST: -- let me -- hang on...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: And...
QUEST: Hang on...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: -- and (INAUDIBLE)...
QUEST: Hang on...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: -- let me just put it here, that people like myself, people of my generation, we take the blame because, for a long, long time, we put our head in the sand without really looking at the sectarian issue which has been created in the country. And now, suddenly, it's out there...
QUEST: OK, so...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: And we need to...
QUEST: -- so you agree with me. So you agree with me that there -- effectively, there is a sectarian issue where we are pretty much in agreement that something is needing to be done and that dialogue needs to take care of it.
ABDULLA-JANAHI: Well, yes, the dialogue will take care of the political issues. What I'm really talking about is the social factor, that people, we have to basically look after our children. I'm -- we are what I would say the lost generation. Now we've got to look at the next generation coming through. And it's going to take years to really bend everybody together. It's a small country. All of us, the majority of us will find we are mixed with Shias and Sunni families.
So we have a mixture of both families, because it's a small, little island. Not everybody knows this around the world, but you know it, it's a small little island. We have to live together. We have to co-exist.
QUEST: OK...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: And if I have to...
QUEST: Let me ask you...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: -- act some...
QUEST: -- let me ask you -- hang on...
ABDULLA-JANAHI: (INAUDIBLE)...
QUEST: -- hang on. I need to get a word in here.
Let -- let me ask you, on the economic front, do you believe that years of Bahrain's assiduous courting as the particular type of economy that's open for business has -- has had pretty much irreparable damage done to it in the short-term?
ABDULLA-JANAHI: Well, I agree, short-term, but I do agree medium to long-term. I see it to be very positive, medium to long-term. This is the point I was going to get -- get to, is that in this dialogue, what I'm hoping for -- and you know this because you've heard me talking about this before -- I hope that in this dialogue that we're going to have that the way we're going to go forward, the right man is for the right job, regardless of his sect, regardless of his -- who is the son of who, and it's based on his merits.
So we want the meritocracy to be the way forward, not nepotism and not sectarianism. This is a very, very important thing to build it up in the national dialogue.
As I said, we've put our head in the sand for a long, long time. Now is the time for us to say, this is for the future, that's the only way we can go forward.
And as Obama said, transparency. Transparency is very, very important. So transparency is that we are basing our society, our economy, on meritocracy rather than nepotism and sectarianism.
QUEST: Khalid, many thanks for taking your head out of the sand and talking to us tonight on QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
We appreciate it.
ABDULLA-JANAHI: Thank you.
Thank you -- thank you for your nepotism.
Thanks.
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: Many thanks, indeed.
Now, less than a year from the Gulf oil spill and BP is back on a buying spree. First, it was Russia, now India. The chief executive next on this strategy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: BP is spend -- is suspending its onshore drilling operations in Libya and is evacuating its staff as unrest in Libya escalates.
Elsewhere, though, the deal making is continuing. BP is one of several big companies that announced big moves in emerging economies today.
Join me in the library and you will see what I'm talking about.
It's an India deal -- BP and Reliant. It's one of the biggest FDI, direct investment, foreign direct investment, into India -- $7.2 billion for a 30 percent stake in 23 oil and gas blocs.
Now, it's a fascinating deal because Reliant Industry, owned by Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man, it follows and the significance of this deal for BP, never mind the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico. BP, of course, has already done a $16 billion swap share with Rosneft of Russia.
So take the Rosneft deal and the Reliant deal, Rosneft, Reliant, and it tells you, from Bob Dudley, the chairman and the chief executive of BP, about the marketing strategy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB DUDLEY, CEO, BP: It takes BP deeper into an emerging and growing market, where most of the world's growth in energy demand is coming from. BP now has major investments in each of the large fast growing economies that will be central to the development of the world's economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: It wasn't just BP. Diageo was spending $2.1 billion to acquire Turkey's biggest spirits maker. It's part of Diageo's strategy to expand into emerging markets, too.
Now, Diageo makes Guinness, Johnny Walker, Smirnoff vodka. The deal putting Mey's brands into Diageo, will give it a firm foothold with established Turkish brands.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW MORGAN, PRESIDENT, EUROPE DIAGEO: It gives us a number of things, I think. One is -- is great market leading brands in local categories, the two big categories in -- in Turkey in -- in the spirits market are Raki, where we have the brand leader, Yeni Raki, which is actually one of the world's top 30 brands by -- by volume. I think, you know, to understand the importance of -- of Yeni in the Turkish market, you could compare it, I think, to Guinness' iconic status in Ireland.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Diageo's chief.
Now, New York is closed for President's Day today. But there is trading in Europe -- or there was. Maybe some people wish there hadn't been, because look at that, down 1 percent, down 1.4, down 1.4 -- 6000 must be looking dodgy for the FTSE, 4000 perhaps a bit dubious for the CAC Currant (ph). Uncertainty over Libya, fears of rising energy prices. Even Diageo was flat. BP's shares were down .3 of 1 percent. Whichever way you sort of looked, there was gloom in the market.
How much we can say that was because the U.S. wasn't part of the play, well, we'll find out tomorrow. But even so, some perhaps economic chickens coming home to roost.
Jenny Harrison is at the World Weather Center, where -- I mean I've got some grim markets and you've got bad weather.
JENNY HARRISON, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I have, Richard.
Yes, although I think I've got a little bit of brightness here amid all this bad weather. Things beginning to improve a little bit across the Southern Hemisphere. That's where I'm starting out. Three tropical cyclones. This is Cyclone Atu, continuing to move through the Vanuatu Range of islands.
To the north, we've got Carlos back in the picture. It reformed again.
And then way off the shore, off the west coast of Australia, we have Cyclone Dan. So that's the least of our worries.
But at Vanuatu, this has been a significant cyclone. It still is. We've got some very powerful winds within this storm system, gusting to, actually, over 230 kilometers now. But sustained winds at about 185 kilometers an hour.
We said begin to see some gradual strengthening, but it might just strengthen a little bit more in the next 24 hours. But eventually, it is going to weaken as it moves toward, as you can see there, the north island of New Zealand.
But it's going to be moving away, finally, as we go through Tuesday. We really hope that by that sort of late morning Tuesday local time it should be out of the picture. The heavy rains, of course, going with it. Still a few showers and heavier spells are in behind. But for the most part, things should finally be clearing up.
Now, I can't say quite the same when it comes to Carlos. As I say, it was Carlos a few days ago. Then it made landfall and, you know, it all fell apart, as usual with these storms. But then it re-emerged over the open warm waters. And look at the winds right now at about 75 kilometers an hour, of course, gusting higher than that.
And we could be seeing some strengthening with this storm, as it moves across that western portion of Northern Australia and very close to the coast all the way along.
So heavy amounts of rain. Gusting winds, of course. Concerns -- there are warnings out for the high tide period, in particular. But, really, the bulk of the relations should stay over the waters. So although we're going to see quite an increase in rainfall totals, of course, through Port Hedland down toward Exmouth. You can see that perhaps at worst about eight centimeters of rain.
In the U.S., it's been a very wintry picture. We've had some blizzard warnings in place. They are still in place, still stretching right the way down toward Washington, DC. But it's a fast moving system. Once that is pushed out of the picture, it should be clear and dry, if still a bit chilly.
Just freezing in New York, if that is where you're heading on Tuesday -- Richard.
QUEST: Many thanks, Jenny Harrison at the World Weather Center.
And we'll have more from Jenny tomorrow.
Many thanks.
Now, we have found you the most insightful messages from business, intellectual and political leaders. So, it's our Tweets from the Top that we bring you. We have scoured the Net.
First of all, Carl Bildt is the foreign minister of Sweden. He's now -- he Tweeted today that he's starting discussions on Egypt and Tunisia. Immediately, he's flying to Cairo for two days of intense and broad talks.
It's an interesting example of what these foreign ministers have to actually get up to.
Iraqi journalist Mina Al-Oraibi Tweets: "Glad the evil" -- or "the veil of reformer has been lifted for all to see." The YGL voices suspends Saif Al-Islam's membership as a Young Global Leader."
President Moammar Gadhafi had that membership stripped by the World Economic Forum.
Finally, very briefly, Tim O'Reilly, founder of -- chief executive of O'Reilly Media, says this about the amount Apple is going to take from publishers who sell their content on iPads. "Five percent, not 30 percent, is the right cut for Apple to take from content providers."
There you are.
That's Tweets from the Top.
You can follow me at Twitter.com/richardquest.
In a moment, the Profitable Moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Tonight's Profitable Moment.
Bahrain's decision to withdraw from hosting the season's opening Grand Prix, it was a statement of the obvious -- they jumped before they were pushed. But the crown prince said it was important to focus on the immediate issues of national interest -- building a new national dialogue for the country.
It's easy to be cynical about this move. But think about it a bit more. By taking the decision the authorities have added weight to the process that the leaders say they are now embarked upon. They've scotched the possibility that they're putting profits before sorting out the mess. They've even held open the prospect that the race might be run later in the year.
One race can easily be traded against the future of a nation. The outcome is far from desirable. But all things considered, it's the one thing that gives the most integrity to everyone involved.
And that's QUEST MEANS BUSINESS for tonight.
I'm Richard Quest in London.
Whatever you're up to in the hours ahead, I hope it's profitable.
I'll see you tomorrow.
END
